Idea Essay #2: What is Art?

This is a clip from the movie Mona Lisa Smile. For those of you who haven't seen the film, it's set in 1953 and is about an graduate student from California (Julia Roberts) who takes a job as the art history professor at Wellesley College, a highly conservative women's college in Massachusetts. The movie explores ideas regarding the role of women in society as well as the concept "What is art?" This clip is of the second class Ms. Watson taught at Wellesley. In the previous class, all the girls knew every piece of art and it's history, and had already read their entire text. In this class, however, Ms. Watson begins to challenge their concept of art. When she shows the Soutine painting the girls are shocked because they have never before been presented this idea of art. Betty (Kirsten Dunst) objects to this as art because it doesn't subscribe to the "standards" of art like color and form, essentially a formalist argument. Another character, Giselle Levy (Maggie Gyllenhaal) claims that the painting is aggressive and erotic. The arguments of many of the philosophers of art are buried in the dialogue of this scene. It explores the very idea that we have been talking about all semester: What is art? This is one of those questions which will never be fully answered. In this movie it is argued that art is not up to the standards of the infamous "them". The standards of art are determined by each individual and what their values are. To some, their child's painting is the greatest work of art in the world. To others, no artists can live up to the great Michelangelo or DaVinci. Some just want their art to be pretty and consider paintings like the Soutine "grotesque". But as Connie (Ginniger Goodwin) says, "Is there a rule against art being grotesque?" Throughout history, different generations have had different standards for the art of their time. But for me art is a personal experience. Part of it is about the composition, the colors, the form. But if it doesn't spark any thought, any emotion, it doesn't hold much meaning for me. It can still be art in the technical sense, but real art for me is art which I can look at time and time again and still connect to. I can learn something from it, it can influence my emotions, or sometimes it can just make me smile. Art can't just be paint on a canvas. It's something deeper, more meaningful, and it's not up to a textbook or elite few to tell us what good art has to be. If you love tacky velvet paintings, well then that's art for you. Most people may not share that opinion but why does that matter? Art is a personal experience, and while it can be influenced by standards, it's ultimately up to the individual to look past the paint.

BBC's Hamlet

This is a scene from the new BBC production of Hamlet where David Tennant plays the title character. The part I want to talk about is Hamlet’s advice to the actors which only goes until 2:11.

Hamlet’s advice to the actors is one of the most overlooked monologues from this play. The speech is not as theatrical as Hamlet’s other monologues; it isn’t as dark and depressing. But I really enjoy this monologue because it is instructional. It holds true even today.

People often forget that the theatrical arts are very precise and very technical. Not everyone can just get on stage and perform, though this is not true for film (sorry, stage actor joke…). There are certain rules to follow. One should be creative, but should not stray from what the author has written. An actor must know when gestures further the words and when they are too much (my old acting coach would say “To gesticulate or not to gesticulate. That is the real question.” And depending on the method the actor chooses to follow, one must “act natural”. It should appear to the audience as if one were “to hold … the mirror up to nature”, to represent reality to the best of their ability. Stereotypes of actors always have the over dramatic performer flailing about onstage, over emphasizing words and crying without cause. This is actually considered “bad acting”, or as I like to put it: *fakes gagging noises*

Here is a link to Hamlet’s famous “To be, or not to be” soliloquy where Tennant takes his own advice. His performance is breath taking. People don’t generally walk around speaking poetry to themselves (let’s not discuss whether or not Hamlet is actually crazy by this point or not). However, if they did express their inner monologue, this is how it would look. Notice how emotional he gets. These are not David Tennant’s words, and yet he tears up. He does not act, he is Hamlet, he feels what Hamlet feels. Perhaps I’m glorifying him too much, I am biased. But of all the Hamlet soliloquies I’ve seen, none have been so specific, so real. Most are *fake gagging noises* acting. This is personal, this is intense, this is real.

To conclude, the performing arts have as many rules, techniques, and difficulty as any other art and not everyone can pull it off. But Shakespeare provides wonderful advice on how to better the performance and David Tennant certainly exemplifies it in both of his scenes above.

This poem (below), The Broken Heart by John Donne is one of my favorites! Written in Sonnet form of ABABCCDD, John Donne’s poetry greatly resembles that of Shakespeare’s.

I first came across this poem my senior year of high school in English class. As an angst-y teenager, it spoke to me and offered me a new cynical outlook on love and life. Since, I’ve grown to form my own opinions on the matter, and to appreciate the poem more objectively.

