Connecting Through History and Technology
Professor Bump says it best when he pounds his hammer into the table, “Hammer your thoughts into unity!”[1]and, “Only connect!…Live in fragments no longer.”[2] When starting Project Three I found these phrases to be the basis for my entire project. With the work done in Projects One and Two, I found that by connecting the study of history and the technology of today, I was able to identify with my role model. Though the two projects differed in many ways, the study and research I did in each allowed me to transform into my role model character. Project One focused primarily on the research done on my role model, whereas Project Two brought me into the realm of technology. Each assignment required an extensive amount of knowledge but each brought me closer to understanding my role model.
The first project
was an in-depth writing about our true role model. It was a descriptive look at
whom I saw as a role model for my life and how I can strive to be like him. It required me to perform extensive
research on the history of whomever I chose, but before the research I had to
go through the process of choosing my role model. When choosing a role model to
study I had to ask myself what a role model meant to me. I found that my personal
definition of a role model is someone who you can relate to in some aspects but
that have achieved far beyond expectations and have made an impact for the
better, “role models can be real or fictional, famous or personal. What’s
important is that you have been thinking about that person’s image and found
something attractive in it. It is that ‘something attractive’ that we want to
capture.”[3]
Those are the basic guidelines, my role model fits that mold perfectly and even
displays certain characteristics that far exceed those limitations. After these
considerations, I chose to talk about Leonardo da Vinci as my role model of
choice. I find inspiration in Leonardo da Vinci, the artist and all
around seeker of truth, and the study I would compose would make me realize
this even further. To clarify, Vinci
is by far not my only role model, I find inspiration in many individuals but
for the purpose of the project and its contents, Vinci was the best choice.
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Leonardo da Vinci is the man I found that
could convey my feelings towards what a role model is and what characteristics
that individual should have, he is the best choice for a number of reasons. Leonardo
did so much in his life, he grew up with art and it was always something he
found extremely important to everything he did. He became a historic figure in
the art community and he was able to stay true to what he felt important. I am an artist myself and I find inspiration
when learning of his many accomplishments. His paintings were some of the first
in his field to really connect to the viewer and he really felt the importance
of knowing his subjects and how they work. Also, Leonardo was an amazing
inventor and he used his artistic eye to create many complex things. He was a
man of extraordinary talent, making him a great role model.
Leonardo is a historical figure and one
who lived far back into the 14th century and, through research, I
found I have many similarities with how he lived and who he was. I found it
essential to study his background and some information on who he was as a man
and an artist to connect to him as my role model. Leonardo was born during the
renaissance. In short, the renaissance, meaning rebirth, is considered the
beginning of modern history. The stage was set for a man to come through who
would impact the ways of perception and Leonardo became that man. Leonardo da
Vinci was born the illegitimate son of a 25 year old notarty, Ser Piero, and a
peasant girl whose first name, Caterina is all that is known. He was born on April 15, 1452 in Vinci,
Italy. During his childhood, Vinci had readily available scholarly texts which
his father and his friends owned. He was also exposed to his father’s painting
tradition, and at the ripe age of 15 he was apprenticed by his father to the highly
renowned workplace of Andrea del Verrochio. Throughout his apprenticeship,
Leonardo displayed his amazing potential with his assistance in Verrochio’s
work. The first taste of success displayed by Leonardo da Vinci was his work
done in Verrochio’s piece, “Baptism of Christ.” Vinci was acquired to paint an
angel; after completion Leonardo’s piece was so well done that Verrochio vowed
never to paint again.
Even after this piece,
Leonardo’s artwork continued to stand above the rest and display a talent never
before seen. His first dated work was a pen and ink drawing of a valley, in
this drawing Vinci displays perspective that had yet been shown. He used his
immense skill of design, by allowing less detail and more paper dominate in
certain areas to push the background away from the viewer. Leonardo da Vinci’s
work displayed so much emotion and subtle forms of texture and feeling far
exceeding anyone who had come before him. Vinci completed many masterpieces and
left others in progress but to better understand his style and great accuracy,
one can look to probably his most well known piece, The Mona Lisa. As example
of Leonardo’s grand 2
effect on the art world,
there are still
mysteries and discoveries being made about the piece centuries later. But on
the surface, the piece is a portrait commisioned by Francesco di Bartolommeo di
Zanobi del Giocondo of his third wife Lisa di Antonio Maria di Noldo
Gherardini. The true mystery and awe of the piece comes from Vinci’s technique,
which included smooth transitions of color, misty hues, and his sfumato
technique, meaning a detailed background which disappears in the misty
atmosphere. The piece is still a monument and brings millions to it each year.
