i'm so glad you said that - stay in the front row.
I don't know how many of you remember this, but last year when I had to take Biology they made me go to Biology Lab and it was like, PRISON to me. I had panic attacks and hated it and they wouldn't let me have my ipod and I don't even know completely why but I was just deathly afraid of it. And they MADE me spend two hours a week in there even if it only took me 30 minutes to complete my work, it was horrible. SO, I had Chemistry Lab yesterday. ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL. Not scary at all, I get to have my ipod, and there's no time requirement. It is so ace. I finally made it to my Human Communications class. Not NEARLY as bad as I thought it'd be! I don't have to drop it, I'm so excited. And there are such fun characters in there. There's a kid who does webcoding and webhosting and there's a dancer and jkshdflajk. Archaeology was fantastic, my teacher, I adore her. "Does anyone have any questions or comments? Alyssa - say something." I wasn't even raising my hand. ♥. I took a nap in the ~Fine Arts~ wing between that and Philosophy of Art and in my dream-like state I remember thinking - "this is how I want to spend all the days of my life - falling asleep listening to someone nearby playing piano, and then waking up to go listen to Donaho." That class is frustrating to me, actually. I WANT to argue and spout off but I don't even have enough knowledge yet. Like I WANT to dispute the meaning of art or any of the 400 questions he's already asked, but he hasn't even answered any. It's still all so rhetorical at this point and I wish he'd just TELL ME so I can start making valid arguments and sticking up for my opinion.
He talked about how Duchamp took a urinal, laid it down on its back, and called it art. He also took a wheel off of his bike and called it art. And he always uses this example, but apparently his whiteboard marker is not art. Why not? I don't GET why it has to be so complicated, why can't people have different explanations and definitions of art? Why does it all have to be programmed, categorized, and easily referenced? To the person who invented whiteboard markers, they ARE art, I'd assume. And then he said that the author of our book says blah-blah-blah and I asked what made him so qualified to even say that when it's all subjective anyway. And then he tried to say that he wasn't an artist but is writing not a form of art? I think our textbook IS art. It'd help if he told us what is the commonly accepted definition of art is, but he doesn't. He just tiptoes around it so far and it drives me nuts. He talked about aleatoric art and I wonder if that can even be art if it's completely random - DOES there have to be an intent to create art? He talked about this guy, this "composer" who had a piece called "4:35" or something, and he went into a hall and started recording, set a timer for four minutes and 35 seconds, and any sound that was picked up was part of the composition. And it was perfectly random. I don't know if I agree with that. I think art demands some sort of skill in order for me to respect and appreciate it and I don't jhdskflljhashjkl THIS IS SO FRUSTRATING. Because I don't get how something like that can be regarded as art when he didn't fucking DO anything. The idea is intriguing and different but is that all you need, he asked us? I don't know, I don't fucking know. He also talked about how he was in a museum here and saw that they'd taken the back off of a semi truck and just hung it. Is that art? I'd say no. I mean, wtf. And then I asked him, "Okay, question. If I do ballet in my kitchen and no one's there to see it, and then I do ballet on a stage, those EXACT same steps, is one of them art and one of them not?" He went off about how there needs to be an atmosphere or setting for art or something so I said, "Well yeah but if I see that semi driving down the road, that's not an ~atmosphere for art~ so how can I look at as art." and then he tells me that it's not art there but it's art in the museum because the museum is a setting for art and it all seems like a GIANT FUCKING CONTRADICTION to me. What are your thoughts? Also some girl was trying to argue that Britney Spears is artwork because she's been molded and created and shaped by her people to have a certain meaning and association. She made a very good, solid argument. OH OH and then we all got into a tizzy over art and money. Some kids were arguing that if an artist does any part of his work for money, they're not really an artist. So basically they think it's ALL intent and no skill or ability. And I argued that even if they DID do something for money, that doesn't mean their piece won't provoke a reaction in people and it doesn't mean they're not an artist. Donaho said something about product placement in TV shows and films and how some people say that when people do that, they're not being true to their vision? I like, don't agree with any of this and it's so hard because I want to disagree with it but he hasn't given me enough to disagree intelligently yet. OH and then this annoying kid kept going off about how artists constantly compromise themselves for the sake of money and that's all it is. And I got so pissed and was like, "OKAY. There HAS to be something else to it because if you're going to compromise yourself for the sake of money, there are far more lucrative ways to do that." And I don't even fucking remember anymore because I'm confusing even myself now.
