Not an idiot, the GSI should not do too much high detail work after putting the kiddies to bed. I adjusted the link and just in case it is www.shulihallak.com - thanks and I look forward to hearing from everybody.
“Frankly, I don’t have much hope. But I think that’s a good thing. Hope is what keeps us chained to the system, the conglomerate of people and ideas and ideals that is causing the destruction of the Earth.”
This is the quote that left me a little unsettled and unsure what to think about the article. The whole purpose was to instill in people an idea that we can get past the environmental problems right now, but it really didn’t come out and say how to do it. It took the Michael-Moore-Throw-A-Bomb-In-The-Crowd way of getting attention in the sense that it pointed out everything that was wrong, and didn’t say anything positive. I’ve always had the philosophy that it is very easy to say what’s wrong, but it takes courage and a few brain cells to come out and suggest what to actually do about it; this article seems to lack that. After reading it, besides telling me to give up hope, it has failed completely to inform me of anything besides the fact that “we’re fucked”.
The article eventually gets down to such a philosophical level that on hypothetical scenarios really exist with it.
“The more I understand hope, the more I realize that all along it deserved to be in the box with the plagues, sorrow, and mischief; that it serves the needs of those in power as surely as belief in a distant heaven; that hope is really nothing more than a secular way of keeping us in line.”
With this line, the author pretty much is going through and defining his own idea of “hope”. At this point in time, it’s every man for himself being able to use whatever definition fits him best. The author continues to go on how giving up on hope will free us from fear. It’s going to take a little more than one article found on the “reliable” internet to make me give up on hope, which I have been born and bred to believe in since my childhood years.
The next thing to look at this week was the website by Shuli Hallak. I have a few years experience in digital photography and after looking at these, they look like some longer night exposures that make the cargo industry look much more beautiful than it probably is. I think they are great photographs and more so, I think it is a great looking minimalist website.
Lastly, my comments on the class so far: I think it looks like I will learn a great deal from it. I personally don’t care too much about the environment, but after sitting through Daniel Abrams ADP I, I am pretty much open to anything besides that. The surveys at the beginning of class really were eye-openers and the assignments that have been handed out seem interesting and that I will be able to learn something.
I think of photography mostly as making an observation and then putting it out there for everyone to see. It’s not necessarily things we haven’t seen before, but it’s often the things we don’t really look at. There are so many things we see in a day that they often become background. This is where photographers come in and take what is background and put it in the foreground so we pay attention and think about it. I think that Shuli Hallak has done this and in the process made aesthetically pleasing photos to look at. In the series Cargo specifically I know that most of the things we buy come from somewhere else ‘made in china.’ However, have I thought about how those things get here? It’s really hard to imagine how many cargos of stuff must come into ports all over the United States everyday. But this is what Shuli Hallak has tried to do. She has made us look beyond just a product being on the shelf waiting for us to how these products actually get here. She is taking something that we know happens but forcing us to actually look at it. For me what makes these photos so interesting is the scale. The size of the shipyards, ships and cargo bins is just huge. Also the size of the equipment used to move the cargos and how small one must feel to work there. It makes me think of how much stuff we consume on a daily bases because everyday more and more cargos come. There are more cargos coming then there are leaving. The lighting in some of the photo is also very pleasing it makes me think about how the shipyards work day and night. I don’t know what our country’s mass importing means for me or for the masses but I’m thinking about it and my thinking might spark other people thinking. I think these photos have done exactly what they were supposed to do it showed us something that we weren’t looking at and made us think about it.
When I first started reading Jensen’s article, “Beyond Hope”, I loved its radical viewpoints. I also believe that there are many battles that cannot be won by taking the legal route and going along with the system. As an activist myself, I have experienced the frustration of trying to create a financial incentive for companies and big businesses to be environmentally friendly. How sick is our society that we need bribes to protect the earth that we all share? In this aspect I agree with Jensen when he says, “There is the false hope that suddenly somehow the system may inexplicably change”.
I believe there is some truth to the statements he makes about hope, but I also believe that at times he gets caught up in the terminology. “Hope” according to Jensen, is an excuse for inaction based upon the belief that someone or something will take care of it for us. This may be an excuse for some people, but there are many more people that are inactive simply because they don’t believe a group of individuals can make a difference. My job as a community organizer taught me to instill hope in people in order to inspire them to become active. Because of this, I found Jensen’s article to be slightly offensive, while at the same time inspiring me to work harder to make a difference.
I found myself becoming very emotional while browsing Shuli Hallak’s website. I like the way that she shows an objective view of our energy resources, which allows people to make their own judgments. Personally, the pictures of coal mining and mountain top removal got me really angry. Seeing the amount of destruction and devastation to the landscape is truly heart breaking. While on the other hand, the pictures of solar panels gave me a sense of optimism for the future. I think photography like this is very important, because it lets people know about what is going on the world. One of the biggest reasons why there aren’t more people fighting against coal mining through mountain top removal, is because many people don’t even know it exists. As artists, one of our jobs is to open people’s eyes to the reality of the world, and Hallak does that beautifully in her photography.
