ART 211: Art And Technology

         I don't exactly have a favorite broadway show; actually, I'm not really a fan of musicals whatsoever. I have a passion for film - and I'm able to enjoy a wide array of genres - but once singing and dancing enter the picture, I find myself completely disinterested. However, the one and only broadway show I've attended - The Lion King - shifted my perspective a bit. Although, I still won't go out of my way to watch a musical at any time, I gained a substantial appreciation for everything that goes into the creation of the show. Specifically, for The Lion King, the costuming and technology used stood out to me the most. In terms of costuming: the colors were so vibrant, the materials looked so authentic, and just felt like it represented Africa to the best of its ability. In terms of the technology, the characters Timon and Pumba - the meerkat and boar - were mechanical beings controlled by actors/singers, but the designs were so intricate that they deser...

Kenny Najarro             2-10-18 ART 211 - Roundtree       Don Giovanni Opera Assignment   Opera is a medium that encompasses various aspects of art - costuming, singing, set design, music, and lighting - in an attempt to build an immersive world that the audience can sink into. And that is the case for Mozart’s Don Giovanni; the show originally premiered at the National Theatre in Prague in 1787 (Fairman). While the production differs drastically than the 2010 production at the Glyndebourne opera house in the United Kingdom, the story that audiences adored over 200 years ago still resonates. However, more than a couple of centuries removed from its inception, Don Giovanni’s themes and characters articulate today’s society in what can only be classified as an eerie premonition. That said, what is hailed as one of Mozart’s most impressive works has gained newfound momentum for its implementation of technology wit...

The word that kept popping into my head while watching the animation is “primal”. There could be one use of it, but in this animation the word primal kept changing definitions. At the beginning, the word primal could be used to describe the landscape - mountains, ocean, beautiful sky - and the sexual acts being performed. The lack of clothing, aside from a sailor’s hat and a lanky robe, added to this very minimal set up. However, even the technology included in the animation - the record player, the car, the yacht - could not take away from the primal feeling throughout the video. The tenderness of the sex scene echoed this sentiment of primality as they were very in-tune with each other’s bodies - almost being in sync with the nature surrounding them. However, it is the moment the protagonist gives birth that drives the feeling home.   When the protagonist gives birth, she gives birth to what seems like a fetus - more like a fish - that begins to grow in her arms from new bor...

Raul Cuero - who came from a life of poverty and limited opportunities - made the most of what was given to him. He used his athleticism to gain a scholarship to play basketball in college; however it is when he was given the opportunity to study, he made the most of it by exhibiting and manifesting his creativity and intelligence in a tangible manner. One of Cuero’s concepts concerning creativity that stuck out the most to me was that of observing and taking everyday life and implementing it in your passions and goals. He used this as an example to when he was talking about his curiosity of science arose when he saw cockroaches in his childhood home and was curious about their movements and behaviors. Something as simple as seeing what’s in front of you and using it as a launchpad to what you really want to achieve in life is pretty solid advice. I tend to apply the same methodology to my writing and graphics design work by at the very minimum using the emotions and feelings from li...

My name is Kenny Najarro. I am a senior majoring in Advertising/Public Relations at the University of Tampa. Originally from Long Island, New York, I come from a family that hails from Guatemala making me a first-generation American and first-generation college student as it concerns my immediate family. Since I was a kid, I’ve been fascinated by film and I would go as far as to say that is one of my true passions as it is something I can not live without. I can sit down and watch movies for hours on end without getting bored because of the immersive nature of the medium and its ability to make use of sound, image, and motion in an impactful and interesting manner. This passion has allowed me to branch out into writing and creating screenplays in the hopes of one day creating a feature length film. In other miscellaneous things I happen to have an intense fondness of span happen to be sports and music - hip-hop specifically as they are staples in my life. As far as this class is conc...