Category: Art

The concept and perception of depth in art is the ability of a piece of work to explore more than two dimensions. In narratives it is the ability of a product of art to interrogate and appeal to more than the visible dimension. It is the ability of the narrator to move in and out of several realms of thought and sight.

The extent to which a narrative world appeals to this aspect determines the quality and persistence of the piece of work. The depth dimension functions to inspire a since of ambiguity and length to the narrative (Purves and Lotto 43-58). It develops and sustains a curious interest in its audience which is the basis and object of quality and objectivity in as far as the narration is concerned.

The aspect of depth in art creates a widow for the creator of the piece to develop a several themes from the same piece with the help of more than one dimension. The piece of art therefore sways between moods while maintaining a consistent and tolerable collection of activities and reflections within the piece. (Stiles and Selz 40-56). The depth in a photo for instance inspires a more realistic and believable concept of the photo.

Tillich’s theory is inspired by the general human propensity to consider art as a celebration of the obvious human dignity or in a strict sense an appreciation of human nature and reality. This basic notion has formed the foundation of the works of several other related theorists of Tillich’s era.

Ramachandran and Blakeslee (45-90) for instance based their theory on the hypothesis of brain response to pieces of art. Their research being the first of this nature, gave way to a host of other similar researches that have come to the conclusion that the appreciation of art depends on the constituent elements in the piece of art.

This marks the beginning of Tillich’s argument that the quality of a piece of art relies heavily on its ability to employ the various artistic tools and mechanisms at its disposure. The objective cause of any piece of work is not merely to reflect or masquerade mere reality. This is too simple a task for the complex phenomenon of art that can be articulated by any piece of information or sketch (Heidegger 23-70)

The difference between any piece of information and a work of art is the ability of art to distort, enhance and indeed transcend reality all of which are elements of depth in a piece (Wollheim 1).

Zeki notes categorically that it is not a mere coincidence that an artist’s ability to distract the irrelevant features such as the depth dimension of his art and vividly describes the irrelevant features is similar and identical to what the relevant aspects have evolved to do.

This in narratives for instance the depth dimension goes an extra mile in transcending reality to serve its actual cause in a more interesting version that has more to offer as compared to a plain realistic piece of work(5-20).

Zekis research on the response of rats showed that if a rat is taught to differentiate a square and a rectangle, with a reward for a rectangle it learns to respond more promptly to the rectangle than the square. Interestingly the response of the rat to a longer rectangle is much higher than to the normal size rectangle (20 -45). This supports the conception of the depth dimension in Tillich’s theory as a tool of cognitive response.

Tillich’s theory of art embraces this aspect of depth by analyzing the role and relevance of depth in artwork. Inspired by the theological mindset and thinking he interrogates the concept of depth in narratives and similar art works and constructs a hypothesis that great art reflects a conscious awareness of the problem associated with the loss of the dimension of depth

Depth as an element of art plays an important role in the definition and translation of the message of the artist. In narratives the depth dimension shapes the content and conveys the message to the audience in a specific line of interest. Since Tillich’s first attempt at this line of thought, there has been very little attention on the issue and this therefore presents an interesting and relevant research gap that I wish to address in my research. I will discuss the importance Tillich’s approach and the relevance it has to various narrator works (Manning 153 -163).

The research takes an idealist metaphysical perspective by interrogating the various aspects of the narrative that appeal to the depth dimension based on Tillich’s philosophy of art.

This functions to evaluate the value and importance of the depth dimension and document the extent to which various narrators of the century vividly or actually employed this tool in the formulation and creation of their pieces of work. This will also allow the contemporary narrators to consider employing and exploiting the value of the depth dimension in their art works.

Autonomy

Tillich’s philosophy defines autonomy as the individual’s compliance with the personal law of reason. This goes entirely contrary to the general reference of autonomy as the individual independence from a law. The ability of a piece of art to resist the imminent concerns of being conditioned to a specific timeline environment or even shape explains the autonomous character of the item of art.

In effect, the ability of a narrative to generate autonomous reason beyond the basic sense of being able to exercise free will in as far as expressing individual and personal opinion but in the rebellious potential of the narrative to engage in a disobedience of authority and defiance of the fundamental structures and rules inspires a depth dimension. An autonomous culture therefore is one that engages a slim relation between the cultural and religious constructs of theoretical and practical rationality.

The narrative builds on an attractive friendly and acceptable character that falls in line with the religious and cultural demands. He is to be contrasted with a rather compliant but autonomous friend who seeks to address a societal injustice of economic imbalance that cannot be solved by mere expression despite his clear freedom to do so in the hope of finding consolation or revival.

Pâpabuddhi therefore chooses to formulate a rebellious plan that would see him cheat his friend Dharmabuddhi into accepting to join hands to earn a fortune. Going against both culture and religion, he cheats his way to the total wealth and fortune by placing the blame on the socially accepted friend and acquires the wealth to himself.

This aspect of the narrative engages the reader into an independent yet rebellious stream of thought that goes towards not only generating a reaction but also developing a layer of the depth dimension and giving the reader another reason to align their interest.

Heteronomy

According to Tillich’s philosophy the ability of a piece of art to challenge the independence of autonomous reason and maintain a consistent ability to command constructs beyond the grasp of reality and its shape allows the piece to maintain a margin of consciousness of the depth dimension of a piece of art. The depth dimension is therefore not conceived as a contest between reason and non-reason but as a conflict of reason it’s self.

Heteronomy therefore acts to react to any autonomous sense of reasoning that confines the depth of the piece of art and allows the piece of art to maintain a conscious distance between depth and complexity in a narrative. The engaging conflict of interest between religion and culture for instance challenges the reader’s ability to accommodate a conflict of morals and a choice of evils that in reality is only a matter of a conflict of reasoning.

