Welcome to the SHELTER PROJECT

“Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control.”

-Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 25

The SHELTER PROJECT is a collaborative sequence of teaching and learning experiences involving teachers and students in Fremont California (USA), East Oakland California (USA), and Bangalore (India).

Together and separately we are engaging in a proactive inquiry about a variety of large themes and guiding questions.

Students in the 3 locations are examining the impact of their own and each others’ CONTEXTS, exploring ideas about SHELTER, FORM/FUNCTION/CONTENT and reflecting upon how what they DO, SAY, and MAKE as an ARTIST relates to their RESPONSIBILITIES AS CITIZENS OF THE WORLD.

This blog contains documentation of our PROCESS and INTERACTION.

Questions? Comments? toddelkin@hotmail.com

NOTE: NEWER POSTS APPEAR AT THE TOP- SCROLL DOWN FOR PREVIOUS POSTS

GUIDING QUESTIONS FOR EAST OAKLAND SCHOOL OF THE ARTS AND WASHINGTON HIGH SCHOOL:

Below are the Guiding Questions and Overarching Ideas that are driving the Shelter Unit, Its performances of understanding and  ongoing assessment:

GENERATIVE TOPIC: “Shelter”

THROUGHLINES:

1.    How can artists be a part of global conversations about important and relevant topics and issues?

2.    How is FORM in artworks a vehicle through which CONTENT can be communicated?

3.    What is the impact of your CONTEXT (socioeconomic/cultural/geographic/political/enviormental/religious/family) on how you live in the world?

4.    In what ways do Artists push the limits of their media and reconsider what can be thought of as art?

5.    What is SUSTAINABILITY and how is it connected to the idea of SHELTER?

UNDERSTANDING GOALS:

1.    What are SITE-SPECIFIC, INSTALLATION, AND CONCEPTUAL ART? (TL4)

2.    How, does what you do/say/make as an artist relate to your responsibility as a citizen of the world? (TLs 1,3,4)

3.    How can you plan and create a three-dimensional site- specific installation that communicates/conveys ideas about the concept of shelter. (TLs 1-4)

4.    How can you use recycled materials to plan and create an aesthetically pleasing artwork that doubles as a functioning shelter? (TLs 3,4)

5.    What does it mean to have a shelter? What does it mean not to have a shelter? (TLs1,3)

6.    How, where and under what conditions do most people in the world live? (TL 3,5)

7.    How does your CONTEXT( Socioeconomic/cultural/geographic/enviormental/religious/political/family ) impact your work as an artist? (TL3)

Understanding Goals Final- Pooja Sharma

Throughlines:

1. Artists cazn be a part of global conversations about important and relevant topics and issues bydoing projects together with other artists and talking about it.
4. Artists push the limits of their media and reconsider what can be thought of as art in many ways. Arists use old stuff to make new buildings. Like our group did presentation on Gordon Matta Clark who always used old stuff to make new buildings and it use to look so cool.
Understanding Goals:

1. Site- specific art is made to go in a certain surroundings. Installation art is art which pops out of the room. Conceptual art is that which haves a meaning behind it.
2. Well, I think that artists first think that what we really want, what we really like in this generation, which relates to us today.
3. We can plan and create a three-dimensional site-specific installtion that communicates /conveys ideas about the concept of shelter by first thinking about it. I mean we should first see that how to make it, we should also look at weather. But when you build your own shelter its much harder than it looks.
4. You can use recycled materials to plan a pleasing artwork that doubles as functioning shelters by breaking the recycled material down and then nailing it together or if you are using cardboards then jus tape it.
5. Well for me I think it means a lot to have a shelter. If you don’t have a place where you can hide inside, then thats too bad because then you can’t put your stuff anywhere and you can’t even sleep because its like too cold outside. So ya, its like really painful not to have a shelter.
6. Everybody in the world don’t live in the same conditions. Some people have better houses, some don’t. So it depends on how rich they are. But i can tell you one thing that we really live in good conditions, then most people does live. Like in some places people are so poor that they don’t even have any money with them.
7. Context impact my work as an artist because I really like art and lots of my friends influenced me.

WHS: The Tear-Down 6/15/09

So today was the last day of the art 2-4 class-also Finals Day. The students divided the 2 hour session roughly in half: the first half consisted of demolishing all of their shelters.   The actual tear-down went amazingly quickly. Clean-up was much slower. In the second hour, students wrote their final reflections on the Shelter Unit’s Understanding Goals and two of the Throughlinesand posted them below.
The Students’ UG reflections are DEFINITELY WORTH READING.

Enjoy the pictures from today-The last day of the shelter project.

understanding goals final-Amy

thoughtlines:

1.Artist can be a part of global conversations that are about important and relivant topics and issues by expressing there political opinions in an artistic way that will impact the way people think or feel in a way that can be in ways more peaceful.

4.they push the limits of  there media and reconcider what can be concidered art by expressing themselfs in there own matter and creating with a free and open mind that makes them able to see any thing in a more creating way.

understanding goals:

1.site-specific art is art that is built into one place that is specifc to tthat place and was set there for a reason. installation art is like 3-d pices that are installed into spaces to change the aspects of that area. conceptual art is art that streeses the meaning the art is trying to portray.

2.what we do/say/make as an artist can and most deffinatly will directly relate to our responsiblity as acitizens of the world by the fact that we as artists have the skill to express areselfs in different mediums and know how to make the message of whats important get out to people and be understood.

3.in class we planned and created site- specific art. we planned to have them on the campus to have them on desplay and to show what a shanty town is like.

4.anyone  can use recycled materials to create aesthetically pleaseing artwork that doubles as a functioning shelter you need to find reusable recycled materials that you can figure out how to set them up in a way that can be interesting to others, like with my groups shelter i painted a part of it pink and it really cought my attention everytime i drove by.

5.what it means to have a shelter is to have a place of your own for personal space to live and pretect yourself in. to not have a shelter is lke being without pretection from the elements and the rest of the world. its not having any of your own personal space or place to live and servive.

6.a lot of people live pretty decently in the world but the other half lives in hard proverty and may be unsafe from the elements around them and not have suficent shelters for there own space.

7.the impact of the contects of my surrounding,life, and enviroment impact my work as an artist in a way to were im alowed the freedom to express myself in anyway i see fit. i dont feel forced to express my political views or pressure that i have to cencore myself for fear of what people might think. i just have thew freedom to flow

Throughlines and Understanding Goals-Arvin

Thoroughlines:

1. Artists can create art that shows how he or she feels about a certain issue and to inspire the people to do something about this issue.
4. Artists can push the limits of their media and reconsider what can be thought of as art by creating conceptual art. Conceptual artists say that something is considered as an artwork because they say so.

Understanding Goals:

1. Site-Specific:  a type of art that is created in a certain place and has meaning.
Installation: when something is placed on a location where this “something” becomes meaningful.
Conceptual: considered as an artwork because the artist said that it IS an artwork.
2. As artists, we have the responsibility let others hear our opinions and see things from our point of view.
3.
4. To build our shelter, we used wood, for the base and cardboard to make the walls.
5. To have a shelter doesnt necessarily mean you have a house. It just means that you have a place where you can live comfortably.
6.  Most people probably do not have everything that they want but they have everything that they need to live.
7. My context can affect what materials I use to make art and the objects that I put in them.

UPDATED: Arvin G.

Understanding Goals, Final-Kelly

THROUGHLINES:

1. Artists have a way of seeing things from different perspectives. So when one decides to make a piece on an important global subject, they offer a way to see things in a new light. Many people and politicians get caught up in lies and self-image and then don’t take a black and white stance. Artists are not afraid to say [write, draw, paint, etc.] exactly what they think, the bottom line, the moral of the problem. In my opinion, when artists make a piece about a global issue, such as homelessness or poverty, they remind us that we are all humans.

4. Traditionally, art is considered as a pretty picture on canvas. But today, artists are trying to break free from that generalization in all ways possible. Many artists are using the world as their canvas, making their art controversial and bold. We are redefining what art is, art is whatever we want it to be.

UNDERSTANDING GOALS:

1. When we were first asked what site-specific art was, I was clueless. But looking back at it now, it’s really self explanitory. Site-specific art is an art piece that is made or constructed specifically to fit into a location. Installation art overlaps site-specific art in that it is build for a specific location, or installed; there was a plan and reason behind the piece. Conceptual art focuses more on the reason behind the art piece, the reason for building it to that location and what it’s purpose will be.

2. As an artist, we are responsible for making people SEE things. By making a powerful art piece, we are stating our opinion or feelings that others can relate to, we’re saying something. Whether what we say relates to one person or to a mass makes no difference. Art can change lives, and I think that was one of the underlying focuses of the shelter project. As artists, we can change the world :]

3. I think we as students define “shelter” the same way– a four-walled room with a floor and a ceiling. When you build your own shelter [which is much harder than it looks] complications come into effect, such as weather and wildlife and authority telling you have to move here and then there…etc. I think our shelters we made communicate our ideas of what a shelter is, to the best of our abilities in the time allowed and with the materials we had.

4. Using recycled materials wasn’t too hard to work with, however, breaking up the wooden crates was a challenge, to say the least. Our original design was completely different to what we actually built. Envisioning our goal and then actually building it were very different. My group ended up joining up with another group and making one shelter, combining our ideas into one. Individually, our shelters were somewhat pathedic, but when we worked together it really wasn’t too bad.

5. A shelter is a place where someone can feel safe, in my opinion. I think that since houses have become part of our lives, we take their shelter for granted. Although I’m proud of the “sculpture” we made, I couldn’t imagine what it’d be like to actually live there, or even just to sleep there. I think this project has made us all think about what we have and how lucky we are compared to what others do not have and work really hard to get.

6. A suprisingly high number of people live in shantytowns [and the like] and in poverty. It’s funny how people tend to think that everyone lives the same way that they do, probebly because we are surrounded by people with the same lifestyles. But, when you get out of your comfort zone and really see what is going on, it’s crazy. We are so lucky to have what we have, this is surreal.

7. As an artist, you try to connect your lifestyle with the rest of the outside world. So when you make a personal piece, your background comes out in it– your lifestyle and values, who you really are. Your attitudes and opinions relate back to how you grew up and what you have made yourself to be. Others see things differently from eachother due to these socioeconomic/enviormental/political/family/religious differences. No one is the same, after all. But if we can empathize to eachother, then the artists has done their job in making their art in the first place.

Understanding Goals and Relflection! Julissa

My last blog ever!

Throughlines:
1.) Artist can be a part of global conversation about important and relevant topics and issues by creating site specific and installation art by creating art for people to see.  It can help viewers see and understand for themselves what message the artist is trying to portray.
2.)Form in artworks can be a vehicle through which content can be communicated through because it can show others that depending on the environments, situation, or materials provided with the forms of artwork the medium of the artists can be different.
3.)The impact of our context showed that not everybody’s shelter was going to be the same.  Depending on what materials everyone got, depended on how durable and sturdy the shelter would be.  The context of our shelters reflected how we have a lot of resources.  In our environment it showed that at first our surroundings was okay, until neighboring classes started to become upset with the noise.  Not a lot of religious or political views was portrayed within the context of our  shelters, but a lot of the images or whatever we decorated it with was with personal likings or what ever reflected us as people today.

4.) Artist push the limits of their media and reconsider what can be thought of as art by thinking outside the box, and doing their art by doing different mediums, not the usual traditional ones like paintings or clay structures.

Understanding Goals:

1.)Site-specific art is when a piece of artwork is  specifically put in an area for a reason.  Installation art is when an artwork can be made/installed anywhere, and conceptual art is when art has a certain message and purpose.

2)My actions as an artist  relates to my responsibilty as a citizen of the world because I am sending a message out into the world for others to undertand and see what my art means.

3.) Having rough sketches and a good visual image of what you are going to create can be a specific installation  that communicates and conveys ideas about the concept of shelter.  Basically what Mr. Elkin always makes us do before we do our “actual” piece.  By creating an idea of what we want to do before hand, makes the process of actually doing the actual piece easier, and when we do the actual piece we can just wing or add more things while making it.

4.) You can use recycled materials to plan a pleasing artwork that doubles  as functioning shelters by using the recycled materials as a substitute for other materials we could have used.  It can be nice on the outside but the actual shelter can be not sturdy, and easy to break.

5.)  To have a shelter means to have protection, but not having a shelter it means to go find one and find a source of something you can call yours to protect yourself.

