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Poster

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Critical Thinkers Lecture 'Jean Baudrillard' 

Hyperrealism

Have you ever watched a tv programme or the news and questioned is what you are watching is real or fiction? Hyperrealism is where the lines between reality and fiction are blurred and you cannot distiguish what is real or not. We experience hyperrealism in our lives everyday in many different forms eg. magazines and newspapers, photography, television, advertising and the internet. US President Donald Trump and  The First Lady Melenia are good examples of hyperrealism and the many different images, story's and news footage we see of them through mass media are orchestrated by many different organizations for very many reasons. Firstly Donald Trump and Melania Trump have their own private  press secretary's and pr machines working for them to present them both in the best light possible because Donald Trump has his own business interests which are separate from his Presidency. The American Government present their marriage in such a way that benefits America on the global political stage and the same could be said of the Republican Party as they also want The Trumps to win votes so that the Republican Party can remain in power. The information we are fed about the Trumps relationships has one purpose and that is to make them appear to be the model couple but good investigative journalism has on some occasions shown the public that all is not as it appears. Hyperrealism is an essential tool that people in power use and can often enable corrupt politicians to fool the public into believing what they want them to believe and to hide the truth.

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Blog Task: Making Histories Lecture (Clare Johnson)

Historical facts are important because without them we have no reference points to shape the society we live in whereas the truth about something that happened in the past can be blurred and can even enter the realms of mythology because the story can be altered at any given time, there is a freedom to change the truth about something that happened in the past unlike a historical fact which is recorded. A good example of how historical facts shape our future is the recording of how the economy has either succeeded or has crashed according to which Goverment was in power at the time, without historical facts governments would not be able to regulate the economy and ensure stability but the people's  lives that are affected by such a crash, their perception of the crash would be from their own personal account and it would not have been recorded because there is no real importance to their life experience during such an event.

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Visual and Cultural Hierarchies.

Top 10 Favorite Interior Designers .

Philippe Stark (French) interior, industrial, architectural, furniture.

I find a bravery in Philippe Starks designs and when you come into contact with them especially his product designs you feel that you are entering a new world but at the same time you feel secure.

Marcel Wanders (Dutch) interior, architecture, industrial.

There is a fragility to Marcel Wanders designs especially his furniture that I find very beautiful, I also like 1970's influences that are present in his interiors. 

Anouska  Hemple (New Zealand) interior, architecture, landscapes, furniture.

The clean lines and references to Art Deco in Anouska Hemples interiors give you a feeling that you are witnessing perfection and that you are stuck in a moment in time and that you wish to stay there for aslong as possible.

Iris Apfel (American) interior, fashion.

If there is one designer on the planet that brings life, happiness and a smile to everyone's face it is Iris Apfel but on a serious note her use of colour and textures and different materials is unrivaled.

Barbara Barry (American) interior, furniture.

If you want sophistication and elegance then Barbara Barry delivers, but at  the same time she makes you feel that you  naturally deserves to live in one of her interiors as they are very homely in style but also retain luxury and richness.

Nate Berkus (American) interior, author, television.

Similar in style to Barbara Barry but with a masculine edge and slightly more exotic.

Susanna Cots (Spanish) interior. 

Susanna Cots gives you the space to breath in her interiors and her minimalist style is clever and unpretentious and also perfect for hot climates. 

Sara Folch (Spanish) interior.

If its drama you want in your life then Sara Folch takes inspiration fom the theater and makes you feel like you are on stage or living in a fim set. 

Toni Molins (Spanish) interior.

Toni Molins creates interiors that feel like they were transported from a surrealist painting and his use of light is very clever and subtle, his strengths lie in making commercial spaces feel like you could live in them very comfortably.

Nicky Haslam (English) interior. 

Over the top and totally pretentious but sometimes you can only find the truth when being pretentious as it allows you to be bold and fearless which is why I love Nicky Haslam, his unforgiving interiors make me laugh at the absurdity of life. 

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What is Visual Culture

There has been a cultural and social shift over the past 50 years away from the verbal/textual and towards the visual but the shifts depend on many influences such as technological, economical, geographical amd generational. Considering where we were as a society 50 years ago Apollo 11 was about to take the first two humans into space and land on the moon, Neil Armstrong would describe the event as "one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind" and what was to follow that momentous event certainly lived up to Neil Armstrong's words. 

