Saturday, October 19, 2013

MOVIE MEDIA to date _ vimeo.com/porterartmedia

Video Refresh on its way 
http://vimeo.com/porterartmedia



Since writing to the ambassador of China - a poscript

   It was back in January 2011 when I first heard about Ai Weiwei's studio being demolished. 
   I was incensed by the actions of the Chinese government. Having learned much about Ai Weiwei's online presence and his identity as a fine artist and dissident I was very delighted and joyfully engaged in the creativity that this man generated and felt akin to his general outlook and philosophy as an artist. 

   In reading more about him I learned that Marcel Duchamp was one of his 'Art Heroes' as he is mine as well. Ever since then I have felt a symbiosis with this man as he maintains his life in China and as he travels around the world. I simply love his art and his poltics.     http://www.ubu.com/sound/duchamp.html#music
   This summer I visited an exhibition of his work at the AGO and was thrilled with the affirmation of an ideology, a way of living and working, his vision and his sensibilities. Remembering a news item back in 1968, knowing of Du Champ's visit to Toronto and the Ryerson Theatre I recall the feeling of a very unique character visiting our city of Toronto. *

    Although Ai Weiwei embraces an Andy Warhol modus operandi much like the 'Factory' activities of Warhol in the seventies I really admire him for his sense of industrial sized 'Art Making'.









    Here at this show it is very easy to get in touch with one's sense of humanity. The quotes that he has fixed to the walls of the gallery are a maxim for his followers, they are eloquent truisms that come from a hardened artist - ideologue whose family and inheritance has been tempered by the antithetical spirit of communism and its cohorts.



   One gets the sense that Ai Weiwei has always been in deep love with a china of the past and revels in the thought that a new China can emerge proudly, virtuously and indomitably from a communist paralysis that has smashed hope for the average citizen.

  Ai Weiwei is a superhero citizen. Not a leader, a political figure, but a capital 'A' Artist intent on nurturing integrity through truth.


















   It's amazing to think that Ai Weiwei was one of the artists consulted on the construction and design of the 'birds nest' stadium at the Beijing Olympics. It was later that his studio was destroyed by the government because claiming he had not paid his taxes.

My email missive most likely landed on deaf ruling party ears, immune to the triumph of artistic integrity.

Ai Wei wei,..    'YOU da man'  do not let fault the glory of your vision. Stay accustomed to desire, stay wired to the planet and keep the emails, blogs and tweets a flutter.


 *

REUNION
[book] Marcel Duchamp and John Cage / by Shigeko Kubota

(Takeyoshi Miyazawa : [s.l.], 1970) 1 vol. (unpaged) : ill. + 1 phonodisc.


Consists mainly of photographs taken at a chess concert entitled 'Reunion', which occurred March 5, 1968, at Ryerson Theatre in Toronto. The participants were John Cage, Marcel Duchamp, Teeny Duchamp, David Tudor, Gordon Mumma, David Behrman, and Lowell Crass. Lowell Crass constructed a chess board with circuits; moves on the board transmitted or cut off sound produced by several musicians (see also Art in America 61 (November 1973) 72-79). 

Duchamp, Teeny and Cage during 'Reunion'



©       http://www.dada-companion.com/duchamp/music.php                        


Monday, October 14, 2013

Multiple Intelligences PLC

Process from P.L.C. 2010
What is Canadian Character? a Student's Social Identity?


March 2010

Students tend to ‘tune- out’ or ‘turn - off ‘ when confronted to conform or ‘ get in line’
The pressure placed on students to conform usually revolves around issues of:
• discipline
• having a synthesizing ability of mind
• to be creative
• to be ethical
• to be respectful
In this regard,... what are the social aspects of feeling safe?
Students can define their own sense of social space.
What are personal safety rules that create and form character?

How do we currently exploit communication hardware / software devices as young Canadian users of this growing area of technology? As educators we should be asking are their new applications that will support the individuals sense of community global and psychosocial sense of character?

How can we strengthen our sense of advantage?
We can tie in social communication software based on the ethical issues at hand.

Our classrooms can achieve a sense of balance through social function, a way of integrating the ability to learn amongst each other,... specifically, eliminating the social issues that exist among the special ed’ and ESL’ student body,..

We have a semblance of respect and tolerance that are periphal as it were and our school society (that society that exists within the walls of the society) has a great opportunity to exploit the idea of new communication models that would be more inclusive of the peripheral student identities.

Can we develop better communication tools?
How are we a ‘Can - Do’ society?
How do practice global perspective? How can we make ‘global perspectives’ a verb / activity that can be developed as major area of Canadian identity?

What is a common identity that all have respect for?
How do students share identity in a multiracial classroom?
What can be an attractive ‘POWER’ or Magnet’ for a common’ Canadian identity?
FREEDOM is an advantage.
Mass Tolerance is a foundation to growth.
What roles do you wish to play in society,... in regards to your own sense of power?

