Found Art Project Music of 70's and 80's

The theme my group chose is Music of the 1970’s and 1980’s. We decided to split up this topic into music genres, impact on fashion, music in general, and technology. Some examples of music genres in the 70’s and 80’s are Punk and Hip Hop. These were very popular and had major influences on the fashion worn at that time. People in the 70’s would wear leather jackets, spiked collars, and have a Mohawk to demonstrate rebellion. Meanwhile during the 80’s the clothing of Hip Hop was sportswear and represented freedom. The technology changed quite a bit throughout the 70’s and 80’s. The main invention was the phonograph records. They were named by their size and rotational speed, “16⅔ rpm, "33⅓ rpm, "45 rpm, "78 rpm. The standard duration of a disk was around 4 minutes per side, but there was another type of disk, “long play” or “extended play.” These allowed the disk to hold up to 30 minutes and were generally larger. These disks were used for full albums. At the end of the 80’s the compact disk was invented and soon replaced all phonograph records.

The items we had were 45rpm records, some pictures of a record player, a compact disk, a punk t-shirt with 70’s music, a spiked collar, and many record cases. We chose the 45rpm records for they were used throughout the 70’s and partly into the 80’s. The compact disk was the upgrade to the phonograph record and was created in the late 80’s. Fashion was popular and the shirt we have demonstrates the music of the time. The spiked collar was another example of the fashion people wore to show their interest in punk music. And the record cases were popular for full albums of musicians and all were American and played during the 70’s or 80’s.

A lot of the items were from our parents for they kept them from the 70’s and 80’s. We had plans to checking out other places like Goodwill if we needed additional items.

Some things I would have done differently would be our box. We really didn’t have any other option, but I think it would’ve been cooler if we had some super creative idea like the evolution of fast food.

Some advice I would give to next year’s class would to choose a topic that you can easily find items to bring in. I think that’s a major reason why my group had so many items. I know some groups weren’t able to find many items so the topic definitely made a difference. As always don’t procrastinate even though everyone does, including myself.

A picture we took and used on our project. It was too big for us to bring

-Brett

Aquatic Environmentalism

The theme for our Found Art Project was Aquatic Environmentalism in the U.S. during the environmental movement era. As a group we put together many pieces of artwork that reflected the mood of the era and the need for a change in the U.S.'s treatment of its water. We covered the Pacific and Atlantic, and Gulf coasts of America as well as the Great Lakes, minor lakes, and rivers. Our project has many pictures of pollution in water as well as pictures of the bodies of water when they are untouched by humans. The contrast between the pictures is great and it allows the viewer to fully understand the need to preserve water in America, and what has been done to protect it.

 

            We chose articles that explained how people have helped to preserve America's bodies of water. We found that many Americans have dedicated their lives to help out with the environment. Because of their dedication, our national parks, lakes, rivers, and coasts are more beautiful than they were. A myriad of organizations (governmental and nongovernmental) have helped in this cause. We placed the logos of these organizations throughout our project to emphasize how much they have helped. We placed pictures of garbage to represent the garbage that is floating around in the Pacific Ocean and other parts. To represent the island of garbage we placed a plastic bottle and attached it to our project. We also placed a bottle of Pennzoil to represent the oil spills that are occurring in the oceans. Millions of tons of oil have been spilled leading to the deaths of many fish and seabirds. We placed pictures of these oil-covered birds on our project. We placed biographies and pictures of important people like Ken Salazar in order to give a face to the groups of people that have helped the environment. We also placed USGS maps of Lake Tahoe that show the dimensions and volume. With these pictures we hope to show how unique each of these bodies of water are and how they need to all be treated well.

 

            We obtained our found art by looking at popular art during the environmental movement. Ansel Adams is one example of an artist who was able to inspire pride in the environment by taking beautiful pictures. We found his post cards in a shop. The USGS maps were found on the official website and the pictures of the ocean were found online as well. In popular magazines we were able to find articles on places such as Sea Ranch, where architects built eco-friendly homes. Items like the Pennzoil and the plastic bottle were found in our garages and our garbage cans.

 

            If I were to do one thing differently in this project, I would make sure to start looking for the found art earlier on. It was hard to find items and our group was forced to scramble at the very end to find more art. In the end, everything came together well, but it would have been nice to have all of our items together a day before we put them on the boxes.

 

            I would tell next years class to start looking for found art everywhere that they can. I would also tell them to pick a topic that they are interested in. It makes the project much easier when you already have some of the art in your own home. For example, it was very convenient for me to have environmentalism as a topic because I have pictures from Ansel Adams in my home. I also recommend that next year’s class speak to their group everyday to make sure that everyone is on task.

