journal 890

Journal exercises are all about reflective thinking. Not sure what that means? Well, reflection is

a form of personal response to experiences, situations, events or new information. Think of it as

a 'processing' phase where thinking and learning take place. College is pretty much a reflection

period because you’re being exposed to new content.

In these assignments you select a prompt and respond. Each of these allows you to focus on a

specific idea or example of art and then write your thoughts and reactions – essentially a

reflection. Why do this? So you can see how your personal ideals and values influence the way

you respond to art – which is the focus of this course.

Choose one of the following prompts:

#1: Nature & Technology

Look at Chris Jordan (Links to an external site.)’s digital images from his various themes:

Midway, Running the Numbers, Intolerable Beauty and In Katrina’s Wake. Describe how you

think his work reflects ideas about nature, knowledge and technology. In addition, make a

comment about the aesthetic nature of his work. Can we find a sense of beauty in the

underbelly of consumer societies? What about in destruction and over-consumption? Be

specific in your answers. Give additional examples or references if you want.

#2: Costume, Decoration & Myth

Examine the two images Sitting Man With Pink Face (Links to an external site.) by Irving Penn

and Land of the Free #25 (Links to an external site.) by photographer David Graham. Then

write a one - page summary of comparisons and contrasts between the two images. Look for

comparisons between form and content. Refer to any cultural or stylistic differences you find.

In essence, how are they the same? How are they different? What is the subject? Does each

image represent something within the context of spirituality? Or not?

The Task: 1. Identify which prompt you selected. (5 points)

2. Compose a written response to the prompt. Be thorough and address each point or

question in the selection. You can choose to do this as an essay or use a

question/answer format. (15 points)

3. Your response must be at least 150 words. (5 points)

This assignment is worth 25 points.