I’d like you to reflect on the various ways art and visual culture intersects with your own world and life – how the culture you are raised in and the one(s) you interact with throughout your life affect how you see things, what you like/dislike, and how things you see make you feel. 

Pick One Method for interacting with the visual culture in your world:

1. Look around your house. Where is there art, visual culture, advertisements/marketing aids, designed elements, or other visual artifacts. Tell me what you see. Where is it from? Did you buy it or someone else in your household, or was it a gift? What story does your home tell? What do you like/dislike or what have you never really thought about as art, but there it is… sitting on the mantel (just an example). 

2. Look in your car/backpack/purse/phone/laptop – where ever you personally decorate or place things that make you feel at home, at peace, prepared, or relaxed. This can be bumper stickers, well designed wallets, posters/pictures in your room, laptop/computer wallpapers/screensavers, video games, etc. Tell me about it. What does this tell us about you? Where did these things come from? Did you buy them, make them, were they a gift? Why do they appeal to you? (e.g. why did you make the purchase, or keep them) and what makes you feel connected to this/these item(s)? 

3. Go to – pick any random museum or virtual exhibit and click through/take the tour, etc. Tell me what you see – does it appeal to you? Why/Why not? Did you connect to it or was it disturbing? Tell me about what you see, what works/doesn’t work, and then I want you to do some soul searching about why it affects you the way it does. (And really think about WHY it worked/doesn’t work for you). 

Write a Brief Summary: regardless which you choose, I want you to write a brief summary connecting what you observed about your world with the culture you have grown up in – specifically focusing on visual elements. Pick one thing from your observations to focus on and tell me what makes this really revealing about your own preferences regarding aesthetics, art, colors, etc.