Zizek on the Sound of Music and Crossdressing

Zizek discusses the possible deeper meanings portrayed throughout the music "The Sound of Music." The possibility that the roles were subconsciously reversed is brought up towards the beginning of the discussion. While the family portrayed in the musical appears to be austrian and anti-facist, Zizek explores the possibility that it is actually quite the opposite. The family is portrayed as blonde, beautiful, and all similar in nature. He also discusses the presentation of the nazi officers in the film. He claims that the officers were actually portrayed as what would be defined as the cosmopolitan jew of the time. In the end he claims that all these subconscious factors may have contributed to the huge success of the film.

sound of music video

This video was extremely strange. At the beginning of the video the sound of music starts playing. People start performing a choreographed dance to the video. Towards the end of the video the music breaks into what appears to be a techno remix of the song. More dancers pour into the auditorium through the stairs from upper levels. Extremely strange.

Crits.

Critique 1-
I met with nathan to discuss my ideas for my senior show. we spoke about different ideas that I had for the
event. we spoke about the content of the photos that i was going to possibly use for the show.

Critique 2-
I met with Kim the following week to discuss possible arrangement of pieces for senior show. We also discussed how I was going to present the work.

Critique 3-  I had the visiting artist Harmony Hammond visit my studio to discuss my work. We analyzed the content of the photographs that I presented to her. We discussed the notion of feminism, and it's role in my photographs.

Critique 4- I spoke with Nathan in my studio about the ideas that I have been having on creating work for orals. We also discussed some tactics that I could possibly use to help my orals run smoothly, as I am not comfortable with speaking in public about my work. As a  result of the conversation I have been keeping a notebook to take notes in, and will prepare a key list of ideas to discuss during orals.

Group Critique 1- The class critiqued my senior show. The class questioned my arrangement of the work. I considered the ideas presented, and changed the arrangement accordingly. The idea of using text in combination with the work was also introduced.

Group Critique 2-The class viewed the work that i have been working on in preparation for orals next semester. I also introduced the idea of presenting two separate bodies of work during orals.

Agnes Martin

The video with painter Agnes Martin was extremely refreshing to watch. The poor audio quality makes it hard for me to make out a lot of the ideas that Martin speaks of throughout the interview, and her aged voice does nothing to aid it either. She discusses various ideas that have influenced her work throughout her life. Agnes martin discusses nature and how it has influenced her work. She responds that people make emotional responses to her work that stems from their view beyond nature. This I believe is a very important concept to keep in mind when viewing her paintings.

Susan Sontag-Against interpretation

Mimesis (Ancient Greek: μίμησις, from μιμεῖσθαι 'to imitate') is a critical and philosophical term that carries a wide range of meanings, which include: imitation, representation, mimicry, imitatio, nonsensuous similarity, the act of resembling, the act of expression, and the presentation of the self.^[1] Mimesis has been theorised by Plato, Aristotle, Philip Sidney, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Sigmund Freud, Walter Benjamin,Theodor Adorno, Erich Auerbach, Luce Irigaray, René Girard, Philippe Lacoue-Labarthe, Michael Taussig, Merlin Donald, Paul Ricoeur,^{[citation needed]} and Homi Bhabha.
Art is broken down, and analyzed through the texts of various philosophers. The philosophers theories used throughout the text range from those of ancient origins, to those who have been alive within the last hundred or so years. The notion that art can be experienced on many different levels is spoken of throughout the article. The author makes an excellent reference to dante at one point in the article referencing the levels in which art is viewed. 

Three readings for the Ball.

"Who needs a white cube these days"
Roberta Smith analyzes the various events that have currently been happening in New York city. She give examples of galleries sharing spaces, and artists. The article does not necessarily  demonstrate a negative or positive view on the examples that were given. The article ends with examples of those who have strayed the furthest from the white cube. I believe that the questions that Roberta Smith asks are extremely pertinent  to the current situation of the New York gallery/market situation.
"A new boss, and a jolt of real world expertise"
This article delves into the various power struggles that are currently happening with the MOCA in Los Angeles. Roberta Smith states various facts that could have possibly contributed to the appointment of Jeffrey Deitch as the new director of the museum. The claim that the appointment of Deitch due to his world experience with his own gallery is also made.
"Anti mainstream museum's mainstream show"
After reading this article I instantly thought of a term used in marketing called a "mook." The strategy is to use something that the public would as being against the product, and in turn sell the product. An example of this would be a basketball player endorsing a product, and at the same time make a mockery of how much money he is receives to do so. Sprite had a series of commercials in the late nineties using this strategy. The main artist that is attacked throughout the article is Jeff Koons. Smith asks the question of wether or not he had possibly destroyed the museums non-mainstream image. At one point in time Smith goes as far as to claim that "Barely any intellectual glue holds the show together." Of all three articles this is by far the most opinionated. 

In the article "The Birth of the Big, Beautiful Art Market," Dave Hickey breaks down the contemporary art market. He also draws many comparisons to the way that art is sold, and many other forms of marketing. The article ends with Hickey speaking in a negative tone about the current state of the art market. 
The video had a bearded man attempting to make a funny video portrayal of contemporary art. "with old art you aren't allowed to touch it." I really do not know how to break this video down. I can't wether or not the video is supposed to be perceived as comical or serious.