Today in my survey of motion picture class we were learning about sound. My teacher said something that caught my attention, and that was: "there's design involved in sound, even silence." Hearing "design" of course made me think of this class. When I look at this image, while still thinking about what my professor said in the back of my head, I began to think about the type of sound that would be designed for it. There is an obvious creepy feeling to it, yet the expression on the face looks sort of sad to me. The cloud-like layer over the image, and the image's overall obscurity and deformation makes me think of it in a mystical sense. Taking all of these vibes (creepy, sad, mystical) into consideration, if I was to score a soundtrack for this image, I'd picture it to be a slow, trancy, high pitched soundtrack. As we've been coerced in this class, design is all around us. And when you keep this in mind, it is really interesting to analyze other sources of design through the lens of another.
Today in my Modern Art class we discussed Duchamp's LHOOQ and the Fountain, and what motivations were behind the creation of these pieces and what that meant for the progression of art at the time. One concept that I kept coming back to was a thought we have brought up nearly every class period, that literally EVERYTHING is design and art. Challenging what people consider to be "art" and "fine art" is something that I think is extremely valuable towards the creation of something new, truly avant-garde, and is essential towards the continuing importance of expression through art and design. -Stephanie Kryzak
Through this essay, i would like to evaluate the class. When I enrolled to this class it was another art class for me but as I attended the course I learned things that I actually can talk about and discuss with other people. I didn't take it as a class mentally. It was more like a cultural thing since I had interest in material. And the discussions that took place in the class was very interesting and fun to listen to. And the assignments we wrote every week pushed me to think critically. Thank you for making this material even more interesting and fun.
I'm also taking the modern art class discussed above. As previously mentioned, we talked about Duchamp's art and whether or not it should actually be considered art. What I find so interesting about Duchamp is his belief that a true work of art takes place in the mind of the artist and the viewer -- art necessarily doesn't have to be an oil on canvas painting. With his "Fountain" piece, a lot of controversy exists about whether or not it should be considered art. While I do have some trouble seeing the aesthetic value in turning a toilet on it's side and calling it art, I do see value in his supposed intent in doing so. Duchamp opens up concepts of art to a more general definition which I think directly correlates to what we've learned throughout this semester -- the notion that everything is design.
I was not present in the previous class, so simply seeing the work we are looking at now with modern and contemporary design, it reminds me of how enigmatic most work are to so many people. We are experiencing conflicts of fame versus quality, conflict of material worth versus intrinsic worth, and a rebellion against what is considered fine art. Painting of just white paint on canvas costing thousands of dollars is always difficult to accept from the general perspective. But when that concept first came out, it meant millions of words to art history. Now moving into the availability of so many mediums, art history has no other way but to categorize everything in a general label of “Expressionism.” Nothing can define a 20-foot portrait of Kim Jong Il made with bloody Band-Aids by Phil Hansen compared to the Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s islands surrounded in pink fabric. Just like Basquiat, his fortune was because of his fame, not for his work. It was because he was the first recognized black artist of his time. In respect of all ingenious works, I’ve stumbled upon a wonderful example of today’s typography design in video.
I am just thinking about how this class, these blogs in particular, has helped me with writing and opinion forming. I was nervous to do them at first, because I do not consider myself an artsy person in this respect. As time went on, I was able to sit down and almost immediately write out my thoughts in a clear and interesting way, and even to present them in class. I got better at creative writing, given such a vague prompt, and feel that I have prospered greatly. I feel more cultured in many ways, having been taught something of all subjects, and more receptive to learning in general after this semester.
Recent technological advances have created a revolutionary form of book, magazine, and newspaper publishing. Along with the popularization of iPads, Kindles, and other electronic tablets, interactive eBooks have revolutionized both the creative and functional design possibilities of the print medium. It is always important to keep in mind, however, the type of interactive book you are purchasing as well as its level of practicality. As defined by UXMagazine , a popular online User Experience information source, eBooks, which are documents of a particular format, can be distinguished from apps which are software. A further distinction can be made of enhanced eBooks, which are formatted for Apple iBooks as well as Amazon’s Kindle Fire. Apple has even released an iBooks Author software, free of charge, which allows anyone to create his or her own iBook.
With this reinvention of reading, however, comes the responsibility of uniting both creativity and functionality. Interactivity does not always add value to a story. In fact, it sometimes distracts from it. Although interactivity for the sake of interactivity make a story seem overwhelming, it is hard to deny a story its ability to come alive with today’s degree of technological possibility.