 

Bryce Filler

Period E

 

Final Project: Environment

The theme of our project is the environment, specifically about the body of water. We are showing about how over the years so much trash has gathered together, one in each ocean. In the Pacific, it is now to a point where the island of trash is now almost twice the size of the state of Texas.
To represent this we used a number of different materials. We gathered pictures of the trash infested beaches, and pictures of the animals that are suffering as a result of all the pollution. We have included descriptions of people with significance in relation to our topic. And we have included pieces of trash from around the campus.
My advise to those who do this project in the future is to make sure you stay organized, and don't put anything off until the last minute. Allow yourself plenty of time to put together your materials. Also pick a topic that you're interested in because you will be spending a lot of time on it.

We are becoming basement dwellers

We are becoming basement dwellers

Theme: The theme of our project was the emergence of video games and their impact on society. We chose topic because video games have become one of the biggest form of entertainment for teens and children alike. They have also had a huge impact on society through their creation of a generational gap and their influence on popular culture.

Choice of Items: We chose items we felt best represented early video games and displayed their impact on society. These items included items that represented the gaming industry, such as an advertisement for an early arcade and advertisements for specific video games.

Method to obtain items: We used a variety of methods to obtain objects. First, we checked to see if any of the members of our group had the item. If so that was great, otherwise we had to expand our search. We then asked our friends and family members if they could supply the necessary items, and, after a bit of searching around, we got most of what we hoped to get.

What we would do differently: I think if I were to do this again I would make our display a bit more colorful. Although we were going for a somewhat uncolorful look and yet busy look in order to imitate the style of old video games, I feel as though this concept did not come across in our layout.

Advice for next years Class: Good communication is the key for this project. Make sure all of your group members are in the loop and understand what needs to be done. Good communication makes the whole project, from designing the layout to obtaining the sources, much easier.

-Lisa

Project: We are.....

Are project is about the emergence of video games and what effect on society they had. We cover the different types of games that became out in the period of time we covered. To come up with these items we searched up online and looked around for different things among each other.

Technology In 1970-1990's

My groups theme was everyday uses of technology in the 70's though 90's. When we say everyday technology we mean things we use everyday such as a computer, VHS tapes, or a just a floppy disk. There were many methods we used to get our items like asking our teachers our are parents but the most effective was to just look in old storage and in the attic for old technology

The Marshall Plan

The Marshall Plan was proposed by secretary of state George Marshall in June 1947. The goal of this plan was to help European nations that were effected in the war. The main reason why this plan was made was to be humane this plan was not for or against one specific nation. It was to fight and stand against poverty and hunger. The way they helped to stop poverty they gave 13 billion dollars to 16 nations in Europe.

Posting #4- Technology

The theme for our poster was, “We are technologic”. We decided to do our project on the advancement of technology in the United States. Technology is a huge part of our everyday society and the advances the country makes in technology greatly affect the possibilities in other fields. We modeled our box like an old computer because a lot of our found art was computer or computer chip related. We wanted item’s that fit into our technology theme. Since the overall box was supposed to look like a computer, we used an actual keyboard and wires. We showed the different types of recording equipment during this time such as VHS tape, a cassette tape, and an early audio CD. We chose two posters that explained the way that these new computer chips worked and a microprocessor chip from Zilog. We also brought in an old Texas Instrament calculator, a Holme remote, a lightbulb for a projector, a sticker with the innovative Apple computer logo on it,  along with pictures and quotes from the founders of Apple and Microsoft. The first step collecting our found art was looking to see what each of us owned relating to technology from the 1970’s through 1980’s. Once we had about twenty items using this method we double-checked when each was produced in order to make sure we didn’t present any false information. Here we started to organize our found art into different piles for what they are used for. We picked our found art out of these piles hoping to have the most variety possible. The found art items that we brought in are important because they show the way that technology advances such as the cassette to an audio CD. Technology will continue to advance as our country grows older, and it is important to keep innovation in mind to fulfill our full technological potential. The only thing that I think could be done differently would be to start assembling the box’s earlier to make sure that everyone is prepared for the deadlines. My advice for next year’s class would be to pick a theme with as many found art opportunities as possible. I think that technology for my group was not hard to come up with compared to the Watergate Trials fro example.