Anita Sidler ADP 3 with James Rotz September 20, 2009 Response 1: Shuli Hallak, Jensen, and Class
Shuli Hallak: Hallak’s work is both pleasing and hard to look at. They are these beautiful photographs with great color combinations and composition, and then filled and compressed with information. I feel like this could be one of her messages, these future-like things (machines of all sorts and urban buildings) draw us into the photograph and make us wonder what it is; then at the same time, creating this closing the audience in and suffocating us with the lack of “nature-like” things such as plants, animals, and human presence. We as humans constantly try to develop new modern inventions to make things easier and altering our surroundings, but I believe we forget what we are losing. Like in her photographs of the mining for coal is sad for me, this area which used to be filled with lively trees and home to many different species of plants and animals is transformed into a grey haze. I feel these photographs are to show us parts of our own destruction and to inspire us to understand more about it. I do as much as I can to converse and recycle in part to help our environment, but I do not know what is happening in these pictures. I think Shuli Hallak should add more information to her photographs besides simple suggestions of what is happening. For example, telling us what photo A is doing and why it’s important. Jensen: I thought his article is quite interesting. Jensen takes a different approach to writing and makes things clear and straightforward. I’m not sure if arguing that if we use just “hope” we will all become much better people is a great argument- but I do have some belief in it. People don’t care what happens around us, until it happens to us, or someone we love. I do believe that people shouldn’t rely on some imaginary hero or miracle to help dig us out of our own mess. I really appreciate this quote: “Because I’m in love. With salmon, with trees outside my window, with baby lampreys living in sandy streambottoms, with slender salamanders crawling through the duff. And if you love, you act to defend your beloved. Of course results matter to you, but they don’t determine whether or not you make the effort. You don’t simply hope your beloved survives and thrives. You do what it takes. If my love doesn’t cause me to protect those I love, it’s not love.” I believe this is a good reason why it’s a good reason to save our surroundings. In deep ecology one learns when one animal or plant is instinct, a whole section of our food-chain will turn as well instinct. Some may say, “well, this bird really doesn’t do much for me, so why does it matter?” Well, truth is, this bird may eat certain insects to keep this insect population reasonable. Then this bird also helps pollinate certain flowers or plants we may eat or enjoy. This bird may be food for some bigger animal, and if this bird is instinct, so will this bigger animal. And so one until it actually does affect our food or us. Class: So far, I’m already seeing things I like to be apart of this class. I know it will be more work than the past ADPs, but I look forward in understanding more about artists and more about the environment.
Amber Harrison ADP III 09/20/2009 Response #1:Hallak, Jensen, and Class
Shili Hallak’s work has contains a sense of wonder and mystery. Her geothermal Energy work creates a sense of an alien world that most of us are unfamiliar with. Many of the pictures host scarce landscapes of sand and dust, with human interaction (pipes) that appear to have just arrived. There seems to be a real sense of obstruction in the land by the pipes. This strange world feels like either the end or the beginning of something and I feel it leads the viewer to question which one it may be. This “arrival” of multiples continues to appear throughout her work including Solar Energy, and Cargo. These pictures lead me to question what is advancement and what may be a hindrance to nature, or a natural landscape. Within her Ethanol work it is the epitome of this question, at first glance corn crops feel very natural as part of our landscape. But, as soon as the harvester and its smoke and dust arrives, I doubt the interaction between man, machine, and nature. While corn, dirt, and fishing have always been a part of my life, I have never been outright involved with environmental issues. I like the fact that this class provides the opportunity of an unbiased atmosphere to learn about real issues. I have avoided the topic of environmental issues in the past simply due to the fact that I felt like there was always someone with a cause, rather then facts. I like that fact that this class connects technology with the environment, and the whole picture of cause and effect are shown! I feel like Jensen tends to be one of those people who have prevented me from becoming more involved. With the negativity he has displayed about needing to lose hope, it makes me want to turn away. I feel as though Shuli’s work while rising questions has a visual, and cognitive appeal that is beautiful. In natural beauty there is hope, and that is what I think attracts most people, and thus action taking place. I am fascinated by the idea that hope constrains us from taking action, but I have always used hope as a reason to act.
I feel like photography like Shuli Hallak’s can be taken both negatively and positively. She definitely creates beautiful images. Although I am mostly drawn towards portraiture and people as a photographer, I am very intrigued by her photos of energy sources and industry. However, although these pictures are pleasing to the eye, what do they have to say about the issues at hand? She makes no apparent statements about the energy crisis or the downfalls of consumerism. One might say she brings attention to renewable energy sources through her dazzling photos of solar panels and intriguing images of geothermal energy, but other than this attractive documentation she does not offer much to stir up concern and a craving to become active. In addition to this, her photos of cargo seem to almost glorify an industry that in reality is not so beautiful. Although I appreciate her photography, I think she could have offered more to get the viewer thinking. To really create interest in a topic, to get the viewer to ask questions and become involved, I feel the artist must not only draw them in through aesthetics, but shock and awe by presenting the ugly truth; show us something we have never seen before, and therefore instill a curiosity.
