collages
Project 2 Writing Assignment – Anna Barrios
My personal experience that I want to incorporate into my sculpture is biking across the United States, from Astoria, OR to Boston, MA. When I think back to my trip, I think of all the trees and forests that I bike through, and biking through empty tree-lined roads through the mountains of the western United States, especially in Colorado. The country was beautiful, and the scenery was so unique spending on the region I was in. Sometimes there were green trees, yellow cornfields, foggy mornings, and at times freezing and windy conditions. The trip was also physically demanding and was the most difficult thing I have ever done. It required great physical and mental strength and has changed my perspective on how I view challenges in front of me. Since then, I have told myself that if I can bike across the country I can do anything. I at times felt exhausted, but also extremely proud of what I had accomplished. When I reflect back, I feel extremely happy about my trip, as I remember how joyous I was throughout, and how happy it made me. It was such a unique experience to be able to see the United States by bike and to experience it on such an intimate level.
Words:
- Determination
- Beautiful Scenery
- Exhausted
- Joyous
- Fulfilled
- Calm/simple life
- Windy
- Reflection
- Happy
- Paniers
- Biking
Clay Self Portrait- Personal Experience
I think during my entire childhood there has been an expectation towards me as the only child to be born in the US in my family. As I was told over and over to succeed, to bring pride to my family, to take advantage of the opportunity I was given as an American Citizen. It was engraved in my brian the sacrifices my family made for me. The people and their lives they left behind so that I could have a chance at a different life. Seems like a lot of pressure to put on a young girl, but it taught me so much. I was always told I seemed so grown up, so mature. It was because I had to be, Spanish was the only language I could speak until I was around 7 when I learned english. I signed, read, and filled out all the government documents my parents needed. I was a translator at 8 years old. To this day my mom still sends me emails to proofread. Not only that but the independence I grew at a young age made everyone around me feel like they could count on me. Even when I didn’t know how to do something, I taught myself how to do it. So I wouldn’t depend on anyone and I didn’t have to be a burden. My parents worked 2-3 jobs at times and I would stay alone and cook, sew my clothes, and clean before my parents got home so they would have something less to worry about. I always admired my parents’ bravery and the sacrifices they made. So I never saw myself as brave, Until I left. I took a leap of faith and came to Bucknell alone and with the dream to be the first person to graduate from college in my family. I left everything behind, my family, my friends, my comfort, my home. All because I also have a dream to get the career I want and to set an example for the family that comes after me. To inspire them like my parents inspired me. Before I left my mom gave me a matching butterfly ring to symbolize that me and her flew away to create a future for ourselves. And that no matter what we can always fly back.
Personal Experience
Throughout my life, there have been more than one experience that I would say helps define who I am. More than just an experience though, there is one place that has effected me more than anything else. Black Point, Connecticut, is a small and rocky beach that juts into the Long Island Sound. My father’s family has been going for over sixty five years, instilling a strong sense of home for me, my brother, my dad, and my extended family. This allowed me to grow up at the beach. To me, the beach brought me calmness, joy, freedom, creativity, and relaxation. I longed to go back during the long winter months to the warm sand and the cool salt water. I day dreamed about being able to ride bikes and play tennis with my cousins and see my summer friends who were scattered all over the East Coast during the year. It gave me a sense of familiarity, reunion, and belonging. Nothing beats the feeling of having a calm, relaxing day in sand, and after taking a clean, refreshing outdoor shower. Going to the beach is something that will always be near and dear to my heart. It is a place I will continue to keep in my life.
