Final Project

Failure Prompt

While it can be very difficult to find a flaw in the perfection that is my work this semester, I eventually found a way to critique myself. In my creating of MP 3, I forgot the first rule of making a creative, visually appealing piece, DEPTH. Depth in images allows the viewer to look through the piece, past the image on the surface. I was overall very dissatisfied with the amount of depth in both of my pieces, mainly the second one with the red and gray boxes. I began using Photoshop before I enrolled in this class in an attempt to work for the football team in design. Athletics is clearly my strong suit when it comes to Photoshop pieces, mainly because of the wide variety of images that can be used to create depth. In that piece, I wish I had used an image such as a bird’s eye view of Ohio Stadium in the background to give the piece more depth.

            My biggest success this semester is easily MP 5. I will admit that I had two of the more entertaining action words to play around with for this assignment. I knew right away that I wanted to light something on fire, but the true jackass in me came out when I decided that, instead of twisting something on fire, I should just light the word “Twist” on fire. Hand sanitizer was the perfect medium for this operation, and the outcome was fantastic. Through this success I learned how creative I can really be, and how to be resourceful to achieve the desired outcome. Overall, I have really enjoyed this class, as it has expanded my view on photography and art as a whole. 

MP 5

MP 5 FINAL STATEMENT

Action Words: Twist, Fire

After receiving such fantastic action words, there were many directions I could go with them. I knew I wanted to light something on fire, yet was struggling to think of something to light on fire and twist. Then it came to me. Just light the word “Twist” on fire! I went to CVS and purchased hand sanitizer, which is an every day item that my roommate and I discovered was highly flammable during our time in the dorms last year. I spelled out the word on a cooking pan, and, with some help from my roommates and minor burns on our hands, we lit the word, turned the lights off, and let the blue flame glow. The result was this:

MP 4

Since I go to play basketball three to four times a week, I chose to document my entire trip to the RPAC, beginning in my room at my house, all the way up to walking into the gym. The typical sounds I hear include my car doors opening and closing, the engine starting, the turn style into the RPAC, and, most noticeably, the squeaking of basketball shoes on the hardwood.

I decided to transform my trip to the RPAC into a road trip for Ohio State’s men’s basketball team, again from the locker room all the way to the opposing team’s court. My piece gives a feeling of toughness, and willingness to face the adversity of an opposing team’s home court advantage. I mostly made overt decisions on my piece, although my sound clips were altered by simply picking random alterations and sticking with one I liked. I am satisfied about using garage band, and learning how to separate sound from video on a Mac. I didn’t particularly enjoy editing sound clips since it was so difficult to decide what alterations were good for my project. 

Blog 9 Carver Response

I really enjoyed reading this story of the man and the blind man drawing a cathedral together. I loved the ending, how the man kept his eyes close just because he felt like he should, showing how everyone needs to put themselves in someone else's shoes every once in awhile, and realize that anything is possible, even helping a blind man see. I also loved how the man's impression of blind people as a whole was drastically changed. He realized that not all blind people are helpless, and that some of them can do amazing things. The religious reference was slightly confusing, but I would interpret it as some sort of divine intervention, with the blind man serving as a life-changing example for the man.

Blog 8 Response

This blog was probably my favorite of all we've read so far, and made me wish I could have experienced this speech in person. My favorite piece of the speech was definitely the story with the religious man and the atheist, and how so many people in this world are arrogant. I could obviously relate to this, coming from the most arrogant fan base in the nation. We are THE Ohio State University for a reason, because WE LOVE US. Anyways, I loved how Wallace showed that both the religious man and the atheist were equally arrogant and equally wrong. He quickly followed that up with showing how college teaches you not how to think, but how to open up your thoughts to your surroundings, and see the bigger picture.