The narrative engages the reader in a choice of cultural values of honesty and good faith in sharp contrast to the religious autonomous requirements for unfettered loyalty to friends and family. Dharmabuddhi represents the cultural perfection of a good person while his friend is represented as the exact opposite and still the narrator maintains an even impression of close friendship.

This comes in as the first layer of depth and goes to invite the reader to take a stand from the beginning. It creates the first layer of bias by aligning the reader to favor a character in the narrative. The harmony in which Dharmabuddhi and Pâpabuddhi operate and acquire a successful climax develops into the second layer of depth that takes a heteronymous challenge of the ability of two autonomous and independent interest’s ability to cooperate and collaborate to deploy a realistic scene.

The narrative is based on a traditional Indian setting that has religious and cultural ties that work in harmony to motivate the behaviors and attitudes of the society. It centers on the values of two men of different moral standing who are involved treachery. The narrative which is part of a series of Indian fables has a limited since of depth and therefore fails to fundamentally capture the reader or listener due to the straightforward since of narration (Goldstein 120-145).

It however makes attempts to identify with depth by engaging in parables and sayings whose purpose is to diversify the piece to incorporate a variety of other societal conceptions and attributes (Wollheim 456- 490). The narrative transcends the rural and urban setting placing the story on a path of ambition that carries the objective and main themes. The narrative also merges the cultural and theological realms in creating a perspective to the reader.

The narrator makes a conscious identification of the depth dimension by maintaining a margin of safety between the narrator and the reader or listener and the narrator and the reader’s subconscious. This recognition adds value and importance to the narrative and allows the narrator to leave a memorable impression of the story. This research will therefore seek to determine the value that is attached to the depth dimension in any such given narrative or alternative piece of work.

Heteronomy and autonomy

The conflict between heteronomy and autonomy in a narrative often forms the climax for the reader and creates the highest point that the depth dimension participates in modeling the narrative.

According to Tillich, this often leads to the destruction of reason, its self and the reaching of a compromise for the acceptance of both autonomy and heteronomy the two aspects bear their own depths that maintain and sustain the long or short-lived climax that often leads to the end of the narrative.

It offers closure to the reader or abandons the reader in order to allow the m to generate their own closures and streams of thought. The narrative therefore bows down to structural laws while still maintaining a close link to the authority and power of its own inexhaustible ground.

Dharmabuddhi clearly loses his share of wealth to the treachery of his friend. The narrative develops the final layer of f depth by ensuring that the reader is frustrated at the eminent danger of termination of the better of the two. It stimulates a conflict of reason that is motivated by injustice and unfairness embodied in the treachery of Pâpabuddhi.

The narrator ensures that a compromise is reaches that settles for the authority of the structural provisions and confines of the autonomous self-interests. It does not mean that it is a just compromise but it settles the conflict anyway. The plan however is not fool proof since Pâpabuddhi is unable to effectively dispose of his accomplice to the treachery. The events that lead to the failing of the plan are partially a contribution of cultural constructs as well as religious interference.

The mimosa tree receives pivot attention as a tool of engaging cultural myth and religious symbolism. It therefore plays a uniting role between these two themes and supports the depth dimension in the narrative. The dialectical blend between these toe concepts allows the narrative to haunt or hurt the reader by breaking a well-established relationship between the reader and Dharmabuddhi

The relevance of this marriage in the contemporary context is that it provides a way forward for the technical reason by exposing the shallow empty and meaningless nature of a narrative without the depth dimension. The harmony between these two constructs ensures that the narrative goes beyond morel teaching by appealing to both the subconscious and sense of reasoning.

It gives the reader a reason to associate and repeat or apply the convictions of the narrative in other situations in real life. It also assures the narrator of attention as well as interest in the narrative from the audience or reader. The emptiness of autonomy alongside the destructive nature of heteronomy forms the attitude and tone of any narrative or contemporary piece of work.

Conclusion

Most readers have a general tendency to enjoy narratives that employ a riveting plot that engages reversals revelations alongside innovations in the better part of the reality conception of the storyline. Ashliman’s narrative “Dharmabuddhi and Pâpabuddhi” (1-45) employs a simple plot as the framework and vehicle that conveys and gives substance to the narrative.

This then opens the door to ever-deepening length basic layers of association with the various references resonating with each other in a harmonious dissonance. The depth acts to compete with the attention of the reader from the vivid beginning to the end.

In his theory Tillich proposes that, a good narrative does not just begin to tell the story of a bad person and how bad they are and what bad things they did and how they got caught. It brings in several connected layers of stories and bits of scenes that are allowed to build the final narrative. The theory further recommends that every piece of art must maintain a clear relationship between the heteronymous and autonomous concepts that provide a clear path on which the depth dimension in any piece of work may be developed.

The dialectical interaction between the various factions of a narrative of whichever kind determines to a great extent the chances of success to the audience readers or participants in delivering the objects and propositions of the artwork. According to the theory the depth dimension in a narrative therefore brings together the various antagonisms in the story and blends them in layers of a dimension. The layers in the dimension should therefore connect with each other to bear a concrete sense of completeness.

Work Cited

Goldstein, Bruce. Sensation and perception .Pacific Grove CA: Wadsworth. 2002.

Heidegger, Martin. “The Origin of the Work of Art”. Poetry, Language, Thought, Harper Perenniel. 2001. pp 23-70.

Manning, Russell. Tillich’s Theology of Art. ND. Web.

Purves, Dale and Lotto, Beau. Why We See What We Do: An Empirical Theory of Vision. Sunderland, MA: Sinauer Associates. 2003.

Ramachandran, Vilayanur. and Blakeslee, Sandra. Phantoms in the Brain New York: William Morrow and Co. 1998.

Stiles, Kristine and Selz, Peter. eds., Theories and Documents of Contemporary Art. ND.

Wollheim, Richard. Art and its objects. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press (1980) p.1.

