07. The Cut-Up Method of Brion Gysin by Willian S. Burroughs, 1978

• Burroughs describes a technique used by Surrealists of the past that copies and pastes to create poetry
• There have been web-based "surrealist" poetry creators which generate texts by computerized randomizing of words = not what Burroughs intended.  Rather, he wanted such random selection to be used as a step in creating a text
• Cut-up method for writers is the same as collage for artists.
• "You cannot will spontaneity.  But you can introduce the unpredictable spontaneous factor with a pair of scissors" (90).   

06. "Happenings" in the New York Scene by Allan Kaprow, 1993.

• "Happening" describes different performances in the 50's and 60's created by Allan Kaprow (author of article) and others which urged viewers to deconstruct the barriers btw. the audience and the creators.
• Is the audience only there to observe?  Or do they have a responsibility?  
• Kaprow's group, all painters, all came from American painter backgrounds
• Performances are seemingly goal-less, they "go nowhere," they are not structured, they are "open-ended and fluid" (85).  
• Differences btw. "happenings" and other theatre:  context - lofts, basements, nature = no distinction btw. audience and performance.  "Happenings" disregard the "proper" and get down to the natural, organicity of art.  plot - there's no plot line in a "happening," and you never know what will occur next.  There is no "sense" in the traditional meaning.  chance ("risk"/"fear," "willingness to fail" 86) is very important to "happenings," something that is not usually present in most theatrical performances.  reproduction is not doable with "happenings" - performances cannot be recreated in their original form.
• Leading artists are praised too often instead of being left to explore or use their resources = creativity dies = they reach fame

05. Man-Computer Symbiosis by J.C.R. Licklider, 1960.

• Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA) was created to lead the military's space programs
  
• Lick promoted computer science education, time-sharing systems, interactive computing, and comp. networks all in hopes giving attention to the new media that could come from computers (73).
• Lick urged colleges to link comps. together to create an online network = Internet
• Man-Computer symbiosis = cooperation btw. men and comps.
• AIMS:  Allow computers to "facilitate formulative thinking" (74) and use both comps and humans to make faster and more educated decisions.
• Lick looked @ a research study he had done in the past and realized that 85% of his time was spent doing things that comps. could do extremely quickly if they were programmed correctly (76).  Tasks include:  "searching, calculating, plotting..." (74).

"To the Letter Born:" Thoughts on NYT Opinon Piece

Steven Heller's article focuses on an interview had between Steven Heller and Brian Collins, a branding expert who discuss Barack Obama's use of a specific typography that can be seen throughout his campaign.  Collins describes fonts as a powerful tool that has the power to make "language visible," and help bring Obama's messages and words to life.

The idea that a font would be a powerful tool in a campaign seems fairly obvious to me.  Rarely do I stop and read exactly what is said on posters, election-related or not.  Instead, I look at the shapes, the graphics, whatever strikes me in the moment at which I'm seeing the poster or advertisement.  For this reason, everything on the piece must be easily relatable, or strike some kind of emotion within the viewer.  As Collins describes, the font used throughout Obama's campaign, is inviting and friendly.  I'd even go as far as to say it sort of evokes feelings of change, but without being erratic - it's serious, but not cold.  It's strange, reading back that sentence, that you could attribute physical characteristics to typography.  But after reading the article and looking at Obama's typeface against other typefaces on my computer and in other advertisements or campaigns, it really is obvious how important the way what is being said looks, not only what it actually says.

Nicholas Robinson Gallery: Michael Zansky Exhibit

When we walked into the Nicholas Robinson Gallery, I was immediately taken aback by the set of objects by the entrance.  Next to one another, with the lenses strategically placed over the sculpture-worlds, the scene looked almost like a collection of little worlds placed within one bigger context.

The piece that I chose to look closely at was on the main gallery floor.  The following is a list I wrote of the recognizable objects in the photograph:

Pink Tutu Skirt

Sphinx like/Gnome Figure

Planet/Marble

Gauze

Tree Stump

Sky Background

Grecian Sculpture (Pathos shown)

Apparent background explosion

While Egypt and Greece, historically, could be seen in a similar context, none of the other objects that I recognized go obviously hand in hand with one another.  Rather, they seem more like a random collection of objects placed next to one another for no apparent reason.  Still, the piece was able to evoke some sort of emotion in me, amidst my confusion.  While I wasn't sure why I liked Zansky's work, there was something that I found dark and humorous about it.

The Gehry Building

As a native-Manhattanite, I have very mixed feelings about new, modern-looking architecture that seems to continue to pop up around the city.  When the new designs for the Museum of Modern Art were released, I mourned the loss of the Sculpture Garden that I remembered playing in when I was little.  When the Rose Planetarium was built at the Museum of Natural History, I felt as though some strange object was being dropped down in the middle of a place that had once been so familiar to me.

On the other hand, things like the High Line Park being built, or the environmentally friendly Hearst Building on eighth avenue, excite me.  Just as sad as it is to see things from my childhood being transformed, these changes can also create new opportunities for me to relearn a city that I feel like I know so well.

The Gehry Building, aesthetically does not particularly appeal to me.  The ultra-modern, high-tech look never has really excited me, and the frosted windows feel uninviting and, somewhat creepy.  However there is something very cool, almost humorous, seeing the Gehry building juxtaposed against the background of a more rugged Chelsea.  In between the galleries and car dealerships on the West Side Highway sits this outer-space-looking building, mysteriously.

Building Your Own Virtual Reality: "LittleBigPlanet Turns Gamers Into Creators" by Reuters

This Reuters' article looks at "LittleBigPlanet," a program that was created by the maker of The Sims and Spore, that allows gamers to create their own virtual realities -- their own designs for games that, previously, were only able to exist in a gamer's mind.

Not a gamer myself, I have never really been able to grasp how such games are created.  I understand the animation aspect, but the idea of pressing a button, a button not even connected necessarily to a machine, but is wireless, having an instantaneous effect on what goes on on the screen seems to overwhelming to really understand.  The idea that an average gamer, not even a person necessarily expert in computer science or animation, could create their own games really interests me, especially because it adds an entire new element to video games -- one that is more interactive and creative. 

On the game's official website (http://littlebigplanet.com/en_US/) you can really see how LittleBigPlanet is incorporating creativity, visual aesthetic, and computer-technology, and putting into one program that seems to be innovative, even for the world of gaming, which is constantly updating and utilizing new technologies.