The first thing, anyone notices in analyzing the poem is the ample use of imagery. “By him, as by chain'd shot, whole ranks do die ; He is the tyrant pike, our hearts the fry” (Donne). This is my favorite line. Donne offers brilliant and dark pictures of how love destroys. If imagining two cannon balls chained together, killing everyone in their path is not enough to turn you off, imagine, then that ugly fish, the pike ripping a tiny minnow to shreds. Lovely isn’t it?

It is a fair assumption to say that whatever heart break Donne was going through was recent and messy. He’s not at a state in his healing where he can rationally deal with the emotions going through his head. He tries to reason through the recent events in his last two stanzas. He talks about how he had a whole heart before meeting this woman, and after departing found that there was something missing. He reasons that if he had actually given her his heart, his heart would have been able to teach hers about love and compassion, but seeing that this is not the case, Donne decides that this woman simply shattered his heart (maliciously, I assume). Obviously, this isn’t rational, but it is how John Donne chooses to reason through his emotion.

I’ve always been a dreamer, myself and I am saddened by the heartbreak in the world and children growing up too fast, but I maintain that a healthy dose of cynicism keeps you grounded and prevents greater heartbreak later. Perhaps this poem takes that philosophy to the extreme – “…after one such love, will love no more” – but I feel Donne’s idea of a heart scarring every time it is broken is pretty accurate. One may have lost a love, but the wounds they wear are only proof that they have been strong enough to make themselves vulnerable for someone they cared about. A new scar, a newly lost love. This is not the death of your heart, per say, but there is always a reminder of what once was. And one must use it as a means to move forward. (If that makes sense)

The Broken Heart by John Donne is a beautiful poem excellently composed. It is simple, I know, but the amble use of imagery and emotional context make it one of my favorite poems to read. I feel very connected to the poem (even past my more angst-y years) and hope that you enjoy it as well.

THE BROKEN HEART.

by John Donne

He is stark mad, whoever says,

That he hath been in love an hour,

Yet not that love so soon decays,

But that it can ten in less space devour ;

Who will believe me, if I swear

That I have had the plague a year?

Who would not laugh at me, if I should say

I saw a flash of powder burn a day?

Ah, what a trifle is a heart,

If once into love's hands it come !

All other griefs allow a part

To other griefs, and ask themselves but some ;

They come to us, but us love draws ;

He swallows us and never chaws ;

By him, as by chain'd shot, whole ranks do die ;

He is the tyrant pike, our hearts the fry.

If 'twere not so, what did become

Of my heart when I first saw thee?

I brought a heart into the room,

But from the room I carried none with me.

If it had gone to thee, I know

Mine would have taught thine heart to show

More pity unto me ; but Love, alas !

At one first blow did shiver it as glass.

Yet nothing can to nothing fall,

Nor any place be empty quite ;

Therefore I think my breast hath all

Those pieces still, though they be not unite ;

And now, as broken glasses show

A hundred lesser faces, so

My rags of heart can like, wish, and adore,

But after one such love, can love no more.

Vale Decem

This is one of the most beautiful songs I currently know. It is called “Vale Decem” and was written for the final episode of the Doctor Who 2010 season. Vale Decem is Latin for “Farewell Ten” and was written specifically for the regeneration (or death and rebirth) of the 10^th Doctor into the 11^th Doctor.

Aside from the obviously beautiful music and haunting melody, I find the song particularly interesting because the composer/lyricist wrote it in a dead language for a tv show! This is not something people do every day. Something/someone has to be very special to dig up a dead language for them. And all biases aside, David Tennant as the 10^th Doctor is very special.

What amazes me further is that the singer hitting all of the amazing high notes is, in fact, a male singer. This is called a counter tenor. How he is able to hit notes I could not even dream of, astounds me! My voice teacher tells me she hates men like him because they take our (mezzo sopranos’) jobs. Counter tenors are just so novel! Who wants to see a girl sing high, when there’s a man out there who can do it too? I see her point, but I have no room to agree. I have a vast range of lower notes and, for the first few musicals of my life, I was cast as a male. When singing with friends, I will often take the male part because I can. In middle school our chorale group did a Phantom of the Opera medley where one of my friends, Nathan and I sang “All I Ask of You”; except I was Raoul and he was Christine. Perhaps it is ok for men to sing like women and vice versa. If you are gifted with a beautiful voice, no matter the range, you should show it off! This man sings the song beautifully.

