Event 1 - Linda Weintraub Open Workshop

Each station had boxes of different objects. We were given instructions on how to interact with each objects.

Each station had boxes of different objects. We were given instructions on how to interact with each objects. Linda Weintraub’s Workshop centered around taking people away from the manufactured goods and bringing people back to physically interacting with the environment around us. She helped us realize how much we interact with manufactured goods by asking us “How many hours do you spend not interacting with engineered goods.” I found myself answering: basically none. She structured the exhibit into 6 different categories (taste, form, texture, mass, volume and sensation), with several boxes in each category which we could interact with. The boxes contained objects that are found in nature. One box contained the bone shown below.

Doesn't this kind of resemble the mushroom pattern?

She asked, what do you think people could have used this as? One person wrote “To cut things.” At first, I couldn't think of anything, but after pondering some more I responded “A stand to hold things.” The fact that I could come up with this astounded me, that I had that creativity in me. Without having distractions around me and really taking the time to think allowed me to actually think about it rather than just rush onto the next task. I never really thought of how bones might have been used in the olden days. With this realization, I took a longer time examining the next objects: mushrooms and feathers. The mushroom was very interesting to look at. I never saw how mushrooms had these weird holes and textures on top. It reminded me of the relationship between math and art. Even though these patterns weren't as structured as ones created through mathematical formulas, the repeated patterns of wholes show some resembles to mathematical art.

I never reflected on how bird feather differed so much, some being more fluffy than others. One reason may be that feathers like the one on the right are more suited for flying, while the others are just there for beauty and warmth. It was also interesting to see that the middle two feathers had the stiffer part of the feather on the tip like the feather on the left, while still having the fluffy part. Seeing these aspects of the birds' feathers made me see how I really don't know the nature. Despite seeing birds, trees, plants everyday, I never really got to truly see what they look like and how they function. I would definitely recommend this exhibit to anyone as it really allows you to take time to touch, feel, smell the things in nature and really ponder more about it without having any distractions.

Was interesting looking at how each acorn top looked so different

This exhibit was very fitting with Walter Benjamin’s reading: although reproduction leads to pluralities of copies, it is in exchange for the unique existence of the object. One important point Linda made that ties to Benjamin’s point is that the reproduction of these materials are what causes the boredom in people's’ lives since every object they interact with is the same. Since all the engineered objects are created in the same way, there's no surprises when interacting with it. Thus, as we spend more time with a certain objects, interacting with it becomes almost mechanical, we don't have to think much when using it (ex. drinking from a cup, after doing it once, we repeat the same process over again). In a way, this is one way in which we are behaving more like machines, just performing the same mundane task over and over again. This lack of creativity and mundane-ness also ties back into the week 1 lecture, about how education is stunting human creativity. The current education system causes students to focus so much on books and laptops that students rarely have time to look around them. It is no wonder that students are losing creativity since all they interact with are engineered products that does not take much thought in order to use This made me realize, maybe events like this art exhibit, where we really take the time to interact with the world around us and think outside the box, can help us develop our creative skills again.

Me at the exhibit