Post-Modernism

Post-Modernism is sort of a way to contradict one form of artwork from another. The strange thing, or beauty I should say, is that these contradictions can be seen within the same artwork. In music, we can see this occur by mixing songs together to form a new rhythm. In todays culture, we see this occur in the music style EDM, (electric dance music), which has a sort of disco beat behind the music. In art, we see post-modernism when artists add bits and pieces together of art that normally wouldn't be placed together.

Black-Figure Krater

                                                       
              The piece of artwork I found most interesting was the Black-Figure Krater. I was amazed that pottery created around 530 BCE is not only still around, but in close to perfect condition. At first glance, it looked like a type of bowl/glass used to cook food. However after looking much closer, I saw that there are two eyes with people standing in-between. The description given defines this piece by saying "on this cup is a pair of eyes with courting male figures in between. In Greek culture, eyes ward off evil. The courting figures are fairly typical subject matter. The SO graffito on the underside of the foot appears on many vessels of the time and is believed to be the mark of a bulk purchaser".
             I learned from this that the eyes are a way to ward off evil, used in greek culture. The date this was made shows that Greek Spartans were in the midst of their reign, and the pottery might have deeper meaning than first glance. Although i am unsure of the meaning, I can infer that the two men are Spartans and the eyes act as a "god" or "higher being" that protect these spartans during battle. Regardless of the meaning, however, The pottery is still wonderful and is still admired generations later.
           

The Shape of Time

One thing I found interesting in the article "The Shape of time" was the comparison between talented and genius. One thing the author describes is how talent can be seen from a young age. The mind is able to master techniques and problems more quickly, and the mind grows at a faster rate. Genius is more of an unorthodox and rare method, seen in a few number of people. Genius was thought to not be genetic, rather a phenomenon seen in a rare, and special few. The author then leads to how both genius and talented lead to solving problems faced by man. The author says, "we always may be sure that every man-made thing arises from a problem as a purposeful solution."

Data Visualization

Data and graphs have been used since the beginning, and we see that they have become more sophisticated over the history of mankind. One thing I leaned is that people have "fight or flight" which helps them quickly react in order to help them make decisions and survive. This can be used by designers because they are able to create patterns and designs that people quickly pick up and react to. We also see example of how advanced data has become. Google Maps can be used for people to not only see something but actually be able to use it. Something I learned is that its better for people to see things do learn. However, most people see things to confirm.

Whitescapes

Comparing white piece of paper & Starbucks lid:

The white piece of paper turns to a rose / pink color while the Starbucks lid takes on a hint of grey.