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…

Art Essay # 4

I am a book nerd and I just finished an excellent book called Night Road by Kristen Hannah. This book is a great work of art because it appeals to all ages of readers and makes the readers feel as though they are in the story.

The book is about a foster child girl named Lexi. She moves from foster home to foster home, but then finally finds out that she has a living relative, her great aunt. She is a little skeptical at first because she is worried that her aunt will not love her and throw her back out on the street, but instead, her aunt shows her what real love is. On Lexi’s first day of high school she meets Mia. Mia is an outsider just like Lexi. They become best friends very quickly and Lexi is over at Mia’s house almost everyday. Mia has a twin brother Zack who is the most popular boy in school. Of course, Lexi falls in love at first site, but she is afraid to say anything because she doesn’t want Mia to find out. Zack and Mia come from a very wealthy family and their mom, Jude, is very protective. However, she is a great mom, and is kind of the mom that Lexi never experienced. Jude wants to be a great mom because her own mother was a terrible mother. Anyways, three years pass by and soon it is their senior year. Lexi and Mia are inseparable, and Lexi still has hidden feelings for Zack. However, they start wanting to do things that high schoolers do such as go to parties and drink, but Jude is very skeptical. She lets them go anyways, and Zack and Lexi finally admit their feelings for each other. Mia gets over it, and Zack and Lexi become a couple. One night, they all go to a party. Zack volunteers to be the designated driver, but he quickly becomes pressured into drinking. Soon, all three of them become drunk and realize they are way past curfew. Lexi volunteers to drive because she is the least intoxicated, and the three of them get into Zack’s car. Mia and Zack live off a windy road, and Lexi gets distracted for a split second and she crashes his car into a tree! Jude awakes to realize her children still aren’t home, and answers her door for the policemen in front of her house. They travel to the hospital where they learn that Mia is brain dead. Jude slips into depression and decide to press charges against Lexi. Lexi has to go to the prison where she finds out she is pregnant with Zack’s baby. She gives the baby to Zack, but when she gets out of prison, she realizes she wants to be a great mother to her girl, Gracie. While in her depression, Jude becomes a terrible mother. She can barely look at Grace because Grace looks exactly like Mia. Jude and her husband go through some hard times, and she has to turn to her mother for help. This isn’t easy for her because of their bad relationship. However, Jude figures out what she needs to and changes her life ways. Zack goes to medical school and reunites with Lexi. They get over their problems, fall back in love, and create a family with Gracie.

Some reasons this book is a great work of art is because it appeals to every age reader. It appeals to high schoolers because that is what age Zack, Mia, and Lexi were in the beginning. The readers read about them going to parties, falling in love, and experiencing sex for the first times. The book appeals to middle age people because of Jude and her husband. The readers read about parenting and struggles of losing a child. The book also appeals to older people because of Jude when she is older and Lexi’s great aunt. The readers read about Jude’s reunion with her mother and the joys of becoming a grandmother.

Another reason that this book is a great work of art is because the readers feels as though they are in the story and evokes emotion. Personally, I know I have read a good book when it makes me cry. When I read about the car accident, I could not stop crying. I could relate to this book because I have had friends who have made the decision to drink and to drive. Just like in the book, the consequences were awful. This book is excellent because it teaches many lessons, live life to the fullest because you never know when it will end, cherish great friends forever, and do not be afraid to fall in love.

This book is great because it inspires its readers. I highly recommended this book to anyone!

Art Essay Number Three: The Invisible Man

Look closely at this photograph above. Did you notice the man standing in front of the bulldozer's tire or did he simply blend in with the background like a chameleon? This is Chinese artist Liu Bolin, also known as the "Invisible Man." He carefully chooses an image in which he wants to be "disappeared" and then stands there as still as possible, sometimes for hours at a time, while his assistants paint the design onto his military fatigues. Many people passing by don't even notice him until he moves. Before beginning the actual painting Bolin must digitally impose a portrait of himself on an image of the scene to carefully plan what will need to be painted onto his clothes.

According to Bolin, his motivation for these works is deeper than just creating an image. He is making a silent statement about his government, who shut down his studio in 2005 and is known for persecuting artists, and the way in which he sees his role in society. In Bolin's words, "I choose to camouflage my body into the environment so that people will pay more attention to the background's social property by erasing the meaning of my body as an individual."

