Mark Dion

I thought this was a great idea for a sculpture that illustrates the complexities of nature that many people take for granted. The artist said they tried to highlight all of the factors necessary for this fallen tree to sustain life that occur naturally in nature, and how much work and technology it took to try and replicate these (irrigation, ventilation, sunlight color.) I have been aware that when a tree falls, other forms of life will move in and inhabit that space, but I never actually thought about how this part of a tree's life is vital to its ecosystem. This sculpture was a very imaginative way of injecting an element of nature into a city environment. I wonder how many people actually realize when they see this tree that would seem out of place, that the city in which they inhabit is the one that is naturally out of place, and that trees like these were removed to make way for the urban environment.

Scott Calhoun

I thought Scott Calhoun's narrative about his experience to photograph the California Poppies was very well written, and I found myself able to visualize what he was describing because of his great use of words. During one section, he seemed to give personality to the poppies because of his descriptions of how he was interacting with them; he wrote "With their petals closed up, the poppies appeared both shy and defiant, but I enjoyed seeing them with the hatches battened down." I only hope that my blogs about my field trips are able to be as well written as his was about his trip. I really enjoy going to the desert as well, I enjoy both camping and hiking in them. I have not been able to see flower fields like this on my trips, I think it would be great if one day I could happen upon a comparable sight in which to photograph.

An-My Le

I've noticed many of the photographers work that I have viewed through the Art 21 series choose to use the older style, bulky cameras. It seems that one of the reasons behind this is that it forces the photographer to spend more time on choosing a shot. I find this interesting because I have never had this attitude, I shoot in digital and because of this I shoot a lot of pictures and decide on the keepers later. I think both styles can lead to interesting shots, its just that more time is either spent in pre or post production. I liked the idea that she considers herself a landscape photographer, even though it seems all of her images contain either people, or traces of people. Her images seem to focus on the active interaction between people and the landscape around them; whether it be the mining operations or the military exercises, these activities are affecting the land in which they take place.

Robert Adams

I liked the pictures that were taken by Robert Adams, even though they are different than the landscape pictures I choose to take. He was able to create these attractive images from these unattractive realities; these places that had been harvested for their resources and then left in waste. I prefer to take pictures of places that are still protected, and places that I would still consider healthy even with their interaction with humans. I think both of these types of photography represent reality, but just different elements of it. I thought the fact that he photographs in black and white was interesting, as it created more of a barren image. His wife even commented that the reality was a black and white landscape with just touches of green.

Janel Munoa

I remember seeing this video in World Cultures, and during that class I remember viewing the video with an intent to try and identify cultural aspects within the video, and I was drawn towards the drawings she does during the video. But after all of the knowledge I learned from that class, and the focus of this class I was watching the video and seeing how native habitats for both plant and animal species are threatened by the encroachment of industry. Native species of life are always being threatened, and this is especially true in Southern California, where development spreads into remote areas that were once protected. I guess my first viewing was relating it to the destruction of Native American culture through development, and the second viewing I was thinking about the lands, plants, and animals that were destroyed.