I enjoyed our discussion on environments and how vital design is to contributing to an individual's experience. The presentation of space are infinite. I always find myself on http://dwellinggawker.com/ hoping that I too can one day decorate my future home like some of the ones seen there. I truly believe that colors, textures, and feng shui working together can truly have an effect upon the mood and overall experience someone has in a particular place.
The biggest concept that I'm going to walk away from this class with is that design has no set definition, anything can be design. When I was studying recently for one of my anthropology classes I found myself drawing connections between the two classes. Specifically in the idea of anthropometry, the measurement of the human body. I've seen images of people attempting to depict the perfect design for humans. Humans have had this idea of ideal proportions since the beginning of art. Ex: the Vitruvian man and classical figures in sculpture. However, after Darwin's publication of his Origin of Species, the idea of social darwinism and eugenics turned this search for the ideal human design into a man hunt. I think it's interesting though, how much humans seem to care about designing the perfect human when we really have no control our own evolution.
Yesterday I realized how important graphic design is on my career. As an architecture student major we have to understand that the presentation part is as important as our design. Yesterday was my final presentation for design and I spent more than half semester just coming up with the graphic part of my presentation. In today’s world everything we do and see has to do with graphics. In architecture graphic and design go next to each other; we need to try our best to get our point across to our customers and professors. One of the comments I received was that my graphics were telling the story, that everything was very clear and understandable. I’m very happy I took this class because it has helped me understand the history and main idea behind graphic design.
Looking at this photograph a lot of things come to my mind. First whether the result is intentional or maybe a happy mistake which ended up in a piece of art. With this in mind , it reminds me to the photographs of Sally Man , which always have glimpses of texture from the glass in which she develops her photos. As a result giving her a unique photo everytime, with mistakes that end up being part of the picture. Sally Mann talks about the beauty, even the necessity, of accidents in making her art. “What I love about this process are the happy accidents . There is something to be learned from this I think -- about embracing flaws, allowing accidents to happen and enjoying the beauty of imperfection” Her photos have a similar expression to the one shown here. In addition It also looks as if it was taken underwater, maybe because of the texture of the photo and the movement of the hair which flows as if it was floating in water.
Looking at the photo for this week’s post there is something eerie about the woman. The cool blue color and dark shadowing creates a mysterious atmosphere for the viewer. Simply stated, I find this picture to be creepy and it reminds me of numerous horror movies from over the ages. The upper half of the painting appears to be damaged and cutting off so that the viewer is able to see the entire figure’s form. There is no sense of a real background. From this class I have learned about numerous graphic designers and come to understand that design is not a simple definition. We are constantly surrounded and exposed to design in our lives; there is not just one medium or way of defining it. The mediums for design are always changing and I’m not sure what is to come next. However, I believe that it will become more eco-friendly because many have become environmentally conscious.
When I first look at this image I thought it was very interesting and well composed. Then I felt the curiosity to find out who the artist was. I found out that he was not only a photographer, but also a painter and sculptor. I thought that this image was much more recent than 1937. After looking at Raoul Ubac works it seems like he was ahead of time. The images he created are very intriguing. His collages show a well thought through composition. In my opinion originality is essential in the life of artists, and Ubac was certainly able to reach a high level of originality and uniqueness. In this class we have been exposed to many designers throughout time, and we have been able to follow the evolution in the methods of design.
The first thing that runs through my mind when seeing this image is Art; what is ART and what is the meaning of it. According to "DICTIONARY.COM" ART is: 1. the quality, production, expression, or realm, according to aesthetic principles, of what is beautiful, appealing, or of more than ordinary significance. 2. the class of objects subject to aesthetic criteria; works of art collectively, as paintings, sculptures, or drawings: a museum of art; an art collection. See fine art, commercial art. 3. a field, genre, or category of art: Dance is an art. 4. the fine arts collectively, often excluding architecture: art and architecture. 5. any field using the skills or techniques of art: advertising art; industrial art.
In more simple words ART has many meanings and every person may interpreted in their own way. It is everywhere and anywhere, like we have been discussing in class design lives among we are design. It can bring different emotions and reactions. In the artists hand is the power of creating another world with a different implications, a world which you may hate or love. It is why I decided to study and practice architecture because by designing I am able to create that other world, I will be able to bring emotions in people.