List of Terms
- Calm
- Joy
- Clean
- Refreshing
- Freedom
- Warm
- Home
- Beach
- Creativity
- Relaxation
Isabel Byrnes – personal experience
I remember the first time I stepped foot into Yankee Stadium. It was even bigger than I had imagined. The smells of the ballpark all hit me at once: the hotdogs, pretzels, and popcorn. I smiled as I walked up the ramp to the top level, anticipating what the view would be like when I got up there. The atmosphere was hectic because there were so many bustling people and I could hear music and the announcers through the speakers, but it was all exciting and rejuvenating. I could feel the excitement building up as I saw other people in their Yankee jerseys passing by. When we finally made it up to the top floor, I remember sitting in my seat for a while, just taking in the incredible view of the ballpark. It was overwhelming, yet fascinating. When the game started, I found myself cheering and standing up for every hit and defensive play my team made. I was over the moon when one of my favorite players hit the walk off home run to win the game for my team. The stadium erupted and I remember everyone screaming around me and jumping up and down, as well as turning to my dad and giving him a high-five. I truly enjoyed myself the entire game, and I felt the same feelings of belonging and acceptance when I left the stadium as when I entered. Being around my family, as well as people who were as passionate as I was towards one team contributed to the love of Yankee baseball I developed when I left the stadium.
Overwhelming, Rejuvenating, Exciting, Joyful, Love, Enjoyment, Loud, Busy, Belonging, Successful
Case Sylvester – Project 2 – Step 1
Key Experience: This past summer I had to put down my childhood dog. This was the very first time in my life that I had encountered, and experienced a death first hand. When I was in the 4th grade, my family brought home Lulu, an English Mastiff who grew to be a 160 pound gentle giant. She was the laziest most loving dog with a ferocious bark that wouldn’t hurt a fly. She lived to be eleven years old and had a short but tough battle with cancer up until her death. Watching her struggle was one of the most devastating things I have experienced, but putting her down was the most humane and right things to do in the given situation. Because of her size and state at the time, the nurse in charge of the operation had to come to our house, which definitely made the process easier and less stressful for my dog. I vividly remember that morning, as my entire family gathered around her bed in tears as the nurse injected her with an overdose of pain medication. Watching her life leave her body as I stood two feet away will always be an unshakable memory engrained in my head. It felt as if a piece of me was lost that day. This was also one of first times I had seen my father tear up and cry, which put an emphasis on the tone of the situation. With this being said, my whole family cried together that morning, as we were all there for each other. My entire identity is structured around my parents and my brothers and sister.
While this was definitely one of the hardest and saddest moments in my life, I now look back on all of the amazing memories my dog gifted my family with. Throughout the eleven years I had with my dog, I built a friendship that will never be broken. This moment taught me to never take the time we have with the ones we love for granted, as all of our time is limited.
Key Words:
Childhood
Family
Love
Grief
Loss
Struggle
Identity
Life
Death
Dog
Writing Assignment (Project 2): Leah Carlson
This past school year, I applied to work at a nearby elementary school’s summer academy program. I have always enjoyed working with children and this would give me the opportunity to have daily interactions with the next generation of learners. Luckily, I was accepted as a student worker and began working mid summer. This was my first official job, so it was definitely a milestone in my life. It was inspiring to me seeing teachers come together to teach students from all over the county. I got first hand experience learning what it takes to be an elementary school teacher and what difficulties come with it. I was able to assist in many of the teacher’s classrooms throughout the experience and it made me think hard about what I want to do after college. There were a total of about 500 students attending this program and maybe 50 or so faculty members. Some days were hectic, especially during dismissal. I learned to be very patient around frantic (and rude) parents at the end of the day. By the end of the summer, I had built relationships with many of the students, as well as the other faculty members. I even built relationships with some of the parents. I was excited to get up and go to work in the morning, which I didn’t expect to happen. This was nothing short of an amazing experience and I hope to work there again this coming summer.
Keywords:
- Joy
- Opportunity
- Milestone
- Inspiring
- Difficulties
- Hectic
- Relationship
- Excited
- Amazing
- Hope
Writing assignment – Citlali Rodriguez
Key Experience: I didn’t know I could love as much as I do until I met my best friends.
For the first time in six years, I was three months clean of self harm– all because of one single summer spent with all of them. An achievement I thought would never happen– did. Because of our sleepovers, our little ice cream dates– a car ride with the window’s down. It’s those moments that made me realize life isn’t all that bad. Moments that made me feel so clear headed, my face hurt all the time from how much I was smiling. My chest felt light, fluttering like a hummingbird with all the love that filled my being. Like a flower growing from a crack in the concrete, I was healing.
