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Wednesday, March 26, 2014

3/28/14 Hitsuzendo: The Way of the Brush

by Kiriell Popienko

In the west it is said that the pen is mightier than the sword, often jokingly.  But the power of words is a central component of Asian culture.  Chinese is a pictograph language and thus the idea that writing bestows power based on the meaning of the characters is one of China's oldest traditions. Further along the line, the Japanese, having adopted and adapted Chinese writing, incorporated the importance of skillful and purposeful writing into their own culture.  Certain sects of the Zen tradition of Buddhism, having gained prominence in both China and Japan, use the practice of calligraphy as a method of meditation and thus a way of achieving enlightenment.    

Because this is philosophy club first and foremost, we will of course discuss the philosophical implications of eastern calligraphy.  But I will be primarily teaching the practice of calligraphy in Japanese Shodo itself.  I will also demonstrate the Zen Koan, which are riddles, often paradoxical in nature, that serve as a method to reach enlightenment by the act of contemplating them.  

Wednesday, March 5, 2014

3/7/2014 The Ethics of Contemporary Art

by Kyle VanderWerf

One of the most divisive topics in art today is so-called “contemporary art.” There is much debate over whether a signed urinal or a piece of canvas with a single haphazard paint stroke or a styrofoam cup stapled to a plank of wood with a ladybug in it can be considered “art.” I posit that there is another, equally-if-not-more important question to consider when discussing contemporary art, namely: is contemporary art unethical? Is it unethical to produce or display in a gallery or spend thousands/millions of taxpayer dollars on pieces that may be considered overly simplistic, dumb, or just plain ugly? This Friday, I will lead Philosophy and Open Thought through several anecdotes related to contemporary art so that we may try to determine its ethical status.