I think Nancy Burson means that by allowing individuals to morph themselves into other ethnicities, we are able to be more like one another. By using the Human Race Machine, people can “walk in another person’s shoes” to see how their life is according to a different ethnicity. We are all aware of how certain people treat others due to their ethnicity. I think the Human Race Machine is a really cool idea; I wouldn’t mind doing it myself to see how I would look as other ethnicities!
I also think that race can be social and genetic. We are born with an inevitable ethnicity; therefore that aspect of race is genetic. But, race is social as well. People treat others in different ways depending on what race they are. It is sad to say, but I don’t think even the Human Race Machine can make racial problems go away.
Monday, May 24, 2010
Friday, May 14, 2010
Gallery Anaylsis #3
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyW4eygKZaY17fQKWt7fSjiVQ7THSXBbRGbylnVVwQbgCyC7Bg09ZphJaYgBj0_Eyt3_eQZ7PKXOqsnGpPNp0RnZh9-IVaveOi4RvvdtwMuscY7DOPP8lDI9JwpXJoIynSz2oQ5rICgqhJ/s320/IMG_6807.jpg)
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The two pieces I chose were both created by Alisha Skeel. “Hiding Place 1” and “Hiding Place 3” were both digital photography pieces. The two pieces chosen are very similar. Both are within the same color spectrum; red is the main focus and there are offsets of black and white in each as well. “Hiding Place1” and “Hiding Place3” also both feature photographs of people, but the faces of the people are not shown. There does not seem to be a lot of differences between the pieces. The backgrounds are different and so are the subjects, but for the most part the two pieces are very similar. I chose these two pieces because I liked how the pictures were captured. I also liked the fact that you couldn’t see their faces; I was able to interpret the pictures how I wanted to which was neat. Both pictures exhibited color very well and there is also quite a bit of texture in the background of the pieces. Both pieces are aesthetically pleasing to me. The colors are warm and I really like how the photos were taken. Alisha Skeel said that she takes inspiration from everywhere. Her intentions in this piece were to get the viewers to look at other things besides the faces since they were not part of the photograph. Since people are usually drawn to faces, she decided to get rid of them to leave the photos open for interpretation.
Thursday, May 13, 2010
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Wednesday, May 12, 2010
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The first ad I chose was advertising Crest 3D White products. This ad takes place in current time and the subject of the ad is a girl. The girl in the advertisement has “3D white teeth”; there are also Crest 3D White products being shown in the ad. The main focus of the ad is the girl, but there are also blurred circles in the background and some text. I think this ad can be portrayed with a meaning of outer appearance. It may be selling Crest products, but it is also dealing with looks. Whiter teeth can make someone more attractive. This ad was made in 2010 and I found it in a Cosmopolitan magazine. Since Cosmopolitan is mostly directed towards women, it makes sense that a girl is in the Crest 3D White advertisement. The main audience of this ad is women; once again, white teeth are seen as attractive and could enhance a woman’s looks. It may also be a sexual turn on for men, since Cosmo deals a lot with sex articles and etc. I don’t think the makers of the ad are trying to draw a different kind of consumer with this ad. The ad could be targeted towards men as well, but since women mostly read Cosmopolitan, I think the ad is being directed towards women. There are definite “markers” in this ad. The ad portrays a white, young, female who is a brunette. I think it is a stereotypical depiction of what beauty is seen like in this country. Of course Crest would use a pretty young girl in their ad, because let’s be honest, most people don’t want to see an unattractive person advertising a product. There is a little bit of a relationship between the text and the imagery. The ad states “Sample a Brighter Smile”, which once again is showing that appearance matters in our culture. The Crest 3D White products are shown in the advertisement, but I think the advertisement is also promoting a lifestyle. A brighter smile can be seen as upping your appearance. A brighter and whiter smile can also give someone more confidence to live a happier lifestyle. I do not mind the ad I chose, it is neither positively or negatively affecting me. The ad is not forcing anything on me and it is not offensive in any way. I have used Crest products before and like how they work so I would definitely try anything that can make my teeth whiter in a day!
Friday, May 7, 2010
Gallery Analysis #2
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Ad Week Chapter 7 Response
It is sad to say, but I would have to agree with Stuart Ewen's comment to some extent. Advertisements have such a long hisotry in our culture, that it is hard to not find meaning in the commodities being advertised. As mentioned in the text, "Advertising sometimes sells belonging, attaching concepts of the nation, community, and democracy to products." (277) Sometimes it is difficult to detach the product and the meaning behind the product. Even a simple thing such as clothing is a way that people express themselves. We are always going to be bias towards the brands, colors, styles, etc. that we like. Other companies might sway our decisions, but that still does not change the fact that we are using items such as clothing to construct our identites. It is a sad concept, and I wonder how it would be without consumer products to help us shape our identities. I wonder who I would be without some of my consumer products..