My knees were scraped from how hard I would laugh to the point that I couldn’t keep myself upright. My voice was scratchy from how loud and often I was talking. My body was sore from the games we played, from wrestling in the ocean water to playing twister when none of us have played a game since we were in elementary school.
We were kids again. And I learned to live.
Key words:
- Love
- Light
- Growing
- Laughter
- Summer
- Comfort
- Warm
- Childhood
- Clean
- Healing
Sculpture Project of Self Portrait
Key Experience: The process of getting into college was unexpectedly difficult for me. As a straight-A student involved in sports, honors clubs, and over 300 hours of volunteer services, I thought getting into college wouldn’t be too difficult. It turns out that I was just an average student in a world of exceptional, brilliant, and overachieving college applicants. It was through this process of ups and downs that I learned important lessons about humility and perseverance. However, it’s not this process I want to highlight. It was the night that I found out I got into Bucknell and received the scholarship that I needed to be able to attend this school. I remember it like it was yesterday. All day I sat in anticipation. Minutes before the letter came out, my heart was pounding. I had been waitlisted at 2 of my top schools, rejected from my reach school and I was tired of the feeling of failure. When I received the email with my acceptance letter, I fully expected to feel like a failure once again. However, the first two sentences not only told me I was accepted but also told me that I had received one of the highest scholarships that Bucknell offers. I was overjoyed and thrilled, to say the least. I remember jumping up off my couch out of excitement. The entire experience really proved to me that there is always a light at the end of the tunnel.
Keywords:
Humility
Perseverance
Joy
Thrill
Excitement
Jumping
Screaming
Anticipation
Pride
Relief
Naomi Malone – Project 2 – Step 1
During my Junior and Senior year of high school I took IB Art, which is a 2 year program where students have to make a collection of pieces that fall under one theme. For my theme I did “Unexpressed emotions through art and poetry”. I would write a poem about whatever I was feeling or going through when I felt like I couldn’t talk to anyone and then make a piece inspired by it. The process of making all of my pieces was therapeutic in a way because I got to express so many of the emotions that I never share with anyone in a visual way. A lot of my teenage years I struggled with properly expressing myself, especially if it was expressing my more negative emotions such as anger or sadness. However, making that collection of pieces allowed me to not only express those thoughts and emotions, but it also helped me actually sit with those emotions instead of pushing them away. I realized during that experience that all of my emotions were something to embrace even if they were “bad”. Allowing myself to actually feel and process anger and sadness helped me properly regulate my emotions. Making art in this way allowed me to feel ok with having varying emotions and caused me to not try and control what I feel as much. Art and writing truly became my outlet in a lot of ways because of that art collection. Being able to do something art related as a way to express myself made me feel a lot of relief because I wasn’t holding it all in.
Key Words:
- Relief
- Unexpressed emotions
- Poetry
- “Bad”
- Teenager
- 2 Years
- Feel
- Embrace
- Sadness
- Anger
- Express
- Therapeutic
Writing Assignment – Katie Pombar
Throughout my four years of high school, I would weekly attend a local non-profit organization helping children who are less fortunate and who needed help with either homework or reading, etc. When I was a freshman I first decided to do this because it was something I was interested in and wanted to make a priority in the next four years of high school. I wanted to do this because I liked helping people and want to continue to do something similar for my future job. Being in this environment allowed me to feel useful, helpful, powerful, and kind. These children either did not have a lot of money, or did not have a good education, so being there alongside them, helping them to read or do their math problems, helped them a lot. They would also be joyful and excited when I would come back every Tuesday because they liked working with me. Another great aspect of going here often, was the relationships I built with employees and workers there. There was one specific lady who I would continuously go back to and we grew a close relationship talking about our lives very often. She made me feel comforted, connected, and welcome in an environment that she had been used to for years.