This class has had a great influence in my daily life. Now I see everything different, I try to understand and learn the message behind signs, posters, logos, etc. It has helped understand how other people create and design things for my daily life; before this class I would see an object and not really think about all the process that the object went through before it was actually there. As a designer I understand that there is a series of steps that you must follow before your work is ready to be exposed. And this are some of the most important aspects in which these class has helped me understand was going on around me.
After looking back on what we have gone through in this class I realize on how important feedback and discussion is when learning about art. I believe design falls into the category of what is considered art. Art is widely considered to be a "forum for discussion". Initially, it served an aesthetic purpose but since the early twentieth century, we see conceptual art take an important presence within the definition of art. Design plays with both of these theories and this idea was reinforced not only by the class materials but also thanks to the great input and new ideas brought about by other members in the class who included wonderful clips and websites regarding design.
The most enjoyable part of this course for me has been looking at the history of design - from cave art to incunabula to Duchamp - and really looking at what drives the evolution of design. Whether it be the need to express or emit a feeling, or replicate a landscape, or even as a reaction to an other art movement. To me, not only looking at art, but knowing the story behind it is just as interesting. I wonder if the evolution of design is infinite, or circular, or even both; and wonder why design continues to change. Will we ever be satisfied enough with what we create to keep it around for a long time? Is there an optimal design like Alexander Melamid's "America's Most Wanted" painting of George Washington and a hippo in a landscape? After taking this course, I think to the answer to all of these questions are no. Design is everything and nothing. And it cannot be stopped.
A few days ago, I went downstairs to find my roommate sitting at our kitchen table, squinting at her laptop screen. I sat down next to her and discovered what she was perplexed about. "I don't get it" she said, as she browsed the works of art of one of her friends from high school that were recently selected for display at a gallery. The images were very abstract, the medium was mostly paints. She was almost annoyed that her friend was gaining such recognition and said "I could do that." In my high school art history class, my teacher taught me a valuable lesson. "I could do that" should be responded to with "but you didn't". This discrepancy all of the sudden made sense. So, I responded with this answer to my roommate, and I could see a moment of clarity to the random shapes on canvas she was seeing. She was still confused as to why someone would create such images, to which I told her that they were meant to evoke emotion in the viewer, which they definitely had accomplished. It was then that she had learned that the idea behind the work was a big part of it, not necessarily the talent of the execution.
I feel the need to highlight the discussion on Banksy. The issue of graffiti as a form of artwork has always bothered me so much. I have never understood how beautiful street art can be looked down upon as a form of vandalism, while there are pieces hanging in the MoMa selling for thousands of dollars that are nothing but large white canvases with dots on them. Don't get me wrong, I am a firm believer in all forms of art and I am not discrediting the dotted canvases whatsoever, but I love the fact that Banksy was finally able to bring some 'credit' to the world of graffiti.
I believe that the whole issue of graffiti is one of the most culturally influenced in the art world. In other countries around the world, such as throughout Latin America and Europe, graffiti can be seen EVERYWHERE and is a beautiful cultural trademark of different locations, while in America it is looked down upon.
After this class I have developed a great curiosity in everyday design. Know I question the reason fonts where chosen for any form of print, why colors specific colors are chosen not others. Since being in this class I have learned to question the ideas of the design off chairs, books, tv commercials, websites and more. I believe that this course has taught me to question the reasonings and source of design of all kind.
This class has really taught me how to approach and view not only graphic design but also art in general. I signed up for this class because I needed and art requirement and I could not be happier that I did. I learned that graphic design does not have one set definition and pretty much anything and everything we use today is graphic design. Technology, clothing, posters, advertising, and more are all different forms of design. An artists style can really tell us so much about him or her. It is a way of helping us define another person or even ourselves like we spoke about in logos. Another example is photograph or portrait which helps us capture the person and moment in just one picture. Graphic design is critical to society and its development.
After the first time I registed this class, I was wondering how "design" can be different from "art". It turned out I was thinking too small about both art and design. Design can be everything, and everything we do is design. As well as art. I decide to put a lamp on my desk, I can say it's my design, but I can hardly say it's my art. It's really interesting to think about whether art or design has the bigger extension. This class caught me design really have no limitation, and I learned to appreciate every single thing in my life.