Finally, the lyrics to the song are just beautiful. As I stated above, they were written in Latin and are as follows:

Lyric (rough translation)

Vale Decem (Farewell Ten)

Honore Res Quara (In Your Honour)
Emerio (Its Deserved)
Alter Altera (This Other One)
Vale Decem (Farewell Ten)
Emerio (This is deserved)
Alter (This Other One)
Alteri Te (This Other One Of You Begins)
Vale Decem (Farewell Ten)
Vale Stragem (Farewell Carnage)
Valde Temptua (Intense Trials)
De Glorio (In Matters Of Pride)
Vale De Temptua (Bid Farewell To These Trials)
Vale Decet (Bid Farewell Ten)
Honora (With Honour)
Res Quare (This Occurence)
Alter Cerna (This Seperation)
Armis (Is By Force Of Arms)
Grata Tunc (So Leave With Joy)
Usquera (All The Way)
Emani (And Arise)

Vale (Farewell)

Perhaps I am emotionally biased to the song because it is related to a show I am very emotionally invested in. David Tennant was my first Doctor of the series, and though he will not be my last, I will always hold him in the highest honor. He was, indeed, one of the best representations of this majestic creature in a very long time. And the creators of the show know it. He was given all the due respect and applaud with this last episode, and this beautiful farewell song.

I shall tell you a tale of a piece of art I encountered over break. This Spring Break, for my birthday, I received a gift I was almost ashamed to have used. My aunt handed me a beautiful box containing several beautifully painted shapes. I smiled at her, not entirely sure I knew what I was holding. “They are from this new place by my house,” she said, “Aren’t they pretty neat? And they come in interesting flavors too!” I began to perceive that I was, indeed, holding a box of chocolates! Some could pass as candy (natural chocolate-y color with some embellishment) but some were shiny, sparkly, and had interesting colors of green, orange, red, etc. How could anyone eat these chocolates? How could they destroy this art?!

Of course, I had to eat them eventually (I have no self control with chocolates). I tried an orange Reeces©-looking piece. It tasted pretty normal – peanut butter/chocolate – and then I reached for my water! It had curry in it! Looking at the list of flavors that comes in most boxes, I noticed most of them had unusual flavors: cider caramel, lavender, Tahitian vanilla, crème brulée, etc. Some were too odd for me, others were delicious! All were beautiful!

Today, the box is empty. Food art is not meant to last as long. Which makes me wonder why this art is created at all? I know what food looks like after being chewed, being digested, and where it ends up (please excuse the toilet talk; I hope it isn’t too base a subject, and I shall not expand). What artist could put such work into their creation only to have it digested?

Is food art really art if it is created for the express purpose of being destroyed? We see all of these new cake shows that glorify cake art but we never see how it ends. Yes it is wonderful to see and it is WONDERFUL to eat, but how do we analyze it? Can food art skimp on flavor for the sake of more creative art? Or could one forgive the sloppy art if it tastes great?

I know I would have preferred more taste than looks. Plain old peanut butter and chocolate would have sufficed for me; leave the curry out of it. Yes the lavender chocolate tasted great! But it wasn’t the prettiest to look at – nothing more than a chocolate square with purple on top. Does aesthetic compromise flavor and vice versa? Can one exist without the other? Then why does food art exist? If art is to be created and appreciated, shouldn’t it be preserved?

I personally don’t believe that food art is worth the time and money. On my plate, I prefer a tasty meal over an artistic showcase. I would never eat the Mona Lisa, nor would I be able to eat most food art. This is not to say that people should stop making food art. Let them have their talent and create how they will, but I will not be eating it. The Cake Boss is my guilty pleasure, but I watch it to watch art, not to watch food.

Art Essay 4

For my final art essay I decided to take an argumentative approach and tackle something which may or may not actually be art, graffiti. I was actually inspired by a film that we watched during my first year seminar, "Bomb It", which dealt with that question. Anyone else who took that class may remember the debate we had on whether graffiti counts as art, but now I would like to analyze graffiti from some the prespectives we have discussed in class. For the sake of length, I will not discuss the fact that graffiti is illegal and keep my arguments about it as aesthetically based as possible. Also I will limit my arguments to common graffiti found in the United States, as it does look different in Europe. So the question, is graffiti art or good art according to the criteria we have discussed in class?