Key Terms:
- Useful
- Helpful
- Powerful
- Kind
- Comfort
- Connected
- Welcoming
- Excited
- Joyful
- Organized
Proteus Film – Response
Before taking this class, and watching this film, I had never been introduced to radiolaria. I discovered that they are unicellular organisms that are structured out of silica, and are found deep beneath the ocean’s surface. They are one of the oldest skeletonized species, as they are roughly five hundred million years old.
After flashing several radiolarians and their intricate designs, the film began to introduce Heckel, describing him as someone who was fascinated with the convergence between art and science. His interest in the sea was something that I enjoyed listening to, as I also love learning more about the ocean and all of its mysteries. At the time, people believed that there was nothing living in the ocean. The film described the moment when a group of people crossed the Atlantic to lay telegraph cables, connecting America with Europe. They explained how when some of the cable broke off, they would reel it back to the boat and discover crustaceans and other life attached to the cable.
Over his lifetime, Heckel discovered over four thousand radiolarians on the ocean floor, and studied and drew the complexities and beauties of many of them. The film didn’t really introduce me to the relationship between science and art for the first time, as I have done many geometric paintings and drawings of nature and animals. Through his discoveries and drawings, Heckel was able to advance the understanding of sea life and creatures.
Turning Heckels 2D drawings into 3D sculptures helps me understand the basic structures of each radiolarian. Not only does sculpting these radiolarians bring them to life, but it also helps me appreciate the uniqueness of each one.
Proteus Written Response Andrew Marina
Radiolaria are unicellular protists, some species of which are over 500 million years old, that make complex shells made of silica. Much like snowflakes, no two radiolaria have the same design, adding to their natural complexity. I was fascinated by Haeckel’s commitment to finding art in science and combining them beautifully. Because of his ability to find art in nature, he was driven to discover over 4,000 different species of radiolaria, proving that science is made possible with passion. I do believe that if all scientist found beauty in their work the same way Haeckel did, there would be far more people dedicated to discovery. I have always had the tendency to connect art, nature, science, and mathematics, so this film did not do much to change my views on that. As a chemistry major, I have always found beauty in understanding the world both at a micro and macro level. The film does pose a contradiction when it comes to what in nature should be accepted as fact, as opposed to what is left up for creative interpretation. This is interesting to me, because on one side a man like Haeckel strives to find beauty in nature, which requires bending reality at times. However as a scientist, it is also his duty to understand an accepted truth. In my opinion, the balance is found in presentation of the material. I do think it is reasonable and healthy to portray certain discoveries as art, examples being the radiolaria, or like I mentioned before Wilson Bentley’s snowflakes. However, it is also important to present an accepted truth to all discoveries without romanticizing them. I believe that by crafting our own models of radiolaria, we are exploring the beauty of science in a way that allows us to understand natures unfailing precision and complexity, and this film is one of the greatest examples I have seen of this.
Proteus Thoughts – Naomi Malone
Watching this film I learned that radiolarians are unicellular organisms (plankton) that make their shells out of silica. They are over 500 million years old and are among the oldest skeletonized life forms.
The film also discussed Haeckel’s life. I found it interesting how he started his research. While he was still in school, he and some of his friends took hand held nets and just looked in bodies of water for anything living. He had unmoved curiosity towards the sea and the creature that the world knew little to nothing about and he went out without any proven science to base his findings on.
While the film discussed the important relationship between science and art, my perspective of the relationship between the two topics didn’t change because I feel like my brain is formed in a similar way. As an engineer I am very familiar with the biology discussed in the film along with nature in general and how it essentially thrives off of itself. I am also very art/visually oriented in terms of the way I see the world. My dad is an artist and I grew up with it always being a part of who I am. I think that’s the reason I’m not surprised at how intertwined art and science can be because I’ve always seen it that way. This film also reminds me of Di Vinci and how he took science and art and combined them in order to help improve technology and advance the public’s understanding of more complex topics.
From my perspective I see creating the radiolarian sculptures in class as a way to open up our minds to how science based sculpting can be. Anatomy is a huge part of sculpture and I think starting here is a good way to understand how interwoven the two subjects are.
