Elizabeth Keth's Artwork Before and After

Initial Response:

When first looking at the art by Elizabeth Keith, I see very soft colors and images of generosity. The subjects in the art are seen as leading and giving. In the example on “The Wonsan Scholar and His Disciples” an older man in a white robe is leading a group of schoolchildren on an exploration away from what appears to be the school building. The landscapes in her artwork, although not the focal point, are very beautiful. The subtle mountains and blue skies help to place the setting. Her artwork appears to be very realistic and accurate of what she is trying to portray. I have the feeling that she was either in these positions at one point in her life or saw them develop in front of her.

After Being Informed of Artist:

Elizabeth Keith, English born in the early 1900s was fascinated with Eastern cultures. She travelled to Japan and then Korea for over nine years. Her incredible ability to sketch and paint provided the platform for her artwork. I was mistaken in the perception that her artwork has “happy” connotations. When reading more about her, I discovered that she was portraying the “tragic” feelings of the period through calm and non-thinking expressions. She created everyday situations with this analysis in mind. This approach was designed to admire the fortitude that her subjects possessed.

She also admired the land just as much as the people and I noticed this in my initial response. She incorporated all the landscapes she saw around her into her artwork. Her ability to do this very well with watercolors is evident in all her pieces. I enjoyed viewing her artwork.

Art Style Through Google Images

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smooth
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meticulous

Games, Technology and Art

In a New Merger, Evidence of How Much the Gaming World Has Changed

In this article, the merger of Activision and the games unit of Vivendi is discussed. The growing trends in the gaming industry are also addressed. The merging of these two companies marked a turning point in the gaming industry. Online gaming is huge and growing. A scenario of an executive that would not have given you any merit if you told them that online gaming is the next big thing, is used in this article.

World of Warcraft is a game where players from all over the world have a character and they go on fantasy missions and attempt to improve their character’s level. This game has put Blizzard at the top of the online gaming industry. Millions of players have logged online and played this game. There is so much information and bandwidth being used in these game that it would have never possibly been imagined back in the MIT days (Poole). With the widespread use of broadband connections, faster computers and online gaming platforms, World of Warcraft has paved the way for a new kind of gaming.

There have also been other significant innovations in the gaming world. These include the Nintendo Wii and Guitar Hero. The Wii enables the gamer to physically interact with the game console using infrared beams and the television. Guitar Hero also utilizes the physical interaction by having the gamer pretend to play rock songs just by pressing the buttons on a plastic guitar. It is my opinion that both of these consoles work to bring the rich arcade experience into the home and do it very well.

The technology behind these consoles is amazing. Each console, whether an Xbox or Playstation is practically a computer. The manufacturers actually lose some money on the consoles but make up the difference in the games themselves. That is why it is crucial that your games are successful or else you will end up losing money.

Bibliography
In S. Poole, Trigger Happy (pp. 15-44). New York: Arcade Publishing.
SCHIESEL, S. (2007, December 5). In a New Merger, Evidence of How Much the Gaming World Has Changed. Retrieved March 1, 2008, from New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/05/arts/television/05schi.html?scp=1&sq=gaming+trends&st=nyt

Creative Spirituality

# How do you define “spirituality”?
To me spirituality is the ability to escape your current state to find more meaning in your respective situation. Whether this is analyzing the stars or praying to a higher power. Spirituality provides the framework for many people's beliefs and attitudes on life. By being spiritual, you are able to escape the mundane tasks of everyday life and find your oasis.

# Does spirituality differ from religion?
Spirituality is not exclusive to a particular god or deity. You may be spiritual and not religious. While religions are more structured (bible, scheduled prayer, etc), spirituality can be dynamic and ever changing depending on your current state.

# How do you define “creativity”?
In today's world, the word creative always reminds me of the trendy advertising account executive that designs the artwork for ad campaigns. Creativity is the ability to break the mold of the normal and dull. It also is an outlet for many who want to express their feelings and perspectives on life. When someone is creative, they find alternatives, unique perspectives and are able to look at the world differently.

# What is the source of creativity?
The source of creativity comes from your inner imagination. Whether that is your dreams or ideas you have stored in your brain. George Lucas for example got a lot of the ideas about Star Wars from dreams that he had. A lot of the times creativity can be a hybrid from different situation in your life that you find new applications for. By being able to find new uses for simple products or artistic techniques, you can tap a source of creativity.

Clothing and Adornment

I consider my dress and adornment to be relatively consistent with the social norms but slightly unique in terms of style. I believe my dress parallels my personal values when it comes to cleanliness and taste. My clothing is always clean, I rarely wear a pair of pants more than three times without washing them and shirts are generally only worn once or twice before being washed. The colors of my clothing are skewed towards my favorite color of blue. I don’t possess many articles of clothing that are extreme colors such as neon orange or black, etc. I also like to believe that my clothing choices are somewhat unique in the sense that few people on campus will have the exact piece of clothing. This is not to say that someone wouldn’t have a very similar style of clothing.

