Superman Logo

The Superman emblem is a red upside-down triangle with a capital red “S” in the center of the triangle. The emblem has a yellow fill in-between the red gaps of the “S” and the triangle outline and is usually seen up against a royal blue background. Red, yellow, and blue are all vibrant colors that coincide with the colors of the American flag. I think this is crucial to the comparison of America with the ultimate superhero because he practically wears the American flag. Superman first appeared in 1938 and has been viewed as the most noble super hero in the world. When seeing the superman logo, adjectives such as heroic, manly, powerful, good, and brave come to mind because that is what the superhero represents. I think Superman is the all time American super hero (but personally my favorite will always be Batman). Clark Kent is a regular working class man by day who deals with everyday tasks, but when danger comes he is an indestructible hero. I think American’s like to view their country in that way. Hardworking but powerful; a force to be reckoned with. Many people also like to believe that they will always be saved and that if they have loyalty to their country their country, in return, will take care of them. So in some sense I think this symbol is unrealistic because to me Superman is a reflection of America and the American government; they’re certainly not super heros. I see this symbol a lot. Tattoos, t-shirts, comics, posters, movies, video games, phone wallpaper, you name it and the Superman logo is there. Its the classic representation of what is just, and I think that is how the American government likes to view itself. So the Superman symbol could represent many things but to me it displays a type of patriotism. 

Morbid Curiosity

I really enjoyed having class at the Morbid Curiosity exhibit! I think I got a lot out of viewing the artwork that was displayed; it made me reflect on the way I was going to take field notes about my site. The exhibit helped exercise the element of digging out the deeper meaning of the art and decoding the symbolism it represents. My favorite piece at the Cultural Center is entitled “The Doctor”. It is a pencil sketch of a doctor holding up a naked woman who is desperately clinging onto him because a skeletal figure (I assume is representing death) is pulling her down toward him. In itself it was a very simple drawing with muted colors and minor details, but the work of shadowing and expression really made an impact on me. The doctors stance was very rigid in holding up the naked woman and his expression on his face was almost blank even stoic looking. The woman clinging for life was naked and fully exposed- it portrayed a sense of vulnerability and helplessness. Her face was hidden by her hair. The skeletal figure had the most detail and shadowing. It even had the most expressive face out of the three figures; I’m not really sure why. I know the doctor is rigid because in that profession they probably see people dying everyday, its as if he is numb to it. The help he is giving the woman is almost mechanical looking. It interested me that the woman was naked. Why are women always the victim? That’s societies problem. But it was honestly a great piece, I couldn't help but stare at it for the majority of the time we were at the exhibit. I really hope we have time to go back to the Cultural Center this semester because I feel it was really fulfilling to me as an observer, writer, and gave me further insight on how I want to approach my project. 

Ron Pippin

The artist I chose to research is Ron Pippin. I googled some of his art work and was really taken aback by a few of his pieces. The theme of his work seems to be centralized around animal figures, almost in a demented disfigured state. His work really grabbed my attention because I am an animal lover and because of personal beliefs I am against hunting; Pippin’s work centralizes around animal death in a sort of mechanical way. He shapes animal figures out of wood and adds a ‘mechanical’ element to it. For example, in one figure there is a jack rabbit in a steel mask pointing out into a beak. It is also wearing a sleet roped harness that entangles one of his front paws. It defiantly portrays a dark feel to the art but it is intriguing. Pippin also gravitizds earthiness and elements of nature in these works. Everything seems to be made of wood, the colors are all muted in either browns or greens as you would see in a forest where these animals naturally live. Ron Pippin’s work actually reminds me a lot of Damien Hirst’s art. They both put an emphasis on animals in an unusual spin. Hirst’s animal art displays animals in a more modern and futuristic sense by putting cows in blue tanks and pink zebras as opposed to Pippin’s forest animals displayed in a more subdued and earthy feel. I am excited to see Pippin’s portion in the upcoming exhibit this Wednesday.

