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Cornfield with Crows by Vincent Van Gogh (Pinterest)

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Cornfield with Crows by Vincent Van Gogh

Base on my interpretations, it was a real scene, but is not really based on an actual place. It is more of an imagination or Gogh’s way to show a cornfield. In connection, it matters because it can explain the last moments of Gogh before he took his life. It can be interpreted that this painting depicts his loneliness and despair during his last moments as he was kept in an asylum. A vast cornfield with crows can be depicted as a scene of somehow in a state of isolation in a vast place of uncertainty, which can relate to Gogh’s state.

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(Trigger Warning: Sensitive Content)

Art is expression; it is not intention or talent. (Bernedetto Croce)

I chose this song because of how bold it described the experience of the artist. What she went through before in her music label. The song explicitly expressed the feelings of the artist in hopes to spread awareness that some artist really went through such happenings, that’s why it is important to respect the artworks of music artists. Although it involved her talent in singing to make this artwork, her full intention was to express those emotions.

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a digital art I made in Adobe Fresco as an expression of the poem.

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1. How can art be practiced for its own sake, separate from society?

1. Art can be made for its own sake when it focuses solely on its aesthetics, forms, and beauty without crossing the boundaries between art as politics. In the status quo, beginner or some veteran artists practice and make art with this ideology—art that fully expresses their feelings or for the sake of presenting something “beautiful.” As architecture students, we design buildings for the sake of beauty while also considering real-life limitations and human conditions, this can also be considered as practicing art that is separate from society or art as politics. However, in the article, Lopez challenges this idea and argues that art should contribute to society and reflect the struggles of the status quo.

2. Why is it detrimental to believe that art is a form of escape?

1. According to the article, it is detrimental because considering it as an escape can make art be detached from reality and discourages artists to engage with social issues or political discourse. Art has the ability to challenge people to critically engage and take social responsibility because of its property to attract people and convey a message. However, some argue that art should not just be about social issues because this manifests a notion that view art as something pessimistic. Art should not be boxed to only one practice; art can be anything because art is free.

3. Why is it important for art to address the “problems of [the artist’s] time”?

1. Reitirating my answer in the previous number, Art has the ability to challenge people to critically engage and take social responsibility because of its property to attract people and convey a message. By using this property of art to address contemporary issues, artists can contribute to the intellectual and moral development of society. The writer of the article emphasizes that artist should take responsibility and use their art to contribute and address issues of the society they belong to.

4. What does López mean when he said that writers and artists should be “teachers of men”?

1. For the author, writers and artist have the power to educate and shape society’s consciousness, especially about political issues, using their crafts and arts. With this, Lopez emphasizes their responsibility to use their art to provoke thoughts, challenge the norms, and encourage self-reflection. By following these responsibilites, art can impart values and ideas that help people understand and navigate their world more consciously.

5. Why does López think that the highest form of art is emancipatory?

1. For Lopez, art should liberate people from ignorance, oppression, and injustice; instill people the knowledge to question authority and inspire progressive change. The most significant art is that which liberates people from ignorance, oppression, or injustice. Art that challenges oppressive systems and encourages social change has the power to elevate human consciousness. He argues that true art should not only entertain but also enlighten, empowering individuals and societies to seek freedom and progress.

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“Our Youth” a Japanese BL released in 2024 is one of my favorite BL series of all time, specifically episode 1 where it all started and got me hooked. In my first watch, what hooked me is the way the two main characters get involved with each other, despite their lifestyle being two opposite poles apart. I watched the BL because of the chemistry and romance I found while watching the trailer. However, upon reading this Althusser’s Ideological State Apparatus, I was able to identify that the main ideology of the series is the Education Ideology. This was already established right away in episode 1 where the characters were introduced, specifically Jin Minase, one of the main characters, a top, achieving student who believe in meritocracy because of what his mother made him believe. Nevertheless, the ideology can be felt all throughout the series as the plot revolved around in school. After I rewatched the first episode, it dawned on me that the education ideology was really there and it changed how I viewed the whole series. With this ideological state apparatus in mind, it will definitely change how I will watch and view series and movies from now on.