Zeki, Sarah. ‘Art and the brain’, Proceedings of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, 127 (2), pp. 71–104. [1998]. Reprinted in Journal of Consciousness Studies, 6 (6–7), pp. 76–96.

Introduction

The Henry V movie concept is set in the early fifteenth century. It takes place after the death of King Henry IV, the young King Henry V is the next heir to the throne. Therefore, in order to gain both court and public respect and acceptance, Henry is forced to leave his youthful past, in which he associated himself with drunkards and criminals at the boar’s head inn situated at the seamy parts of London.

Basing on some technical interpretation of the ancient law concerning land, King Henry V claims some portions of France. Dauphin, the youthful prince of France sends Henry an offensive message in reaction to his claims; this compels Henry V to continue with his plans of conquering some portions of France. Therefore, with the backing of his country’s clergy and noblemen, King Henry V assembles his troops for the invasion of France.

However, some severe civil wars over the years had left the people in England even more restless and discontented with more such imminent wars. Through some cunning expertise, King Henry later on discovers a conspiracy plot, which is meant to end his life, before he headed to France for the war with his fleet.

He then finds out that Scrope, his former friend is among the conspirators employed by the French and therefore orders for their immediate execution. It is arguably evident from the movie that King Henry V demonstrated qualities that are essential for an effective modern day president. This paper discusses the qualities of Henry in the King Henry V movie that will suit a present day president.

King Henry V and his convoy, which had army officers from all corners of Britain such as Captain Fluellen who was of Welsh origin, and many others headed for France against numerous odds but manages to conquer towns as they fight their way across the French countryside.

However, as they advanced, some members in his troop such as Bardolph and Nim are detained for looting and this compels Henry to call for their hanging. Despite such disciplinary issues, King Henry also conquers the French town of Harfleur and goes on to give a heartfelt historical speech that was intended to motivate his troops for further victories.

The battle of Agincourt becomes the climax in the movie as King Henry and his soldiers are outnumbered by their French opponents. Despite this disheartening fact, King Henry goes around the camp in disguise as a fellow soldier to talk and comprehend on his army’s thoughts over their general mission the night before the great battle.

King Henry is in an awkward position since he is unsure of his ubiquitous liabilities as a King. The morning after his subterfuge episode into his army’s camp, he seeks divine help by praying to God and then giving a stirring speech to his army. Amazingly, King Henry and his soldiers win the great battle and triumphs over their proud French opponents who eventually surrendered to the English.

Later on in the movie, the English works out a peace negotiation with the French and King Henry marries Catherine, who was the daughter to the King of France and the resulting marriage would unite both the British and French Kingdoms. King Henry’s son was the next heir to the French throne. Even though he defeated the French, he allowed Charles, the King of France, to hold onto his throne.

According to the movie, King Henry V decides to put away his wild youthful past in order to become a legitimate and an effective leader. Such leadership qualities are quite desirable in the contemporary political scene, as they serve well a modern-day president. First, King Henry’s resolution to change his youthful behaviors for the purpose of his new role tells us of his visionary attitude for the country he was going to serve, as it was bigger than his personal happiness and satisfactions, and this would largely shape a contemporary president.

A presidential figure should not let his past interfere with his work, whereby he only serves a few friends and individuals due to their previous relationship and should instead have a visionary map of serving the whole country by also bypassing party lines and affiliations.

It also enhances democracy because of the principle of public equality. In addition, King Henry’s leniency towards a solitary union of respect and brotherliness without any form of national prejudice is a significant leadership quality that is needed for a modern day president.

Henry established peace with his French opponents and was not consumed by power to hold it out against them. A lenient president would also try to foster peace with their enemies especially in the current political scenarios. An effective president should not hold onto experiences as a basis for longtime enmity because as demonstrated by King Henry V after his battle and triumph over the French, we should cement our union by not being repressive but by looking for any peaceful means.

In addition, King Henry is relentless in pursuing his ambitions, well focused, fearless, committed, and his brilliancy illuminated his oratory skills, which he uses to put forth his claims while also motivating his own troops. These leadership qualities serve a modern-day president, as they are relentless in pursuing the people’s dreams and expectations.

Additionally, when the country goes through a period of hopelessness towards achieving these targeted expectations, a president’s oratory skills would best serve in motivating and uniting the country at large in order to realize these expectations while renouncing the things that divide us. Occasionally, a leader may experience uncertainty over their progress stature as shown by King Henry before the main battle of Agincourt.

It is always comforting for the people to know that their commander still has both hands on the daunting situation and this eventually instills hope for a winning mentality that would enforce the zeal to be persistent in achieving a common objective without being strenuous. In general, King Henry’s oratory skills were a double-edged sword with nearly as much force and strength as that used by his soldiers.

His words would inspire or even stir up his supporters while intimidating his adversaries and influencing nearly all those who listened to him and this is reflected by his wintry and menacing rhetoric while addressing Prince Dauphin’s messenger, and during his inspiring speech at St. Crispin. In other words, the modern-day president should not rush into war in a deadlock situation before being explicitly frank with their motives.

In conclusion, Henry portrayed the leadership qualities that would fit a modern day president. The most outstanding leadership qualities possessed by King Henry was his resolved set of mind in accomplishing whatever goal he had his eyes and mind focused. He would use any kind of resource, which was readily available to see to it that his objectives were eventually accomplished.

He was an inexorable force that had to be carefully contended with by others who must opt on how to act energetically in response to his actions that were ethically questionable at times. Although his conducts may seem quite horrendous to the populace, King Henry was an exemplary leader who took a serious mantle over his Kingship since he elevated his responsibilities above personal gains and that is why the film portrays him both as a protagonist and as a hero, despite the mitigated effects of his personal pronouncements.

