Lecture 5

This week's lecture featured Ms. Kate Cuffari who is an object conserver at the PMA.  I loved this lecture.  What she spoke about was absolutely fascinating to me.  She told us a lot of the installations and sculptures that she was worked on installing and preserving and the problems she has faced with several pieces of decaying art work.  She mentioned technology in the way that she uses it at her job and the ways she recommends we should use it to preserve our work in the future.  I really enjoyed her lecture because she made it clear that conservation was keeping art alive.  The ways she uses technology are through things like x-rays of objects, and using UV lights.  She focuses her work on doing everything possible in trying to preserve the sculptures from crowds, dust, and traveling.  I like how she went in to detail not only about the actual processes of conserving, but also how they respect the artists wishes.  Each conservation process, the conservers have to ask the artist (if they are still alive) what their intent was for the piece.  They can't change the material because the material used effects the meaning of the piece of artwork.  They concentrate on keeping as much of the original piece of art as possible.  They don't display replicas of the artwork and they don't re-do parts of the artwork without the artists consent.  

Lecture 4

Week 4's lecture was from Phillip Glahn.  He was definitely my favorite speaker thus far.  He really knew how to address the crowd, and he was a really great speaker.  He mostly talked about the relationship between art and technology and what to do with our knowledge of both.  He did a great job of relating art history to our world of technology today and he did it with a touch of humor which is always nice to hear.  He mentioned how artists articulate their point and that we should consider this when we make art and look at art.  Art and technology fitting together has been around since the 1840s when the Panerama was invented and built.  Then, it progressed into photography and impressionism.  Then he moved on to talk about more of the things we see today.  When we walk down the street or into a store and we see signs that have been  mass produced art takes on a whole new meaning.  Mass production signs and designs represent anonymity and no one wants to associate it with those designs.  Everyone wants to be original.  Phillip then talked about re-skilling the artist's hand.  Design now in this age has completely changed.  We are now facing a world of technology and focusing less on making things with our hands.  We should be producing art and things that are interactive and artists should think of themselves as the producers of meaning.  As a producer, our hands are liberated and it will expand our skill.  Interacting with art is vital to its meaning.  Creating the relationship between the subject matter and what is being produced is what makes art interesting.

My Pictogram

Lecture 3

Scott Rigby was the guest speaker at this week's lecture.  He is a founding member of Basekamp. Basekamp opened in 1998 and is a non-commercial organization researching self-organized art projects.  It's a collaborative program and each week they host pot-luck  dinners that anyone can sit in on.  At the dinners a group of people talk about art and upcoming shows while they snack on all the foods that everyone brings.  People from all around the world can join in as well because Basekamp is a part of Skype.  People can skype in and instantly feel like they are sitting down with the group.  To learn more about Basekamp and the projects that have been involved, check out their website!  You can also follow them on Twitter!  Last week's potluck featured Nathan Shafer's project The New Up: Transhumanist Apologetics.  This week's potluck was the Pickpocket Almanack.  I didn't get to go and join in at this week's potluck, but maybe sometime in the future!

City Life

The theme for this slideshow is City Life. I was inspired by living at

Temple and in the city of Philadelphia.

I also mixed in some components of New York City.

Digital Designers Rediscover Their Hands

Read this article

This article focuses on the fact that digital designers can create anything using a mouse and a computer, but what happens when they start using their hands? The vast world of technology has taken over our own human senses. I believe that it is very important for designers to not only be apt at using a computer, but to also feel the material and structure of their creations. I think that Mr. Tully's Tinkering School sounds fascinating and fun! I'm definitely a hands on person. I enjoy feeling my creations rather than sitting at a computer screen starring at them. That hands on idea is being lost through technology and I think it's important that it doesn't become instinct. Becoming a hands on designer is beneficial not only for the designer, but also for the design. By being able to touch and really look at your design, you can easily see flaws, and improve upon them making the designs more approachable. Being at a computer does have its own benefits, but the article proves that creating things can be a happier process. Quoting the article, "While working in simulated computer worlds has undeniable appeal, Mr. Tulley says, “the physical act of making things helps the whole person.” ".

Lecture 2

This weeks lecture featured Mr. Peter Hanley who is the Manager for Technology Support here at Tyler.  He focused his lecture on the vast world of technology and what it has to offer for up and coming artists such as ourselves.  Getting noticed and heard as an artist is not an easy thing to do however Peter made it clear that the Internet makes being heard easier.  It allows the audience to find you.  They can find you through social media, online galleries, artist communities, and reproduction services.  Social Medias include things like art blogs (i heart photography, printeresting), deviant art (Flickr), and artist's blogs.  Another vital part of getting your artwork noticed through the internet is online presence.  This includes personal websites, and online artist networks (inliquid.com).  Art communities are another great way to get noticed, whether it's local or a regional art organization such as: CFEVA, or Philadelphia Photo Arts Center.  Reproduction Services include Cafe Press, and Artists Books (lulu.com, blurb.com, iPhoto books, and Printshops).  Maybe the most popular way for getting your art noticed in this generation is through Social Networking.  Networks include Facebook, Etsy, Spoonflower, Ponoko, etc.  Social Networking is a quick and easy way to make money.  Peter Hanley was a great presenter because he made this otherwise ordain and boring lecture into an amusing, interesting, and helpful way to learn about art and technology. 

Lecture 1

So today was our first Freshman 2D Principles lecture.  Gerard focused most of the lecture on technology, and on an overview of the next couple of weeks.  He mentioned work study jobs, and the Tyler Student Alliance.  He walked us through what guests we will be having in the next weeks and they include : Peter Hanley (Manager for Technology Support), Scott Rigby (BaseKamp, New Art World), Philip Glahn (Professor of Painting/Drawing/Sculpture), Kate Cuffari (Object Observer @ PMA), Bradley Citwin (Illustrator, Graphic Designer), Sharon Louden (Artist, Animator), Eileen Neff (Photographer), Douglas Bucci (Assistant Professor of Crafts Department).  Also the lectures will include an advising session, a panel discussion about new media (Etsy, PayPal, etc.), people from Environmental Health and Safety, and then some more keynote speakers.  Hopefully these lectures will be helpful in the future!