6.)  Everybody in the world don’t live in the same conditions.  Where we live, we are so priveleged to have all the resources we have.  We live in better conditions than most people, where as some people don’t even have a shelter or a place to sleep.  The kids in Oakland live in the same conditions as we do.

7.)It impacts my context as an artist because all of these factors influence and help me see things in a certain way.   And whatever influences with usually comes out through my artwork.

AHHHH IM DONE!

Understanding Goals Reflection-Dmitry

Throughlines:

1.  Artists can be part of global conversations about important and relevant topics and issues by creating art that reflects there ideas, opinions, and stance on them.

4. Artists push the limits of their media and reconsider what can be thought of as art by creating conceptual art that is made to get across ideas.

Understanding Goals:

1.  Site-specific art is specific to a certain place and holds meaning to the concept of the artwork and/or the artist . Installation art is made to fit into a certain place; sometimes to complement it. Installation art is built into a place and can also be taken apart and moved. Sculptures can be considered installation art. Conceptual art is made to get across and represent ideas.

2. Artists choose whether or not they want to voice they opinions on the issues of the world. Some artists think that it is their responsibility to create artwork that reflects their stance on certain issues, but others may to choose to express themselves through art without incorporating metaphors or ideas that reflect their views.

3. You can plan and create a three-dimensional site-specific installation by drawing preliminary sketches, drawings, and schematics that shows the scale and functions of the installation. To communicate and convey ideas about the concept of the shelter you can manipulate the structure and architecture of the installation as well as using different/specific materials. Another way to convey the concept of the shelter is to paint the surface with artwork that reflects the meanings and ideas behind it.

4. By taking apart old crates and nailing them together for a sturdy frame as well as using old cardboard for roofing and walls, a person can construct an aesthetically pleasing artwork with an attractive design as well as a functioning shelter.

5. Having a shelter is having a place of security where a person feels safe. A shelter protects an individual from the elements and allows them to have a place where they can rest. Not having a shelter means that the person is dislocated and always on the move, moving from one place to another, hoping to find a place of security to occupy.

6. Most people live in poor conditions and lack the addequate safety and protection that a shelter should provide as well as lacking essential resources necessary to survive.

7. All aspects of my context influence and impact my work as an artist, but ultimately it is my environment that inspires me to capture the beauty that I perceive in the world around me.

-Dmitry Willis

Art 3 Final-Cesar Cortes

Throughlines
1. They can be huge factors of influence and openess. They can so because many artists can be mediums of showing society relevent current events and topics. So in a sense they can be like news outlets but instead of speaking on tv or writing an article they paint a picture of make a sculpture and still project they main idea as the other two outlets.

4. Sustainability is being able to persist and maintain one self or in this case our shelters without intteruption. Its connected to the idea of shelter because a shelter ins something of a set thing or atleast should be. So in order to have a goo hlter it should be sustainable to the enviroment in all its forms.

Understanding goals
1.Site specific art is art that has been made at a particular spot and on purpose. Installation art is art that usualy that has depth or a sculpture and is set to certain location, usualy some where out of the ordinary. And coceptual art is art that had a cetain concept or ideal behind it obvious or not.

2. It relates tremendously because we as a citizen, as a human being of society is to know whats going on in the world.. And being an artist can help with that alot by showing the world by doing/saying/making art , and that communicates to the rest of the world, and that is the responsibility.

3. The first thing to do is to get ideas and influences in order to start preliminary stages of such a project. depending upon your concept/idea/influences your shelter is going to vary in many ways. After doing so you start to get supplies depending on the enviroment your building the shelter on. You may write words or manipulate shapes and lines to further more convey your certain concept. There are endless variations to convey ideas in shelters.

4.There are tons of materials that can be reused to build shelters. Those same materials can be in good conditions and double as aesthetically pretty. All over cities and towns you may find tools and supplies that can recycled to use for shelters..

5. A shelter is a place that to live in plain and simple. To not have a shelter means to not have anything to live in. A shelter is better than no shelter, and its all love.

6. Most people have a home/shelter and in ok condtions. But theres is a huge chunk of the society that dont have home, live under oppression, and have no set income. we have it great in the US. Mny people in the world would be gratefull to just have half the shit we have

7. It impacts artists HUUUUUGE! Because many artists work behind all those influnences. How you grow up shapes your future and how you grow up can also shape your artwork. the influences and concepts behind art are going to vary alot when it come to the oppsite sides of the spectrum on influences/topics such as socioeconomic, cultural,geographic,environment, religious,political, and family. Depending upon on which side of the spectrum your on your concepts/beliefs/ideals are all going to differ as your artwork will too.

Understanding Goals Final: Victor Luis

1. An artist can be part of a global conversation about important and relevant topics and issues showing there work and expresing there art.

4.Artists push the limits of their media and reconsider what can be thought of as art by pushing the limit and going all out and expressing there mind.

3.Site-specific, installation, and conceptual art is expression in built form.

4.What you do, say, make as an artist relate to your responsibility as a citizen of the world by the things you show and do, how you show your work and how you contribute the world in your art.

5.You plan it then you prepare it and then you fallow through with it.

6.You can used recycled materials by using your imagination and just call it art because you say it is.

7.Having a shelter means that you have a place to call home and to not have a shelter means you have no place to be safe in and no place to call home.

8.Most people have descent houses in the world, but then there are homeless people to.

9.Socioeconomic/cultural/geographic/environmental/religious/political/family context impact my work by expressing my work in every different way possibly.

understanding goals Final: Jaime Vasquez

1. Artists can be a part of global conversations about important and relevant topics and issues by expressing their thoughts through their art work to show the world.

2. Artists push the limits of their media and reconsider what can be thought of as art by expressing themselves in anyway and everyway possible, the limit to art is none so one can go far with expression in all kinds of art.

3. Site-Specific, Installation, and Conceptual Art is expression in built form.

4.What i do/say/make as an artists relates to my responsibility as a citizen of the world by adding a piece of my mind n myself to the world, having a say, a thought. A responsibility to add some change to the world.

5. You can plan and create a three-dimensional site-specific instillation that communicates/conveys ideas about the concept of shelter by planning it, preparing it, and then following through with it.

6. You can use recycled materials to plan and create an aesthetically pleasing artwork that doubles as a functioning shelter by building something nice.

7. To have a shelter means to have a place to go back to and always feel safe in. Not having a shelter means the opposite.

8. I think Most people in the world live in sterdy shelters that protect them in all weather.

9. Socioeconomic/ cultural/ geographic/ enviromental/ religious/ political/ family context impact my work as an artist by having a diffierent eye and perspective than everyone else, to express something that only i can see.

Final Understanding Goals Laurence Garcia

1) An artist can be part of a global conversation about important topics by making important facts by making arts that impact the world.

4) The ways artists push their limits of their media and reconsider what can be thought of as art by going way beyond what they can draw and notice what it is.

1) Site-Specific is a site that througly explaned of art, installation is to me is the art is put worked together, and conceptual art is a well-drawn piece that is something relative that impacts something.

2) Artist relate to your responsiblility as a citizen of the world by seeing what we see, arts that relate us today.

3) We can plan and create a three-dimensional site-specific installtion that communicates /conveys ideas about the concept of shelter by making a well thought project that is similar to it.

4) You can use recycled materials to plan and create an asethically pleasing artwork that doubles as a functioning shelter by just putting it together.

5) What it means to have a shelter is to cover you and probly protect you. What it means not to have a shelter is not have nothing to cover you.

6) Most people would live in a world with average houses not rich or not poor.

7) The socioecmomic/cultural/geographic/environmental/religious/political/family context impact my work as an artist because by just thinking about it, it could be either stressful or happy.

Art 2 Final Cameron

1. They can be a part of global conversation by creating works that convey the feelings of the artist.

4. They do this by mainly creating art that would not usually be considered art. They make things that contribute to the global conversation.

1. Site Specific art is art that has a specific meaning to the environment that it is in. Installation art is art that is constructed for a purpose. Conceptual art is art that pushes the limit that art is usually thought as it is new aged and inventive.

2. What you create can show how you feel about the world and this in turn can be beneficial to the responsibility as a citizen.

3. You plan , you prepare, and then you create in the best way for the environment that you are in.

4. You can use it in an inventive way. to make it the best for the situation.

5. To have a shelter is to have a place that hides you from the elements. To not have a shelter is exactly the opposite.

6. Most people live in conditions that would not be considered suitable by the majority.

7. What you create highly impacts the way you think there for influencing your art. In every way your art reflects you, it is an extension of yourself.

Understanding Goals Final- Melanie Shackelford

1. By making art that has something to do with issues and problems in the world.

4. Contemporary artists have the mentality that if they call it art then it is art.

1. Conceptual art is if an artist says its art then it is art, installation art is more creating something that has to deal with an issue, and site specific is where art has a direct correlation that has something to do with whats going on in an area.

2. By making art you make an opinion of what you think of the world.

3. You take it in parts and eventually plan what you are going to do and follow through with it.

4. In any way you choose you just use your imagination and creativity.

5. To have a shelter means you have somewhere to live, to not have a shelter means you don’t have anywhere to live.

6. Most people live in poor conditions not suitable for most people.

7. All my experiences have everything to do with what i make or create it shows feelings of what i believe and how i feel about something.

Understanding goals final : Justin Lambengco

1. An artist can be a part of global conversations through the use of media and such. like the artist can express themselves by showing their artwork on blogs and internet sites.

4. Some ways that the artist can push themselves on the limits by really giving a detailed ideas on what they believe in. Either they go all the way and make a huge point through media or not at all.

Understanding goals:

1. A SITE-SPECIFIC artwork is an artwork created to exist on certain places. INSTALLATION is the use of forms in the artwork to change the way it looks in space and environment. CONCEPTUAL ART is the way the artist is trying to say something through their artwork. its the whole meaning of the art itself.

2. An artist can responsible as a citizen of the world by giving a good example by making art pieces that relates to helping the environment. I also think that all artist are responsible on such matters.

3. By sketching it out first and being realistic about it. Also by planning whats needed such as duct tapes and some plywood or some nails and such.

4. You can use recycled things because it is still usable and it really makes it look like a shelter. it adds up the “handmade” look through it.

5. To have a Shelter means to have a place you call home. A place of comfort and a place where you can relax and be yourself.

6. Most people live on a poverty line right now. they lack shelter, running water, and clothes.

7. Having a family context on the artist means that they are valued of unmeasurable ideas and philosophies. it makes a huge impact on them.

Art 2 final-Daniel Diamond

Throughlines:
1.An artist can be a part of global conversations about relevant topics and issues by creating his art based on the community that he lives in. Then he can take his art and put it on the internet so everyone in the world can see it and relate to it personally. By doing this an artist can not only portray himself, but all the other around him with the art.
4.Sustainability is how well something can be by itself and still work. It is important as it relates to the shelter project because the shelter has to be sustainable by itself in order to be a shelter. In other words the shelter has to be able to hold itself up in order to work correctly.

Understanding Goals:
1.Site Specific is art about a specific place.
Installation art has to do with more than 3 dimensions. So 3-D art.
Conceptual art is art that has to do with
2.What you do any say as an artist relates directly to the community that you live in, and for that the artist has a responsibility as a citizen towards his art.
3.You can plan to create a three-dimensional site specific installation of a shelter by making more than one shelter. In our class we had blueprints and then we gathered materials after we did both of these then we created our final shelter project.
4.You can use recycled material to create an aesthetically pleasing artwork that can also be a shelter, because first you build a shelter out of recycled material. Then after you have the shelter build you can paint it or add some sort of beauty to it and then it becomes a work of art.
5.When you have a shelter it means that have a place you can call home, and that for most people is a symbol of accomplishment no matter how crude the shelter is. Then when you add beauty to the shelter it becomes a work of art.
6.In most of the world people live in a house with more than one person. Most houses are pretty big, and our shelter is small in comparison to the size of most houses that people actually live in.
7.As an artist there are many things that have a significant influence on the kind of work that is produced by that artist. Some of these things include Socioeconomic/cultural/geographic/environmental/religion/politics/ and families. These things influence an artist directly in his everyday life, and this can cause dramatic change in all the work produced by that artist.

Final Understanding Goals : Sean Kim

1.The artist can be apart of a global conversation by Media, Newspaper, Internet, etc… for example like we did in Mr. Elkin’s class having global conversation in India and Oakland by internet. Sharing ideas and learn from their experience.

4.Artists can push the limits of their media and reconsider what can be thought of as art.  I think artists has different style of express themselve. Like there is different kind of art, drawing, building, creative, etc… so art is unlimite own thoughtprocess.

