UVic

Sir Ken Robinson Video Marathon

| Mac

As the third class (ART 150) in my Fine Arts Diploma Program sunsets I can’t help but feel; that though the subject mater is less industrial than my Bachelor of Commerce degree the overall educational paradigm is the same. It feels a bit disheartening as well as misplaced… an area of study with an identity crisis perhaps?

This feeling got me thinking of a TED talk I was exposed to, in the first course of my program FA 101 (which was fantastic), by Sir Ken Robinson… some googling and hours later, I present the Sir Ken Robinson Video Marathon! The best internet videos I could find from the knight calling for an educational revolution. Fight on Ken, your revolution is not complete!

The Inaugural

The Animated 

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDZFcDGpL4U]

The Element 

1 Hour Talk on the Element

No apparent way to embed this one but it’s worth the jump and the time, a lengthy talk covering a wide range of topics associated with the Element one of Sir Ken Robinson’s books.

The Latest

Quotes and Truisms

| Mac

So I have to concede Art 150 one thing…  It does expose the students to a wide array of artists and artist’s practices.

For instance I didn’t know anything about Jenny Holzer and her work with truisms when I offered up the creative challenge of create a quote.  And the two things are clearly similar… so here’s another one:

“People in places of power are commonly contemptuous.”

I have been remiss with my proposed schedule here at Exploring-Art.com. I was desperately trying to meet my own grade expectations with ART 150, which in hindsight may have been a futile endeavour – Alas! The good news is that the last assignment is due December 1st, so I’ll be able to get back into my regular cadence soon.

Creative Challenge: Pen Name

| Mac

A creative challenge that came about within a FA101 class discussion was to fashion yourself a creative handle, a pen name. I have had handles for online things before, but I had never attempted to craft one with meaning.

So I let that percolate away in my super-concious, and out the other end of the process came: “Creatio Collegiate”, here is why.

“Creatio” has Ancient Greek and/or Latin roots, and is the root for the english word creation. Creatio has connotations of the natural world (rather than man made items) and may also invoke spiritual or god like themes.

“Collegiate” of course evokes collaborative, inclusive, friendly and betterment themes.

So taken together the pen name “Creatio Collegiate” is about collaborative, friendly creation with the aim of self improvement; specifically becoming more well rounded, and appreciative of the many beauties our existence has to offer. I used the Creatio Collegiate name as my Vimeo handle to support the sharing of my FA101 creative acts during class. Exploring-Art.com is a continuation of this theme, and an attempt to sustain it beyond my current continuing education activities.

What is your creative pen name? Why? Don’t have one? Well now you have your first Creative Challenge! Good luck!