After taking this class I see design differently. The beauty of the design of CD covers, of magazines, of architecture, etc. Design is all around us. Then Professor Triff introduced us to the design of food, the art of typography and the way we are constantly redesigning the way we live, making thing easier, creating innovative mechanisms. It was really interesting to take this class and be introduced to so many wonderful designers and be inspired by them in my own designs. Liudamy Sedeno
As my post is a bit late, I wanted to leave a comment about our last class. We spoke about graffiti quite a bit. I found it very intriguing to think about the controversial idea of cookie-cutter suburbia and consumerism as a form of vandalism, rather than the artistic expression of meaningful graffiti. I have seen some really amazing graffiti, and I have also seen some pretty disruptive graffiti vandalism. I think that anything that benefits society should not be considered vandalism. For example, political statements, true expressions, and art should not be punishable by law. In a way, punishing graffiti expression is in violation of the first amendment. The laws on vandalism need to be more clearly defined. Graffiti that forces society to think critically, or become inspired, should not be punishable. Vandalizing personal property (cars, homes, etc.) should be illegal, as well as vandalizing certain parts of a city such as fountains, strategic and artistic architecture, and other pieces of art. These things should not be vandalized because even if the person creating the drawing has the intention of expression, their expression may completely change the meaning og the art that the original artist, architecture, or home owner intended. Chaplinsky vs New Hampshire (1942) was a court case that advanced laws on the protection of freedom of expression. The case lead dividing speech into two categories. The "two-tier approach" categorizes expression as 1.) worthwhile expression; that which has social value as a step to the truth, and 2.) worthless expression; that which has no social value. According to Wikipedia, "The two tier approach retains importance for those who believe that carefully crafted controls over certain categories of speech (such as pornography, commercial advertising, or abusive epithets) do not violate the First Amendment." How is it that pornography, strip clubs, guerilla advertising, and the abusively mundane (suburbia, oil spills, traffic) are accepted, but artistic, public expression is not? If an idea holds a degree of promise of social change, or holds social value that leads to the truth and enlightenment, it should be encouraged, not punished.
23 comments:
Today in my survey of motion picture class we were learning about sound. My teacher said something that caught my attention, and that was: "there's design involved in sound, even silence." Hearing "design" of course made me think of this class. When I look at this image, while still thinking about what my professor said in the back of my head, I began to think about the type of sound that would be designed for it. There is an obvious creepy feeling to it, yet the expression on the face looks sort of sad to me. The cloud-like layer over the image, and the image's overall obscurity and deformation makes me think of it in a mystical sense. Taking all of these vibes (creepy, sad, mystical) into consideration, if I was to score a soundtrack for this image, I'd picture it to be a slow, trancy, high pitched soundtrack. As we've been coerced in this class, design is all around us. And when you keep this in mind, it is really interesting to analyze other sources of design through the lens of another.
Today in my Modern Art class we discussed Duchamp's LHOOQ and the Fountain, and what motivations were behind the creation of these pieces and what that meant for the progression of art at the time. One concept that I kept coming back to was a thought we have brought up nearly every class period, that literally EVERYTHING is design and art. Challenging what people consider to be "art" and "fine art" is something that I think is extremely valuable towards the creation of something new, truly avant-garde, and is essential towards the continuing importance of expression through art and design.
-Stephanie Kryzak
Through this essay, i would like to evaluate the class. When I enrolled to this class it was another art class for me but as I attended the course I learned things that I actually can talk about and discuss with other people. I didn't take it as a class mentally. It was more like a cultural thing since I had interest in material. And the discussions that took place in the class was very interesting and fun to listen to. And the assignments we wrote every week pushed me to think critically. Thank you for making this material even more interesting and fun.
Can Zarb
I'm also taking the modern art class discussed above. As previously mentioned, we talked about Duchamp's art and whether or not it should actually be considered art. What I find so interesting about Duchamp is his belief that a true work of art takes place in the mind of the artist and the viewer -- art necessarily doesn't have to be an oil on canvas painting. With his "Fountain" piece, a lot of controversy exists about whether or not it should be considered art. While I do have some trouble seeing the aesthetic value in turning a toilet on it's side and calling it art, I do see value in his supposed intent in doing so. Duchamp opens up concepts of art to a more general definition which I think directly correlates to what we've learned throughout this semester -- the notion that everything is design.