Work Cited

King Henry V. Dir. Olivier Laurence. Perf. Sharman Bruce, et al. 2000. Film

Introduction

Art is a reflection of reality. An expression of emotions, realities, and concerns, art incorporates different elements to make this expression visible and comprehensible.

The end of WWII was followed by the growing popularity of realism in America: dozens of talented artists created their works, trying to re-evaluate the social anxieties of the postwar order. Hughie Lee-Smith was among those, who felt desperate and isolated in postwar America. Colored with civil rights controversies and torn between numerous economic, cultural and social priorities, America of the 1960-1970s deprived thousands of non-white citizens of their right to equity and acceptance.

Hughie Lee-Smith’s Confrontation was created in 1970, to express the brokenness of the racial order in the United States. With no bright colors but smooth texture and clear lines, Hughie Lee-Smith’s Confrontation (1970) reflects the main racial tendencies in 1970s America and expresses the feeling of black isolation against the background of white supremacy.

Why Lee-Smith gave the work this particular title is difficult to define. Different people explain the meaning and implications of his work in entirely different ways. On the one hand, Lee-Smith’s picture depicts the act of confrontation between two young ladies and the broken wall of their hopes and beliefs.

On the other hand, it seems that both girls are confronted by inner conflicts which they try to resolve. Most probably, the title reflects a broad confrontation of racial and social ideas in 1970s America, when the Civil Rights Movement was on the rise and the gap between the white majority and minorities was particularly visible.

This confrontation causes the feelings of isolation and alienation, which neither of the two girls can overcome. It is a realization of someone else’s presence in this world. It is a moment when reconciliation is possible but not inevitable. It is a moment when both girls have to decide, whether they are prepared to see each other and make a step forward toward peace.

Confrontation (1970) is not the only Lee-Smith’s work. Realism was the main thread in Hughie Lee-Smith’s creative career. For example, in 1989 Lee-Smith created his Promise – a painting with a young man, a young woman, and a child standing at the top of the brick wall and looking into the sky.

Like with Confrontation (1970), Lee-Smith does not give up his hope for a better future. Even in desperation and hollowness, Smith always leaves some room for improvement. However, as always, the theme of race continues to dominate his works. An African-American, Lee-Smith is extremely persistent in his striving to communicate the message of racism and equity to the public.

Lee-Smith’s Confrontation (1970) was an acute response to the contemporary social realities in America. The Civil Rights Movement had already achieved its purpose: the Civil Rights Act was passed in 1964 and America was in its way to future prosperity, equity, and citizenship. That was the time when “a balancing act between a race consciousness in art and visual assimilation into the white cultural mainstream” was adopted and expressed through realism (Powell).

That was also the time, when legal developments and achievements had to support the American society in its pursuit for equity and inclusiveness. That was the moment when racial consciousness became a serious barrier to equality and non-racism in America: laws could not change the public mentality, and Americans were left alone to deal with the realities of multiracial existence.

Hughie Lee-Smith never said anything about his work. Moreover, it seems that the artist never wanted to discuss his creative career. Critics were silent, too. Yet, Lee-Smith once wrote:

“As an artist, I am at once a participant and a detached observer of the maelstrom of life in contemporary society. […] my art is a unique visual account of […] what I perceive as a surreal world”.

In this sense, Confrontation (1970) is a complex reflection of the multifaceted social reality, in which the artist lives. It is equally enigmatic and comprehensible. The main benefit of the work is in that it generates different explanations and makes the audience think.

Pic.1. Hughie Lee-Smith. Confrontation. (Hunter Museum).

The painting is made by oil on canvas, size 33×36 inches (Hunter Museum). It has the artist’s signature in the lower right corner (Hunter Museum). The painting has been loaned from the Smithsonian American Art Museum and does not belong to the Hunter Museum of American Art (Hunter Museum).

It can be found in the East Wing of the museum, titled The Depression and Beyond (Hunter Museum). The picture lacks bright colors. For this reason, it creates a thinking atmosphere and erases the boundary between the painting and the audience. The transition between the light and shadow is extremely smooth; so is the texture. The lines are clear and accurate. Angles are perfect.

Linear perspective creates an impression that the scene is observed through the window. It also feels like the two girls in the picture are not aware of the audience’s presence. There is a feeling that the painter gives the audience a unique chance to observe the girls, as they are trying to take the best decision. Even with a dozen of viewers looking at the painting, the space in which the two girls are located remains intact. This is again due to the linear perspective, which makes possible to evaluate the entire scene from a distance.

The mood of the work is depressive, but with a tint of hope. Heads bent, bodies apart, the two young girls stand at a distance. Faces hidden and eyes closed, they are in the state of desperate separation from the rest of the world. They are thinking. They are facing a tough choice.

However, a ray of light from behind the scene creates a feeling of hope. Lee-Smith does not say that the problem is irresolvable. The girls can find the way out of the spiritual labyrinth they are currently in. However, they will have to pass a long way to reconciliation with the realities of life.

I believe that the picture fits perfectly well in the realities of multicultural American life. Looking at the painting, I find myself at the beginning of the 1970s, when hope and anticipation of the major social improvements were the main features of public mentality in America. Simultaneously, I also feel isolated from the most important things and changes.

I feel like facing a difficult choice – a choice too painful but essential to my life and future wellbeing. Everyone faced such choice at least once in a lifetime. In this picture I see the beginning of something new, but whether this future is better than the past will depend upon the choices these girls eventually decide to make.

Conclusion

Hughie Lee-Smith’s Confrontation (1970) is a reflection of civil rights anxieties in 1970s America. With smooth texture and no bright colors, the picture adds to the feeling of isolation from the rest of the American society.

The picture was created when the Civil Rights movement had already achieved its culmination and the American society had to adjust its mentality to the new realities of multicultural life.