MP 3

I couldn't decide which one I liked more, so I posted them both. Both collages show different aspects of my person. I made sure the focus of the first collage was my iPhone, since my life essentially revolves around my phone. I rely on it for organization, email, and obviously all my communication. I also wanted to add the two Nike symbols to show one of my life goals, to be a Nike employee. Additionally, I love Nike products, and own a countless number of them. The second collage utilizes the scarlet and gray, showing my first love, Ohio State. Also, my car keys are more visible, which is appropriate since I love to drive. The issue with this project is that, even if I had used all ten items, I still could not have given even a significant piece of my life. My phone does not adequately represent my relationship, which plays a HUGE role in my life, and my love for baseball and the Cincinnati Reds is nowhere to be found. 

Blog 7 Response

Kaprow:
I really enjoyed this section of the blog because of the clear uniqueness. I really enjoy art that most people don't see as art. I agree with Kaprow that so many human actions are routinized that our mind wanders from the task at hand, and, if we instead focus on that task at hand, the information we discover can be fascinating, such as how your elbow moves and the actual strain put on your body by the action and movement.

Weschler:
The part of this piece of writing I enjoyed was how he described the feel of the desert. As someone who has never experienced the desert before, this article makes me want to travel to get the feeling for myself. I loved how he described the desert as so bleak and blank for so long, until it suddenly "stands up" and becomes "magical". It takes a trained, open mind to get this true desert feeling, and I can only hope to feel that experience some day.

Saunders:
While one could choose several pieces of this article to discuss, one part in particular caught my attention with a quote that suddenly made a lot of sense to me. "The process of trying to say something dignifies and improves a person." I took this as another version of "It's not what you say, but how you say it", a phrase that I love due to my minor in communications. Saunders described it as "character building" and I couldn't agree more. People who figure out how to voice their feelings are those with strong, healthy relationships.

Journey To Class Explanation

My walk to class in the morning can truly be summed up by the title of my piece; it is a journey. As a student who lives a good five minute walk from high street on Frambes, the UDF on the corner is the sign that I am still 15 to 20 minutes from my destination. When it comes to creating my piece, I really wanted to utilize the Frambes street sign because it gave the viewer knowledge of where I was coming from. The goal of almost any photoshop piece is a combination of simplicity and depth, and yes, both are possible. I faded the image of the street sign in to the background view of the stadium as I inched closer to my destination. I then used the information given to me by my Nike Fuelband to report how far, how long, and how many steps I took to get here. I thought this information would be unique, and would give an adequate summary of my walk. Lastly, I titled my piece "The Journey" and placed that text in the center of my piece to resemble a movie poster, again fading that text into the background to give the piece more depth. And with that, my piece was complete.

Micro-Assignment 3

My car keys. I love to drive. Anywhere, anytime, as long as my music is playing. I love driving at night because I love seeing the lights, my favorite being my hometown, the downtown Cincinnati skyline. Not many views beat Cincinnati at night.

Freedom.

My basketball shoes. They're always in my car, and I'm always ready to play. Basketball is my escape from the rest of the world. I love the game, and I love being a part of a team. There aren't many better feelings than when a team is working and moving in perfect unison with perfect chemistry. Every player strives for those days when you just can't miss.

Escape.

My Nikes. Well, some of them. I. Love. Nike. Everything about them, from their advertising to their clothing to their athletic gear. I have worn nothing but Nike shoes since I was 12, and the Nike outlet is a dangerous place for my wallet. In addition to all this, Nike advertising is my dream job. 

Passion.

My Nike Fuelband. As you can see by my above pictures, Nike and sports are two of my passions, and this device combines them both. It functions as a watch, a pedometer, a calorie counter, and, most importantly, a motivator.

No Days Off.

My phone. My lifeline. My iPhone keeps me connected to the world. All my friends know that if they call, I will answer. Also, with a girlfriend 1200 miles away, this is an essential.

Staying Connected.

My headphones. I am a music lover. You can get me to enjoy almost any type of music out there. And, with almost 9 gigabytes of my own, shuffle can return just about anything.

Endless Beats.

Gatorade. As someone who loves to be active, I need to stay hydrated. I try to finish at least two per day, usually water, but sometimes gatorade. 

Preparation.

