https://drive.google.com/open?id=10zHsbNRHXPR4_YJnTQH61TyQzq6mmRCN
Author: i43099
Teju Cole Blog
Initially, I saw the opera as a cultural experience outside of my grasp, mainly due to how I do not generally find importance of the arts within my own life. With a preconceived notion of an older gentry based audience members based on cartoons I watched when I was younger, I had little to no idea of what to fully expect from the experience. Easy to say I dragged my feet thinking it would be boring, but I attempted to have an open mind when initially entering the building. Though my parents feel performances like the such are beautiful and immersive, there was no change in the fact that I was fearful of the worst. With a short attention span, could I find it interesting?
When stepping foot into the building, the decorations seemed overtly fancy and that allowed me to give into my pre-judgements subconsciously. Of course, I did not let that spoil the experience before it had occurred, so I held my thoughts. When sitting, sheep were brought onto the stage and held for some reason. Facing some irritation, I did realize that one of the sheep was erratic and seemed stressed by the experience, but I held my thoughts…for the most part. Overall, the performance took some getting used to. I did not fully understand what each person was saying (thankfully there were subtitles) as well as not understanding where the plot started or ended. That is just my being nit picky, but I was kind of lost through the whole show. To my guess, it may have just been me rather than the show with the issue, but can never be too sure. I do believe, however, that if an individual has a passion for the arts or cultural institutions of the city, the opera would be an excellent place to start. There are so many questions to ask and the show seemed to give the audience freedom of interpretation. The opera was different than my initial prejudice, but it was still not to my complete liking, especially since I have yet to obtain a proper understanding of how to properly appreciate the art form to its fullest.
Open Letter to Guggenheim- final
Dear Guggenheim Museum,
Art is up to interpretation, but when would it then become too immoral to sought after a certain message? In terms of the piece named, “Dogs That Cannot Touch Each Other”, where is the art in suffering? Yes, there are the priceless pieces of art work from history depicting the suffering of humans, however is there a comparison? Bringing this into perspective, the purpose for the art of history is to learn what is best not to be repeated. In terms of the video, these dogs were placed onto treadmills under the mentality of fighting for survival, what would further be the purpose?
So here lies the issue. For seven straight minutes, these dogs were attempting their hardest to attack one another. The depicted scenario acts as a double edged blade whereas these dogs also were depicted to be extremely likable to Pit-bulls, a breed of which already has a stained credibility of dog fighting. The breed is already facing legislative bans in several states and nations where they are to be euthanized or deemed illegal to breed for fear of public aggression. That general aspect aside, the eight dogs used in this demonstration of dare I say cruelty underwent high levels of stress that could further contribute to fatigue, disease, and early death. However, I digress.
The art exhibit does bring out two portions of human nature, as do most art forms. It shows the cruelty of some who are willing to subjugate other species to mistreatment for the “betterment” of human kind and the individuals who are willing to look past hubris and attempt to assist the voiceless. Not only was this art exhibit a strain for the animals involved, but it also acted as a media that showed the “acceptability” of animal mistreatment. Younger generations will hold onto the message depicted and continue this complex of false superiority over other species on the planet. So not only are children less likely to access this exhibit due to the needlessly graphic video, but individuals who appreciate, care, and love animals to any degree would show a greater hesitation in visiting such an exhibit. Not only will the museum lose business, but it will also have a tarnished reputation with the community it serves to enlighten.
A possible solution would be to single out the purpose. If this was to show a portion of “Art and China After 1989: Theater of the World”, then depict that time period. Rather than attempting to make new art based on the suffering of another species, focus the finances and purpose towards better understanding the time period and the reasons behind each piece of art. If dog fighting was in fact a pass time or source of entertainment during this time period, show other forms of art that depict the brutality without inflicting the cruelty to actual animals present day.