Graffiti could be considered art from a formalist perspective. Formalist art could be described as art that is about itself, its own medium. Graffiti, is arguably about the location it is placed and how it is applied. Admittedly, this does not apply to political graffiti or name graffiti, but rather simple designs. Some graffiti artists, known as bombers, claim that their work is not actually graffiti if it is done on canvas in a studio. It is about marking a surface in a particular place. It could therefore be argued that it is about the surface, about itself.

Graffiti could also be considered art from an expressivist perspective. It can express the emotions of the artist. Many graffiti artists have what I see as a Romantic view of marking the world with their own names. Overall, a form of art that is about the artist.

Finally, one could argue that graffiti is art from a pragmatic perspective It is about how it influences those who encounter it. Whether these influences are a good thing or not is not the issue that I wish to discuss. This applies in particular to politically motivated graffiti, which makes a pragmatic statement.

I have never said that I find graffiti beautiful, in fact I do not find it beautiful, but the question I wish to tackle is could it if judged by the standards we have discussed be considered a work of art. I am not suggesting that anyone experiment with spray paint in the dead of night, but could we still call graffiti art?

-Laurel

Idea Essay #2: Formalism

Alright so as we know my peers and I tend to lean towards a romantic view of aesthetics. In the past few weeks, though, I am finding that when it comes to things that I am proficient in, I'm quite a formalist critic. Because of this I thought I'd take a peek at what the "less bad" parts of formalism are!
So my understanding of formalism is that the philosophy is based on the form of the piece. Meaning that its aesthetic value is based solely on its composition and its craftsmanship rather than any emotional or content-driven argument. In visual art this creates pieces with little to no storyline and creates paintings like this one by Mondrian:
As you can see this painting has no emotional content, it is simply a depiction of form (mainly the artistic qualities of line and color). While you might say that this is boring and pointless and uninteresting (I tend to think so), try applying formalist ideas to a more romantic piece. Think of the Mona Lisa:If Da Vinci hadn't had some sense of formalism, this painting would have absolutely no power at all. It would be sloppy, poorly painted, and uninteresting to look at. Formalism is what keeps "great art" great. Ironically formalist painters rely too heavily on a formalist aesthetic and simply paint lines, boxes, etc. ruining their potential greatness.

Formalism is necessary. It has always existed and is at the heart of great art of any kind (be it painting, poetry, film, etc.). My qualms with formalism come with extreme formalism that discredits anything that isn't purely based on technical mastery. To make truly great art one needs to be technical but they must also have pure artistic genius (usually enhanced by technical mastery).

In my opinion formalism isn't all bad (to anyone that has studied with professor Oakley, I would label him as a strongly formalist musician but his choirs sing beautiful music). I do think that extreme formalism is detrimental to art, but aspects of the formalist aesthetic are quite necessary for art. What do you guys think?

-Allijah

P.S. The views discussed in this blog post are my own and do not express the opinions of Da Vinci or Mondrian :-P

Idea Essay 2 - Collections

As I grow older, I become more and more regretful of the fact that I hadn't ever collected anything, and now I feel like it's too late. Even though I personally have never persistantly collected something, I know that people have a specific aesthetic drive to want to collect something they are passionate about. For some it may be books, for others it may be stamps, and so on. So what is it that drives people to collect the same things over and over again of a different variety? For one reason, it entirely appeals to a person's sense of aesthetics. Depending on one's taste, (whether it be "good" taste or not) it satisfies that person's need of constantly cultivating a passion. The thrill of the unknowningness of whether or not you can find that last baseball card from the 1970's that you've always wanted, or the last state in your U.S. quarter collection drives people's passions to collecting. Collecting allows people to tap into what they value and how they see things aesthetically, through allowing their sentimental vaules to tap into their passion. As the saying goes, "One man's trash is another's treasure," this holds true for many collectors. Because it depends solely on what someone sees as important or valuable to collect, which is derived from their aesthetic view, not everyone is interested in certain collections. Some people may know everything about every band in history because they collect records or CD's, and that is because they are aesthetically driven to music. Others may be extremely knowledgeable about bugs, because they collect them after they have died. Personally, I may find these things interesting, but I could never have ther perserverance of collecting countless records or the stomach to collect dead bugs. It all depends on a person's aesthetic view of value.