I enjoyed Derrick Jensen’s article for the most part, but found his negativity to get somewhat old. What I liked most about it was his style of writing. I can appreciate an honest opinion, and enjoy reading something that is not structured, but rather a conscious flow of thought. His article seemed very human, and even his contradictions were acceptable to me because that is how we, as people, think. It was quite easy to follow his argument. However, I do not agree with everything he said. I understand his idea that a lot of people hide behind hope. We use hope as an excuse to not act. We find it easy to just hope everything will work out, rather than take an active part in making it happen. But it takes hope to make change as well. If you have no hope, what’s the point of taking action? Why try to salvage something you have no hope for? Jensen claims he has no hope, sees false hope often, and hope itself holds us back. But I don’t see hope as a curse. Rather than making us powerless as Jensen claims, I believe hope can empower. By being an active environmentalist, Jensen is utilizing the hope he claims he does not have; why fight so hard when there is no hope for success?
So far I am enjoying this class. I’m excited to learn how to get involved with the environment because frankly I have been way to indifferent up until this point.
Personally, I find work like that of Shuli Hallak equally fascinating but lacking the needed ability to inspire a proper amount of action or awareness. As an artist, I love the aesthetic quality of her photos; the colors and perspective in the solar energy pieces are downright thrilling, and certainly all of her photos hold a certain dazzling quality. Also, I love the understated irony of her pieces like those involving the steel and cargo. However, I do not believe that, as unaccompanied pictures, her work holds the power to capture the passion of those unaccustomed to art such as hers. The photographs have the potential to provoke questions, but beyond that, I think any non-follower of the arts might too distracted by the beauty of the visuals to contemplate the messages behind them.
On another note, I found Jensen’s article “Beyond Hope” rather compelling. The way I see it, it’s not whether you agree or disagree but whether you begin questioning the thoughts and concepts you always dismissed or were never forced to think about before. Then, after reevaluating those thoughts, making an opinion and fighting for what you love. It was definitely a radical article, but it spoke from the heart and in doing so became more authentic to me than most environmentalist pleas that I have heard in the past. Yes, unlike Jensen, I will always hope. Hope is what makes us human to our core. However, so does our passion and ability to challenge, and I do not think Jensen should be condemned for his exhibition of just that. Condemned maybe for his redundancy, maybe for his long-windedness, maybe for his somewhat annoying anti-authority cries, but not for his boldness and surely not for his passion.
Judging even from the one discussion we have had so far, I am looking forward to this class. To me it seems like everyone has his or her own opinion and insights that they are actually willing to share, which sadly enough I think can be a hard quality to find in a discussion group. In regards to the content of the class, I have never actually been as informed about the environment as I would like to be, so finally receiving some information from a reliable source will be welcome.
I like her work because it’s beautiful, but at the same time there is a melancholy aspect to it. The images aren’t shocking or depressing. This to me is more powerful because the images don’t leave you with an overwhelming feeling of helplessness. I think that some of the images I’ve seen definitely make more of a shocking statement about consumption and industry and how it’s changing our world, but they leave you feeling depressed and hopeless. The beauty of the images she makes balances her message. When thinking further about this though, it’s interesting that I enjoy her work because it’s not shocking. Sadly, I don’t feel a sense of urgency to try and help the conflict she’s addressing. Perhaps that’s why I like the work so much, because I don’t feel like I have to do something about it which is greet because I’m honestly lazy. Yet, I still feel informed and understand her message maybe her work it meant to make people feel at piece with how the world has changed. We are used to seeing images like the ones she has captured in our every day lives, and maybe her taking pictures of the shipping crates is just a commentary on our visual landscape today, not so much on doing something to change it. Or some people may see it as finding beauty in everyday things, as more of a visual piece. The Derrick Jensen article was very interesting. I at first disagreed with him, because I felt that one had to have hope things would get better, or else they wouldn’t have the desire to even try to change things. But he is not talking about that hope, he’s talking about the false hope that things will get better through things that others are doing. By giving up hope and fear and doing what it takes to make sure that nature is preserved despite rules may be more productive than what is happening now, but its just illogical that that would really work. There aren’t enough people who care to get together and try to effect change in that way. The class so far I’m very interested in. I took environmental science my senior year and it was one of my favorite classes so I’m excited to continue learning about the environment and how I can help change in when I hopefully graduate.
Dana Pierfelice September 21, 2009 Response 1: Shuli Hallak, Jensen, and Class
SHULI HALLAK Ansel Adams used photographs to increase the national parks. While his aesthetic is not something I am necessarily inspired by, his influence is grand, along with the likes of John Muir. Nature is not the first thing that hits you in Shuli Hallak’s photography, nor should it be. Her work has the focus on man’s influence on landscapes. In her Solar Energy series I know that while these mirrors are going towards a better energy source, I can’t help but be a bit disgusted. The solar panels look like the could appear in a fashion magazine as much they could an environmental one. For that connection my brain is making, it is hard for me to take this series seriously. The Ethanol series really is the one that captures me. I live in a city that is a mix of chemical plants and corn fields. While we are run by Dow Chemical in Midland we also have a bustling farm life. I can’t help but see those farm machines being representative to the plants in Midland. The temporary destruction they cause in order to provide a better life for certain folks. I am unsure if others can relate to the corn series, because everyone’s backgrounds differ. She may not be making the most impacting statement but Shuli Hallaks photographs are compelling visual pieces just by themselves. JENSEN ARTICLE The last half of the article resonated with me much more strongly than the beginning. I have never been a passionate environmentalist; I have never lobbied nor went to strangers with petitions. However, I have a love for nature that is extremely personal to me. I feel that Derrick Jensen really expresses himself the best when he is explaining his own relationship with nature. His own love is compelling, more compelling than “we’re fucked” or his loss of faith in politics. His talk about shedding hope and embracing this type of “death” is his way to strive to freedom. And while I couldn’t put it into the context of environmentalism I could relate to it in other ways. There are so many instances where nature reminds me of my own mortality. The short life of a meteor shower for instance, or seeing a river dammed up. Even seeing poison ivy on a hiking path puts me in a state of fear. While I wouldn’t be a step closer to politics by shedding these fears, I can make myself one step closer to the stars. CLASS I am not to excited about the workload that this class requires, to be honest. I am sure it is just another opportunity to learn time management but nonetheless it scares me. I have taken ecology courses before and went to nature camp for half my life, even working there for a couple years. I’d like to see if what I already learned can be added to my understanding of this class.
