TANK MAN

It's crazy that the events of 1989 resulted in the way that China looks now. Major cities are bustling with business and cutting edge technology while oppression hits the countryside hard. I wonder what tank man, the students, and all those that perished in Tiananmen Square would have thought about the new China. It just seems silly to me that millions of people are still dirt poor after all the fighting and bloodshed that was spilt in hopes that things would change for everyone. Though there is someone that is benefitting from all this. That someone is greedy American corporations.

Not only are the corporations just benefitting from all of this but they are helping to play a part in the oppression. I can't believe that Google and other internet search engines, which are a primary way of getting information in America, have voluntarily censored the search engines. Students in China thought the image of tank man was a joke. Through this censorship the Chinese government will continue to keep people ignorant and oppressed. That is not what Tank man or those at Tianamen Square fought for 10 years ago.

OBJECT OF DISSENT

SCANSCAPE

Scanscape of Ferdinand Hodler's landscape.

ON THE RIGHTS OF THE MOLOTOV MAN

The argument is interesting because it will never end. This is a recurring argument because this situation and others like it are not black and white. I understand both the painter's side and the photographer's side of the disagreement.

As a photographer, photographs are your artwork and you wouldn't want someone to alter and use it without your permission. But, is it really the photographer's art if they are just documenting a moment in time?

On the other side it is the painters job to take and image and create something new with it and if a photograph is just a documentation of the moment shouldn't they be allowed to paint from photographs? Or should you give credit and rights to the photographer?

In my opinion the painter should only have to give credit to the source of the photograph of reference. I think that it was the responsibility of the painter however, to learn the context and history of the image she was painting. Because if she new the context she would have seen how it conflicted with her theme and changed the meaning of the painting.

ELECTRONIC VENUS FLY TRAP

TED TALK: VIK MUNIZ

http://www.ted.com/talks/vik_muniz_makes_art_with_wire_sugar.html

This video of Vik Muniz was most interesting. It's really funny that his whole art career started out from getting shot. You've got to have a really good personality to make getting shot into a good opportunity. And Vik Muniz does, which is also very apparent in his work. All of his pieces are fuzed with energy and humor.

All of his work involves temporary media: string, chocolate, trash, clouds. Its really interesting that all that remains of the original work is a photograph which technically isn't even part of the work. It make me wonder how does Muniz really want us to see the art? Would he rather us see is in real life as the event is happening or from a removed photograph, does this make the photographic aspect art in itself?

I like the idea of art being temporary art though. You can look at it and move on. The artwork will move on. You appreciate it in that moment. I know that if I were an artist and spent so much time constructing an image for fibers of string I would not want to be temporary. I would want it to stay forever remind me of all the hard work I put into it.

On another note I think that the art addresses themes that are well thought out and interesting. Also humor is a big part of his work. And I love that aspect about it. Clouds made out of clouds, how witty!

DIGITAL DESIGNERS REDISCOVER THEIR HANDS

The article, Digital Designers Rediscover Their Hands, talks about how designers are now tinkering and building with their hands so that they can better understand the aspect of designing. Personally, I think this is a great idea. Being able to use a computer to design is complex but being able to design it by hand should be structured into the process because if they cannot build it by hand, then in reality how will they knows it works correctly? After they build it I think that the designer would be able to make better corrections/alteration to improve upon it, which you could not see on a simulated computer screen but physically in real life. Actually building the design will help you understand how the materials work together and how it actually moves and functions.

TYPE PROJECT

FAROCKI/BENJAMIN

After reading some of The work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction by Walter Benjamin I can make concrete connections to Harun Farocki's film, An Image.

The sentence that struck me most from the reading was, "The technique of reproduction detaches the reproduced object from the domain of tradition." Farocki's film presented how detached the process of making a picture for Playboy is when the exact image they are trying to create is an erotic one. In the film the model struggles to find her perfect pose all the while Farocki's camera angles and shots show the imperfection of the model, set, and photography team. The creating process is not erotic in the least, I actually find myself feel bad for the model, what a horrible job that would be.

The other interesting point is that Farocki uses film/video which is a reproduction of the Playboy photography making process. So by watching the film we are in fact detached because we are not actually at the scene of the crime. However, I think if we were there we definitely would not feel the same detachment from the photo shoot which is the point of Farocki's film.

Farocki most likely chose film as his media because it can capture more than a moment in time. Film can create a scene that endures. Farocki enhances the film and his point by using altered camera angles and switching the frequently along with strange music. The fact that this is a film means that it can be reproduced many many times very easily. Film is designed for reproducibility which makes it so much easier to get it out to the masses.

PICASA PHOTO EXPERIMENT

I looked through the 50 most recent photos uploaded on Picasa and picked these 3 as the most interesting.

• This photo of the windmill interested me because I have never seen a windmill in real life. It's quite sad too. With everyone thinking green nowadays a windmill a practical solution. On another note though, I think they are beautiful in shape and form and the reflection in the water doubles its interest.
• I love old biddies! I think this photo is great, there is so much contrast that it is very visually appealing.
• The two people sky diving is awesome! I wonder who took that picture: another sky diver or someone on the plane? My favorite part about this photo is that you can see the shadows of the clouds on the ground.