What's so great about the female body anyway?

For my final video I decided to explore the visuals of the female body aspired in the American society. Skinny used to be the thing, but now being fit is the in look. I am naturally very thin so I too aspire to be fit, but I am also very comfortable in the body that I am in. 

This video is here to show the extremes that females will do to aspire the perfect female body...or at least what society sees as that. While one can simply work out to get abs it is not always that easy to do so. 

The questions my video leaves are: 

Why isn't she comfortable in her own skin?

Is she comfortable in her own skin?

Why does she care about what society thinks?

Flip-books are the most tedious forms of art....

While creating this flip book I had learned that this is one of the most tedious forms of art in the entire world. I wanted to create something with a lot of power behind it so I decided to focus on the Chakra Chart. The 7 Chakras in the Chakra system are the energy centers of the human body. I paired this theme with a book about meditation and Qigong, also known as Chi Kung. This is a form exercise and breathing techniques related to Tai Chi. I am realizing as I get older that being at peace is the best state that one can be in. Qigong and the 7 Chakras are important factors in becoming at peace and so that is why I chose them as my main subjects for this time based media project. 

I'm a Christmas Tree, and I am Proud

For my performance art piece I decided to go Christmas tree shopping, and pretend that I was one with the trees. I am very terrible at keeping a straight face, but tried very hard to do so. While there was not many people out shopping for trees at this time, I did get passed by some Home Depot workers that looked at me as if I was mental. I continued my trek to Plant High School's Christmas tree stands where one of the workers actually came up and heard was I was doing so he actually tagged me like a Christmas tree. I was only worth $100 to him apparently, haha. Definitely a great way to build up some confidence though. 

Boop-Dop-Doo-Dah-Doop-Dop-Doo-Dah-Doo

The music artists that I will add to the Electronic-Producer/DJ culture category would have the be Andrew Taggart and Alex Pall, otherwise known as The Chainsmokers. I choose this DJ duo because they have been a favorite of mine since their first song released back in 2013. Their song "#Selfie" took the charts in the United States, Australia, and the United Kingdom. About a year after the release of that song is when I went to go see them live for the first time. 

Their work is considered Electronic Dance Music, also known as EDM. EDM is a percussive dance music that is largely created for clubs, raves, and festivals. Andrew Taggart describes their music as "blurring the lines between indie, pop music, dance music, and hip-hop." The Chainsmokers ad vocals to their soundtracks to make them more original, and to engage their audience more. If you have ever experienced one of their shows, the audience is always singing in sync with each other. 

Below is their first song, "#Selfie", along with the song that made them famous, "Kanye", and their most recent release, "Closer." 

You can see that in their first song it is kind of annoying, and not as appealing as the other two songs are. I believe that as they built their status in the music industry they realized that they needed to be different and pursue different music styles. While sticking with the EDM genre they have also made their music a little more low-key. This way their music isn't stuck in the club or at a rave, but is played at bars, outdoor events, and even on pop radio. The way that they create music is clever because it is hard to get sick of their songs playing due to how low-key and catchy they are.

It's all a part of the Good Vibe Tribe

The artwork that I created was one about hand symbols, and specifically symbols I see around music and fashion. Peace, thumbs up, high-five, rock on, and even the triangular shape one makes between their own two hands are involved heavily in these themes. I felt as though centering these images around a triangular mirror with a mosaic all seeing eye would be aesthetically pleasing, and suitable for the theme of my bedroom. I included the use of light to portray many things including fireworks, lighters, LED's, and the fact that there will always be light in the darkness. While you can't see it in the photos the words Good Vibe Tribe are written in a triangular shape around the photo in the middle of the image which is supposed to be a face coming out of the darkness. 

2,304 squares, 15 colors, 10 hours of sleep, 6 days to work, 2 complete meals and no water (but lots of coffee) later I have successfully completed an incomplete art project while starving and dehydrating myself at the same time.

This work is on a 48x48 0.5in. grid, and contains 2,304 squares. It was extremely tedious, and took a lot of time to produce. However, while it was a pain in the ass to create, I am proud of it. I am obsessed with this self portrait, and have been trying to find a way to put it a less provocative version of it on my wall. Now I can have this picture hanging without the awkwardness of family or friends staring at a picture of my bare back. 

Electronics Paper Text

Samantha Michie
18 October 2016

The smartphone, specifically the iPhone, is the most widely known 21st century technology. Many things have influenced this technology, including: computers, the original cellphones, cameras, futuristic devices from older movies (Star Trek), as well as the human mind. Smartphones are the combination of a cell phone, a camera, and a computer into one device. We have even taken it as far as putting a personified voice response system into more recent smartphones.

The newest iPhone, the iPhone 7, has taken all of these features to the next level. They have integrated two cameras into the iPhone 7 in order to produce a better picture than that of an actual camera. Not only is the camera even better, but the iPhone 7’s processor has a higher capacity than any of its predecessors. This “smartphone” can quickly look up information, and give the user more knowledge than is in their own mind. This knowledge has made life easier for humans, as we do not have to memorize as much information as we used to.

Another feature of the iPhone 7 that has had the most impact on every day lives is the personified voice response system. Human conscience and technologies of the human voice have influenced this part of the 21st century technology. One of the most basic forms of technology has influenced one of the most complex. Siri, the name given to this technology of the iPhone 7, can communicate clearly with the person who is using it. It can answer questions, access the internet, and even send text messages on the person’s behalf.

The iPhone 7 and other smartphones are predecessors of smartphone like devices being implanted into the human brain. In the 2002 novel Feed, written by Matthew Anderson, humans have these devices implanted in them that are similar to smartphones. I could imagine this happening in the not so far future, where kids no longer will have to go to school to become knowledgable. Soon everything will be faster than a type and a swipe away, soon we will be able to just glance at or think of something, and the information will bombard our minds with information. Soon everyone will be “all knowing.”