Arts Scholars

Koi te hinengaro, koi te arero, koi te mahi!
Sharp of mind, tongue, and work!

Keep up with the latest discussions and thoughts from our Arts Scholars whānau

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Are We Living Through A Revolution?

I must confess that when I sat down for our lecture on the French Revolution, I was confused. I felt determined to figure out how this idea of a revolution was impacting my everyday life. So, I began where most people would begin - by googling the definition of a...

How to not contribute to ‘Orientalism’ and ‘othering’ in research?

Orientalism that Patrick consulted with in his research is really interesting to me. This bias toward Western knowledge in academia may often hide in plain sight. As he had noted that even his framing of the question, “Why Korean gay men do not come out?” is...

2,4,6,8 who do we appreciate? Apparently, not us

So far in Arts Scholars we have discussed many power imbalances in research, be it the western gaze on indigenous cultures, socio-economic bias when viewing underprivileged groups, or the control of the researcher over the researched. However, it was only after...

The Problem with Perfect

Perfection. A myth. An unattainable goal. And yet, something so many of us strive for.   My first issue is the definition. In my opinion, every instance in which we deem something ‘perfect’, it’s a lie. The idea of perfection is completely unique within the mind...

How Victors Shape History – Napoleon’s Rise and Fall

A sweeping golden cloak, pristine military attire and commanding a white stallion while staring directly into the viewers eyes as he points his army towards victory. That is how Napoleon Bonaparte is portrayed in the famous, Napoleon Crossing the Alps painting. The...

Not strictly relevant to our theme

But we have had many anthems and this one was so important to my mum and therefore to me... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rptW7zOPX2E Vale Helen Reddy

Auckland Domain

I am interested in the Auckland Domain for several reasons. Personally, it is a place which holds many dear memories for me: Befriending the swans at the pond, visiting the memorial, the museum, Wintergarden, or just going out for drinks at Wintergarden’s Café. Before...

Removing My Blinders

Patrick Thomsen’s story, and ultimately his research, was personal to him. His exposure to multiple cultural perceptions as a gay man led to his investigation of a Korean gay man’s navigation of race, culture, religion, and sexual invisibility. Although not Korean...

Reflections on Internal Conflict during COVID-19

As coronavirus ravages through the world, I feel odd basking in inner peace. Solitude, and time with my family have left me with hours to enjoy the simpler pleasures that life normally gets in the way of. Picking out tomorrow’s lunch recipe with my family the night...

Criminality and Understanding

On our museum trip, the exhibition that had the most impact on me was also the smallest: that between the Pou Kanohi gallery and the Spitfire, focusing on the lives of three men involved in airstrikes on German cities. These men killed civilians, and destroyed the...

Knock, knock! Who’s there?

Sometimes before you can start a conversation with someone you have to knock before entering, and man is one of the most nerve-wracking things to do. Nicole’s words of reflexivity resonated with me, acknowledging that when you start your research you can either be...

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The Undeniable Value of Experience

For me, Patrick Thomsen’s session was a reminder of the value of drawing on personal experience to shape research. Patrick’s ability to embrace his formative experiences and develop them into questions that would come to shape his research and its impact. Our lived...

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The Power of Staying True to Yourself

Reflecting on research panels and back on my own thoughts, I looked in the mirror and wondered… how the heck could I possibly create research that is intellectually stimulating and has a greater impact beyond the benefit of myself? Big philosophical statement I know!...

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The Eye of the Beholder.

Our second research seminar that was delivered by Erin Griffey and Victoria Munn explored beauty ideals from the Renaissance and how this might be reflected in art produced at the time. Their work involved translating historical beauty recipes from this period and...

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Life Experiences and Good Research

We’ve seen throughout the course so far that a research project can be on any topic, although it seems that a good research project is on that is in some way connected to life experiences. Patrick Thomsen had spoken in his lecture of the way his life experiences had...

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L.U.V’s but a fading memory!

  Why retell a story that is already in the confines of a fading memory? The reasoning behind the retelling of young Americans gaining the right to vote was discussed in our most recent seminar delivered by Jenifer Frost. Jenifer's current work on her book, 'Let...

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