Madama Butterfly

The version of "Madama Butterfly" that we have watched is a claymation remake cut down to 10 minutes. This film was originally an opera made in Italy. The story is that of a young girl named Butterfly who seems to be Chinese or Japanese. She falls in love with a handsome white American man. The two end up making love and the woman becomes pregnant. Meanwhile the American man sails off to sea for many years. All the while the woman is shown waiting for him. He soon returns, accompanied by his American wife only to find he has another child. He takes the child from Butterfly and is shown leaving with his wife. Butterfly leaves the set of the animation and peels off the plastic outer cover that makes the body of he doll figure. She then dismantles her metal frame with a screw driver effectively committing suicide. There are a few themes I noticed in the film that help bring meaning to an otherwise silent film. (None of the characters speak.) In the opening scene we see a Butterfly land on the woman head. The butterfly stays in contact with the woman until we see the American initially leave. I believe that this Butterfly represents her soul or her love for the man. When the man sails away he takes her "love" with him. Another interesting thing I observed is the way that the weather changes while she is waiting for him to return. She is not bothered by the blowing wind on the shore. This is another sign of he undying love. The final act portrays her taking her doll body apart with a screw driver. This is an interesting rendition of her act of suicide as it is painful to watch despite it being metal parts. All in all this short film tugs on the heart strings as we associate with Butterfly.

The Day The World Stopped Turning.

September 11th 2001

September 11th is one of the most famous days in the history of the United States. From the shores of California to streets of Boston everyone was effected in their own way. Many lives were changed that day to never be the same again. I personally do not have any memories from that specific day. At this point in time I was a first grader attending Elk Ridge Elementary School in Buckley, Washington. I'm not exactly sure why I don't have memories from that specific day. I do know from my brothers accounts that many of the televisions were on in my school for a short period of time so that the teachers could follow the news reports. Friends whom I grew up with mentioned that their school days were cancelled immediately. I do not remember going home early. I do have memories of the following years and the time spent honoring those who died often with a moment of silence during the morning announcements. I find myself in the minority that I don't have memories from that specific day as it seems everyone else does.

Early History and Art

Links from Early History and Multimedia

Art comes in many fashions. Not only is a beautiful painting considered art, so is a theatre performance. We can see evidence of some of the earths most amazing theaters in Greece, and much of Europe. One excellent example is Notre Dame. The Notre Dame Cathedral is a beautiful building in Paris that has housed Catholic events for hundreds of years. The architecture inside is breathtaking while the outside sits on the edge of the Seine River. Massive stained glass windows stand on the far end of the cathedral creating images of important events in the Bible. The most important event of Notre Dames history is arguably its importance in the French Revolution. Now know as one of the more prominent tourist sites in France Notre Dame still stands untouched today. The architecture is unmatched in todays era when compared to newer buildings. No where in the world can you see a piece of art as beautiful as Notre Dames layout.

In Greece we find one of the most powerful buildings in all of Rome's history. The Colosseum. With its massive walls it was the biggest amphitheater in the Roman Empire. Housing hundreds of events the Colosseums design is still replicated by todays engineers. In fact much of the technology we use today at modern events is thanks in part to the Romans and the Colosseums advances. Despite being torn apart by weather and time the Colosseum is still the leading attraction in the mediterranean area of the world.

Much of old world art is in the form of the buildings that those people used in that era. Concrete stands much stronger and taller through time than any other canvas ever made. This is much of the reason behind why many tourist attractions are buildings of every shape and size.

The World of Wrestling

"The World of Wrestling"

Roland Barthes

In Roland Barthes essay, "The World of Wrestling", we dive into French amateur wrestling in the 1950's. Wrestling in this decade was not anything that it is that we think of now on television. Much of the wrestling was done in a much smaller scale. Barthes points to the idea that wrestling is comparable to the acts we see in theatre. While wrestling is a sport this type of wrestling is most often staged with a predetermined winner. Barthes compares wrestling to boxing pointing out the differences. A key difference is the juxtaposed meanings in each moment and how the viewer must find the meaning without think as much of who the winner may be. The winner in fact is not the most important spectacle of wrestling. Instead the emotions of each moment are what make wrestling. Barthes also points out the message that is being portrayed in each moment by the wrestler themselves. The emotion and gestures of the fighters are like the act in a theatre. Each wince and twisted expression draws emotions from the viewer. The final aspect of a wrestling match that Barthes explains is the spectacle of suffering, justice, and defeat. The crowd is yearning for a hero and villain story on the wrestling mat. Through the suffering of one opponent the crowd lets out cheers of approval as to let the fighter know they are on his side. With the finale of this show one opponent must accept defeat. The crowd yearns for this finale in that they will be given the show of justice upon the mighty villain in the math. Initially Barthes says that some think wrestling is not a sport. He explains that the audience is not interested in who might win the contest. instead they immerse themselves in the action and emotion of each moment. These are the reasons wrestling is so amusing.

