curation #3

The progression of my curation is coming along very well. I have incorporated many details on styles and famous people who have tattoos.

My Most interesting link is the link referring to the different styles of tattoos. There are click links to blogs that have a multitude of examples for each style. Some were incredibly difficult to find.

The biggest challenge in this project is finding content material that is viable for this blog. Videos and articles that have decent information are a challenge to locate and takes a great deal of time.

The next three steps are key in my curation. I need to find a video that works to successfully illustrates getting a tattoo. I need to find an article that gives how tattoos fit in culture and finally I need to make my blog easy to read and follow. After completing this the blog that is my curation the understanding of how to love the tattoo will be accomplished.

My biggest struggle is creating the blog to flow easily. The format of it is the largest challenge. I need to go through and make pages that are easy to find and work.

Curation Progress #2

The progression of my curation is coming along quite nicely. I have added a multitude of pictures that show increadibly well done tattoo's. I have also included a written entry on choosing a tattoo as well as distinguishing an acliamed artist. I also included a gif of what not to get from the movie bridesmaids.

My Most interesting link is the link referring to Stefan Halbwachs. He is one of the worlds leading tattoo artists in a style that has emerged in the subculture of tattoo artwork. The link is to his facebook where one can see the unique style he has developed.

The biggest challenge in this project is finding content material that is viable for this blog. Videos and articles that have decent information are a challenge to locate and takes a great deal of time.

The next three steps are key in my curation. I need to find a video that works to successfully illustrates getting a tattoo. I need to find an article that gives how tattoos fit in culture and finally I need to make my blog easy to read and follow. After completing this the blog that is my curation the understanding of how to love the tattoo will be accomplished.

My biggest struggle is having the time to sort through so much useless information. It takes so much time that I don't always make the effort.

Curation progress one

This project was a challenge to start. I had no idea what I was supposed to be doing. After going between many different ideas I found one that fit. Tattoos. I've always wanted one and learned a lot about the spiritual process of marking ones body.

At first I thought this project was pointless. It was a challenge to start but as time went by I learned how to make it work. I'm still creating my website but the work in progress is good. It's a challenge but a good challenge.

Best of Week: Exit Through The Gift Shop

In the past few weeks we have been watching the movie Exit Through The Gift Shop. The movie talked about the life of a french man who was obsessed with videotaping everything. Later we learned how he became introduced to the world of street art. The mysterious exposure led him to a deep fascination which in the end opened up his world to the notorious Banksy. After meeting Banksy he created his own image in street art and became Mr. Brainwash.

The whole film was an experience I found fruitful and eye opening. When I was young my mother always told me graffiti was Satan's doing and not something I should appreciate. But I just couldn't help but be fascinated by the wondrous style of the roof top vocabulary. Although I knew defacing property was bad I thought in some cases this was a real art form and could actually add the the boring walls created in our societies dull architecture. It wasn't until I heard of Banksy that I really saw the power of my inhibited interest could have. 

Graffiti has the power to shape the world. By conveying direct ideas indirectly individuals can bring political issues out into the open. Political commentary created through street art exploded as Bansky expressed his view on social injustices created by the governments of our world. As a dying rat transformed into a girl escaping to freedom, street art became the new medium for social change and expression of the peoples belief.

I truly see street art as an art form but it's not the art form for galleries or private homes its for walls of street corners and billboards. It is an art for the people not for the rich and famous. The power to shape our world changes with each generation. This art form in the change of the modern era. 

Metacognition: Mashup

In the time we take to make something the world seems to pass around us like we don't even matter. The focus we put on something takes away our focus on time; on the time around us on the time that we live in the present with. While working on my Mashup I just felt my body pulling. My mind wasn't apart of me. It wasn't apart of anything. It just was. Pulling the quotes I had selected and blending media and ideas of the world together. There was just a flow. A constant inner way that led me through it. I didn't really need to think. I guess I was thinking but being aware of this inner though process wasn't a deafening sound. It was just my mind guiding me through a journey in place. Life is a flow of time. Take time to ride the flow.