-Kristen Vargas Vila
I was not present in the previous class, so simply seeing the work we are looking at now with modern and contemporary design, it reminds me of how enigmatic most work are to so many people. We are experiencing conflicts of fame versus quality, conflict of material worth versus intrinsic worth, and a rebellion against what is considered fine art. Painting of just white paint on canvas costing thousands of dollars is always difficult to accept from the general perspective. But when that concept first came out, it meant millions of words to art history. Now moving into the availability of so many mediums, art history has no other way but to categorize everything in a general label of “Expressionism.” Nothing can define a 20-foot portrait of Kim Jong Il made with bloody Band-Aids by Phil Hansen compared to the Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s islands surrounded in pink fabric. Just like Basquiat, his fortune was because of his fame, not for his work. It was because he was the first recognized black artist of his time.
In respect of all ingenious works, I’ve stumbled upon a wonderful example of today’s typography design in video.
When you have time
I am just thinking about how this class, these blogs in particular, has helped me with writing and opinion forming. I was nervous to do them at first, because I do not consider myself an artsy person in this respect. As time went on, I was able to sit down and almost immediately write out my thoughts in a clear and interesting way, and even to present them in class. I got better at creative writing, given such a vague prompt, and feel that I have prospered greatly. I feel more cultured in many ways, having been taught something of all subjects, and more receptive to learning in general after this semester.
From last last class:
Recent technological advances have created a revolutionary form of book, magazine, and newspaper publishing. Along with the popularization of iPads, Kindles, and other electronic tablets, interactive eBooks have revolutionized both the creative and functional design possibilities of the print medium. It is always important to keep in mind, however, the type of interactive book you are purchasing as well as its level of practicality. As defined by UXMagazine , a popular online User Experience information source, eBooks, which are documents of a particular format, can be distinguished from apps which are software. A further distinction can be made of enhanced eBooks, which are formatted for Apple iBooks as well as Amazon’s Kindle Fire. Apple has even released an iBooks Author software, free of charge, which allows anyone to create his or her own iBook.
With this reinvention of reading, however, comes the responsibility of uniting both creativity and functionality. Interactivity does not always add value to a story. In fact, it sometimes distracts from it. Although interactivity for the sake of interactivity make a story seem overwhelming, it is hard to deny a story its ability to come alive with today’s degree of technological possibility.
Consider this:
Alice in Wonderland Book App
Last class:
I enjoyed our discussion on environments and how vital design is to contributing to an individual's experience. The presentation of space are infinite. I always find myself on http://dwellinggawker.com/ hoping that I too can one day decorate my future home like some of the ones seen there. I truly believe that colors, textures, and feng shui working together can truly have an effect upon the mood and overall experience someone has in a particular place.
The biggest concept that I'm going to walk away from this class with is that design has no set definition, anything can be design. When I was studying recently for one of my anthropology classes I found myself drawing connections between the two classes. Specifically in the idea of anthropometry, the measurement of the human body. I've seen images of people attempting to depict the perfect design for humans. Humans have had this idea of ideal proportions since the beginning of art. Ex: the Vitruvian man and classical figures in sculpture. However, after Darwin's publication of his Origin of Species, the idea of social darwinism and eugenics turned this search for the ideal human design into a man hunt. I think it's interesting though, how much humans seem to care about designing the perfect human when we really have no control our own evolution.
Alexandra Roe
Yesterday I realized how important graphic design is on my career. As an architecture student major we have to understand that the presentation part is as important as our design. Yesterday was my final presentation for design and I spent more than half semester just coming up with the graphic part of my presentation. In today’s world everything we do and see has to do with graphics. In architecture graphic and design go next to each other; we need to try our best to get our point across to our customers and professors. One of the comments I received was that my graphics were telling the story, that everything was very clear and understandable. I’m very happy I took this class because it has helped me understand the history and main idea behind graphic design.
Looking at this photograph a lot of things come to my mind. First whether the result is intentional or maybe a happy mistake which ended up in a piece of art. With this in mind , it reminds me to the photographs of Sally Man , which always have glimpses of texture from the glass in which she develops her photos. As a result giving her a unique photo everytime, with mistakes that end up being part of the picture. Sally Mann talks about the beauty, even the necessity, of accidents in making her art. “What I love about this process are the happy accidents . There is something to be learned from this I think -- about embracing flaws, allowing accidents to happen and enjoying the beauty of imperfection”
Her photos have a similar expression to the one shown here. In addition It also looks as if it was taken underwater, maybe because of the texture of the photo and the movement of the hair which flows as if it was floating in water.