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Gallery Analysis
I chose "Reflection # 1" and "Who Speaks for Planet Earth?" for my two pieces to analyze; one was a photograph and the other was a ceramics piece. Both pieces were done by Kate McIntosh. Kate believes that photographs and ceramics go hand in hand, and that it is easier to engage in 3D objects. There were quite a few similarities between the two pieces. Both had very similar color schemes and a glossy effect. Also, the two pieces had close textures in parts of the work. Both pieces were representing nature as well. I only detected a few differences among the pieces. The most obvious difference was the different choice of mediums. Also, different shapes were used in the photograph compared to the ceramics piece.
I chose these two pieces because I really like the movement of the photograph and I thought the sculpture was a great compliment to it. Some elemental qualities of the two pieces included: the green and white colors, the texture seen in the water ripples and the insides of the sculpture, and the lines shown in both the photograph and the sculpture. I think both of the pieces were aesthetically pleasing because of the calming colors. I loved the water photograph because it was very peaceful and interesting to look at. The artist's intention was to show the light and textural value of both pieces. Also, it was Kate's intention to show how the moon controls the tide through the photograph of water and the sculpture of the moon.
I chose these two pieces because I really like the movement of the photograph and I thought the sculpture was a great compliment to it. Some elemental qualities of the two pieces included: the green and white colors, the texture seen in the water ripples and the insides of the sculpture, and the lines shown in both the photograph and the sculpture. I think both of the pieces were aesthetically pleasing because of the calming colors. I loved the water photograph because it was very peaceful and interesting to look at. The artist's intention was to show the light and textural value of both pieces. Also, it was Kate's intention to show how the moon controls the tide through the photograph of water and the sculpture of the moon.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Chapter 4 Response
I thought the section on realism was the most interesting topic discussed in Chapter 4. Realism is supposed to "reproduce reality as it is". I find this type of artwork to be very intriguing. Sure, it's great to depict objects as something different than what they are; we all like to dream. But, there's something very moving about seeing objects in their natural state. I think a lot of people don't like realist art because they don't like to see the harsh realizations of reality. It would be wonderful if everything in life went according to plan, but that's not the way the world works! I like realism art because it is REAL; there's no tip-toeing around it. Why deceive yourself about the way the world works? There's nothing great about deception.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Artist Quote Blog
I think Scott Adams meant that doing new and different things always allows room for interpretation and mistakes; art is deciding what pieces are worth being considered art while other pieces are stepping stones to making what is called art. I agree and disagree with Adams’ quote. I believe that it is necessary to decide what creative measures are art and which ones are not, but I also believe that anything creative can be art. As we have been discussing, art is open for interpretation. This quote reminded me of when I used to play volleyball. Practice was the time to be creative and allow for mistakes, while matches were the time to realize what to do and what not to do. I think sometimes this can be seen as playing it safe. Why not be able to be creative all the time? Making mistakes is a part of life, but it shouldn’t stop you from doing what you want to do.
Sunday, April 11, 2010
As stated in the text, voyeurism is "the pleasure one takes in looking while not being seen looking". I think everyone, at one time or another, is guilty of voyeurism to some extent. Some people may be a voyeur more than others. I would say I am a voyeur to some degree, not severely though! I find myself people watching quite a bit; people watching is pretty entertaining. But, as soon as someone looks back at me, I'm caught! I find it kind of fascinating/ entertaining to just watch people's actions and emotions without them knowing you are watching them. But, it is awkward once they look back at you, and you are staring right at them. For example, I work at a restaurant that has a revolving glass door to enter. You would not believe how many people walk straight into the glass. When I am at the front of the restaurant it becomes pretty entertaining to watch people walk through the door. For example, I remember watching a lady walk right into the glass, and I began laughing as soon as she looked back at me. Talk about being caught in the moment..
Thursday, April 8, 2010
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After reading Chapter 3, I gained a better understanding of the power of the gaze. I found it very interesting that images not only represent but also factor into power relations. I looked through the internet to find controversial images and surprisingly enough I found a Burger King ad to be quite out there. As mentioned in the section regarding gaze and gender, the Burger King ad has women as the subject. At my first glance of the ad I saw a surprised girl with pouty red lips and a sandwich near her mouth. Then, when I read "IT'LL BLOW YOUR MIND AWAY" on the ad, I got a different impression of what Burger King was advertising. Other phrases in the ad included: "Fill your desire for something long, juicy, and flame-grilled.", and "Yearn for more after you taste the mind-blowing burger." I see these types of ads everywhere I look; advertising companies try to sell their product with sex involved. The sad thing is, a lot of the times the product being advertised is not even shown while half naked bodies are. Advertising companies know how to sell their products, and apparently sex sells.
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