Understanding Goals :

1.Site-specific art is artwork created to exist in a certain place. typically, the artist takes the location into account while planning and creaing the artwork. Installation are describes as artistic genre of site-specific, three-dimensional works designed to transform the perception of a space. Conceptual art is art in which the concept or idea involved in the work take precedence over traditional aesthetic and material converns.

2.What you do/say/make as an artist makes you responsible for you sharring your ideas that what you want to say or make them to understand what you are telling them.

3. First thing first… I had time with my group what are we going to do and planned on the paper and thinking about what materials are we using. I tired to show that our shelter telling you guy something special than other people.

4.What our group did was we used cardboard, unfold it ll of em and connected and duck tape together. Even though our group’s shelter was weak but it was very aesthetically pleasing artwork. Unfortunately we can see it anymore… i designed it very calculatly. I cutted the top of cardboard slidely so when we fold it on top it seems like circle.

5.Having shelter mean that we have the place that having break and relaxing. and not having shelter is no place to stay.

6. I think most people having average house. Not that big but have spaces to live with family.

7. For me, socioeconomic/cultural/geographic/enviormental/religious/polical/family context impact nothing on me to work as an artist. I mean i think if you are artist you are very indenpendent and freely express and impress viewers and yourself.

Understanding Goals Reflections: MOE

THROUGH LINES:

1.The artist can be apart of a global conversation by using the Internet in different ways for example:Blogs,Video,Video Chatting,chatting,and etc….

4.In the past artists they went deep into creating different kinds of art for the new generation artists, and created a million different ways to create art for example like their was an artist who had made food for people for days and that was considered art, their is a lot more to it but anything can be considered art if you put your mind to it.

UNDERSTANDING GOALS

1. Site specific art is  an art that is planned out in any type of environment that will fit the scene and it would be in an existing environment. Installation art is using forms of art and sculptures to alter the view of a certain space or environment they are placed in their are many examples like using a room or a kitchen and just work with what you got and create art in mysterious ways. . Conceptual art is the meaning behind the work that takes deep thinking and even meditation. It is like taking into consideration instead of just looking at it like any ordinary object.

2. Whatever that you do or say is your responsibility, it is your action that makes people think because the message that you give is your responsibility whether its happy or sad or even just normal but it is still giving people thoughts to what you did.

3.To plan anything you need to brainstorm a lot of ideas and always take the first idea that comes to mind and don think twice just jot down whatever and all turns into some kind of sequence. What we did was said all the ideas that came to our mind and jot them down on a paper and we put both of our ideas together and created a masterpiece, and whatever anyone says we know that what we created was our masterpiece even if the whole world had to judge and we came in last place we still know that ours became successful. But our maine point is that planning is very importan because we didn’t create a full image, we had to first find what we could work with espicially if we had the right tools, so after we did so then we created what we call the “BEAST” and it all came out just right because of our simple brainstorming and mapping.

4.Looking for recycled materials can create a purpose in many things but especially a shelter. What we found was all recycled and it created us a very well made shelter that could protect us from rain,heat,and etc… Our shelter really came through because of the recycled material that we found it could really be used by a homeless civilian. At the same time it also looked like something you can really relax in.

5.What is the purpose of having a shelter and what does it mean to have one well having a shelter really makes you feel sort of cozy and protected even if you have a warm home to go to,  having the shelter also gives you a  lot of knowledge it gets you to think and dream of stuff you have never seen or dreamed about. Having no shelter feels like you don’t have anything because the though of me destroying what Ricardo and created sort of makes me feel uncomfortable because one we created it for shelter but we created it with our own hands and it really seems like something important to me that is mine.

6.Many people live under the worst condition possible, from my own experience as an afghan that’s been to Afghanistan is terrifying because when we would drive along the road I could see young children and mothers living in which you call a living hell that cannot protect you from anything and the warm condition’s are also terrible but the fact that it also snows in Afghanistan is horrible when it hits below one everyone dies of the cold and icy Winter.  Their are other countries like Pakistan,India,Africa,and etc… There are way too many places with homeless people that live in crazy conditions and even finding food is hard.

7.Your experiences through your religion, economic, culture,  environment, and family changes me in my ways of art it makes me think like them draw like them hate like them love like them and almost about anything so it is most definitely gonna effect the way I use my art. My experience is what made the shelter come out to what it supposed to be, because my thought connected to my partners thought which came out to a strong piece of art.

Final Reflection: Boya Yu

1. Artists can be a part of global conversationa about important and relevant topics and issues because everyone can relate to art. they all see it in their own perspective. Art is the same as news, words and pictures travel around and people discuss them.

4. Artists can push the limits of their media and reconsider what can be thought of as art very easily. for example like the Marcel Duchamp. He took a urinal and installed it in the New York gallery. People were shocked from it. But he said that it should belong there and called it art.

UNDERSTANDING GOALS

1. Site-specific art is any work made for a certain place, which cannot be separated or exhibited apart from its intended environment. installation art is a sculptural material and other media to modify the way a particular space is experienced. Installation art is not necessarily confined to gallery spaces and can be any material intervention in everyday public or private spaces. conceptual art is art in which the concept(s) or idea(s) involved in the work take precedence over traditional aesthetic and material concerns. 

2. everything that artists do say and make relates to our responsibility as a citizen to the world. Aritists basically provide the speech for the world. they speak out on certain issues our world as today. Some of the things that artists make that refers to issues in the world can feel like it is loud and that it’s screaming in your face.

3.  You can plan to create a installation by first talking through about it then making a sketch of it knowing what you want to communicate to the audience. after that, gather the tools and materials needed and start.

4. you can easily use recycled material to create a shelter. You can take anything that is still worth functional and use it. Our class used very random things for our shelter, but as long as we made it so that it stood up and that it was a functional and sustainable shelter then the recycled materials were worth it.

5. A shelter means to have something over your head to provide protection. No shelter means that you are basically vulnerable to anything and everything.

6. Most of the people are in the middle class in the US. But i would say that most people live in poverty around the world.  So i would say that most people live in shantytowns. Which basically look like the shelters that we built. Where all it is is just anything they can find.

7.  Everything that goes on and everything that happens to us and our enviornment affects us. Artists get to express those feelings through anything they want.

Understanding Goals Reflections: Danny Ye

THROUGHLINES

1.The artists can be a part of global conversations by using the internet like the blog or make the movie. and post their pictures on the blog to let other people to watch.

4.I think every artists has different way to creat art. art is not only drawing the picture or take the photos. in artists mind every has relationship with art.

UNDERSTANDING GOALS

1.site-specific art is a artwork that work on some place. installation art is to design a place for people to live in just like the shelter. conceptual art is to  help the people to creat the artwork that nobody has done before.

2.to creat your own style artwork. because everyone have different style for their artwork. so we can learn someone from each others.

3.before to build the shelter. we need to draw the sketch and know what materials we need for the shelter. and then try to think about how the shelter looks like in the real world also we should watch the shelter form different ways to see how the shelter looks.

4.first the recycled materials need to be fit with the background. and it need to be useful like the top suppose be full cover. and to create an aesthetically pleasing shelter does not have to be used some good wood or others materials. the most important thing to make the artword pleasing is the artist. because the artist knew what can made the shelter looks better.

5.to have a shelter means you have a place to come back and be safe. not to have a shelter means you have to keep going to somewhere and you can never go back because you have no place to stay .

6.the most people in the world live are almost same. the different between those people are the shelter pretty or ugly.big or small .but everyone want to have a shelter because when they cannot dicide where to go then they can go back. the shelter can be a place people can stay and think about what to do for next step.

7.we do not have to care about those things. because art and creat on many different ways. the important part is to creat your own art and shows people what your own style is.

                                                                                                                                                                                                 b8a2p2e    Danny (Jia X.YE)

Final: DIY Shelter Unit-Casey

Throughlines:
1.) Artists can be a part of global communications about important and relevant issues through blogging and if your artwork is has individuality its easy to reach out to artists just like you
2.) Form is a vehicle through which content can be communicated because the way you put an artwork together, communicantes different meanings.
3.) If you make something with a context people can appriciate and take to heart you can say you made a difference in the world.
4.) In the past artists pushed the limits so that today almost anything can be considered art. A prime example would be the urinal we learned about and also our shelters.

5.) Sustainablity is connected to our shelter project because a couple of the groups actually made their shelters livable. Knowing that with few materials and a couple friends we could build something useful was pretty sick.

Understanding Goals:

1.) Site Specific art is an artwork created to exist in a certain place. Installation describes an artistic genre of site-specific, three-dimensional works designed to transform the perception of a space. Conceptual art is art in which the concepts change from conservative to more outgoing ideas.

2.) Saying things that may compromise your art credablity could never be a good thing. Things you do make or break you in the art world.

3.) You can create a three-dimensional site specific installation that communicates your thoughts or an idea in many differnt ways. It really just depends on how the artist wants to portray it.

4.) Recycling materials and using them in a piece is not only good for the environment but its also something that more and more people are begginning to appriciate.

5.) Having a shelter isnt just about having a roof over your head its about security. Not having a shelter is something people with homes couldnt really comprehend. As long as you have love though, you can overcome homelessness.

6.) Most people in the world live in poverty. Not exactly with no food, clothing, or shelter, but not able to provide for an extra mouth if they had to.

7.) Many things impact your work as an artist and things that you use in your artwork set  you apart from anyone else.

Understanding Goals Reflections: Mariecar Fuentes

THROUGHLINES

1. Artists can be a part of global conversations about important issues by expressing theirselves in what they do best.  Whether it be on a wall, or destroying one.  Artists make their points straight forward so that the eye of the public can see and understand what they feel about the issues.

4. There are no limitations on what artists can do to express their opinions.   To some people, it won’t be considered art.  But to those people with open minds, it’s art. 

UNDERSTANDING GOALS

1. Site specific, installation, and conceptional art, are pieces of art work that have a specific reason why it was made that way.  example, Nigel Tomm

2.  It’s really crucial to an artist to make their point of view.  we’re responsible to express whether we’re mad, happy, sad, nostolgic about certain topics.  you want to make a scene.  dramatic or subtle. 

3.  You can plan “sculptures” by, just planning ahead.  you need a lot of duct tape, and patience with these things.

4.   What’s great about recycled materials is that… you’re reusing them.  plastic’s great as a water resistant material.  since you can’t get rid of plastic, you might as well use it more than once.   

5.  Shelter’s a place or state of mind that you as a person, is the most comfortable.  if there’s any sign of negativity, that isn’t your shelter.  you want to be happy, and safe…and that’s what shelter is.

6.  Considering where i live, i admit, my shelter life is pretty good.  compared to other places, where we live is such a haven. we’re so lucky to have what we have, resulting in overindulgence. 

7.  My contexts reflect who i am in my art.  and it goes for the same as everyone else.  whatever i do, hopefully people can tell a difference between the generics.

Understanding Goals Reflection- Final Ashley

Throughlines:

1. Artists can be part of global conversations about important topics by basically engaging themselves into a large project with a whole bunch of other artists so they can all come together to work and discuss their passionate issues and suggestions about the important topic. They can also express themselves individually with their own work and let their opinions show through that way. They can broadcast their art to the world, therefore making their views public and informing more people about that certain issue.

4. Nowadays artists dont merely just use plain painting and drawing anymore. There are different materials and things that are considered art now. Artists are working hard to reconstruct the view and limits of art. Basically if they think that their work is art, then it definitely is art. Many artists have gone out of the box to use landscapes and even broken down dumpster materials to transform it into a wonderful form of art. All these steps are pushing the limits of media and common art stereotypes in what art is considered to be.

Understanding Goals:

1. Site specific art is art that is planned out in some type of environment that will fit in or pop out of the existing environment. Installation art is using forms of art and sculptures to alter the view of a certain space or environment they are placed in. Conceptual art is the meaning behind the work that involves deep thought. It is seeing rather than looking.

2. Your words and actions as an artist relates to responsibility as a citizen of the world because as an artist you have to make sure that your work does not have a negative affect on the public and the world. Offensive art can be used in certain circumstances, such as fighting for a certain issue, but you still have to be careful and think before you do or say something. Also, as an artist you have to watch our for the public eye, and make sure the meaning of your work is how you want it to be expressed and percieved. Art does infuence others, so artists have to be responsible about what they give out to society.