What would be the purpose of studying art and history if we are dooming ourselves to repeating the mistakes we learned not to make? The future of our species and that of others remains intertwined to the fate of the planet. In order to preserve our livelihoods, we must look past selflessness as go further towards equitable treatment of all living things as a community.
Best Regards,
Isaac Paredes
Coco Fusco- Uptown Hitters Art Exhibit
First Impressions
“The art style was unique in a way that each portion of the image was intended to have symbolic meaning that is more so straight forward. An instance being the fire in El Pique that seems to have the rest of the painting revolve around it. Even the individuals within the painting are focusing on it, yet each remain convoluted except the person on fire. I found this interesting since there are so many things this fire could symbolize. This also backs on the form of art. Three dimensional while still remaining two dimensional in the same respect gives an interesting depth to the paintings.”
El Pique
Analysis
“‘Emerging at a time when mass audiences in Europe and America were barely literate and hardly cognizant of the rest of the world, the displays were an important form of public ‘education.'”
Fusco’s essay in its entirety seems to focus on the seemingly undesired obtaining of “exotic” performers and art from Eurocentric societies at an earlier time in history. Though it seems that this was looked down upon, was it not better for the Europeans to inevitably learn of other cultures first hand? Yes, they had went through the process in a way that leaves little to be desired, but it was something that was to be done eventually. In terms of the art, especially El Pique, it seems like race plays a large part in the symbolic representation. There is an individual in the top right that is evidently white behind what seems to be a car steering wheel. This could be an attempt to show how much people of white descent “control” the lives of others or society while also blending in their own respect. There are three people within the painting. The one that could be considered white is also partially yellow in a yellow compartment. The man/woman to the left of the painting is peeking out from behind a curtain, the face blending into the background darkness to the point of barely making out features. The clothing is clear, yet more stained than the others. The final individual is the one who’s head is set ablaze. The peculiarity of this person is how well they blend into the background in terms of the clothing. In the pink is a set of two babies and several other things such as what seems to be a building, hospital cart, numbers and the list goes on. In a certain sense, this may show the priorities of each, whereas the individual in the pink is extremely distracted and has a lot going on in his head. To my realization, this perhaps shows a deeper dynamic to the whole race position. On one end, you have what is at the surface which is an entire cluster of mixed images centered by what can be the cumulation of an individual’s life. Perhaps his siblings are to his bottom left and the entirety of his background remain just that, a background to what is really at stake, his sanity in terms of expectation. The other two within the painting seem to watch over the boy almost as if they are the ones running his life. In terms of Fusco’s essay, I’d say the boy’s life was never his own to begin with, or that is what is being shown or depicted.
Open Letter to Guggenheim
Dear Guggenheim Museum,
I am not one to look for the intricacies of art and its depiction, however, I am one to see when the purpose and lengths to which that purpose is obtained are too far from ethical standings. In terms of the piece of “art” named, “Dogs That Cannot Touch Each Other”, where is the art in suffering? Yes, there are the priceless pieces of art work from history depicting the suffering of humans, however is there a comparison? Bringing this into perspective, the purpose for the art of history is to learn what is best not to be repeated. In terms of the video, these dogs were placed onto treadmills under the mentality of fighting for survival, what would further be the purpose?
So here lies the issue. For seven straight minutes, these dogs were attempting their hardest to attack one another. The depicted scenario acts as a double edged blade whereas these dogs also were depicted to be extremely likable to Pit-bulls, a breed of which already has a stained credibility of dog fighting. The breed is already facing legislative bans in several states and nations where they are to be euthanized or deemed illegal to breed for fear of public aggression. That general aspect aside, the eight dogs used in this demonstration of dare I say cruelty underwent high levels of stress that could further contribute to fatigue, disease, and early death. With respect, I digress.
