Blogger

Using Blogger.com was a great experience overall. Before I transferred to WSU, I didn't have much experience in Computer software, let alone utilizing a website like Blogger.com I have heard of blgos before, but never tried it. In a sense, it is a lot similar to any social media out there, like Twitter or Facebook, because you are just sharing ideas or thoughts on a particular subject. I really liked Blogger though because you were able to change a lot about it like the font, typestyle, add pictures, the background, things like that. Although I have just been using it for school purposes, I think I might start using it for my own personal life as well now! :)

Final Project

For my Final Project we utilized both the HTML and Dreamweaver applications in combining a code editing website that we customized and designed exactly how we wanted. This project was all brand new to me, making it difficult to use not being familiar with any of it. Even though it wasn't exactly easy to use, I still had fun with it and enjoyed working on this final project because we were able to design every bit of it exactly how I wanted. With the help of my student peers and professor, I was able to successfully create a project that I was completely satisfied with and happy to show my peers. I enjoyed this final project and it was one I would recommend to every DTC student to try! 

Dreamweaver

Dreamweaver is a web design and development application primarily used by code editing and more technical features to assist in writing code. It was originally created by Macromedia in 1997 and now controlled under Adobe Systems since 2005. It is available for both OS X and for Windows computers. The newest version of Adobe Dreamweaver is available in many different languages including:Brazilian Portuguese, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Czech, Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean (Windows only), Polish, Russian, Spanish, Swedish and Turkish. The newest and current version of Dreamweaver is Version 14.1 and available in the Adobe package system. It is an amazing application to use and difficult for new users.

Project Coding

Project coding is quite simpler then I thought it was going to be from the beginning. When I first got introduced to coding and HTML I thought it was the most difficult as I attempted to code and transform into an actual website. After lots of tutorials and with the help of my student peers, I was able to figure it out what I needed and be effective in project coding. I have come to enjoy this project and spending the time trying to manipulate and edit my project for the better. I think for a beginner, my project is creditable and exceptional for the knowledge and time I had to work on it with. I enjoyed this project just like I have all the others we have worked on in class.

HTML

HTML code is defined computer code that enables you to edit and manipulate a piece to look and present exactly how you want it to. This can either constitute as links, or pictures, or web browsers, colors, fonts, etc. I have never done a project before that worked with creating an html code so it was confusing and difficult for me to do at first. With the help of online tutorials and from my peers and Professor I was able to figure it out to get the basic layout page on how i wanted my page to look. I really liked this first basic assignment because it allows for me to understand what really goes into a web page when we open one up on Safari or Firefox. There is so much that goes into it, I don't understand how some companies can get so creative and make it look so wonderful. It's amazing what goes on behind the closed doors of technology.

Video Games as Media

When talking about media, I thought to myself what another useful form of media is today, that may not always come to mind right off the bat. We would normally think cell phones, computers, and television as different and more popular forms of media, but we don't realize is what constitutes as a form of media. All media is made up of is a different form of communication that reaches or influences people globally through-out. So when thinking outside the box a little, I came up with Video Games as being a form of media that we may not think of every single day. These are display devices that produce two- or three- dimensional images with possible interaction worldwide. They can range from large mainframe databases like the old-fashioned arcade games, to small handheld devices like iPods or cellular devices. Either way, these devices have skyrocketed in the last decade, and considered to be a great art form, and industry moneymaker.

Present-Day Media

What exactly is considered present-day media? Since we live in a generation of the cell phone now, I believe a great example of this would be a smart phone most people have readily available on them. It most commonly refers to the high-speed availability on the internet, through any digital device such as a laptop, cell phone or tablet. A defining characteristic of present-day media would be dialogue. Most people around the world utilize the internet to transmit messages one way or another from one thing to another, whether that is holding a conversation with an old family member across the states, or purchasing a product from China. Either way, we are sending a message with an intent to hopefully receive something back from that message sent. That is the direction today's society is headed.. Electronically.