3. You can plan a site specific installation art that shows the concept of a shelter by designing a flat sketch of some form of a mini building and decide where it will be located and what it will be built out of. You can use those notes and sketches to follow through and actually make the plan come to life in a three dimensional artwork based on your original thoughts. But the actual outcome of the work may vary and change according to the weather and availability of materials.

4. You can use recycled materials to create beautiful and pleasing art that also fuctions as a shelter by simply going out to find old materials and incorporating them into your planned art/shelter piece. My group went to the dumpsters and I went in collect a whole bunch of large cardboard pieces. And so the base and walls of our shelter was made entirely out of cardboard.

5. Having a shelter means to me that you have a comfortable place to rest and sleep and just hide out from the natural environment. Shelters also gives privacy and protection. Not to have a shelter is to have no place to go to where you feel safe and protected, and that you’re exposed to the world uncomfortably.

6. I think that not everybody in the world are as privileged as some of the rich people in their mansions, or even people in regular houses. But they at least find a way to cope such as building their own shelters in shanty towns or living in tents. People usually find a way to get protection and some privacy. But there are some homeless people out there as well, lying on the ground and shielding their faces from the sun with old newspapers.

7. Your backgrounds, experiences, environment, etc. impacts your work as an artist because it probably alters your views towards some topics and opinions, therefore forcing you to create work based on your own perspectives that come from that background. Your work as an artist could be totally different if your living in a different environment or experienced different situations.

Understanding Goals Reflection; Eric Hishinuma

THROUGHLINES:

1. Artists can be involved in global conversations by conceiving artwork that is relevant to the topics and issues that they would like to express.  They can also involve themselves in literal global conversations by taking advantage of technology and networking.

4. Art can be essentially anything that you want it to be.  As long as there is significance and meaning to a piece–it ultimately qualifies as ‘art’.  The existing conceptual artists in today’s world are a testament to this type of philosophy.

UNDERSTANDING GOALS:

1. Site-specific art is a type of artwork that incorporates it’s environment into the actual piece.  Installation art deals with objects/sculptures and the space that they inhabit.  Conceptual art is when the art goes deeper than just aesthetics and focuses more on the purpose or meaning of the piece.

2. It relates to your responsibility, because when you make your art available for public viewing, it triggers many different ideas and concepts for viewers to conceive.

3. Hopefully, the shelters that we built conveyed some type of message to the kids at our school.  Our shelters were not made to literally support some type of harborage for a homeless person to live in at our school, but they were made to communicate some sort of idea about the concept of ‘shelter’.  You can create a plan by just doing what we did in class–planning it out on paper and then putting it into action.

4. What our group did was paint and decorate our shelter.  Even though we did use a bunch of litter and deadwood, we tried to make it as aesthetically pleasing as possible, while still having it exist as a shelter.

5. Essentially, what a shelter means is to have some sort of space that is occupied with a roof/walls and acts as some sort of safeguard.  To not have a shelter, is to be basically living out in the open with no privacy.

6. I think that most people in this world have some type of shelter that they inhabit.  Whether it being pieces of tin metal or sturdy cement walls, there is some sense of privacy and security in what most people in this world live in.

7. Anything and everything that is present in your life is going to affect your artwork in some sort of way.  Art is expressing who you are as a person and what surrounds you is what makes you who you are.

Understanding Goals Reflection, by michelle baca

throughlines:
1. Artists can be part of global topics and issues, by relating their work with a message to go with it. Many artists use an abstract way of thinking to persuade viewers, or grab their attention and prove a point.

4. Many artists create what others may not think of as art. They go beyond the traditional drawing or sculpture. For example, the man who signed his name on the urinal. Or the the man who cut holes into abandoned buildings. they proved that “art” can be whatever you want it to be.

understanding goals:
1. Site-specific art is artwork created to exist in a certain place. Installation art uses sculpture materials and other media to modify the way a particular space is experienced. In conceptual art the concept of the art is more important than traditional and material concerns.

2. What you do/say/make as an artist makes you responsible for the message you send out to the public, because you are putting ideas into peoples heads.

3. …By doing the project that we did in class. Draw a sketch first, and then by using any available materials like cardboard, old wood, tarps, whatever…build what you sketched. To convey the concept of a shelter you pretty much need to build one, with important things like a roof and walls, it should be sturdy, and you should be able to fit inside of it.

4. Once again, dig through the trash until you find things that would work in building a shelter. Build it stable and it can act as a functioning shelter. Maybe paint it with designs or something to make it more aesthetically pleasing.

5. To have a shelter means that you have a place to go that you hopefully feel safe in, and protected. Protected from the elements, and whatever else you need protection from. To not have a shelter would mean that you have no default place to go back to, no protection, etc.

6. I think that most people in the world live with just enough to get by on in a pretty average home.

7. Where you are from, your culture, your environment, etc, definatly plays a part in what kind of art you create, because your ideas of what messages you want to send, or whats important, is different. Also, your styles and emotions would be different then another person who has experienced things completely different than what you have. Perspectives change.

Understanding Goals Reflection-Sheila

Throughlines

1. Artists can be a part of the world’s conversation by expressing their views through artworks, just like a journalist would do but with writing. An artist does not necessarily have to simply draw a picture to bring about awareness. Artists my also use words, and in our case “sculptures”. Our class is sending a message to the outside world about the housing of parts of the world. It is a shock to the viewer, which gets their attention sometimes better than a piece of writing.

4. Traditionally, artists are thought of as painters, drawers, and sculptors. But, some push those boundaries. Artists think of new ways to create art and involve the process more in the actual piece. Such artists as Janine Antoni pushes the limits. Can mopping a floor with your hair that is soaked in hair dye be considered art? Or  re-sculpting a bust sculpture made of soap by bathing with it be art? Yes. For example, her hair dye experiment with mopping a floor left beautiful patterns on the floor which came across as very artful. Who decides what and what is not art anyways? Our miniature shanty town is art. We created it right?

Understanding Goals

1. Site-specific art is art that is made to work with a certain environment. Installations to me is a 3-D object installed in a space which changes aspects of the space. It alters one’s perception of an area. Conceptual art is art that stresses the importance of the idea or message behind it instead of the general look.

2. It’s important to have a purpose in this world. Artists should at least make one piece of art that could change someone’s outlook, beliefs, life, or have a lasting effect on them. There are so many inequalities and atrocities in our world, artists can use their abilities to influence the world.

3. Our shelters were made for a reason. They are 3-dimensional site-specific installations. Our shelters were out on this campus for a reason, they are site-specific. They are installations that change the space. How often do you see a shanty town in the suburbs? Through all of these aspects, the shelters could create a new light around what a shelter actually is. It’s not just a box.

4. By using found materials, one can build a shelter that serves a dual purpose: to protect, and to please. As my group was building our shelter, I was working on the inside one day. It was a very warm day, but inside the shelter it was very cool and it shielded me from the sun’s rays. Our shelters actually could protect someone from the elements. But, the shelters are also very interesting and sometimes pretty to look at. For example, my group decided to paint our shelter with many pictures and little designs. With some of the sculptures the actual architecture can be thought of as beautiful.

5. To have a shelter means to be slightly more safe than if you were out in the open. All animals seem to embody that instinct to seek refuge. To not have a shelter means to be vulnerable. Sometimes a shelter is not just for safety, but for happiness.

6. I believe that most people who live in the world live in an average home where the roof over their head is adequate enough to keep them safe to poverty levels where even the shelter may not be enough.

7. How a particular artist grew up and what they had experienced during that time deeply affects what they create and what they are interested in. Most often it would depend on what touches their life on a personal level.

-SHEILA RAMIE

Final Understanding Goals-Joseph Oliveras

Throughlines: Numbers 1& 4
Artists I believe are able to use their works to express their views on global conversations on a visual way. If that is the prime purpose for why they make art, then they will take a very active role in the topics and issues that they see as important. Artists can use technology along with their vision in their work to share to all people their ideas clearly and in a way that is not misunderstood. Artists’ works can be pushed to the limits when they make their works so explicit in order to express their opinion. Sometimes this can result in questions and criticism or perhaps persecution.

Understanding Goals:
1) Conceptual art is any art that places emphasis on meaning rather than esthetics. Site-specific art and installation art are two more specific forms of conceptual art. Their meaning coincides with where they are located and the things that surround them.
2) As an artist for this project, i believe it ismy responsibility as a citizen of the world is to make art that portrays a meaning that will hopefully inspire people to take a stand in an issue, or to at least make them think about it.
3) For our group and myself personally, it was essential that we had an idea about how the shelter will protray the idea of that is most necessary in a shelter, such as having the roof or having a wall fo privacy from the rest of the world where you can feel protected. From there, the other components of the shelter, from how it will stand to that type of material will be used, came in fairly easily.
4) Recycled materials, particularly cardboard and wood for us, were easily nailed and taped together to make a shelter. The fact that materials like these were used give the esthetic message that show how most shelters in the world generally are and how the impoverished can consider having a simple roof over their head as a shelter.
5) In its most basic definition, to have a shelter is to have a physical roof for protection and to have walls to ensure some privacy. It also can mean that a shelter is a place to return to where you can feel safe; to feel vulnerable and exposed is what it means to have no shelter.
6) Most people live well below our own standard of living. Their homes are usually in the fashion of what we made for our project. They are generally made of re-used scraps of sheet metal or or wood, like many shantytowns. Or they live in tents or camps, with very few luxuries to come by.
7) The factors that make up our context and values are what we draw concepts from to give the inspiration for the ideas for art. Opinions about certain issues formed from a person’s values also makes an impact on a person’s art because they will be passionate to express that opinion by means of the artistic techniques that they have developed.

UNDERSTANDING GOALS REFLECTIONS: KEVIN NGANGA

                                                          THROUGHLINES:

1.They use blogs and technology. They can all talk and try to help each other and

      they can also talk about important issues and how they can help.

2.Most people thaink art is only drawings and paintings. the art they

     make is art that people dont think its art. but the artist see it in different view and prespectives.

1.Installation art is art that is three dimentional art designed for the perception of space. Site-    specific is art work that is art that is placed on the means and process of producing art objects.

2. As a citizen i should help the society . When i make art its about what i feel and if people see it they  would feel the same way.eventhough people would see it in different views an prespectives.

3.To create the specific installation of a shelter.I would create a shelter that you would feel safe and confortable in. And it would be a nice place to live in.

4.The recycled stuff will convey the shelter as art work. I would make it better by the look of it.

5.T o have a shelter is when you dont have a place to stay. A shelter is like a confort zone a plce where you keep your stuff. Its a plce you keep your clothing and you have food and family. When you dont have a shelter you dont have a home, you dont have food and other stuff.

6.Most people have what they need like food, clothes and homes. Other do not have homes and food like homeless people. Refugies are always moving so they dont live in good conditions.

7. My society has great impact on me because i live in a good healthy place, alot of people around the world live in slams and stuff. 

 

 

Understanding Goals: Shelter project-Steven Godfrey

1. Through the internet, artists can globaly communicate vocally and visually see who they’re talking to. This is only with the proper software and a web cam, but artists can also communicate through the work they produce.

4. Artists push boundaries in terms of what is considered art by using various mediums. Beyond that, artists use a variety of materials to make sculptures and change shapes and ideas of sculptures into artworks that most people wouldn’t consider to be art at first glance.

1. Site specific art coincides with its surroundings. A lot of focus is placed on where it’s located at. Installation art is art that is built in an area with various materials. Conceptual art doesn’t focus so much on skill but the idea, or what the artists message is that he/she is trying to get across.

2. I feel that my responsibility as a citizen is to contribute to our society in some positive way. What I do, say, and make as an artist relates to this because I want to positively influence others to contribute too.

3. To communicate the ideas about the concept of the shelter we built, we had to avoid buying any supplies needed for the shelter, using what we found. This conveys how hard it really is for the homeless and jobless to build their own shelters to live in. The art we made was site-specific in a sense too because we built on the side of the school where our shelters were visible from the street, making passer-bys more aware of poverty and the living conditions of homeless.

4. Recycled materials can be used to help convey a message and to build with. The viewer will notice that the materials are recycled from the poor condition they are in, but will also take into account that they are molded into a functioning shelter, despite the fact that the materials are old and most likely unwanted.

5. To have a shelter means you have a home. To have a home means you have a place to go come back to whenever you leave. And when you do come back, you have a roof over your head to cover you from the rain, walls to block you from the wind, and some sense of privacy.

6. A lot of people in the world live in poverty in areas with extreme weather conditions surrounded by ruthless, selfish, apathetic people.

