Urbanautica

‘Kodachrome’

I didn't really have anything attract me within this article at first. I was more interested in just learning the story behind these three photographs posted above.  As I read the article, however, I actually found quite a few things appealing of this photographer. Matthew Marks was hosting, for the first time in the United States an exhibit of 25 of Luighi's Ghirri 1978 seminal publication. I was excited to learn this photographer spent his "working time" photographing in Italy, since that is where my great-grandfather is from. I don't know what all Italy's landscape looks like so I was fascinated to look at how, "Ghirri presents his surroundings in the book in tightly cropped images, making photographs of photographs and recording the Italian landscape through its advertisements, postcards, potted plants, walls, windows, and people." It is obvious, as this article backs up, that this artist took shots of reality through the surroundings he was involved in, which I was more than interested to look into. 

Triangle Triangle

Edward Burtynsky

The first photograph is what caught my attention to click on this artists' name and view his images. I read his statement/bio, and being a nature lover, was instantly connected to his intended point through these photos, in my understanding. He says, "Nature transformed through industry is a predominant theme in my work. ... We are drawn by desire - a chance at good living, yet we are consciously or unconsciously aware that the world is suffering for our success." What he is saying is completely true, we have these magnificent photographs to prove our industrial success however, nature is suffering because of our over- and misuse of her resources for our industrial, everyday demands. Burtynsky shows the excellent contradiction of our concern for our environment's health but a continuous need to consume nature's provided materials. 

Art 21 Blog

Creative Killing

  So the picture I posted above is eye catching and kept me reading this article. I have never really played a video game but how could I not have heard about them?! Lots of friends and people around me go crazy about video game marathons and playing them for hours at a time. To me, I don't see the point because your just sitting with a screen and made-up scenes and characters shooting something in a fantasy so to speak. However, this article shined a light on the broader picture of how these maybe pointless video games could actually impact thought processes of the unstable-or possibly make them unstable towards our society. The article explains how people-even children-shoot at objects other than "space aliens and fuzzy pixilated rockets." The author noticed a teenager playing a "sniper" type video game where a family was crossing the street and without hesitation, the kid picked them off to rack up more points. Later, the author said how a player could rack up more points for "creative" kills-of people!! So the point is, video game developers could and should have a significant impact on ending violent killing of people oriented video games. Which in turn, could possibly have a positive impact towards violence in our society.