Cinema Verite Critique

Today in class some of us presented our finished video projects and got some critique and feedback from the fellow students and teacher from it. I presented my video last, and was happy to share my project with the rest of the class, because it was not only something I spent lots of time working on that truly meant a lot to me, but I think other students were able to recognize that as well, and I think some others in the class were touched by my story as well. I was happy to hear what others had to say, and some pointers on what I could do for next time, because it's all going to just help me become a better artist for myself. I was really proud of my project, there was a lot of great projects presented from others today as well, and I think the critique Day 1 was a success! :)

Cinema Verite

Cinema Verite, also known as observational cinema, is the manipulation of the camera to reveal truth or highlight subjects hidden behind crude reality. It is basically direct cinema like filming, just without the narrator’s voice-over. To reveal that truth aspect in Cinema Verite, some filmmakers within the field made an obvious presence between the filmmaker and camera. It is important to display acknowledgement of the camera because it is the filming of real objects, people and events taking place in a confrontational way. I can see how this all relates to our project working in class because our object is to film real life occurrences so that there is no deception seen or thought of between the viewer and the filmmaker.

 

 

New Media in Art

This book, New Media in Art, I definitely didn't realize would be this short. Although the four chapters were pretty lengthy, I sure did not read through every single page thoroughly, but did get the just of every chapter and looked at the different pictures of artists presented. I was particularly pleased with the read of this book, because it looks at art from a different prospective then what we are normally use to. It brings realization to new art and what it is transitioning over to. Which I thought was very interesting. Now-a-days we live in a generation of the cell phone, and that is where a majority of our media comes from or gets captured on in the real world. So it was very beneficial to read and write about a book that focused on that, and it is one that I would definitely recommend! :)

The Digital in Art

In Chapter 4 of the text, New Media in Art, it starts out by describing digital art as pervasive. "Digital art is a mechanized medium whose potential appears limitless" (180). Digital Technology is the main course for computer art, internet art, digital photography and video which what the world is transitioning completely to, slowly but surely. Virtual reality is now being introduced as the new form of production, and not reproduction. It is simply its own reality. (181) According to Paul Virilio, we are up and coming into a world where there is two realities, the actual and virtual. Video games is a great example of this, teaching kids and teens about interactive media. This chapter reminds me what we discussed in class the other day, how when we look at a photograph we really don't know whether it is true or not, if it has been digitally edited or altered. Which is pretty mind-blowing how advanced that means technology has gotten. If it has advanced so much in just the past 20 years, i couldn't imagine guessing what the world will be like in the next 20 years..

Video Installation Art

Video Installation Art emerged as something to be viewed beyond the confinements of your home or showing of art developed. (pg. 124) The physical presentation and surrounding has become part of the art itself. One famous practice of early video installation is in the form of surveillance cameras. It was artist, Les Levine, that showed viewers recording images of themselves on a series of monitors inside an art gallery. Although this may not be what we normally consider art, I think its contribution to the art world is still very important and has a great impact in the society. We have seen murals go to drawings, then to painting and then to cameras and televisions. It is just amazing how technological advanced it has all become and can't wait to see what the future holds!

Chapter 2: Video Art

This chapter introduces a whole new form of art that, at the time, was new to the whole civilization as whole. This new form was based off of minimalism and conceptualism, and sky-rocketed in the 1960's. It was called, Video Art. This form was dominated by the media and was primarily the introduction of televisions. The moving image entered the common household with a vengeance, by 1953 two thirds of American households had televisions, and by 1960 it was up to about ninety percent (84). Needless to say, it wasn't the commercials or advertisements that we would normally consider as art, it was the intentionality of the artist: to make or conceive of something without the constraint of some other purpose (87). It is kind of hard imagining that the first televisions came out roughly about 50 years ago, especially with how so advanced technology has come with super thin, perfect display, smart televisions that are out now. It is just crazy how advanced electronics are coming along and the way the economy is shifting to more electronic now.

Media and Performance

In Chapter 1 of New Media in Art, it begins by talking about the canvas paintings and how they were so popular in 1949. It then goes on to talk about how the 60's had new plans in incorporating the viewer into the work of art and going away from the traditional canvas. This led to the big BOOM and birth of Performance Art. This kind of art isn't something you would typically see like on a wall or in a museum. This form of art included theater, dance, film, video and visual art all coming together. Of course, there was no other place to house this new beginning than in the heart of New York itself. I found this very interesting because I thought it was way earlier when Performance Art first began, so to find out that it was in this era was very interesting to me. I am excited to read more about what this book has to offer! :)