7. I live in a middle to upper class suburb which influences my art because my surroundings differ from those of a slum, from abandon buildings, to litter on the streets, even to the amount of agriculture. My culture has little effect on my work because it is not heavily stressed in my family. The environment I live in contributes to my art because i have to adjust to the fact that anti-graffiti is enforced more where i live opposed to the urban terrain. My work is mainly influenced by my mood though, and extreme experiences.

Final Understanding Goals Reflection

WHITECAT510 Brett Barbero

THROUGHLINES

1. they can do what we did this year, have video chats, share information, current news and situations on a blog.

4.  When people think of art they usually think of painting but, artists today are very diversified in the media of their artwork. One can extend from modern painting and drawing to full scale housing, and or sculptures. This is a perfect example of pushing the limits to traditional art work.

UNDERSTANDING GOALS

1. Site-Specific art is the art that is intended to be built in a planed location, or for a specific reason. Installation art is the art that we did for the shelters. Conceptual art in my opinion is using and incorporating concepts into the art word.

2. Its almost like artists have their own duties and responsibilities as artists to produce and distribute art to there respective communities. Because art is a major part of expressing feelings and opinions.

3.  To create a site specific installation that communicates/conveys ideas about the concept of shelter, is anything that you feel completely comfotable and safe being in. Thats my definition of a shelter. We can relate ideas from real houses and or buildings everywhere in order for us to create our concepts.

4. We can relate this project from using recylced materials to create our shelters, like real life situations where these people have nothing to work with and have to scavenger around finding whatever they need to stay warm and safe. Our shelter was aesthetically pleasing because of its outside appearence. But on the inside it was uncomfortable because we focused mainly on the aesthetic appearance.

5. To have a shelter, it means everything for the most part. Because if you have a shelter, things are less stressfull, you are comfortable, relaxed, and your mind can think about other things other then a place to sleep at night.

6. Truthfully, nobody can answer this unless you have been and lived in every different country and city on the planet. Because condidtions are completley different everywhere and so are people.

Understanding Goals Reflection Ricardo Mendez

1.an artist can express himself or herself more different than many people because artist have minds that can wonder and bring up dome other topics that could be connected. As well as draw there feelings toward it with deeper meanings.

4.Artist have pushed media by making art that peolple would never think its art. Artist make people wonder how is this art why is it important how is it important. when artist are trying to make things more deeper meaning in life with some possitive issues and maybe some negative.

1.They all are modern art which is so different from just drawing on paper or poster boards but its part of your home and were your sorrundings are.

2.I think by making this shelter people would be what are they doing because many people stared at us working while they drove by there cars. They can be thinking are they helping homeless people out. we might not of been but we had a chance to see how some people live in this world.

3.Find reusable material or recycled things and plan out your ideas by making big or an creation that is well planned out but all you have to do is wonder an you will be fine.

4.You can use recycled material if you plan out what you need first and then go look for it then find what other many things you need and make sure you have the size of it and then just make it happen its not a lot of work if you do it correctly.

5.what means to me to have shelter is to have something that will protect you from rain and the coldness. not to have one is just stay sleeping on the street. get sicknesses

6.I think most people live in the conditions get what you can afford. and make the best of it.

7.I think growing up with my father building thing i have incorperated some of his work and making sure it will stand and be well supported to maintain protection over your head.

Empathy , Yearbooks and Aesthetic concerns WHS 6/11/09

Had a great whole class discussion about Empathy today, prompted by students’ desire to donate their completed and almost completed shelters to homeless people. I told them that we wouldn’t be able to do this-too many complicating factors. I also told them that their desire to give their shelters to folks that needed them showed tremendous empathy. Cesar said that empathy is the most important attribute that people can have-others agreed and in the end the students were ok with the fact that we’ll have to tear the shelters down on tuesday. (SEE VIDEO DISCUSSION ABOUT THIS TOPIC BETWEEN WHS/EOSA STUDENTS BELOW)

So today is the second to last day the WHS art2 students will be working on their shelters. Some group members have disengaged from the project already-This is the annual point in the year when the YEARBOOK, signing and getting signed, takes over everything.

That said, some groups have decided now is the time to begin thinking of their shelters as works of art. See images below

the Beast

Challenges Shelter Reflection

The difficult process of building the shelters were the process getting the materials together just because it difficult to find the materials and putting it together.
The challenges were the timing and piecing it together the materials, in order to put it together it had to be patient team to get the work done, but at the end it turned out to be well-built. A day after my group found out that our shelter was destroyed and made my group and myself mad! After a day me and my group joined another group, just because we didn’t have time to built another shelter!

-Laurence Garcia

Warm-Up for the Warm-Down

Sadly, this is the last week of school (says the teacher, not the students)!! As an attempt to refocus, and regroup our efforts, I asked a few questions of my students: an in-process reflection. Here are the questions, with the responses posted as comments:

1. Chose one song to either represent your shelter, or describe the process (could also be a song you’ve been listening to while working on this project)
2. What has been the:
-most exciting/successful part of the project
-most challenging/difficult part of the process
3. What could you improve on?

Shelter Project: What was the hardest?- Ashley

I think that basically the most difficult part of this building construction thing was designing the structure to actually get it to stand and hold on its own. I’m terrified of saws and nails and splinters so my group made ours entirely out of bent cardboard. It’s probably the worst one out there, and no one would want to live in it.

But anyways when we first started building, the cardboard wouldnt stand on its own unless we placed it strategically, and even then it kept moving around when we were trying to tape it down with plain small strips of masking tape. Then the next problem was our roof, also made out of cardboard. The top was too heavy and it caved in the next day after all that work trying to tape the floppy roof down. It was so not fun.  So we decided to switch materials and ended up bringing in a sheet and taping it to the top. And we stuck a pole in the middle to keep it up. It looks retarded but at least it stands.

Our group also had problems working together, because some people werent willing to participate. It was a bit frustrating. And we also got into fights on what to do.

So all in all, I really hated this project, but I guess I learned something from it, I think.

WHS 6/10/09 RAIN!

Completely unusual weather for June in Northern California continued today and the Art 2 students dealt with rain for the first time since they started building their shelters.
Several students got inside of their shelters to take cover-see below:

Ricardo, Laurence and Mohammad take cover

the rain stopped after 10 minutes

taking cover in the farm house

Challenge Post-WHS

Throughout the whole building process problems arose based on misscommunication or conflicting ideas on how to build the instalation. some people wanted it certain way while others wanted it another. To work around it we had to be more open towards others ideas and such, or had mixed ideas to create an all new idea. By doing so we worked more better and more flow which resulted in a better all around installation. It may sound corny but working as a team with a clear path on what to do is most flowing and succesfull way to work.

(im in the video. IM FAMOUS YO!)

-Cesar Cortes

EOSA and WHS meet in cyberspace!

Ariel Roman and Todd Elkin’s Students spoke to each other via Skype Video chat Today.

Some big issues were raised and the EOSA students’s asked some very good questions of the WHS students-interesting dialogue ensued. See video below.

VID00006

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I’ll post more clips from this dialogue soon-

Peace,

Todd

“Ours isn’t the biggest-but it’s defininetly the best aesthetically.” WHS 6/9/09

UNDERSTAND ART WORLD:

The big event this morning was the appearance of some very interesting “Banksy influenced” graffiti on campus here at WHS. (See Images Below) Art 2 students discussed how there was a “Double Visual Metaphor” on the piece: The Circled “A”-symbolizing Anarchy and also the Letter grade-Brilliant!

Ironic footnote: Matt-WHS head of maintenance-is a HUGE art lover. He spends ALL his vacations at museums all over the world-he knows more about art history than I do! Matt also had the unenviable task of painting over the graffiti.

Shelter News:

Today the groups started to deal with aesthetic elements-painting the outsides of their shelters. Interesting that they are just now thinking of that. I think until now they’ve been completely absorbed in structural concerns. Now that the shelters are mostly free standing-they are starting to think of artistic matters.

I’m REALLY EXCITED about the dialogue that’s starting to happen between the schools-with less than a week left we’re really starting to talk to each other! Awesome.

Peace-

Todd

Actions speak louder ..but

Matt Following Orders

not the biggest but aesthetically awesome

Amze Emmons and Drishya Students

Today amazing contemporary artist Amze Emmons and Students from Drishya School in Bangalore joined the conversation.

WHS and EOSA students: Don’t let this opportunity to engage in a global conversation go by!

Respond to them and let’s get the dialogue rolling!!!

Peace,

Todd

“It’s ALWAYS Engage and Persist” WHS 6/8/09

The quote in the heading came from Cameron today,  And reflects his own and the general attitude toward this collaborative effort.

WHS students had to deal with some natural setbacks this morning. I was concerned that we might have some vandalism over the weekend because the shelters were in the front of the school, basically open to the world. Another teacher said to me “those are definitely going to get messed with.” and of course this caused me to fret over the weekend. Turned out not to be true, thankfully.

HOWEVER, we had some damage based on two things: Condensation and structures collapsing under their own weight.

Students were not deterred though-they just jumped right back in and started re-building.

the OTHER cool news of the day was that 2 groups joined forces and combined their structures-See pics below.

condensation casualty

"Elkin-This thing is earthquake proof, Rain Proof, Osama Bin Laden Proof!" -Mohammad

Two groups join forces

More soon-

Todd

Understand Art World: Rainwater Collection Systems

Critique and Innovation: Reiterating Ideas and Building on Inspiration

This entire curriculum process of designing a classroom of the future has been very scaffolded. Critique and Reflection have been an essential practice of every session. Students developed and articulated Habits of the Mind: Observation, Envisioning, Engaging and Persisting, Expressing, Developing the Craft and Techniques required, Reflecting on their struggles, Stretching and Exploring when they were unsure of the final out come and Drawing Inspiration from their peers other artists around the world.  Students were very metacognitive about their entire process. An excellent example of this is the rainwater catchment systems in the images below. During one opening circle students were exposed to a variety of roofs. One roof in particular, a upward facing butterfly roof caught the attention of some students because of it’s unique design and functionality in collecting rainwater. Two groups designed very different innovation of this butterfly roof. One group created a funnel like structure that held the solar panels, had a cutout for the edible garden and collected and filtered the rainwater. Another group designed large fins that would open out during the rain and collect water not only from their site but their neighbors as well. 

Habits of mind in Kannada

 The structure you see here as these huge fins that open out when it rains in order to collect rainwater from the neighbours

A Preview of our Models

Tomorrow we will post our rough drawings, plans and details from our models. Here is a preview of our models. It’s exciting to share these with you while you are in the thick of building your structures. 

These are images of our classroom space and the final presentation

We are working on our plans

We worked in three groups. Here are images of the three models

Drishya: Choosing and Measuring the Site.

We chose a specific site for the project. We had to think about sun, rain, wind etc. while designing our space.  The site is in the community that we live in and we did not want to raise any alarms so we decided to use our bodies to measure the site . We intentionally did not take a tape measure but used our feet to measure the perimeter and features of the site. These anthropometrics (measuring with your body) were then recorded and on returning to the classroom we averaged our findings as a whole class and created a scaled drawing of the site with the key features, (mainly trees). We recorded the movement arc of the sun and marked areas of sun and shade on the site.  

Using the body as a measuring tool was liberating. We developed a different understanding of how to use everyday measurement and not only rely on external tools to understand something. The body was legitimized as a medium of making meaning of the physical space

Shelter Reflection #2-Melanie S.

The take away message that i got from the shelter presentations was to be resourceful and  that more things are considered art than you would expect. They made me look at more simple condensed things that are considered art.

My understandings about artits that engage in global comersations on important topics is that they are aware of world crisis situations and that they make simple things into art. The artists are expressing thier views on the shelter issues around the world. They made shelters that were condensed and simple but it was also seen as a work of art.

The artist from the presentations connect to our shelter projects because we are doing the same thing that the artists did by buliding shelters and looking at them as a work of art. We are all aware of the fact that many people all around the world live in shelters.

shelter project

my group for the shelter project decided to build a legit house.

we used wood from an old deck to build a 6foot by 8 foot structure.

next we will put card board all three sides and a tap on top

seran wrap will go all over to make it water proof. what i learner

from this project was that when you work together you can make

a lot more that anyone would think.

Waste Plastic Shelter

For all of you building your shelters right now – check this out. We went to visit this installation created by Mark (unfortunately we don’t remember his last name) a Swedish artist who has created this pyramid from waste chips and other plastic packets.

Mark engaged the local children in sourcing plastic bags that had been thrown in the trash by paying them a small fee for every 10 plastic bags they brought him. 