Art Essay 4 - Google Doodles

As I went on Google.com to research something for my last art essay, I took notice of the Google homepage. Instead of seeing the standard blue, green, yellow, and red letters that spell out "Google" above the search bar, there was an arrangement of a variety of birds on branches that supposedly spelled out "Google." This sparked my interest. I learned that these creations are called "Google Doodles" and are artistically created for holidays, anniversaries, and tributes to famous artists and scientists. In my research of this I found that there are so many creative designs that the Google logo has due to such events, and if you click on the creative logo, it will bring you to a Google page that provides links that give information on what it represents. Some logos offer an elaborate picture of whatever the logo of that day is. For Earth Day the background had an arrangement of varied greens and where "Google" was illuminated by a lighter green and curvy trees and branches intricately and beautifully spelled out the logo. It was also accompanied by friendly forest creatures such as beautiful birds. Another memorable one was for E. C. Segar's birthday, who was the creator of Popeye the Sailorman. For the "G" it was a picture of Popeye in a particular motion that looked like a "G" and the remaining letters were in comicstrip letters and colors with the black dots inside to make it seem like it was in newsprint. Of course, they couldn't forget the spinach; they had an open can of spinach for the "E" and designed it flying into Popeye's mouth. Having such elaborate and captivating logos for this search engine certainly appeals to site surfer's aesthetic. It adds a sense of excitement for each time one has the need to "google" something; the plain white screen with a search bar under "Google" just isn't enough. Having designers change up the logo from time to time that has a meaning to it allows surfer's to stay interested in this website and see the creativity even a search engine can maintain.





Here you can find many of the logos from the past:


http://www.google-logos.com/

Art Essay 3

http//www.youtube.com/watch?v=EDjjR_EX1Bk&feature=related


For this next art essay I wanted it to have to do with art in a video and I came across something very interesting on Youtube.com. There are a series of 2D animation videos that correlate with some songs by Radiohead, and the first one of the series is based off of the song "Trans-Atlantic Drawl." The animations themselves are (I believe purposely) mediocre, but the way the artist created the plotline to correspond perfectly to the music, it almost seems like the songs were made for these animations, not the other way around. These videos don't offer any dialogue, so the artist is responsible for creating a plotline that viewers are able to understand without the need of words to describe the events, which he does very well. The beginning of "Trans-Atlantic Drawl"starts off sounding very chaotic and almost has a siren-y sound to it which makes listeners feel somewhat uneasy or restless to begin with, which coincides well with what the character is going through. The artist starts this "episode" off with showing the main character (who is drawn with a face that seems permanently worried) in four different screens waking up at 7:00 and going through a quick montage of his burned out daily routine repeatedly, as the rhythm and music of the song suggests. In the middle of the song, it cuts to being a very solemn tune, slow and almost conveys a mood of death. During this time the artist decides to cut to a memory of losing the girl that the main character loves that seems to be haunting him throughout the first half of the song. The transition worked absolutely perfectly, and was very creative; as a viewer I had no idea what could have possibly connected the first half of the song to the second half, them being two completely different sounds. This form of art is very interesting to me because there are so many things that the artist needs to understand and capture in his or her animation. In this case, there aren't many words in "Trans-Atlantic Drawl" so viewers don't have to try to understand what the words of the song are and how they connect to the sound of the music as well as what the story of the animation is about. Also, the correlation of the music and the animation work almost dependently on one another, because if you just watch the video without the sound, you lose all of the effect the music has on what the animation is trying to convey. When you just listen to the song, your brain gets scrambled about the countless meanings it could have. I look forward to researching more on animations in vidoes that are choreographed with music because there are so many possibilities of what could be portrayed from them.

Shift Happens

For my final idea essay I felt it would be appropriate to present a video/slide show that has a whole bunch of ideas thrown in it. Basically this video is trying to make those in the U.S. understand just how fast the world is moving and how we are not quite as great as we think we are. On the one hand this is an eye-opener that is designed to make you think and ponder the issues that the video brings up. On the other hand though, I feel that this video is trying to instill a sensation of fear because the meaning of these phenomena is so unknown. This presentation uses aesthetics to prove a point; that the world is changing and, as the title states, shift happens. By using visual representations of the issues at hand they are able to personalize the message so that it has a specific aesthetic affect on the individual.

The real clencher is at the very end when it begs the question “So what it all mean?” and gives no answer but instead leaves you to find out for yourself.

