Photoshop Project: Self Portrait

For years I have been accumulating injuries and ailments that have impacted my life in either drastic or mild ways. In this project I attempted to create myself as if my body were x-rayed, allowing the viewer to see the issues beyond the surface. In creating this final image, I have been able to think about the pain I’ve been through. I have decided I would like to go even further and create an image that reflects the positive attributes of myself.

Photoshop Project: Digital Collage

 

Technology has become a window to the world for some individuals. While for others, it has become a trap. Televisions, computers, cellphones, even automatic toilets and doors have crept their way into our lives. Soon enough we will not need to fend for ourselves because the electronics and technology will do it for us. In this image I have depicted the defenseless, engulfed and overwhelmed by technology.

 

Photoshop Project: Magazine Cover

Honey Bunches of Oats: with Cloud Clusters

So what is a cloud cluster you might ask? 

A cloud cluster is also known as a tag cloud, which "offers a collection of pathways to
understand the visual construction of connotation."

 Through the use of Flickr.com, by searching different terms and words (tags), I was able to acquire a collection of images that assisted in the visualization of specific themes of the Big Idea, as described in my previous post.

As I began with my big idea of Facebook and social networking I brainstormed words for the themes based off Facebook and socil networking. Which led me through the ideas of people being connected with one another, how it has become so simple to see what is happening in someones life with the click of a button rather than a phone call. This then lead me to how we can now hold all of that precious information int he palms of our hands. We have access to information through smart phones at any given second. Some people consistently will have them out relating most of their conversation to their phones, addicted in a sense. 

The themes I have expanded on are Connected, Addicted, Conditioned, and Trained

 

 

 

Big Idea: Technology as Communication

Our practice of the internet is a form of communication. Our lives are deeply affected by the way we communicate. If we update our facebook, we are updating our friends on what is happening in our lives. Art can be shared, job opportunities, even just simply a persons thoughts. Twitter allows people to update their status every minute if necessary describing what they are doing throughout the day.

 

For the past couple years, we have seen video games being a highlight of childrens lives. They wanted to spend all their time challenging others or beating the high score. Wii allowed you to create a "Mii" that looked like you. Beyond creating yourself, the gamer was able to communicate with other Wiis and play them as an opponent. Call of Duty allows opponents to talk and taunt, becoming involved in a competitive game.These games were their own community.

Now we see adults and children holding the internet in the palm of their hands with smart phones. Having the ability to fact check a friend or pull up email with the flick of a finger

 

It has become accustom for us to understand how to use a smart phone. You can pull up a plane ticket on it, use coupons, check email, navigate your way around, even use as a tape measure. At this point, many Americans have smart phones. Of those Americans, most have the phone attached to their hip or have their heads buried in them throughout most of the day. We have become trained, addicted, connected to the internet constantly. 

Good things can come from Facebook

Themes

Identity

Views of Reality

Materialism 

Relationships 

Community

Big Ideas and Interpreting Visual Culture

 
Big Ideas
"Big ideas are what can expand student artmaking concerns beyond technical skills, formal choices, and media manipulation to human issues and conceptual concerns. Big ideas can engage students in deeper levels of thinking." As a student in high school, I rarely was challenged to create something deeper than a pretty picture. Day in and day out I would show up to art class and be asked to duplicate a famous drawing or practice a still life from different angles.
     After a semester or two at New Paltz and reading these articles, I find that having a big idea in an art room can lead to works from students that mean more than what you see.  Some of the examples in the readings have given me a better sense of developing questions for big ideas. Criteria for essential questions may include-- distinction and substantial, realistic in terms of time allocated for the unit, and language that is comprehensible to all students. Many activities involve students investigation in artists works.
When thinking about questions to ask students to spark ideas, this site is helpful and informative with essential questions of education!

 Interpreting Visual Culture

Students of all ages are able to interpret art. They are able to investigate art through phrases, designs, and images with proper guidance through the use of linguistic messages, denotations, and connotations. A linguistic message is considered the words actually seen in an image, denotations are what you literally see in a picture, and connotations are what the things and words imply or suggest by what they show and how they show it.

Michael Ray Charles is an African American artist who creates works that refer to the offensive denotations of Blacks constructed in the past.

 

Art teachers interpreted this piece Cut and Paste by Michael Ray Charles and "emotionally identified with the tragic meaning of the artwork."

 

As you can see here, as the viewer you can "cut and paste" the objects onto the paper doll. By choosing an object we are classifying this and stereotyping the character. 

Towards the opposite end of the spectrum, even kindergartners would be able to join in this activity. When cereal boxes are introduced, students are quickly able to identify "adult cereals" and "children cereals." Adult cereals have fruits, flakes, and milk while children cereals have animals, bright colors, and toy images.

 

 Do you know of any other ads that have underlying messages? I found this ad. What audience do you think this is targeted towards?

The Paper Game

Materials:

1. Friends

2. Paper

3.Writing Utensils

Instructions:

Grab a couple friends, about 6 pieces of paper each, and pens for everyone.
Everyone begins by writing a descriptive sentence on the first piece of paper on their pile. The game continues by passing the pile to the friend on the left. After reading the first sentence, the person will draw an image on the second sheet of paper based on what they read. Again, passing the pile along, the next friend will write a sentence based off the picture...and so on and so forth until the pile is finished.



This is a fun game to play with friends or use as a warm up in an art class!
Inspired from the surrealist readings in class, I had the realization this would be a great game for students to get their minds and creativity flowing. It is an easy way to get students talking about each others work. If they think someone created a funny sentence or if someones drawing was spot on! They can compare images and sentences after the game is over and see if anyone drew or wrote the same thing.

After this game students can stay in their groups and work on a collaborative final project. By comparing sentences and drawings created in the game, students can choose favorites or specific details that catch their attention. Together they can create a collage or painting incorporating text and images. This game can come to life in a narrative form or through a well thought out composition.

The Paper game is a combination of Automatic Writing and Chain Games.
"Automatic writing is the most direct of Surrealist techniques." This technique forces you to write down whatever it is you think quickly. No time to second guess yourself.
Chain games can be played by anyone. They are "strange conjunctions, humorous or poetic" that result in an interesting final product.