In addition, I thought it was interesting that Haeckel was able to find so many radiolarians and had the time to study each of them so intensely. It makes me curious to know if he found a lot of them in clusters or if they were more spread out.
Proteus Response – Michelle Gonzalez
Radiolarians are single celled organisms called plankton found at the bottom of the ocean. Their structure absorbs silica from the sea water and creates its own unique outer shell. There are countless types and versions of these . Some look simple and others look like aliens. And the only way to be able to see them is through strong magnification and bright lights, as well as working fast because they only lived for a period of time. When I first saw these drawings I was very confused at what they were and was interested to hear about where they came from. After listening to Haeckel’s life’s work I can say I was most impressed by his dedication to what he was curious about. He was so passionate about science and the curiosity of the unknown so he traveled and traveled and began to love art and drawing and he tried to find more and more of these organisms. It was super interesting the way he struggled to decide what passion he was heading towards and both of his worlds somehow worked together. I definitely believe nature is beautiful and I am amazed everyday how there is so much color and beauty in our world so it didn’t really change my perspective about science and art. I really love to draw and paint and I paint and draw nature all the time and it is my favorite because each piece of nature is so personal and unique. I definitely think it was interesting to see Haeckel’s mind changing as he was getting older and how he became a prophet. I think now we have many scientists say that god doesn’t exist because of science and facts, but Haeckel as a scientist believed that god was everywhere and in everything. That he believed that evolution went farther then on land but every structure of the universe. When he stated that the only church he needed was nature. I found that also very interesting. In making our sculptures, in a way it feels like we are playing god in making our own cells and how each is different. Even if our sculpture is not exact to the picture we made our own unique figure that has never been made before. I can certainly say I was surprised and impressed when he stated the connection between man and ape far before Darwin did.
Lintao – Film ‘Proteus’ Written Response
Radiolarians belong to the marine drifting plankton, a buoyant and adaptable droplet of protoplasm featuring extending arms for capturing prey. As ancient beings, radiolarians exhibit a diverse array of forms, which is why they are aptly named after the sea guard, ‘Proteus’.
Haeckel’s seamless fusion of art and science captivated me. His illustrations transcended accuracy, conveying scientific knowledge with visual allure, challenging the dichotomy between these fields. The film deepened my awareness of their interrelation, aligning with my longstanding perspective, now eloquently articulated. Haeckel’s work blurred observation and interpretation, harmonizing art and science, challenging conventions and spurring contemplation.
The film addressed the evolution debate and ethical quandaries in scientific illustration, showcasing Haeckel’s struggle between accuracy and interpretation. This underscores the dynamic interplay of objectivity and subjectivity in representing facts and creativity.
Crafting radiolarian sculptures engages history, science, and art, sparking reflections on our role as interpreters of nature’s creativity. A question lingers: Are we autonomous, spiritual creators of art, or transient aggregations reflecting the universe’s evolution? Haeckel’s monumental contribution, discovering and documenting 80% of radiolarians, underscores dedication’s legacy in both art and science. Now, a 3D Art student like me, empowered by Haeckel’s legacy, hones skills and absorbs radiolarian inspiration through their Sculpture Professor’s course.
Proteus: The Worlds of Art and Science Join (by Leah Carlson)
Radiolarians are over 500 million years old and not one of them have the exact same structure. Radiolarians are single celled organisms with a delicate skeleton. The scientist who discovered them was Ernst Haeckel. The turning point in his career centered around the discovery of these organisms. Prior to his discovery of radiolarians, scientists didn’t know there were living beings on the ocean floor. Therefore, there were many unanswered questions as Haeckel continued with his research. After earning his degree, Haeckel convinced his father to allow him to travel for one year to Italy for marine research. After six weeks of work and little to show for it, Haeckel began landscape painting. This was the time that he realized that he had a passion for both art and science. Watching this film helped me understand that there isn’t a solid divide between art, science, and nature. Additionally, creating the 3-dimensional radiolarians helps us understand and appreciate the intricate details of these organisms and how every one is different. The models also prove that the mix between art and science is completely possible.