Art Essay #4 - Emily Dickenson #372

After great pain, a formal feeling comes -
The Nerves sit ceremonious, like Tombs -
The stiff Heart questions ‘was it He, that bore,’
And ‘Yesterday, or Centuries before’?

The Feet, mechanical, go round -
A Wooden way
Of Ground, or Air, or Ought -
Regardless grown,
A Quartz contentment, like a stone -

This is the Hour of Lead -
Remembered, if outlived,
As Freezing persons, recollect the Snow -
First - Chill - then Stupor - then the letting go -

I studied this poem last semester with Dr. Fuller in Major American Writers and I fell in love with Dickinson’s poetry. This poem in particular resonates strongly each time I read it. The way she incorporates dashes implies much more meaning than if she had simply used commas or periods. For example, the dash at the end of the poem can signify different things to different readers based on how their experience or how they read the poem. Throughout the poem Dickenson describes her grieving process and at the end of the poem the reader could interpret chill as the chill of death and “the letting go” as the ultimate release in death. However it could also be interpreted as a chilling of the heart, the numbness that comes after severe pain, and the eventual letting go of those feelings and moving on. If she had used a period at the end of the poem I would interpret the ending only as death, but because of her use of the dash the poem has greater depth. There is also great power in her imagery. At the beginning of the poem she calls the heart stiff, which is still living but uncomfortable. Then the next image is wooden, again still alive but not motile like the heart. It then turns into quartz, a rock without life. Then it becomes the “Hour of Lead” a substance harder and more devoid of life than all the other images. Throughout the poem her images become harder and with each transition they loose more life. This poem has great worth in that so much is left up to the reader. Dickenson describes her experience with grief, but she does it using such abstract terms that anyone can interpret it to fit their own experience. Pain and grief are relatable experiences and this poem enables a deep connection to the reader because of this common experience. I find comfort when reading this poem in some ways because I usually interpret the ending as a release of hope. No matter what kind of pain I may be experiencing, I am not alone and there is hope for the future.

Art Essay 2

Many artists are inspired by nature, by feelings and emotions, or by world events; some artists are inspired by art. My cousin and I were talking about what television shows we watch, and she was telling me that she loves to watch fashion shows. This triggered a thought in my mind: I wonder if some designers are inspired by actual artworks? I began researching and found a number of clothing lines that designers create based on some art forms and artworks. Some designers create clothing that is inspired by oragami, with having harsh, straight lines that mimic the folding of the paper. Others are inspired by paintings from famous painters such as Pablo Picasso. The fact that a designer is able to accomplish finding an artwork that they are inspired by and capture everything that artwork has to offer in a completely different medium is amazing to say the least. Those designers need to mimic the movement, the style, the texture, and the meaning the painting has all in an item of clothing. The photograph of the woman next to the penguin oragmi is wearing a dress that was created by a designer who is obviously inspired by the artform of oragami. Granted, the dress is completely impractical, but the designer does the dress justice in terms of it imitating the oragami piece.

The next item of clothing that I noticed was very well designed in regards to the artwork that inspired it was this dress. Pablo Picasso, the artist that painted this artwork, was well known for his abstract way of expressing himself onto a canvas. The designer of this dress did an adequate job of mimicing Picasso's style of using thick, bold lines in jagged ways all around the dress, just as the painting maintains. Also, it is apparent that the dress has no evident color scheme that seem to match, just as Picasso used in his painting. The colors Picasso decided to use in this painting seem very random and disorderly, just as the dress conveys.
These two dresses are two of many forms of art that were inspired by another's artwork. The designers used their talent in fashion to be able to capture the beauty their inspired artwork held, and created their own art from their inspiration.

