I chose to photograph a clear container with compartments that slide open and store materials. This object was on my desk holding clothespins and scraps of paper, and I decided that it would be interesting to put other small objects inside the compartments and photograph it in different situations. As I began taking photos, I noticed the unique way light reflected off of the layers of clear plastic and how, in combination with the materials, it distorted the light coming through the plastic, and added dimension to each photograph.

In the first four photos, I put small mementos and meaningful trinkets in each compartment and hung it from a tree to get different perspectives as it rotated and reflected the sun. I experimented with putting LED lights inside and found the reflections and the light that traveled through the container very fascinating. I attempted to display both the functional qualities of the object as well as its adaptable physical qualities. The transparency of the plastic and the way it distorts the objects behind or inside it made it easy to place on a shelf full of color or a wooden framework and focus on the distortion or refraction of reality the plastic portrayed.

I liked that this container was both versatile and rigid in structure, but also that it reminded me of a capsule or a looking glass in which the layers of its contents define it and give it meaning. I felt that these ten photographs embodied the reasons why I chose the object, and also captured a tendency I have to create art that is related to preserving memories and building onto the layers of the past that make up our existence.

The excerpt from Hara’s book on the origins and purpose of design in culture struck me as quite surprising and complex. I was shocked at how many eras design went through and how during its developing stages, countries were influenced by each other immensely. I found it even more interesting that a large influential portion of something so broad as design could be developed in such small, private environment like the Bauhaus school. The fact that other countries and schools took inspiration and adopted certain concepts and guidelines from this one place of study made it clear that design is a universal aspect of life that is constantly undergoing revision and reconstruction.

I was fascinated by the numerous types of design that appear in every detail of our lives and how design stretched from being a broad way of thinking and problem solving to an extremely fine detail such as a laptop keyboard or a single shoe lace. It is completely unavoidable and yet it often remains as an abstract in my mind. This is because design can take various avenues and it has evolved in meaning and process over years of cultures bouncing off of one another. There is nothing more mind boggling than trying to understand how design stretches over every area of life, while it remains one of the most fundamental necessities for society’s order and survival.

After reading this excerpt, I came away with a basic understanding of how we have gotten to this point in design history. Every single influential figure in the timeline of design had something new to contribute, after experiencing and accepting the old traditions of creating and designing. With that knowledge, I feel empowered by the various histories given in the article, and am ready to make break throughs and discoveries using the knowledge and work of designers that paved the way for the innovators of the future.

The transition and evolvement Daniel Pink describes in his book, A Whole New Mind, from a society of farmers to the most recent society that consists of Cultural Creatives, was very eye opening to me. When Pink states that a “whole new mind” is necessary to survive in the conceptual age in which we now live, I was initially at a loss for what that meant in terms of how I should use my education to obtain this new mind or way of thinking. I realize that there is both physical and spiritual connections throughout an artists work that are necessary for their success and physical survival. What Pink explains as a development of the conceptual age is the desire in every creator to empathize and sympathize with those around them, to plant seeds in minds and hearts, and to satisfy the needs of a society that lacks very little.

The three questions Pink asks in terms of an artist’s survival are blunt and easy to understand. However, I have noticed that an abundance of products are made and sought after in the U.S. that could indefinitely be made for cheaper in another country, could be made faster by a computer, and yet there is still a high demand for them. Independent creators often sell their work on websites like Etsy, where handmade or self produced objects are treasured and sought after. I am confident that many products sold in independent boutiques and at craft and art fairs were not made in the most efficient way, but the trending notion that handmade things are cool and unique causes their work to be in high demand. There is not always an immediate need that their work fills, but there is a desire to have something someone made and to connect with the product in some way that could not be found in something that has been mass-produced and sold in every store. This is usually not a need for the object itself, but a need for the connection and meaning behind the product, which is an aspect Pink means in his statement that “…meaning is the new money.”

Where there is a unique story behind someone’s work, there is a deeper fulfillment that enhances the artist and viewer or consumer’s life. In this conceptual stage of society, the ability to find joy in one’s work becomes essential to obtaining the high concept mindset and high touch qualities that Pink’s Cultural Creatives should have. I find it very comforting to know that IQ is becoming less important than the hearts and souls of the people at work, and that there is a greater purpose that artists and creators should never stop reaching for. I learned from Pink that we, as the creatives in this world of new minds, must always strive to perform work that allows us to develop positive perspectives centered around caring and meaning, rather than competition and the gain of wealth.

Chloe Curiel
Visual Studies Seminar
August 29th, 2015

Part 1

1. The first article makes the point that innovators must attain certain qualities and abilities that artists have to be successful. These characteristics, such as their childlike outlook or their extreme humanistic nature, have the ability to bring life and form to the work of entrepenuers and enhance their creative process. The second article presents the major similarities between artists and entreprenuers in that they are driven by their passions and ambitions. Gupta also states that a network and sense of community are both necessary to keep artists and innovators grounded, motivated, and creating at their full potential.

2. Entrepreneurs are constantly thinking of ways to transform ideas into reality, and constantly face trial and error during their creative process. Artists should adopt this level of persistence and problem solving into their creative process as well in order to succeed in their work field. Another skill that would be of great use to artists is the ability innovators have to network and form a team of support that aids in making ideas tangible. Organization and logical problem solving are entreprenueral skills that have the ability to turn failure into true art and allow others join the mental, visual, and spiritual conversation.

3. I would agree that artists have the ability to be entrepreneurs, but not necessarily that all artists have the business skills and sustainilbility that are both vital to survival as a working artist. However, the creative process necessary for creating art can be similar to the mindset of an innovator in that they both have a problem in need of solving, and various avenues that could either lead in success or failure. For both occupations, this problem could be a lack of supplies, time, or ideas, and with each set back comes a detour that leads back to the original purpose and intent.

4. The first characteristic of artists listed in the article was that they are inevitably prone to change and reinvent concepts so that their work is original and fresh. Looking ahead and seeking to develop new material is a necessary part of the creative process as an artist and innovator.This ability goes along with the skill of taking things out of context and holding them up to a different light to glean other information from them. The ability to connect emotionally and deeply with people and things is what roots artists’ work in identity and gives them the childlike desire to share, which is another quality listed in the first article. I agree that artists work best when there are guidelines and limits to their final results, and that these restrictions help form the story of the piece and give it unique qualities. It is also apparent that true artists and innovators let their work and every day lives bleed together into a natural and necessary blend that keeps ideas and creativity flowing.

5. I might add to Leberecht’s fairly adequate list by saying that artists are usually openminded and welcoming to the natural turns and twists of creating. In contrast to this quality, artists can also be visionaries. Often, when there is a vision from the beginning, they will not stop creating until they reach fulfillment of their vision. This is often because there is a specific message they want their work to convey, and the choices they make are in light of that purpose.

Part 2
1. Based off of the grit test, I have 4 out of 5 when it comes to grit. However, I sometimes have trouble completely finishing projects because I am afraid that the final product will be disatisfacatory or inconsistent with my original plan.
2. To increase my level of grit, I can increase my persistence and attack the project with a new outlook so I can commit to completing my work without getting overwhelmed.