Final Post?

Well, here we are at the end of the semester. I might have been a quiet student, though not without my personal reasons. If I haven't seem so involved then I will admit it is because I prefer to stay on the sidelines and observe rather than to draw attention. I've followed my curiosity around here and there. I wouldn't call in disinterest at all but instead the notion that I struggle with having confidence in my own opinions.
Anyway...
I honestly read on a daily basis; random articles and tidbits all across the internet. Now, I am certainly one of my generation. I often have a short attention span and I easily forget... I feel like my head is full of floaty, non-coherent information. It's a lot of stuff, but I don't know when it will become relevant to me. I suppose I'm trying my best to turn my head into a library of sorts for world building. I mean, I am trying my best to observe the functionality of things around me.
I like to read scientific articles, or watch historical documentaries. My family can barely get me to watch TV, or movies if it's not educational (or animated). If I'm going to take in a fictional work I honestly prefer those to be given to me through text, or perhaps if a friend is telling me a story they've come up with. Videos...kind of wear me out for some reason.
Anyway, I do read. I've got several apps on my phone based on "informational exploration" I guess you could call it...Stumble Upon, Daily Curiosity, Pinterest. Maybe those are old news at this point, but I still fiddle around with them several times a day. I fear I'm always going to be more of an enthusiastic amateur than an expert of any kind.
All of this rambling aside, I can't exactly name any books I'm looking forward to reading. I prefer to just take what comes my way at the time. I'm just always in a sort of gathering phase. Right now my biggest interest sort of falls on a theme, I suppose. I'm researching knights in an attempt to get a better historical understanding of their general time period as opposed to their popular settings in fantasy. Although, in the future when I have a more accurate understanding (I hope) I would like to apply this information to some projects my friends and I are working on.
Maybe it's not intellectual reading, but I am thumbing through some Pathfinder rule books as of recent. I bought three of them to get started on world building for the game.
On the other hand I've got a book titled "Knights" and a Smithsonian textbook on History that I'm reading together, a little bit each evening before I go to bed. Once again, I'm really trying my best to research and gather information. To the best of my ability I like to know how the world works.
I still have a fear that I might not be properly understanding any of this or retaining as much as I should. Regardless, I still have that curiosity. It feels invigorating to "learn" and so I'll keep feeding that desire.
What I am looking forward to on a general level are more "academic" books pertaining to my areas of curiosity. I just want content. My mother does keep books for me that her friends give her because they know I'm an art student. At home now I've got a book on William Turner and a few other big names waiting for me. I'll probably read those this summer and mentally organize that information as relevant to their particular time periods. Even if I don't fully absorb I hope it at least stretches my mind out a little more...I think I need as much of that as I can get.
As open minded as I'd like to think I am I know I still have my quiet little nook that I hide in. That idea in itself is a way to stay boxed in.



Iffffffffff you're curious to see where I go with the whole blogging thing in the future here's my tumblr version. Who knows how much I'll get around to working with it, but I have dreams of keeping it active:

http://adingydinghy.tumblr.com/

"Bootlegs"

So, I am bringing these things because I believe their existence raises some interesting questions and social commentary. It is certainly something of a niche to know what these are, but I think that the message might be bigger? Of course, the level of artistic merit is debatable across the board. You might consider the differences between an "expertly crafted forgery" and a "desperately cobbled bootleg". The similarities they share regardless of quality are the fact that they are "copies" meant to fool and they were likely produced to make profit.
I have a few links to related materials ranging from video games to action figures. Now, keep in mind these aren't all opinion-free discussion pieces, though I thought they were good examples to present the issue.


Link to a growing database of bootleg video games: http://bootleggames.wikia.com/wiki/BootlegGames_Wiki

Ken Perenyi forges paintings:
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/a-forger-of-art-tells-all-03-03-2013/

Ashens reviews knock-off toys, "fake" action figures, and other things:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYRK5lzfb9w
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rM_7EZKFgOw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6KMGfmI5UA

Joel Plays Bootleg video games:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6DfeyBxH2k
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2UzROUj0yE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hdvcrVuUGfs

So, what do you guys think?