While approaching the structure we though it was built out of colored glass because the reflective quality of light through the bags, On approaching it closer there was a disbelief that something so beautiful in the landscape could be made out of locally found trash. There was an active conversation that emerged around the structure. Some students debated it’s use as a shelter because the current form would not keep the wind and rain out. Others argued that the aesthetic space created within the structure was all the function it needed to serve. Meditation is a central part of the students day and many students agreed that the quality of light in the space would be a great addition to their meditation space. 

Marks structure continued to remain an inspiration for our students. One team created a covered dining area for their model by using the plastic bags like tiles. Another created a meditation space using colored bottles in the wall to replicate the quality of light.

Shelter Project: what has been most difficult?-Joseph Oliveras

So far we have been working on our shelter for a little more than week now. Our biggest problem until now was trying to make the structure stand. At one point i was thinking of tearing the whole thing down & starting over, but it turned out okay once we got the actual foundation to be stable by putting some support on the bottom. A part of the reason of getting the structure stabe was because of our lack of wood and the fact that we had to share tools, which delayed our progress by waiting for our tools & looking for spare wood.

The problem of stability has been more or less resolved now. My personal focus now is to find a way, if possible, to fit our group into the structure, which is small for a 5-man group such as ours. But overall, i am glad that the problem with making the structure standing and stable is over.

“Who’s Got the Saw???” WHS 6/5/09

The big event today was the assembly of “the Farm House” or “Barnyard Block”.  Steven’s group, “The Time Travelers”, threw up the MASSIVE frame (see below)

The Quote of the day came when I asked Steven and his crew how they were going to move their behemoth out of the walkway in front of our classroom where they were building it. He said:

“Uhhhh–we haven’t thought that far ahead.”

It keeps threatening to rain-so far we’ve been lucky–could happen any minute though. Keep you posted!

Best,

Todd

The "Farm House"

Throwing up the "farm house"

DRISHYA: Competition Submission

“Architecture or Revolution. Revolution can be avoided”

Le Corbusier, 1986

Hummmmm, wish that we’re true……….

Can we design ourselves into a liberated social existence? At least a liberated educational experience???

This was the spirit of the Architecture for Humanity, “Classroom”, design competition.  It is complete for us, WHEW, what a journey.  If the competition was simply weighted upon the educational efforts & accomplishments, I would be confident of our chances to win.  As it stands, we are going up against some high powered design firms from around the world, lets see.

Here is a link to the website with our submission:

http://openarchitecturenetwork.org/projects/3658

(peep the whole site, lots of cool designs & information)

Here are our final panels with this first being the major submission, the rest supporting.

Here is the final Text we worked up to articulate the design concept:

The guiding vision of the Mobile Mandala is informed by the tradition of Banyan trees being the sustainable classroom of India. This is our ideal form and guiding principle in that tomorrow’s classrooms will contribute to a reforestation of the world and take root in any locality. We believe that the Classroom of the Future must fundamentally revolutionize the paradigm of our built environment. It is imperative for us to adopt a Regenerative Approach to building instead of a resource-intensive and destructive material life-cycle approach.

We envision a transportable structure made from solar-cell fabric and bamboo support that incorporates systems for: water-catchment; nutrition-generation (intensive micro-gardens); waste recycling & composting (including humanure); habitat restoration; and multiple alternative energy technologies. Simultaneously, this structure will reflect and celebrate its cultural context in forms, patterns and other artistic expressions. A time dynamic will be fundamentally included in the Mobile Mandala.

Harvesting local, natural and waste materials to build more permanent aspects of the classroom, over time, the local ecology will be rehabilitated and native/useful plantings will replace invasive and non-useful landscapes. Ultimately, we see this classroom moving from pod to pod. As it is set-up in one area, it rehabilitates the area and creates a more permanent structure around it using natural and recycled materials. It then moves to the next area and cycles through the process again. Each pod will embody the core elements of the design and develop its own unique expression of these elements.  In this way, classroom construction, instead of being a burden on the planet’s ecology will catalyze reforestation, overall ecological renewal and sensible resource-management.

Materials List

Nomadic Phase:

1. Solar Cell Fabric & Battery Array
2. Bamboo
3. Hanging Black-Boards
4. Recycled Steel Storage Container
5. Cob (earth, straw, sand, cow manure)
6. Reclaimed Timbers & Cement Culverts
7. Found Local Stone
8. Large Unglazed Earthenware Pots
9. Khadi Fabric Rain Catchment Flaps
10. Woven Vettiver Mat

Permanent Pod Phase:

1. Reclaimed Local Waste Materials
2. Hanging Black-Boards
3. Cob, Adobe, Light Straw-Clay (earth, straw, sand, cow manure)
4. Reclaimed Timbers & Cement Culverts
5. Found Local Stone
6. Large Unglazed Earthenware Pots
7. Khadi Fabric Rain Catchment Flaps
8. Woven Vettiver Mat

Ultimately dependant upon site conditions, locally available materials, and creative community design process.

WHS notes and pictures 6/4/09

The groups have all pretty much found their groove and are working together really well- there is a lot of  sharing of  tools between the groups with little or no conflict

90+% of the materials for the shelter were found on campus in the recycling areas. Tools have been borrowed from other teachers. The only thing that has been purchased so far has been three rolls of duct tape-bought by me.

We had a complaint from another teacher about the noise today-also a cafeteria worker complained about the kids taking the pallets. Apparently she wanted to recycle them for money.

Here are some pictures from today-Enjoy-Todd

WHS shelter construction day 3 Notes and photos

Todd here,

Its so amazing to watch the students collaborating on the building of these structures. Reinforces my long-held belief that there needs to be an additional Studio Habit of Mind called “Collaboration”. A lot of “doing, “Saying” “Making” and “Thinking”  is contained in that concept.

It was raining earlier this morning but it cleared up by the time the students began working. I told them that we are going to build RAIN OR SHINE from now on because there are only 7 days left, AND, folks building shelters don’t necessarily have the option of picking and choosing when they will work based on weather conditions.

Here are some photos from the past couple of days-the first one is the “photo of the day”. Enjoy—Todd

Shelter Project #2- Pooja Sharma

1. Well, I learned many things from the presentations that their are many different types of artists in this world. Art is not only drawing and painting, it depends on the artists that what they really think is art. Like some artists think that art is all about building something. Like we are doing shelter project, so thats also some type of art.

2. I have learned that many artsits create something which some people don’t even think thats art. I really like the way that some artists used old things to make a shelter and by building that they became really good artists.

3. I think by looking at these presentations i got to know many things and now i really want to make a shelter.

WHS Shelter construction 6/1/09

Video 53

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Shelter Project reflection #1 !!! Sean Kim

1.What i noticed about my bedroom and the art classroom has basic all the essential needs and extra accessories. My bedroom has nothing special mostly it is about essential needs and some extra accessories that i like.

2.i notice as i was drawing the two rooms i found some items that i didnt see. also the class room has a lots of shape and most items are big and wide. Also i notice my room is pretty big and empty, and simple all i have is bed, clothes, some posters on the wall, dest and some extra items ove the place.

3.i think everyone has essential. For example, bed chair, desk and window. but they might b little different like classroom has different size as room.

4.the condition or concentration isaffect the kind of artwork we do. i spent whole week to do different parts of art room,. when i was tired, the parts of art piece is very wavy lines and not mich infos on the drawing which is loss my concentration. when i concentrate on the part of pice, i see alots of material on the drwaing and clear infos

EOSA collages: WANT/ NEED /HAVE

EOSA: images of the shelter project

our wonderful shelters!!! we worked very hard

Aaaaand, We’re Back!!

Sorry all, for the lagging in posts, but we’ve been really busy…aaand, we’ve been waiting for media release forms

Christian and Jeffer: tireless editors and assistants to this project

Shelter Project

This is the scale drawing of our shelter that we are building.

Per.2: Shelter Scale Drawing by Joseph/Daniel/Kevin/Boya/Katrina

The Scale Drawing of our proposed shelter.

planned materials to be used (subject to change depending on situation):

• Wood
• Cardboard
• Nails/duct tape/etc.

Cesar/Arvin/Eric/Sheila Scale Drawing

This is our scale drawing =]

Materials:
-Cardboard
-Wood
-Plastic Wrap

shelter reflection 2

the main thing i learned and can utilize is how many of the artists we learned about used metaphorical messages throughout their art. Alot of the artists had a specific reason why and how they did there art that certain way and also in a sense many of the pieces made you think.

Ive always seen artists engage in current events and global topics by using art as a medium. But the topic being shelter itself was something new. Shelter is a very complex topic that go into very interesting art.

artists have always in my opinion have had alot of inovating ideas that are completely new to art, and bring new ideas and concepts. This project just opened up my world a bit more.

basicaly all the artists used the concept shelter as the idea behind there work especialy in metaphorical ways. The girl who does the instalations and furniture is dope. As well as our huy krztof who that does the shelter homes that move like carts. There all just so ill!

Shelter Reflection #2 – Arvin

1. I’ve learned a lot of new things about art from these presentations. I learned that there are many things, other than paintings, drawings and sculptures, that can be considered as works of art. During the presentations we saw some examples of some site-specific, installation and conceptual artworks.

2.I learned that many artists create works of art that some people may not consider as an art work. I also learned that some artists, like Wodiczko and Tiravanija, engage in global conversations on important issues by creating art.

3. The art and artists that we learned about from the presentations all have some connection to global issues, like poverty, just like the shelter project.

shelter project reflection #2, by Michelle Baca

I think that, what i took away from this project is that there is no limit on what can be considered art. A lot of the art is used to get peoples attention for a problem/subject/whatever. Also, that all kinds of mediums are used to do this. The man who cut holes in the houses was the most interesting i think. i really liked what he did. I was surprised by how common conceptual art is now.

shelter project, reflection 2 Mariecar Fuentes

1. All of the information from the presentations were so enlightening.  I learned a lot about different styles of art.  I learned about conceptional art, something I wasn’t fully aware of and really understood, until now.  i think it’s interesting how these people, in a way…have a better way connecting to their audiences.

2.Like I said before, the presentations have really opened up a whole new perception for myself, as the viewer.  All of the artists had a point to their peices.  not that artists don’t have a point to their artwork…but these particular artists make these peices that are linked to the world issues. they’re linked to how we live our life, how we see it etc.

3. just from one day, i retained all this information about all these different types of artists, styles, peices, etc. and i think it’s pretty refreshing to see that these people are making these huge, positive statements.

4.  because of these presentations, i think it’s made us more inspired to make our own piece of “shelter.”  Whatever that means to us, we’ll gladly show it.  the presentations have definitely helped us.

shelter reflection #2-kevin

1. I learned that there is alot for artists to offer, their art has lots of meaning and the art means alot.
2. Artists engaged in global connections on important topics/issues.
3. The artists make art that has messages for the community and some are reflects to the global problems.

Shelter Project #2- Ashley

1. The message I took away with me from the presentations was that art comes in various forms, not just one or two types of things such as painting or drawing on regular paper or canvas. Art can really be anything that the artists wants it to be. If the artist decides that it is art, then it’s art. Art is a broad topic, and is basically unlimited in what you decide to do with it, and how you decide to make it.

2. From the presentations, I discovered that many artists participate in global conversations involving their artwork. In their work there is more than merely just decoration. They have hidden and outspoken messages in their pieces, each representing or talking about a different situation the artist feels passionately about. There are many artists out there who do their work because they feel strongly about an issue or topic and want to express their opinions on it. Not all artists just blindly draw, paint, or sculpt without inspiration.

3.  My understanding in art has grown a lot in how some things people do not usually think of as art can be art. Many artists today are going out of the box with their creativity. Art is not limited to pencil and paper anymore. Art can be landscapes or even buildings. The artist I did my presentation on, Gordon Matta Clark, was famous for using old torn up buildings as his inspiration. He would just paint over and alter the building, and that would be art.

4. The art and artists we learned about connect to the shelter project because they take old sorts of scraps and turn them into something wonderful. Many artists even used broken down buildings and transformed them into workable shelters that can be enjoyed again. The artists would recreate a friendly shelter from boards and scraps for the benefit of others. A lot of the art that we saw in the presentations also had buildings and landscaping in context, which adds to the shelter project theme.

Reflection #2 (Eric H. Period 2)

1. The general “take away” message I got from most groups was that art can come in many different shapes or forms.  It can also be perceived in many different ways, depending on what the person thinks of it.  It’s not just about painting or drawing on paper, but it’s about expressing yourself and connecting yourself with the viewer.

