Art experience

Art Experience:

Initial Response: For this assignment, I went to local bar Max’s tavern and listened to a band called “Green is for go”.  The first thing that strikes me is the eclectic sound the band has with a banjo player and violin artist.  They have kind of a bluegrass sound, with a little bit of a rock sound with the vocals. The two of them seem like very laid back guys by the way they are dressed, and the music is mostly upbeat, but not overly intense. They seem like a fun band full of artists that are looking to have fun more than anything else.

Reflection:

After researching the band on the internet, their Myspace page reveals that the two of them are definitely aiming for humor while still producing music that is enjoyable to listen to. They claim to take pride in “rocking people’s socks off with nothing but acoustic instruments”, which is a cool idea and it makes them fun to watch. I think m original assessment of them is pretty right on now that I’ve gotten to look at their webpage and get a better feel for what they are all about. 

Collage

The Words I chose were:
Creativity
Human Spirit
Inspiration
Culture

Creative Spirituality Reflection

I define Spirituality as something that exists within us all. It is part of our core-being and it dictates our lives. Spirituality does not have to take the form of one specific religion, and to me it is the beliefs that we hold, our moral values, etc. I believe that the journey to discover your own spirituality is really the journey to discover your reason to exist. To answer the question of, what should I do with my life? Not just what career choice to make, but how do I want to spend my time on this Earth? How Can I find my place in the world? These are questions I’ve asked myself and I believe they are quite common, it is really about finding meaning in your life and the journey to be at peace with yourself.

 

Spirituality does differ from religion because religion is primarily concerned with devoting your life to following a God and following whatever guidelines are associated with your particular religion. Spirituality has more to do with searching for the best way to live your own life, the answers that make the most sense to you. I do believe though, that in an indirect way they are the same, because both of them deal with the idea of a non-physical sense of self.

 

Creativity is coming up with an original idea, and applying that idea to an infinite number of creative outlets. Creativity means to think outside the box and to use your own knowledge and experiences to create something unique, that nobody has every quite thought of before. Creativity is part of the intelligent thought that separates us from most of the animals in the world. It is not just about art, it is part of what moves the human species forward. Creativity is what drives people to design new technology that can drastically alter human life, such as the ability to use electricity, the automobile, etc.

 

The source of creativity is a part of our brain that is unique to the human species. It is the part of us that generates new ideas that are to some degree based on our own experiences and also our knowledge of history, science, technology, art, economics, and pretty much any other field. The creative process involves letting go of perceived boundaries, and not being afraid to cross social norms or imagined boundaries.  An example of creativity in the science world is the early greek philosophers that came up with the idea that the Earth might be spherical. These people paved the way through creative thought which comes from their own willingness to think outside the box, even if the idea may seem crazy to other people. 

Mark Lane

AAD 250

Personal Adornment Reflection

            There is nothing particularly interesting about the way I dress. I do not have any tattoos, no prince Albert, nipple rings, earings, nose rings, or anything of that nature. I wear t-shirts and jeans almost every day of the year. During the summer time, I wear sandals pretty much every day. I usually keep a short hair cut, but for a few years let my hair grow long during high school. The way I dress is a symbol of my personal beliefs, which are just as biased as anyone else’s. I am typically put off by people that appear to be trying extremely hard to look cool, or look rich, etc. At the same time, I am also somewhat perplexed by people that wear ratty looking clothes or clothes that are either extremely tight to the point where the person must struggle to put them on, or clothes that are absurdly oversized and baggy for the person. It is because of these beliefs and personal preferences that I dress moderately, and would probably appear to be somewhat average looking. There are exceptions of course; I do collect Vans tennis shoes, my jeans are always Levi slim straights because I do like jeans that are a little bit slimmer, and I prefer LeBron James’ basketball shoes because his brand of shoes are built wider and they fit better than any other I’ve ever played in. The family I was raised had a lot to do with the moderate style of adornment. My father wore a suit every day to work, yet I can only remember a handful of times I’ve ever seen him wearing any formal wear outside of work. Growing up in Southern California with temperate 70 degree weather pretty much year round, he always wore shorts sandals and a t-shirt whenever he was off-work, and you’d be hard pressed to guess his occupation if you saw him on the weekend. I am very much like my father in that sense. I also believe that my parents allowed my siblings and I to experiment in our youth with hair dying, long hair, unusual clothing, and other unconventional adornment without putting up any kind of fuss, and this allowed me to pass through my phases of adornment experimentation without getting caught up in trying to piss off my parents like some of the folks we read about in the presentation.

            In terms of body modification, I do lift weights and exercise quite often. I am by no means a true “body builder”, meaning I don’t take steroids and have 30 inch biceps, but I do like to be fit and have a body that I’m comfortable with. It’s interesting to note that during times when I have not been able to exercise due to the various sports related injuries I’ve accumulated over the years, I begin to feel uncomfortable with myself when I lose muscle definition and start packing on body fat. I believe this has something to do with the whole “gladiator” male body image that became so popular in Hollywood and pop-culture during the 80’s and 90’s. 

Aesthetics of horror Research Part II

Mark Lane

AAD 250

Aesthetics of Horror Research

“Why do people Watch scary movies, Stay In Ice Hotels, Or Eat Bacon-Flavored Ice-Cream? ”

            This article comes from a popular Psychology blog written by a British Psychologist named Jeremy Dean. Dean argues that on top of the traditional arguments as to why people view horror films, such as the idea that pleasure is experienced simultaneously with fear, or that people can enjoy themselves knowing the movie and the frightening stimulus is not real. He goes on to explain his idea of “conceptual consumption”, in which people are after more than just the actual experience of watching the film. He claims that people like the idea of having experienced a scary movie, just as they enjoy the idea of having a weird experience such as sleeping at an ice hotel or eating bacon flavored ice cream.  Dean claims that has something to with self image, in that people want others to know that they have unique experiences, they try new things, watch scary movies, etc.

