Final Narrative Project

     Before the project I wasnt completely sure what I wanted to do. I knew I wanted to do something with video, but I'm not really that tech. savvy. I used to make little stop motion videos when I was in high school on a white board that I had. They were all really random and made completely for fun, but everyone loved them. I wasnt sure if I wanted to do a white board stop-motion video or something I've never tried before.

     I decided to try something new. I wanted to make the video a little more realistic by creating it out of actual objects (construction paper scraps). I was overwhelmed with all of the different narratives that I could do for this project, but I had to choose something that would be easy for me to do. If I was a professional stop-motion creator I would've picked something more complicated. I went with the changing of the seasons. I figured it would be better for me to try and do this. I cut out the scene using colored construction paper. All of the leaves and snow I used came from small pieces of cut up construction paper. It took a lot of time to cut everything out, but once it was all ready to go the process went by a little faster. In every little section I added more and more to the scene to make it look like leaves were growing then changing, then falling off the tree and then the snow came. The video goes from spring to summer, to autumn to winter and then to spring again. In a way it's a narrative, of how the seasons change. I added the ambiant sounds to the video to make it seem a little more realistic. I had a fun time putting it all together.

      After making the video I kind of wished I had made it a little more complicated. Maybe had animals or flowers in it. Or maybe had clouds moving across the sky. I tried and re-tried the video so many times that I didn't even consider adding additional motion to the video. It was very time consuming. I thought the whole video came together nicely though. It would've been nice if it looked a little more fluid, instead of choppy, but I'm not great at video making. I was happy with the end result. 





MicroProject5

To group: two or more figures forming a complete unit; a number of individuals assembled together or having some unifying relationship.

     One of my favorite magazines is GQ. I get it every month when a  new issue comes out. I don't know why. but I never ever throw them away. Unless they're completely destroyed. I've got an unknown amount of them stacked on a shelf in my room. For this project these are what first came to mind. An average every day item that I don't really think about. I used the definition of group (above) to represent my project. I thought of all the different ways I could combine the magazines and finally came up with the idea of weaving them together into one giant cover. I used a ruler to mark out equal sections and then cut them all out. I tried to pick covers that kind of contrasted each other a little bit so that they would show up better. Once they were all woven together I glued all of the edges down so there was nothing sticking up.The entire process took a lot of work, but it came together well. I really liked the finished product. I love doing more hands-on projects. I'm not so great with technology.

Super Power!

                                                                    
                                                                        24-Hour Man!

     There are so many different super powers that I would love to have. It was hard to pick just one. After a little bit of brainstorming I came up with the one that I think would help me out the most. My super power would have to be being able to stay awake all the time, 24/7. It would be so nice to use the entire 24 hours of a day to get everything you need to get done, done. The World could be so much more productive if no one ever had to sleep. There are an endless amount of things that I could do.
     In my project I started out by attaching a picture of myself to the body of Superman. I wouldn't necessarily need a huge, super hero body to go through with my super power but I just thought it made it seem more cartoonish and fun. It made making the picture more fun as well. Behind the little figure of me is a big clock. I seperated each hour into a different activity that I would be able to get done or have have more time for if I could stay up all day long. The first hour is a picture of books. I would definitely read more if I had more time on my hands. I love reading, but I'm always too tired or busy doing other things instead. The next hour represents music. I would seriously listen to music 24 hours a day if I could. It's the best. After that I put the word "volunteer" in there, because I would be able to get more involved in different charities/organizations around campus. The next hour is a picture of a television because I'm hardly ever able to watch all of the shows that I want to. I can never find time to sit down and catch up on everything. If I could stay awake forever I would be able to catch up on all of my shows.  If I could stay up all of the time and not be tired I wouldn't need to drink coffee as much, but I probably would anyways, just because I like the taste of it. I would actually probably drink more of it. That's why I included the coffee cup.  The next hour represents my want to do more artsy projects. I LOVE drawing and doing little crafty projects, but I never have enough time in the day to finish them. There are always other things that unfortunatley have to take precedence over art projects. I would for sure do more with it if I had the time. The picture of the money is there because, with 24 hours to do everything, I would be able to work more and make more money. I would make so much more money with all of the extra hours I could work. It would be amazing. The RPAC is on there, because on a daily basis, I'm always trying to fit in time to work out. Some days it's just impossible to get over there which is annoying. There would be no excuse to not work out if I could stay up all day and night. I always find myself worrying about getting my homework finished. I often have to stay up really late in order to get it all done. Having the 24-hour super power would make school so much less stressful. I could take more time to read and take notes and actually learn the information. One of my favorite things in the world is food. I could seriously eat all day long. I feel like I never get full; I'm like a bottomless pit. I always have to grab food and run during the day though. I never really have time to sit down and enjoy it. I put the picture of the food in the clock because if I had more time on my hands, I would 100% make more time to actually cook food. On the next hour I included the little sleep Z's. Not that I would need to sleep with my new super power, but with 24 hours to do whatever I wanted to, I could take time to take naps. I honestly can't remember the last time I took a nap. I usually never take them because I feel like they're a waste of time (as much as I would love to take one). If I have time to take a nap, I always feel as though I should be using that time to do something productive. They make me feel guilty, but with my new super power I could take them whenever. On the last hour I put a little sign that says I <3 shopping, because...I love shopping. Whether I'm shopping for myself, or with someone else I always have fun. Shopping for clothes is seriously a drug, it's addicting. My parents probably don't appreciate my love of clothes as much, but it's kind of like a stress reliever. It's sad that I don't have more time go shopping. I would make so much more time for going to the mall and/or browsing around on the internet if I never slept. It would be heaven!
     This project was definitely fun, and kind of depressing as well (thinking of all of the things I'd like to have more time to do). Out of all of the super powers I could think of, this would have to be the most convenient. I would be overwhelmed with all of the different things I could do with all of the time I'd have. Maybe someday, someone will make a (legal) drug that keeps people awake, and is still healthy.