Mashup

Love 
    and it's ability to shape us through shaping the world.

1

But this is what young people are so often and so disastrously wrong in doing: they (who by their very nature are impatient) fling themselves at each other when love takes hold at them, they scatter themselves, just as they are, in all their messiness, disorder, bewilderment...: And what can happen then? What can life do with this heap of half-broke things that they call their communion and that they would like to call their happiness if that were possible and their future? And So each of them lose himself for the sake of another person, and loses the other, and many others who still wanted to come.

2

Pop Culture ruins what love can be...

3

12.

Love, something that seems to be a motif of human trial and tribulation. But this wasn't always the case, we didn't always chose for love, our people did not begin with it.  Arranged marriages and secular choices were made for families without their opinion on who they married.  There was no idea of love not concept of it for our existence. Truly, where does this love come from.  Love is the chemical reaction in our body. Love is the cellular interaction of serotonin and dopamine in our nervous system. Love is a lie, its not something free and unlike anything different from other animals. Love's power to chase, to move, to shape the universe is not a value of its own. Its a characteristic we give to love because those who are great explain their greatness through love.

4

34

The great Tao flows everywhere.
All things are born from it,

yet it doesn't create them.

It pours itself into its work,

yet it makes no claim.

It nourishes infinite worlds,

yet it doesn't hold on to them.

Since it is merged with all things

and hidden in their hearts,

it can be called humble.

Since all things vanish into it

and it alone endures,

it can be called great.

It isn't aware of its greatness;

thus it is truly great.

5

7.

Our lives are a constant pursuit for an answer, for an end. We rush to finish and then later complain for the passage of time. Love defies this. Love exists only in the process. A feeling that shares and guides. Books written with love, to clarify not about love but with love in each sentence of its creation, give unlimited accents or how human nature can be glorious & beautiful in all of its existence. Struggle and suffrage has been there for all people in all places but we live with ideas of escaping this pain. We search for it. We must open our minds and give light to places there have been none. Only when we give this light, only when we take a chance, only when we don't hold back, then we will love & hate will leave our lives. Despair will vanish into the nothingness and humanity can flourish. 

6

A whole world will envelope you, the happiness, the abundance, the inconceivable vastness of a world. Live for a while i these books, learn from them what you feel is worth learning, but most of all love them.

7

6 types of love

Eros

A passionate physical and emotional love based 

on aesthetic enjoyment; stereotype of romantic love

Ludus 

A love that is played as a game or sport; 

conquest; may have multiple partners at once

Storge

An affectionate love that slowly develops

 from friendship, based on similarity

Pragma 

A love that is driven by

 the head, not the heart

Mania

obsessive love; experience great emotional highs and lows;

 very possessive and often jealous lovers

Agape

Selfless altruistic love; spiritual;

8

When we read the bible we must continually bear in mind the period it was written in. A 'critical' reading , such as the one he proposed, revealed a number of inconsistencies in the text. But beneath the surface of the Scriptures in the New Testament is Jesus, who could well be called God's mouthpiece. The teachings of Jesus therefore represented a liberation from the orthodoxy of Judaism. Jesus preached a 'religion of reason' which valued love higher than all else.

9

Explore the workings of the world

10

15

Sometimes ideas are just to strung out to be formed. We write and write but accomplish nothing. The ideals of sentences overlapping create structure but growth is meaningless. I sit here to discuss the growth of myself but nothing occurs. Words are just sounds if not given meaning. Feeling is the only way something can be transmitted. If you can not display the emotion from one medium to another a human, no matter what level they are at, will not be able to understand. Depth, love, existence. They are just words that factor out of a nothingness. Give love and you shall discover life. 

11

Sometimes we don't get love. Sometimes we look in the wrong places.

