Art 171 Final Portfolio

Final Portfolio

Paper sculpture describing the word rambunctious.

Using q-tips to create an ambitious sculpture.

Using q-tips to create a sculpture with apparent variety.

Using q-tips to create a sculpture with emphasis.

Using q-tips to create a scuplture with rythm.

Creating a sculpture from wire and plaster to show two forms interacting.

Chair made out of carboard with painting and structure based off of Paul Klee’s paintings.

This dress is to show that around the Miami Campus people wear lables and show off their money.

The point of this was to create a temporary sculpture that only took one minute to make.

An edible sculpture made of only food.

global warming

Yes I believe that global warming is real. I think that there is something that we need to do about it. There is scientific data that shows the atmosphere thinning and our resources disappearing. There are many small things that each individual can do to help improve energy use and resource use. If people would just take the time and create a habit out of these actions there may be slight improvement. If anything saving energy will help lower the cost of there own electric bill! Some examples of little things are recycling, turning the lights off when you leave the room. turning the water off while brushing your teeth, riding a bike or walking when it is not necessary to drive. Many people do say that what we have done already is irreversible. obviously we can’t change the past but we can do things to better our future. we can save what we have left. There is scientific data that shows we can close up holes in the atmosphere. We need to do what we can to live sustainably.

Criticism

do you see Jon Stewart’s criticisms playing out in the blog that you are following? How (not)? Give examples when you can..

Well I do not really see any connection from Jon Stewart’s criticism playing out in the blog I am following. I honestly did not really get what the point of watching that video was. I was not even clear on what he was criticising. I just felt like there was bickering back and forth about something very pointless. The blog I am following is about designs that will save the world. There is no connection from the video to my blog. My blog is very positive and there are not fights on it. I don’t know how I am supposed to write 250 words because there is no information for me to compare.

2 websites

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=99888903

the first article i read came from the NPR website. The article talks about the effects of global warming. According to recent studies scientists say that global warming is irreversible. if we control some gasses such as nitrous oxide and methane, it will help the environment. We can help lessen smog and haze. As smog and haze leave, the atmosphere can get better. Unfortunately carbon dioxide, the most damage greenhouse gas, does not work that way. Even if we cut back on carbon dioxide emissions we will not stop global warming. There has been too much damage done already to reverse global warming. some of the oceans are soaking up the planets extra heat and a lot of the carbon dioxide in the air. Eventually the carbon dioxide will come out of the ocean.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/issues/energy-and-environment

The other article I read was from Whitehouse. gov. The website talks about what is currently being done about global warming and the progress that the United States is making. a lot of money is being put forward toward making the environment cleaner. For the first time in over a decade the fuel economy standards for 2011 car and truck models are going to be raised so that vehicles will get better gas mileage. A program to develope renewable energy has started getting energy from the wind and waves.

the two articles both talk about how we can change global warming and they both talk about how we can’t take back what we have already done. we can only change what we are doing to better our futures.

remix ideas

I would like to do my project on clean air/ global warming. I chose this topic because it is something that I am interested in and it is a very important issue in the world today. I also feel like there is a lot of information out there that can be used to create an informative remix. The audience for my remix would probably be teens and adults. If children do watch it they might be able to understand but it may be difficult. The remix will provide facts about the earth and how it is heating up. It will also show small things that help keep the air a bit cleaner. For example, riding a bike to work, car pooling, not stalling a car engine, conserving household energy, and recycle. With the remix video I hope to make a point that there are many little things that people can do each day to help the earth. As simple as turning the lights off when they leave the room. Also that if everyone does something little it will all add up into something much bigger. I plan on using videos from YouTube, pictures, and text. I want to cut the videos apart and mash them together to make a powerful remix. Along with the images in the videos I like a lot of the songs that go along with them so I would like to cut parts of the vocals out as well.

some videos I found on YouTube are below:

rhetoric paper

video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m34xyw8E-Qs

Down, down, down

With currently 13,555,114 views and 32,117 comments, Jay Sean’s music video “Down” featuring Lil’ Wayne continues to be viewed on YouTube around the world. With its hip hop beat and stylish dance moves; the music video targets any person who enjoys hip hop/pop music. Teens more so then adults may be attracted to the video. “Down” focuses on a very unrealistic lifestyle that most parents wound not promote to their teens. The life style that is being shown is wealth, elegance, and partying. Elderly people, young children, and those who do not care for this genre of music are excluded from the population who enjoy the video. Within the video it is clear that people who are overweight are not included. It is clear that overweight people are not included because they are not shown in the video. In our society overweight people are generally over wieght people do not appeal to the majority of the population.Why you ask? The producers were going for a very sexual appeal and sadly in this society, overweight is not sexy.