Art Essay 3: Claude Monet - The Path at La Cave

One of the first special event art exhibits I went to was the traveling collection of Claude Monet at the art museum in Raleigh. As soon as I entered the exhibit I knew I loved his work. The exhibit was designed so it displayed his work chronologically, so when you entered the exhibit you saw his early beach paintings. As I continued through I saw his style develop into what he is famous for today. There was one very large painting alone on a wall separating one section from another. It seemed curious because it was not one of his most famous works. It is actually one which is, many times, overlooked by those who study Monet’s art. This is understandable because at first glance the painting seems simplistic. There are lots of different colors, beautiful shading and brush strokes, and many different textures. But there is no real subject or focal point. As I have a tendency to do, I stood and stared at this painting for a long time, and after a while I discovered its value. It’s purpose is convey a feeling, and in person it has the ability to convey many different feelings. If you look at the painting from the left, the path seems endlessly long and the hill seems to block the sea. The impending journey seems agonizingly long. When looking at the painting strait on the path is friendly and open. The journey is still impending but not daunting. And when standing on the right side of the painting, I felt like I could almost see the ocean at the end of the path through the trees. So much of the art that is held in high esteem is that which conveys a subject or a specific meaning. But Monet’s ability to convey these feelings through flat canvas is incredible. I have a copy of this painting over my bed at home (with the ticket stub of the exhibit stuck in the corner of the frame), and while it’s not the same, I smile every time I see it. It remains one of my favorite paintings because it was one of my first truly personal experiences with art. Since visiting this exhibit, I have loved Monet, as well as many other impressionists. Whenever I visit art museums I am drawn to artists such as Monet, Degas, Manet, Pissaro and Renoir. Their focus on color and movement holds a beauty for me that no other style has yet to top.

Art Essay #4: Opportunity by Bobby McFerrin

So I really struggled deciding what to write about for this final art essay. It was either Bobby McFerrin's Opportunity and Naturally 7's Wall of Sound (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5MkNOXSdkA). Both are incredible songs (and both prime examples of the vast possibilities of the human voice) but I think that the song and music video of Opportunity make it a more interesting piece of art.
So first of all if you are having trouble remembering who Bobby McFerrin is, he is the guy that wrote Don't Worry Be Happy (also a very impressive song, he sings all the vocal parts! you can go here to mess with them: http://bobbymcferrin.com/dont-worry-be-happy-song/).
Okay now to the piece. First I want to talk about the song. It would be probably the hardest song to sing in modern music. Forget Freddie Mercury (from Queen), Maurice White (from Earth, Wind, & Fire), or any fantastic singer because Bobby McFerrin tops all of their ability, especially on this track.
In this song Bobby McFerrin spans 4 octaves in the melody. The two biggest leaps in the song come at 2:58 and 3:41. Both of these are vocally impossible for most people, especially if you want it to sound at all decent. The lyrical content itself, though, doesn't make a lot of sense to me. The story seems to be interesting but it's so broken up by the vocal ad-libs that I can't really follow it. The lyrics don't matter to me though. I almost never say that but when you have the kind of vocal creativity that Bobby McFerrin does the lyrics don't matter. The melody is so creative that it seems sporadic but it does follow an obvious structure. The song itself is a musical masterpiece (although it might not be the most catchy tune in the world). I'm not sure that anyone could disagree but please offer any arguments you can think of :)
Next, the video. Okay so let me say that any guy who can make an entertaining music video with no background footage and just jeans is pretty talented. Throughout the video you see pieces where Bobby is being filmed by someone else and he is holding a video camera. Any close up in the video then, I would assume, is Bobby video-taping himself while he jumps around. Because of the simplicity of the video, it becomes a performance. Most music videos have a story and the lead singer pops up here and there, but they never perform in their videos. I love how McFerrin has stripped down (no pun intended) the video to let his performance enhance the music.
The video also adds a playful quality to the song which can't be found in the lyrics. The story (although hard to follow) seems to have a dark quality to it even though he is talking about opportunities. The video helps to bring out the joy in the song to balance out the dreariness of the story.
As a whole this music video makes a complete, impressive, and entertaining piece of art. The musicianship and performance ability is through the roof. I hope you guys enjoy the piece. I will also include a couple more links if you want to see more of the talented 10-time grammy winner that is Bobby McFerrin.

-Allijah

Drive: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qOQHB_V2g0
Wizard of Oz: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1mvfzoHm9g
Blackbird (beatles cover): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37DHXrFfwrE
Bobby McFerrin on the sing off: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fwB9SBTQVY4
Ave Maria: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PgvJg7D6Qck&feature=related
Science thing on the Pentatonic Scale: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ne6tB2KiZuk
Don't Worry Be Happy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-diB65scQU

Art & Propaganda

Throughout much of Western history, art has been used by leaders, governments, and political parties as propaganda to reinforce and spread their ideology, sometimes in ways that the artist may not have intended. This almost always has consequences for the work's connotation thus forward.