Cinema Verite

I am particularly excited about this new project, because I really enjoy working with video editing software and making a video of your own. Final Cut Pro is an excellent editing software that you can literally do anything imaginable to edit a video in a way that communicates to your audience how you want it to be seen and heard. I have a great idea on what I am planning on doing for my project, as a video to honor my brother on his birthday, but I am going to use some of those clips and make extra footage and incorporate that to make something more meaningful to honor his dedication and commitment into serving our Country. I am excited to work on this project! :)

Physical and Material

The last chapter in the book, in my opinion, kind of ties everything together while focusing on the difference between analogue and digital photography. The book states that digital photography is the "ease and speed of its dissemination has radically reshaped photography's commercial industries." (pg.219). There has been a shift in contemporary art, from the fully functional visual technology, to more making active choices through out the whole process. I think it is all a great idea where contemporary art is going. Artists are now portraying pictures out of the norm, and that have real meaning behind them. It gives a lot more opportunity for each individual to share their story and I was more than satisfied to have read The Photograph as Contemporary Art.

Revived and Remade

Photographs have really come a long ways in the entire process from snapping the picture, to displaying it for years to come. Back in the '70's, photography was understood as "processes of signification and cultural coding." (pg.191) Modernism photography looks more at its authorship and technical developments of the medium. But what this chapter focuses on, is postmodernism, and takes it from a different standpoint. One where we "examine the medium in terms of its production, dissemination, reception, and its reproducibility, mimicry, and falsity." (pg. 191) Basically saying, the key to understanding postmodernism comes from our own cultural knowledge of generic and specific images. Most the examples the book uses are very basic photos, one that a non-professional photographer could take by themselves. But the significance within these photographs is the meaning on why these were taken, who took them, and what it is that it's trying to say. That is what separates postmodernism from previous eras, and why photography can be so conclusive to each individual or to all as a whole.

Understanding Context

As I do my blogs each week, and continue to read the chapters in The Photograph as Contemporary Art I notice a pattern of similarity with the context of the book. It really gives that warmth that not everyone is a professional photographer, and some people just take pictures to take pictures. Before reading this book, I would have guessed that it was going to talk about how to take the perfect picture, and the perfect angles, and what cameras to use, and history of famous paintings.. But no, that is not what it is about at all and I am absolutely astound on this read. I enjoy how the authors make it a bit more relevant to the average student-photographer and while still incorporating the great ideas and knowledge on photography, it makes it easy and enjoyable to read through. I enjoy The Photography as Contemporary Art.

Moments in History

This chapter, in my opinion, is pretty basic and focuses on the everyday ways of life of people or events around the world. It talks about how digital media and television are the "most immediate carriers of information" now instead of word of mouth when they didn't have technology back then. What's most interesting about all the pictures and examples they use in this chapter is they all have an interesting story to tell on either what is currently going on or what has just happened. In Allen Sekula's series of photos Fish Story tells some history and current conditions of maritime industry and has some photographs of sailors on a ship out in sea. I really liked these because those sailors go through some horrifying tragedies I'm sure, and so some of the stories they can share through these pictures would be absolutely marvelous in my opinion. Whatever the picture is and the photographer who took it, at least we can be aware that it was a great Moment in History.           

                                                                                       

Intimate Life

This chapter discusses the relationship that domestic and intimate life have been played in contemporary art. Basically, how the ordinary Joe like a family member or friend takes photographs and the meaning behind those snaps. The chapter gives some examples of pictures, which are not the most appropriate pictures, but none the less some examples how domestic and intimate life plays a key role in everyday photography. Not everyone is an expert. That’s why you’ll see a lot of photos maybe around the house or in someone’s phone with a lot of uneven framing, blur, uneven flash, red-eye, all those ‘mistakes’ are simply the reason because we are not all professional photographers. I know that first hand, being at family gathers and all the parents want pictures of all us grandkids and I’ll tell one of my cousins to take the picture rather than my grandma, because obviously we know who has the more experience with a smart phone. But I think this type of photography is very important as well, because how the book describes it, most these photos come at symbolic points in family time, and I think nothing is more special than that right there. When doing professional photography, everything is staged. Hair, make-up, background, it’s all set up. But with domestic photography, it is in the moment, and how someone would perceive it in real life. It can have the best stories when taken unexpectedly.  

