Lines of Sight in the “Network Society”

The article Lines of Sight in the “Network Society” written by Robert Sweeny talks about all of the technology in today’s society and explores the role that simulation plays in contemporary artistic practice.  This article discussed computer and internet based lessons that have been proposed in the art education world.  There is very little internet based lessons in art education and it is discussed that there should be more of this type of learning involved in the classroom because the internet opens many new doors for the students in terms of information, social networking, research, and many more.  Next Sweeny discusses Castells theory of the “network society” which he calls “space flow.”  There are three different layers to this theory; first id the physical basis for the network society.  Second, is composed of the nodes and hubs that distribute information within the network. And third is the power if the individuals and organizations that use the network.  The last section was very interesting to me, most likely because I am a part of this social networking.  It discusses how people and machines are connected and many people create identities over or through the interne, whether it is a true identity or a made up one.  I myself used to have MySpace and now have facebook and have created my first blogs.  In the process of creating these I was able to upload my own pictures and choose different backgrounds and colors and I was able to make an identity of myself.  It was all very personalized. 

This article and Teaching Meaning in Art Making have a bit in common with each other.  Lines of Sight in the “Network Society” discusses bring technology into art education and how to connect the two while Teaching Meaning in Art Making does the same thing.  It gives us some information about big ideas and what they are and how to teach them to your students.  It also discusses three artists’ techniques for airing big ideas and gives a potential lesson plan for each.

Digital Collage Readings

Barrett (2003): Interpreting Visual Culture- This article first talks about how a group of teachers interpret a painting and how they stereotype.  Then a group of students interpret a Rollingstones magazine cover with Destiny’s Child.  They pull every little detail of that cover apart and try to determine what each element might truly mean.  Next was a group of Middle schoolers, deciphering what different items meant.  Next Kindergarteners were able to put boxes of cereal into two different groups; one for adults and one for kids.  And were able to answer questions as to why they chose certain cereals for one of the categories.  Even preschoolers were able to say why they weren’t afraid of their teddy bears compared to real bears.  People of all different ages can successfully decipher many messages that circulate in images and objects of visual culture.  The article definitely relates to me when I am buying a product I generally tend to gravitate to things of my interest and things that are directed to my age group.  When I am picking out a movie I don’t go for “little kid movies” I go for adult movies and movies that spark my interest.  I can tell the difference between the two by simply looking at the covers. 

2 Questions: 1.What makes people stereotype things? 2. When did stereotyping begin?

Walker (2001): Big Ideas and Art Making- This excerpt focuses on big ideas in art making.  Big ideas are what can expand a student art making concerns beyond technical skills, formal choices, and median manipulation to human issues and conceptual concerns.  They can also engage students in deeper levels of thinking.  Students need opportunities to learn about an idea, build an adequate knowledge base for working with it, examine the idea in the work of other artists, and find personal connections with the idea.  This also talks about distinguishing big ideas from subject matter.  The big idea assumes primary importance.  The rest of the passage talks about Jennifer Bartlett’s use of a big idea and she discusses a lesson plan that can be used in the classroom.  This article relates to me in many ways.  It has helped me out with clearly defining what a big idea is and how important it is to have them and also to teach them.  This also can give me ideas for future reference.

2 Questions: 1. how can you make your students clearly understand the difference between the artist’s subject matter and big idea? 2. What is the difference between theme and a big idea?

Benjamin (1968): The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction- This article goes on to discuss the reproduction of unique paintings and other art forms and how technology and mechanics have advances and have came to produce mass amounts of the same art piece. 

2 Questions: 1. is being able to reproduce art work so easily a good thing or a bad thing? Should the world have many reproductions of a precious piece or should there only be one to preserve its authenticity? 2. If there is no such thing as reproduction people would not know some of the world’s greatest plays, such as Shakespeare.  Besides there being a script people would not know how to perform it…so the question again is should art forms be reproduced?

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