Philosophy of Technology and Episteme

The meaning of Episteme usually translated as knowledge. The word Techne is most closely translated as craft or skill. Upon first glance at the meanings of these two words we could say that they have separate meanings. The biggest conundrum we find with these two terms is the interchangeability of them and the way their meaning can change based on their use. Greek philosophers have developed these terms in time with the context in which they are used. Plato and the Stoics illustrate the differences in understandings in their application of the terms. One may think that pure Episteme (knowledge) is the only thing we need to get along. On the other hand Techne is the act of experience and real life abilities. Plato initially used the two terms in the same context. Plato believes that the Episteme cannot be used effectively if there is not Techne to use it. The Stoics do not have the same understanding of Episteme and Techne as Plato did. They believe that Episteme is the moral standing and knowledge of a man and Techne is the act of using these morals.

In todays world the word technology brings about thoughts of iPhones and Laptop Computers. This was not the case in Ancient Greek and the history of technology as a whole. In Ancient Greece philosophers pointed to the artistry of architecture as the technology of the day. They said that technology wants to imitate nature as closely as possible. As we reach the historical era of the renaissance we see that technology begins to be a form of self expression in that of art. There is a great appreciation of art and its influence on our place in this universe during these eras. Upon the arrival of the Industrial Revolution we find that technology has a socio-economical influence. We also see technology begin to feel an influence from science and how technology in turn effects science, ethics and culture.

The history of technology and how we use it and view its importance has developed throughout history and with the development of philosophy gained a entirely changed meaning.

Raul Cuero and Creativity

Raul Cuero is a Professor in microbiologist born in the 1940's in Colombia South America. He came from a very small home and a humble economic situation. He was able to surpass these challenges at a young age. Raul has an incredible thirst for knowledge. In his younger years he had to overcome the prejudice that is associated with an African American pursuing an education in the 50's and 60's. Raul presents a few ideas on how he was able to overcome difficulties. He explains that he believed in himself and his identity and in that he found new possibilities because of his ability to see the bigger picture. He did not have to listen to others to tell him what to do. Limits were placed on Raul but he went out of his way to do something that others did not expect him to do. In the video he points out that creativity is doing something new and unexpected. I admire Raul because of his perseverance based on his conditions. Raul could have very easily fell to the prejudice that he was around. I see the correlation of his courage to creativity. Often times I find myself scared to express my ideas or my creativity as I do not want to be judged on what I create. These are minor problems compared to what Raul overcame. I can use him as an inspiration. Later in the video Raul talks about the importance of creativity through doing. He states that the american education system and its children are following a menu. There cannot be too much structure as this does not allow one to tackle problems and struggle on their own. I believe I can use this advice to my advantage. Going out of the way to attempt new and unique problems on my own without a guide could be very constructive in developing my creativity. Professor Raul Cuero is a unique individual in his origins and the way that he has developed his life. His ideals on creativity and how to live a challenging life could be very useful if implemented correctly

Juan Carlos Delgado

Juan Carlos Delgado is a Colombian artist whom works with multiple media types. His work is seen in photo, painting and most notably sculpture format. Many of his works have a faded look with much of the edges being open space. His most noticed work is his sculptures. The copper are pieces are frozen solid upon display. As time goes on the ice begins to melt and reveal the dark tones beneath.

http://www.colarte.com/colarte/ConsPintores.asp?idartista=1401&pest=obras

 This is an interesting technique because no matter when you go back to view his work it will always have a different appearance as a result of the melting ice. Initially the ice will blend the statue into his white background often used in his sets. Does the ice represent cleanliness or a fresh beginning? As the ice melts we are down the true core of his piece his copper statue. Another interesting part of his work is that most of his frozen pieces are statues of women in long robes. Does he have another meaning behind the type of statue he works with?

Day 1

My name is Michael O'Connor. I hail from the far upper left corner of the country. A proud citizen of Seattle, Washington and the Northwest region of the country. I am a Junior student athlete at the University of Tampa. I am a member of the Mens Lacrosse team here on campus. While I enjoy playing lacrosse in my free time I am also an avid Youtube goer and a frequent poster on Reddit. My GoPro is one of my prized possessions and I often document my adventures then post them on my Youtube channel.

(Taken With my GoPro Lake Tapps, Washington)

 Its hard to say what my feelings of the class are after just one day as we only spent 15 minutes in class total. I did notice a sense of apathy from my peers when we were posed the question on what it is we want to get out of this class. To be honest I had no real answer myself. It was a bit embarrassing for me and I am sure for my classmates. It is interesting to see this dynamic from my generation. We often don't have much direction on what we are doing in our lives. This leads to a lack of attention and more or less a lack of responsibility for our own affairs and actions.
 Through much of high school I pursued the graphic design classes that were offered. For a while I even could see myself in a career as a graphic designer. The idea of creating images from my own imagination and spreading them to thousands of viewers via print form or social media was, and still is, a fascinating prospect. Late in my high school career I lost my passion for graphic design as my athletic pathway took a hold of my career ideals I just could not see myself sitting behind a desk for the rest of my life. I still have the passion and interest in art and its cohesion with technology and that is part of the reason I enrolled in this course. I hope to leave this course with a better understanding of the history of art and technology and how I can contribute to the propagation of this new media form.