Looking at the photo for this week’s post there is something eerie about the woman. The cool blue color and dark shadowing creates a mysterious atmosphere for the viewer. Simply stated, I find this picture to be creepy and it reminds me of numerous horror movies from over the ages. The upper half of the painting appears to be damaged and cutting off so that the viewer is able to see the entire figure’s form. There is no sense of a real background. From this class I have learned about numerous graphic designers and come to understand that design is not a simple definition. We are constantly surrounded and exposed to design in our lives; there is not just one medium or way of defining it. The mediums for design are always changing and I’m not sure what is to come next. However, I believe that it will become more eco-friendly because many have become environmentally conscious.
Ashley Bahamon
When I first look at this image I thought it was very interesting and well composed. Then I felt the curiosity to find out who the artist was. I found out that he was not only a photographer, but also a painter and sculptor. I thought that this image was much more recent than 1937. After looking at Raoul Ubac works it seems like he was ahead of time. The images he created are very intriguing. His collages show a well thought through composition. In my opinion originality is essential in the life of artists, and Ubac was certainly able to reach a high level of originality and uniqueness. In this class we have been exposed to many designers throughout time, and we have been able to follow the evolution in the methods of design.
Luzyanis Fraga
The first thing that runs through my mind when seeing this image is Art; what is ART and what is the meaning of it. According to "DICTIONARY.COM" ART is:
1. the quality, production, expression, or realm, according to aesthetic principles, of what is beautiful, appealing, or of more than ordinary significance.
2. the class of objects subject to aesthetic criteria; works of art collectively, as paintings, sculptures, or drawings: a museum of art; an art collection. See fine art, commercial art.
3. a field, genre, or category of art: Dance is an art.
4. the fine arts collectively, often excluding architecture: art and architecture.
5. any field using the skills or techniques of art: advertising art; industrial art.
In more simple words ART has many meanings and every person may interpreted in their own way. It is everywhere and anywhere, like we have been discussing in class design lives among we are design. It can bring different emotions and reactions. In the artists hand is the power of creating another world with a different implications, a world which you may hate or love. It is why I decided to study and practice architecture because by designing I am able to create that other world, I will be able to bring emotions in people.
Ana Trinchet
This class has had a great influence in my daily life. Now I see everything different, I try to understand and learn the message behind signs, posters, logos, etc. It has helped understand how other people create and design things for my daily life; before this class I would see an object and not really think about all the process that the object went through before it was actually there. As a designer I understand that there is a series of steps that you must follow before your work is ready to be exposed. And this are some of the most important aspects in which these class has helped me understand was going on around me.
After looking back on what we have gone through in this class I realize on how important feedback and discussion is when learning about art. I believe design falls into the category of what is considered art. Art is widely considered to be a "forum for discussion". Initially, it served an aesthetic purpose but since the early twentieth century, we see conceptual art take an important presence within the definition of art. Design plays with both of these theories and this idea was reinforced not only by the class materials but also thanks to the great input and new ideas brought about by other members in the class who included wonderful clips and websites regarding design.
Alejandra Esayag
The most enjoyable part of this course for me has been looking at the history of design - from cave art to incunabula to Duchamp - and really looking at what drives the evolution of design. Whether it be the need to express or emit a feeling, or replicate a landscape, or even as a reaction to an other art movement. To me, not only looking at art, but knowing the story behind it is just as interesting. I wonder if the evolution of design is infinite, or circular, or even both; and wonder why design continues to change. Will we ever be satisfied enough with what we create to keep it around for a long time? Is there an optimal design like Alexander Melamid's "America's Most Wanted" painting of George Washington and a hippo in a landscape? After taking this course, I think to the answer to all of these questions are no. Design is everything and nothing. And it cannot be stopped.
