[Courtney Hendrix]

Before taking this seminar my knowledge on East Asia was limited to Japanese Cherry Blossoms and the Chinese New Year. What I have learned through the seminar is how much history, politics, and culture is in their visual arts mediums. It was interesting for me to learn the connection between what messages they were trying to convey and what was produced visually. For example, with Mao who influenced many things along with posters used to be a guide to what people should be doing and if it wasn’t politically correct it was wiped out completely. I would like to tie this into my classroom in what different forms of art there are and discuss with my students their feelings on their artwork being censored or decided for them. It can go along with my big question I usually ask to my students on ‘What is Art?’ I think they would find it interesting to learn about the different ideas of censorship throughout art and even tie it into it to the ‘degenerate art’ named and destroyed by the Nazi’s making Germany’s censorship finite. I know they could connect to this in ways that sometimes I have to censor their artwork when they want to create images that are not school appropriate from movies or games they play. I could also go along with how artwork can be used as persuasion tool just like some of the kids videos we watched where they were providing a message using relatable cute cartoons. I would like to show them some of those videos before giving them insight on the message and then see if they can pick it up and then play it again. This again could lead us into talking about how videos/advertisements are used to influence people and make more connections from there.

[Courtney Hendrix]

I had also not known prior that the Chinatown I know is the second location. It is upsetting to be reminded how other cultures aren't valued if it isn't convient. I for my personal knowledge would like to look more into the history of Los Angeles' Chinese culture as I also don't know as much about the Chinese Americans. I would further like to find more ways of incorporating the history of Chinese Americans into my studies with my student beyond what we already study about in their traditional culture in China, but focus more on how they celebrate their culture in America. 

[Courtney Hendrix]

I found our discussion on the Korean Letters very interesting and I found it especially beautiful how the symbowls the vowels are created from represent a mixture of heaven, earth, and human. I would like my students to get a chance to study the lettering more and incorporate that somehow in their artwork or as a calligraphy style lesson. 

Along with that I was also interested in how our guide talked about the process of making paper from the mulberry bark and am looking into ways for my students to create their own paper using a similar technique. 

[Courtney Hendrix]

I would also like to dive more into the colors in Chinese culture as I found the different representations interesting. In our day-to-day we don't always give much thought into the colors we wear or what they represent, so I think it would be fun to talk to the students about the meanings behind certain colors in the Chinese culture vs other cultures. To me it was a good reminder that colors have more power then we realize and how colors are used differently in different cultures or how some can have universal meanings. 

[Courtney Hendrix]

We are both on the same page as I found many many topic ideas from his lecture. I would like to possibly focus my main lesson maybe on the woodblock printing. I would start talking to my students how much time it took to create such intricate images and how at times there were many blocks used to create the different color layers. I have been trying to brainstorm how to recreate that technique with my younger students with success as I can imagine it is hard to align the prints to match. I am going to be watching that website to see if I can score a print or two for my classroom. 

[Courtney Hendrix]

These are great resources! Thanks! I had been thinking about talking about the gender roles in the prints and how they differ especially later when it changed as the audience changed, but I would also like to include this into my discussion as well or instead as I have taught about many of the Impressionist already. I think my students could probably connect more to that comparison given their background knowledge. I look forward to checking out those articles. 

[Courtney Hendrix]

Something that stood out to me in this afternoon's discussion where the ways citizens were encouraged to see different movies from them being payed for by their employer, shown in the classroom, or having many cameos of different famous people draw them in. Although our culture isn't as potilically backed it got me thinking on how we are persuaded to buy products and also see certain movies depending on who is the one promoting those items. On a similar account we are persuaded at times to vote for various politicians when our favorite celebrities or media people back them. It shows the power of visual medias. 

[Courtney Hendrix]

I feel like I could adapt your first scavenger hunt questions to go along with my Visual Arts class after frontloading them with some of the different cultural images and how the Chinese cinema is guided to make them look good. Since I have younger ones I think it would definitely let them discuss in groups and is also why I would guide them a little bit more in the beginning on what they are looking for. I think it would be intersting if they would be able to pick up on those nuances. 

[Courtney Hendrix]

I really think my students would enjoy Professor Brown's comparison of postcard images to Instagram and the notes on the back to Facebook. As we know our students' put a lot of effort in their social media so to tie in the postcard images being an important visuals to share like we do on Instagram in the photos we 'curate' could give the power of the postcards during that time more interest. As well it could be a good discussion on how we portray different messages or collage different images to create a meaning and how what we show and 'curate' could have more meaning beyond the visual

[Courtney Hendrix]

I agree in wanting to use the idea of having the students recreate the postcards after studying the different styles and types that we saw. I would like to in addition incorporate the idea of them creating their own postcard using the Art Deco simplified shapes, different lines, and bold colors that we saw in many of his later postcards with their own chosen subject matter or a theme given to them. 

What also stood out to me in his discussion was how everyday simple objects can have a further history beyond their general use like the ball pen and how it was a political tool when used in conjunction to the posters but a beautiful everyday piece when it stood alone. I mainly reminds me of discussions I have with my students on what makes art, art and how items can have different meanings in different settings just as he mentioned liking to incorporate 'cheaper' items in the museums and how that change change their value. 

[Courtney Hendrix]

This seems like another 'how to live life' posted depicting what to me seems like an embrace of the different arts. It is shown through the mother discussing sculptures with a child to various dance/music forms. To me it conveys their needing to be well rounded.  

[Courtney Hendrix]

In this image I am seeing the embracing of foreign visitors depicted. It seems to be coveyed to what seems to be the tour provided and pictures taken. The expressions and body language is embracing and happy. They seem to be still conveying their message using the typical model of workers and peasents to reach a certain grouping of people. 

[Courtney Hendrix]

The idea of the "Pillow Shot" also jumped out to me for my students. In my classroom it could help them grasp the concepts of a setting and what is needed to convey a specific space in their artwork. Like Professor Yasar pointed out it was  important for them to realize in a dense visual field, that has many things to look at, for it to also be orgainized and geometric as to not distract too much from the subject which is something my students can struggle with when it comes to drawing settings at times. 

[Courtney Hendrix]

I also found the role of the Benshi interesting and even more interesting for me was that they many times took liberties with their narrations . I think my students could find it fun to create their own picture or comic strip and swap artwork and act as Benshi's in creating a narration for each other's work. I know their imaginations could take things in many directions. It could also lead into a great discussion on why it could be detrimental for the Benshi's to stray from the initial narration as it changes what the artist originally set forth to convey. 

[Courtney Hendrix]

The different styles of performance art that was shown today will be a great discussion piece with my Visual Arts students in deciding 'What is Art?' which is a question I pose to my older students at the beginning of each year to get them thinking outside of the box. I would like to show them some of the works of Hsieh Teh-Ching and talk to them about his ideas of doing something for a year like locking himself in a cage or tying himself to someone else. That would be a great conversation starter to argue "Is this Art?" as Professor Berry mentioned in his lecture as Hsieh's style of art goes beyond the traditional sense. 

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