I really liked Shuli Hallak’s work, but I couldn’t figure out why for the longest time. I finally realized that Hallak rarely puts people into her photographs and when she does they are often the subjects of the photo. However, most of her photographs are these huge machines or manmade objects in an expansive landscape. The isolation felt is strong, and the removal of human interaction from manipulating the environment is a little frightening. It almost seems like this manipulation is beyond our control now that humans need to work less, the more work we give to machines the more time we have to figure out what to do next to the land. The idea is frightening, but she eases us into it with these beautifully composed photographs. The Jensen article, like many of you described, engaged me as a reader but not as someone willing to take action. Not because I didn’t care, but I didn’t know how to act, and frankly I found myself asking Jensen “what do you want from me?” I got the impression that he wanted me to shut down a part of myself that responds to authority and become an environmental anarchist without fear of repercussion from the government. If those are the only directions he gives though, it will only result in me ending up in jail and the environment continuing to be destroyed. Not a very effective method for saving the world. Perhaps I’m being too harsh on Jensen, and this article is a manifesto meant to inspire the world population into action. I can see the effectiveness of millions of people acting in such a way that the authorities have no choice but to listen. However, I find this scenario unlikely. Furthermore Jensen should probably consider why the myth of Pandora’s box has been relevant for thousands of years and his article can’t even persuade a group of students.
Joe Trumpey describes the role of the artists most accurately. The reason why I avoided going into the A & D program my first year at U of M is because I feared the starving artist stigma. Since, I broadened my scope on the subject and see the role creative people play in society. Thus far, I’ve been very impressed with the way the class is taught. Mr. Trumpey has an aura of wit and a deep understanding of his subject. I had the chance to speak with him after class the other day about a miscellaneous project. He catered to all of my questions and offered a vast amount of advice. Overall, I’m very excited about this class, mostly, because it already has me thinking outside of my traditional mindset. Shuli Hallak’s work does very little for me outside of its aesthetic appeal. I find her work very pleasing and creative; however, it does not transcend past this. Photographing solar panels at a unique angle does not tell me whether there is a shortage of solar energy, whether this is our future energy source, etc. Perhaps if she informed us of the negative or positive consequences behind all of this machinery/structures I could then perceive her work as more than a series of photos. The Jensen article had a very different approach to environmental activism than I would expect. It was highly based on opinion and redundancy. This still of writing bothers me, to be frank. For instance, describing radical activists as those who use the “f-bomb” in their campaign and then importing that into his writing lost the writer valuable credibility. Also, since most of the information was based on opinion, he lacked any references to back his theories. When providing examples, they were usually too over-exaggerated to relate with his point. Lastly, I’m a strong believer that hope is a powerful tool. I don’t think it is only used as an excuse. It is true that an excuse is the product of hope, but so is activism. Once enough support or hope is gathered around an issue, people tend to culminate and find a sensible solution.
Not to start the year off like an idiot, but I'm 90% sure the link to her name doesn't work.
ReplyDeleteNot an idiot, the GSI should not do too much high detail work after putting the kiddies to bed. I adjusted the link and just in case it is www.shulihallak.com -
ReplyDeletethanks and I look forward to hearing from everybody.
Andrew Hainen
ReplyDeleteADP III :: James Rotz
Weekly Statement :: Friday September 18th, 2009
“Frankly, I don’t have much hope. But I think that’s a good thing. Hope is what keeps us chained to the system, the conglomerate of people and ideas and ideals that is causing the destruction of the Earth.”
This is the quote that left me a little unsettled and unsure what to think about the article. The whole purpose was to instill in people an idea that we can get past the environmental problems right now, but it really didn’t come out and say how to do it. It took the Michael-Moore-Throw-A-Bomb-In-The-Crowd way of getting attention in the sense that it pointed out everything that was wrong, and didn’t say anything positive. I’ve always had the philosophy that it is very easy to say what’s wrong, but it takes courage and a few brain cells to come out and suggest what to actually do about it; this article seems to lack that. After reading it, besides telling me to give up hope, it has failed completely to inform me of anything besides the fact that “we’re fucked”.
The article eventually gets down to such a philosophical level that on hypothetical scenarios really exist with it.