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The poem overall talks about a person telling his/her childhood friend that went to somewhere far and did not comeback for a long time about the things that happened in their hometown. However, if dug deeper, five (5) ISAs can be seen from the poem, namely: Family, Religious, Cultural/Communication, Political/Legal, and Economic ISA. The Family ISA can be seen when they talked about how the grave of their pet was not visible anymore. Another situation that speaks about it is when Julia decided to become a whore and people around their place were disappointed to such decision, which clearly shows that the place and family that you grew up with shapes your roles in life, and if you act otherwise, you’ll get criticized. Next ideology found in the poem is the Religious ISA, specifically when a handful of people go to Sunday masses and listen to the priest, which clearly indicates how religion can also shape your views of right and wrong, what’s sinful from not, and how life should be lived for the one above. Moreover, the poem itself and what it contains is an ideology relating to Cultural/Communication ISA because storytelling (through the poem), nicknames, and shared games can shape the community’s view of what behaviors are praiseworthy and desirable. Other than that, Political/Legal ISA can also be found in the poem when the Mayor’s sugar plantation was guarded by armed people and enclosed by barbed wires, and how a bridge was named after the congressman’s wife, which is a manifestation of how law and political patronage interpellate subjects into accepting elite domination as the only possible “order.” Lastly, Economic ISA can also be found in the poem through the farmers selling their sweat for pesos, Julia selling her body for money, and remittances from the U.S. because money is being foregrounded as the answer to any problem which shows how economic ISA trains people to see themselves as economic units whose humanity is priced in pesos or dollars, rather than as citizens with collective power. These Ideologies aren’t just illusions or intangible things that exist, they really affect and shape people’s behavior and way of living unintentionally.

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“WEAR Whatever”

Wear whatever is a quote that tells people that clothes and fashion doesn’t define anything about the person’s gender, but rather how they express and show their fashion taste. In this collage of pictures of me wearing outfits that transcends boundaries and stereotypes, I want to show people that you should be free to express what you feel through fashion and not be discriminated for wearing clothes that you are comfortable wearing. Moreover, for me, fashion isn’t just wearing clothes, it’s a way of art, an expression of feelings, fashion taste, and transcending boundaries. Fashion isn’t just about looking good, but wearing comfortable clothes while looking good because it boosts confidence and a way to live your true self. With that, go on and WEAR Whatever!

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Originally “The Birth of Venus” by Sandro Botticelli

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“The Birth of Hironos”

Generally, art is subjective, hence we identify what’s art or not depending on the set of beliefs we have as to what is art, so if this was the lens taken, then it can be inferred that it i still art since Hironos and The Birth of Venus are artworks of different artists. However, if it’s based on Walter Benjamin’s ideas, then it can still be considered as art, it’s just that its value and uniqueness has diminished because of the alteration. It is still art because the two artworks being combined together are works of artists, however, because of its alteration, the meaning, intention, and purpose of the artist’s artwork changed in ways that its essence and uniqueness was different from what was meant originally.

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As someone who identifies as an artist, I value the originality of an artwork because artists hold and value their own artwork that if someone pirates it and gets benefits from it, it’s a total disrespect to the artist talent. With this, it will totally affect the way we perceive art especially if it undermines/ignores the efforts and talents of the original artist of the artwork. I think the same perception will also be perceived in general because originality is important in the world of art and maintaining it is a sign of respect the artists’ effort and talent poured into the artwork.

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1. Art as “expression.” Among the key concepts, this is likely the well-known dimension of art. You hear people say, “I paint (or dress) this way to express myself.” How does ‘expression’ relate to the artistic process, in general, or the artist, in particular? How does this compare with art as representation?

Expression relate to the artistic process in a way that the artist carefully translates what they feel into their artwork. An example can be how music artists write their songs; it went through a process so that the artist can really convey what they want to express to the listeners. In contrast to expression’s main goal which is to convey the artist’s ideas, emotions, and/or feelings, art as representation basically depicts people or objects with no other motives but present their concept or object to the viewers.

2. If art is defined within the ambit of “aesthetics,” whether as “aesthetic object,” or “aesthetic experience,” how is art viewed from this perspective?

Art is viewed in this way as something that pleases the eyes and evokes a certain feeling to the viewers. The closest example I can think of for this is the way films are shown; most of the time they show beatiful and aesthetic cinematographies to evoke the same feeling that the actors were feeling to the watchers. Although aesthetic is a component of art, this should not limit artists from making art that are not stereotypical because art can be ugly or disturbing; art can be anything you want it to be.

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As an architecture student, we consider the arts (design and aesthetics) and science (materials and construction processes) of the buildings we create. The reason why I mentioned this, despite its irrelevance to the video, is to highlight how arts and sciences are intertwined rather than separated. In connection, this can also be a translation to what Doctor Dalisay Jr. said that arts and humanities provide the vision (or in architectural terms the design of the building) and science provides the means of achieving it (the process of executing the design in real life). Upon hearing it, I realized that this is a well-said and simple description of how arts and sciences are intertwined with each other. With just science alone, contains the systematic process of achieving hypotheses and results; but with arts, it can bridge abstract concepts into tangible experiences, add more creative and observation skills to experiments, etc. Additionally, arts and humanities can describe concepts, such as culture, that science cannot explain. Overall, science alone can do something, but with the arts, it can do so many wonders that our minds imagine; hence, they should be combined, not separated.