Plastic Bottles

Plastic Bottles, 2007
By: Chris Jordan

Describe:

Photography, 2 million plastic bottles (Pepsi, Coke, Sprite, 7UP, Fanta, Water, Vitamin Water, etc.), different colors, different sizes of bottles

Analyze:

What was the reasoning for creating such a piece?
Does the piece relate to the life of the artist? If so, how?
How does it portray the artist’s personality?

Interpretation:

During my adventure at the Akron Art Museum, I viewed many pieces of different and interesting pieces of art. An interesting yet educational piece that caught my eye was Plastic Bottles, a photograph by Chris Jordan. He uses informational facts to help with the understanding of the environmental problems. In his piece, he uses two million plastic bottles –the number which the United States uses every five seconds- to help us visualize the statistics we see and hear in the news every day regarding our environment.
From a distance, the photo looked like a blur, but the closer I got to the piece, the clearer the photo became. Towards the top of the photo, it looked as if the bottles got deeper and deeper. The quality of the photo helps the viewer get a clearer view to help them understand the problem and the reasoning for such a piece of art.
I enjoyed viewing this piece because it helped me to realize the problems in the environment while viewing art at the same time. It was different to see such a piece in an art gallery. I was happy to see that people can express environmental issues through art as Chris Jordan did with his piece because it is a great way to help people become aware of and help them understand issues such as this one.

Judgment:

Jordan’s, Plastic Bottles, was successful, in my case, to help myself as the viewer, understand the statistics that are made each day with our environment. It seemed as you if I got closer to the piece; I got closer to knowing the problem. The clearer the problem is, the easier it is to understand.

North American Irish Dancing Championships

North American Irish Dancing Championships
By: Hosted by the Mid-Atlantic Region and IDTANA- Irish Dancing Teachers Association of North America

Describe:

Disney World, Orlando, Florida, The Dolphin Hotel, thousands of Irish Dancers (male, female, teachers), dance costumes, hard shoes, soft shoes, wigs, poodle socks, hairspray, fake tan, crowns and tiaras, winner’s podium, dance stage, musicians, (nervous, excited, crying, smiling) dancers, sashes, stuffed animals, photographers, Irish crystal and awards, dancers practicing and stretching, vendors

Analyze:

What kind of preparation is involved?
How often does one practice/ prepare for the NAIDC?
What are the qualifications to be able to participate in the NAIDC?
Do you have to be Irish to be an Irish dancer?
What is Irish Dancing?
When did this art begin?
Where and how did Irish Dancing begin?

Interpretation:

As the smell of hairspray and fake tan fills the air, the day of an Irish dancer begins at a very early 6:00A.M., maybe earlier, to begin preparation for a long day of hard work, nerves and excitement at the North American Irish Dancing Championships. Also known as Nationals, this competition takes place over the course of five days. Dancers, Irish and non-Irish, prepare for this competition for many months by practicing 4-7 times a week, eating right, and stretching. Each dancer has two opportunities in two rounds to dance in front of a panel of three judges. Scores are ranged from 0-100, with a 100 being first place. From there, the top half or one-third of dancers with the highest scores, have the opportunity to dance in a third round, dancing by themselves.
Irish Dancing originated in the early 400s. During the invasions of the British upon the Irish, the villagers would go to the hilltops and tap out messages to warn the townspeople that the British were invading. While Ireland was under British rule, the British forbade any of the villagers from activities. When the villages would have meetings, they would dance around with their arms by their sides, so when the soldiers passed, it wouldn’t be noticeable that they were involved in activity.
I enjoyed competing in my seventh Nationals in Orlando at Disney World. Although I didn’t place as well as I hoped, the experience was fantastic. Many dancers went home excited, while others were disappointed. Competing in large competitions such as this one is very difficult and involves much preparation and time.

Judgment:

I found my experience at the NAIDC both successful and unsuccessful. The venue was not very good to support the art because of the large size and the amount of distractions. Although the venue was not up to standards, the music was very traditional and well played. The experiences differ though, depending on how well one placed at the competition, but to be able to compete in Disney World was a fantastic experience.

Salvador Dali, Apparatus and Hand

Apparatus and Hand, 1927
By: Salvador Dalí

Describe:

Geometric shapes such as cones and triangles, human anatomy including the features of a naked woman, a red hand coming out of the head of the figure, a headless horse, mountains in the distant sky, a blueish-gray background

Analyze:

What was Salvador Dalí thinking while creating this piece?
What experiences in his life made him want to create pieces such as this one?
What does Dalí’s art say about his personality and lifestyle?

Interpretation:

During the summer of 2010, I visited the Salvador Dalí Museum in St. Petersburg, Florida. I viewed many of Dalí’s works of art and tried to get an understanding of who he was by viewing his art. He uses very good detail and very often uses the human anatomy and body in his works. In some piecess, he elaborates off paranoiac critical hallucinations and sometimes used nature and geometry to create human bodies.
In Salvador Dalí’s piece, Apparatus and Hand, he uses very beautiful and contrasting colors to create an awkward yet interesting piece of art. He uses oil on canvas and geometric shapes to create a human form. Throughout the piece, Dalí uses random and different objects as the human arms, legs, eye and head of the figure. This piece represents Dalí and his weakness of sleep after an experience in the military.
I enjoyed this piece because it is very unique. It helped me to view art through a different perspective. Dalí helps to open your mind with this work as well as many of his other pieces. He helps to challenge the viewer and have them understand his experiences throughout his lifetime. Dalí’s art portrays his personality and changes the way you look at art because of his lack of seriousness yet deep perspective.

Judgment:

Dalí’s, Apparatus and Hand, successfully challenges the way one views art. He makes the viewer think differently about his art. I enjoyed viewing his art because it gave me a different perspective of how art can be portrayed. Dalí is a very strange man and expressed himself throughout his artwork. Although he was bizarre, he used deep perspective, strange landscape, and beautiful colors.