Khazar DANM250 A Fourth Preliminary Session Notes

Monday 02/27/2006 05:30:PM

DARNET prezo: Whadawewannado?

Paraphrasing Nici: Looking at classical landscape as a way humans map out their relation to nature, how can we think about the new transgenics as a way of mapping our relationship to nature? Transgenics can be included in the natural since natural is a construct at best. Every time we define nature we have an agenda for doing so. What do we do by identifying genetic modification as "unnatural"

For the prezo: Look at representations of nature in America in the 19th century. They saw nature as "sublime." Manifest Destiny played a key role. Perhaps we can see Technology as a kind of manifest destiny. 19th century landscape painters wanted to paint a new Eden/paradise.

We will create a Taxonomy of paintings. The transgenic sublime.

An example taxonomy:

• Class: Western Romantic

  • Order: Beirdtadt

    • Genus: Hetch hetchy

      • Species: Cottonwood

        • Sub Species: Populus balsamifer ssp. trichocarpa

          Traits

          • rugged
          • open leafed for good backlighting
          • bent, asymetrical
          • animated
          • glowing with god's light.

Assignments:

• Nici: Photoshop isolate three trees from three paintings from three artists
• Alan: Decide on a taxonomy for the three trees
• Alan: Photoshop the isolated trees into current/modern photographs of the same or equivalent spaces as shown in the original paintings.
• James: Do Alan's taxonomy as modern graphic in Powerpoint format

Meeting Time for Next Quarter Proposed: Mondays, 5:30 - 7:30