Proteus Film Writing Assignment
The film “Proteus” highlights the intricate and complex nature of radiolarians, which are single-celled microorganisms with intricate silica skeletons. It talks about the significance of the radiolarians as both scientific discovery and artistic inspiration as their elegance and visual captivity embodies the unity of science and art. Ernst Haeckel’s role as both a scientist and an artist is interesting because at first glance the radiolarians look like they were drawn by a talented artist, but Haeckel’s ability to merge scientific accuracy with creativity in these illustrations is very impressive. His illustrations serve both scientific and artistic purposes and blur the boundaries between both these disciplines. This prompted me to rethink the traditional separation of the two and think about their dual role instead. Proteus discusses a lot of issues related to Haeckel’s inquiries aside from radiolarians. Haeckel possessed a large collection of biological specimens from various regions, including colonial expeditions, and this, to me, raises questions about cultural appropriation and the ethical treatment of indigenous knowledge and artifacts. Haeckel’s actions could be seen as exploitative if not conducted with proper respect. It is also important to note that a lot of this research was taking place at a time when ethical standards for scientists were evolving continuously and new discoveries were consistent. Creating our own sculptures of the radiolarians recorded in Haeckel’s drawings is interesting because it’s an exploration of how human creativity can be reimagined and how we can reinterpret our own scientific observations to connect the past with the present, and science with art.
The Blossoming Relationship between Art and Science by Citlali Rodriguez
In the film Proteus, I learned that there are over five thousand radiolarian species- many of which are over five hundred million years old. Radiolarians are microscopic, one cell organisms that are found at the bottom of the sea. Haeckel was their discoverer. When listening to Haeckel’s upbringing, it was so interesting to hear how his upbringing itself was quite a moral paradox, especially for this time period. The conflict in him existed so stronging because he was raised as a Christian and scientist. Though he was often pushed to choose science over art and his feelings of romanticism, his passion for art was something that made me rather fond of Haeckel as I watched the documentary. As someone who was passionate about the renaissance as a teenager, I was always a lover of the relationship between art and science. It was incredible to see how the two go hand in hand and the growth in their relationship made incredible changes within the world and the way it works. The change in academics always stunned me because it was a challenge for so long until one realized the absolute value of art within science and of science within art. In my perspective, the implications of creating these radiolarian sculptures revolve around the fact that a relationship between art and science is completely possible. It is physical, tangible proof that the two concepts are intertwined in such an intimate and thought-provoking way.
Radiolarians: The Connection Between the Natural and Romantic World- Emma Culhane
In the 19th century, the ocean was a mystery to scientists. In Haeckel’s lifetime, huge advances in underwater technology helped progress knowledge in the scientific field. Through watching the film, I learned that there are over 5,000 types of Radiolarians and Haeckel helped discover about 4,000 of these over the course of his lifetime. Haeckel was a medical student who was drawn to the mystery of the ocean, particularly cells and microorganisms. It wasn’t until later that he discovered a passion for painting landscapes. Through this discovery, Haeckel was conflicted between the “charming, wild and romantic” world of art and the “serious, cold, and rational” natural world. This conflict is something that particularly interested me as I too feel conflicted between my creative side and scientific side. As a student on the pre-med track, classes such as this one allows me to embrace my artistic side. After watching this film, I realized there has been a strong connection between art and science since the Enlightenment when romantics used the natural world as their muse for poems and paintings. Through Haeckel’s work with radiolarians, he was able to marry the two worlds of art and science. Additionally, he challenged Darwinian theories of evaluation and spirituality as Haeckel believed in a world undivided between matter and spirit and denied the immortality of souls. As someone with my own religious beliefs, I don’t necessarily agree with Haeckel’s theories and ideas. However, his work in sculpture has allowed me to understand how art can help us gain a better understanding of scientific topics. More specifically, creating these 3D structures gives us an understanding of how detailed and complicated one-cell organisms are and gives us an appreciation for the complexity of nature.