The video begins with a purple and blue rose. Purple alone signifies extravagance and mystery. Blue alone symbolizes calmness. Combined these colors represent stability and security. As the video continues it will become more clear as to why this opening scene is so meaningful. Right at the fourth second of the video Jay Sean appears with no shirt on. When a half naked body is shown it is an immediate symbol of sex. Especially since he is so muscular and fit. The iPod is hit, the chandelier drops, and the whole mood changes. When the chandelier shimmers and the sound affects goes off, it makes the mood magical. Then comes the alcohol, at twenty seconds. How could there be a magical and extravagant night without alcohol?

Thirty-three seconds; that is when the doors are opened for Jay Sean. And two seconds later a girl is already rubbing against him. It is apparent that Jay Sean is important because among all of the dark colors he is wearing white. White stands for purity. Although Jay Sean’s backup dancers are wearing white (fifty-six seconds) he still has precedence over them because he is at the front. Jay Sean uses the darkness to mask the people in the background so that his white shirt sticks out more. The producers also may have chosen the dark colors to mask the skin colors of the other people in the video. At a glance everyone looks African American but if you take a closer look there are white people in the video. This is an important factor to the video because Jay Sean is an African American and some people think that the genre of music that “Down” is, is considered more apprechiated by the African American population. This reason is slightly unrealistic because anybody can like hip hop music. The producers may feel that using the darker colors to mask skin colors is important to show that skin color does not matter. it could go either way.

At one minute and thirty-two seconds it appears that Jay Sean pulls down a purple shade and the screen is covered. This second signifies the mystery and stability he wants his girlfriend to have. The color creates a sense of pathos. The color creates an emotion. Immediately following the purple screen everything turns blue. Blue is the calmness that he wants his “girlfriend” to have. At one minute and thirty-nine seconds Jay Sean and his girl are one in the same. After this the screen continues to have a blue filter. At one minute and fifty seconds Jay Sean has two different girls rubbing all against him. Since the screen is still blue he wants his “girlfriend” to stay calm and trust him.

One of Americas most famous rap artists, Lil’ Wayne, hits the screen at two minutes and twenty-three seconds. When he comes on, the screen turns red which symbolizes power. Once Lil’ Wayne begins to rap there is a women in a short dress dancing behind him. Her figure contradicts the meaning of love in the song and symbolizes lust instead. Some listeners may not think that Lil’ Wayne’s portion of the song fits with the rest but some of his words are meaningful. He raps, “I’m fightin’ for this girl on the battlefield of love” meaning he would do anything for his girl, which Jay Sean is trying to say throughout the song. In order to understand this portion of the song it might be helpful to know the state of the American economy right now because seconds later Lil’ Wayne says, “I’m down like the economy.” The song itself is called “Down” and the fact that Lil’ Wayne incorporates Americas economy is very clever. Incorporating what is going on in the country is a good example of ethos. Refering to the economy creates a sense of credibility in the song because it is talking about what is going on in the country right now.

As money signs and the words “cash money” flash in the background for the second time at three minutes and nine seconds, the words in the song are “No need to worry.” The message behind this, that money brings happiness. In this music video women are definitely being marginalized. When the bottom half of a small girl in a short black dress is shown, a few seconds later Lil’ Wayne smiles and sticks his tongue out.  At the end of the song the color switches on and off from red to blue really making it obvious that Lil’ Wayne is a powerful figure. The screen is only red when he is being shown.

In the last seconds of the video Jay Sean and Lil’ Wayne shake hands making them look like good friends. Lil’ Wayne helps make this song more credible. He does so because he is a very dominant figure in the music industry.  With “Down” being Jay Sean’s first hit single in the USA he needed Lil’ Wayne to help make his music be known. The use of Lil’ Wayne to create credibility is a way to use ethos.

The purpose of this video is to make it appealing to the audience. The producers did a great job of making this video visually appealing. Throughout the video the color scheme is the same. The only time that the scene is somewhat different is when Lil’ Wayne does his rap. Even though the scene is different there is still a girl in a short dress dancing in the back. Also the purpose is to show the viewers what is “cool” and how “stars” live. This video makes this lifestyle seem apealing because Jay Sean seems to be able to get any girl he wants and many teens want to be able to get whatever partner they want. The video also makes the “star” lifestyle look fun and exciting. It looks as though no work is needed. The song inspired the video, like most songs do when it comes to music videos. Along with the visual appeal this video has a very emotional appeal too. The beat is very up lifting and makes people want to dance. If viewers do not watch the video closely they may get a mixed message. “Down” is actually a meaningful song and video. Just because Jay Sean has a male alter ego, and women are all over him, he still chooses the girl from the beginning.

remix

I would define remix as…

taking a recording of some type and mixing the pieces of it around. Remix could be used to make something happier, sad, funnier, obnoxious, it could make the recording into anything. A remix is something that is changed from its original state.