 

Something and Nothing

In Chapter 4 of The Photograph as Contemporary Art it talks about how some artists take pictures of just ordinary, non-human things and making them into extraordinary pieces of photography. In this chapter, it also points out that "there is no such thing as an unphotographed or unphotographable subject (Pg.115)." It is up to the photographer taking the picture to determine the significance of that piece, for they are the one taking the photo meaning obviously there has been some significance established there already. Which I think is very true. We touched a lot on this today in DTC 355 class, that pictures truly are worth a thousand words. But who's words? That is what is so extraordinary about real life photography that there is no one true story to tell on a single piece. The artist shooting the photo might have a different story on what's going on then the viewer looking over the photo the next day. These are most often based off our past experiences and these can be some of the most amazing stories to ever be told. That's why it's called Contemporary Art.

Deadpan Photography

When taking a picture, have you ever heard the phrase, "don't center your subject?" If this has been such an important rule we teach photographers from the very beginning, then why has there been such an increase in deadpan photographs in the past decade? It is because the deadpan aesthetic is a cool, detached and keenly sharp type of photograph that moves art outside the hyperbolic, sentimental and subjective, as the book describes in Chapter 3. Most commonly, the subject is the center of the photograph, there is not a whole lot going on in the photograph that will make you question what is going on, and lastly, it's not shot from a very obscure view, like a ladder, or top of a roof or something along those lines. It is just a photograph shot exactly how you would see it if you were to walk up to it in real life. It is Deadpan Photography.

Once Upon a Time

In Chapter two, it looks at contemporary art photography in the use of storytelling. Some examples of photographs it uses make obvious references to story tales, myths, and apocryphal events and other photographs offer a much more inclusive and open-ended description that we know is important from the picture the artist has painted in our heads. This specific art photography is normally describes as tableau or tableau-vivant photography, according to the book. One famous artist that the book takes examples from goes by the name of Jeff Wall. His photographs are very interesting to me, and one that really stood out is his work labeled, Insomnia. It was very interesting because obviously the basic definition of Insomnia is a sleep disorder that it is characterized by difficulty of falling or staying asleep. And in Wall's photograph there is a man laying down underneath a table with the chairs moved, cabinets opened, on the kitchen floor, and what interested me is that we don't know why he is laying there, or how he got there, or how long he has been down there, if it is a every night thing for him. All those questions went through my mind when I seen this photograph, and that's what is so awesome is that unpredictability this story tells, and how Wall leaves it up to the viewer to decide..

If This Is Art

In Chapter one of The Photograph as Contemporary Art, it shows lots of different photographs and points out that they all have one thing in common, that wherever they come from, either from strategy or orchestration by the photographers, they are all their for the sole purpose of creating an image. The one photo that really stuck out to me is the ‘Bread Man.’ It is a performance persona of the Japanese artist Tatsumi Orimoto, who wears a mass of bread on top of his head to cover his entire face and walks around town and performs daily activities. “His strange but non-threatening appearance is usually politely ignored by passers-by; occasionally it engenders amused curiosity (Pg.27).” I thought this was very unique and interested me, because who would have the creativity to come up with an idea like that. This would definitely be a disruption of every person’s daily routine to see something like that walking down the street. Depending on each individual perspective, in my personal opinion I think the photographs seen are great examples of contemporary art.  

Logos

What is a logo? A logo is a visual representation that appears on company signs, paper and advertisements that customers use to identify your company or whatever it is that you are working with. Logos are unique and you want to be creative but also careful when coming up with the different names, colors, typefaces, designs, etc. for your specific logo. After creating how it’s going to look, the next thing is protecting it from all others. That’s where copyright and trademark come in the picture. You want to make sure no one is going to steal your idea, because a company logo is a symbol of your company’s identity and generally gives off the very first impression. In class, in the beginning of this semester, we are creating different logos that we can come up with using Adobe Illustrator, which I am having a lot of fun designing and tossing ideas around on how I would create and come up with ten different logos for myself.


 

Helvetica

The movie Helvetica was one I have never heard of, but found great interest when watching it. It's a film that premiered in the South by Southwest film festival in 2007, which is a pretty big deal in itself. The film focuses on typography in general, but more solely on Helvetica. In this film, we see many typographers and computer graphic designers share their opinions not only on Helvetica, but on the evolving of fonts and how it has impacted the world we live in today. I never really paid so close attention to the different fonts companies and people used in everyday life, I guess I just figured Times New Roman was the most common until watching this film, and seeing around towns, logos, billboards and advertisements how many actually utilize Helvetica and why. It was a great short film.