2. After the presentations, I am now more aware of artists engaging themselves in global conversations.  I especially liked the artists that had underlying messages behind their artwork, I thought that was interesting.  I think it’s important for artists to be inspired by global issues and what not because it’s a way for people to be socially conscious of what happens in this world.  Sometimes the information we get through the media can be a little biased; In my opinion, I think art speaks a lot more truth than what we see in television and magazines.

3. I discovered types of artwork that I never even knew existed.  I think that anything that holds a significant meaning or message to it, is to be considered as art, whether it being blatant or metaphorical.

4. I think that the artwork we learned about definitely relates to the shelter project, because the shelter project is all about stretching the boundaries of what is to be considered as art.  Most people would not think of ‘building shelters’ as being art, but there is a more ambiguous meaning behind all of the work.

Eric

Tings and Fings in the Greater World Concerning Shelter

I found the descriptions of the workshops and lectures to be very interesting… makes me think about all of the understanding goals (all of them!) and throughlines (especially 1, 2, 5, 6, 7)!

The following links are from MIT:

http://urbanutopias.mit.edu/

http://www.zonesofemergency.net/

xoxo,

Ariel

WHS reflection prompt #2

Todd Elkin’s students were given the following prompt after a week of  researching creating and presenting group presentations about contemporary artists and categories of art (conceptual, site specific, installation)

shelter project: reflection 1, Mariecar Fuentes

1. how would you describe the context of your bedroom and your classroom?
The art classroom is so open and light.  it’s somewhere, where you express things to an extent.  you can find your comfort level with a friend or with your art work.  it’s definitely chaotic but with character.  there’s some order in it too though.  with deadlines and reminders of what we should be doing.
my bedroom is such a different context from the art classroom.  i’m such a pack rat that i feel like i can go through my years by just going through my stuff.  it’s the number one place where i can be completely free.  no one can judge, no one can tell me what to do.

2. what did you notice as you were drawing the two rooms that youve never noticed before?
what i noticed most about both of the rooms were that they both have such a significance in my life.  i live in my room, i go to my art room almost everyday…they both have such clutter and messiness that its comfortable.

Shelter Project-reflection #1

There wasnt much i hadnt noticed before in the classroom except for this one poster. It was weird because i had always looked at it, but i guess i never really saw it. In my room, ive never noticed this pile of bags and purses i had shoved on my desk. I just left them there and forgot about them even though they were in plain sight.

I cant really even guess what the classroom and bedrooms are like in Bangalore, but in east oakland, i assume they are pretty similar to mine.

I am pretty broke, so that affects the limitations of my art outside the classroom.

-michelle b.

Drawing From a Point

At Drishya these drawings were our starting point. The focus of the drawings were to see our space through new eyes (new perspectives) and exercise our choice as to which direction we were going to follow. To note: At Drishya we don’t have separate art classes. The art, science, and math are all integrated. These drawings were a precursor to the architectural drawings you will all see soon.

Also to note – the Drishya students are currently on Summer Break, so they will respond to your posts in a couple of weeks.

WHS Group Presentation Topics

Topics given to WHS students for group presentations

Todd Elkin’s Art 2 Students at WHS were given the options on the image above for  group presentations.

They consist of either broad categories or individual artists.

Requirements:

1. A Power Point Slide Show with at least 6 images and 4 slides with text
2. A concise Summary of the Topic and/or Artist’s work
3. Each group member must present
4. All Presentations must include a question and answer session
5. Presentations must be Clear, Well Organized and “Grabby”

For the students doing presentations on individual artists I’ve asked them to focus on and be guided by the following questions based on the unit’s throughlines and understanding goals:

• How is this artist participating in a global conversation about important and relevant topics and issues?
• What are the primary issues this artist is addressing?
  
• What is special and different about the ways that artists explore topics and issues?
  
• How is this artist pushing the limits of categories and reconsidering what can be thought of as ART?
• What can you find out about why this artist feels a sense of responsibility as a citizen of the world to explore and communicate about certain issues???
  

Student Groups Created the Power Points below for their presentations:

Shelter Project-Reflection #1 Boya Yu

1. The environment of the Art coom is relaxed and chill. My bedroom is very boring and sleepy. Its a place where I go to escape from wherever I need to get away from. Art room is a place of  ideas. I feel like it is a place where I come up with all my good ideas.

2. I noticed that the Art class and my bedroom has a lot of extra priveleged stuff and you really need to take time to draw all the details.

3. I think that our class and my bedroom is really priveleged. I think we have a lot of extras. For our art class, we have lots of books and we have computers and a ac. My bedroom has a walk in closet, a big bed and a bookshelf.

4. The context affects our art work by making is easier to get references and whatever we need. It provides a chill place to pace yourself and take the time to pay attention to detail.

Video: Washington HS students build Newspaper Structures

2009-05-12 12 20 39

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Drishya: Newspaper Shelters

 

The Drishya crew building their Newspaper Structures:
- Each group was made up of 5 people
- 2 people needed to fit in each structure

Drishya: Pattern Language

The Drishya Pattern of Learning:

A major element of our curriculum was the Pattern Language approach to design with the goal of discovering the Drishya Pattern of Learning.  Through a process of bubble mapping and time diagraming the activities of a Drishya student, we investigated how a structure could facilitate this learning pattern or inhibit it.  As a side note, I’ve always been horrified by the simple fact that most modern schools in the US are designed with the same pattern as factories or prisons.  Just reflect on most schools that have been around for a little while, the forms of the structure and such, then think about the forms of a factory or prison.  Anyways, this Pattern Language work originates with a radical Architect, Christopher Alexander, who teaches at University of California Berkeley.

Here are a few relevant Quotes from his book, Pattern Language:

“At the core of these books is the idea that people should design for themselves their own houses, streets, and communities.  This idea may be radical (it implies a radical transformation of the architectural profession) but it comes simply from the observation that most of the wonderful places of the world were not made by architects but by the people.”

“In short, the educational system so radically decentralized becomes congruent with the urban structure itself.  People of all walks of life come forth, and offer a class in the things they know and love: professionals and workgroups offer apprenticeships in their offices and workshops, old people offer to teach whatever their life work and interest has been, specialists offer tutoring in their special subjects.  Living and learning are the same.  It is not hard to imagine that eventually every third or fourth household will have at least one person in it who is offering a class or training of some kind.”

-Christopher Alexander, A Pattern Language

Drishya: Classroom of the Future

Concept:

The guiding vision of this project is informed by the tradition of Banyan trees being the traditional & sustainable classroom of India.  This is our ideal form and guiding principle in that classrooms of the future will contribute to a reforestation of the world and take root in any locality.  As the challenge states, by 2015 ten million new classrooms will be required to shelter the world’s students.  A potentially catastrophic demand placed upon the global environment to meet our future educational requirements.  In this equation, with our current modes of construction, at some point a breakdown is inevitable, either our future minds will suffer or our future environment will suffer.  As such, we believe that the “Classroom of Tomorrow” must fundamentally revolutionize the paradigm of our built environment.  In other words, it is imperative for us to adopt a “Regenerative” approach to building instead of a resource-intensive and destructive approach.

In terms of the actual structure, we envision a transportable structure made from solar cell fabric and bamboo support that incorporates systems for: water catchment; nutrition generation (biointensive micro-gardens); waste recycling & composting (including humanure); habitat restoration; and other alternative energy options.  Simultaneously, this structure will reflect and celebrate its’ cultural context in forms, patterns, and other artistic expression.  A time dynamic will be fundamentally included in the design, in that by harvesting local natural & waste materials to build more enduring aspects of the classroom the local ecology will be rehabilitated and native/useful plantings will replace invasive and non-usefull landscapes.  Ultimately, we see this classroom moving from pod to pod.  As it is set-up in one area, rehabilitates the area and creates a more permanent natural/recycled structure around it, then it moves to a next area and cycles through the process again.  Each pod will embody the core elements of the design and develop it’s own unique/local expressions of these elements.  In this way, instead of classroom construction putting a burden on the planet’s ecology, it will catalyze reforestation, sensible resource management and recycling, and social/ecological justice.

Competition Background:

The organization “Architects for Humanity” and its other face “the Open Architecture Network” are hosting a global design competition to redefine our paradigm of “Classroom”.  Designers from all over the world are partnering with schools to run through a curriculum and create a design.  The winner will receive funding to actually build their design.  In the past, they have hosted competitions to serve refugee populations or populations suffering from natural disasters.  After which, all of the intellectual work and design outcomes become available to anyone accessing the website.  Here is a weblink for more info:

http://openarchitecturenetwork.org/competitions/challenge/2009

Newspaper Structures at WHS

Students at Washington High School worked together in groups of 4-6, and began building structures with the following criteria:
-Students used ONLY newspaper/newsprint and masking tape.
-Completed Structures need to be big enough to house 1 student either standing up or lying down.
-Completed structures need to support their own weight.

Here are some photos of Todd Elkin’s students building the structures:

Shelter Project-Reflection #1 Context: Eric Hishinuma

1. What I noticed about my bedroom and the art classroom was that I have basically all the essential needs that make up an ordinary classroom or bedroom, along with a few extra accessories as well. My bedroom is nothing particularly special, it’s just really an ordinary room. The art classroom is composed of all the components that are necessary for an art class to exist.

2. While I was drawing some of the objects, I actually saw them for the first time, opposed to just looking at them.

3. I think in similarities, we both probably have the essential needs and objects that are necessary for a bedroom or classroom to exist in. However, we possibly may have a little more extra things in our room opposed to theirs (no disrespect to them or anything). It may not be true, or it may be true…it’s really all just speculation on my part.

4. Well the context of my room definitely influences my own artwork in many ways. It’s probably all a subconscious thing that I can’t really describe though. My room is what makes me who I am and my art is also what makes me who I am too.

EOSA Shelter Outline and Project Packet

This is the collection of information given to the students at East Oakland School of the Arts (wooooot!!). The super nice students over here are working on collages that describe their context. It is almost certain that these collages will lead not only to beautiful images, but also to visionary spaces.

Collage Poster format

Collage Poster description (with incorrect date...due this Friday, May 8)

Reflection #1 Context: Brett Barbero

1. I noticed in Elkins classroom something that ive paid close attention to and that was the numerous sets of lights from the ceiling.

2. The context of my art and my personal room is probably different then those of East Oakland and of India, because of the environment that i live in is a lot less hostile. The students in India have a lot less to work with, and not to mention the scorching weather to live with. The students in East Oakland have distractions among various other environmental problems to deal with around the area.

3. My context affects the way i do art because i have made things accustomed to me so i can work.

Reflection#1 Context: Ricardo Mendez

1. They are different in many ways like in my room its more like a relaxing place and in the art room is a place were I can work and draw and have fun.

2.I noticed everything that is in my room but in the classroom i never noticed there was a paper towel holder thing next to the smaller sink.

3.They might be drawing many similer things as us because many people have the same things in there room like computers a bed ex.. There also might be many differences as well because us kids in fremont might have more than the other kids which isnt a big deal but its different.

4.I never though i would be drawing my bedroom. there wasnt a very big effect on me just felt weird at first when i was drawing my room.

Reflection #1: Context-Amy B

1. the context of the art room is more of a place from everyone, anyone can feel comfortable there. but my room is more of a place for me,since I’m familiar with everything in it and know way its there or way things are a certain way. my room is also way more warm and comfy, that the art room.

2.in my room i notice how i express my self thru different things in my room and how everything is in there for a reason and has special meaning to me. in the art room i noticed hoe a lot of things elkin keeps around kinda express a bit about who he is, and how he puts are artwork up on the walls shows that he cares about his students and wants to show off there hard work. you can notice things things he really likes he leaves up for a long time.

3.we are really priveleged and have nice things in are art room that i dont know/dont think other schools have, like are i macs. the rooms are most likely the same idea, put things in there that you enjoy and hold meaning to you. maybe not thou, some people dont spend a lot of time in there rooms.

4. the context of my room affects my art work by giving me lots of things to pull inspiration from and be inspired by.

Shelter Project-Reflection #1 Laurence Garcia

1) The Context of the two rooms was that art classroom was there are people in the room,background is different like there’s a lot of drawings and on my room its small nothing going on only a bed with TV and a computer.

2) What I didn’t notice before in the two rooms is that, when you drew the lines it was squared and that i noticed between my room and the art room was that the ceilings are different.

