The world of Graffiti

As I was leaving a grocery store, I noticed a group of men and a female graffiti on a side of a store.  I was going to keep walking but, for one, I wanted to know how the picture was going to turn out. In addition, I wanted to know were they being paid to do this.  When they got done with the painting, I really liked how colorful it was however, I did not understand what the meaning of it was, or even what the picture was. 

  

I walked up to this girl named Kate who told me she has been doing graffiti for 10 years and asked her, “Where they getting paid for this?” She simply said, “No, were not.” That confused me because if you not being paid to do it why waste your time using harmful can of paint with an unpleasant smell! She said, “Some do it for fun and because this is what they love to do. Others do it to express themselves and show their skills. And others like herself simply graffiti to get rid of pain that has happened in their childhood years by expressing it through their art.” That was not only interesting to me but also weird to me at the same time.

Discussion Questions

1. What are productive things you do to express yourself, or get rid of something?

2. Would you still do something if someone asked you to do something that you love to do even if you are not getting a reward for it?

3. Do you feel graffiti is a good way to express yourself and get a point across or is it just ignorance?



Cinematic Stories

Movies have come a long way within recent years. They have evolved from being colorless to having a person believe what they see is real. A movie is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects. The process of filmmaking has developed into an art form and an industry. The visual elements of cinema give motion pictures a universal power of communication. 

1960's



2011

                                                                                                             












Movies express and create feelings. They can make the viewer laugh, feel sad or have a sudden outburst of happiness.                                           

                                  

                                                              Here’s a short video me and my brother created feel free to laugh.

Discussion Questions:

1)From the information above do you believe movies can be considered art?

2) How do you think element and princples of art correlate to the films we watch today?

3)Have a movie you've watched triggered an emotion?

~Terreon~

Chicago Street Art!

Chicago street art!

Chicago is a city decorated with art wherever you go. This may be visual, performing, or literary art; what ever may be it all shapes the culture of Chicago. But many artists are not looking to shape a culture nor are they looking for their ten seconds of fame. These artists would rather have their art seen by the public and make a statement. These artists are called street artists!

Street art by definition means, “Street art is any art developed in public spaces”; but can mean so much more in the eyes of the beholder. Many street artists express anger toward government and corruption in their art. Though it may be illegal street art is a way for the common person to express their thoughts anonymously.

One world famous street artist has done just that; His name is Banksy. His art holds a very strong message. Banksy’s art shows his anger and rage towards the U.K government. Many of his works undermine people with power and put the “ordinary” at the top.

Here are some of his works:

There are street artists right in our backyards. Chicago is home to many street artists. Much of their work can be found at the walls of grace by 38^th and Kedzie. One in particular has many pieces here; Her name is Lucy. I do not know much about this person, but from her art I can tell a lot about her personality. She is a happy person with a mysterious side. Another artist who goes by the name “werm” makes very bold statements in many of his works. He is famous all through out Chicago land and many other cities.

Here are some of his pieces:

Many street artists start off young. One of my close friends is very much into street art. His name is Juice/Dunce. His art expresses a part of him like all others. His characters are complex yet simple.

His character is an upside down face:

In conclusion, Street art is art that expresses ones feelings about a subject. Many people view it as vandalism and destruction but that’s just because they do not see past that. Street art is all about hidden messages. It’s our job to figure them out!

What can the pictures I showed have to do with the culture of chicago?

What character or image can you use to describe yourself?

Do you think street art / graffiti is essential to society/ Why or why not?

More Than Just a Picture...

What is a Comic?

A "comic" is a series of pictures used to tell a story. Sometimes, they may be paired with words, to create dialog or explain something. 

Even though the comic book picture emphasizes the words and dialogues of the characters, it’s the relationship between the words and the pictures that says so much more (McCloud). Some writers tend to use slang to relate to the everyday individual. Comic Books are a form of narrative fiction and so they have a plot, characters, setting, dialogue, and symbolism.

Comics where introduced in different times all over the world. But the founder of comics were the Japanese picture books which told folk tales and legends. This is more commonly known today as Manga, but with a new twist.

There are many different genres, such as action, romance, comedy, drama, and so on. But the most popular throughout the U.S. by far would have to be Superheros. Featuring characters such as Spider-Man, Superman, Batman, X-Men, the Fantastic Four, Green Lantern, Captain America, Flash, etc.

Read more: http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_a_comic#ixzz1cya4BcQ8

Creating Comic Books: Materials Needed for Creating a Comic

Along with the Materials you need a Storyboard/Layout.

-75% of art comes from thought and preparation which is where you find yourself actually planning out what you will be drawing, which is where an outline comes in play.

 Discussion Questions:
1) What was the purpose of comics and has it evolved throughout the years?
2) What is the purpose of a fully illustrated story?
3) How are comics a part of the visual arts?


-JEREMIAH Thank You 8D

Individuality means BARBIE

This is my younger sister's "Barbie" chain and hair extension! She is in love with Nicki Minaj which led her to beg my mother to buy her this necklace and hair piece. I think she secretly wants to be Nicki Minaj :) When she wears both accessories she turns into such a diva. Amazingly she doesn't feel like a clown when she wears so many colors at one time. I think the point is to express individuality when she wears this but how do you feel so individual when you're one of the many people wearing red hair and a "Barbie" chain? I wonder if Nicki Minaj called Barbies fake would girls still wear this same chain? What will she promote next?

-Marquita <3   

Take Me to Your Litre!

What in the world is 'Strawberry Sunkist' pop made out of?  Does anyone know?  I wonder if there is one strawberry in it.  What are the ingredients?

These questions started when my advisory students brought in snacks during one of our extended advisory days.  Most of what was brought in was all processed foods - America's favorite 'food group'!  We all love pop, chips, cookies, donuts, etc.  Speaking of chips, what makes those Flamin' Hots so red?  I'm getting ahead of myself, here.  I'll get back to that question later in this post.

So, I decided to do some research of my own and where else but on the internet.  Wikipedia was a site that I found had some non-promotional and therefore useful information for what I was trying to find out.  According to the Wikipedia page for Sunkist, the magazine Men's Health rated Sunkist as the worst soda in the United States, citing its extremely high sugar content equivalent to 6 Oreo Ice Cream Sandwiches and its artificial coloring agents yellow 6 and red 40, which "may be linked to behavioral and concentration problems in children".^[2]   Here's the link for the article http://eatthis.menshealth.com/slide/worst-soda-1?slideshow=184612#sharetagsfocus.  In case you are wondering, there probably isn't a soda that is 'good' for us.

My next research project was Flamin' Hots.  One of my students had brought in the Flamin' Hots Puffs.  Karolina, a very creative student quickly made a face out of her portion of these space-age looking snacks.

Very creative indeed!  However, perhaps more creative are the people who came up with this flavor and the marketing campaigne that has made these spicey treats so popular.  Again, I turned to the internet and found Wikipedia to be somewhat useful.
I found this link from ABC's Good Morning America program.  The video discusses the link between color and choice in food habits - http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/video/food-coloring-affect-perception-taste-13619727
The video addresses our assumptions of taste based on the color of foods.   I wonder... would we eat Flamin' Hots if they were black or blue?  Hmmmmm....

Discussion Questions:
1. If Sunkist Strawberry Soda was clear, would you still want to drink it? 
2. Do you think that color influences the food you choose to eat?
3. Have you had any personal experience with the side affects (bahavioral or concentration problems) claims associated with these foods?