Blog Post #1: "Cultural Diet"

I have never noticed the arts and culture in everyday life around myself. I did not know/understand that humanities are a part of art and culture, along with so much more. Until recently I enrolled in a class of contemporary humanities at the local community college. The consumption of my "cultural diet" is consumed daily, without even knowing it. My cultural diet is categorized as passive (TV viewing, social media). For example, on Netflix there is a series television show titled, "White Collar" where an art thief, Neal Caffrey escapes out of prison to find his girlfriend. However, the girlfriend is missing, and he is eventually in custody of the FBI. He helps the agents of the FBI recover stolen art, while in the process of finding the girlfriend. In the series, some of the stolen art are to be paintings of Degas and Raphael. The main character, Neal gives insight on numerous cases involving famous paintings such as historical background and the techniques of the painting. Remember, its just a television series! Its worth a look, if anyone is interested. My consumption of social media is every day. Art is inspired though social media, though others would disagree on numerous websites of the Internet. Others argue that a form of social media, such as Instagram is a negativity to the art and culture. I personally disagree because I believe it gives the arts and culture something significant through the 21st century, today. The pictures that are posted on Instagram accounts are categorized from photography, digital art to media art, and much more. What is your opinion on the art and culture inspired through social media, in today's world? The most beautiful pictures of scenery, blurriness, etc. can progress to art and culture to one's own perspective. I'm glad that I took a class in humanities to really understand how much art and culture have progressed throughout the centuries and learn more from the class later in the semester. In taking this class, I'm hoping to become more of an active consumer of the "cultural diet". 

Impact of Social Media and Art
White Collar- Degas Painting, "Entrance of the Masked Dancers (1879)