Analyzing issues and art

So far, the online journalism class has been exciting because of the guest speakers. I enjoyed Rick Barton and Helen Thomas for the reality check they give on the situation in Iraq. Barton and Thomas are two people who are devoted to asking answers and hopefully getting answers.

Also, I've gone to two Photoshop workshops, which have been great. The instructor is helpful and he even ends the class early if we've covered everything. It makes a difference in my busy schedule especially when I dart from there to my babysitting job. The workshops have also helped in my graphic design classes since I know how to alter images better for a crisp look.

Last night, I was able to attend part of a lecture on John Moore, who is a Gutman Professor of Fine Arts from the University of Pennsylvania. He discussed his work entitled, “Here and There,” which featured paintings based on observations. Most of the paintings were drawn from his studio, looking out the large window into the city. Sometimes the painting displayed furniture in the studio, the window, and another completely different city like Paris and Barcelona. Moore's work was able to compare reality against synthetic situations. It was great work due to its scale and intricate architectural details.

In one painting, Moore discussed a painting he saw at the Whitney museum in New York City. It was a painting of an old steel mill, telephone line and fence. Moore decided to find that location, which was 45 minutes away from Philadelphia, which was created in the painting in 1936.

Thirty years later, Moore discovered how that location remained exactly the same. I wished I could have stayed for the entire lecture, but Thursdays are my busy days with three classes. I had already spent 12 hours at that point at school and it was time to go home.