A few days ago, I went downstairs to find my roommate sitting at our kitchen table, squinting at her laptop screen. I sat down next to her and discovered what she was perplexed about. "I don't get it" she said, as she browsed the works of art of one of her friends from high school that were recently selected for display at a gallery. The images were very abstract, the medium was mostly paints. She was almost annoyed that her friend was gaining such recognition and said "I could do that." In my high school art history class, my teacher taught me a valuable lesson. "I could do that" should be responded to with "but you didn't". This discrepancy all of the sudden made sense. So, I responded with this answer to my roommate, and I could see a moment of clarity to the random shapes on canvas she was seeing. She was still confused as to why someone would create such images, to which I told her that they were meant to evoke emotion in the viewer, which they definitely had accomplished. It was then that she had learned that the idea behind the work was a big part of it, not necessarily the talent of the execution.
http://www.nickimuller.com/2.html
I feel the need to highlight the discussion on Banksy. The issue of graffiti as a form of artwork has always bothered me so much. I have never understood how beautiful street art can be looked down upon as a form of vandalism, while there are pieces hanging in the MoMa selling for thousands of dollars that are nothing but large white canvases with dots on them. Don't get me wrong, I am a firm believer in all forms of art and I am not discrediting the dotted canvases whatsoever, but I love the fact that Banksy was finally able to bring some 'credit' to the world of graffiti.
I believe that the whole issue of graffiti is one of the most culturally influenced in the art world. In other countries around the world, such as throughout Latin America and Europe, graffiti can be seen EVERYWHERE and is a beautiful cultural trademark of different locations, while in America it is looked down upon.
After this class I have developed a great curiosity in everyday design. Know I question the reason fonts where chosen for any form of print, why colors specific colors are chosen not others. Since being in this class I have learned to question the ideas of the design off chairs, books, tv commercials, websites and more. I believe that this course has taught me to question the reasonings and source of design of all kind.
This class has really taught me how to approach and view not only graphic design but also art in general. I signed up for this class because I needed and art requirement and I could not be happier that I did. I learned that graphic design does not have one set definition and pretty much anything and everything we use today is graphic design. Technology, clothing, posters, advertising, and more are all different forms of design. An artists style can really tell us so much about him or her. It is a way of helping us define another person or even ourselves like we spoke about in logos. Another example is photograph or portrait which helps us capture the person and moment in just one picture. Graphic design is critical to society and its development.
- Erika Gonzalez-Rebull
After the first time I registed this class, I was wondering how "design" can be different from "art". It turned out I was thinking too small about both art and design. Design can be everything, and everything we do is design. As well as art. I decide to put a lamp on my desk, I can say it's my design, but I can hardly say it's my art. It's really interesting to think about whether art or design has the bigger extension. This class caught me design really have no limitation, and I learned to appreciate every single thing in my life.
Qiansongzi Chen
After taking this class I see design differently. The beauty of the design of CD covers, of magazines, of architecture, etc. Design is all around us. Then Professor Triff introduced us to the design of food, the art of typography and the way we are constantly redesigning the way we live, making thing easier, creating innovative mechanisms. It was really interesting to take this class and be introduced to so many wonderful designers and be inspired by them in my own designs.
Liudamy Sedeno
As my post is a bit late, I wanted to leave a comment about our last class. We spoke about graffiti quite a bit. I found it very intriguing to think about the controversial idea of cookie-cutter suburbia and consumerism as a form of vandalism, rather than the artistic expression of meaningful graffiti. I have seen some really amazing graffiti, and I have also seen some pretty disruptive graffiti vandalism. I think that anything that benefits society should not be considered vandalism. For example, political statements, true expressions, and art should not be punishable by law. In a way, punishing graffiti expression is in violation of the first amendment. The laws on vandalism need to be more clearly defined. Graffiti that forces society to think critically, or become inspired, should not be punishable. Vandalizing personal property (cars, homes, etc.) should be illegal, as well as vandalizing certain parts of a city such as fountains, strategic and artistic architecture, and other pieces of art. These things should not be vandalized because even if the person creating the drawing has the intention of expression, their expression may completely change the meaning og the art that the original artist, architecture, or home owner intended. Chaplinsky vs New Hampshire (1942) was a court case that advanced laws on the protection of freedom of expression. The case lead dividing speech into two categories. The "two-tier approach" categorizes expression as 1.) worthwhile expression; that which has social value as a step to the truth, and 2.) worthless expression; that which has no social value. According to Wikipedia, "The two tier approach retains importance for those who believe that carefully crafted controls over certain categories of speech (such as pornography, commercial advertising, or abusive epithets) do not violate the First Amendment." How is it that pornography, strip clubs, guerilla advertising, and the abusively mundane (suburbia, oil spills, traffic) are accepted, but artistic, public expression is not? If an idea holds a degree of promise of social change, or holds social value that leads to the truth and enlightenment, it should be encouraged, not punished.
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