http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tl_onFMjJWA
Selections from the the film Proteus, a documentary concerning the life, work, and philosophy of Ernst Haeckel, a 19th century naturalist. The film tells of the man’s character and influences while using his detailed engravings of Radiolaria, single celled marine organisms, to make animated progressions
Andreas Gursky was my chosen artist because of his ability to make a photograph that was captivating and completely unlike any photography i’ve seen myself. Gursky was born i leipzig, germany in 1955. He was the only child of a successful commercial photographer. In the late 70’s Andreas spent two years at Folkwagschule, west Germany’s leading training site for professional photographers. In the early 80’s he attended Staatliche Kunstakademie in Dusseldorf where he studied under the renown Bernd and Hilla Becher.
My favorite photo by Gursky would be Kamiokande,2007,(slide two). The setting was a cavernous underground neutrino observatory in japan. 100,000 gold orbs covered the wall of the observatory which had a dark floor that was under 50,000 tons of water. These bulbs are so sensitive to light that they are supposed to be able to capture the light from super-novas. After that statement it is easy to imagine how they light reflects off the sensitive bulbs onto the floor of dark water. This specific work is also interesting because it doesn’t involve any real human beings. this contrasts some of his previous works. if you look close though you can see two small boats with fake men on them towards the bottom right of the photograph.
another interesting photograph of Gursky’s is bahrian I, in 2005(slide 4&5). At first it seems to bean aimless fictional race track running through the dessert but on deeper analysis you can concur that Andreas digitally manipulated the original photo to make it appear knotted. He often did ths with photos to create a mysterious and interesting outcome of the meaning of the photo.The stands in the background of the photo are the only thing holding on to reality in this picture.
Another famous photograph would be the Kuwait stock exchange II in 2008(slide 6&7). the photo consists of hundreds of brokers moving across the floor in white garments. im not sure what Gursky was trying to portray but to me it provokes a feeling of entrapment. everyone dressed exactly the same, over crowded area, and the chaos of the photo make me think of having a bad dream.
The most recent photo i dug up was Dubai World III, 2008(slide 8). the photographed material was a carpet grid system that resembled the earth. the light picks up certain elements, making some lighter than others, forming a distinct image.
The last photo ill discuss is the Los Angeles 1998(slide 9). This is where Gursky began to digitally manipulate photos. as a whole his photos are taken on huge scales and also usually involve visually appealing colors. His main themes involve our modern environment and earth.
Date: April 21
Time: 8pm
Title: Bucknell Dance Showcase
Location: Black Box Theater
Type: Dance
For my everyday object discussion I chose a red scrunchie. This red scrunchie plays has a critical role in my life. Honestly, I do not know what to do without it. It performs the simple act of keeping my hair out of my face but in reality it does so much more. This red scrunchie keeps me put together and my life together. Its circular form reflects the cycle that I go through everyday in which without this red scrunchie I could not perform my daily deeds as adequately. This red scrunchie shows how important man made object are in our lives. Something as small as a scrunchie or toothbrush are crucial for our existence as clean and refined human beings. However, my dependency on my hair scrunchie exemplifies the human vast reliance on man made goods and if they were suddenly taken away, we would not know how to respond. The scrunchie is essential to those with long hair in addition to acting as a fashion statement. Something as small as a hair scrunchie can exhibit class and cost. It shows how humans have the innate nature to constantly compete.
Title of the Event: Hilltop Film Series- The Navigator
Date and Time of the Event: Friday, March 2. 7:30-10pm
Location of Event: 301 Gallery Theatre
Type of Event: Film
Here is a pdf of my artist presentation: Carsten Höller.
If you open it in adobe reader there will be a little word bubbled in the top left corner. That is where you can see my slide notes. Don’t pay attention to my notes spelling and grammar. You also might notice that I hid some slide at the end of the presentation.
Happy presenting,
Aaron
For the Everyday Object Class Discussion, I chose an exit sign. When thinking about it literally, an exit sign serves a simple purpose: to direct people to the nearest exit of a building. However, when delving deeper into its significance and meaning within our society, it becomes a quite interesting object. In the library at Bucknell alone, there are close to 50 exits signs. It shows how our society thinks extremely highly of safety and allowing people to feel safe in a time of need. They are always lit up even if power goes out, showing how much money and power people are willing to invest in their own security. However, it could also be indicative of our society’s impatience and unwillingness to find a way out or even just remember the door in which they entered. Most of these signs go unnoticed on a daily basis; however, when someone is in a building they are unfamiliar with, or in a time of emergency the can seem to stick out much more than on an average day. While they originated to serve their purpose in times of emergency, they are rarely needed and are thus used to guide unfamiliar visitors.
Every Bucknell student is very different in many ways but what they will always have in common is that they will have one of these bad boys in their dorm. When I look at a Bucknell Chair I see a mixture of ingenuity and simples. It’s would biased design gives us a that simple classic look, while its slight angled bottom gives it its clever flare to it. When I think Bucknell Chair, I think of comfort during times when we need them most, say for example an all-night cram session. This chair also makes me think of its reliability, as a Bucknell student can always count on finding one of these where ever a desk is nearby. In a way Bucknell chairs represent Bucknell students; simple yet complex, relaxing and when need be hard working.
My everyday Object is a computer. To Me the computer is Representative of the great technological achievements man kind has made through time. As i look deeper into the computer i begin to realize that it also represents inequality. Its ability to pull up information on virtually anything that comes to mind is extraordinary. The truth is that most people cannot afford this luxury and their for are missing out on the luxury of knowledge. this Shows that knowledge comes at a price and those who are not able to pay that price because of their own wealth are missing out on life. The computer is another example of mankind’s greed.
My everyday item was my set of headphones. They provide us with the ability to listen to various types of media and entertainment. Whether it be the creative works of a favorite musical artist, the score to a movie or even hearing the voice of a friend on the other side of their computer screen; these listening devices are an important part of today’s world. They come in all sorts of colors, makes, styles and sizes. These “ear-muff” styled headphones are made from plastic, rubber, some metal and wiring. And yet, different as they may be in appearance and style, they all have the same sort of value. When I use these to listen to some of my favorite music, it can help to put me in a good mood that can carry the whole way throughout my day. They can allow me to remember a friend’s voice over a video call who I haven’t heard from in a while. They way that these connect us with today’s fast-paced world around us is an invaluable quality that I think can prove to be important to everyone.
The backpack or rucksack, in its simplest form, is a cloth sack carried on one’s back secured with two straps that go over the shoulders. I have grown to appreciate the practical albeit – in my opinion – not so stylish uses for this particular backpack. Known for its sturdy outdoor gear, Eastern Mountain Sports, is the maker of my blue carry-all. With its soft adjustable, foam straps, smaller internal and external compartments, two sided water bottle carriers, and chest/ hip strap, it truly is my ideal bag for both athletics and school work. I normally carry a heavy load of a filled water bottle, change of clothes, books, cell phone, pens etc inside especially when travelling straight from class to crew practice. I first made the switch from an over the shoulder bag to this gem when my normal carrier became too strained with the weight of all its contents. Ever since then my backpack has seen many miles of walking and even running, crossed a several oceans, and been through the wash a few times after taking it to muddy crew regattas. With its useful practicality, it is in worldwide use especially being identified with students and people for whom load bearing is apart of their daily lives, like soldiers.