Author: Aidan Larsen-Humphreys

For my project I wanted to focus on the problem of Coral Reefs dying off. During my Sustaining Natures class this semester we watched a documentary about how coral reefs are dying and the impacts it is having/will have on the world. The documentary was really emotional and moving. I showed it to my parents/friends because of how important the problem is. It also inspired me to go abroad to Australia next semester so I can see the Great Barrier Reef for myself before it potentially dies off. 25% of all marine life depends on reefs, while millions of people use it as a source of food. Reefs also protect costs from storms and floods. Reefs are considered the rainforests of the ocean because of their biodiversity and impact on the global climate. Raising water temperatures causes coral bleaching and eventual death. They are then covered by algae, which harms the local fish life. 

• Great Barrier Reef, Australia
• Coral
•  Biodiversity/fish
• Scuba diving/snorkeling
• Water/ocean
• Alage
• Colors
• Bleaching
• Tourism

I thought it was interesting to get the behind the scenes of Judy Pfaff’s exhibition. I enjoyed understanding the reasons and meaning behind her sculptures. Loss is something everyone can connect to at some point in their lives and it’s a difficult thing to experience. Seeing Pfaff’s interpretation of death is really compelling, and the fact that she got emails talking about loss after people have viewed the exhibition proves her interpretation is relatable. Having never been connected with an exhibition, I never knew how much went into one and how many people are involved. I enjoyed that she said that she’s not sure how the exhibition would turn out as she always changes her mind. Art is ever changing and that was a good reminder you don’t need to plan everything out, and sometimes it’s good to go with the flow.

Aidan Larsen-Humphreys

I watched home made mission to mars and Tom Sachs interview with Adam Savage. What was really interesting to me was the performative aspect of the mission to mars. It was almost like the set of a movie/play with actors and everything. It was interesting to see how Sachs himself seemed to be acting during the entire video, he seems like a completely different person during the Adam Savage interview. It was interesting to hear Sachs and Savage talk about their differences when approaching building something. Savage is more obsessive and wants to know every detail and have everything planned out. On the other hand, Sachs prefers to have “the right amount of ignorance”. He says that he measures once and cuts twice, because it’s the mistakes that make an object special and stand out against the “perfect” things.

1.

For my shrine project I want to make a shrine about the importance of farmers. My grandfather was a farmer and he had a huge impact on me. I want there to be some aspect of his personal importance to me in the project, but I also want to remind people how important farmers are in general. Some thoughts I had was a tractor as a centerpiece, with crops and/or cattle around it. My original thought is to have the tractor made of metal, with the crops made out of wood. It’s something I need to do more research/brainstorming on, but I do know I want to somehow incorporate honeysuckles into the project as a tie to my grandfather.

2. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1R-djVU9nW_XM7fuMC_S7zPM-u0TPotDCEaOsf7iLD78/edit?usp=sharing

3.

James E. Hazeley, Ruby Throated Hummingbird

One of the most important part of my piece is the honeysuckle. It’s an important symbol that reminds me of my grandfather. I want to do it correctly, specifically its vines and have it wrap around my sculpture.

4.

My object is a ceramic Chinese dragon. It’s used just for decoration and looks well taken care of as there aren’t any major scratches/chips to the paint. The Dragon is holding a pearl, which symbolizes its connection to wisdom and spiritual energy. Dragons play a huge role in Chinese culture, representing power, luck and courage. The Dragon is also one of the 12 zodiac animals making up the Chinese calendar. Dragons play a big role in celebrations such as Chinese new year, the mid autumn festival and more where Dragon dances are preformed. The dragon symbolizes Chinese culture, beauty and power. Some ideas for my project focus on cultural appropriation or cultural destruction. Im considering making my project about the 1966 Chinese cultural revolution and having the dragons destruction as the focal point.