12

Believe in a love that is being stored up for you like an inheritance, and have faith that in this love there is a strength and a blessing so large that you can travel as far as you wish without having to step outside it.




13

stand with your lover on the ending earth-

and while a(huge which by which huger than

huge)whoing sea leaps to greenly hurl snow  

suppose we could not love,dear;imagine

ourselves like living neither nor dead these

(or many thousand hearts which don't and dream

or many million minds which sleep and move)

blind sands,at pitiless the mercy of

time time time time time

-how fortunate are you and i,whose home

is timelessness:we who have wandered down

from fragrant mountains of eternal now  

to frolic in such mysteries as birth 

and death a day(or maybe even less)

14

11

I have grown to question authority but learned to accept the things I could not possibly change. My patience is still week and a finite source but that patience is a sea compared to the stream it was in the beginning. Being patient is a step, a step in life we all must acquire to go from youth to mature adult. 

15

Sometimes our love is all we have

16

And if it frightens and torments you to think of childhood and of the simplicity and silence that  accompanies it, because you no longer believe in God, who appears in it everywhere, then ask yourself, [...] whether you have really lost God. Isn't it much truer to say that you have never possessed him?

17

13

In the land we live in we can pretty safely say that a woman is no longer property. She is an equal with man. Standing equal ground and competing for equality. But for most of the world that isn't the case. Women still make less than men in equal jobs and still deal with sexual tension in many of the work places. Thats only in westernized nations. In many undeveloped nations women are nothing. They are treated poorly and not loved. Love. Thats why we need. That what world need. As one people we should stand up for each other. For humans as a whole. But when that happens such as with political, religious and social leaders, they usually end up dead. Why? Why can't we let love in? 

18

 The next set of images are graphic. 

 This is real. 

 This happens. 

  

I unfortunately can not include all the images but each speaks for a woman in need.

These women would victims of acid poured on them.

This is a result of resisiting forms male oppression.

There is no love for them in their homes. 

Bring love.

Bring help.

Bring justice to those in third world countries.

19

Homesickness, in other words, is the distance, that we put between who we are and who we used to be, between our present and our past. And we are lost only when we have lost our dead, when we exile them from our lives, because the city where they live is us

20

The fact that people have in this sense been cowardly has done infinite harm to life; the experiences that are called "apparitions," the whole so-called "spirit world," death, all these Things that are so closely related to us, have through our daily defensiveness been so entirely pushed out of life that the senses with which we might have been able to grasp them have atrophied. To say nothing of God. But the fear of the inexplicable has not only impoverished the reality of the individual; it has also narrowed the relationship between one human being and another.

21

The thoughts that are washed along with the current of past tradition, as well as the material conditions prevailing at the time, help to determine how you think. You can therefore never claim that any particular thought is correct for ever and ever. But the thought can be corrected from where you stand.

22

4

We can't just wait for things to happen. If we wait nothing gets done. People move backwards and fall behind. We lose the progress and fail at all that we have achieved. We need to push forwards. We need to do it for ourselves and for those around us. Progress is not just building ones self for the interest of themselves. That is mere selfishness and will not accomplish anything for anyone. But working to be successful in the chance to benefit those around one one life, that will result in progress. The actions need to take care of a society lie with the actions to take care of  neighbors and strangers. A stranger is still a person. We need to be more helpful. More outgoing. More for the cause of humanity. 

23

But even so, I think that you will not have to remain without a solution if you trust in Things that are like the ones my eyes are now resting upon. If you trust in Nature, in what is simple in Nature, in the small Things that hardly anyone sees and that can so suddenly become huge, immeasurable; if you have this love for what is humble and try very simply, as someone who serves, to win the confidence of what seems poor: then everything will become easier for you, more coherent and somehow more reconciling, not in your conscious mind perhaps, which strays behind, astonished, but in your innermost awareness, awkwardness and knowledge. 

