On Observation

 What has been discovered through observation alone?

science?

Art?

philosophy?

sociology?

Naturalists?

Biologists?

Physics?

Class?

Culture?

I could go on and on - but want you to reflect on the idea of what we have been doing, and the purpose of observing for a while, before conclusions...  before doing...  incubation.

just the seeds of something for next week  - but to start thinking about this week

TAKEN FROM:    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Observation

"Observation is either an activity of a living being (such as a human), consisting of receiving knowledge of the outside world through the senses, or the recording of data using scientific instrument. The term may also refer to any data collected during this activity. An observation can also be the way you look at things or when you look at something.  -

Observation in science

The scientific method requires observations of nature to formulate and test hypotheses.^{[citation needed]} It consists of these steps:

1. Asking a question about a natural phenomenon
2. Making observations of the phenomenon
3. Hypothesizing an explanation for the phenomenon
4. Predicting a logical consequence of the hypothesis
5. Testing the hypothesis by an experiment, an observational study, or a field study
6. Creating a conclusion with data gathered in the experiment"

TAKEN FROM:  

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/observation

¹ob·ser·va·tion

 noun \ˌäb-sər-ˈvā-shən, -zər-\

Definition of OBSERVATION

1

a : an act or instance of observing a custom, rule, or law b : observance 3

2

a : an act of recognizing and noting a fact or occurrence often involving measurement with instruments <weather observations> b : a record or description so obtained

3

: a judgment on or inference from what one has observed; broadly : remark, statement

4

obsolete : attentive care : heed

5

: the condition of one that is observed <under observation at the hospital>

PROJECT #3 -- Art solves problems if you choose

COLLECTIONS PROJECT #3
Art that offers Solutions (all problems are opportunities)
(Allan – 2011)

Jason Taylor
http://www.underwatersculpture.com/pages/artist/bio.htm

IDEAS – Week 1  FEB 16th -  23rd -

Identify a greater problem in the world that you care about: List 3 – 300 of them.
• A personal one • A story that’s not being told • a culture being lost
• Community • environmental • Materials
• National • Social • daily chores.
• Global • $ • Value not being recognized


"If you don't stand for something you will fall for anything."
— Malcolm X



THEORY:
Choose 3-10 that you want to solve, see it as an opportunity, are inspired by, and makes you think… And start listing solutions in you sketchbook, drawing, and building – however you brainstorm.
Post some of your ideas, questions, solutions, on the blog by next week.
Post your sketches, your starts…. Begin the dialog there.

How can you solve this problem? Safely, insanity, collectivism, thought, theory, dialog, action, performance, meditation, process…
http://collections-mcad-smm.blogspot.com/

Week #2 – We will be at King Tut:  Feb 23 - March 2nd

See how cultures have solved these problems before. Think globally.
What is this problem like?
Start making and researching.
Have something for class to show next week and WORK On. Have started already – processes going.

Week #3 – In class work: The doing:  March 2nd

Group work shops on how to complete the projects. Have started building.



WEEK #4 = THE DONE -->  Due March 9th
Be ready to present your visual solutions to the group.
You don’t have to change the world; you just have to try to offer a solution. It doesn’t even have to work. Just take that risk



MEL CHIN -- Revival Field

"Children have a lesson adults should learn, to not be ashamed of failing, but to get up and try again. Most of us adults are so afraid, so cautious, so 'safe,' and therefore so shrinking and rigid and afraid that it is why so many humans fail. Most middle-aged adults have resigned themselves to failure."
— Malcolm X (The Autobiography of Malcolm X: As Told to Alex Haley)

The "Artists Solving Problems" Assignment

Rather than my list here are my thoughts.

I always have been and always will be interested in human rights. Issues of torture and detainment as well as violence against women will always be important to me.

I've also been interested in some problems I see in people– for example, boredom. There is no reason why anyone should ever be bored. People just don't see the beauty in the world around them. I think this is a huge problem in American culture, and maybe other cultures as well.

After talking to Abbi we talked about the more personal sides of my list of problems. Specifically, seeking liberation. This is a very personal thing that I'm normally not comfortable talking about. Long story short, I still live in my hometown with my parents. Enough said?

So those are the big umbrella themes that I'm working under/thinking about so far. Anything else we're supposed to post on here...?

+Alex Fritz

David Gallo's amazing underwater world from TED talks