However, even in desperation the artist leaves some room for hope. The problem is not irresolvable, and the two girls still have a chance to take a step forward towards peace. This picture can be a beginning of something new, but whether this future is better than the past will depend upon the choices these girls eventually decide to make.

Works Cited

Anonymous. “Hughie Lee-Smith.” Michael Rosenfeld Gallery, 2011. Web.

Lee-Smith, Hughie. Confrontation. 1970. Hunter Museum of American Art, Chattanooga.

Powell, Richard. “African American Art.” Traditional Fine Arts Organization, 2005. Web.

Once upon Many Times is an exhibition at Rubin Museum of Art representing a wide range of visual narratives and reproductions of temple murals which can be regarded as exceptional examples of Himalayan art based upon Tibetan myths and legends. This paper will analyze the color scheme, composition, proportion, hierarchy and motifs of the historical narrative Shantarakshita and scenes of his life and the Drowa Sangmo mural represented at the exhibition Once upon Many Times.

Basic description of the painting Shantarakshita and scenes of his life and the Drowa Sangmo mural

Taking a closer look at the painting Shantarakshita and Scenes of His Life in Tibet and the Drowa Sangmo mural, it can be stated that the color scheme, proportion and scale of these objects are similar, but significant differences can be found in the form, hierarchy and composition of these objects which can be explained with disparity in the main themes of these objects and materials.

The historical narrative Shantarakshita and scenes of his life displays multiple episodes from life of this Indian guru with the large figure of Shantarakshita in the centre of the painting which is typical of Himalayan historical narratives.

The episodes of guru’s life are separated by the elements of architecture or landscape. Shantarakshita is a popular figure who is known for founding the first Buddhist monastery in Tibet and was frequently painted by Tibetan artists.^[1] Shantarakshita as the central image of the discussed painting wears a scholar’s hat and holds a book in his right hand.

The position of his left hand can be associated with vitarka, the teaching mudra in which the palm is turned outward and the thumb and point fingers form a circle. Therefore, the clothes and body language of Shantarakshita depict him as a guru and a teacher. Above this central figure, to the right is Buddha and to the left is Shantarakshita’s teacher from India. The narrative to the right of the central figure depicts the monastic vow received by Shantarakshita.

The episode to the right of the central image but below the previous one depicts Shantarakshita sitting at the throne of a famous teacher and receiving his education. The narrative at the lower right corner of the painting depicts the King Trisong Detsen inviting the Indian monk to Tibet and Shantarakshita teaching the king at the palace.

The narratives to the left of the central figure show the guru sitting under the golden roof of the Buddhist monastery he has found and teaching groups of Tibetan Buddhist monks and students. Therefore, the narratives surrounding the central image are arranged in chronological order clockwise. The colors used in the painting are complementary with orange, blue and green dominating over the color pattern.

As to the Drowa Sangmo mural, the proportion of this object is balanced and lacks any specific emphasis with all narratives equally important. Drowa Sangmo is a story of the King Kala Wangpo of Mon who lived at the place with no religion. After the king witnessed suffering of his wife and children, he decided to become a Buddhist and encouraged to practice Buddhism. This story is based upon early Tibetan folklore and history of India.^[2]

Similarly to the narratives from the historical painting Shantarakshita and scenes of his life, different episodes from this story depicted in the discussed mural are separated from each other by elements of landscape. Having a closer look at the upper left corner of the mural, it can be stated that at least five episodes can be identified in this small part.^[3] As one of the plot lines of the narrated story, master Norzang is depicted escaping and hiding the boy Unanchen in a sandalwood tree.

A market place and people gathering in it are depicted to the right of the previous episode. Beneath the market place people are depicted enjoying their festival. An elephant is going to different sides of the market with a vase made of precious materials. Finally, in an episode above the market place, people wonder what the elephant is doing.

This small fragment of the mural which can be understood only in the context of the whole story reveals the manner in which the episodes of the Drowa Sangmo mural are arranged and interrelated. The dominating colors of the mural are green and orange similar to those used in the historical painting Shantarakshita and scenes of his life. The specifics of the materials used in the mural and the main theme of the object had impact upon it form and composition.

Regardless of the similarity of the chosen genre of a historical narrative in the historical painting Shantarakshita and scenes of his life and the Drowa Sangmo mural, the artists used different principles of hierarchy, proportion and composition for these objects.

The painting and the mural as parts of stylistic movements

The Himalayan style is mainly concerned with religious subjects and is recognizable by the specifics of composition, structure and motifs.^[4] Even though the iconography of Tibetan painting can seem to be chaotic and variable to the uninitiated ones, in fact it appears to be rather limited and complying with the principles of strict order and hierarchy.^[5] Applying these principles of hierarchy, iconographic elements, ornamentation, poses and gestures, Tibetan paintings can be read and interpreted similar to written records.

According to traditional Tibetan iconological theories, all art works could be classified into the three main types of objects, corresponding to particular aspects of Buddhism, including those of enlightened body, speech and mind. The historical narrative and mural under consideration belong to the two-dimensional type of body supports.

Additionally, taking into account the function of these objects, it can be stated that both of them are narrative because they involve the depicted figures into the historical or even partially mythical stories. Regarding the color pattern and the background of painting, one can notice a number of tremendous changes when analyzing the Tibetan paintings from the twelfth to nineteenth centuries.

These modifications can be interpreted as the move from older Indian towards the Chinese-influenced style. These modifications can be seen in the shift from red and orange color scheme to green and blue color schemes.

Additionally, the abstract elements in the background were substituted with relatively stereotyped elements of Chinese landscape, the strictly linear arrangement was replaced with more staggered one and a square form of the painting was replaced with a more rectangular shape. Another important aspect is the hierarchy of the depicted figures which depends upon the spiritual wishes of priorities and affects the choice and positioning of figures.