Wexner Review and Cardiff Miller Response

Wexner:

I went in to the exhibit attempting to map out exactly how much time I needed to spend in the Wexner to intelligently talk about the exhibits, then get the hell out of there. Art exhibits are the last place you would normally find someone like me, but these exhibits really grabbed my attention, and somehow kept me in the building for over 45 minutes. I consider myself a bit of an American History buff, so I really enjoyed the American photography exhibit, as I continuously attempted to apply my knowledge to the pictures I was viewing. I really enjoyed the pictures of shop owners in their stores, as I felt this symbolized the hardworking spirit in America, and the vision that anyone can succeed, no matter your ethnicity or financial background. Additionally, I felt the collection showed that success is defined by happiness and not wealth. My favorite picture, however, showed a Mexican cowboy on a horse looking at a truck in a concrete parking lot of what looked like an oil refinery. My history mind ran a marathon on this picture. I viewed it as a representation of the end of the American frontier in the late 1800s as Joseph Glidden patented barbed wire, bringing an end to the open range and what we know as the American Cowboy.

Cardiff Miller:

I really enjoyed this article and, even more, the concept that Cardiff and Miller brought to the table. I love that most people wouldn't consider standing in the woods hearing sounds art because you aren't looking at something, and are instead feeling and experiencing the art all around you. This article really made me want to go experience this for myself, mainly the war reenactment discussed in the beginning of the article. I compared this to scary movies such as Paranormal Activity. One can easily denounce the movies as pointless and stupid, but they are missing the point. In order to enjoy the movies, you need to completely submerge yourself in the story, the characters, and the settings. If I had the chance to experience one of these exhibits, I would allow myself to buy into the sounds and believe that what I am hearing is real., which would make for a one-of-a-kind experience.

Hornby Response

I really enjoyed reading the Hornby article. I love reading informal writing styles like Hornby used. I always feel that the content is much easier to understand, and more importantly, the emotion in the characters and the situations are conveyed so much more easily to the reader. I also found the art perception concept to be very interesting as well. I really thought hard when Dave discussed how the other people in the art gallery essentially make up his mind for him on whether he likes the piece, as he simply decided whether he likes the person discussing the piece, and either sides with them if he likes them, or disagrees if he doesn't like them. I see many similarities with this and many concepts I learn in my Interpersonal Communications class, where we discuss topics such as the looking glass self, how our perception of ourselves is greatly influenced by what we think others think of us. Dave is a perfect example of this concept with both his size as a person (he knows he is supposed to be intimidating and tough) and his takes on the artwork.

Yoko Ono Response

This article was one of my favorites so far this year. I really enjoy Ono's view on the world of art, specifically when the article states that one school of art is to "make way for the viewer to see and feel what is already beautiful". I very much agree with the article that the world of art is so cluttered with paintings and drawings and sculptures and collages and more paintings, that sometimes, we as viewers need someone to tell us to just slow down and appreciate the best art on the planet, the world around you. It is, after all, artists' inspiration in the first place, right?
I did, however, question Ono's decisions in her personal life. Ono claims that "when you accept loss, it loses its tenacity to stay lost". This is the complete opposite of the modern way of thinking, and while Ono clearly doesn't follow trends in the world, loss is an emotion that no one wants to feel, and that "tenacity" remains for a very long time, especially concerning loved ones. But, when it comes down to it, I really enjoy Ono's view on art as freedom for the viewer.

Micro Project One

Asymmetrical

POV of an ant

Stable

Name on campus

Symmetrical

Unstable

Person Up Close

POV of a bird

Radial

Person and Surrounding Space

In comparing the two sets of ten pictures, the experiences were the same in that I needed to search campus and the surrounding area for material to photograph. The second set was different because the requirements were specific, and challenged me to analyze my surroundings and discover the best solutions to take the best pictures. I personally enjoyed the second part much more than the first. This is because I truly felt like a photographer instead of just a student taking pictures around campus. Of all the images, my favorite has to be the point of view of a bird, taken from the top floor of the Thompson Library. This view of campus is perfect with the sky and clouds framing the towers and the stadium.