3) What I think of the context of the art classroom and my bedroom to the students in east Oakland and Bangalore is very different by just how they live their lifestyle.

4) The Context only affects my drawings when what type of style of what the environment is if it is good or bad.

Shelter Project-Reflections justin

1. How would you describe the context of the two rooms, your art classroom and your bedroom?
_ I would describe it as plain and kinda boring. but the details are really on the point for both places.

2. What did you notice as you were drawing the two rooms that you’ve never noticed before?
_ I noticed some things that weren’t there like the papers above the cabinet. and the “You never know what you can do until you Try” banner above the mac computers.

3. How do you think the context of your ART CLASSROOM and your BEDROOM is similar and different than the students in East Oakland and Bangalore? Be SPECIFIC and GIVE DETAILS?
_I think that its really based on the mood that they have on that day that they are drawing. Or like maybe how much time they have to do it. Maybe in Bangalore they have more time to do work and in East Oakland they have a certain amount of time.

4. How does your CONTEXT affect the kind of artwork you do?
_Hmm. well for me it’s all about my mood on that day. Like sometimes I am lazy as hell and sometimes I dont have any motivations to do any work. So like what I said before it”s all about the mood of a person I think that affects the CONTEXT of their work. Digg?

Reflection #1: Questions About CONTEXT

1.) The context of the art room the graffiti, and the context of my room is my bed.

2.) I noticed almot everything I’ve noticed before because I am a pretty observant person.

3.) I dont know if we are very similar than the other students because we live in very different environments than eachother.

4.) The context affects the kind of artwork because it enlightens me , and makes me have positive mood.

-julitta

kevin 4/30/2009

1. My bedroom is alot different from the classroom. My bedroom doesnt have any posters on the walls like the art class.
2. I did not notice anything ive never noticed before in the classroom.
3. I dont think any content in my art class is similar to my bedroom.
4. it doesnt affect my art work.

 

kevin

Refelction 1-Context Brett Barbero

1. One thing i have never noticed in Elkin’s class was the numerous rows of lights on the classroom ceiling.

2. I believe the context of our area in Fremont is a lot different then the area in East Oakland and in India, because of the environmental problems and heat

3. My context affects my art work because its very laid back and i can do relaxed work

Reflection#1context

1) The context of the art room would be any drawings that is on the wall including the graffiti, and the context of my bedroom is of course my bed, and maybe the closet.
2) I noticed that the art room has so many doors and I noticed my bedroom is really messy.
3) I would think the East Oakland kids would have dorms and their classroom would be better like larger or something. And the Bangalore kids, their classroom might look a lot different than ours, like smaller and use chalkboard instead of white board. And it would be similar by how we all have many students, I guess.
4) I’m pretty comfortable in these area so the context is good for the artwork I do.
– Sandy Shih

Reflection#1 Context- Ashley

1. The context of the art classroom is basically a good setting for people to do artwork. There are pictures and students’ works all over for future inspiration and making people feel motivated. The artroom also has the supplies needed to work, such as tables and paints, and the cubbies and drawers to stock large sized projects. There are also other extra things such as the computers. My bedroom context probably describes me well due to all the bright happy light things in it. I also really love my big big window with the line of tall trees in the background. Along with the window I also really admire my drapes that hang on it.

2. As I was drawing the artroom, I never noticed quite a few things. I never realized there was a tiny table along the farside of the room along a wall underneath some calendars. I also didn’t notice a clothes hanger with colorful things strung from it. In my own room I already knew everything in it really well, and there wasn’t anything I never noticed.

3. I think the context of the artclassroom here in Fremont differs from the ones in Bangalore, India and Oakland because we are more priviledged, without really knowing we are. For example, for some reason I sort of doubt that the India artroom has computers in it. Our air heating and cooling system are also priviledged, while others have to just deal with hot and humid weather. We probably also have more supplies and materials. But I’m guessing all the artrooms have basic art supplies and tables and chairs. I also think my bedroom might be a little priviledged, because of all the extra useless junk I have just thrown around all over.

4. My context is pretty comfortable for the most part and affects the context that I do in a positive way. If I’m physicaly n a comfortable setting, then I feel more motivated to work faster and better.

reflection # 1 CONTEXT ruma

1. my room is way too warm and comfortable to do any homework or anything else like that because i just end up falling asleep on my bed.
2. things that i noticed in my room was a design on my old skateboard. in the class, i never noticed the back wall is all windows, but they are boarded up.
3. i guess it is hella cold in oakland, hella hot in india, and kinda perfect over here actually. hahahah we’re just better.
4. your environment and surroundings reflects how you do in your artwork. if you have a bad environment, then your drawings are going to be bad; the better suited you are to your environment, the better your art will be.

reflection 1 CONTEXT casey

1.) the art room is a lot colder than my room for sure! also, my room is more relaxing and comfortable
2.) i never noticed that the back wall was really just a big window. my room, i noticed that i had plastic on a lot of things (posters, tv, signs, my laptop) i guess i just never took it off
3.) similar, because all in all we have the same-ish ideas. people think were way different than we really are, but in reality were just a bunch of kids and it doesnt matter where were from.
4.) the environment you in makes you feel either more comfortable or more uncomfortable. if you like your surroundings your work will show.

Reflection Contex #1 Victor Luis

1.In a this art room there is many supplies that my room will never have. The context is different between the both by color pencils, markers, paint brushes, black board, and a lot of art work up in the walls. My room consists of just a bed a big ass tv, some furniture, and closet. The classroom is a loud and active place all the time, my room is a quiet place to relax and just chill and kick back.

2.The thing i never noticed in this art room is that the walls of the clock in the back is actually windows behind it, who would of knew.

3. The similarities of that we and people from East Oakland and Bangalore have are that we all work together to help each other out and to better our self. In rooms we all have the same 4 walls and a roof to live on. Different by maybe some of the people don’t want to help and be generous to others and maybe they don’t have those 4 walls and a roof to live on.

4. I cant possibly draw anything in a loud noisy are and with a lot of unconsecrated people. That’s how my context affect the kind of atr work i do.

Reflection #1 Context- Melanie

1. The context of the two rooms have many differences. An art room consists of art supplies (tables, scissors, paper, art work, paint, pictures, books, computers etc.) In a bedroom there is a bed, a dresser possibly, a closet, clothes, a t.v or radio. A bedroom is more customized to you and your needs or wants. A bedroom is a personal place you go to rather than an art room is where you go to show or work on your work.

There was nothing i really noticed different about the two rooms, i mostly noticed the detail the two rooms had.

3. Our rooms compared to the kids in Fremont and the kids in East Oakland are more similar than the rooms of kids in Bangalore. We have more technology such as t.vs and radios, electricity (in our rooms..plug in outlets) We all have rooms, a place where we can usually go relex and we all have some type of a classroom where we can express ourselves with our artwork.

4. For me to work best the context of a room has to be organized, clean, and quiet. Otherwise i cant work. I often take my work home because thats where i work best.

Reflection 1-Context: Joseph Oliveras

1) The context of the art room emphasizes the idea of knowledge and expression throught the use of art and visual images.Things like paintbrushes, art materials, and finished pieces all contribute to this context.
The context of the bedroom can emphasize the variety of hobbies and things that interest me, such as music and martial arts. Things like my guitar and my martial arts uniform all emphasize the context of who I am.

2) In both the art room and my bedroom, I noticed the large amount of objects that can be considered as luxuries and are not really needed in the rooms.

3) The context of these two rooms are different from the East Oakland school because since they possibly will have different traditions, ideas, and environments that we are not familiar with at are school. In Bangalore, this will be even more so, and there will most likely be less luxuries in the many factors that make up their context.

4) My own context affects my own artwork because it is the result of a collection of items , ideas, and concepts that make me who I am. This will definitely factor into the things that will come into my mind when thinking of a new piece of art to work on.

reflection 1 Daniel Diamond

1. I never noticed how hard it was to draw a room all around you, it was difficult because of the fact that you are inside of a 3-d space and the drawing has to look similar. It depends on the perspective of the artist.
2.The context of the art room and my bedroom are differnt becasue inside of the art room there are many thing that i do not have inside of my bedroom. A small list of some of the things are the artwork, tables, windows,doors, and classmates. When i drew my room i did not have many of the same things that the classroom had simply because it is a different room.
3.I think that my room will be different that the students of east Oakland and Bangalore because i don’t know what he the people in those places will have in there homes or schools. I have a feeling that east Oakland school will be similar, but their houses will not be quite the same as mine. I also dont think that the people in these places if there were doing this kind of a project would have the same idea of what is need and luxury. they might only have one power object and i had a few.
4. my context effects my artwork because it gives the work a much deeper purpose.

Washington High School: Classroom “Context” Drawings

This drawing project was adapted from something Arzu Mistry had her students do in Bangalore. Students picked a spot in the art classroom and began drawing the room. when they reached the edge of the page they taped on another sheet at an odd angle-and continued drawing and adding sheets until they had six sheets. After they completed the six taped together drawings, I had them color code the different parts of the drawing according to three different categories:

• Things that are essential to an art classroom. (without them it wouldn’t be an art room)

• Things that are extra or privileged. (you could take these away and it would still be an art room)

• Things in the room you’ve never noticed before.

After the students color-coded their drawings they included a KEY on the drawing, explaining their color choices/categories.

Washington High School: Reflection Prompts #1

The students were given the reflection prompt below. They will Post their responses on this blog in the next few days.

Shelter Project-Reflection #1: Questions About CONTEXT

Context:
“The circumstances that form the setting for a person, event, statement or idea.”  (Factors, situations, backgrounds, conditions)

You’ve just finished 2 sets of drawings of rooms that have required you to focus on your CONTEXT.  As you made the drawings, you were asked to identify what is ESSENTIAL (needed) and what is EXTRA (priveleged) in the ART CLASSROOM and in your BEDROOM. In addition you were asked to identify things in the ART CLASSROOM that you’d never noticed before and things in your BEDROOM that held POWER for you.

Reflection Questions:

• Now that you’ve finished the two sets of drawings, How would you describe the  CONTEXT of the two rooms, your ART CLASSROOM and YOUR BEDROOM? (see definition above)

• What did you notice as you were drawing the two rooms that you’ve never noticed before?

• How do you think the context of your ART CLASSROOM and your BEDROOM is similar and different than the students in East Oakland and Bangalore? Be SPECIFIC and GIVE DETAILS.

• How does your CONTEXT affect the kind of artwork you do?

Guiding Questions: Throughlines and Understanding Goals for Washington High School, Fremont CA, And East Oakland School of the Arts, Oakland CA

Below are the Guiding Questions and Overarching Ideas that are driving the Shelter Unit, Its performances of understanding and  ongoing assessment:

GENERATIVE TOPIC: “Shelter”

THROUGHLINES:

1.    How can artists be a part of global conversations about important and relevant topics and issues?

2.    How is FORM in artworks a vehicle through which CONTENT can be communicated?

3.    What is the impact of your CONTEXT (socioeconomic/cultural/geographic/political/enviormental/religious/family) on how you live in the world?

4.    In what ways do Artists push the limits of their media and reconsider what can be thought of as art?

5.    What is SUSTAINABILITY and how is it connected to the idea of SHELTER?

UNDERSTANDING GOALS:

1.    What are SITE-SPECIFIC, INSTALLATION, AND CONCEPTUAL ART? (TL4)

2.    How, does what you do/say/make as an artist relate to your responsibility as a citizen of the world? (TLs 1,3,4)

3.    How can you plan and create a three-dimensional site- specific installation that communicates/conveys ideas about the concept of shelter. (TLs 1-4)

4.    How can you use recycled materials to plan and create an aesthetically pleasing artwork that doubles as a functioning shelter? (TLs 3,4)

5.    What does it mean to have a shelter? What does it mean not to have a shelter? (TLs1,3)

6.    How, where and under what conditions do most people in the world live? (TL 3,5)

7.    How does your CONTEXT( Socioeconomic/cultural/geographic/enviormental/religious/political/family ) impact your work as an artist? (TL3)

Recetas Urbanas

Sooo, there’s this amazing artist/vandal/architect/urban philosopher/ urban planner/ ist Based in Spain (Seville?) who I want to be when I grow up. His work revolves around manipulating law and building codes to literally create new windows, bridges, and spaces, which change space and create potential for existance in ways that commercial architects and developers (and lawmakers) attempt to squash. But for many, existing between codes and out of site of commercial developers is means of survival…art and life depends on where you come from, and how you look at it.

amor,

Ariel