This is one piece from Shuli Hallak series dealing with container ships simply entitled Cargo on her website. Check out her work (follow the link attached to her name) and lets start talking about artists, what do projects like accomplish. Also, let's hear what you think so far of the class, some of the ideas put forth thus far, and the first reading by Derrick Jensen (you know the one you read).
I am Jazmine Clark (I don't feel entirely comfortable with posting my ID number), and I happened to catch your email. I wasn't entirely sure what it was, but judging from this post this is for the discussion section of the ADPIII course. Also I noticed the title of the blog is of a book by Neil Postman discussing how society is plunging into a mind numbing era of entertainment seeking.
ReplyDeleteIt may be because it is really late and I just finished my work, but I am having a really difficult time understanding what is going on in the picture. It is visually attractive, that much is sure but the link won't open for me for some reason.
I think I am being asked what projects accomplish, and my answer to that question is that project accomplish what they are designed to accomplish. There are exceptions, but that generally seems to be the case.
I believe I am going to enjoy this class, though the midnight notification of homework due as soon as possible is not my favorite aspect. So far, the concepts presented tie in well with what I left off with when I graduated from my previous institution. The topics are real and more than relevant, and I am curious to see how the artist's angle is unearthed throughout the semester.
Derrick Jensen's article is one of the more blunt and honest pieces I've read. I understand his point of view, but I don't know how applicable it is in current American society. In a culture where there is some "wonder solution" that can cure thousands of ailments that one had no idea they had, would it really benefit the typical American individual to give up all hope? Or would it plunge that individual into a despair fueled binge, waiting for the "wonder solution"?
My name is Kyle Kulik. I checked Shulli Hallack's website and found her photos interesting. The one you posted of the cargo loading dock, as well as the other photos she has on her website are either shocking or gave some confidence to the ingenuity of designers and engineers. If you look closely or enlarge the photo you posted it reads safety, pride, professionalism which I find quite a paradox. The reason I say that is because like we were talking about yesterday in class so much energy is being put into transporting goods that we either don't need or can produce localy. Under her section of photos called cargo she ends with a small basket of bananas(photo 14)which is in stark comparison with the cargo ship crossing the gulf stream(photo 4). I am a consumer though so part of that is my doing, but that is why I have been enjoying the class so far it is presenting issues that we as designers or citizens can have an impact on. The article by Jensen was a very pessimistic approach. I understand what he is saying in that work and action need to be done, but I totally disagree about his opinion of hope. One sentence in the article reads "when hope dies action begins", but I believe it can be just the opposite. I am sure we will discuss it more in class.
ReplyDeleteThank you for responding quickly; it was not necessary to do so because the blog was put up last minute. Unfortunately, it was late at night when the blog was put together and I mistyped the link. It should be correct now and just in case here is her address - www.shulihallak.com - thanks and I look forward to your reading your ideas.
ReplyDeleteAfter today’s discussion I began thinking more about Jensen’s “Beyond Hope” article. He urges that losing hope will force us to take action against global warming and mass consumption. I believe he is over simplifying the concept of losing hope and is only applying it to a very focused audience.
ReplyDeleteWhile hope can prevent us from taking the necessary actions against global warming, it also keeps many of us fighting for life. Yes, ‘dying’ will probably encourage those strong willed, survival-of-the-fittest, individuals to get up and contribute in the fight for the future. Yet, sadly Jensen’s mentality is not shared with the masses. While I’m sure he sat in an air conditioned room typing this article, there were millions out there with personal affairs that are seemingly much more relevant than saving the coho salmon. While the unemployment rates across America are sky high and the AIDS epidemic is slowly killing the population of South Africa, Jensen wants to take these people’s hope of a brighter future and destroy it as well. So yes, for people like Jensen, giving up hope is the push needed to make a change but for everyone else it may be just a push too far.
Now I’m not saying only the strong willed, able-bodied individuals are capable of contributing, but I believe with this fight or die scenario Jensen presents, they will be the only ones joining him on the front line during this induced mass hysteria. Maybe, perhaps, Jensen should have chosen a more tactful approach to go overboard with.
Erika Cross
My name is Jahyung Shin. I like Shulli Hallack's photo a lot although I don't know much about photo. Many of her photos that I saw during the discussion class today and from her website, really caught my eye. This photo captured its gigantic magnitude well by taking it in a good angle. Also, because the photo was taken from underneath to the top, it makes this picture even more colossal look. There are some repetition, and the rhythm in this picture, which make me imagine what's in the far side of the picture.