Bolin's work struck me because of its uniqueness and quiet strength. Suddenly the emphasis has been placed on the background, and the viewer finds himself/herself focusing on details that might otherwise get overlooked. The amount of detail and patience necessary to pull off each work is amazing. I cannot imagine standing completely still for hours at a time. Bolin's work is also interesting to me because it is a synthesis of several different artistic mediums. It's part visual, part performance, and part photography.

Here is a short video about Bolin.

Art Essay #3 Guernica

I was inspired do my analysis on Picasso's Guernica by "Six Names of Beauty". I am slightly ashamed to admit that I could not place the painting offhand when Mr. Sartwell mentioned it in the text, so I looked for it on the Internet. I will not lie and say that I was immediately overwhelmed by the beauty of the piece. To be honest, I was more confused than anything else. It took me a bit to understand that confusion was at least part of the point. Guernica is a complex work, and it has been interpreted by numerous critics in different ways.

Some of my confusion was relieved by reading the historical background of the piece. Guernica is a town in Spain that was destroyed by an aerial bombardment in 1937. Some critics believe that the eye/light bulb represents the sun and the concept of a bomb. Also, the newsprint images in the painting represent how Picasso learned of the town's destruction. The inhabitants of the town were largely women and children and this is reflected in the work. While the concepts depicted are universal, understanding something of the historical context of the piece makes its meaning slightly clearer.

The painting's chief focus seems to be the pain and confusion associated with the destruction of war. The human figures are portrayed in different positions but the imagery of suffering is consistent. Some figures, such as the disembodied head emerging from a window, express horror, while others seem to be almost audibly screaming. The man near the bottom portion of the painting died violently, and below the bull a woman can be seen clutching her dead child. The imagery is violent and confused and echoes the themes of the painting. This suggests Picasso's power, the ability to shape recognizable images into conveyances of his theme.

Obviously, this is not a particularly uplifting or anatomically correct piece, which prompts the question of why it is considered a great work of art. Sartwell states that it taps into a longing to be overwhelmed, something which this painting can clearly provide. The myriad of imagery is immediately overwhelming and prompts the viewer to try to understand the visual cacophony. The confused nature of painting forces the viewer to look at the image more carefully than they might if it were simple and straightforward. Why, for example, does the horse have what appears to be the point of a knife for a tongue? These symbols continue to produce interpretations from critics and casual observers alike.

As a whole, this work possesses power. It holds the power to submerge an observer in a tumult of visuals. Picasso shapes the natural world to convey his message through strangely twisted bodies and symbols. This creates an aesthetic experience that grasps and consumes the viewer, rather than pleases.

--Laurel

Art Essay #3: Milk & Cereal by G. Love and Special Sauce

Alright so I decided that instead of just leaving this as it was, that I'd re-write it and expand to make an actual art commentary about this piece...so here goes!

So when you first listen to this song your response probably includes something about it being fun and goofy, etc. which it is. I don't feel like I need to analyze that side of the piece very much because its obvious: it's a song about different types of cereal (sorry Dr. Grant that they don't include fruit loops). But beyond the goofy topic and the fun melody, the song is pretty technical and challenging.
Listen to the harmonies. On the main hook of "milk and cereal, cereal and milk" the high harmony is just some version of a moving third (not all that complicated) but whenever they go to the big chord around 1:10, I hear at least 5 voices being layered which is very complex. Although I'm sure this song is a studio creation and it probably isn't performed live by G. Love very often, the idea behind the song is genius.
Now let's move to content. Types of cereal, cool! Now maybe G. Love was just stoned and came up with this song, but even some of the rhyme schemes in here are well crafted. The verse about Wheaties is really well thought-out. Although they are all perfect rhymes (I'm counting wheaties-needy as a perfect rhyme although technically it's a subtractive rhyme), the important thing about rhyming is that the words all match the content and the hot-spots make sense. A hot spot is the last word of the phrase and if you can read those and determine the subject of the verse, etc. then the hot spots are done well. In this case its wheaties-needy-greedy-myself. That makes sense to me, you guys can tell me if you think its a good rhyme sequence!
So there's my analysis! The most important things for me in a song are whether its well crafted, well sung, and interesting. I think this song definitely embodies that (although G. Love's pitch is somewhat questionable it totally works for the style of the song). Oh and I think the tag at the end about grandma and her bran muffin is hilarious!

Hope you guys enjoy the song as much as I do! Here's the clip: