Exposing "The Selfie" | Linda Hudson | TEDxManhattanBeach

• published: 08 Dec 2014
• views: 26

This talk was given at a local TEDx event, produced independently of the TED Conferences. In her talk, artist and art educator Linda Hudson exposes the selfie as a primal way of communicating our presence, our priorities, and our personalities. Linda makes a remarkable observation, showing us the uncanny similarities between the selfie and pre-historic cave paintings and drawings. Through a series of provocative images taken by her students, Linda shares the "artist eye" that resides in each one of us. For over 20 years, Linda Hudson has witnessed art and design students think and make with their hands. She remains fascinated with how learning happens. She believes that teaching is a rich dialogue between the instructor, curriculum, students, colleagues and research. By its very nature, Linda feels that teaching is research, and educators today must track a moving target that requires swift attention. In response to what she perceived as the increasing separation between herself and technology natives, she searched for strategies to refine her teaching methodology. Still, she knew she was missing something fundamental, so she set out to identify what her students knew that she didn’t. To understand this paradigm shift, she had to disengage from her own preconceived notions of technology. She began her inquiry with her students ubiquitous images–specifically the Selfie. The key seemed to be in the ease of taking photographs, and in turn, the instant sharing. While, as a visual artist, Linda presented her ideas through the things she created, the instantaneously uploaded photographs did not necessarily have artistic intention. She wondered, what does it mean that our culture has developed such a visual practice? Looking at the sheer number of photos taken and shared, she glimpsed what our increasing reliance on images exposes in the monumental communication shift. We are witness to our fast history; the changing of change. Hourly, we are bound up in ever more stories of more people, those we know and those we don’t. This level of intimate exposure is both heady and distracting. Can we really be a culture content to just stay tuned to this new form of communication, or is the Selfie growing up? Favorite Game Changer: Jeremy Gilbert-Rolfe, artist and educator. “My graduate school mentor taught me how my brain works. Following graduate school when I was asked to teach graduate studies, I knew Jeremy would be my role model. Ive never been in a more stimulating classroom. When Im having a great day teaching I always think of Jeremy–hoping someday to approach his level of excellence.” Linda’s favorite TED talk: “How to Truly Listen” by Evelyn Glennie About TEDx, x = independently organized event In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)