Urban Artifacts: Phase 1: Discover

Writing:

The three artifacts I discovered seem to have kind of a relationship, as each one has a relevancy to the life of a New Yorker, or a “City Person” so to speak.  These three items consist of a Metro card, a Starbucks coffee sleeve, and piece of concrete. Considered, all of these have a connection to the lifestyle of the individual living in the big city. When it comes to shape, the Metro card and the sleeve are of a geometric shape, having corners, edges, and clear, distinguishable straight lines. The piece of concrete however, has an organic shape, having jagged edges, and no distinguishable lines or edges or precise measurements. The concrete definitely stands out more compared to the other two items, as it is a much more detailed and complicated shape. The Metro card and the sleeve were obviously man-made, which is usually the case with most objects with geometric contours. The piece of concrete on the other hand, most likely broke off of a sidewalk (more than likely on the very street i found it), which of course, gives it its organic properties, as it was not intentionally “created” so to speak.

 

Sketches: Each one consisted of approximately 6-7 minutes work time each/ 30 minutes overall

Ambiguous: 

IMG_0011            IMG_0008           IMG_0010

 

 

 

Stable:

IMG_0009IMG_0013IMG_0012

ENG 1101 Project #1 Discovery: Avatars

 

To prepare for writing Project #1:

  • If you haven’t already, register for an OpenLab account and join our Learning Community site, Ways of Seeing (Fall 2015).
  • From the OpenLab home page, click on People to see OpenLab members
  • Browse through, looking at the avatars.
  • Without reading anything about the person, choose an avatar of a member of the OpenLab that you think says something about the person.
  • Still without reading anything about the person, what do you understand about them based on their avatar? If you click on the avatar, you will see a larger version—but be careful not to read the member’s details yet!
  • In a post:
    • Make a list of what you observe when you look at the avatar.
    • Make a list of the interpretations you make about the details you observe.
    • Write a paragraph about how you interpret the avatar.
    • Now finally read about the member. Can you confirm or correct any of your interpretations or inferences? Do you think that the avatar does not represent them accurately? Add a few sentences to answer these questions.
  • Submit your post by Monday, 9/7.
  • Reply to at least 3 classmates’ posts by Wednesday, 9/9 at 9:00am, offering feedback about the avatars they have chosen to write about—do you see an alternative reading they haven’t thought of? Are their details they haven’t contemplated enough?
  • Choose your avatar if you haven’t already before Wednesday, 9/9, so you can write about it in your brainstorm and outline.
  • Bring your brainstorm and outline to class on Wednesday, 9/9. It can be printed or handwritten.