“The more I understand hope, the more I realize that all along it deserved to be in the box with the plagues, sorrow, and mischief; that it serves the needs of those in power as surely as belief in a distant heaven; that hope is really nothing more than a secular way of keeping us in line.”
With this line, the author pretty much is going through and defining his own idea of “hope”. At this point in time, it’s every man for himself being able to use whatever definition fits him best. The author continues to go on how giving up on hope will free us from fear. It’s going to take a little more than one article found on the “reliable” internet to make me give up on hope, which I have been born and bred to believe in since my childhood years.
The next thing to look at this week was the website by Shuli Hallak. I have a few years experience in digital photography and after looking at these, they look like some longer night exposures that make the cargo industry look much more beautiful than it probably is. I think they are great photographs and more so, I think it is a great looking minimalist website.
Lastly, my comments on the class so far: I think it looks like I will learn a great deal from it. I personally don’t care too much about the environment, but after sitting through Daniel Abrams ADP I, I am pretty much open to anything besides that. The surveys at the beginning of class really were eye-openers and the assignments that have been handed out seem interesting and that I will be able to learn something.
I think of photography mostly as making an observation and then putting it out there for everyone to see. It’s not necessarily things we haven’t seen before, but it’s often the things we don’t really look at. There are so many things we see in a day that they often become background. This is where photographers come in and take what is background and put it in the foreground so we pay attention and think about it. I think that Shuli Hallak has done this and in the process made aesthetically pleasing photos to look at.
ReplyDeleteIn the series Cargo specifically I know that most of the things we buy come from somewhere else ‘made in china.’ However, have I thought about how those things get here? It’s really hard to imagine how many cargos of stuff must come into ports all over the United States everyday. But this is what Shuli Hallak has tried to do. She has made us look beyond just a product being on the shelf waiting for us to how these products actually get here. She is taking something that we know happens but forcing us to actually look at it.
For me what makes these photos so interesting is the scale. The size of the shipyards, ships and cargo bins is just huge. Also the size of the equipment used to move the cargos and how small one must feel to work there. It makes me think of how much stuff we consume on a daily bases because everyday more and more cargos come. There are more cargos coming then there are leaving. The lighting in some of the photo is also very pleasing it makes me think about how the shipyards work day and night.
I don’t know what our country’s mass importing means for me or for the masses but I’m thinking about it and my thinking might spark other people thinking. I think these photos have done exactly what they were supposed to do it showed us something that we weren’t looking at and made us think about it.
Shelby Roback
ReplyDeleteAdp III: James Rotz
When I first started reading Jensen’s article, “Beyond Hope”, I loved its radical viewpoints. I also believe that there are many battles that cannot be won by taking the legal route and going along with the system. As an activist myself, I have experienced the frustration of trying to create a financial incentive for companies and big businesses to be environmentally friendly. How sick is our society that we need bribes to protect the earth that we all share? In this aspect I agree with Jensen when he says,
“There is the false hope that suddenly somehow the system may inexplicably change”.
I believe there is some truth to the statements he makes about hope, but I also believe that at times he gets caught up in the terminology. “Hope” according to Jensen, is an excuse for inaction based upon the belief that someone or something will take care of it for us. This may be an excuse for some people, but there are many more people that are inactive simply because they don’t believe a group of individuals can make a difference. My job as a community organizer taught me to instill hope in people in order to inspire them to become active. Because of this, I found Jensen’s article to be slightly offensive, while at the same time inspiring me to work harder to make a difference.
I found myself becoming very emotional while browsing Shuli Hallak’s website. I like the way that she shows an objective view of our energy resources, which allows people to make their own judgments. Personally, the pictures of coal mining and mountain top removal got me really angry. Seeing the amount of destruction and devastation to the landscape is truly heart breaking. While on the other hand, the pictures of solar panels gave me a sense of optimism for the future. I think photography like this is very important, because it lets people know about what is going on the world. One of the biggest reasons why there aren’t more people fighting against coal mining through mountain top removal, is because many people don’t even know it exists. As artists, one of our jobs is to open people’s eyes to the reality of the world, and Hallak does that beautifully in her photography.
Anita Sidler
ReplyDeleteADP 3 with James Rotz
September 20, 2009
Response 1: Shuli Hallak, Jensen, and Class
Shuli Hallak:
Hallak’s work is both pleasing and hard to look at. They are these beautiful photographs with great color combinations and composition, and then filled and compressed with information. I feel like this could be one of her messages, these future-like things (machines of all sorts and urban buildings) draw us into the photograph and make us wonder what it is; then at the same time, creating this closing the audience in and suffocating us with the lack of “nature-like” things such as plants, animals, and human presence. We as humans constantly try to develop new modern inventions to make things easier and altering our surroundings, but I believe we forget what we are losing. Like in her photographs of the mining for coal is sad for me, this area which used to be filled with lively trees and home to many different species of plants and animals is transformed into a grey haze. I feel these photographs are to show us parts of our own destruction and to inspire us to understand more about it. I do as much as I can to converse and recycle in part to help our environment, but I do not know what is happening in these pictures. I think Shuli Hallak should add more information to her photographs besides simple suggestions of what is happening. For example, telling us what photo A is doing and why it’s important.