The art exhibit does bring out two portions of human nature, as do most art forms. It shows the cruelty of some who are willing to subjugate other species to mistreatment for the “betterment” of human kind and the individuals who are willing to look past hubris and attempt to assist the voiceless. Not only was this art exhibit a strain for the animals involved, but it also acted as a media that showed the “acceptability” of animal mistreatment. Younger generations will hold onto the message depicted and continue this complex of false superiority over other species on the planet. So not only are children less likely to access this exhibit due to the needlessly graphic video, but individuals who appreciate, care, and love animals to any degree would show a greater hesitation in visiting such an exhibit. Not only will the museum lose business, but it will also have a tarnished reputation with the community it serves to enlighten.
A possible solution would be to single out the purpose. If this was to show a portion of “Art and China After 1989: Theater of the World”, then depict that time period. Rather than attempting to make new art based on the suffering of another species, focus the finances and purpose towards better understanding the time period and the reasons behind each piece of art. If dog fighting was in fact a pass time or source of entertainment during this time period, show other forms of art that depict the brutality without inflicting the cruelty to actual animals present day.
What would be the purpose of studying art and history if we are dooming ourselves to repeating the mistakes we learned not to make? The future of our species and that of others remains intertwined to the fate of the planet. In order to preserve our livelihoods, we must look past selflessness as go further towards equitable treatment of all living things as a community.
Best Regards,
Isaac Paredes
Mirror Suffocation
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B3B2zFOLRDd7SVdOT3RxUG92ZDQ
This is the portrait of ongoing human ignorance in the face of self created issues. With the plastic intake and misuse alongside other human catalyzed issues, the world suffers as 0.01 to 0.1 percent of all species go extinct by the year. If there were 100,000 species on the planet, that would be 1,000 to 10,000 new species added to the extinction list. The video is meant to let the reality of suffering on both ends from pollution sink in in any form it can.
Ode To The Sea- Isaac Paredes
From across the sea, I see the reaches of a land far beyond my grasp. A bridge from my end to nothing; a pier for the empty sea between me and the dreams of a new land. It serpentines through the water effectively winding its way towards the center. A dark and gloomy day spreads across the sky, a brown flurry of lost intent mirrored onto the water that is my path. The incomplete lands across the water lay stagnant in their mass.On the pier rests nothing, it binds to the water and becomes one. Where the path meets my end, it fuzes into the ground as if the wooden pier had grown from the dirt itself. Mountains and hills forming a snake like horizon line in a brown completeness. In the blue haze is the formation of life’s formula. Beginning in a pure white to only be corrupted by doubt in the continuation of the path. The darkness soon engulfs the entirety of the person, of the situation and gives way to an entire portion of the painting belonging to the corruption. This eventually leads to a moment of realization whereas the dark shifts to the light. The light being the realization that through the murkiness comes a virtuous perspective of life. The sky is a turmoil of brown gloom fighting with the cloud passing through. Streaks of the blue sky bounce along the turmoil of the land, a new conundrum phasing through an open sea. The gloom adding a new sense of dread and weariness alike. This is the foundation, the core to the world and its future. Whereas we all come from the same land and the same beginning as seeds sprouting out into an ocean of possibilities separate at all points but from where we began. As the colors continue to morph together, we see a pattern to this mass of possible pathways that keeps each person from turning away from their future. The stokes on the pier act as a guiding agent, ever most unchanged by the environment while all the same dictating the direction of the path. Though curved, the path still heads towards a new land of intent and mystery. Unable to stray too far from the path, this curvature remains true as the different possibilities in which we all choose our future without choosing anything at all. This winding of color change gives way to seeing just how much freedom we have in our destinies; none at all. We are guided by the decisions we make in life, right or wrong. The spires holding the pier together are both the opposite thought process in every situation where an individual could take left or right. This further dictates their direction and all the same continuing to form their path into a new future and path on the other side of the ever so murky water in between. With each decision, we get further from where we all began, eventually coming to a mid-ground where we realize the fallacies in trying to the to the other side in the first place since it is truly just the end of what we hold dear in our own lives.
