Sean+Miller+Spring+2013

=**Sean Miller**=
 * Major--Political Science and History**
 * Year--Senior**

Most of my experience with computers come from my job as a computer technical assistant. So my knowledge mostly deals with fixing them. I do learn how to use most software on computers pretty quickly as well though.

I have no art experience, aside from an Art History course in high school.


 * Examples of Absence:**

Pol Úbeda Hervàs' //I'm Not There//

Keun Young Park's //Absence//

//Absence/Presence//




















__**Response to Counter monument** **article**__

On an individual basis I like the idea of counter monuments. I like the idea of how the burden of interpretation is shifted to thee viewer. In the article this comes up specifically the Aschott Fountain whose absence forces the viewer to find meaning in the monument. This is very different then more standard monuments, which scream meaning and intention at the viewers. A point where I would disagree in the early statements made in the article, is that the counter monuments express a position opposing a particular belief. It's not that I disagree with that, but rather I dislike what that statement implies. To me it implies that a counter monument is in itself revolutionary in expressing a new view on the event it is commemorating. There may be cases where this is true. As a whole though I do not think it to be true. If a counter monument was in fact revolutionary then it would be near impossible for anyone to understand its intention. Rather I see counter monuments as expressing popular belief that had been shunned away from in the past. It is a sign of acceptance for the new popular view. (Bit of digression but I did not know how to express this view well). It goes on to express how the qualities of counter monuments differ from the traditional in one of five aspects: subject, form, site, visitor experience and meaning. The article also touches on how the counter monument usually touch on a darker, more troubling event. This is obvious with most Holocaust monuments and even the Vietnam Memorial. It also one of the reason's I tend to dislike counter monuments. I dislike the negativity that they are trying to impart in their viewers. There are of course some counter monuments that do not do this, but generally that is their goal. Remember this awful thing that happened and feel bad. It's not that this is a bad thing. This is a necessary part of human development. There are just so many positives that could be emphasized instead. Counter monuments are just a part of post-modern thought that has taken a negative view on human existence that I dislike. (I could go into this thought in much more detail but it's not really relevant).