Jensen:
I thought his article is quite interesting. Jensen takes a different approach to writing and makes things clear and straightforward. I’m not sure if arguing that if we use just “hope” we will all become much better people is a great argument- but I do have some belief in it. People don’t care what happens around us, until it happens to us, or someone we love. I do believe that people shouldn’t rely on some imaginary hero or miracle to help dig us out of our own mess. I really appreciate this quote:
“Because I’m in love. With salmon, with trees outside my window, with baby lampreys living in sandy streambottoms, with slender salamanders crawling through the duff. And if you love, you act to defend your beloved. Of course results matter to you, but they don’t determine whether or not you make the effort. You don’t simply hope your beloved survives and thrives. You do what it takes. If my love doesn’t cause me to protect those I love, it’s not love.”
I believe this is a good reason why it’s a good reason to save our surroundings. In deep ecology one learns when one animal or plant is instinct, a whole section of our food-chain will turn as well instinct. Some may say, “well, this bird really doesn’t do much for me, so why does it matter?” Well, truth is, this bird may eat certain insects to keep this insect population reasonable. Then this bird also helps pollinate certain flowers or plants we may eat or enjoy. This bird may be food for some bigger animal, and if this bird is instinct, so will this bigger animal. And so one until it actually does affect our food or us.
Class:
So far, I’m already seeing things I like to be apart of this class. I know it will be more work than the past ADPs, but I look forward in understanding more about artists and more about the environment.
Amber Harrison
ReplyDeleteADP III
09/20/2009
Response #1:Hallak, Jensen, and Class
Shili Hallak’s work has contains a sense of wonder and mystery. Her geothermal Energy work creates a sense of an alien world that most of us are unfamiliar with. Many of the pictures host scarce landscapes of sand and dust, with human interaction (pipes) that appear to have just arrived. There seems to be a real sense of obstruction in the land by the pipes. This strange world feels like either the end or the beginning of something and I feel it leads the viewer to question which one it may be.
This “arrival” of multiples continues to appear throughout her work including Solar Energy, and Cargo. These pictures lead me to question what is advancement and what may be a hindrance to nature, or a natural landscape. Within her Ethanol work it is the epitome of this question, at first glance corn crops feel very natural as part of our landscape. But, as soon as the harvester and its smoke and dust arrives, I doubt the interaction between man, machine, and nature.
While corn, dirt, and fishing have always been a part of my life, I have never been outright involved with environmental issues. I like the fact that this class provides the opportunity of an unbiased atmosphere to learn about real issues. I have avoided the topic of environmental issues in the past simply due to the fact that I felt like there was always someone with a cause, rather then facts. I like that fact that this class connects technology with the environment, and the whole picture of cause and effect are shown!
I feel like Jensen tends to be one of those people who have prevented me from becoming more involved. With the negativity he has displayed about needing to lose hope, it makes me want to turn away. I feel as though Shuli’s work while rising questions has a visual, and cognitive appeal that is beautiful. In natural beauty there is hope, and that is what I think attracts most people, and thus action taking place. I am fascinated by the idea that hope constrains us from taking action, but I have always used hope as a reason to act.
Brijit Spencer
ReplyDeleteADP III James Rotz
I feel like photography like Shuli Hallak’s can be taken both negatively and positively. She definitely creates beautiful images. Although I am mostly drawn towards portraiture and people as a photographer, I am very intrigued by her photos of energy sources and industry. However, although these pictures are pleasing to the eye, what do they have to say about the issues at hand? She makes no apparent statements about the energy crisis or the downfalls of consumerism. One might say she brings attention to renewable energy sources through her dazzling photos of solar panels and intriguing images of geothermal energy, but other than this attractive documentation she does not offer much to stir up concern and a craving to become active. In addition to this, her photos of cargo seem to almost glorify an industry that in reality is not so beautiful. Although I appreciate her photography, I think she could have offered more to get the viewer thinking. To really create interest in a topic, to get the viewer to ask questions and become involved, I feel the artist must not only draw them in through aesthetics, but shock and awe by presenting the ugly truth; show us something we have never seen before, and therefore instill a curiosity.
I enjoyed Derrick Jensen’s article for the most part, but found his negativity to get somewhat old. What I liked most about it was his style of writing. I can appreciate an honest opinion, and enjoy reading something that is not structured, but rather a conscious flow of thought. His article seemed very human, and even his contradictions were acceptable to me because that is how we, as people, think. It was quite easy to follow his argument. However, I do not agree with everything he said. I understand his idea that a lot of people hide behind hope. We use hope as an excuse to not act. We find it easy to just hope everything will work out, rather than take an active part in making it happen. But it takes hope to make change as well. If you have no hope, what’s the point of taking action? Why try to salvage something you have no hope for? Jensen claims he has no hope, sees false hope often, and hope itself holds us back. But I don’t see hope as a curse. Rather than making us powerless as Jensen claims, I believe hope can empower. By being an active environmentalist, Jensen is utilizing the hope he claims he does not have; why fight so hard when there is no hope for success?
So far I am enjoying this class. I’m excited to learn how to get involved with the environment because frankly I have been way to indifferent up until this point.