The fact that after the centuries, one man’s passion is renowned and loved and
studied by so many today speaks volumes and is something to live up to.
Also, through my studies, I found Leonardo da
Vinci was not a one talent man, he expanded his passions to many other fields
besides art. Vinci was a master of all trades if you will, one quote stated
that, “Leonardo made discoveries in meteorology and geology, learned the
effect of the moon on the tides, foreshadowed modern theories of the formation
of continents, and deduced the nature of fossil shells. He was among the originators
of the science of hydraulics and probably devised the hydrometer. He invented a
large number of potentially useful and ingenious machines and devices, among
them an underwater diving suit.”[4] Vinci was a successful scientist and had
breakthrough studies in a number of fields including anatomy, biology,
mathematics, and physics. In one of his pieces, Study of Man, he shows his
attention to detail and his extreme focus on how things work.
With the physical research I did on Leonardo da Vinci, I was able to connect with him much more than I had realized. I knew that his artistic technique was one to look up to for all artists but I had no idea that it paralleled my views so greatly. I am an artist myself, I grew up drawing and painting and it has always been a part of my life. The fact that Leonardo is an artist and was exposed to that as a child makes it easier to identify with him, even though he was alive centuries ago. He grew up as a son of a painter and he apprenticed at a young age. Others have told me, that I have always had a talent and I have entered contests from a young age and have displayed more talent than those much older than me. To learn of an artist who showed more talent than his master really pushes me to strive for perfection. I know that I can not associate my work with that of Leonardo da Vinci due to the factors that come into play but it is that want, that drive to be renowned that pushes me to strive for perfection. Having a role model of such grandeur makes me strive far past the norm. Charles Dickens wrote that, “whether I shall turn out to be the hero of my own life, or whether that station will be held by anybody else, these pages must show,”[5] and I feel that Vinci was my hero.
As
I learned more about Leonardo and his life beyond the canvas, I found more
reasons why he was a profound historical figure and someone to look up to. The
many things that Leonardo da Vinci found success in proves him to be a great
role model for everyone. Art has been such a big part of my life for so long
that it sometimes overpowers other activities I am involved in. A role model
should display characteristics you wish to have and Leonardo showed that. He
was much more than a famous painter, he excelled in fields of science, anatomy,
and so many other things. I lack in mathematics and science and I feel it is
important to have someone to look up to who stives in all
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categories;
Leonardo is an example of a man who truly valued many fields. In my eyes, Vinci
was a true master combining the powers of the right and left-sided brain.
Through an evaluation, and by studying my own history I discovered that the
right side of my brain completely dominates the left side. I believe that if I
can truly find a balance between my brains, I can truly create works that are
far beyond what I have done in the past. Leonardo da Vinci put his unique
technique of function and creativity into his work and displayed all his
knowledge through his artwork on canvas. I experienced an extensive form of
stimulus for my right brain and left brain when I took on the task of
incorporating today’s technology into the connection of Leonardo da Vinci.
The
technology portion was, in a way I had not realized, just a new form of study
where I was able to identify with Leonardo even further. I experienced this
technological research through Project Two. Project Two was based upon Second
Life, an online computer world where one can transform into anyone he desired.
Our initial assignment was to set up an account in Second Life and create our
character. We were not allowed to create just any character, the main focus of
the assignment was to transform into out role
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model
from Project One. The process of creating my character was a discovery project
in itself. The first step was the customizing of our character. This process
was the building blocks for the transformation into our role model and it
became a new form of researching Vinci. It was especially important for me
because it was taking me back in time, with each new addition to my role model,
I jumped back a century until I found myself in the Renaissance. I also found
that as I customized him, I found myself being transformed into Leonardo da
Vinci. As I placed his beard upon his chin I could almost see myself as him,
stroking the long patch of hair. As I picked his clothes, I felt as though I
was Leonardo, going through a dresser choosing his outfit for the day. By the
end, I was in his shoes, looking through his eyes and seeing the Second Life
world around me. After I transformed my character and myself, I was left to
explore the world within Second Life, which was limited to U.T. Island.
