Animal-Human Hybrids

This article sprung up controversy because it was based upon human-animal hybrids and the production of chimeras. I found it kind of creepy how the name we designated for these "creations" was chimera, which is a monstrous fire-breathing figure within Greek mythology...the creepy part being we are trying to re-create this but obviously not in the same way. Before reading this article I was indifferent to all of this, the ideas of cloning, stem cells, "chimeras", human-animal hybrids ect. mainly because I never really gave much thought to the idea. However after reading about it I have come to in some ways agree with Rifkin and his opposition in crossing species boundaries and that there are "other ways to advance medicine and human health besides going out into the strange, brave new world of chimeric animals." This whole concept of chimeras and blending species is completely fascinating while at the same time insane and kind of scary to think about. I can only wonder how far we are already able to go with this and don't even want to know how far we would go and will if we could. It's pretty scary to think of all the things that we are capable of doing and creating. Another good point the article brought up is that the worry surrounding all of this is on what the uses of these chimeras will be put to whether it be "problematic, risky, or dangerous," (Magnus) Another kind of creepy aspect were the questions that were raised which included : "What new subhuman combination should be produced and for what purpose? At what point would it be considered human? And what rights, if any, should it have?" These are questions that I never really thought about before but after reading the article they make perfect sense and can be frightening. However no matter how scary it can be, it is still pretty incredible what we can do and how we can change even a single species. In some ways, especially the ways we have used before like the transfer of faulty heart valves with those of cows and pigs, is acceptable and used often...but when I'm referring to scary I'm not referring to these types of procedures. While it is fun imagining hybrids and crazy creatures...I'm just not sure how far it should actually go...

Animal-Human Hybrids spark controversy article:
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2005/01/0125_050125_chimeras.html

artists who work with life

Edward Kac's " Alba"





Patricia Piccinini's "The Young Family"



"Australian artist Patricia Piccinini's concept of what human-animal hybrids might look like are provocative creatures which are part of a sculpture entitled The Young Family, produced to address the reality of such possible parahumans in a compassionate way. Transhumanists would call for the recognition of self-aware parahumans as persons."


http://thouart-aashild.blogspot.com/2009/10/two-artists-who-work-with-life.html

my life through amusement parks.

i've realized what an affect amusement parks have had on my life through this project. I always knew that they did but I'm realizing even more...strange. I had never before thought to look them up with a tool like google earth and what I find is interesting. For example most of the places especially disneyland and knott's berry (SCARY!) farm the resolution is very low and you can only see an aerial view whereas disneyworld has 3D structures and looks like a little miniature world (which I really liked) and then there is Universal Studios which is also low resolution but is filled with individual picture spots.

The affect these places have had on my life is strangely incredible. People associate me with disneyland (side note...I have always loved disney, the entirety of it...the art, the movies, everything...I want to intern for them and would love to be able to be part of their tea) for example as well as with knott's berry farm's Halloween Haunt which takes place during sept/October and then there is Universal Studios which I loved because of my love of film, ect. Both of these places have played a huge role in my life...mainly up until I moved to San Francisco which puts me much farther away. However I still love, enjoy, and am amazed with these places still.

This project of mapping parts of my life is also bringing back compelling memories of these places that have had such an impact in my life...mainly because of the memories that I have from them which is a nostalgic but good feeling.

peter pan's flight.

Knott's Scary Farm's Halloween haunt monsters on Supreme scream.

Universal's House of Horror.

Mickey Mouse ice cream bar, Disney World. (my favorite treat when i was young)

Astro Blasters, Disney Land. (it looks like I am a lot better than i am)

Knott's Scary Farm, Suki and I with a pirate monster.

Google Earth Mapping Ideas

I was thinking about mapping my life or using narrative by mapping out different amusement parks that I have been to in different states in which I have visited often or have lived in. I have always loved amusement parks and many of the ones that I have attended have had an impact in my life. I'm not sure if this idea is significant enough but I think it would be an interesting way to map important times and places that I have been to in my life...
The main places I have chosen are Disney World, Six Flags (in different states), Disneyland, and Knotts Berry Farm (among others) Each of these places I have visits multiple times to hundreds of times and they have held countless memories that I will always hold. Some people even associate me with these certain places and events that are held at them, ect...
What do you think?

Keith Arnatt

The Map as Art

Katharine Harmon's volume- The Map As Art: Contemporary Artists Explore Cartography

http://mocoloco.com/art/archives/012085.php

The Map Room: Art

http://www.mcwetboy.net/maproom/categories/art.php

Joyce Kozloff:

http://www.artnet.com/Galleries/Artists_detail.asp?gid=291&aid=9792

Sol Lewitt response

Conceptual art is an interesting form of art that I had never really studied, examined, understood, or thought much about before. So after reading Sol Lewitt's article my eyes were opened to a new way of looking at and understanding conceptual art. This form of art that is based around an idea and that that an idea becomes the "machine that makes the art" and within this art process is important. Lewitt's also made a point that conceptual art is not logical and it does not have to be complex but rather made up of simple ideas. I also fancied how this art is open to perception and that it will mean something different as well as will be perceived differently by different people. I also enjoyed how he recognized in his final paragraph that the ideas he stated within his essay are not stagnant and will change as his experiences change along with that he acknowledged that the ways he pointed out are ways that work for him and not all artists.

"conceptual art is good only when the idea is good"

-Sol Lewitt