One such work of art that exemplifies this usage is Symphony No. 7 by Russian composer Dmitri Shostakovich. At the time, this work was believed to have been composed during the Nazi siege of Leningrad in 1941. This siege lasted almost 900 days and over 500,000 civilians lost their lives. The work quickly gained popularity as a patriotic statement of resolve for the people held under siege in the city of Leningrad and as a piece of propaganda for the fight against fascism in the West. As such, it was publicly performed 62 times during the 1942-43 concert season. In recent decades, however, some speculation has arisen among musicologists that Shostakovich may have actually begun work on the symphony as a quiet statement against Stalin’s totalitarian regime, but was forced to alter the piece's motivation and aim when war broke out.

If this is true, it creates some interesting complications surrounding this particular work. Today, the piece is often viewed as a tribute to the citizens of Leningrad and as a message that hope can prevail in the face of desperation. Whatever the true motivation was for the composition of this piece, it has transcended the tumultuous times of its birth and still continues to speak to audiences around the world.

A darker and more extreme example (from the same time in history) of how the usage of art as propaganda can alter its connotation to subsequent generations is the Nazi usage of the Swastika. As we touched on in class, this symbol has been used for thousands of years by different civilizations and religions to represent life, good luck, and strength. The Nazis adopted it for its nationalistic meaning and to represent the struggle of the Aryan race. I think it's fair to say even when viewing works of art produced prior to the 20th century that contain a Swastika, such as architecture, sculpture, paintings, etc, it is hard to dismiss the thoughts and feelings that this symbol now connotes. While this is unfortunate given the symbol's ancient history and once positive meaning, it now serves as a reminder that we must never let the tragedies of the past be repeated.

Art Essay Number 4: Pictures at an Exhibition

Modest Mussorgsky was an innovative composer of Russian music during the Romantic period. Mussorgsky drew from Russian folklore and culture to create a uniquely Russian sound full of vivid realism, wildness, and extreme melancholy. Many of his works also contain extra-musical associations, referencing other artistic mediums in his compositions.

Pictures at an Exhibition, composed in 1874, is a suite of ten piano pieces inspired by Mussorgsky’s visit to a memorial exhibit held in St. Petersburg of paintings by his late friend, artist and architect Victor Hartman. Mussorgsky’s aim was to capture the attitude and atmosphere of these paintings in music. Each movement of this work corresponds to a painting, with the exception of the recurring theme called “Promenade,” representing the visitor walking between the pictures.

Here is a performance of two (“Gnomus” and “Il vecchio castello”) of the ten movements. More information about each movement can be found here.

In 1922, Russian conductor Serge Koussevitzky commissioned Maurice Ravel to arrange the composition for orchestra, and it has since become a staple of orchestral repertoire. It is interesting to compare Ravel's interpretation and arrangement for orchestra to Mussorgsky's original score.

Watch here as the National Philharmonic of Russia performs Ravel's orchestration of the same movements.

4th Art Analysis

For this final art analysis I decided to pick a picture that is particularly nostalgic to me because I used to do this all the time when I was a kid. Basically, this is a depiction of a doodle war between two pieces of notebook paper. An army and fortress is drawn on two separate pieces of paper and then using your imagination you play out the battle and how it would progress. This picture captures these child like sentiments very well in that it take what is normally a 2D scene, bring it into 3D, and then demonstrate the action as it ensues.

What is great about this picture is that it shows what is happening in a child’s mind so that we, the adults, can understand the thought process behind these very elaborate battles. This particular one seems to be pulling slightly from D-Day though so I’m not sure if a child came up with this one. Nevertheless this is a piece of work that brings back memories when we can make pictures move without a video screen.

3rd Art Anlaysis

For my third art analysis I decided to use this odd, but very wide spread, picture of the Dark and Light Long-Cat. This is a particularly interesting photo because although the purpose of the photo is to be humorous, there is actually a lot more going on than immediately is apparent.

For starters, this photo is, most obviously, a fight between good and evil. If you notice in the background, the city/suburbs are actually engulfed in flames with smoke bellowing into the sky. This destruction could be a result of the presence of the Dark, Long-Cat, which seems to be smothering out everything it touches and engulfing the landscape in darkness. However, on the opposite side of this dark scene is the presence of the Light, Long-Cat and its calming aura of light. Its presence could represent many things: hope, salvation, peace, the Second Coming, etc. Either way, it is clear that a battle is about to ensue. With paws out stretched, they both prepare for the conflict to come.

But then again, perhaps I am over thinking this and it is simply two very long cats of differing complexion that happen to be standing right next to a scene of chaos…