“Its creativity, not rocket science”

Arts Explored # 5- Art Film

6:34 PM |

Arts Explored # 5-

Art Film

In terms of movies, I am very much a romance/romantic comedy kind of person. My favourite movies include The Notebook, Mean Girls, Knocked Up and Easy A. Donnie Darko is a very different movie than my usual line up. Compared to go my go to movies it was a very dark, complex and confusing.

In the case of this movie it was very outside of my usual, but thankfully I knew a few people who have watched, enjoyed and understood the movie. When I told my roommate Kayla that I was watching this movie for class she got really excited and said she really liked the movie and had watched it many times. When I asked her if we could talk about it she said we would be here all day if we did, clearly the movie had a huge impact on her.

(Retrieved from: http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f54/acer_racer62/wallpaperdonnidarko.jpg)

Plot

The movie starts showcasing the Darko family. Looking in it seems as though there are some interesting family dynamics, Donnie appears to be the bad seed, and his older sister who is Harvard is the “better” of the two. There is also the younger sister. The first big thing to happen is the engine from a plane falls into the family home, specifically into Donnie’s room. Donnie was however not home at the time. After the incident occurs Donnie meets Frank, a giant bunny and is told that the world will end in 28 days. During the rest of the movie Frank (whom only Donnie can see) convinces him to engage in acts of vandalism such as flooding the school and burning down a mans house. Frank also makes reference to time travel, and Donnie begins asking questions to his science teacher to find out what he can about time travel. All the while we know that Donnie suffers from some kind of mental illness because he is on drugs, and see a psychiatrist. At the very end there is a huge turn of events which makes the watcher question what the whole movie is about, but I wont spoil this for someone who has not seen the movie.

All during the movie I sat there and was unsure if the events of the movie were actually taking place, or if they were a figment of the Donnie’s imagination.

Discussion

As I mentioned my roommate who loved the movie agreed to talk about her perspective of the movie. Before I had even finished the movie she told me that the whole time the movie was on she was confused, and thought the movie was dumb. She informed me that at the end of the movie everything would make a lot more sense. She said it was very much an “OHHHHHH I GET IT!” kind of moment that I would have. To be honest I did not really have this moment, so therefore I think that one’s perspective plays a huge role.

Lauren: “So he dead the whole time?”

Kayla: “No, not exactly Lauren, lets rewatch the last 5 minutes together.”

*we played the last 5 minutes of the movie

Lauren: “OHHHHHH I seeeeeeee, there is the worm hole and the plane is going through the hence the vessel and the shuttle needed for time travel”

Kayla: “Lauren look and there is the engine”

Lauren: “OHHHH and then it goes back in time and things are different and that’s why Donnie died”

Kayla: “Yes, and Donnie wanted to go back in time so he would die and rather than his girlfriend Gretchen.”

This part of the discussion I felt was the most important because it illustrates Kayla explaining her perspective and me rewatching the video and understanding her perspective of what happened.

Future Implications

As a future educator it is important to teach children about different perspectives. For some children this is a very difficult concept to understand that what I am thinking in my head is very different than what you are thinking. In the case of children those who are still a little ecocentric may think that they way they perceive a movie is what everyone else is thinking (Shafer, 2009). As an educator it is important to make sure that children understand that people who watch the same movie can have very different views. This could mean one person can like it, and another can dislike it, or in the case of a more complex movie such as Donnie Darko it can mean one person thinks one thing happened and the other thinks something else happened.

Perception:

The definition of perception according to Schirrmacher and Fox is “The ability to receive sensory impressions from one’s surroundings and relate them to what one knows” (Schirrmacher & Fox, 2009, p. 367).

I strongly feel that this definition explains how Kayla understood the movie and to her things just clicked, while for me I was still left a little confused. We both had the same visual and audio sensory impressions, but the way we connected to the movie, was different because we both have very different pasts, and very different life experiences to relate.

References

Schirrmacher, R., & Fox, J.E. (2009). Art and creative development for

young children (6th Ed.). Belmont, CA: Delmar.

Shaffer, D. (2009). Social and Personality Development (6^th Ed.) Belmont

, CA: Belmont.

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Arts Explored # 4- Looking for Patterns in Urban Settings

6:40 PM |

Last year I lived right beside the Ontario College of Art and Design , also known as OCAD (http://www.ocad.ca/). The building instantly caught my eye, I thought it was very unique, and had never seen a building like it before. I loved the concept that the building was “held up” by crayons. One day I ventured closer, and went to sit under it. It was not until then that I noticed the black and white patterns of the building. Previous to getting up and close to the building my attention was drawn in by the crayons, but once I recognized the wonderful patterns it became the main focus of the building.