Most of these features, including the religious concerns, color scheme, shape composition and hierarchy are observed in the objects under analysis which makes them parts of the stylistic movements of their time.

Metaphorical meaning of the objects

Regarding the metaphorical meaning of the objects, the main conclusion which can be drawn from the narrative Shantarakshita and scenes of his life and the Drowa Sangmo mural is the importance of practicing Buddhism. By involving the depicted figures into the historical and legendary context and narrating different episodes form their lives, the artists emphasized the main motif of belief and its place in people’s lives.

Bibliography

“Art/Art history main page”. Himalayan Art Resources. Web.

“Historical narrative Shantarakshita.” Rubin Museum of Art. Web.

Jackson, David. “Lineages and the principles of composition in Tibetan Buddhist painting: Reading Tibetan thangkas as records”. Web.

Pearlman, Ellen. Tibetan sacred dance: A journey into the religious and folk traditions. Hong Kong: Inner Traditions, 2002.

“Take a closer look: Drowa Sangmo mural”. Rubin Museum of Art. Web.

Footnotes

1. “Historical narrative Shantarakshita”, Rubin Museum of Art.
2. Ellen Pearlman, Tibetan sacred dance: A journey into the religious and folk traditions (Hong Kong: Inner Traditions, 2002), 123.
3. “Take a closer look: Drowa Sangmo mural”, Rubin Museum of Art.
4. “Art/Art history main page”, Himalayan Art Resources.
5. David Jackson, “Lineages and the principles of composition in Tibetan Buddhist painting: Reading Tibetan thangkas as records”.

Introduction

Les Miserables is a musical concert held in memory of the work done by Victor Hugo. The musical got derived from the novel, Les Miserables. The book got written and published by Victor Hugo in Brussels, 1862. The musical concert believed in moral over evil, tolerance and non-violence. The songs below are excerpts from this musical concert (“About Victor Hugo”).

Bring him Home – Valjean

The song got sung by Jean Valjean. A former convict and prisoner, Valjean changes identity to be different. The only reason he got released from the prison was because of the Bishop’s grace and pleading. Valjean constantly runs from Javert who still pursues him.

The song, “Bring Him Home”, got sung in the Act II of the musical concert – Les Miserables. Jean Valjean sings this song as a prayer to the Lord (God) for the release of a young man in police custody. Jean claims that the young man did not understand the impact of the actions he took. He begs that love and joy be extended to the young man.

Musical analysts argue that the pleadings of Jean Valjean in this song got prompted by the suffering of the young man’s wife. The wife, an orphan got robbed of a loving relationship to Marius, the young lad. This was because Marius would not stop anti- government rioting.
Happiness becomes the central theme of the song. Jean reasons with God in the song that Marius being young and afraid does not deserve to stay in detention. He urges that the young be blessed and released.

He reasons that Cossette – Marius’s wife will be quite happy to have her husband back. Jean wants to see both the young man and his wife happy and so sings with much pleading and activism.
The freedom that Jean desires for the young man is what he lacked when he was himself a prisoner. Though out of prison, he still runs for dear life because the police are still chasing after him. This prayer song becomes integral in showing what Jean believes in.

Javert’s Suicide – Javert

The song sung by Javert takes place in Act II of the musical – Les Miserables. The song is co-sung with Jean Valjean. The two are the main characters in Les Miserables and represent the evil and the quality of the society. Javert’s goal in life throughout the play has to do with capturing and imprisoning criminals.

Valjean happens to be the targeted criminal who Javert desires to re- arrest. Javert does not show consistency to this end. On two occasions, he allows Valjean to pass by when he was able to catch him. This was because of his own ethical obligations towards those who Valjean helps.

In the song, Jean Valjean, the criminal sought after by Javert wonders what an officer Javert must be. He gets disturbed that Javert lives him free despite the hatred and the pursuit. He sings about Javert’s quest for vengeance. He notes the differences between Javert and him and remains puzzled by Javert’s actions.

On the other hand, Javert feels terrible to have caught a long term criminal and let him go. He got tormented by his own lust for revenge against Valjean.

He feels sorry for letting the man he has hunted all his life pass. He feels troubled by the fact that he is personally alive courtesy of Valjean. He laments over his inability to deal with Valjean. He also wondered whether Valjean’s criminal activities and sins will ever be pardoned by the society. Javert feels defeated like someone who has lost everything in life and opts for suicide as a way of escape.

Despair becomes one of the themes of the song. Javert’s own despair comes under focus. The song shows how Javert cannot deal with failure and opts for suicide. Escapism also comes out clear in this song. Javert uses death as a way to avoid the pain he feels, his troubles and failure to capture Valjean.

Master of the House – Thenardiers

Master of the House sung by Thenardiers comes in the Act I of the musical play, Les Miserables. The song got sung as a comic release coming after the drama ensuing in the song, “Castle on the Cloud” before it. A lot of unpleasant things have happened by the time of this song’s happening. It brings relief and introduces Thenardiers and his cronies. The song gets performed as a chorus by other participants in the musical play.

Thenardiers works as bar waiter in one of the restaurants frequented by customers who come to rest and drink something. Most of the customers are drunkards who abuse alcohol to pass the time and forget their troubles as presented in the song. Thenardiers uses the occasion with the crooks that come to the inn place to promote silly jokes and comments.

They make fun over every new customer.
The main theme in this song got to do with strain relief. The song sounds like a break from all the difficulties of life. When one of the customers comes into the inn place, Thenardiers suggests that he lay down his burdens, removes his boots and the rest from the struggles of the road.

He mentions to the customer that the inn place existed to take away people’s burdens and set them free from their pain and suffering. He asserts that the satisfaction of every customer becomes the responsibility of the inn place. He states their effort to reduce the cost and maximize customer satisfaction. This song plays an extremely significant role in the entire musical. It bridges the gap between misery and joy.