Week 11

I want to admit I am on what I feel is very neutral ground in regards to The Medium is the Massage. I didn’t look further into McLuhan’s work, though I read through the suggested material. There were many points on which I did make a connection and others I feel that by now are out dated. In my opinion it is difficult to assign a singular definition to media over a wide range of generations. As generations change, so do their interpretations of words and other content. By connotation, someone 50 years my age might not think the same thing of “community” or “socialization”. Of course, there will be those who insist on a singular explanation and perhaps they have every right to.

On the day of discussion what struck me as most interesting was an observation on the inflation of media and reaction. Time feels to go faster only because we have many more reference points to note. By contrast of the past, with a higher population on Earth there will logically be more content created at higher, quicker rates. It creates a lot of  “noise”, which in relation to the book was another thought I found intriguing. Again, with the amount of people and new kinds of media being produced in this age the newer generations have no particular expectation of content, but rather content will exist, no matter its form.

It is obvious to me that what we are surrounded by will affect our views and actions. A quieter world will produce more stable, or still opinions, while a constantly moving world must be open to adaptation. In the end I believe I see McLuhan’s points, though I neither support, nor reject their reasons in full.

Back to week 10...

For week ten I chose to watch films by Maya Deren. Now, I am not a film student, nor did I have any prior experience with her work. And perhaps I have a biased due to my own field of study, but I believe most everything made can have a "personal style" implemented. We know that there are, of course, big organizations that are known for producing a certain "style" and that is what they in turn sell (much like Disney). But, on a smaller scale, for instance, with any independent films, artists are not running on the bill of large corporations. They have a message to tell and no one to tell them how to make it. Why would they waste an opportunity to be unique unless mimicry in some way conveyed their story?
I have no knowledge of any particular film artists similar to Maya Deren. I watched her pieces "Meshes of the Afternoon", "Witch's Cradle", and "The Private Life of a Cat", and again, if you ask me I would insist that she has a very distinctive style. Even for "The Private Life of a Cat", consisting of a rather different message from the other two, I believe her fingerprint is present. The way the cats are documented to me is very dreamlike. There is no sound, only your mind to interpret whatever words flash on the screen, or any bit of imagery. There is a certain element in her message therefore that only she could understand and reproduce to the "Maya Deren" style. And that style, I believe is her message and its presentation. Both "Witch's Cradle" and "Meshes of the Afternoon" have a very surreal atmosphere that have an obvious and deep context. Once again, it's all about the imagery and symbolism hidden in the composition that Maya Deren uses to relay her intentions.

Trump "Inventory"!

First thing I got when I found this image was "alpha male appeal". No, really, those were the words right on the article. Trump's playing it all out cool. He's confident and cares little about what others will throw at him. And he knows he's expected NOT to back down. From a supporter's standpoint this image might imply those expectations. "Everything is all right. We got this, guys. We're better than the rest." That's what I'm getting. For those of us against Trump, we just see a guy who's full of himself!
But on neutral ground once more, this image tells us that Trump is a no-nonsense kind of person who won't cover up his intentions with formalities. Again, he's confident in everything that he is doing and will ignore the opposition regardless.

My answer to our question about last week's play Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead is really not much different from what was discussed in class. I agree that it is very much a show about Drama and perspective. It is a symbolic reflection, a self aware, or perhaps far from a self aware experience. We see these contradictions between the performers and Rosencrants and Guildenstern. In my opinion, the two main characters (oddly enough side characters in the original Hamlet) are like parts of the subconscious competing within a single mind. And on our other hand we have the actors of which seem eerily aware of their situation. Somehow the performers have broken the binds of their so called "roles" through a hyperawareness of their own story. Even when Rosencrants and Guildenstern are put to their deaths they cannot seem to beak free of their own minds. To me this emulates how the subconscious cannot control itself, or be any more than exactly what it is, the subconscious. On a larger scale it could be satire on certain kinds of individuals. Several times in the play, either Rosencrants, or Guildenstern stop to contemplate the meaning of death. They construct the illusion for themselves that they are being profound and they catch themselves up in all of the wrong details. But, perhaps they cannot help it, and that could be precisely what the play means in demonstrating the lives of two minor characters. They are throwaway souls, and in that case have no choice of escape. The notion could be seen as a sort of way to break the fourth wall, which, Shakespeare often did in his plays.    

