Artifact 1
According to my friend, this artifact is called “Classic Hits,” a mixed media using found objects, paints, with approximately 36″X24″ size from the “Men Talk” series of an artist who calls himself or herself “Gypsy.” He displays this framed painting on his balcony and said he likes it so much because it reminds him of his “aggression and youth.” But most importantly, he added, it has a message that he likes.
Hans George Gadamer (1989) said that there is a sense in which all thought is a kind of artifact as well as a product of history so that it is easy to say that an artifact actually tells something about a person who is closely linked to it, either the creator, the owner or the admirer of an artifact.
In the case of my friend and the “Classic Hits” art piece, while it is reasonable to say that being a male, he had the interest of males such as guns or ammunition. Thus, he had been drawn to view the art piece in an exhibition he attended. With an underlying message using limbs, legs, and decapitated bodies amidst weapons and technology represented by chips and coded remote, the use of gold paint, the art piece has a gross, albeit urgent message sent across as the title itself wants to play: “Classic Hits.” My friend is a pacifist. Despite his claim for aggression, he is by nature against war and all hypes on terrorism. He believes that “terrorism” is a hype that promotes war to sell arms. And he once said that the winner is always the arms manufacturer.
Thus, the art piece Classic Hits successfully conveys many messages about my friend.
Artifact 2
Recently, I have been actively doing what I can for the environment and came across a lot of consumable products online that are practical and useful for everyday use. I have chosen this recycled magazine greeting card as an artifact to represent me because I have purchased some and plan to send it to many of my friends and relatives. The greeting cards (www.dd4sale.blogspot.com) are made up of actual newspapers or magazines, using as a focal point the photos of celebrities, also from publications or magazines.
Many times, we admire and view the faces of these famous Hollywood celebrities just for their good looks. We buy newspapers or magazines because their faces grace the pages of these magazines. Then, we end up throwing these magazines. This endeavor hits a lot of useful marks for what we generally view as trash and use with wit.
The cover of the greeting card has an embossed shout-out message, “Look who I got to greet you today!!!” and inside is the photo of the lucky Hollywood celebrity asking in a classic smile the “I don’t have an idea why I am here” question, “Uhh, what’s the occasion again?”
I believe that my dry sense of humor is expressed in these cards and that at the same time, I am sending in the message to my friends that we should all do our part for the environment. Recycle.
Reference
Gadamer, Hans-Georg (1989). Truth and Method. 2nd ed. New York: Crossroad.
Deconstructed Designs. (2008). “In Good Use.” Web.