Assignment 7

For this prompt we are suppose to address the personal me and external I. I feel as though I can compile my thoughts more effectively through lists, so that is how I will conduct this free write.

External “I” 

• privileged middle class suburbanite 
• caucasian female
• a best friend
• youngest child in a family of six
• typical teen with “rock star” ambitions
• hopefully one day she’ll change her mind back to medicine
• lives in a family comprised of doctors and lawyers
• family views: “art is a hobby, not a living”
• quiet demeanor 
• homecoming queen
• animal lover
• guitar player
• witty sense of humor
• ex girlfriend 
• small time girl in the big city
• loves to cook
• a runner
• hangs out at record stores
• the “sober girl who thinks she’s too good to trip on acid”
• when visiting home friends always say “you’re from Chicago”, thats funny because I’m pretty sure I grew up with all of you guys here in Detroit
• stutterer
• blusher
• dancer
• wanna be singer
• family orientated

Internal “Me”

• loved
• anxious
• over analyzer 
• driven
• part of a tight knit group of friends
• stubborn
• loyal
• relives past 
• makes wishes at 11:11
• poet
• lyricist
• tongue tied when trying to explain what I’m thinking
• impulsive
• cautious but not fearful
• spiritual
• my music is my therapy 
• healing
• explorer/negotiator 
• youngest in the family but the family’s support system
• performance anxiety
• nodules
• afraid to fail because everyone is expecting me to
• don’t like giving people what they expect
• “pain in the ass”
• palm reader
• long distance attempter: miserable failure
• stand up for what I believe in
• desperate to find out whats going to happen in my future
• desperate to find me
• curious
• hard worker
• my mom says “you were always ahead of your time”
• don’t feel like I really have a home anymore
• awkward
• spunky 
• need to make a difference 

Tattoo A

Looking at tattoo A many things come to mind on who this person is and why they would get this tattoo. Just by viewing the size of this person’s leg and noticing that it is shaved, I’m going to assume that this is a caucasian woman probably around 20-25 years old. By the choice of pastel blues and pinks, she might be kind of girly. You can tell that she has a high pain tolerance because the shin area is super boney which would be a sensitive spot to get a tattoo. By tattooing the milky way on her leg maybe she is interested in astronomy and the mystery of space. By acquiring the knowledge about astronomy, she is probably educated about science and is maybe even a science major. I definitely feel that this person is still either in college or graduate school because of the converse shoes and blue jeans. Maybe she got that tattoo because she is passionate about science. Maybe she got it because it represents mystery and the unknown. Maybe it represents a type of heaven or oasis, maybe she lost someone recently. Or maybe she got the tattoo to be inspired because stars and space are often associated with dreams and to “reach for the stars”.

Identity

I am my mom’s sense of humor, my dad’s drive to make a difference, my sisters’ shoulder to lean on, my brother’s wingman. I am my own worse enemy, the socially awkward girl in class but the life of the party with the familiar. I am too old for my age but too young for the world. I have no idea who I am, but the important thing about me is that I know who I want to become. 

My ethnological research topic is on Open Mic Night at the Mustache Cafe or Potbelly’s. Music is my passion. It also scares the shit out of me, it always has. I’ve danced solos in front of hundreds of people, recited poems, been leads in plays; but when it comes to singing a song in front of even just one person I will piss my pants. There’s a deep rooted fear that what I have to say will not be accepted. When I do bring myself to perform the backstage process is a mess. I have intense panic attacks and have been prone to fainting; but once I’m on stage the audience would never know. Thank God for blessing me with a good poker face. I have won multiple singing competitions and have even been a featured artist on a rap track singing the hook, but no matter how many times I perform the battle with in myself never subsides.

That is why I have such utter respect(and envy)  for artists who can just get up and perform instantaneously. I plan to observe and interview these artists to see what goes into their emotional thought process before performing their original songs. Fear of rejection rules my mind before shows which cripples my willingness to perform. I want to see if this project can not only help me but also gain a right to consider myself part of the amateur musician community.

