what is art and who decides?

The audience decides.

No matter what object is presented, it is up to the audience to define and categorize it. Art is whatever its viewer decides to call it. After this course, I have changed half of my answer to this question. At first, I had said that art was expression and that the audience determines that it is art. After everything we’ve talked about, I no longer believe that art always has to be an expression of some kind. "That s not what I meant at all" T.S. Elliot.

since the audio is such a bugger, here's the reflection in writing for now...

Very often in our early educational careers, we are made to compare and contrast various nouns. The dominant vehicle for this exercise is the Venn Diagram. So, when asked to create two textual artifacts that compare two nouns, I couldn't resist the urge to employ the aforementioned visual organizer.
Like the sphere containing their attributes, Modernism and Postmodernism can easily be deemed cyclical, without a determinable beginning or end. They exist to defy a conventional linear structure of art history. The two ideas are undoubtedly interdependent, which makes the use of overlapping circles especially appropriate.
Because the diagram Venn is instantly recognizable by anybody with an elementary American education, its contents are eaily read and understood by many. The effectiveness of this piece is due to it's simplicity and the audience's familiarity with it's structure of information distribution.

Responding to Modernism

A modernist would define art using word like: "new" "innovative" "bold" "revolutionary". The modernist artist is always reinventing itself, desperately trying to be the one to change the accepted view on what art is; constantly in search of new definitions, new directions, and new ideas. The modernist seems to be in search of greatness, to be forever remembered in art history as the one who was the first to do (blank). The goal of the modernist is to provoke an aesthetic experience from the audience, but to do so by strict originality rather than imitation or collage (a means a postmodernist most likely explore).

in response to Elliot

It seems to me that as the poem goes on, it becomes more reflective. Is Elliot looking back at his life here? Certainly he is wondering if what he's done has been worthwhile. He also spends a lot of time writing about intent and worrying that his audience will not understand as he had intended. He writes, "That is not what I meant at all. That is not it at all." This could be the author expressing that his work has been misinterpreted. More interestingly it could be the voice of God, expressing his discontent for man's reasoning as to the meaning of life.

Osymyso song

this is what i got...


Hey jude
Tainted love
Houndog
Bohemian rapsody
Oops I did it again
Tell u wat I want
Eye of the tiger
Burnin down the house
Come on Ilene
Don’t u want me
Diana ross
Pink panther song
Please please tel me now
Sweet dreams
You really got me now
sweet child o mine
Barbie girl
My name is
Team spirit stayin alive
My generation
The end

appropriate

I can speak to the issue of appropriateness specifically here at Wissahickon High School. While Alfred and I were working on our "jam mural" in the display case, we were approached by the administration. Apparently they were under the impression that we had drawn a very large part of the male anatomy. It was in fact a specific concentration of energy known as "hyperbeam". But because it was a ball of energy with a tail following it, it was taken the wrong way. We (Alfred and I) were taken completely off guard because our intent was never to draw large phallic figures. And after we were approached and told to change what we had done we started worrying about drawing things that were appropriate. This contradicted the goal of our endeavor which was to draw whatever came to mind without thinking much about it. The entire experience was very awkward because it was so ridiculous. Something we drew that was truly a depiction of an innocent remembrance of our childhood (our obsession with Pokemon) was taken completely the wrong way. Not only that, but we were forced to change it.

Above I have posted a picture of gyarados, and our jampiece. the "questionable" material can be seen on the left of the picture, covered up in red sharpie.

response to post modernism textbook

I really like the way this book is set up. Being a comic geek, I can really appreciate how much you can learn through the medium of cartoons and text. This book is very much geared to me as a visual learner. Or at least someone who benefits greatly from visual and textual information complementing each other. I opened to part two: the genealogy of postmodern theory. I was interested in the text regarding ideas and language and the study of the relationship betweenthe two. (56)

the art room video

We definitely met all the expectations for the video. Using stereotypical characters we simulated the "typical" art room experience. I was the reluctant teacher, talking down to students and such. As a class, we did a great over-dramatization of each of our characters. We assigned our own roles and that let each one of us have our own control and vision. This video could not be any better.

its on youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xU9je55bsxk

Resopnse to Why Man Creates

I really enjoyed this short film, especially the introduction animation. I found it a really smart, funny, accurate depiction of human history (my favorite part of the sequence was in the dark ages, when the people where singing in gregorian chant). I also really liked the parable with the ping-pong ball, one of the balls in the crowd yells to another, "I didn't come here to get rolled on!"

Response to Van Gogh's letter

I'm sure that Van Gogh's letters and other assorted writings are very significant. They provide us with invaluable insight into his works. It is true with any artist that there are moments that the audience is left puzzled, wondering "what was he thinking?" or "what led to/inspired this?" With Van Gogh's letters, we don't always have to ask such questions. In the single letter I have read, he wrote in detail about specific paintings, and about art, poetry, and music. "...you can say comforting things in music." immediately made me think of Beehtoven and his visual expression through music, and the program music of the early romantic era, which I'm currently studying in music history.

Simpsons art

The episode "mom and pop art" brought up a lot of good things to talk about. The question we dealt with earlier, "what is art and who decides?" along with the idea that an artist must constantly re-create himself, it also brought up "outsider art" and made us question its validity. If Homer can do it, can it really be considered art?

Spongebob art

Spongebob made a lot of art that could be considered bricolage. He made a paper sculpture from the crumpled up paper Suidward threw at him, and then made a little mosaic with the pieces of ripped up paper.
Although he didn't follow "conventional" form, the art collector praised Spongebob's art as perfect. Perfect detail, censorship, etc. So his end lived up to the pre-conceived standards, but how he got there was deemed unacceptable.
Squidward's reason for making art was to acquire fame, fortune, and a full head of hair. Spongebob made art because he wanted to and because he enjoyed it. The question presents itself...why make art?

teacher v.s student relationship..."MR. Squidward has all the talent" that type of approach is not the kind that I would respond well to as a student. And I think that type of relationship doesn't permit a healthy learning experience.

"worthiness" Sponge didn't think that he was worthy of Squid's teachings.

rules v.s. talent...in this case SpongeBob's talent was restricted by the rules. The rules prevented him from creating his way.

What is art and who decides?

Art is expression. The audience decides.

No matter what artifact is created, it is a form of expression. It doesn’t have to be a masterpiece, it can be really crappy, or even intentionally crappy, but because the audience decides what art is, many messages and/or themes can be derived from any one artifact. The wide range of audience interpretation and analysis is what creates the discussion our class is founded on.

this is a link to an audio/video clip of what you just read:
http://media7.podbean.com/pb/63ee71cdbe5b4a9b5524d3409bfb35f0/49d0b3c3/blogs7/120850/uploads/whaveveryouwant.m4a