Andy Warhol is definitely someone who is passionate about their artwork, although some people beg to differ. Warhol has created more pieces of art than any other artist, which is why people think that his work is lazy and that he doesn’t put much effort into it. I however, think that Warhol’s art is very inspiring. He takes his artwork to a whole new level and uses a lot of bright pastel colors. He also takes some already made artwork, and puts his own spin on it.

This is an example of Warhol putting his own spin on a symbol already made. The Rolling Stones usually use the colors red, white, and black. Warhol changed it by added more intriguing colors, but kept the overall symbol the same. He had a lot of fascination with the Hollywood scene, which is why a lot of his art is of celebrities such as Marylin Monroe.

One thing that stuck out to me about Warhol is that his art came in many forms. He used a lot of media such as hand drawing, painting, printmaking, photography, silk screening, sculptures, film and music. This is a lot of work to incorporate these things in your art, and on top of that he produced his work very quickly. Overall, I think Warhol’s work is flashy and easy on the eye. I feel like a lot of people are drawn to his art and have seen it around a lot.

This activity really caught me by surprise! I really had to think about planning my death because obviously that’s not something everyone just does. I thought really long and hard about the way I would want to go and it was actually really challenging. I had so many ideas of me passing away doing something that I loved, but then I started to think more simple and not make it something extravegant because in reality I’m a really simple person.

After thinking of ideas for a couple days, it finally came to me that the way I would like to pass away would be in my sleep. It seemed peaceful, simple, and not over the top. I feel like passing away in my sleep has always been they way that I’ve thought about myself going. So, here are the two pictures that I had my friend take from different angels:

Although the first one is a little blurry, I chose to post it because I thought that effect actually made it more intriguing. I also used a filter that made my skin tone look a little more pale as well to pull off more of a deathly look. I also chose to wear the t shirt of one of my favorite bands, The Rolling Stones, and used my cheetah pillow because I absolutely love cheetah print everything. Overall, this activity really made me look at life in a really different way, I mean it’s not every day that you get to plan your own death. It also made me realize how simple I really am. I really hope that this is the way I would pass away instead of being sick or something. I really enjoyed doing this project and I’m really glad I got to participate in it because it truly opened my eyes to how short life really could be.

Aaron Swartz is definitely not someone you would at first glance see as an artist. However, he actual does a lot of great work as a hacker. Aaron gives more people the ability to access more information. He takes great pride in all of his work, which lead to his unfortunate death. Aaron had to face 35 years in prison AND had a one million dollar fine. This really got to me because he didn’t do anything illegal at all, he was just taking a stand for something he believed in.

I think the main reason Aaron had so many people going against what he was doing was because they were afraid of what he would do next. He was a very smart man and thought outside the box, which can be very intimidating to people. I think that people were threatened by him, especially when he was in court and didn’t take the easy way out that they gave him. He had the option of pleading guilty on a few charges and in return he would, instead of getting the 35 years and one million dollar fine, get a shorter jail time. Aaron denied the short jail time and didn’t plead guilty, instead he said that he wanted a trail where the prosecutors would have to justify their pursuit.

This quote really inspired me when I read it. I honestly never really question things in life, I just go with the flow, but this really stood out to me. Imagine if all the people in the world started questioning authority? I know a lot of people do so already, but what if they took it to the extreme and didn’t obey what they didn’t believe to be right? It really blows my mind to think that Aaron took such a big stand for what he believed in and it is horrible that he had to lose his life over it. Overall, I think Aaron is an amazing artist who really is a true inspiration.

Vanessa Blaylock is definitely a different kind of artist. Before this class, I had no idea there was such thing as an avatar artist. She gives people the chance to be whatever identity they choose in a virtual world. I’m not really into this type of art, but I really do see the benefit and impact it could have on people. I think everyone should be able to be whoever they want, and this definitely gives them the chance to do so.

When doing a google image search on Vanessa, I found that a lot of the avatars she has made are strong masculine women. There is nothing wrong with this at all, I think that maybe this is her style or who she would like to seem. I find it intriguing how this gives people the opportunity to really be themselves or who they have always wanted to me. I know a lot of things can hold us back from being our true selves, so that’s why I think Vanessa’s art is so powerful to so many people.

Lastly, what I really find interesting about Vanessa’s work, is that it gives people a chance to connect with each other on a different level. Since it is a virtual world, you are able to meet so many more people than you would be in real life. So, if you are reflecting your true identity in the virtual world, you will get a chance to meet others that share the same views and interests as you. I think what is most inspiring about Vanessa’s work is the sense of community and belongingness that it has.