To do : Re- Survey / Questionnaire.
Out of this admission of identity we can surmise definitions of Canadian Intelligence.

Future points of departure:
How would students design a ‘safety kit’ of discovery that would enable them to explore other cultures around the world? What media would they incorporate in this personal safety kit of social discovery.


Multiple Intelligences

   An approach to literacy by defining what is ‘A Canadian Advantage’ We now know that over 50% of Northview Students are EARLY LANGUAGE Learners. Consider the following in regards to identifying a ‘Multiple Intelligence’ by asking ELL students what it means to be Canadian.

•    Content based language instruction will increase English literacy in the classroom
•    Developing academic vocabulary skills based on a subject specific focus. 
•    By employing differentiated learning. 
•    Students experience individuation through their own language, family & culture. 
•    This could lead to either alienation or integration according to how the individual views their role as a Canadian.
•    We have learned that students commonly experience :
     ENTHUSIASM - CULTURE SHOCK - RECOVERY - INTEGRATION
•    How can we activate a student’s sense of confidence and perceive a Canadian Advantage? 
•    Establish discovery at home re    - the environment of language used in the home
      - how the individual and family seeks translation
      - how the individual and family seeks interpretation
•    Teachers may equip students with subject specific vocabulary.
•    Teachers may establish dual language activities in the classroom.
•    Teachers may practice more reading out loud activities in the form of hand out materials.



Sunday, October 13, 2013

Photography 'BRAG PAGEs' / Contact Festival



   We were honored to have one of our grade 12 photographers work chosen for the TDSB May Contact Festival poster. Vanesa Chan's image of a classmate with blurred scarf in front of her face is a composite of two blurred images subtly manipulated in Photoshop. 




2010 the year we created printed portfolio editions before switching over to an 'ONLINE'
portfolio format. Needless to say I was absolutely delighted by the students effort that year.




Photo by Hee Jo Lee, grade 12 student, Northview Heights Secondary School





2008 • MOBILE CITY Photography contest winner STEPHEN BAIK

"City on the Move - A Festival of Young Artists in Transit"
is set to launch in 2009 in the wake of the successful international photo competition,The Mobile City Photography Contest - Toronto/Milan.


    Photo: Stephen Baik

Stephen was a student who graduated from Northview and has since endeavered to explore photography. The year was 2008 and we were all ecstatic when we learned that he had won a 10 day 'Exchange' trip to Milan Italy under the auspices of the city of toronto's 'Mobile City Project'

 

City on the Move featured the photography of 10 Toronto winners of The Mobile City Toronto/Milan project - a 2008 joint initiative of The Italian Chamber of Commerce, Toronto Culture and Economic Development, which engaged youth in community building through photography in the twin cities of Toronto and Milan.


The Mobile City Project offered urban youth in both cities a platform to share their dreams and insights about urban life through the creation of digital photographs and a photography contest. The winners in each city also traveled to the other city for an exciting cultural exchange.

 

2008: The Mobile City A joint initiative of The Italian Chamber of Commerce, Toronto Culture and Economic Development, The Mobile City Project engaged youth in community building through photography in the twin cities of Toronto and Milan. The project offered urban youth in both cities a platform to share their dreams and insights about urban life through the creation of digital photographs and a photography contest.Background - In 2003 Toronto and Milan signed a formal international alliance agreement to strengthen economic and cultural links between the cities in order to enhance the quality of life and well-being of their residents.
The concept of the Mobile City project was originally developed by the Italian Chamber of Commerce of Toronto (ICCT) and the City of Toronto Economic Development Office. Toronto Cultural Services agreed to participate as the City lead and program partner with the ICCT for the project.
The Mobile City enhanced the relationship between the two cities; involved youth from areas at risk in creative, community-building activities; and utilized the potential of new, electronic technology as a means of creating a community between urban youth from Toronto and Milan.

Program Goals and Objectives

The project consisted of:
  • Photography workshops in at-risk areas in both cities for youth between 16 and 22 years of age and an online contest
  • The online submission of a minimum of three and maximum of five images taken with a cell phone camera or digital camera and a short accompanying text explaining the significance of the photographs
  • The selection of 30 semi-finalists and 10 final winners in each city
  • Two juries (Toronto and Milan) that selected the 30 best works from each city. This group of 30 had their work presented on the website and in an exhibition
  • The 20 Toronto/Milan winners had their work published in a book, shown in an exhibit and won a one week trip to their respective sister city for further arts education and cultural activities


©  City of Toronto Archives

S.C.F.i. a PLC initiative in 2012


Saturday, October 12, 2013

Another Refresh of Community Culture & Caring

On Friday October the 11th members of our PLC group got together to explore and 'pre-visit' an area in our local school community that may be suitable for future visits with students.














Stay tuned for future posts & updates regarding the implementation of  'Community Cartography'

Regards'
D. Porter