The technological
world around me was amazing, a far reach from the history text I had researched
before. The island is a wonderful place within itself, where all the role
models are left to live and be amongst each other. I was first left with the
challenge of how to get about, and unlike the real Leonardo da Vinci, I was
able to fly (though he did design many flying crafts in his lifetime). Also, I
discovered, as it is in the real life U.T., the Tower is the main focal point
and meeting place for the distinguished minds of its inhabitants. Many times
through the course of my Second Life experience, everyone
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would
meet at the Tower. Eventually I was able to move about freely and become
accustomed to my new world, then it was time to become my role model and
converse with other role models. All these things put my character in a world
unfamiliar to his usual ways and it became a process of exploration.
The next part of
the assignment was allowing me to put this technological study to the test and
give Leonardo da Vinci new life. I found myself having a conversation with whom
my fellow classmates found as leaders and influential figures in their lives.
The goal of our group chat was to answer the question, “ What makes one a
leader?” and more importantly, “What defines a leader or leadership?” It was
amazing, the characters came to life and individuals from vastly different time
periods and backgrounds were conversing together. Vinci’s first compelling
statement was, “ I believe that a true leader is someone who strives for
perfection.”[6] This
statement caused many discussions about the idea of perfection, through our
study I discovered most believe perfection is unreachable but the attempt at
perfection is one that will better a person. Many agreed that the process of
reaching perfection is what truly defines someone as a leader. The conversation
became quite profound and every character began to emerge and display the
essence of their avatar. One character later brought up the point of the impact
of a leader with his 6
statement,
“ A leader can be on a very small scale, such as the leader of a boy scout
troop, all the way up to the leader of a nation, such as the President of the
United
States.”[7]
This phrase was met with positive reaction among the group and is something I
found to be quite true in every way. A leader can be anyone, from a single
mother to a king or a queen, it is their character that defines them, not their
status. All these meaningful statements were made as a result of each person
connecting with their role model through this new technology. Throughout the
entire conversation I noticed that very rarely was there ever a disagreement over
our thoughts. It was amazing how so many different people from different times
and backgrounds found that their idea of a leader was primarily the same thing.
The first chat in Second Life was only the start of my technological study and
as the project progressed I made an even stronger connection to Leonardo da
Vinci.
After the first
conversation, each character was required, once again, to meet with his peers
in the Second Life world. The second conversation was much like the first, only
this time the group had a second question to answer, “ What is the relationship
between diversity and leadership?” Like the first, this chat was quite
interesting and it brought up many good arguments and discussions, and it was a
real display of the identifying each person had with their character. Profound
answers were given that not only showed intellect, but also the transformations
being made to become each person’s role model. One important insert that was
made stated, “[A leader] thou art a man
or woman that
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faces
a problem and performs great change with solutions.”[8]
The man had chosen Shakespeare as his character and through his speech he is
able to become his role model in a new technological world. The chat became
quite interesting, with each individual displaying the qualities of their role
models. Each character put forth their opinion, and transformed themselves with
the new media. Debates arose when I asked the question, “Ah, but if a leader
changes his belief, which he has a right to do, then what of the follower, what
does he do then?”[9]. All these
questions and discussions built on the idea of using the Second Life technology
as a different form of study. The chats continued with such remarks as, “This
is true. A leader can always introduce new ideas and show his followers his
reasoning behind this change of view.”[10]
All in all, the second conversation brought up many more disagreements than the
first one. Due to this, I found I could connect more with the characters and
get a sense of how they would have felt had they really been there chatting.
The process of
creating Project One and Project Two was a highly influential one. With the
first project, I had to obtain research on Leonardo da Vinci and conduct a
thorough study on his life and background. I was able to find parallels between
my life and his and I portrayed reasons why he was my role model. It was a
process that began my connection to my role model. With the second project, I
was able to use technology to walk in his shoes. I transformed my thoughts and
feelings into his. As the projects progressed I found myself becoming my role
model. I was also able to converse with other role models in our own world. The
technological study and the historic research done on my role model made me
form a strong bond with Leonardo da Vinci. I know feel that the hammer of unity
has struck me and I am connected to my role model.