As soon as the first commercial computer was launched in 1975 the "MITS Altair 8800 followed by the IMSAI 8080 humans started to zone into a world that would be in many cases total isolation but at the same time enable a person to communicate with many people at the same time with the technological advances that eventually followed. As technology evolved so to did the quality of the image that was on the computer screen which engaged a person even more into the world isolated from other humans but there was another piece of technology that would propel humans into a world where the visual would become not only become  a humans way of communicating but also would express a persons personality and how they wished the rest of the human race to perceive them and this was the mobile phone. Now with Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Tumbler and Snapchat the 21st century is destined to become the age of  self expression by technology only and over the last 10 years since computers and mobile smart phones have become available and affordable to more people worldwide the verbal and textual is becoming less important. I think we will eventually look at text and verbal communication as a romantic and nostalgic way for humans to communicate.

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Reading Group: Task 3

Spain is going through a transitional period right now because Franco the Spanish dictators shadow has been  hanging over Spain for along time and his politics have influenced people's lives in many ways, especially education but the millennial generation have started to shake off the Franco influence and Spain is now forming a new identity which is more progressive, in some ways I found Bell Hooks childhood experiences very similar to the Spanish way of life under Franco. I was brought up on a very small Spanish island and the population was also very small and this included class sizes but more importantly the teaching methods were very structured toward the geographical placement of the school so there was a big emphasis on learning Catalan and also the Catholic religion. Spain is a very young country with regards to its politics and I think that reflects in the education so to learn about critical thinking is for me crucial in the way I approach my studies and the world around me. I very much enjoyed the subject of critical thinking and it has opened my mind and made me realize that my own education and childhood had a profound effect on how I view the world and other cultures and also that asking questions is most important and not to rely only on the answers that my education gave me when I was younger and to have my own critical  way of thinking. To be able to take step back and to take evidence, assess and evaluate the information  and to form my own answer and point of view  is very empowering and opens up the possibilities of discovering new ideas and answers in my chosen subject of interior design.

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Reading Group Task 2

Glossary

Archetype

The original pattern or model from which all things of the same kind are copied or on which they are based; a model or first form; prototype.

Intangible

Incapable of being perceived by the sense of touch, as incorporeal or immaterial things; impalpable.

HVAC System

It is the technology of indoor and vehicular environmental comfort. Its goal is to provide thermal comfort and acceptable indoor air quality. 

Epistemology

A branch of philosophy that investigates the origin, nature, methods, and limits of human knowledge.

Semiotics

The study of signs and symbols as elements of communicative behavior; the analysis of systems of communication, as language, gestures, or clothing.

Minutiae

The small, precise, or trivial details of something.

Interdisciplinary

Combining or involving two or more professions, technologies, departments, or the like, as in business or industry.

Dichotomy

A division or contrast between two things that are or are represented as being opposed or entirely different.

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Reading group Task 1 

Bell Hooks.  Teaching Critical Thinking: Practical Wisdom.

Bells Hooks covers many ideas her in book and she is very forward thinking with her subjects of feminism and in particular the text which explores the relationship between the child pupil and the teacher and specifically that teachers cannot admit when they are wrong. She stresses the importance of critical thinking and how the old system of teaching which  limits the leart  behaviour of the child in thinking that they are wrong and that as they grow older they have no other option but in thinking that being wrong is not allowed. She covers the idea that when a child is stressed in the classroom and the anxiety which prevents them from asking questions and exploring subjects with an open free mind that the fear will hold them back. She also looks at the idea that there is a racial divide between the teacher and pupil and that some teachers think they are superior and the effect that can have on the child and how they view society.  By learning to think critically is a process where you must first start by looking at your own failings and then have the courage to open your mind to new teaching and ideas and by doing so the pupils respond in a more fully and rounded way engaging them with their subjects.  Her ideas are formed from her life experiences but she translates very well but because of her own experiences in Kentucky and the prejudices she experiences many people may find it hard to read between the lines and feel a connection to what she experienced especially as she grew up in the 1950's when teaching methods were very different and especially because it was an American educational system.