Many choices I make are because I feel the pressure of my peers and social media. It’s a sad thought but if I think an article of clothing is “cool,” then I buy it. It has to be cool and something not everyone else has though so I find this predicament when shopping for my clothes. I also make my decision of clothing based on price too. I can’t afford the finest clothes so I purchase them discounted. I make an attempt to purchase clothes that are much more expense at their MSRP versus the price I pay. This may lead people to believe that I am attempting to dress myself in a way that deceives my net worth. Or it could show that I am a thrift shopper with good fashion sense.
Throughout my childhood, I had little say on the purchasing decisions of my clothes. When I became a teenager and then an adult I began to purchase my own clothes and decide what I would wear and what I wouldn’t. It wasn’t until my senior year of high school that I realized that there was so much money spent on clothing. I am a somewhat frugal person and like to save money so this was no different when it came to clothes. As a result, I have attempted to find the equilibrium of value and fashion conscientious clothing purchases.

My family has always been a large influencer of my dress and body adornment. From my mother dressing me to my sister making clothing recommendations, I have always used their advice and input. My parents had always told me to not get tattoos also. My father takes the standpoint that you are less employable with visible tattoos. My preferences are always changing so I have never had the desire to put something on my body that would be extremely difficult to remove.
Within my peers, there has been a wider variety of beliefs and values. Especially once I came to college this has been true. A lot of my peers have tattoos, piercings and are more open minded. When I see tattoos and multiple piercings, I am no longer surprised.

Is a Scent a Song? Oui and Non

Is a Scent like a Song? Oui and Non
In this article about perfumes, their education, construction and legitimacy as intellectual property, the idea is explored about whether or not perfume making is an artistic creation. At the time (7/2006), the France high courts had ruled that making perfume is not an artistic creation but the work of an artisan. Later, a French Court of Appeals ruled the opposite saying that a perfume could be a “work of the mind.” The article even introduces the idea that the Bible agrees with this ruling in Exodus 30:35. The rest of the article talks about the structure of the elite perfume school in France. (Is a scent a Song? Oui and Non, 2006)
Is perfume making really an art? At its fundamental level, it is a mixture of chemicals that create a scent which is stimulating to our sense of smell. Every person may be intrigued by different scents yet there are certain scents that are deemed popular and are copied. The creators of the mainstream scents are not artists in my opinion because they are simply creating something according to techniques and research that they know most people will enjoy. This is more popular culture than artistry.
Some of the perfume makers believe that their creations may symbolize music or stories. One perfumer says, “When I write a perfume, the scents are the words,” and this creates a story to him. To me, this is a commercialization of the so-called artistry of perfume making. The more buzz around a certain scent, the more money it will make. If it was truly a wonderful scent, the emotional feelings would create their own story in each subject it affected.


Works Cited
Is a scent a Song? Oui and Non. (2006, July 13). Retrieved February 3, 2008, from New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/13/fashion/thursdaystyles/13skin.html?_r=1&scp=10&sq=art+of+scent&st=nyt&oref=slogin

A Feast for the Eyes

A Feast for the Eyes
Artists from downtown New York gathered at Agathe Snow’s Chinatown loft in the middle of December, 2007 to share a feast entitled, “First Postapocalyptic Christmas Dinner.” These artists are not normally written about how well they eat but on this night a glimpse into the lavish feast are given. Being artists, the presentation of Snow’s loft was fantastic and elegant. Jars of oils, potions and jams were installed in the entryway. In the main room, a table made of upside down bookshelves displayed the food that was to be enjoyed. (MUHLKE, 2007)
Snow is an artist known for her generosity and presentation of food as art. She has crafted Hero sandwiches for a Feed the Troops campaign, served Sunday dinners a hipster club called Beatrice Inn and created food from-the-heart for fashion shows. Snow blurs the line between food and art.
An issue not rose in the Elizabeth Telfer, Food as Art article is the concept that presentation and cultural significance plays a role in how much an art food really is. By utilizing the emotional significance of her presentations, Snow couples amazingly crafted feasts with emotionally driven presentations. I believe that this helps break the mold that food is not an art. Her food tastes, looks and has an emotional feel which helps to make a stronger case for food as an art.
Snow is not concerned that her food is or isn’t art though. She enjoys what she does and hopes that her work has an impact on the lives she touches. Being raised in a family of restaurant owners, food design was second-nature. Where she pushes the envelope is the presentation and format that her food is received.


Works Cited
MUHLKE, C. (2007, December 16). A Feast for the Eyes. Retrieved February 2, 2008, from New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/16/magazine/16food-t.html?scp=1&sq=food+as+art&st=nyt