ReplyDeleteThe Jensen article I read was also interesting. I felt it was a very powerful and unique article. There were some points that I couldn't agree with him, but I understood what he was trying to convey. What especially made me interested in this article was that Jensen sees HOPE at a different perspective from most of the people. I thought hope as a very positive word that encourage people to live more diligently, but he thinks hope as a false imagination or excuse for people that makes them do nothing. I think he is trying to argue about "Hope vs. Will". He said "When hope dies, action begins." I get what he is trying to say here, but I do not think that it fits to every person. Because for some people, when hope is the last thing that they've got, hope really change their lives. I think that the Hope can be the immaginative chance for individuals.
Hi, it's Abby Bennett. In regards to what we looked at in Discussion this week, the lectures, and the reading, I'm very interested in the subject matter that we're dealing with. I think it's extremely important that we as young, creative thinkers educate ourselves on these pressing topics of environment and technology, because we are the ones who have the power to affect change in society.
ReplyDeleteI really liked seeing the examples of work that artists like Shuli Hellak, Brian Ulrich, and Matt Siber are creating in response to the current global situation. While Shuli Hellak's pictures are compelling and definitely spread a message about a number of different environmental issues and how we are tackling them, I found Brian Ulrich and Matt Siber's work to have a stronger effect on me. Brian Ulrich's "dark stores" series, portraits of abandoned warehouses, malls, and stores, really bring to the forefront the problems that our economy is producing. Matt Siber's photoshopped images, where text is taken out of everyday scenes, are very powerful in that they cause us to think about the huge role that advertisements and the media play in our lives. I think that these artists are using their talents in a provocative and effective way, which is what we as art students should strive for as well.
As far as the Jensen article, I tend to agree with most of the other people in the class: I understand his point about hope being detrimental to our cause, but I think some element of hope is also necessary for any action to occur. If we are apathetic and pessimistic about the problems that we face today, we will never build up the strength to do anything about it. The key is to find that middle ground between too much and not enough hope - we have to be optimistic enough to want things to change, yet not so confident that we think change will just occur on its own. That's what I think.
I am interested in seeing where this class is going to go. I am open to the subject matter, although it is kind of overwhelming. Since coming back to school I feel like the discussion of the environment is playing on a constant, never ending loop on campus. Not to say that this loop makes me care less, it just reminds me that there are other things in the world to worry about as well. Plus, constantly discussing it in various classes, and groups, and articles makes me want to act- but I feel there isn’t much I can do other than recycle and ride my bike. I am more interested in learning less about the issues and more about how we can solve them.
ReplyDeleteI actually really liked the Jensen article. Although his viewpoints felt rather extreme, once a reader gets past thinking “this man is crazy” and opens up to the craziness it begins to make sense. I completely agree that, as Jensen said, “hope is a longing for a future condition over which you have no agency; it means you are essentially powerless.” I believe that in order to bring change we have to move past hope into action. There is a saying that worrying is like a rocking chair, you can rock back and forth but that never gets you anywhere. The same goes for hope. It seems like a feel good, waste of emotion. Hoping for something isn’t going to fix it, action is. That was the part of the article I found most intriguing; however, this realization did not rile me up to go out there and stop forest fires. I liked the parts about hope because they are universal, not just applicable to the environment.
I found the work by Shulli Hallack more aesthetically pleasing than informative. I am first drawn to her photographs because they are beautiful: the color, composition both invites viewers to look at them. Only after a viewer can get past the visual appeal can they appreciate and being to understand the subject matter. Although probably not her intention, the images seem to glorify the coal, cargo, etc. I liked Siber’s work the most because I have never seen anything like it before. With Brian Ulrich’s work I was too distracted by the colors and composition to get to the heart of the message. This may be their intention though, to reel viewers in with aesthetics and then slap them with a call to action when they least expect it.
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ReplyDeleteI am Na Lu. I like Shuli Hallak’s photos. For the aesthetic aspect, the colors are consistent in each photo. Light blue sky and golden desert create a relaxing feeling. Additionally, I feel very interested in the sub-meaning behind the photos. For example, in the first project, field of mirror, the reflection of desert and sky in the mirror calls out my curiosity and thoughts about technology and nature. While the sky and ground is not above our head but in an artificial device, the viewers are encouraged to asked what the relationship between nature and technology should be. If technology continues to turn forests into deserts, human beings may see they are abandoned by the nature one day through their technical tools. I also think about the use of natural resource through these photos. As these numerous mirrors show the viewers numerous suns and skies, they seem to inspire people to use the natural resource in their best way.
ReplyDeleteThis metaphor reminds me of the topic I learned from our lecture last week. In the lecture, the professor raised up an important viewpoint about designers’ job and responsibility. While most designers think about how to make things good-looking and useful, now we should also consider from which materials we make them and how to make them recyclable. The design of a production cannot be one- direction any more. Instead, we have to make it a loop, which helps to use the natural resource in their best way.
