Kot & DeCurtis

While reading the article by Tony DeCurtis you get the feeling that is like a newpaper article, it seemed very informal.  But the accounts that they author used seemed like he was there when the artist said it.  for instance when McCartney was talking about the dog whistle and putting it in his album.  He said “we gotta have it on! Theres going to be one god and his owner, and id just love to be there when his ears prick up” (DeCurtis 4).  The author sounds like he was good friends with them because that doesn’t sound like something you would find in a normal interview.  I think its interesting how the author showed a lot of emotion when talking about the music of the sixties.  The way he talks about the album Sgt. Peppers sounds like it was an album that he grew up with and loved.

The chapter is titled “George Bush Doesnt Like Black People” which would trigger most people to think that this is going to be about politics dealing with George Bush but it is not.  The article by Greg Kot was very appealing to me, it really gave me the sence of how the internet has revolutionized the music business.  It made me think of the various underground white rappers who I would have never heard of if it was for things like Facebook, YouTube and other various websites dealing with music.  The article talks about how when we use to use CD’s it would take months to produce the CD’s and distribute them, within a month the song had been downloaded more than a million times (Kot 183) But with the internet the group that produced the song “George Bush Doesnt Like Black People” were able to finish a song and fifteen minutes later were able to have it up and ready for people all around the world download and listen to it.  They said that within minutes they were receiving emails from people all over about their song.  The internet has made it much easier for people to spread their word, as im sitting here listing to music that has been downloaded.  And even better only two of the albums that I have by Wiz Khalifa are sold on iTunes, the rest are   that usually never make it to most people’s ears.

 

Wiz

Wiz Khalifa is one of the up and coming faces of Hip Hop he recently released his new album Rolling Papers, but has had many mix tapes and one album before it.  He got his very unique name from two sources, he got Wiz from the kids he use to hang out with when he was a kid.  They called him Wiz because of his street smarts and his ability to hustle.  He got Khalifa from his grandfather who is Arab, Khalifa means wisdom.  He is the first artist to put Pittsburgh on the map for hip hop with his incredibly popular single Black and Yellow.  Which contrary to popular belief is not about a gang.  It is actually about Pittsburgh.  He uses black and yellow to represent the sports teams of Pittsburgh.  His Album Rolling papers has a very main stream tune to it, the beat sounds a lot like pop like most hip hop does.  But when you listen to his many mix tapes you find more of a traditional hip hop beat that’s heavy in bass.  The interesting thing that Wiz seems to prefer a 70’s disco beat in some of his songs.  His music is commonly about women, cars, money, alcohol, and most predominantly marijuana.  Wiz Khalifa makes sure that everyone knows he is an avid weed smoker.  It is not uncommon to hear him reference marijuana multiple times in one of his songs.

Hip Hop’s Godfathers

I have listened to Hip Hop since I was in fifth grade, it all started off with a CD of Eminem.  The funny thing is that Hip Hop is dominated by black artist and for a white rapper to make it as one of the best rappers is quite an achievement.  

As you can see from this picture of many of the famous rap artists, if you look closely you can find Eminem in it.  The two people who are the biggest in this picture are Tupac on the left and Notorious B.I.G. on the right.  These two men represent opposite side of hip hop, Tupac was from the West Coast and Notorious B.I.G. was from Brooklyn.  These two are considered the godfathers of hip hop.  They worked with each other a couple of times, Tupac was in a way a mentor for Biggie.  Quinquennially when Tupac was jumped in Biggies studio Tupac thought it was Biggies group who tried to jump him.  This started a battle between the two of them which eventually lead to them both being killed by what each other side believed to be by the other groups doing.

