Assignment #4- Architecture and Film

Part 1- Architecture

As shown in the picture of McKissick Museum, the bottom of the building uses stack bonding.  This includes successive courses of stretchers with all head joints aligned vertically.  The top of the building, below the dome, shows a running bond.  This is when the stretchers overlap, also called a stretcher bond.  This building also includes many other elements of architecture.  The columns in this structure include elements from the Ionic Order.  The top where the column "curls" is called the Ionic Volute.  This building also includes a dome.  All of these elements combined make the McKissick Museum an fascinating structure to observe on the horseshoe at the University of South Carolina.


Part 2- Film

"The Girl Who Played with Fire" was a Swedish film that expressed many views of sexuality as well as violence.  I feel as though the director used these two ideas just for the sake of using them to create drama.  While watching the movie, it was very hard to keep up with what was going on as well as read the subtitles.  This created confusion as I tried to watch.  This movie also displayed many ideas of sexuality and violence that I do not agree with.  Through the sexual scenes, I became very uncomfortable.  I also feel as if I would have seen the movie that precedes this one, I would have had a better handle on what the movie was actually about.  The camera work and "close-up" shots allowed the scenes to be structured on a more detailed basis.  This provided the audience with a feeling of involvement in the scenes.  I did not enjoy this movie and wish that I would have had a better movie experience at the Nickelodeon.

Assignment #3- Art Criticism

Many of the artworks in the McMaster gallery are used with dark colors of many shades.  They all give an intense feeling, at least that's how I felt when looking at some of the artworks in the gallery.  The artworks express an edgy look that makes you think what each of the artists were trying to get across when creating the artwork.

When looking around the gallery, I was awestruck by the self portrait of Melissa Cook in a series named, "You Know Me Better Than I Know Myself: Removed But Still There".  Created in 2009, Melissa Cook used powered graphite on paper to express the "latent darkness and sexuality inside all of us".  Through her entire series, she includes self portraits while using different props and scenarios.  This particular piece is very large and uses many shades of the powdered graphite to create a dark look that expressed the darkness inside all of us.  The lines of her collar bones create tension and provide the piece with the intense feeling of darkness.  Also, the nose, eyes, and lips become a major focus of the piece as they are very large.  This piece gave me a feeling of helplessness and a need for some help.  I am not sure why I perceived this piece in this way.  I had a feeling of loneliness as well.  Through the description that was shown by the piece, the point of this was to show the darkness and sexuality that is in all of us.  The darkness expresses the loneliness as well as the possibility of scandal that I felt when looking at this piece.  I really enjoyed this piece.  I was completely drawn to it when walking into the gallery in McMaster.  I feel as though this piece expresses what many people feel inside.

Assignment #2- Aesthetics

1.  I feel as though aesthetics are the relationships or understandings we have of an experience.  This can occur by experiencing through our five senses.  Whether it be seeing, hearing, touching, tasting, or smelling, an aesthetic experience is one that has a deeper meaning.

2.  Extending fluency, flexibility, originality, and elaboration are a few aspects that combine to allow for creativity.  This can also be seen through synectics, S.C.A.M.P.E.R., and guided imagery.  Fluency is to generate many ideas.  This can be taken a step further with flexibility.  The ability to generate many ideas as well as see ideas from many different perspectives allows for flexibility.  When an idea is unusual or different it is seen as originality.  Also, by elaborating the ideas you can allow for extension to occur.  Combining all of these steps will allow for creativity to take place.

3.  Practical Experience: Laying down to sleep after a long day.  

     Aesthetic Experience: As I fall into bed after a long day of work and school, I lay my head down on a pillow that is as soft as a marshmallow.  When I pull the covers over my body, it's like being covered by the clouds as a drift away into a restful nights sleep.