Superflex
It is not quiet clear exactly what the biogas project is but I think I understood what it is trying to do. I think the article is a fine example of art in its true form. Art for art’s sake is not really art as much as artist trying to get rich, this makes it false and impure. The true purpose of art is to communicate, innovate, and explore. Something that this biogas project is attempting to do in impoverished Africa. Almost everything in history originated as art forms and later developed into its own field. This includes architecture, design, culinary art, the idea of capturing images, and even religion. Those are just the obvious examples, in reality, so much more things we do not think about came from art. I am interested the results this biogas yields.
But, is it Art?
The definition of art has always been a controversy. In the 20th century we have seen all sorts of things called art and that is why some people decided that art cannot be defined. Some people defined art to be anything made with the intention of making art. I however believe art to be something much broader, I believe art is anything made by a sentient being through a creative thinking process. This of course includes design, but it also includes things like airplanes, cars, refrigerators, etc... Today we consider many things made in the past to be art even though they served a practical purpose. So really our definition of art is always changing. One only needs to realize that everything created is a form of expression in one way or another to understand that art is all around us.
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Monday, May 3, 2010
Ethical Design Education
To be frank, although I always loved nature I never quite really cared about sustainability. I saw it as a wasted effort that would ultimately get ignored by greater interests. I feel differently now that I know exactly what sustainability is, and now that I feel inspired by the power of design thanks to certain individuals in the past. (Morris, Dreyfuss)I find Szenasy’s article meaningful because I can relate to the change of heart her students underwent. This issue is so morally sound, true, and pure that it would win anyone over. It reminds me of the children’s novel “The Giving Tree” by Shel Silverstein.
Excerpt from wiki:
“The Giving Tree is a tale about a relationship between a young boy and a tree in a forest. The tree always provides the boy with what he wants: branches on which to swing, shade in which to sit, apples to eat, branches with which to build a home. As the boy grows older he requires more and more of the tree. The tree loves the boy very much and gives him anything he asks for. In the ultimate act of self-sacrifice, the tree lets the boy cut her down so the boy can build a boat in which he can sail. The boy leaves the tree, now a stump. Many years later, the boy, now an old man, returns and the tree says, "I have nothing left to give you." The boy replies, " I do not need much now, just a quiet place to sit and rest." The tree then says, "Good! A tree stump is a great place to do just that! Come boy, sit down and be happy." The boy obliged and the tree was happy.”
Although there are many interpretations, for me this is a metaphor for nature’s endless self-sacrifice and our inability to be grateful for it. It represents the need for a fair give and take relationship. Nature has nurtured humanity but now the time has come for us to return the favor. My favorite part in the article is where it talks about interconnectedness. I feel like it will be a huge theme for my generation as more and more people learn more about the great beauty of nature. This will be the fuel that will make sustainability a reality. Like the generations before mine that fought for the success of future generations ours will too, and like past generations we will succeed.
Excerpt from wiki:
“The Giving Tree is a tale about a relationship between a young boy and a tree in a forest. The tree always provides the boy with what he wants: branches on which to swing, shade in which to sit, apples to eat, branches with which to build a home. As the boy grows older he requires more and more of the tree. The tree loves the boy very much and gives him anything he asks for. In the ultimate act of self-sacrifice, the tree lets the boy cut her down so the boy can build a boat in which he can sail. The boy leaves the tree, now a stump. Many years later, the boy, now an old man, returns and the tree says, "I have nothing left to give you." The boy replies, " I do not need much now, just a quiet place to sit and rest." The tree then says, "Good! A tree stump is a great place to do just that! Come boy, sit down and be happy." The boy obliged and the tree was happy.”
Although there are many interpretations, for me this is a metaphor for nature’s endless self-sacrifice and our inability to be grateful for it. It represents the need for a fair give and take relationship. Nature has nurtured humanity but now the time has come for us to return the favor. My favorite part in the article is where it talks about interconnectedness. I feel like it will be a huge theme for my generation as more and more people learn more about the great beauty of nature. This will be the fuel that will make sustainability a reality. Like the generations before mine that fought for the success of future generations ours will too, and like past generations we will succeed.
Buckminster Fuller
The concept of four billion billionaires is something that Fuller tries to say is within our reach yet I'm not entirely convinced. He makes optimistic statements without any regard for the consequences. For example, what would happen after we have four billion billionaires? Would we be satisfied with that or reproduce until we push our resources to the limit once more? Why do we need to push our resources to the limits? While I do believe a computer has the potential to make our society more efficiently and justly, what happens when the computer does not operate according to our will?
I feel that the author underestimates humanity's desire to gain power and control over each other. Once we are all billionaires we will have people who will want to become trillionaires and they will not be satisfied with equality. In this sense the author is a naive ideologist.
Our energy usage is inefficient and this is indisputable, and I fully support the idea of change in that regard. We waste so much energy that it almost becomes depressing. In fact we only use five out of 100 units of energy according to the article. This is unsustainable and definitely needs public attention. I feel that the real problem is that we are currently living in a society based on consumption and that owning a gas guzzling hummer is a status symbol. Therefore consuming more is considered to be a good thing when the reality is that the complete opposite is true.
I feel that the author underestimates humanity's desire to gain power and control over each other. Once we are all billionaires we will have people who will want to become trillionaires and they will not be satisfied with equality. In this sense the author is a naive ideologist.
Our energy usage is inefficient and this is indisputable, and I fully support the idea of change in that regard. We waste so much energy that it almost becomes depressing. In fact we only use five out of 100 units of energy according to the article. This is unsustainable and definitely needs public attention. I feel that the real problem is that we are currently living in a society based on consumption and that owning a gas guzzling hummer is a status symbol. Therefore consuming more is considered to be a good thing when the reality is that the complete opposite is true.
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