April 23, 2008
The Roads of Life
So, I realize that while showing my project to everyone in class, I did a rather horrible job of explaining what it is that my project was about. I was not exactly in the right state of mind on that day given that I had not been getting enough sleep. Due to this, I will take the time now to explain, to anyone willing to read this, what it is that my project is all about:
There has been a debate for a very long time about whether human beings possess free will, or if our fates are pre-determined. This pre-determination may be because of an almighty being that controls us, or because everything we do is simply the result of what has come before us and the inputs that come into our lives; either way, fate and destiny is out of our hands.
Now, no matter which side of the argument you take, we must all live our lives as though we had free will, because otherwise we would be unable to function as human beings. Even if we do have free will though, we must realize that our choices are constricted by our circumstances and what it is that is presented before us. I tried to represent this in my project through the roads. As one picks a road to follow, they will continue to arrive at forks where they will have to make a choice as to which road to follow. Just like in life, the choices are limited by what is available.
Another aspect of the reality of choices is that they have certain consequences, and various levels and severities of them. For example, one may spend a lot of time making a choice, only to find that eventually they lead to the same place. Other times, people make choices without giving it a second thought, only to find that the small decision took them to a very different place than if they had chosen something else. Again, I tried to have this represented as well with the roads forking and eventually merging together onto one road, or to split off to completely different ends of the map.
In this class, we have spent a lot of time talking about frames, structure, models, and entry points. When trying to conceive of an idea for a project, I tried to come up with something that would be able to encompass all of this. This project is a model for life, and it is presented through the frame of a highway system. The concept of entry points is also reflected in this project in that anyone can enter the artwork/poam at any point on the road. Entering it or interpreting it any other way would be against the design of it.
I am one of those people that believes that structure is a good thing. Structure in education, society, and interactions is important because it allows us, as a species, to build upon what we already have available to us. Because of this I felt it was a good idea to have my model be represented by a structure that most people are aware of: the highway system. Familiar structures helps to provide meaning and makes it easier for people to understand what it is that the poet/artist/creator is trying to get across to the audience.
When I first thought up this idea for my project, I realized that it had the potential to be very large, and be continuable to no limit. Not only can it be continued by extending the highway system so that there are many layers of roads moving upward off the poster-board, but also the ground on which the road is resting. One of the other major ideas I had for this project, for which I sadly did not have enough time, was to have the ground underneath the road reflect the mood of the story on the road on which it is on.
The only regret I have with this piece of work is that I have not yet developed the artistic ability to bring my project to the full fruition of the vision that I have. I do hope to develop that ability some day however.
Also, I'd just like to add that my project has many forks in it. And that, in my opinion, is awesome.
http://photos-f.ak.facebook.com/photos-ak-sf2p/v231/31/16/2213552/n2213552_42087765_3224.jpg
http://photos-a.ak.facebook.com/photos-ak-sf2p/v231/31/16/2213552/n2213552_42087768_4136.jpg
http://photos-b.ak.facebook.com/photos-ak-sf2p/v231/31/16/2213552/n2213552_42087769_4388.jpg
Posted by amanshar at 08:48 PM | Comments (0)
Vandalism and the Rock
Many times, frames are created to guide us in a particular direction. In some cases this can be a good thing because it allows us to understand what the author/artist/creator intends us to see. In other cases, it can guide us to actions that are only considered to be acceptable or permissible.
This thought occurred to me when I was rebuked for the suggestion that we graffiti the front of Angell Hall. Now, I wasn't being very serious in this suggestion, but it fascinated me that my friends immediately suggested that we paint the Rock instead, because that is acceptable. I realized, that by giving students an outlet for vandalism, by making it acceptable to paint the Rock, the University of Michigan probably has far fewer instances of vandalism than would have been had the Rock not been an acceptable place to paint.
It seems as though people will not try to break a frame if there are windows and doors available. It seems as though alternate interpretations of artwork and poetry would not pop up if there were doors and windows showing us very plainly what the author or artist means to convey. This idea not only applies to the artistic and local level, but also at the governmental level. The countries where revolutions take place are those where the people do not have a proper outlet to address their grievances. Under a dictatorship or monarchy where the people are oppressed, revolutions take place. Take for example the French Revolution, the Russian Revolution, and the Communist Revolution in Cuba.
This method of creating manageable openings in a frame is definitely a way of maintaining control. Most people would agree that China has a authoritarian regime, and that the people there deserve more rights. If that is the case, how come there is no sign of an uprising there? This is because the communist government has been very careful to make sure that the people are able to express their grievances, and some of them are actually addressed.
The use and understanding of frames, openings, and avenues of escape are applicable to everything around us.
Posted by amanshar at 04:10 PM | Comments (0)