One Day More – The Company

A lot of people got together to sing this song. Several characters in the musical – Les Miserables raised their voices to participate in this song in the Act I of the musical play. This song portrays the situation the characters in the play have. Each of the characters involved in the song introduces the audience to the situation they encounter. They speak of their fears, their joys, struggles and hopes. Interestingly, none of the characters stays the middle ground. They demonstrate both their positives and negatives in the journey of life.

The theme of future expectations comes out clear in the song. Each one of the characters involved hopes something will happen beneficial to them. In the last stanza of the song, the company expresses their bright future expectations. They sing of the discoveries ahead.

They state that they will have magnificent treasures from stores in heaven. They are optimistic about a better life and fortune in the days, months and life ahead. The song encourages the audience to look beyond their current struggles and pain. It urges the audience to see the future with the eyes of God.

The challenge to believe everything will be just OK pops up over and over again.
The students indicate that someday everyone will be a king. They became convinced that someday there will be a new beginning. That people will raise high their flags and experience true freedom from all their pains and sufferings. This song got echoed by most of the other characters. Better days lie ahead in life. The audience can forge ahead instead of giving up and letting go.

Who Am I? – Valjean

The song “Who Am I” sung by Jean Valjean got casted in the Act I of the musical play – Les Miserables. The song portrays uproar of a person who feel forced to hide who he is to experience freedom. Valjean laments the threat to his personality, identity and purpose in life.

One gets the impression that Valjean was a virtuous man who made poor choices in life for which he would pay for the rest of life. It looks like someone trying to defend themselves or remove their name from some misfortune. Valjean is trying so hard to prove his reliability and trust. Unfortunately for him, Javert does not believe him. This song got picked because of Valjean’s leading role in the musical.

This song has a theme of identity. The main idea of the song concerns definition of Valjean’s identity. At some point in the play, Valjean appears in front of the court and declares that he certainly is Jean Valjean. One gets the impression that no one believes this man. He sounds misunderstood and rejected. He seeks understanding of the court to take him for who he truly is. He even reveals his tattooed chest to prove to Javert the truth about him.

He does not deny that he got brought to the court room as a criminal.
This song underlines significant relationships that Valjean has in life. Valjean mentions his relationship with his workers also with God. He pleads innocence of his name and feels terrible about justice. He retorts that condemnation has come upon him. Whatever he does, he feels that justice is far from his reach.

I Dreamed a Dream – Fantine

The song got chosen for the simple reason that it mirrors the stories of several characters in the musical. The singer – Fantine was a single mother who got forced to sell her body in order to provide for her kids. Her sufferings were not plausible. This song happened at the beginning of Act I of the musical, Les Miserables. Her struggles and hopes feel the atmosphere as this song goes.

This song talks about dreams of a better life, a better future, vision and lifestyle. The song is about hope – undying faith that all will be well. Despite the beatings of life, Fantine mirrors a time when she will have her loved one back with her. She hopes that life does not deny her of all what she still has.

Conclusion

The musical concert, Les Miserables has become acceptable because of the songs used. The method of using songs clarifies themes and directs the subject and enables the audience to relate with the information given in a more useful way.

Works Cited

“About Victor Hugo.” lesmis.com. Les Miserables., Web.

Introduction

“My own private Idaho” is a film that was inspired by Shakespeare’s Henry IV, and no element epitomizes this in the movies as much as Scott’s character does. Prince Hal and Scott’s backgrounds, their relationships with their family and their associations with members of a lower class are all symptomatic of these similarities.

Contrast and comparison

The first and most obvious similarity between Prince Hal and Scott is that they both come from rich families. Prince Hal is going to be the next heir of the throne –King Henry V – while, Scott has a rich dad too. They both decide to rebel against their fathers by engaging in inappropriate behavior. The concept of strained familial relationships is one that is common between these two individuals.

Prince Harry of Henry IV and Scott Favor also go through the same struggle of looking for new families. Although their dads are alive, there is a serious disconnect between the siblings and their parents. Harry feels like he needs to look for a different home where he can get love. He was tired of the pretentiousness and rigidity of the aristocracy. Scott wanted to be in a situation where he could let loose or be himself. He found a new family in the street members he associated with.

Through Mike, Bob and some of their friends, he is able to feel comfortable and at ease. In fact, Scott felt that Bob was a better caregiver than any of his parents could be. He appreciated the support that Bob gave him when they plotted their respective ploys and adventures. In the new life that he has taken up, no one expects him to be overly concerned about proper mannerisms and niceties.

In Henry IV, Prince Hal also finds a replacement to his family through Falstaff. Indeed Bob is an allusion to the character Falstaff. They all have a taste for life, and they all cause their new acquaintances to fulfill a missing component in their lives. Falstaff and Harry often engage in binge drinking and sleep with prostitutes (Shakespeare, 1598). They do daring things that would naturally have been considered a problem by their parents.

It is essential to realize that both Hal and Scott are distinctly aware of their place in society. Scott plans on becoming a mayor someday; he is ambitious and knows that there will be no place for people like Mike and Bob in that life. All he wants to do is to wait for his inheritance money before this can take place. Once his father dies, he plans on taking that money, and assuming the responsibilities that were bestowed upon him.

In fact, these intentions are confirmed when Mike and Scott go to Italy. Scott meets a beautiful girl and abandons Mike for her. At this point, Scott appears to be this selfish individual who was simply using a member of a lower class in order to achieve his own goals. Scott also affirms that he plans on taking on his responsibilities in a dramatic fashion, through a transformation. He believes that doing it when people least expect it will make it more amazing.

These intentions are eventually confirmed when Bob and Scott’s father die. Scott breaks up his union with his friend Bob, and this causes him to die from the shock that someone who he thought of as his son could reject him so directly. When Scott’s father dies, Bob’s funeral can be contrasted to his dad’s funeral; one was grand and impressive while the other was modest and insignificant.

