Prompt:
Review the articles and/or videos (near the bottom of the page under "Resources") and the suggested topics on our Progression 2 Assignment page
Choose one resource and one topic from this assignment sheet that seem interesting to you. Watch/read the resource text identifying anything you feel would be useful as you begin to draft your paper.
Research the topic and make note of your findings. In two paragraphs or more:Share at least two strong lines from the RESOURCE you selected (video, article(s)). Respond to: Is there anything in the resource that you can apply to your own criteria for art (elements that are essential for something to be considered art)?
What do you make of this work?
Share what you learned about the topic you selected from the list. Is this something you would like to focus on for your paper?
Before watching the PBS Digital Studios video “The Case for Ai Weiwei | The Art Assignment |” I was already familiar with Ai Weiwei and his work. I choose to watch this video about Ai Weiwei because I remember being inspired by him back in my early years of high school. It was his personality and ethics that I really admired, so watching this video about him brought back a feeling of nostalgia. Ai Weiwei is essentially a rebel fighting to expose his government for the crooks they are. A strong line that stood out to me was ”He’s a creator more than a destroyer.” The reason this line stood out to so much is that some of his most famous pieces come from the destruction of old or priceless items. Ai Weiwei takes broken, old, or “useless” items and makes something magnificent from them. I realize that in order to create something beautiful, you must be willing to destroy it and even if something is destroyed, you can always rebuild it better. Another line that stood out to me the most was from Ai Weiwei himself, “If a nation cannot face its past, it has no future.” This line sums up what Ai Weiwei stands for. Some of his best art pieces came from him exposing the government for trying to hide mistakes that have made in the past. In 2008 thousands of kids died in an earthquake due to their poorly built schools collapsing. The governments’ response was to try and cover up this catastrophe. Ai Weiwei made an art piece using 9000 backpacks spelling out the words “She lived happily for seven years in this world” in Mandarin, honoring the lives lost while shaming the government at the same time. Ai Weiwei to me is a hero.
After looking at Ai Weiwei again, I began comparing him to the type of music I enjoy listening to. It should be no surprise that Ai Weiwei gives off a rebellious vibe. When thinking about it, I would love to cover the controversial album “Never Mind the Bollocks, Here are the Sex Pistols” from the Sex Pistols. The reason being that their art, just like Ai Weiwei’s, was looked down upon. This album banned the Sex Pistols from England due to their song “God Save the Queen.” Although on the surface they seem entirely different, at their core they both are against the ideas of government suppression and are both open to the idea of freedom. To me, the beauty of punk is freedom of expression. The Sex Pistols’ music is art because it allowed people to freely express themselves due to its audience being viewed as “rejects of society.” During the time many faced suppression due to social norms. Essentially there was no judging when it came to punk rock which inspired people to be themselves. To me, this is art because it invoked reactions and emotions. Whether good or bad, it made people think.
Comments