Micro Project 3

     

     Everyone has seen the large statue of the old OSU president in front of Thompson library. This is where I chose to place my sculpture. I got rid of the old one and put myself in its place and built a glass case around it. This is to keep the public out and to keep it safe from any vandalism. It's meant to be looked at, not touched. I included my bookbag in the sculpture, because I always have it with me. I'm running around campus constantly with it on my back, trying to get to class or getting work done. Anywhere I go, it goes. The coffee in my left hand is there because it's what keeps me going. It helps me stay awake and be productive. I think many other college students can relate. I'm also a barista at Starbucks so when I'm not on campus you can be sure to find me at work. I am obsessed with GQ Magazine. I read every issue and pretty much have a copy on me at all times. It's kind of my little escape. I also like it because someday I would love to work for a fashion magazine such as GQ. I chose this location because I am always at Thompson. If I have any downtime, it's usually spent in Thompson. It's a lot easier for me to focus there than anywhere else. This must be what most students feel. That's why I chose to put myself up there with all of my essentials. I feel like students can relate more to this statue than they can to one of an old man in a large cloak.

Object Collage

Crew Forming Cream: I chose this object because I use it every day of my life. You will never catch me in public without some kind of product in my hair. It's a little crazy, but I feel so insecure if I don't have my hair styled in some way. I don't want anyone to see me if it's not done. If you were to follow me around all day I can't even tell you the number of times you'd see me looking at myself in some sort of reflcetive surface, ALWAYS fixing my hair. One or two words: Safety blanket.

Burt's Bee's Chapstick: My chapstick is in my pocket 24/7. One of the worst things in life is having moisture-less lips, especially when you have the biggest lips ever like I do. I probably use my chapstick a little more than what is necessary, but I can't stand the sensation of dry lips. One or two words: Instant hydration.

iPod: I chose to include my iPod, because, like I said before, I never leave the apartment without it. It's almost as if it's permanently connected to my ears. I'm for sure going to have premature hearing loss. The World seems like a better place when there is music playing. I've always wished that Life had background music, like in the movies. That's kind of what I pretend when I walk around campus, or where ever I'm at. A life without music would be unimaginable. One or two words: Pure happiness

Nike running shoe: My running shoes are super important to me. Not having them would be a bad situation. Running is one of my favorite things to do. I will always set aside time to run around campus or go to the gym for a little bit. Gaining weight is one of my worst nightmares, and these shoes play a big role in making sure that never happens. One or two words: Running man

Laptop: If my apartment was burning down, my laptop would most definitely be one of the first things I'd grab. Life would be so much harder without it, for anyone. Almost everyone has one. If I wasn't able to get on Facebook whenever I wanted to...I'd die (Not really). But almost everything school related and work related is stored within my laptop so it's for sure an important part of my life.
One or two words: Technologically dependent.

