Reflections

The body is the primary mode of perceiving scale.

In ancient times the foot was the primary unit for measure. To determine the length of something you measured it in feet. A king declared that his foot would be the primary unit of measurement and that stuck. As an artist, when you are learning to figure draw you use different body parts as units of measure. In examining a face you may say "the head is 5 noses long and 3 noses wide". We see our bodies everyday and have a general idea of how big or small everything on our body is. 

The capacity of objects to serve as traces of authentic experiences 

This is a piece of the Berlin Wall. 

If I didn't explain what this piece of rock was, it would have no intrinsic value. Once we know that this was a piece of arguably the most famous wall in history then it gains much value. We know this piece of colored rock has been through conflict and turmoil and is a piece of great history. Separating it from any other piece of rock. 

The souvenir reduces the public, the monumental and the three dimensional into the miniature that which can be enveloped by the body.

A shell to me is a great example of a souvenir, a shell can represent a trip to the beach or someone's ties with the ocean. It is a naturally occurring specimen found in the ocean. It is a great souvenir due to the fact that it can represent the ocean as a whole, it has beauty, and is small enough to be enveloped by the body. 

Nostalgia cannot be sustained without loss.

These pictures represent nostalgia to me. All of these good times have been lost they came and went and were only recorded once due to the polaroid film and will never be repeated. Moments lost in time forever but I have the recorded memory of each individual photograph, reminding me of the times and memories that each individual picture carries with it.  

To have a souvenir of the exotic is to possess both a specimen and a trophy.

This is a picture of a gallery displaying Mark Rothko's paintings. These paintings go for millions of dollars due to their fame. These paintings can be considered a specimen due to their uniqueness and one of a kindness that will never be reproduced due to the artist no longer being with us. Owning one of these paintings acts as a trophy due to their fame and value. Having one of these paintings could reflect one's wealth to require one of these paintings or to display one's artistic taste. 

Yoko Ono

Yoko Ono's presentation involves her sitting on stage while people are invited up to cut off segments of her clothing. She is utilized within the artwork, and the artwork would not be possible without her. The meaning of this piece of performance artwork could be to directly represent how a women's body is viewed in society. The people that cut off her clothing in the beginning chose to cut off small simple strips steering away from her breasts or hips. But as the performance goes on one man boldly cuts a large strip exposing her chest, as Yoko stays calm. The performer seems unfazed by his actions. This action could possibly represent the mistreatment of women or could be viewed as a statement expressing how women's bodies shouldn't have to be censored to the world.