            Noel Carroll’s article, “Why Horror?”, argues that horror is popular for the cognitive pleasures people take from solving the mystery, seeing the murderer captured, and the relief that comes from experiencing a resolution at the end of the film:

“Applied to the paradox of horror, these observations suggest that pleasure is derived from the horror fiction and the source of our interest in it resides, first and foremost, in the process of discovery, proof and confirmation that horror fictions often employ. The disclosure of the existence of the horrific being and of its properties is the central pleasure in the genre; once that process of revelation is consummated, we remain inquisitive about whether such a creature can be successfully confronted, and that narrative question sees us through to the end of the story. Here, the pleasure involved is, broadly speaking, cognitive (Carroll, 282).”

            Carroll’s argument is both rationale and plausible, but Dean’s argument is superior because it encompasses both Caroll’s point of view and Guat’s. Dean does not discount the possibility that people appreciate horror films for cognitive reasons, or that people can experience contrasting emotions simultaneously. Instead, he focuses on why people wish to have the experience, which may have less to do with what they feel during the movie than it does with how they feel knowing that they’ve experienced something strange, scary, weird, etc. People like to feel that have unique experiences, and that others view them as interesting. Ultimately I think there is truth to each of these hypothesize, but that Dean’s is the most compelling.

Source:

Dean, J., (2009). Why Do People Watch Scary Movies, Stay In Ice Hotels,or Eat Bacon-Flavored Ice Cream?PsychBlog. Retrieved August 1, 2009, from http://www.spring.org.uk/2009/04/why-do-people-watch-scary-movies-stay-in-ice-hotels-or-eat-bacon-flavoured-ice-cream.php

The aesthetics of Horror Research

Mark Lane

AAD 250

Aesthetics of Horror Research

“Why do people enjoy horror movies? They enjoy being scared”

            This article from Science Daily News explores possible reasons why people enjoy horror films. The basic argument in the article is that people draw pleasure from experiencing traditionally negative emotions. Fear, Sadness, and anger, are all examples of negative emotions that people tend to experience when viewing horror films. Despite the fact that these are negative emotions, the article suggests that people experience a mix of emotions such fear and pleasure, anger and pleasure, etc. This idea of mixed emotions is somewhat controversial in the science world, but the article cites a recent scientific study in which people were experiencing both negative and positive emotions while presented with “horror” like stimuli.

            In his article, “The Paradox Of Horror” Berys Gaut makes the same argument that was presented in Science Daily News:

“One can also enjoy other “negative” emotions. One can enjoy disgusting stories, and there is a minor genre, popular on college campuses, of “discust” movie, pre eminent amongst which is John Waters’ Pink Flamingos. The negative emotion of anger can also be enjoyed: Irascible individuals sometimes seek out situations in which they will have an opportunity to get angry. Likewise it is possible to relish a feeling of quiet melancholy, dwelling on the sorrows and disappointments of life, and weeping for sadness of the world (Gaut, 299).”

            Gaut’s argument is essentially the same as the one presented in the Science Daily News. Both parties agree that the viewer is experiencing negative emotions such as fear sadness and anger while watching a horror film, but that ultimately the viewer is experiencing pleasure at the same time. They argue that experiencing pleasure as a result of negative emotions is the main reason why people watch horror films, and it’s an argument that makes a lot of sense. It is hard to argue that people don’t ultimately enjoy experiencing these negative emotions when they view horror films; otherwise it is highly unlikely that horror would be such a popular genre.

           Source:

University of Chicago Press Journals (2007, July 31). Why Do People Love Horror Movies? They Enjoy Being Scared. ScienceDaily. Retrieved August 2, 2009, from http://www.sciencedaily.com­ /releases/2007/07/070725152040.htm

Chinese tea as an artform

Mark Lane

AAD 250

Food As art Research

Chinese tea drinking is art from focused on taste

            CNN news correspondent May Lee wrote an article in 1999 that describes a shop owners’ explanation of why Chinese tea is an art form.  The owner of this Hong Kong teashop, named Fook Ming Tong, argues that in Japan, the tea-drinking ceremony is more of an art form in Japan while the Japanese focus less on the actual taste of the tea. The article explains that China has over 500 different types of tea with a wide variety of tastes, which is the most important part of any kind of tea, according to Tong. Tong explains that certain types of tea must be brewed at specific temperatures, for a specific amount of time, and that this varies among the many different types of tea made in China.

            This article delves into the question of ceremonial art vs. food as art. Tong claim that Japanese tea is not art because it is more about ceremony without much focus on taste, while Chinese tradition is all about taking the time to get the taste right. In the same way that culinary artists prepare meals that are specifically designed to bring pleasure and enjoyment to the consumer, Chinese tea is an art form because taste is the most critical aspect of it. Nourishment is not the first priority in Chinese tea because it has evolved into an artistic avenue for tea-makers to design the best tasting tea that will bring the most pleasure to their customers. This art medium is all about pleasure for the consumer, and this pleasure is created through rigorous preparation of the tea by carefully monitoring the amount of tealeaves that are used, the temperature that the tea is made with, and the amount of time the tea leave is cooked in the water. This article is interesting because it makes a clear distinction of one type of tea as non-art, while the Chinese teas are in fact art, and the reason for this is the idea of pleasure through taste for the consumer.

Source:

Lee, M. (1999, November). Chinese tea drinking is an art form focused on taste. CNN News. Retrieved July 31,2009 from http://www.cnn.com/FOOD/news/9911/12/china.tea/