Technology from 1970-1990

1)For our found art project, we explored technology from 1970 - 1990. The overall theme was the technology made for everyday uses. For instant, the computer, boom boxed, and etc. There was a trend of products getting smaller and more convenient for every day uses; in addition, prices dropped. We decided to pick this theme because the technological advances made back then has heavily impacted the society and culture we live in today, where everything is very technological and many heavily rely on the products made.
2)The items we brought in represented everyday technology, ranging for television to computers, to boom boxes, used back in the 1970's to 1990's. We brought in a VHS, Zilog Poster, cassette tape, calculator, Holme Remote, floppy disc, audio CD, mouse, keyboard, projection light, Zilog chip, sticker of the Apple Logo, pictures and quotes of the founders of Apple and Microsoft. These items are the considered the "founding father" of many products we use today.
3)Most of these items were stored in garage boxes or cramp attics from our respected homes. We also asked around to see if anyone still had technological stuff dating back from 1970 to 1990. A couple of teachers offered a few items when asked. Also, Ms. Sanderson handed our group a few items (floppy disc, projection light, mouse) from her own personal collection or other teachers'.
4)If I had the chance to do anything differently I would try to include more quotes/images from the web. Our project has a lot of found art on it, but a little color would also be nice. Also, it would be nice to find another way to put stuff on our boxes beside the use of tape. A few of the objects are heavy so they were difficult to put on.
5)Advice for next year's class would be to find lighter weighted objects. We found that the heavier objects had to go on top of our box, which kind of sank the top in a little. We found that websites that had timelines of technological advances made were very useful and easy to understand. Also, thoroughly research the items brought in; we almost brought in products not made by American companies.

Emergence of Video Games in the 80s

Written by: Albert

Theme:
My group did our project on the emergence of video games in the 80s and how it ushered in an entirely new field in electronics and entertainment.

Items:
Game quotes to explain the people's opinions on video games.
Two SNES game controllers, 4 SNES game cartridges, creen shots of old games in progress to convey the idea of how such a giant field in entertainment started.
Advertisements for old games and arcades to show how much of a demand the games were
back then.

Method:
I already have an SNES, along with the two controllers and the 4 games. Daniel brought in an old comic that had ads for games. My group got the quotes and screen shots online.

I would not have done this project any differently. I think that this is a great way to convey our thoughts.

As for advice, I would suggest that next year's class start putting the project together, as it can take some time. I would also suggest that next year's class exchange contact information.

The Marsall Plan

The Marshall Plan is the program, proposed by Secretary of State George Marshall in 1947, under which the Unites States supplied economic aid to European nations to help them rebuild after World War 2. It was directed against hunger, poverty, desperation, and chaos. The Marshall Plan revived European hopes. With the help of the marshall plan 16 countries received some $13 billion in aid. By 1952, Western Europe was flourishing, and the Communist party had lost much of its appeal to voters. It was directed against hunger, poverty, desperation, and chaos.

The Great President

Lyndon Baines Johnson is forever remembered as the president with limitless motivation and desire to bring change to the United States. He was a fourth generation Texan who desired social change and wanted to help people. When he came into office he set up "The Great Society", a vision for America that would attempt to bring about social change and equality. He single-handedly had 206 measures passed by congress, proving that he was able to implement policy change. "The Great Society" fought poverty and worked to improve education, healthcare, housing, immigration, the environment, and consumer protection. To do this he created separate programs over three years.

Johnson's first reforms were aimed at curbing poverty problems. He reduced taxes in order to improve economic growth. With the Economic Opportunity Act, he created Job Corps, VISTA, Project Head Start, and other programs to fight poverty. With these the poor were given aid. While they did not cure poverty in America, many people recieved help who needed it.

Education was given focus through the years of 1965 and 1966. Johnson sent many bills to Congress. He reasoned that with education, a better America could be created. With the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, one billion dollars in aid money was given to schools. This money brought in new materials and textbooks for students. 

Healthcare was improved in the Johnson administration. Social Security was changed by Congress to Medicare and Medicaid. They both dealt with insurance money. Americans over the age of 65 recieved hospital insurance from Medicare. Those who were welfare recipients also recieved extended healthcare insurance through Medicaid. These two policies protected many Americans.

Many houses were built in order to shift political power from rural to urban areas in America. In order to do this many housing units were built in urban areas. The department of Housing and Urban Development helped to manage the new constructions.

Before the Immigration Act of 1965, many non-European immigrants were not allowed into the country. With this Act in place, immigrants came to the U.S. from all around the world. The previous quotas based on nationality were deemed unfair. This was a sign that racial tolerance was becoming more popular with the average American.

Johnson noted that many pesticides and chemicals were hurting America's water. The Water Quality Act of 1965. Many Americans became aware of the terrible treatment of the environment during the sixties. The environmental movement would eventually come into existence and shine throughout the 60s and 70s.

With many Americans buying goods in Americas strong economy, companies started to take advantage of consumers. This trend that started in the fifties would lose its novelty and many Americans desired protection from poor customer service. Truth-in-packaging laws were created in order to stop companies from selling Americans "false" goods.

With so many different aspects of "The Great Society" influencing America, we often take many of these ideas for granted. Johnson helped shape America into a more liberally minded country. Many of the young Americans moved into an era of counterculture, an eccentric lifestyle where change was usually considered a step in the right direction. However, conservative Americans did not like the social, political, and economic changes that were affecting America. While many changes were made in "The Great Society" the conservative America would retaliate by putting a Republican into office. This hampered some of the work done by Johnson, but his social changes would remain in America for the long-run.

Bryce Filler, Period E