Response to Wallace

This article is talking about a speaker is addressing graduation speech to graduates. Although I am still a undergraduate, this article is kind of related to my life and give me some expectations and thoughts about my future. I really like the author uses didactic short story to illustrate the point he wants to mainly talk about, for example, the story about a religious and atheist having different attitudes to God think from different perspectives on the same event. 

The thesis of this article is talking about how to think, instead of teaching people how to think. I am kind of confused when the author addressed that because when the author is writing so many to illustrate how people think, some people may unconsciously think in the way the author tell in some certain situation, like shopping in the supermarket. I don’t like the author describes people thinking pessimistically when they are in the traffic jam and shopping in crowded supermarket, because I think, although graduates need to know how different the life they will face, we should provide some better expectations for them.However, some optimistic perspectives in those situations listed is good examples.

Micro project 3

Memo: I choose it because I like to write down events and things I have to finish that day on the memo in everyday morning, because it can make me not forget doing important stuff and finish stuff efficiently.



Effective reminder

USB flash drive: I choose it because I don't like bring my heavy computer walking on campus every day, which makes me really tired every day, so I like to copy important documents and studied notes into USB. In this way, I can study and do my homework in anywhere having computers available on campus.

Useful helper

Lip balm: I choose it because it is the most important thing to make me look energetic when I smile and talk to other people. My lip is very dry all the time because of the weather in Columbus. Therefore, I like to put a lip balm into my pocket, whenever I feel my lip is dry and I can have some lip balm on my lip to keep it feel humid.



Necessity 

Gloves: I choose it because I have to walk to my classes from my dorms every day, and the wind here is heavy, particularly in snowy days and rainy days. Gloves can keep me warm and I am able to write and study more concentrated when my hands are warm.



Essentials

Water bottle: I choose it because I need to drink water whenever I am thirsty. There are many places I can access to the water on the campus, having a water bottle is convenient for me. Also, I like to work out and dancing when I am free, so a water bottle is necessary for me on campus.


Everyday demand

From that picture, some objects can greatly reflect my personality. The memo suggests that I am a  careful and organized people; because I am worried about forgetting stuff and slowing down everyday working tempos, I need a memo to remind me every time. Lip balm implies that I am a person caring my appearance so I can't let my lip look dry and less of energy. Gloves reflects that I know how to protect, take care of myself and be independent in the college, having gloves which keep me warm can prevent me from having a cold. Those three stuff reflect my personalities, but water bottle and USB flash drive not greatly show who I am, because those two things, I think, are essential almost for every student in daily lives and on study in the college.

Responses to Kaprow, Weschler "Desert", and Saunders

I like the author relating art to lives and using tooth brushing and elbows moving

examples which happen on our every day. When I am reading how tooth brushing and elbows moving examples, I am inclined to lift my elbows and look at myself tooth brushing in the mirror and watch carefully about my own steps and actions in daily lives in order to find the connection between art and lives. I also like the detailed description of development of process the author watching toothbrush from actions to smell. The more careful the author watch tooth brushing, the more easier to find more related information. I also like the author explain the connection between art and lives by illustrating the long history of art in the West in the Hellenistic period, ranging from the body to environment.

However, I think examples similar to tooth brushing are not enough in the article. How can readers be persuaded the conception of art relating to lives only through one example. I think the author need to describe the how walking, talking, stretching and other actions imply the art.

The author describes how he developing from a very tactile person to a perceived person to the around environment. I like he uses the experience in the flat desert, nothing happen and a good place to reflect. In addition, I like the way he proves his improvement. He goes back to places where he went before and experience the same places from totally different perspectives and have different feelings. When he addresses how people instill feelings to art and express the art, those are questions I really want to ask, and I am satisfied answers the article are given, like Micael Heizer taking situations in the form of photomurals and technologies applied in several desert sites and alter them into art. Those information activates my curiosity and makes me want to read and learn more.

What I confuse is why the author talking about he sells the studio, sending art pieces back to artists and whether loosing art identity. The comparison between the way he acquire feelings from the nature and the way Irwin express his ideas on his artworks. To be blunt, Irwin producing such amazing work by seldom touching the nature is amazing, but what the purpose of talking about it here. I think it doesn't make sense to the following paragraphs he talks about.

I am obsessed with the sentence, "If we could conduct our lives with the kind of openness that sometimes comes with proximity to death", which gives me a vivid situation of flight accident example and reminds me what I will act and what I will think about at the edge of death. In the article, Mr. Saunders is the author many people admire because he can induce ineffable feelings into his short stories. Even though we read his stories over and over again, there is still like a gap between the way  we understand and the feeling he wants to express. In the article, I like he talks about the death topic, which is mysterious and interesting, like the concept of humanist verities the author mentioned, how could we predict things which are going to happen in the future after we died. Everything in the universe is intriguing and kind of scared. I am curious about exploring it but I am also afraid to find out what I do not want to see.

One thing I am really confused is about why the author describes so many about how much different he and Mr. Saunders from others in the restaurant, and why he tells about the death of his friends. Are there some connections between death of his friends and the a small topic of death in the article. When the author highlights how brilliant Mr. Saunders's short stories from perspectives of many famous people, I can feel his surprising achievements but I want to know about how he composes his stories, like giving some examples about his stories. And in the article, the author mentions "He writes like something of a saint", I think it compliments too far.