I think Jensen’s article points out a good suggestion. It makes me think bout what I can do now when I want to say in the future. Indeed, to some people, hope is an excuse for actions. If we really want some change, we have to do it from this moment. However, I still believe that hope is a kind of strength, which nothing can replace. Take actions today and believe tomorrow would be better.
Hi, I am John. The works of Shuli Hallak are just astonishing. I can’t believe the artist took the very little moment of time to achieve this beautiful piece. I guess that is what photography is about. Shuli Hallak’s works have very steady, and tight, but gorgeous overall feeling in her works. She doesn’t lose little details of the elements, while keeping all the huge ones tight and grandiosely. Her works are very new to me in a way of being little shocked because of her using technology as basis of her works. Even though things are very crowded in the images, they still give me a feeling of gigantic calmness like I am looking at a big city with many sparkling lights from a top of a mountain at night.
ReplyDeleteThe class withdraws me in confusion in some way. It is not hard to understand the world is being corrupted because of numerously different human’s action. It is giving me all of this information that I am part of this “bad” actions upon environment. But I feel more and more lost of what I should do about it.
For the reading, I understood that the people always worry about the environment, but don’t do anything about it. And it is what “hope” does, according to Derrick. Well, it is a pretty strong essay. He basically redefined what hope does to people. Although he unfolded his speech in a very rigorous and aggressive way, it kind of enlightened me. To be honest, I never have hoped for anything. I just didn’t care. Without telling me to stop polluting, or throwing cigarette butts everywhere, Derrick noticed me that the environment is at edge of the cliff; there is no much time left. I should not hope anymore.
Hi, my name is Seunghui Hong. After listening to the lecture I got more interested in things that I usually just pass by. When I first entered the class and did the survey, I was unable to answer most of them because I never took interest in any of the things that were happening around me. I was unaware of where the water that I use everyday come from, and
ReplyDeletewhere all the waste that I produce goes. I believe it is very important to know all of these and take interest.
After reading and discussing about Jensens “Beyond Hope” article in the class I some what agree to what he has said. Even though technology is improving and people say that environments can get better with the improved technologies, the nature is getting worse each day with all sorts of pollutions. In his article, he states "The more I understand hope, the more I realize that all along it deserved to be in the box with the plagues, sorrow, and mischief; that it serves the needs of those in power as surely
as belief in a distant heaven; that hope is really nothing more than a secular way of keeping us in line." just as this sentence states waiting for nature to get better by itself and waiting is way to destroy the environment of the earth completely.People around the world should take more interest in what is going on around them.
Works that I have seen in Shuli Hallak's webpage just took my mind away in that the works she has done captures and shows the environment very well. The first image that came up when I entered her webpage was very beautiful with the sunset. When I saw this image I have realized that even energy producing factory can be seen as beautiful on how you take the picture.
I'm surprsied no one has yet mentioned Edward Burtynsky's work in context with what we've been discussing in class. Aside from being an established photographer, Burtynsky's 2006 film "Manufactured Landscapes" showcases the envirnomental destruction that ensues after industrailization takes over a region. His work in photography and film showcase quarries, factories, recycling yards, mines and dams that were created to satisfy our desire for progress. See more about him here - http://www.edwardburtynsky.com/
ReplyDelete-Carlo Lorenzetti
Hi, my name is Shelby Curwen-Garber.
ReplyDeleteThrough looking at Shuli Hallak’s work, I find that sometimes a subtle approach can be the most successful way to get your point across. At first glance, Hallak’s photography looks like a picture taken in a factory, terminal, or abandoned city. It is not clear until you realize what the picture is actually portraying that you are fully aware of its cultural significance. For instance: one of Hallak’s photos is of a Kentucky mountaintop, after the coal has been removed from its domain. When I first saw this photo noticed its proportions, use of lighting, and other visual qualities. It was not till I saw the title of this piece, till I realized what the image actually was. As soon as I discovered this, I was in shock. I am not sure whether or not other people found Hallak’s work as ambiguous as I did, but I feel that this is the most successful way to display work of this nature and substance. People are constantly throwing out ideas of living green, hybrid cars, and less consumerism, but because the information is everywhere it is less likely for these essentials to effect change in human life-styles. I feel that Hallak’s presentation is something that will have more of an effect on the people who see its significance. When information is given, seen, and then critically analyzed, then the meaning is understood. This manifestation is shocking to take in, but it is the type of reaction that I hope Hallak is looking for when publicizing her work. I only wish these types of photos were as universally recognized as billboard advertisements.