24

25

12
This idea of love has been created by people to make society work. To make our lives feel better and, in the end, have us be content with ourselves on approaching our deathbeds. Because as society with people living longer they need something so that life doesn't tarnish or spoil. There is something to us, to everything, that makes this love seem worthy. This love that seems to effect our soul. Without love our souls become bitter. They close themselves off from others and a vile nature grows within. Although love itself isn't real, isn't a magic that runs through our body, isn't a predestined force, it still has great power and a greater impact on humans as a whole.

iMedia: Norman Foster

Recently in our class we have been discussing the way shapes have an important part of our environment. We have come to terms with our origins in out modernist growth and realized the facts of our present with the postmodern trend. Our examination of Frank Ghery led to the new understanding of postmodern architecture and how it is becoming a trend in our cities.  Colorcoat, an online article site, had an article called 12 Architects that Changed the World. It talked about the leading architects in the world. The one that caught my eye the most is Norman Foster. He was the developer of the Gherkin, a famous building in london, that has reshaped the image of downtown London. 30 St Mary Axe is the actual name of the gherkin which the majority of the citizens of London don't even know.

The Gherkin can be related to our understanding of light, shape and design in our class. The light of the Gherkin is great because it uses an open floor plan that allows for the maximum light to reach the rooms. Not only is it perfect for our understanding in that sense but it challenges the status quo. The Gherkin was the first major skyscraper introduces to London's skyline. The way it looks like a cigar created a lot of criticism when it was first built. Many british citizens were upset with it, my grandmother included, but now it is one of the most prided buildings. The british have become proud of their new growth in ascetically pleasing skyscrapers and how they are finally leaving the middle ages gothic  building style. There is still criticism of the change but i think that the new age of architectural art is blending well with the british people. The picture to the left is so powerful because it holds three time periods. The old gothic style of the religious nature in England's church. Then there is a postmodern building next to it with the mixture of contemporary and east coast styled architecture as a home complex. And behind those two rises the extreme immensity of the Gherkin. These three time periods, although separate and different, blend together extremely well. This is humanities. The blend of old and new. The mixture of our world to build a society that know from past to present. Our life is a blend of old and new and sometimes change may be difficult. But, usually, it will be better for us. And we must be aware that we can bring a new world and our insight may be difficult but could be greatly appreciated and loved by many. My few cents for the future is that hopefully I won't have to worry about having homework due friday nights.

Blogging Around

Isana
It Matters: MLK and Obama

In this article Isana talks about how we honor Martin Luther King Jr. yet we seem to forget about this glory when it comes to our current president. His power over the nation and where he stands in the changing of racism in our nation.

I really like your argument here. I like how you take the glorification of our antiracism leaders and compare it to the atrocities that are still going on in this day and age. Obama is a great leader and has been trying very hard to make a difference in our world but it is clear that because of the color of his skin he is being persecuted. I find it so interesting how we, a nation claiming freedom and equality, have such little respect for others. I am not sure where our segregation comes from but I definitely believe education is the way to the end of discrimination. It is true that people may still not like other because of differences but I believe with education we will be able to see that color does not define a person. Nor any other classification that people are assigned. People should be judged on how they act and how they treat others. Obama is a leader in that role and I believe we as a nation will look back and say that it was a step and will will continue to try.

Gennah
Change of Mind: Postmodernism

Gennah uses great structure to talk about how after learning from Mr. Allen's teachings she was able to see the relevance of postmodernism in her life. She discusses how she sees the mediated experience and how it can be uncomfortable at times.