Marian Perez
ReplyDeleteADP III
Response #1
9/20/09
Starting out in this class with an environmental survey was very interesting and honestly unexpected. The over all feel of the lectures and readings so far have a certain environmentalist attitude to them, making them linger long for thought. The way we are looking at the world overall with awareness is a good thing.
What I did come to agree with during the lectures this week was that it is not bad that we recognize corporate things over nature and plants, but it is something to consider. To be honest, the reason I don’t know the names of plants but do know all the store and car brands out in the world is because, to me, plants are boring. I like plants and think they are beautiful, but they are so scientific. That whole biology and photosynthesis approach to plants has stuck to their essence when I think about them and not their presence in our world. I love cars and enjoy shopping, so naturally since I care more about them I know more about them. I think it would be nice to be able to recognize plants on the spot, but is being able to do that important? Do you really need to know that much to survive? I think it sort of does, not in an essential way, but in one of awareness.
It is interesting that as time goes by and the world modernizes that people start to forget the things by which the human race originally cared a lot about, the environment that helped them survive. I started to notice this in A Sand County Almanac, the way Leopold speaks about plants is in a way of admiration and true interest, not with facts or forced analysis. I never looked at plants or nature in that manner, the way you can look at sports or art as an interest of enjoyment. I do think it is important to move away form that scientific feel plants and the environment have because there is also a fun side to it that we are forgetting.
We should no longer take our environment for granted or let it go unnoticed. The books, A Sand County Almanac and Everyone Poops, are letting our environment come forth as what it is meant to be and not in the forced memorized manner that we are used to from school. Just in the same way we can approach fun interests we have in an academic manner, such as sports, we can look at academic subjects like the environment in an appealing way.
As for Jensen’s article, I thought it also did a good job of approaching the subject of hope and our world in a different manner good. If he instead wrote about being hopeful the impact of his point would have not been as strong. The way he set a negative attitude towards the optimistic action of hope makes the reader think more about his point. I thought the article was interesting to read because it separated it self from the cliché environmental speeches about saving our earth.
Trisha Previte
ReplyDeleteADP III: James Rotz
Personally, I find work like that of Shuli Hallak equally fascinating but lacking the needed ability to inspire a proper amount of action or awareness. As an artist, I love the aesthetic quality of her photos; the colors and perspective in the solar energy pieces are downright thrilling, and certainly all of her photos hold a certain dazzling quality. Also, I love the understated irony of her pieces like those involving the steel and cargo. However, I do not believe that, as unaccompanied pictures, her work holds the power to capture the passion of those unaccustomed to art such as hers. The photographs have the potential to provoke questions, but beyond that, I think any non-follower of the arts might too distracted by the beauty of the visuals to contemplate the messages behind them.
On another note, I found Jensen’s article “Beyond Hope” rather compelling. The way I see it, it’s not whether you agree or disagree but whether you begin questioning the thoughts and concepts you always dismissed or were never forced to think about before. Then, after reevaluating those thoughts, making an opinion and fighting for what you love. It was definitely a radical article, but it spoke from the heart and in doing so became more authentic to me than most environmentalist pleas that I have heard in the past. Yes, unlike Jensen, I will always hope. Hope is what makes us human to our core. However, so does our passion and ability to challenge, and I do not think Jensen should be condemned for his exhibition of just that. Condemned maybe for his redundancy, maybe for his long-windedness, maybe for his somewhat annoying anti-authority cries, but not for his boldness and surely not for his passion.
Judging even from the one discussion we have had so far, I am looking forward to this class. To me it seems like everyone has his or her own opinion and insights that they are actually willing to share, which sadly enough I think can be a hard quality to find in a discussion group. In regards to the content of the class, I have never actually been as informed about the environment as I would like to be, so finally receiving some information from a reliable source will be welcome.
I like her work because it’s beautiful, but at the same time there is a melancholy aspect to it. The images aren’t shocking or depressing. This to me is more powerful because the images don’t leave you with an overwhelming feeling of helplessness. I think that some of the images I’ve seen definitely make more of a shocking statement about consumption and industry and how it’s changing our world, but they leave you feeling depressed and hopeless. The beauty of the images she makes balances her message.
ReplyDeleteWhen thinking further about this though, it’s interesting that I enjoy her work because it’s not shocking. Sadly, I don’t feel a sense of urgency to try and help the conflict she’s addressing. Perhaps that’s why I like the work so much, because I don’t feel like I have to do something about it which is greet because I’m honestly lazy. Yet, I still feel informed and understand her message maybe her work it meant to make people feel at piece with how the world has changed. We are used to seeing images like the ones she has captured in our every day lives, and maybe her taking pictures of the shipping crates is just a commentary on our visual landscape today, not so much on doing something to change it. Or some people may see it as finding beauty in everyday things, as more of a visual piece.
The Derrick Jensen article was very interesting. I at first disagreed with him, because I felt that one had to have hope things would get better, or else they wouldn’t have the desire to even try to change things. But he is not talking about that hope, he’s talking about the false hope that things will get better through things that others are doing. By giving up hope and fear and doing what it takes to make sure that nature is preserved despite rules may be more productive than what is happening now, but its just illogical that that would really work. There aren’t enough people who care to get together and try to effect change in that way.
