pialikesowls's blog

I feel as if Natalie and I didn't get deep enough into what could potentially be a very meaningful paper. We may have only gone skin deep and were too involved in the length of the paper rather than the quality of the paper. Though we did bring up a good point like Frank demanding Natalie to identify herself (and her failure to do so), the lens of identity is too large to fully analyze. While we are trying to talk about Natalie and Felix, I don't feel as if we compared them enough. Instead, we may have talked too much about the identity issues and made the paper into a summary rather than an a strong analysis.

As a result, Natalie and I will next time focus more on the sexual intimacy aspect of the identity issues. This way, we can focus on one small part of the identity issue rather than such a large lens. For example, the reasons why Natalie chooses to post listings and how she thinks the sexual intimacy will help her find herself. In addition, we could also discuss Felix and his intimate attachment to Annie and how this is hindering his chances with Grace.

“The man was naked, the woman dressed. It didn’t look right, but the woman had somewhere to go. He lay clowning in bed, holding her wrist. She tried to put a shoe on. Under their window they heard truck doors opening, boxes of produce heaved onto tarmac. Felix sat up and looked to the car park below… Grace tapped the window with a long fake nail: “Babe – they can see you.” Felix stretched. He made no effort to cover himself. “Some people shameless,” noted Grace and squeezed round the bed to straighten the figurines on the windowsill” (113).

While reading NW by Zadie Smith was a truly perplexing experience, I found the story of Felix to be the most curious part of the novel. For example, did Smith put him in the book simply for the reader to get attached to him and kill him off in the end (sounds like a tamer Game of Thrones)? It also seemed as if he had two romantic attachments: Annie and Grace, both of whom he was unsure about. That sparked an interest in the romantic attachments of the other characters, like Leah and Michel and Natalie/Keisha and Grace. The relationships in this book seem to be very complex and I'd like to read deeper into how they got together in the first place and how they manage to handle each other.

Exploring cities has always been something I love to do. What better way to combine this passion with a college credit than take a class that essentially has you exploring a city week after week? Better yet, a city I know almost nothing about: Philadelphia. Though it has not even been two months, the city has quickly become a part of who I am: a part full of Shake Shack, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, an attractive man playing a guitar, a not so attractive man attempting to hit on me, and so much more. 

I feel very lucky to attend a school near a city. I actually almost applied Early Decision to a school in Maine, aka the Middle of Nowhere. I would have suffered and gotten antsy without a city for me to play in. Though Philadelphia is not as great a city as New York (sorry, but not sorry), I still have a great time exploring. I appreciate the fact that the class is so open and that I have the opportunity to choose where I want to go and how I want to experience it.

My first experience in the city was with the whole group, which I liked, since I was unfamiliar with the city. Even with the smaller groups, I was comfortable. I feel as if it was the most structured trip of the three I’ve been on for the class, and we still had a lot of free time. Perhaps the fact that we were in a big group together and had times we had to be places made it seem more organized. Even though I only did some shopping and had Shake Shack, I felt as if that was a good start for an official first trip into the city of Philadelphia.

Perspective is everything. When you throw out your trash, you don’t see it as art or something to play with. Those glass bottles you’re about to throw out are probably going to go to the landfills, lost within other glass bottles or dirty paper towels. That broken bike you can’t trust anymore will also make the trip to the landfill, as will those outdated wall tiles that once decorated your home. Isaiah Zagar sees the glass bottles, broken bicycle, and wall tiles as art. He sees them as parts of his art. One man’s trash is another man’s artwork. The Magic Gardens in Philadelphia show us that our trash can be beautiful; it isn’t just stinky junk that we don’t want anymore. When you throw out your trash, you don’t think that it can be a part of a mosaic that people pay money to visit.

Stop 1: See little post about Fringe Festival. Wonder about other festivals in Philly.

Stop 2: Continue reading newspaper. Read about music in Philly. Think about music festivals in Philly.

Stop 3: Google "Philly music and arts" and get here.

Stop 4: Click "Music" and see the words "free outdoor concerts" and get here.

Stop 5: See what is happening this weekend and get here.

Stop 6: Realize that a band I like is playing. For free. I get here (the official site of the festival).

I kinda hope someone would want to go to this festival with me. It's a little bit out of the way of everything else. To get there, we'd take the train into Market East then take the subway to Girard Station. From there it's a half mile walk. Free music! 

(Also, to be quite honest, I would also like to go to the Barnes Foundation quite desperately. If nobody is willing to go out that far with me, I'd gladly go to the Barnes Foundation since it's quite easy and on the Parkway.)

Perspective is everything. When you throw out your trash, you don’t see it as art or something to play with. Those glass bottles you’re about to throw out are probably going to go to the landfills, lost within other glass bottles or dirty paper towels. That broken bike you can’t trust anymore will also make the trip to the landfill, as will those outdated wall tiles that once decorated your home.

Isaiah Zagar sees the glass bottles, broken bicycle, and wall tiles as art. He sees them as parts of his art. One man’s trash is another man’s artwork. The Magic Gardens in Philadelphia show us that our trash can be beautiful; it isn’t just stinky junk that we don’t want anymore. When you throw out your trash, you don’t think that it can be a part of a mosaic that people pay money to visit. Flanagan says that artists “created “situations” and performed art actions complete with instructions.” We use play and art as “a way to rethink issues of authority, politics, and the notion of a cultural status quo.” As a result, I feel as if Isaiah Zagar is using these mosaics to show us that some trash can be used as art and that it can be beautiful.

As an aspiring art history major, I was pretty excited when I recognized some names when reading Flanagan's text. I was especially excited when I found Marcel Duchamp and Vassily Kandinsky. Though I know some of their artworks, I am not completely fluent in the movements they founded and advocated. As a result, I researched on both artists.

One of Marcel Duchamp's most famous artworks would be The Fountain, which he made in 1917. What was interesting about this piece is that it was a urinal with some words written on it. The point of the piece was to demonstrate ready-made art and how our culture since the Industrial Revolutions changed to become one with a high nature of factory-made items. This made me think about how our play has changed today from being outside in nature versus staying in and playing with our mass produced toys.