Cologne: I included the bottle of cologne to my list of important objects because I don't like smelling like nothing. Cologne is something every guy should have. Axe body spray doesn't count. I hate the smell of aerosol body sprays. Nobody wants to talk to someone that smells bad and I also feel like people take others more seriously when they smell nice. I will rarely ever go into public without spraying myself with cologne, unless I'm going to the gym or something. One or two words: Always fresh.

Blackberry: This probably goes for just about everyone, but my phone is extremely important. It would definitely make life harder if I didn't have it. I always have it on me. If I ever forget it, I get really anxious and always have really negative thoughts. It's weird. I feel like bad things are going to happen when I don't have it, like I'll get lost while I'm driving, or jumped in an alley, or not know the time and have no way of contacting anyone. I'm not addicted to my phone, but it does pay an important role in my every day life. One or two words: Life line

Journals: The journals are important to me because I love writing/drawing/doodling. I've got Moleskine journals all over my room. A lot of them are still empty, but one of my favorite things to do is draw. I also write a bunch of random stuff in them. It's nice to have them around and get some of the thoughts in my head out on paper. Drawing is super relaxing. I always wish I had more time to sit and doodle. One or two words: Random thoughts.

Wallet: My wallet is for sure one of the first things I'd grab if I had to leave my apartment. Like my cell phone, I get really anxious when I don't have my wallet. It's just one of those things that you've always got to  have. I wish I could forget about it more often; I probably wouldn't spend so much on such pointless things. One or two words: Annoying necessity.

Gum packet: Like my chapstick, phone and wallet, having gum is an absolute must-have. Having bad breath is so gross and would be so embarrassing. I like to always have minty fresh breath, especially when I'm around others. Especially after all of the coffee I drink, it's always nice to have gum to chew right after. I don't want to repulse anyone that has to talk to me. 5 gum is my all time favorite. It seriously has the longest lasting flavor of all of the gums. I love it. Gum also helps to suppress my appetite sometimes in class when I get really hungry. One or two words: Fresh breath.





     I set my project up more like a collage, in which I basically just randomly assigned each of the objects to a certain spot or in a certain pattern. The ones that are probably considered the most important are the ones that repeat. The focal point of the collage would be the Crew forming cream and then it kind of just radiates out from there. It's not as aesthetically pleasing as I'd like it to have been, but it was a great project to teach me a little more on how Photoshop works. I meant for the collage to be messy and hard to understand. It makes you look around the entire piece and try to find the smaller details. I'm not necessarily a messy person in real life, but sometimes I feel as though everything in my mind is cluttered together and there's no way to organize it all out right. The objects are what are important to me in life, and the set up of the collage in a way represents how they fit into my crazy life.

Photography Scavenger Hunt

ANT VIEW

BIRD'S EYE VIEW

RADIAL

UNSTABLE

STABLE

MY NAME ON CAMPUS

(In the microforms section of Thompson Library)

Map Project

     For my project I decided to represent my map as an iPod Touch, with the different parts of my journey being little apps within it. I figured it would be appropriate to use this image because 90% of the time I can be found with my headphones in. I don't walk anywhere on campus without my iPod. Listening to music helps me forget about how hectic the World is. I can do just about anything if there is music involved. I go off into my own little world when my iPod is on.
     The different pictures/apps on the screen of the iPod help explain my thoughts and actions during my walk to class, as well as a little bit of how I get there. The headphones are in a way like a plug-in to my brain where all of the different images from the screen could represent information that gets passed along.