My dad came over to have my mom cut his hair last night. He stayed for dinner and I ship them so hard. My mom was all worried about what to wear and my dad called beforehand to confirm and it almost amazes me how well we all still function as a group. And something I noticed, my mom was going through our mail and just handed him something and he took it and it was so natural that I don't think either of them even noticed. OH OH and my dad said something that caused both me and my mother to say, "Been there, done that" at the exact same time. And she told him we do that all the time, and he said, "...we used to do that." kljsadfhjkdshjklfadsjklds sdfjklsadfhjklasdjklh sljkfl ahjksdfhjkl. And he was telling me a story about how he and Tony outran some cops and my mom was like, "I remember that!" and I can't even fathom how it must feel to split up with someone after such a long period of time and after having kids and everything. I literally don't even understand. He went to leave and my sister and I hugged him and my mom didn't and it was awkward because they didn't know if they should or could or not and kal;dsfjl :(
We watched Bush's farewell address and the only thing I have to say to that is "kthxbye".
I'm going back to bed. MOAR SLEEP. Then I'm going out to dinner with my mom and her boyfriend.
He talked about how Duchamp took a urinal, laid it down on its back, and called it art. He also took a wheel off of his bike and called it art. And he always uses this example, but apparently his whiteboard marker is not art. Why not? I don't GET why it has to be so complicated, why can't people have different explanations and definitions of art? Why does it all have to be programmed, categorized, and easily referenced? To the person who invented whiteboard markers, they ARE art, I'd assume. And then he said that the author of our book says blah-blah-blah and I asked what made him so qualified to even say that when it's all subjective anyway. And then he tried to say that he wasn't an artist but is writing not a form of art? I think our textbook IS art. It'd help if he told us what is the commonly accepted definition of art is, but he doesn't. He just tiptoes around it so far and it drives me nuts. He talked about aleatoric art and I wonder if that can even be art if it's completely random - DOES there have to be an intent to create art? He talked about this guy, this "composer" who had a piece called "4:35" or something, and he went into a hall and started recording, set a timer for four minutes and 35 seconds, and any sound that was picked up was part of the composition. And it was perfectly random. I don't know if I agree with that. I think art demands some sort of skill in order for me to respect and appreciate it and I don't jhdskflljhashjkl THIS IS SO FRUSTRATING. Because I don't get how something like that can be regarded as art when he didn't fucking DO anything. The idea is intriguing and different but is that all you need, he asked us? I don't know, I don't fucking know. He also talked about how he was in a museum here and saw that they'd taken the back off of a semi truck and just hung it. Is that art? I'd say no. I mean, wtf. And then I asked him, "Okay, question. If I do ballet in my kitchen and no one's there to see it, and then I do ballet on a stage, those EXACT same steps, is one of them art and one of them not?" He went off about how there needs to be an atmosphere or setting for art or something so I said, "Well yeah but if I see that semi driving down the road, that's not an ~atmosphere for art~ so how can I look at as art." and then he tells me that it's not art there but it's art in the museum because the museum is a setting for art and it all seems like a GIANT FUCKING CONTRADICTION to me. What are your thoughts? Also some girl was trying to argue that Britney Spears is artwork because she's been molded and created and shaped by her people to have a certain meaning and association. She made a very good, solid argument. OH OH and then we all got into a tizzy over art and money. Some kids were arguing that if an artist does any part of his work for money, they're not really an artist. So basically they think it's ALL intent and no skill or ability. And I argued that even if they DID do something for money, that doesn't mean their piece won't provoke a reaction in people and it doesn't mean they're not an artist. Donaho said something about product placement in TV shows and films and how some people say that when people do that, they're not being true to their vision? I like, don't agree with any of this and it's so hard because I want to disagree with it but he hasn't given me enough to disagree intelligently yet. OH and then this annoying kid kept going off about how artists constantly compromise themselves for the sake of money and that's all it is. And I got so pissed and was like, "OKAY. There HAS to be something else to it because if you're going to compromise yourself for the sake of money, there are far more lucrative ways to do that." And I don't even fucking remember anymore because I'm confusing even myself now.
My dad came over to have my mom cut his hair last night. He stayed for dinner and I ship them so hard. My mom was all worried about what to wear and my dad called beforehand to confirm and it almost amazes me how well we all still function as a group. And something I noticed, my mom was going through our mail and just handed him something and he took it and it was so natural that I don't think either of them even noticed. OH OH and my dad said something that caused both me and my mother to say, "Been there, done that" at the exact same time. And she told him we do that all the time, and he said, "...we used to do that." kljsadfhjkdshjklfadsjklds sdfjklsadfhjklasdjklh sljkfl ahjksdfhjkl. And he was telling me a story about how he and Tony outran some cops and my mom was like, "I remember that!" and I can't even fathom how it must feel to split up with someone after such a long period of time and after having kids and everything. I literally don't even understand. He went to leave and my sister and I hugged him and my mom didn't and it was awkward because they didn't know if they should or could or not and kal;dsfjl :(
We watched Bush's farewell address and the only thing I have to say to that is "kthxbye".
I'm going back to bed. MOAR SLEEP. Then I'm going out to dinner with my mom and her boyfriend.