Art Final

Cody Reider

Dr. Fretz

Writing Analytically

March 28, 2011

 

“Canoe for Don Quixote”

 

While visiting the Denver Art Museum I was not sure what exactly I was going to choose.  I had never been to an Art Museum and quite frankly I was not really interested in art in the first place.  But when I came across the painting “Trade Canoe for Don Quixote” by Jaune

I was intrigued; there was something about this piece of art that was just completely different from any other piece of art that I had ever seen.  Everything from the skeletons leading the boat, to why the Pepsi cans was there in the first place, and even the devil in the back of the boat. I will go in dept why this painting should not be over looked just because it is not done by Picasso, Di Vinci, or Van Gogh.

To get a different generations view on the art that I chose I decided to bring my grandmother to the Denver Art Museum.  When she looked at the painting she thought it was “a journey that the Native Americans are going through” (Perschbacher).  She said that the skeletons that are leading the boat are “the Native Americans ancestors, who represent what life was back before European settler came to the Americas (Perschbacher).  She thought that the wailing women were to represent the numerous people who have been killed by the Europeans as they were moving toward the west.  She believed that it was there to represent such massacres as Wounded Knee.  The Pepsi cans which were some of the most out of place objects in this piece of art could have multiple roles.  My Grandmother believed that they were there to represent the impact of what Americans have forced on them.  Such as gambling, that is a major source that Native Americans are allowed to take part in to make money for their reservation.  She believed that the lizard at sat atop the pile of lost souls was there to guide the Native Americans back to the way they were before they were taken over.  Then as we look towards the back we see the devil and the cross, she believed that it was there to show how Christianity was forced on the Native Americans.  And most of all she thought that the scarab that was riding on the back of the canoe was there to clean everything up from all of the chaos that had happened in the past few hundred years.

When I first came across the painting in the corner there were many things that were flying through my mind.  I thought that the painting was a journey to the afterlife,  I though the boat was like the boat in Roman mythology and  that it was there to take the souls who have recently left the living world.  I thought that the skulls that where at the front of the boat where there to guide everyone to the afterlife, and that the giant mass off people and stuff in the boat were all reasons for the people dying.  Like the Pepsi cans I thought that they were there to show what kills people.  Not the Pepsi cans exactly but things like cigarettes or alcohol.

Jaune Quick-to-See Smith  was born at a Missouri mission on Flathead Reservation in 1940.  She has multiple degrees in the arts starting in 1960 when so got her Associate of Arts Degree at Olympic College in Bremerton Washington.  After achieving that she moved on to get her bachelor’s degree in art education in 1975.  Moving on to University of New Mexico to get her masters in art in 1980.  Jaune Quick-to-See Smith was not like most artists she has multiple degrees in art, she “is one of today’s most acclaimed American Indian artists. She has been reviewed in all major art periodicals” (Women’s History Month).  It is hard to disagree with this claim she has over 100 solo exhibits in the past thirty five years (Women’s History Month).  She has contributed to the floor design of the Denver International Airport.  For an artist that is relatively unknown she has been part of many significant things.

Through out looking at pieces of work by Jaune Quick-to-See Smith there are many similarities. Take for instance this paintingthere are many similarities between this piece State names.  First off she uses the dripping effect in this painting like she does in “Canoe for Don Quixote”.  This effect gives the paintings a depressing feel to them; even though the colors are not dark the dripping paint gives them a darker feel.  Interesting enough if you look you can only see certain names of states.  This is because she chose to only show the states that names come from Native American influence (State Names).  States like Wyoming comes from a Delaware Native American word that means mountains and valleys alternating (State Names).  Trade Canoe for Don Quixote she uses this painting is all about the Native American.  Whereas Trade Canoe for Don Quixote deals with many things from many different cultures.  Such as the scarab in the back of the canoe, the scarab is Egyptian but she incorporates it into her paintings.

Trades Canoe for Don Quixote is a surrealism painting; her paintings are a lot like Salvador Dali and his paintings like “Soft Watch”.