-The first picture I chose to include was the Starbucks symbol. The first thing on my mind in the morning is coffee. I cannot function without it. As soon as I leave my apartment I head to the Starbucks on High St., right beside Urban Outfitters.
- The next image is that of an umbrella. Especially during this time of year, I'm always equipped with an umbrella. If there is any hint of a rain cloud in the sky I'll grab it before I leave for class. One of my biggest pet peeves is getting rained on. There's also nothing worse than getting rained/snowed on while walking around campus.
- The next app image is the cover of Lana del Ray's EP album. I'm currently obsessed with all of her songs, and basically have them on repeat all day long. It relaxes me to listen to her while I'm on my way to class. She's great. I could walk forever with her songs playing.
- The next image is a pic of my phone, the Blackberry Bold. Excuse the double negative, but I NEVER don't have my phone. I actually get really anxious and annoyed if I don't have my phone with me. I'm one of those people that walks around with their head down, texting, while walking. I'm surprised I haven't been hit by anything... or run over. It does help the journey to class go by a little bit faster though.
- The next photo is of the Wexner Center for the Arts. After leaving Starbucks I always pass through the little covered pathway area. I love the building. It kind of makes me feel comfortable when I walk  through it. It also shields me from the cold for a little bit.
- A mirror is also included on the app images. I don't carry a mirror around with me on campus, but I will literally look into every window that  I can on my way to class. I'm not obsessed with myself, promise... I just like to see what I look like. It's pretty much just to make sure that my hair doesn't get too crazy. That's another one of my pet peeves.
- I included a crosswalk sign, because they drive me nuts. I'm a really patient person, but waiting for the crosswalk sign to let me cross the road in 20 degree weather is the worst. I feel like I waste so much time waiting for them to change, and there's gotta be atleast 5 for me to go through on the way to class.
- Also, another major part of my trek to class includes me thinking of the endless list of things I need to finish before the day ends. I added the To Do list to the piece, because I always feel overwhelmed with everything. On the way to class, I always try to schedule my day and give myself set times to do these things.
- Before class every morning, I pass the RPAC. It sort of ties in with the To Do list, because no matter what, at some point I have to make time to go work out. Staying fit and healthy is super important to me. Walking past the gym in the morning and seeing all of the people leaving it sort of motivates me to get a workout in. I wish I was able to go to the gym before class every morning, but I would never be able to get up early enough.
- The picture of the cereal bowl represents the feeling of hunger I get every morning on my way to class. For some reason I always either forget to eat breakfast, or just wake up too late to really make anything. It's a little crazy that I can't find time to eat, but ALWAYS make time to go get coffee. Apparently caffeine is a higher priority than food is for me in the morning.
- A few images that I could lump together would be the picture of the sun, the bed and the baby picture of myself. They help represent a little bit of my thought processes in the morning. I would give anything to have sunshine and warmth again. Winter is by far the worst season of them all. Some people can handle freezing cold temperatures and snow but I'm just not one of them. The bed is there because all I want to do on cold, grey, wintery days is crawl back into bed and sleep forever. That's what the winter makes me want to do, hibernate. The baby picture is me wanting to be young again and not have to care or worry about anything. It's not that I don't enjoy living in the present, I just always get to thinking about how much easier life was back then. I feel as though everything should remain as simple as it was when we were little. That's one of the things I repeatedly think about on the way to class(es).
-The image of the people walking represents all of the people around campus hustling around to get to where ever they're going. One of my favorite things to do while walking around is to people watch. It's fun to look at what people are wearing and/or what they look like. I also love the fact that I hardly ever know anyone when I'm walking around. I walk the same way to class everyday and never see the same person twice. It's crazy, but also awesome how different everyone is.
- The picture of the two homeless people with the sign that says "Hungry Please Help, God Bless You" is there because they're everywhere. Especially up and down High Street, they are always walking around trying to gather change or sifting through trash to find cans and other useful objects. There's always a guy outside of the Starbucks I go to that asks for donations. I don't always have money with me, but when I do get the chance I always help out. It literally makes his day. He actually seems like a genuinely nice guy. No matter what, even if I don't have money to spare, he says "Thank you", "Have a good day", or "God bless you." I included the homeless people, because they're all over the place, but most of the time they get ignored, like they're a different species or something. By doing this project and paying more attention to where I'm going, I started to notice more of them.
- The last image is of the OSU stadium, where class is held. My entire journey leads to the classroom where I've got to take out my headphones and forget about everything else for a little while.

  
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The Kimmelman Article

     In the article, I like how honest each of the two men are. Both of them claim to be a great write or artist, but they both know that they are. Throughout the article they talk very modestly about themselves. It makes me take what they talk about in the article more seriously, like they're average people like myself. I also appreciate the fact that they don't sugar coat everything. Both of them say exactly what they are thinking. It annoys me when people suck up to others, and/or makes something seem as though it is flawless. They seem to have a well-balanced perception on art, and how it has changed.