I really like how you took Mr. Allen's teachings and internalized them with your own life. I, too, hadn't realized the world I was living in until we went through this work sheet. I was able to see how we had progressed to this point of pure corporate life. We live in a world where our very culture is owned my the media. We live only by what the companies wants us to live and there is little or no escape. It is an interesting way to see how we have become apart of this world and even though we are owned it doesn't always mean that it's bad. However, when you said " I understand that they're trying to make it convenient so we don't have to travel to those far away lands, but I would actually much rather see the real, true thing in person where it's naturally supposed to be" (Gennah) I totally agree with you. We need to go out and experience the world instead of being stuck behind a computer or television screen and trying to touch and feel the real world. I really like the way you structured this and I agree with your feelings.

Change of Mind: Cubism

The world we live in is a world where ideas thrive. New creation moves us forward into an ever changing world. But sometimes we don't see the world around us as good or beautiful. Sometimes it confuses us and makes us feel uncomfortable. In the age of modern thinking the world was a direct experience of the individual and it is the individual who interprets their opinion.

So, being apart of this world the first time I experienced cubism I was perplexed. It seemed ugly. I couldn't find reason to the shapes, to its chaos. But then everything changed when my eyes looked upon one work of art. I had seen it before but never it's title. I never saw what it may have been trying to tell me to see. It wasn't until that moment in English when my eyes opened with a new sight that I could see the beauty of the work.

Now I know placing this on a blog gives it no justice but power behind this picture has opened my eyes to the world of cubism. This is Nude Descending a Staircase, No. 2 by Marcel Duchamp. Duchamp was a frenchman alive during the emerging surrealist movement. Growing up in a cultured home he was able to see beauty in new art. Nude Descending a Staircase was his first work that led him to the main stage of modern art. To many, including myself, this cumulation of lines and squiggles may be nothing but to others it radiates with a magnitude that only the sight of it can explain.

My realization came to be when I saw into the fourth dimension of this work. I saw how the art broke the boundary of time. It took away what two dimensions held and with great skill explored time compounded on itself. The main stream movement in France had just been exiting a period of romanticism where art was classical, real, and something one could easily identify and the need for an edgy form was bubbling beneath the surface. Cubism was that burst. It took reality and changed the way we looked at the world. With the invention of film, time became something that could be seen in segments. Time could be placed on top of itself and blended to be one image. Duchamp took this idea and poured out his heart into this canvas. Its beauty is different. Not because of the radiant colors, not because of the intense realism, but because it captured our lives. I didn't see it at first, but now I feel like I have new eyes. I can now appreciate and enjoy the artwork of cubist and many other artists of the modern movement.

Connection: Tenacity and College

I don't remember when it started but I think it was shortly after my brothers went to college that a feeling  of escape was brewing. My household is kind of insane. My parents both being heavily involved in theater are super drama queens and any sort of mild disturbance became a complete fiasco. Lots of yelling and complaining and to much alcohol. But I knew I couldn't do much. I knew that time would allow for my freedom and I needed to stick with it. 

GRIT "The order to keep one's resolve when faced with an unpleasant or painful duty"(apple dictionary). I didn't have it. I had to learn that the desire to flee my house was something I needed to control. My brothers told me of this wild wonderland called college. Their details were rated pg but the freedom that came with living outside of parent rule sounded splendid. However, they weren't happy with where they were. My mother made that clear to me. She made sure I didn't end up at some mediocre school. I'm not the smartest kid. I'm not the best worker. But she shaped me into someone who could push to make it enough. To make it where I would be safe and comfortable. She would say "There are doors open for everyone, but only some can see the windows that lead to real freedom". She taught me the grit. 

When I was younger I was told I was stupid. I was told I would fail and go nowhere. She taught me how to to stand up for myself. That even though I may be smashed down getting back up is the only way out. I've used it ever since. And recently college has been that push. I wanted to get into a good school. A school with a structured genetics program and that could give me the opportunity to do anything. I spent so much time working on getting things done. That work finally paid off. I got into not only Penn State but their specialized science college. 

The work I did for college taught me how to apply Grit and Tenacity. It wasn't until Humans that I learned their terms. I am no self aware of these actions and I will be able to take these skills that I've learned and apply them to the rest of my life.