More with these friggen dots!.. When we were sitting in class cutting up pieces of newspaper and creating a "contour/ topographic map" design or "magnet shaving" design revolving around our dot or square final, I took a moment to look around the room and really take in the scene before me. It was a glorious scene. Students sitting around with scissors and glue sticks, playing with newspapers, giggling in conversation, some resembling satisfaction, some seeming somewhat distraught, TA's and instructors walking around either acknowledging an accomplishment or making suggestions ( yes, apparently there is a right or wrong way to cut and glue newspaper around dots and squares ). Looking around at this wonderful sight, I couldn't help but think that we were one string of drool and an empty gaze away from frighteningly resembling doped up mental patients locked inside an institute given a craft assignment to keep our level of ignorance at an all time high. And suddenly I felt as if this was a waste of time and even began to feel a little pissed off. SORRY!
Am I the only one that felt like this? Please students, interact with me, leave some feedback. Instructors all over the art department crave honesty and the participation in critiques from students. Well lets dip our artistic fingers a little in this controversially oozing assignment. I KNOW there are at least a few of you all out there that believe we aren't reaching the full potential of some of the time spent here. Now is your "unrated comment free opportunity". Leave a comment on this blog about what you TRULY think about every assignment that seems to keep lingering on around these gestalt/ dot/ squares. I am SO curious to know how everyone feels and thinks, that's all ( Im not aiming to just rag on our assignments here ).....( not completely at least )..... ( god I hope these blogs of mine don't lead to serious repercussions, ergo failing ).... ( I just said "ergo" ). COMMENT AWAY!!!
I think one of the larger problems is that the program is designed for a large attendance. The draw back to catering to a large body of students is that there are going to be many different majors, many different levels of knowledge, and many different levels of talent. Considering the unreasonable task of dividing us all up according to these aspects I really can't think of how they could more effectively reach each of us individually and stay in business. Would I rather be making art than getting glue in eyes? Sure. But would you rather get glue in your eyes or write a twenty page paper on plate tectonics? All in all I can relate to your frustration. I feel that we are still in the early, experimental stages of this program and unfortunately must be a guinea pig for an entire semester. But, here we are man, grab your glue stick and lets do this shit!
ReplyDeleteguess drool happens when you don't try to see how far you can push something. which is an option you always have available to you. those that weren't about to drool were actually producing something quite interesting. there isn't a right or wrong way to collage yet evidence of applied rhythm surely can be present or absent. negativity can be quite infectious as can being positive. how are you going to choose to infect your peers?
ReplyDeleteZack, you make a great point, hat's off to you my wise friend. (also, there are some safety goggles in the tool room incase you have any more trouble with the gluing situation). Kathy, I suppose I should spend some time thinking about how I should go about approaching some situations, rather than building emotion then opening up on my blog like turning on a faucet. But what can I say, im an art major, we are in the business of expression. If there is an outlet made available, most likely it will get some use. But know this, my intention was not to disrespect, and I don't want to infect my fellow students, I want to light a fire under them. I want them to get as passionate about art as I am. And when it comes to that, I feel like infection can be synonymous with the popular statement "any publicity is good publicity". Any way I can get them to be passionate about the subject they are studying is a good way. But overall I want to affect them positively with my work. I understand we are just at the basics here, I guess its the getting familiar with it that keeps tapping at my back. But im with Zack, we're here, lets make the most of it, and get some work done....positively that is.
ReplyDeleteI was reading about Einstein and Freud this morning. Both became experts in their domains but that creative spark entered each differently. Einstein went all the way back in his domain to the very basics and reworked and questioned assumptions made at a foundational level. Freud pulled from a multiple of domains and sort of fused some thing new. So I guess the challenge is if you are pretty far into your domain but are thrown back into a situations that you have to rework foundational issues perhaps focus on challenging your own assumptions and habits and push your work in a direction you haven't tried before. Worked for Einstein.
ReplyDeleteVery cool, I see your point.
ReplyDeleteYou know I feel sort of what he's feeling I guess. I don't feel infected thou. My expressions towards certain projects we have done so far has been a little like -________-, but aye its art right. Gotta love it.
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