     One thing about the article that I felt was hard to understand, was the wording that each of the writers used. It was difficult for me to follow along during the reading because of the huge words that the men used. It's not their fault they have huge vocabularies, it was just confusing at some points. I had to re-read some sections in order to know what they were saying. Basically in any kind of writing, if the words are hard to comprehend I get lost and have to focus really hard. On the other hand, I learned a couple words that I hadn't known before.

Barrett-"Interpreting Visual Art"

     This article by Terry Barrett was interesting. I've never really learned about connotations or denotations before. It was cool to see how the author deciphered meanings out of random photos, that maybe wouldn't be understood by just glancing at the picture. I liked the part in the article when the author included the example of the class that picked apart the picture of Destiny's Child on the cover of Rolling Stone. I would never get the meanings they pulled out, by myself. It's awesome that advertisements can have deeper meanings if you look close enough and notice the smaller details.

     One thing about the article that stuck out to me, was during the part when they were deciphering the Rolling Stone cover. It was interesting to learn about how they came to their conclusions and what details made them come up with the meanings behind the photo, but I just felt like some of the things the students talked about could be a little far fetched. Sometimes when people try to find deeper meanings into things I feel as though they look TOO much into it. The viewer sometimes creates meanings that maybe the artist wasn't even thinking about.

Walker Article-"Big Ideas and Artmaking"

    I loved the article. It gave me a better understanding of how artists decide on what to create, and a little bit about the thought process that goes behind it. I learned that it often takes many ideas to come up with a final decision, and that even the final decision can be tweaked and built upon. The Jennifer Bartlett example did a great job of explaining the concept of "Big Ideas" and how far you can go with an idea. It's amazing to me that she was able to create 200 works of art through one view. Although there seems to be no set order to the artworks, she clearly had set rules/guidelines that she followed during the creative process.

    Although the article explains the differences between subject matter, themes, and "Big ideas," I still find it a little confusing. Their meanings all seem to overlap a little bit. I think that doing real life examples of each of the different meanings would help out a bit. That was pretty much the only part of the article that I found to be a little confusing. Other than that, it was well written and gave great examples.

The Cheese Monkeys & The Heresy of Zone Defense

One part of "The Cheese Monkeys" article that I liked was on page 7, where the author talks about how other dimensions see people in other world's. It's interesting to think that people/things on another planet could see people on Earth as scary or beneath us, when we're thinking the same thing about them. Then also, to think about how many other planets there are and how many other life forms there could be out there, is crazy.

Throughout "The Cheese Monkeys" it seemed like the author kind of skipped around, and was very short with his explanations. I was a little confused at some points, but after reading them a couple more times I kind of figured it out. Also, I didn't really understand what/who The Cheese Monkeys were...I don't recall it ever talking about them. It made me want to read on a little further.

"The Heresy of Zone Defense" was a great article. I enjoyed the last paragraph, in which he compares the thoughts and actions of a basketball player to his actual life. The author does a really good job of illustrating what he's trying to say. It was easy for me to picture everything he talked about, in my head. I love readings that allow me to use my imagination. It was a very detailed and well written article.

The only thing from the article that kind of threw me off, was the section about the painter, and how "dripping paint" came into play. It just seemed like a random paragraph to me. It helped me understand what he was talking about a little more, but it had nothing to do with sports (basketball). There isn't necessarily anything from the article that I didn't agree with. I thought it was great.

Introduction

     My name is Gage Anthony Silvery. I grew up in Galena, Ohio, a small town about 20 mins. northeast of Columbus. I went to Big Walnut High School. My major is Fashion & Retail Studies, but I'm not really sure what I want to do yet. It's overwhelming thinking about all of the things I could do. I have a younger sister, Summer, who is in her freshman year of college. I love clothes, watching movies, running/working out, coffee, and being with friends. I'm a pretty shy person at first, but I warm up to people easily. The only books I have ever really read for fun are the Harry Potter books...I'm obsessed. The only thing I really read now a days is GQ Magazine. I love it. My list of my favorite 5 things would have to be:
1) Any show on the Bravo Channel, such as The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, Rachel Zoe, Work of Art: The Next Great Artist, etc.
2) Sugar-free vanilla soy lattes from Starbucks (which is where I work).
3) Cheez-Its
4) Coldplay (Not so much their new stuff. More from X&Y, Parachutes and A Rush of Blood to the Head)
5) Shopping for clothes and/or home furnishings.

That pretty much sums me up!