Class #9: Ai Wei Wei and Intervention

Big Brother

My public intervention was towards the government, I should say "Big Brother." We all know that the government is always watching us, on the phone, monitoring us online, etc... but we do nothing about it and go on with our I lives. Though I have nothing to hide, the idea that the government is always watching is annoying. Mind your own business government.

During my intervention, people were looking at me like I was crazy. Might have been due to the fact that it was 80 degrees and I had a suit on. But just what we were doing looked sketchy. Had I followed random stangers they would've asked me what am I doing. What they should be doing is asking that question to the government. But I didn't want to draw too much attention to myself or have to answer to the law.

Class #9 Followup: Survival

I really enjoyed the "Sea City 2000" vision of a Utopian city. I like the whole solar panels for solar energy and I am pretty sure they also have some sort of machinery to produce hydro power since the city is based on the sea. This sea city is pretty much an island which makes me agree more to this utopia. I always thought the perfect city would be on an island separated from everything else. It is just the island and the population. They have their own food source and produce their own materials. The only thing I disagree with is the speedboat and the cargo plane that connects the sea city to land cities. If this sea city is a utopia, there would be no need to have contact with land cities or other cities. Unless people want to explore outside the city. But then again, we should have everything we need on this utopia and people shouldn't want to leave the city.

Class #8: The Art Market and You're the Curator

Bleeding World

The first picture is called "Presentation" by Dana Schutz. Date: 2005. Medium: Oil on canvas. Dimensions: 10'x14'. 

The second picture is called "Bleeding Takari II" by El Anatsui. Date: 2007. Medium: Aluminum and copper wire. Dimensions: 12'11"x18'11".

The third picture is called "Fire" by David Wojnarowicz. Date: 1987. Medium: Synthetic polymer paint and pasted paper on plywood, 2 panels. Dimensions: 6'x8'

The fourth picture is called "Robbe-Grillet Cleansing Every Object in Sight" by Mark Tansey. Date: 1981. Medium: Oil on canvas with crayons. Dimensions: 6'x6'1/4"

This exhibition is called "Bleeding World" because it illustrates what is happening throughout the world and what will happen in the future due to global warming. All the greenhouse gases and carbon dioxide emissions we are releasing into atmosphere is causing extreme natural disasters which increases the death toll. The world keeps dying slowing until there is nothing left. After everything is gone we'll have to appreciate whatever there is left, which will be rocks basically. The audience for this exhibition are the people releasing all the greenhouse gases and carbon dioxide emissions to the atmosphere. Usually big corporations or people living a lifestyle with a big carbon footprint. Driving non eco friendly vehicles, people who do not recycle, and people destroying forests.

Class #7: The System (Art History)

1.

This is the Statue of Diadoumenos (Youth tying a fillet around his head) - 69-96 AD
it's a Flavian Roman copy of a Greek bronze statue by Polykleitos - 430 BC
This sculpture is of a young man tying a fillet around his head after winning an athletic contest. The original bronze statue was probably stood in a sanctuary such as that at Olympia or Delphi, where games were regularly held. It is made of marble and is 73 inches tall. This statue was sculpted very carefully and very detailed. The hair curls, eye lids, and even eye lashes were sculpted out. The sculpture focused heavily on body proportions and muscles.

This is statue is the Torso of a monumental bodhisattva, 5th century in Pakistan, ancient region of Gandhara. Made of Schist and is 64 1/2 inches tall. Originally 10 ft tall. Bodhisattva was said to have reached a state of enlightenment and stayed on earth to guide others in the quest of spiritual perfection.


2. For the first picture, the audience were for the people of Rome or Greek. Mostly for the emperor and higher ups.
For the second picture the audience were probably religious people.

3. The statue of Diadoumenos is bear witnessing to the physical attributes of athletes. Every muscled is sculpted out very detailed.
The torso of Bodhisattva is bear witnessing to a religious man who achieved the state of enlightenment.

4. Both statues are sculpted out paying attention to detail. However, the statue of Diadoumenos focuses more on details and proportions. the torso originally was 10 ft tall, i doubt any humans has been that tall.

5. There is a possibly that artist of the torso of Bodhisattva knew the techniques of the other because this sculpture was done a few hundred years later. But the other way around I don't think so since Greece was far from Pakistan and I don't think they reached that far.

6. Yes I believe so because it was done by so much precision and accurate proportions that it is a great work of art.

7. I believe so too as well because although the proportions were a bit off in terms of height, it is still a great sculpted work of art.

HW. Cooking up a Story. Mangu con lo 3 golpes

The dish that I chose that is important to our culture is called Mangu con los 3 golpes. Mangu is a form of making plantains. In this case you boil them and mash them. Los 3 golpes refers to whats complementing the plantains, which is fried salami, cheese, and eggs. Usually you add onions as well but since I was making this for myself I didn't add onions and I cooked the eggs in butter instead of oil. Well this is a very important meal to my culture because back in the Dominican Republic this is basically the main breakfast that everyone eats. It is mainly eaten for breakfast but basically any Dominican will eat this for which ever meal of the day. The DR is mostly a farming country, we raise a lot of cows, chickens, pigs, and plant a lot of plantain trees. That is why there is an abundant supply of plantains, eggs, cheese, and salami in the DR and that is why we tend to eat this food a lot. Of course because it is delicious and filling as well. The only times I've prepared this dish is when I cook for my brother or friends when we are hungry and we do not want to order food. Plus it always makes us happy. I'm happy to be cooking for my brother or friends that I've known for many years and they're always happy to eat one of my home cooked meals which they say is always delicious.