I managed to read through two and a half of the provided short stories for today, completing both "Hitting Budapest" and "Whites". Being of mostly white European decent, all of these stories have been written from perspectives that would not be considered my own. But the point of "listening" without necessarily relating was brought up. That is an idea that is very personal to me because of my belief in having sympathy for other human beings. Though I cannot physically reach empathy for the characters in these stories I have tried my best to understand their messages. You may or may not agree that there are important moral lessons packed with these writings. Perhaps they are aimed at particular audiences to express the existences of different worlds on a parallel course. I would agree that this is the very case, especially for myself coming from a culture where I am often not exposed to these sorts of characters. It is eye opening in a way I feel should be more frequent.

I'm choosing "Whites" to analyze for ethos. There is a heavy feeling of struggle detailed about Japanese woman in America. I feel as if the story makes a point of their mistreatment, longing, and will to continue despite, all as specific elements. In this case its ethos would be an idea that this particular demographic has been pushed into a harsh world created for them by people of white backgrounds, particularly men. Throughout the story men in particular are described as demanding and dominant. They are considered liars, the women their victims, and it is made worse by white men who use the women for their own desires because they believe they can easily take advantage of them. The ideas of "home" and "childhood" appear to be the most cherished, as described in the end by the narrator who makes these memories out to be better than their current situation. And yet still, a woman's independence and will to carry on are both praised as demonstrated in scenes between women who leave their husbands and seek other women for advice.

There is indication of a voice used in this story. Though it covers a broad subject, it is still a voice relatable to a certain group of people. It speaks for multiple people, in this case, but is still present as being a certain "individual" with a particular background. By placing in specific contexts and clues it is easy to get the feeling that narrator "knows what they are talking about".

Regarding the characters, they are connected to their world as opposing forces. There is the ruling class, namely the white men, and the quiet, working class, the female Japanese immigrants to America. The ruling class is portrayed as not recognizing, or mentioning what hardships that they place on these women, though they may, or may not be aware of it.

            I shall use “Even the Queen” as my source of influence for this next passage. I mentioned that it took a satirical look upon an opposing viewpoint. In particular I believe it stands as support to the idea that sisterhood can be used to resist patriarchy. Even so, I feel that either viewpoint in the story acts as its own kind of “sisterhood”. On one side, the main character and her family, though often in disagreement, gather together to change her daughter’s mind. And yet, that opinion which the daughter had developed still came from another group of women, all who were obligated to stand up for their ideals.

            In the end, either side makes independent decisions. It comes down for these characters to a matter of whether or not they think a woman’s natural cycles signify her true freedom. In either case, Perdita was the subject of change and her final choice was determined by personal opinion. In the end she still had the privilege to do what she wanted, aside from social oppressions from the family. Based on her mother’s attitude, if she had not changed her mind there may have very well been nothing her family could have done to stop her.

            On one hand a group of women have fought for her to join their side and join a “natural” course, while on the other hand, her family, in a more literal sense, her sisters, fought for her well being in a different aspect. Once again, it was summed up by personal opinion in the end.

I have read “Girl” on several occasions, both for classes like this, and once on my own volition. As for the other stories, they were new to me. I have mentioned that I try my best to take a neutral standpoint about almost any issue I see, though I am only human and it is quite impossible not to be moved at all, or be uninfluenced. When it comes down to it, I’d just like the best for everyone. But I suppose this is beside the point for our most recent discussions.

If I have an opinion it is that there are still lessons in this world to learn and though it may not be my job to be loud and expressive just yet, those who take the opportunity, or have a natural talent with voice are important people. Even if an agreement cannot be reached I believe it is necessary to at least listen to others, and with hope, have the same favor returned.

