Alan Turing-"The Gay Man Who Saved the World" (Extra Credit)

Alan Turing was not only a British mathematician. He was a logician, cryptanalyst, computer scientist and philosopher, that not only stood up to the Nazi Enigma code but also helped break it. I think the pardoning of this mans accusations after he committed suicide creates a strong and powerful meaning, not only given to his life but to many others that have acted out similarly. This article featured served as a clear pathway to other people to do what is right, giving a perfect example that you will never be forgotten for these actions. In a way it makes me sad because he was never able to see what a role model he is today, and that he died not knowing that the act of cracking the German Enigma messages did any good. In reality, he saved not only gay people from the Nazi but many others who were being targeted. These people need to be more frequently recognized in our society.

Xerox Project

I originally got this idea from my passion for the ocean. I had brought down my scuba mask from home to take on spring break with me, so I had the idea of making a human-type octopus in between my surrounding sea posters, giving the scans a little context. I scanned a different bracelet on each arm, and moved my tattoo up to the center of each palm since the bracelets were covering a permanent part of me. I also used a crown that I made for my sorority's bid night last year. 

What I found interesting was that my roommate told me it reminded her of Kali, a Hindu goddess. When I researched her I realized my arms, jewelry and crown looked very much like it resembled her. I thought it was cool when Prof. Echeverry told me I may have subconsciously done this because I was her in another life. It's amazing what can happen when I try and get creative!

CLASS COMMENTS:

Gina- Very cute idea! I liked how she used the scans to actually make something she can use in the future. Even though it would be a little weird to wear on a normal night out, it is stylish in her own way because it reflects extremely well who she is. Maybe it could make this years halloween costume!

Andrea- I also liked Andreas in that she can wear her scans and use the shirt in the future. My favorite part were her lip scans, sort of reminding me of the rolling stones logo. I would have like to see more scans on the shirt, there was a lot more space and she had some really cool ideas!

Bryan- I really liked how creepy he made the toilet look. Even though I couldn't tell what that the eyes were actually eyes and the toilet was actually a toilet at first, it had an interesting concept. I would have liked to see a connection between the eyes and the toilet..did he have an uncovered idea that no one new about/could see?

Holly- Her overall idea and representation of her good and bad sides of college was awesome. It was interesting how she had money scanned in the middle because it was a mix of both. 

Spencer- Really cool, complex idea. There was so much to it and I loved the sign language stating "when one door closes, another opens." The fact that his scans were actually on a physical door made it in perfect context.

Kyle- I loved how his hat had a the Boston logo on the front, making it seem like an actual Boston hat when the scan he used was of his tattoo. It was an interesting thing to put in the middle to base all of his other body parts around. Even though the hat was small, I liked the hat idea because it can be used as some type of costume in the future (like Gina and Andrea's).

Marvin- This was an awesome African mask! It's cool that he related it to his background of African decent; it made his piece personalized and meaningful. I also loved how the hands reached out at different angles to make a design.

Ralph- Awesome! It's funny how we were just talking about "rotten fruit," and it was so cool how he made his project based around Easter (because it is Easter time). What made it even better was the fact that he hung them all from the tree, putting it in the "rotten fruit" context. Congrats on the art show!!!

Flip book

Grid Art Project

Mark J Stock

I find Mark J Stock fascinating in that he mixes art with science, self-organizing complex structures who's ensemble motion is greater that the sum of their original parts.  Similarities in all of his works on his website included details that looked like they were flowing/mixing together.  For example, in "Magma 19"  the different shades of red circle and twist into each other in a strict, sharp manner.  Even the "Wave for Hokusai," that features the same gray circles, still somehow swivels into each other throughout the picture.  I also find it interesting that Stock finds influences from all over the world, even Japan!

War of the Worlds

One thing I noticed about the War of the Worlds radio broadcast is that it ran without commercial breaks, which I thought added to the realism of the 60 minute drama.  As the broadcast went on, I realized how real this would sound to someone not listening from the beginning.  When the broadcasters spoke of Martians and intense alien attacks on our country/ the world, it sounded like a real news broadcast that definitely could send the listeners into a state of panic.  Overall, I enjoyed listening to the original broadcast and thought they did a good job with the entertainment aspect.

Raymond Kurzweil

Considered one of the world's leading inventors, thinkers and futurist, I think it is amazing how Kurzweil has a 30- year track record of accurate predictions.  One of the things I found most fascinating are his ability to create software that creates art.  These paintings have and are being displayed all around the world, including San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, Amsterdam's Stedelijk Museum, London Tate's Modern Gallery and Brooklyn Museum. This shows how much his modern creations attract different audiences from all over the world.