The main thing that this picture has in common with my art is that in a way they both have a dripping effect.  My picture literally has dripping paint but this whole painting has a dripped effect.  “Soft Watch” also has the various images that add wonder to the picture.  For instance it has a little teepee looking thing at the bottom corner.  Also the clock is not lying on the ledge its floating.  There are many things in this painting that follow along with “Trade Canoe for Don Quixote”.

Trade Canoe for Don Quixote deserves more than just one look by the passing by art enthusiast; it has more to offer.  There is so much information in bedded in the painting, everything from all of the character in the canoe, to the dripping paint.  When you first look at the painting it just looks like a big mess of different characters, but it is actually has to do with the Iraq war.  Everything in this painting has meaning, for instance the canoe is used to move good but also to carry troops to war.  There are the Skulls that were used by Jose Guadalupe Posada to depict politicians and government figures.  They are at the front of the canoe to show that the government takes us to war.  Then as you move on you see the lizard which is to represent the monitor lizard found in Iraq, this shows that they painting is directed toward the Iraq war.  The main thing that caught my eye was the Pepsi cans.  They are there to show how we try to help out the counties we attack.  The United States brought in a Pepsi plant to help stimulate the economy.  I think that she is relating this to what the United States has done to the Native American nation.  The next thing that caught my eye was the devil and cross.  This was put into the painting because most wars are fought over religion.  We are technically in the Middle East because the terrorist that attacked The World Trade Centers were doing it for their religion.

This painting does not contain just one main focal point like many paintings do.  “Trade Canoe for Don Quixote” has many little pieces to make a final product with a final meaning.  This art is like a car, there are many different parts that all have to come together to make it work.  If there is only one piece of the painting for instance the skulls you would not get the major meaning of the painting.  It is like having just the body of a car, you cannot drive it because you do not have an engine, so you just get a taste of it.

This painting has so much to offer, most people would probably walk by it with nothing more than just a glace.  Too many people judge art by what dead guy painted it many years ago.  If they just stop and take in works of art like this they would have a deeper respect for the smaller and more unknown artist.  Maybe what it really takes is for an unsuspecting student to walk by it and appreciate it; maybe it takes someone who knows very little about art to bring a piece into the spot light.

 

Works Cited

Perschbacher, Eileen. “Art.” Personal interview. 8 Mar. 2011.

“State Names by Jaune Quick-To-See Smith.” American Art. Web. 29 Mar. 2011. <http://americanart.si.edu/collections/search/artwork/?id=73858&gt;.

“Women’s History Month.” National Women’s History Project. Web. 29 Mar. 2011. <http://www.nwhp.org/whm/smith_bio.php&gt;.

 

 

Trade Canoe for Don Quixote

As I was walking through the Denver art museum I was somewhat worried.  I had never been to the an art museum before and didn’t really think I would find the art to be very interesting.  I had in my mind that i was going to walk around for an hour or so and find nothing that interest me, I figured that I was just going to write about the Denver Art museum its self.  As I walked into the museum I wasnt sure what section that I wanted to visit.  My Grandma suggested that we go see the Native American exhibit.  Not having any set ideas on what I wanted to look at we went upstairs.  I walked around the exhibit and looked at sculptures and paintings but nothing really interested me.  Finally in the back corner of the exhibit I saw a interesting painting of a canoe that was filled with skulls, bugs, and what really caught my eye Pepsi cans, Trade Canoe for Don Quixote by Jaune quick to see Smith.

One of the great things that I got from this painting that other people wont get from their paintings.  My painting had a set of iPads set up where you could click on different parts of the paintings and the author would tell you why she chose to put that in the painting.

There was an interesting quote that I on the iPads that said “an Indian canoe headed for the middle east ” right off the bat I assumed that this is a piece direct completely to the war on terror.  When I touched the canoe I learned that the canoe was used for many things such as trade, or for battles.  The mexican style skeletons in the front of the canoe were used by Jose Guadalupe Posada to depict politician.  The politicians are the first thing in this piece which might lead to show that wars are started by politicians.  That really interest me,  maybe she is saying that the war in Iraq was started by the U.S. government not by the middle east.  She might be saying that there’s a conspiracy with 9/11 and the war.  I find that there are many potential meanings in this painting.