Reading stories like “Girl”, “Even the Queen”, and “The Yellow Wallpaper” which all take obvious, and perhaps different standpoints due to certain backgrounds, of course, is meant to invoke thought. My point is that regardless of relating to these positions, they are highly representative of demographics that exist no matter what. In particular, stories like “Even the Queen” I feel do a proficient job of expressing multiple views, being of course, two different womanly perspectives on natural cycles. It is interesting to see how either side claims to be “freedom”, though it is apparent that the writing is a satirical statement in favor of one side over the other. That, I would say, proves the necessity for observation and acceptance. If I may take the quote from the story: “A free society has to be based on respecting others’ opinions and leaving each other alone.”

I only have a simple opinion on our discussion in regards to Wes Anderson’s inspiration from Zweig. I think it’s a perfectly valid project, simply because as artist it is important to learn and reflect upon the work of others. I have no issue in bringing back old stories to retell, granted if the media is suiting.

Of course, there is a fine line between being inspired and just flat out copying what you see. As an artist it is impossible to learn and shape yourself without first emulating that which inspires you. This is a common artistic technique, what, writing “love letters” to and fro within a community. In my opinion a sign of properly handled influence comes from how influence is integrated. There must be enough of a twist.

A piece must both make its influences obvious, and yet take much from its creator in presentation. But there is also, at least for me, and extent to the “magic”. The first time a story is retold it has its biggest chance to provide a nostalgia factor. Though in recent media, its obvious that artists keep trying to hang on to this aspect. They’re working off of a formula, perhaps along the lines of “Hey, the people already like this story, why bother to come up with anything else?”. Of course, this relies on the existence of storyverses in popular culture.

Fan bases make these things huge. And, yes, there are those who do really enjoy certain worlds and stories, and frankly don’t mind hearing their favorite tales over and over. But for me, that gets old fast. At some point it loses it’s inspirational aspects and simply becomes copying, money preying, a drag.

Directly, I suppose I’m just being bitter about the mass of super hero movies, or fantasy, or action movies using the same characters over and over. But that’s just my opinion. I don’t want to see another King Kong or Godzilla movie. But, I do not in the least see Wes Anderson’s work amongst the same category. I believe he is taking from a quieter source, one that is little looked upon, and is thus healthy for popular culture. And I bet he has no intentions of milking his source dry. In this case, I applaud him.

I have seen both film versions of True Grit, the 2010 rendition being the most recent for me.  After reading the original novel I have concluded in my own opinion that an American western theme is still clearly represented, yet the typical “mold” has been in some ways broken.

For me there is an obvious difference between the characters played by John Wayne and Jeff Bridges. John Wayne is known for being a classic western movie star of his time. It’s not to say that Hollywood and modern media producers do not still romanticize their content, though I believe such “fluffing” was much more prevalent in the 40s and 50s. I believe John Wayne played Rooster as more of a typical “hero” and in that case followed a formula in regards to the usual Western myth, a “cowboys and Indians” sort of element that came popular with his time.

Of course, today those stereotypes have been exposed for their faults. I believe Jeff Bridges depicted Rooster’s idea in a more accurate way to what a man of the time might have been. In the past there were much more prevalent gender roles, of which were socially reflected to a degree in the time that John Wayne was an actor. Audiences of that era were expected to see that Wayne’s Rooster was “just doing his job”. A man was supposed to be tough and it wasn’t questioned. But I feel we question Bridges’ Rooster and that we are obligated to do so anyway. The Coen Brothers film exposes the hardships of the time that the film is set. But in this sense it feels like a more realistic depiction to me.

So, True Grit still goes on about tough characters surviving in a tough, new world, but over all I think that the main character’s gender plays a huge role in breaking it out of the usual myth. In comparing the two movie renditions, I feel that the first caters toward a more ordinary Western, while the latter displays a much clearer, pragmatic view on the environment of the time. Like anything, it depends on perspective how you might form an opinion. I do personally prefer the Coen Brothers film. And on a side note I was happier about the more accurate age of Mattie’s actor in it versus its predecessor. I believe part of the earlier’s casting choice also came from the tendencies of the time.