(Retrieved from: http://shian.files.wordpress.com/2008/02/ocad.jpg)

My inspiration for this blog was built on the interest of this building. Often when the world would become a stressful place and I needed some relaxation I would walk through Grange Park, and end up sitting underneath the building. Often I would lay back and just stare at the building from underneath. The best time of day to view this building in my opinion is at night. The dark of the sky in contrast to the building is beautiful. When friends have come to visit me in Toronto and we have been in the area this is a building I will go out of my way to show my friends.

And here is a picture of the building the way I like to view it;

*Keep in mind these are pictures taken with a Blackberry so the quality is not too great!

Future Implications

In terms of implications for the future, I strongly feel that my experience with this building can be translated to children. It took a while for me to look past my first impressions of the building and find my true appreciation for the building. In terms of children this experience can show children that there is not one way to look at something. For example me laying under the building is not necessarily what most people would do. Children are constantly full of surprises, and they are not always going to approach situations how we expect them. The way children approach and appreciate different experiences may not be the way they are expected, and it may deviate from the intentions of the teacher. This experience however should be respected, and by doing so it shows a child-centred curriculum.

Pattern:

The definition of pattern according to Schirrmacher and Fox is “a mark or design that is repeated in some recurring sequence” (Schirrmacher & Fox, 2009, p. 367).

From a young age in math we are taught that everything is a pattern, and that even no pattern is a pattern. There are things however that fit the prototype of a pattern better than others. This building is a pattern, but it takes one a while to sit and figure out. From first glance it seems random, but after spending a great deal of time looking there is a pattern.

References

Schirrmacher, R., & Fox, J.E. (2009). Art and creative development for

young children (6th Ed.). Belmont, CA: Delmar.

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Arts Explored # 3- Fine Art Critique

6:33 PM |

Walking around an art gallery can be a daunting process. For someone who is not artistic and has difficulties finding “the deeper meaning” in art walking around without a guide is difficult. I went into a room which drew my attention, lots of wild colours and lights. This gallery is known as the Signy Eaton Gallery found in the Art Gallery of Ontario (http://www.ago.net/). While walking around and looking at the bright lights and unique art, a security guard walked up to me and my friends. He offered to show us one of his favourite paitning in the gallery.

To be honest when he said painting I could not place my finger on which painting could be his favourite. Not a single painting in this room stood out to me, in between the bright lights and unique sculptures the paintings were the last thing on my mind. The security guard brought us over to a plain looking painting called In the Autumn of Life which was painted by a Canadian artist named William Kurelek. The painting seemed to be a picture of a family outside a house. There was farm land all around, and it appeared to be an autumn scene. I did not understand why this picture could possibly be one of the security guard’s favourite paintings.

(Retrieved from: http://www.studiobrien.com/writings_on_culture/the-passion-of-william-kurelek.html)

He started asking us questions, about what we thought the painting could be. He then started to point out little things we never would have noticed. For example the mail box outside of the house had the artist’s last name, as the guard told us it was suppose to symbolize that the house was his fathers. In the background there was also a mushroom cloud which could have been caused by a nuclear bomb going off in the background. Finally in the front left corner of the painting there was also a cross shaped tree with a man tied to it.

These little features not only would have been missed, but even had I seen them I would not have known the significance. In the case of house being his father’s as the security guard pointed out it was probably because they artist and his father did not have a great relationship. The man attached to the cross shaped tree could to some people be seen as Jesus. This refers back to William Kurelek’s early life. Religion played a huge part in his upbringing and later played a role in his other art works. This also refers back to the mushroom cloud in the background. Others works of art by the artist also showed images of doom on Earth (O’ Brien, n.d.). Another interesting thing I learned from the security guard was that not only did the artist paint the picture, but he also made the frame. Working with wood was one of his other artistic contributions.

In terms of the picture its self the first thing that struck me was the texture. The way he painted the picture there were lots of natural elements that involved the need of texture such as the grass and trees. The colours he used also helped to captivate the setting. He really illustrated what appeared to be an autumn setting. This picture because of the texture and colours does bring me to think of a beautiful autumn day where the leaves and grass are starting to dry out and are crunchy. The air smells clean and not heavy and polluted like in the summer. Looking at this picture makes me feel very relaxed regardless of the religious doom shown in the background. In contrast to the rest of the room as I mentioned this picture does not fit. As the security guard said he and others refer to the room as the “crazy 60s drug room”, as according to the security guard this was a time when many of the artists started engaging in drug use such as acid and created art. This picture in my mind does not belong here; it is far too calming of a picture to me to be shown with neon bright lights. During the time the painting was created in 1964 the world was in an interesting time. World War Two was not far in the past, The Cold War and the Vietnam War were around this time and the world was starting to understand the destructive power humans have over the world. The concept of big bombs that could destroy large areas and could kill many people were no longer just a threat at the back of people’s minds, they were a reality. I strongly feel that the current state of war and fear had an influence over William Kurelek’s art (O’ Brien, n.d.). In conclusion once viewing this painting and having someone explain in much finer detail than I would have ever been able to do on my own I was able to gain a great deal more appreciation for the work.

The most important thing I learned while at the art gallery was not about the specific piece of art, but rather that security guards are a highly untapped resource. When I was first approached by the man we refused his help, but once we accepted it and started to listen to him speak about various paintings in the gallery I had a great deal of appreciation for his help. He commented that many people do not realize just how much the security guards know. They spend a great deal of time surrounded by the art and it is only to be expected that they learn about the art. Had it not been for this man I would never have known so much about that one painting.

Future Implications

In the case of future implications, I strongly think the tired and true quote “A picture is worth a thousand words” comes into play. In grade three I had a teacher that made us try and write a thousand words about pictures we drew for an art project. This activity was difficult and not very many people could do so. This taught us an important lesson; that we had to think outside of the box. We could never write a thousand words about a pink flower we had drawn, we had to think about it more deeply. We wrote about how we felt when we drew it, what it reminded us about and critiqued our pictures. By the end of the activity we were almost all able to write a thousand words about our picture. In the case of future implications for early childhood education I think having children reflect on their art is important. Asking children questions outside of what their picture physically looks like on paper, but asking them questions on how they felt while drawing it can make them think more critically about their art and give them a much better appreciation for art. In the case of going to the art gallery it was important to keep that quote in mind because it lets us think outside of the box and try to get into the mind of the artist. We can then critique and gain a much better perspective of art.

Texture:

The definition of texture according to Schirrmacher and Fox is “The surface quality of a work of art; how it feels” (Schirrmacher & Fox, 2009, p. 368).

I slightly disagree with this definition. In the case of this painting when looking at it I think it has texture, however I didn’t physically run my hand along it (as in an art gallery that is a huge no no) to find out if this was the truth. The picture was not the only element that had texture, as the frame its self looked to be bumpy and had many grooves as well. As far as I am concerned this painting showcased texture, even though I did not physically check. Even if it was smooth, the way the artist was able to paint the picture it appeared to have texture.

References

O’ Brien, M. (n.d.). The Passion of William Kurelek. Retrieved April 10,

2011, from http://www.studiobrien.com/writings_on_culture/the-

passion-of-william-kurelek.html

Schirrmacher, R., & Fox, J.E. (2009). Art and creative development for

young children (6th Ed.). Belmont, CA: Delmar.

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Arts Explored # 2- Instant Sculpture

5:36 PM |

“Stay hungry and eat heartily!”

- Laura Schein

On the first day of interpersonal communications class our professor Laura Schein said this quote in regards to learning. The meaning behind it is regarding a hunger for knowledge. Those of us who want to learn are hungry to gain more knowledge, and therefore we should “eat heartily” by putting our full attention into gaining this knowledge. I felt this quote was strong, and really spoke to me, hence it is the inspiration for my 3D instant sculpture.

My sculpture is a composition of textbooks and fruit. I strongly feel that a combination of the textbooks and fruit embody this quote. Knowledge (which in the case of this sculpture is in the form of books) is to the brain what food is to ones stomach. Knowledge fuels our brain, and provides us with the ability to keep going. Most of us attending post secondary are in some form or another hungry for more knowledge, we obtained what is more or less mandatory, but took it upon ourselves to strive to learn more. I strongly feel that in the case of myself I am hungry, hungry to continue learning, and at most times try and eat heartily. In the case of certain subjects that are very interesting for myself my learning does not end when the class is done, I continue to try and get my hands on as much knowledge as possible on the subject.

*Keep in mind these are pictures taken with a Blackberry so the quality is not too great!

Future Implications

In the case of future implications, this quote is important. As a future educator I strongly believe my interest in learning is very important. This is also a characteristic I would like to pass on to future students. I remember the days when school was fun, I learned something new every day, and at the dinner table felt the need to share with my family all the interesting things I learned. As I got older this love for learning faded, and school became almost a jail sentence. It was not until late in high school when I had the opportunity to pick and choose my courses that interested me did I become hungry for more knowledge.

Design:

The definition of design according to Schirrmacher and Fox is “The overall mark of success or the standard of achievement in artistic creation” (Schirrmacher & Fox, 2009, p. 364).