Paper Topics

I'm having a hard time figuring out exactly what I want to base this project on, but I did think of two possible ideas. The first one would be what it is like to live with a fine art major. My apartment is always filled with wacky things because of my roommate and her "works in progress". The second idea was to involve something with interracial dating or  sex and love anonymous. I wanted to incorporate some psychology in my project. But both of these topics are really undeveloped so I'm open to changing them.

Assignment 2: Boy Bands

The cultural text I’m going to explore are 90s Boy Bands. “Boy Bands” consists of a youthful all male pop group that market themselves mainly to females ranging from a teeny-bopper age group all the way to premenopausal women. These Boy Bands (usually five members to a group) perform choreographed dances while singing sweet nothings to a catchy pop beat dedicated to their estrogen based fan group. 

Thinking about Boy Bands as a cultural text is interesting to me because I grew up with them. They represent an innocence linked to males where as society usually pin points “purity” on women.  Backstreet Boys, N’sync, O Town, New Kids On the Block, 98 Degrees, and Boyzone, to name a few, all market a softer side to males which is ingenious because women love it; the bands and their songs represents an ideal “love”. It makes fans feel that boys think the same way about “love” as girls do. I think Boy Bands almost represent what girls wish men can be. As cheesy as these bands are, any girl would be flattered if a man told them “No one else comes close to you. No one makes me feel the way you do. You're so special girl to me, and you'll always be eternally”.(Backstreet Boys)

Going back to the thought of Boy Bands representing a woman’s dream man, I feel there will always be a need for them because no one ever wants to give up on the bubble gum version of love. It represents easy, uncomplicated, puppy love with the most important factor; the fact that it is being delivered by men. The typical Boy Band has evolved over time, but it is still here. Justin Bieber, Jonas Brothers, and Big Time Rush are to name a few. I think Boy Bands will remain an active cultural text in society because they are the “Hallmark card of music”. They make girls feel appreciated, they say what women want to hear after a break up, and they give listeners the illusion that boys are looking for love and if you give them a chance it could be what you always dreamed of. 

Assignment 1

     Hey everyone! I’m Deanna and I’m from Michigan. I have a ton of different interests and hobbies but I’ll narrow it down for this blog. I love to sing, play my guitar/keyboard/harmonica, and write songs. Right now I'm recording my first demo, so I'm pretty stoked. Music probably takes up eighty percent of my thought process throughout the day. Another hobby I’m obsessed with is going on food adventures with my sister. We find all of these hole-in-the-wall places in different states and try a variety of unusual ethnic food and explore our palates. I also love to dance. I danced for nine years; the typical jazz, ballet, tap, and point, but I also took belly dancing and Ukrainian folk dancing. Out of all of the different styles my favorite, to this day, is improve 80s dance moves. My friends and I use to break out and do the “running man”, the “shopping cart”, or any other 80s move in random public places; people thought we were crazy but it was uber fun.

     Some musicians I truly admire are Mumford and Sons, Citizen Cope, and Emma Louise. I feel as though they are my musical soul mates whose lyrical styling reflect my own. I have an odd interest in psychology and studies about human behavior related to the brain and hormones. So I feel as though science is a type of art. I’m also a huge fan of poetry. Some of my favorite poetry books are “Blushing”,”Kiss Off”, and “The Hell With Love”. These are all collections of different poets’ work, all relating to “love” in some form.

     The reason I’m at Columbia is because of their Music department’s CUP program. I was originally a Vocal Performance major but due to health reasons I made the decision to switch to Music Business. But Columbia’s contemporary music department program was a dream for me. Everywhere else I visited only offered classical training. Plus, how can you pass up the chance to live in downtown Chicago?!

     I’m really excited about this course. I don’t really have any concerns yet, but that might change in time. (haha)The mediums I’d probably end up using are music, sketches, or maybe even some of my lyrics/poems. I’m looking forward to this project!