Some of the videos on the Remix America website were confusing to me. I could not quite figure out how remix was being used in some of them. I came across a video about woman’s rights and in this video it was actual footage from different protests. The video was an original video that was broadcast on the news. I did not really realize how remix was being used but I noticed that it was taking footage from all over America and putting it all into one video and that was remix. I watched another movie that just had a bunch of photos of WWE pro wrestlers. The video had music playing in the background but the music was not remixed. I suppose that remix could just be compiling certain things together.

I think that the purpose of remix is different depending on how it is used. Remix can be used to change how something sad or happy is viewed, it can change the total mood of the original recording. I think that remix can be used to bring all of one thing together to make a stronger whole. Like the footage from the woman’s rights video. In a song remix can be used to make the song sound better or maybe even worse. I think the main purpose of remix is to change the recording from its original state.

rehtorical analysis

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m34xyw8E-Qs

Down by Jay Sean

Who are its audiences?

The audience is any person who like pop/hip hop music.

How are the rhetorical appeals being used to reach those audiences?

Ethos is being used because the video is aimed toward a certain group of people. Those who enjoy pop/hip hop. Also to mostly a younger populations.

Pathos is being used because the words in the video create a very emotional appeal. The lyrics are about getting away and moving on to a boy.

The video seems to be credible because on the side it says who the singer is, who produced the video, and the video director.

What do you think its purpose is? I think that the purpose of this video is to make it appealing to the audience. I also think that the purpose is to show the viewers what is “cool” and how “stars” live.

What is the exigency of the video (what inspired the author to create it?) I think that the song inspired the video, like most songs do when it comes to music videos.

What is the context of the video—what cultural, political, social events or conditions should we as audience members know about in order to understand it? I don’t think that there needs to be any prior knowledge to viewing this video.

What assumptions is it making? That the life shown in the video is a normal lifestyle and that everyone has the money to live like that.

Who is excluded/marginalized? Anyone that does not like this genera of music.

You’ll want to think about these issues in terms of all the different modes that are represented in the video: the visual elements, audio tracks, alphabetic text (if used). How do all these modes work together to create a particular message? The video is very visually appealing because it has a similar color scheme throughout the entire video. The mood is dark and gives the video a more sexual appeal. The music fits with the moves in the video and the scene changes. They all work together to show the male alter ego.

3 videos

She Wolf music video by Shakira

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4aEW_Z5Va5s

This video has potential for my rhetoric analysis because it has a general theme. It is straight forward on who it is targeted to. The message is clear and constant throughout the video. The video is very provocative. A  problem with this video is that fact that there are not many scene changes throughout the video and it mainly focuses on Shakira the whole time.

Down by Jay Sean

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m34xyw8E-Qs

I think that this would be a good video to use because there are many different ideas being portrayed. For example, partying, dancing, the male ultra ego, shinny rings, and the females in scandalous clothing. I feel it would be easy to say the age group that the video is aimed toward. Some draw backs to this video is that it is very similar to other music videos in a sense that it is trying to show what is “cool.” It also may be hard because there are a lot of different scenes in the video.

Behind These Hazel Eyes by Kelly Clarkson

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svxP2LjBg_4&feature=channel

This video is very powerful. It is clear that it is aimed to women who have been hurt by men. Any age could apply to this video but I would say mostly girls in their teens and above. Maybe not the older, grandmother crowd. I think this video would be good because it is very emotional and also engages the viewer nicely. A problem with this video is the credibility in it.

rhetoric

The article in WP applies to the Kennedy add because the add lacks rhetorical appeals of value. The speaker in the add does not even consider the feelings of the audience. He just assumes that everyone watching the add is a republican.

The article applies to the Reagan add because the add has emotional appeal. There was also a pathetic appeal.

The article applies to the Clinton add because of the ethical appeals. The facts in the add could be false.

The article applies to the Bush add because of the pathetic appeal. Also the audience values.

There are many concepts from the article that are useful to me in rhetorically analyzing these messages. Previous to reading the article I didn’t really know what rhetoric was. On page 42, the definition of rhetorical situation really helped me understand. The definition reads: “a rhetorical situation comprises the interaction between an audience, author, topic, and medium in a specific time and place.” Another thing that also helped me on page 42 was when it talked about the four different rhetoric appeals. Rhetoric appeals of value is about what the audience values, “what they think will be receptive to, and how we can hope to speak to them on their terms.” This is called the pathetic appeal, or pathos. Rhetorical appeals of reason consider what arguments have been or could be made about the topic. These are logical appeals, or logos. This one was the easiest for me to relate the videos to. Rhetorical appeals of credibility, ethical appeals, or ethos. The credibility of the videos also made me be able to connect them to the reading. Lastly, Rhetorical appeals of style, what metaphors, images, oppositions, and hierarchies will be effective. This is stylistic appeal.