I feel as though my sculpture captures the concept of design because I had a plan in my head, i was to incorporate textbooks and fruit in a way that showed a balance between the two, without one element over powering the other. I feel as though this sculpture is an example of my success of combining the two elements.

References

Schirrmacher, R., & Fox, J.E. (2009). Art and creative development for

young children (6th Ed.). Belmont, CA: Delmar.

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Arts Explored # 1- Creativity

4:44 PM |

Creativity according to Schirrmaacher and Fox is defined as “the ability to see things in new ways or combine unrelated things into something new” (Schirrmacher & Fox, 2009, p. 364).

I define creativity as stepping outside of the box. When I think of a creative person I imagine them as unique, inquisitive, and someone who challenges rules.

Creativity is having the ability to take what’s given to you be it a problem or need of expression and fulfilling a change to a personal preference. This can be done in the form of expression through dance, music, art, or simply coming up with a unique solution to a problem.

Previous to reading the article Every Day Creativity my definition of creativity was very different. I would consider people who can paint a pretty picture creative, and people such as myself who have zero artistic talent not creative. After reading the article my definition of creativity has drastically changed and yes in fact I would consider myself creative.

My roommate Sarah (who I would in fact consider to be a very creative person, her median being writing) inspired the name of this blog. While sitting in her room discussing various issues with other roommates she stated “Its creativity, not rocket science”. This spoke to me in great volumes because to her creativity is a very simple concept when compared to rocket science. This got me thinking, and for some people this may be true, but for others creativity may something they struggle with. For some, science and math comes easy, yet they have difficulties expressing themselves. Because creativity can be found in so many different forms an individual who is very science and math intelligent could show their creativity by creating a unique solution to a problem figured out through the use of science and math. Therefore, rocket science could be creative, yet because the statement got me thinking so hard the name sticks.

How is Lauren Creative?

Growing up I was always the child who would never take no for an answer. When a question was asked, and my mother said no I would always retort back ”but why?”. Explaining concepts was always difficult as well. If I asked my mother why the sky was blue a simple explanation was never sufficient, at times my mother would in fact have to take me to the library (you know back before you could simply google everything) and try and help me do research to find out an answer. Shows like The Magic School Bus peaked my interest because they were constantly reaching out of the box and explaining things.

From the time I could walk I was always a little dancer. Any time my father would watch Star Trek as soon as I heard the opening song I would run into the living room and dance my little bum off. At an early age my mother enrolled me in dance classes. I had done everything from ballet, jazz, hiphop, modern and tap. Although I haven’t taken dance lessons for a few years now due to an injury I am always down to go out with my girlfriends for a night of dancing.

(Retrieved from: http://www.vivianhershfield.com/large-view/Figurative+Paintings/112757-2-0-9168//Oil/Figurative.html, March 1st,2011)

Current Creative Inspiration

Around the time I was injured and was taking time off dance (which I decided not to return to) the show So You Think You Can Dance was starting a new season. This show took my breath away, and since the second season I have been unable to get back into watching it because the dancers in season two were just so amazing.

This was my favourite dance from the season, and every time I watch it it makes me regret not returning to dance.

Every Tuesday night at 8pm my homework lays forgotten on my desk for an hour, because this is my Glee time. Glee a musical show highlighting a glee club in a high school’s pursuits in life is currently one of my indulgences during the week. Although the plot may not be stellar the dancing and singing is captivating. As a matter of fact while blogging right now I have a Glee sound track playing in the background to keep me motivated to keep going.

Glee has featured artist songs such as Brittney Spears, Madonna and Lady Gaga, all of which were at one point or another idolized for their trend setting in dance, music and fashion. Some might go as far as to refer to them as creative. My favourite Glee episode is one in which they redid a bunch of Rocky Horror Picture Show songs. The movie in itself is a rather unique and creative movie, but Glee went as far as to add their own little touch to their songs. Glee in my eyes is therefore a creative show because it showcases the works of creative people, while at the same time adding their own spin.

Future Implications

Creativity is clearly an important element to be looked at, and it needs to be seen in the way my new perspective sees it. Anyone can be creative; you don’t have to be able to paint a pretty picture to be considered creative.

As stated in the textbook “Children flourish in a psychologically safe setting that respects, trusts and empowers them to act autonomously without the fear of criticism, rejection, failure or pressure to conform (Schirrmacher et al. , 2009, p. 13)”.

As a future educator I want to set up an environment where children don't fear letting go and expressing themselves, because that is how their real creativity will come through.

“Its creativity, not rocket science”

Archives

Arts Explored # 5- Art Film

Arts Explored # 4- Looking for Patterns in Urban Settings

Arts Explored # 3- Fine Art Critique

Arts Explored # 2- Instant Sculpture

Arts Explored # 1- Creativity