 

Sex Sells

The saying sex sells couldn’t be more true.  While looking on Oakley’s website looking for a new pair of sun glasses, this image came up on Oakley’s front page.  From this picture there is no way that you could tell that the women are even wearing Oakley sunglasses.  I think that Berger would bring up the fact that these women are here to be looked at by men.  It would be one thing if this ad came up under the women section of Oakley’s website, but it’s not this picture came up on the front page for everyone who visits the website.  And Oakley chose a women would be attractive to me but at the same time make women think that Oakley’s will make them more attractive.  The woman in this picture is in a bikini, shes tan and has a slightly seductive look.   This ad could be geared to men though,  it could make guys think that girls like Oakleys so if a guy wears Oakleys he will become more attractive to women.  In a sense this ad is geared to both men and women,  making it a perfect ad because they killed two birds with one stone.  Making women want the sunglasses she is wearing, and make guys think that women like men in Oakleys.  Then they throw in the Uniquely part, which would lead people to think that there is something better about Oakleys instead of the generic brand or other high class brands.  If it was me i would put the Made in America in smaller print, to suggest that is why Oakley is unique.  But no so big to make it seem thats exactly why they are unique, so that there is still some wonder in why they are unique.

Berger and Colbert

Watching the Colbert report, now that is my kind of assignment.  While watching the show the first thing that really stuck out at me was the introduction.  The colors are all red, white, and blue, with a eagle adorned in the same colors.  Now to me that seems to be symbolizing that he is patriotic.  He also runs towards the american flag, grabbing it and jumping of what seems to be an invisible cliff.  He looks like a super hero or a savior from traditional news.  Also his whole set is red white and blue even down to his attire.  Then it came to my attention that technically I am looking at a reproduction like Berger said when we were looking at the Virgin on the Rocks by Leonardo Di Vinci.  So the people who pay to see his show are actually watching the original.  We are just looking at the reproduction.  I also thought it was interesting the topics that were brought up.  For instance to start out the show he talked how we are loosing our freedom of choice by saying in 2008 we had 412 choices of toothpaste and now in 2011 we only have 352.  Then how he interviewed people in his show also interested me.  He seemed to almost be attacking the person he was interviewing, but that person did not act like he was being attacked.

Troubles With Topics

I am not sure if I was the only one but when I realized that we had about a week till our rough draft was due, I was worried, I had no idea what i was going to write about.  So I decided to meet with our very helpful professor.  We talked about what interested me in the play… As always he never told me what i should write he always asks questions.  After writing my paper last semester on womens rights and how violence against women is wrong.  I decided to write on the topic male domination.  Dealing with Theseus and how he treats Hippolyta, also looking at how Oberon and Titania relationship is.  I am hoping that this essay will be easier than the last essay I wrote for this class.

Complete Change of Thought

My attitude toward this book has completely changed from act one to act two.  I when from being completely bored by the book, to being, well at least interested in the book.  It is not that I do not like the book, I am just not that interested in most book.  I completely loved the play however, and how they represented all of the characters.  I liked the smaller theater because of how close you were to the actors.  I would have to say my favorite actors were Puck and Bottom.  Bottom was played exactly how I imagined him.  I like Puck just because he was so mischievous.  I though it was funny how in the play the fairies would take the actors hates, clothes, or even their glasses and the characters acted like they never noticed.  I am glad that I enjoy the book much, and am not dreading the reading as much.

Difficult Start

Well lets hope every other act is not like act one was.  I found myself easily bored as I was reading through the pages.  I found myself wondering off while I was reading, only to come back reality and being completely lost. I felt like I got the major idea of the act, but missed all the little details.  hopefully the next act will be better than the first act.