Ingredients

·         Green Plantains (2)

·         Eggs (1)

·         Salami (2 slices)

·         White cheese for frying (3 slices)

·         Cooking oil (2 ounces)

·         Butter (4 tbsp.)

·         Salt (1 tbsp.)

·         Water (approximately 59 oz.)

·         Lemon (1 oz. lemon juice)

·         Ice cubes (3 cubes)

·         Sugar (2 tbsp.)

Steps

1   Peel plantains

2   Cut plantains into quarters (cut half vertical and other half horizontal).

3   Place plantains into pot of boiling water (32 oz.)

4   Add 1 tbsp. of salt

5   5 minutes after water is boiling, add 8oz. of cold water

6   Repeat step 5.

7   Let water boil for 10 minutes

8   Turn off heat

9   Pre heat pan on high heat 5 minutes

1 Add 2 tbsp. of butter. Let butter melt across the pan

1  Crack open an egg onto pan. Add pinch of salt to egg.

1 Scramble egg till cooked

1  Once pan is cleaned. Add 2 oz. of cooking oil and preheat on medium heat.

1  Once oil is heated, add the 3 slices of cheese

1  Flip once underside is golden

1  Remove cheese from pan once other side is golden

1  Then add the slices of salami

1  Flip once underside is darker.

1  Remove from pan once other side is darker.

2  Now back to the plantains. Remove water from pan.

2  Add 2 tbsp. of butter

2  Mash plantains

2  Remove plantains from pot

2  Squeeze 1 oz. of lemon juice into cup

2  Add 11 oz. of water

2  And 2 tbsp. of sugar

2  Stir

2  Add ice cubes

2  EAT!

Class #6 Followup: Translation - Food as a metaphor

1. Klein's blue cocktail relates to the metaphoric nature of food to transmit ideas because one is consuming the blue cocktail. They are consuming the artist's idea and then releasing it. 

2.Warhol's Campbell's soup piece says that after WWII America's relationship with food has become more about instant meals. Instead of taking the time to gather the different ingredients, doing the proper steps, and mixture of ingredients to create a meal, we rather just buy a meal already made. All that is needed is a microwave to quickly heat it up.

3. I think baking your own bread is a political act because if you can't bake your own bread then you have to get it from someone. Which means you have to depend on that person; and if you need to depend on somebody then you aren't truly free.

4. In Da Vinci's Last Supper, the table and food that was prepared for Jesus and his 12 disciples showed no distinction in culture, it was just a traditional dinner. Where as in Chicago's Dinner Party, the table and food was prepared for numerous women in history, fiction or real. In addition, each plate portrayed a range of ceramic, textile, and other woman's craft to honor their contributions.

5. Rirkrit Tiravanija's, Theaster Gates', and Michael Rackowitz's projects take advantage of the social aspect of meal-sharing to generate ideas and discussions because everybody loves food. Everybody loves to eat food. So if you have a meeting with food, different cultures would love to attend to eat and talk about their culture food, ingredients and such.

6. I thought that Bozhkov's "Befriend the Bacteria" project was interesting. He created a food that came from himself. Not necessarily making food out of your own stool because that is discarded from your body. He actually got bacteria from his inside and froze it as if he were to preserve himself. So it is very similar to the self portrait of bear witnessing because it will last.

Class #3 Follow up

1) Mutu's human/insect/machine-like distortions of the body are sort of the opposite of the conventional notions of female beauty. When I look at her art I don't think it's beautiful because of the norms of beauty that I've been influenced by society. Beauty is perfection of the female body. The smoothness of the skin, the slim curves, and long legs. According to society that is and Mutu's art shows none of that.

2) I have a sort of love/hate feeling towards her work. I love the fact that she puts together all of these different types of pieces and make them look so good together. I just don't like the images she uses. It gives me a sort dark and ominous feeling.

Part B

Cringe Factor
a. I'm not embarrassed by any drawing or work of art that I've done in the past because when I draw or paint I do it to please my standards, not those of society. I do, however, have a picture of myself in the past of how I use to dress that I am deeply embarrassed by.

This picture was taken around June of 2003, I was 12 years old. I remember that day perfectly. My brother, a couple of friends, and I were having a water balloon fight right after school. My mom wanted a quick picture so my brother and I quickly posed and ran off right away. My right hand was cutoff but I was holding a water balloon. Anyways, I'll start from the top. I was wearing a du-rag to keep my braids neat. Yes, I once had braids. Never again will I grow my hair out to get braids. My shirt, or rather should I say blanket, was 4 XL size because back then, wearing really big shirts was in style. Then I was wearing some shorts that you can barely see due to the extremely large shirt that nearly went over my shorts. Like I said, back then the style was one would wear really big shirts and really baggy pants. 

2) The transition in style from back then to now is mind blowing. People now a days wear the complete opposite of back then. Slim or skinny jeans and small shirts. The way I dress now is similar to today's norms. I just don't wear my jeans to skinny as some would wear them, my shirts not too small either. But that is only when I go out with friends to the movies or events. Usually either going to the park or going to school I wear sweats, a hoody, and basketball sneakers because that is how I am most comfortable. I don't like my movements to feel even the slightest bit constricted. Pretty much I rather be ready to play basketball at any given moment.