The class so far I’m very interested in. I took environmental science my senior year and it was one of my favorite classes so I’m excited to continue learning about the environment and how I can help change in when I hopefully graduate.
Dana Pierfelice
ReplyDeleteSeptember 21, 2009
Response 1: Shuli Hallak, Jensen, and Class
SHULI HALLAK
Ansel Adams used photographs to increase the national parks. While his aesthetic is not something I am necessarily inspired by, his influence is grand, along with the likes of John Muir. Nature is not the first thing that hits you in Shuli Hallak’s photography, nor should it be. Her work has the focus on man’s influence on landscapes. In her Solar Energy series I know that while these mirrors are going towards a better energy source, I can’t help but be a bit disgusted. The solar panels look like the could appear in a fashion magazine as much they could an environmental one. For that connection my brain is making, it is hard for me to take this series seriously. The Ethanol series really is the one that captures me. I live in a city that is a mix of chemical plants and corn fields. While we are run by Dow Chemical in Midland we also have a bustling farm life. I can’t help but see those farm machines being representative to the plants in Midland. The temporary destruction they cause in order to provide a better life for certain folks. I am unsure if others can relate to the corn series, because everyone’s backgrounds differ. She may not be making the most impacting statement but Shuli Hallaks photographs are compelling visual pieces just by themselves.
JENSEN ARTICLE
The last half of the article resonated with me much more strongly than the beginning. I have never been a passionate environmentalist; I have never lobbied nor went to strangers with petitions. However, I have a love for nature that is extremely personal to me. I feel that Derrick Jensen really expresses himself the best when he is explaining his own relationship with nature. His own love is compelling, more compelling than “we’re fucked” or his loss of faith in politics. His talk about shedding hope and embracing this type of “death” is his way to strive to freedom. And while I couldn’t put it into the context of environmentalism I could relate to it in other ways. There are so many instances where nature reminds me of my own mortality. The short life of a meteor shower for instance, or seeing a river dammed up. Even seeing poison ivy on a hiking path puts me in a state of fear. While I wouldn’t be a step closer to politics by shedding these fears, I can make myself one step closer to the stars.
CLASS
I am not to excited about the workload that this class requires, to be honest. I am sure it is just another opportunity to learn time management but nonetheless it scares me. I have taken ecology courses before and went to nature camp for half my life, even working there for a couple years. I’d like to see if what I already learned can be added to my understanding of this class.
I really liked Shuli Hallak’s work, but I couldn’t figure out why for the longest time. I finally realized that Hallak rarely puts people into her photographs and when she does they are often the subjects of the photo. However, most of her photographs are these huge machines or manmade objects in an expansive landscape. The isolation felt is strong, and the removal of human interaction from manipulating the environment is a little frightening. It almost seems like this manipulation is beyond our control now that humans need to work less, the more work we give to machines the more time we have to figure out what to do next to the land. The idea is frightening, but she eases us into it with these beautifully composed photographs.
ReplyDeleteThe Jensen article, like many of you described, engaged me as a reader but not as someone willing to take action. Not because I didn’t care, but I didn’t know how to act, and frankly I found myself asking Jensen “what do you want from me?” I got the impression that he wanted me to shut down a part of myself that responds to authority and become an environmental anarchist without fear of repercussion from the government. If those are the only directions he gives though, it will only result in me ending up in jail and the environment continuing to be destroyed. Not a very effective method for saving the world. Perhaps I’m being too harsh on Jensen, and this article is a manifesto meant to inspire the world population into action. I can see the effectiveness of millions of people acting in such a way that the authorities have no choice but to listen.
However, I find this scenario unlikely.
Furthermore Jensen should probably consider why the myth of Pandora’s box has been relevant for thousands of years and his article can’t even persuade a group of students.
Joe Trumpey describes the role of the artists most accurately. The reason why I avoided going into the A & D program my first year at U of M is because I feared the starving artist stigma. Since, I broadened my scope on the subject and see the role creative people play in society. Thus far, I’ve been very impressed with the way the class is taught. Mr. Trumpey has an aura of wit and a deep understanding of his subject. I had the chance to speak with him after class the other day about a miscellaneous project. He catered to all of my questions and offered a vast amount of advice. Overall, I’m very excited about this class, mostly, because it already has me thinking outside of my traditional mindset.
ReplyDeleteShuli Hallak’s work does very little for me outside of its aesthetic appeal. I find her work very pleasing and creative; however, it does not transcend past this. Photographing solar panels at a unique angle does not tell me whether there is a shortage of solar energy, whether this is our future energy source, etc. Perhaps if she informed us of the negative or positive consequences behind all of this machinery/structures I could then perceive her work as more than a series of photos.
The Jensen article had a very different approach to environmental activism than I would expect. It was highly based on opinion and redundancy. This still of writing bothers me, to be frank. For instance, describing radical activists as those who use the “f-bomb” in their campaign and then importing that into his writing lost the writer valuable credibility. Also, since most of the information was based on opinion, he lacked any references to back his theories. When providing examples, they were usually too over-exaggerated to relate with his point. Lastly, I’m a strong believer that hope is a powerful tool. I don’t think it is only used as an excuse. It is true that an excuse is the product of hope, but so is activism. Once enough support or hope is gathered around an issue, people tend to culminate and find a sensible solution.