Wexner Review

Main parts in Wexner Center are about clock, light club and photographs having various themes. In light club, there is much glass having wonderful colors sorted being a line. When I am standing in front of it, I am like facing a mirror. Also, many irony mirrors here are built by interesting shapes, like rectangle and triangle, and those are all 2 dimensions. In front of mirrors, there are a large projectors and reflecting videos on mirrors. I know people use projectors to reflect information on the screen; reflecting on mirrors intrigues and surprises me. When I am walking through light clubs, I am kind of in a cinematic environment. Having some popcorn, sitting on the soft sofa and watching the film is what I only thought at that time.

In photograph section, a series of small size of photographs place zigzag; this is photographed by Hank Wills Thomas. I walk along the photo and want to catch every moment on photos; a woman goes walk for a dog, some boys sit on stairs in front of house door, a woman wave hands and smile, like saying hello to me, and two boys are running. Although the background of photos is all about different houses, different people make photos seem more vivid.

Facing this zigzag photo series, there are photos talking about immigrants from different countries and different states in New York City. Most of them live in Queens and Brooklyn. Paul Kang, was from Korea 30 years ago, has electronics store in New York. Her daughter is studying in MIT. In addition, a man has a pizza store here about 30 years. Those catch my attention at the beginning. Photos also talk about some Thai restaurant, Café, truck and auto repair store, news stand and shipping stand. Big smiles from people on the photo and vivid image of their stores really make me know well about them and want to go to their stores to buy something.

The most photograph make me feel downcast is about Negro children and old home on badly eroded bland near North Caroline, photographed by Marion Post Wolcott. There are four photos in a series and one of the photos is about second and third grade children are making up Negro song and dance at May Day.

There are some funny events when I go to Wexner Center. Actually, I didn’t go directly to Wexner Center, but I went to Fine and Arts Library. I found there was an interesting Cartoon museum. All of drawings have been published in magazine and talk about women, marriage and love. There were many original comic drawings on the desk, which make me feel excited and surprised. Outside of the museum, a famous cat, Carfield , which is my favorite cartoon, sits on the chair. That day just a big surprise for me.

Response to Cardiff, Miller and Power of sound

Similarly, I like the process of setting up speakers, subwoofers and stumps in the forest as what “I” feel in the article. Definitely, in the forest, the environment is more intriguing and some suddenly surprising events can happen, like the loud sound almost shudder everyone. Actually, I don’t like the situation “I” tucking earphones and walking back and forth on the station. No surprise, no specialty and nothing interests me. I don’t even know what is the purpose of doing this?

I like each story behind the artwork of Miller and Cardiff, like “The Dark Pool” may be a closely self-portrait of Miller and Cardiff, and this is also a reason why they resist selling it. I am curious about what their mood are when they are creating this artwork? Also, “The Murder of Crows” talks a story about the tough time they have been through and also the time they plan to adopt their infant daughter. One artwork is about them and another one is about their family. They can put their feelings, no matter nervous and sad into the pieces. However, I am confused why themes of their pieces are negative, and I don’t see the happiness neither from descriptions of their artworks or just directly from names of artworks.

Micro Project 2

Actually, when I know my art education class is in Ohio stadium, I totally lost my direction and I don’t know which direction I should go at first because Ohio stadium is really large. Therefore, I asked my friend who also took this class and went to the class before. She told me the entry of the class is on the east of the campus. Based on this information, I kind of know the general direction I am supposed to go. I think the entry should be facing the direction of the way to Independence hall instead of facing the parking place next to Morrill Tower. With the help of my friends, I don’t have to walk around the whole stadium to find just one entry. It sounds like crazy.

In the morning, at the first day to art education class, I chose to walk to my class because I was afraid of losing direction when I was taking a cab. So you can see in the map I made, I had some animal shape steps on the started place. To be blunt, I went off much earlier because I was not sure whether I could find the destination. I went out of my dorm, turned left, and there was a picture of stadium and that was actually the direction I faced. The reason I chose this picture as my starting picture was that I could see the stadium where I had art education class, seemingly very close to me and much easier for me find, even though  everyone knows stadium is very large. Then I went down some steps, and turned right, and the second picture  about stairs appeared and I used a orange right arrow on the map because I was changing my direction now and I wanted readers to understand clearly. Turning to the third picture, I went straight, and the road was quite long, however, the sunshine was warm and no one blocked in front of me. I still remembered at that time I was listening to the music and suddenly I was obsessed with beautiful scenes in front of me, therefore I took this picture. Then I turned left, and I took this picture just at the intersection, because I was fascinated by the newspaper box in the image appeared in my eyes and I felt pleasant when I turned left and saw such spacious scene. Finally, I went straight, and I saw the post on the door about the direction of art education class. Yeah! That was definitely my destination. The big words about art education can prove that I find the class room which was really difficult to find, so I had to take this picture. I also put "Finally" at the end of my map, which really express what kind of a relief I feel at that time! I chose orange arrows in the map because I like orange color which is very explicit and makes people feel energetic, and arrows won't confuse people reading this map. On the way to this class, there are many constructions which are confused me. My head was turning around and trying to find signals about art education in the Ohio stadium. To be honest, I felt kind of nervous when I found out only few minutes left, but luckily, I arrived in time. The weather was snowing and I was playing with snow by me feet on the way to the class. It makes me feel relaxed and joyful to go to the class. Walking in the cold weather is kind of boring and tough, I find a better way to relieve my mood.