Scott prepares to take on his new responsibilities and shuns off the old, disrespectful life he led. Similarly, Prince Hal also has a plan up his sleeve. In early parts of the play, Hal tells the audience that he intends on changing his wayward ways. He will do this by taking on his rightful place in the kingdom; a decision that will prove to his father and other people in the kingdom that he is worthy of his title.

He thinks that this will be a way earning instant respect because it will be a transformation. In fact, Prince Hal gets to redeem himself during the Battle of Shrewsbury. At this point, he meets up with the leader of the enemy camp –Hotspur – and they each seek to prove their might. As fate would have it, Harry wins by killing the enemy and comes out as a hero.

Playtime is over for him. His feat with Falstaff was just that as he is now going to live a new life. When Falstaff is rejected, Prince Hal is essentially abandoning his humanitarian side for politics, this is symptomatic of a Machiavellian leader (a prince who does not rely on goodness as a prerequisite to good leadership, but uses selfish and unconventional methods like charisma in order to win the support of the people).

At the end of the play, one can also deduce that there are certain differences between Hal and Scott. Scott was looking to kill some time or do rebellious things when he forged a union with Mike. Conversely, Prince Hal may have been preparing for his role as King when doing this.

In one instance, he affirmed that he could fit-in quite easily with the commoners, and in fifteen minutes, they would think that he was one of them (Shakespeare, 1598). Furthermore, he kept playacting with Falstaff regarding being King. It seems that living with the commoners was one way of sharpening his leadership skills. However, for Scott, it was simply a way of making a statement to his father.

Additionally, “my own private Idaho” does not really illustrate a dramatic transformation of Scott’s identity. This was quite vivid in Henry IV because Hal went to fight and he won. Harry gained honor and recognition for this feat, and shamed Hotspur. One is only left to think about the life that Scott will lead in the future.

Conclusion

Scott Favor was a loose depiction of Prince Harry owing to several factors. Both men were sons of rich fathers, and they rebelled against them. They were both looking for a family in the form of their new unions. They were also aware of their place in society, and realized that their rebelliousness would have to end.

The main difference between them lies in the fact that Prince Hal sees his rebelliousness as a preparation for his kingship. Conversely, this is just a way of making a statement to Scott. Furthermore Hal transforms dramatically in the story while Scott is going to take on those responsibilities in the future.

Reference

Shakespeare, W. (1598). The History of Henrie the Fourth. London: P.S.

Use of Color to Communicate to Target Audience in Artistic Work

The appeal of color has always been the primary concern of all artists and their clients alike. The depth of the loyalty to color glee, is however a mystery that needs some explication. In the color theory, artists from varied back grounds have always used this magic of the eye to communicate to their audience in a more appealing yet varied way.

Many writers have tended to look up to the 19^th century when exploring chromophobia idea. Although the subject of chromophobia has been since the ancient Greek, most authors exploration was limited to the ancient believes and boundaries which has not been cleared carried to today’s themes. Batchelor explores the resistance to chromophobia and blend it with contemporary art.

Batchelor’s View of Chromophobia

Historical background

According to David Batchelor, many artists today use colors arbitrarily without creating sensible themes and the few who do, use it in an informal way which is quite idiosyncratic. In simple, the meaning of color theme is still a spectrum that needs to be addressed in the artists’ sphere of communicating their interests, values, culture and even to create more sensible and appealing works.

How do contemporary artists use the idea?

The point Batchelor was putting across is that in order to communicate using colors, it is imperative that the artists in question go the extra mile to excavate the meaning and all aspects of color, which is quite complex.

Batchelor’s yarn

Batchelor came up with an irresistible collection of anecdotes relating to the experience and believes on color, he relates the tales to quotes and thus surfaces out the full meaning of the issues surrounding color. Although held as a past concept, he presents a passionate and cumulative prose that helps reveal why the western culture disgusts and qualms the color.

In his attempts to reveal the diverse effects of color, Batchelor switches between novels, art and movies to trace clearly the background of color history in a practical way. Through his historical trace, he posits the diverse views of both chromophiliacs and chromophobes. Citing examples of known great artists, he produces a succinct book that addresses the flaws held on color.

What does he use to explicate his ideas?

An in-depth description of chromophobia is provided in this work, the author explores the perception held on color. The definition of chromophobia is surfaced in a ring of examples for example the book quote Even Kant in his 1790’s writing who maintained that color would give ‘brilliancy’ and ‘charm’ to sculptures and paintings. In complementary, it is captured that the color is what make the sculpture or the drawing beautiful. He, however, cautions that it is not all color that makes an art working and appealing but more is the drawing.

In further exploration of chromophobia, he features the association of color with exoticism, superficiality, decadence, lack of clarity and confusion. He still brings out other well documented ‘facts’ about color, for example how color has been associated with racial and sexual phobias.

Comparing Contemporary and Old Views

Aristotle’s perception of color is unshelled to be drug (‘pharmakon’); an immediate comparison is made with rhetoric ‘calores’ meaning embellishment of an argument structure. The rhetoric view continued that if color was not considered a contaminant it should be treated as addition. In this concept, the additions or embellishments were considered superficial and thus did not form essential structure for things.

It is also outlined that color suspicion persists in some kinds of art work. This is particularly in regard to intellectual, moral and cerebral aspects of experience, for example conceptual arts were always made of white and a fetish black. Seriousness is portrayed in shades of grey in most art works. The idea of primitives and children liking strong colors, although is not widespread today; it still has a strong presence.

Based on Batchelor’s premise, chromophorbia forms a center stage of any artistic work. In different contexts and cultures, clear passing of information is easy through good choice and appreciation of color as with the intended audience views.

Bibliography

Batchelor, David. Chromophobia (London: Reaktion books, 2000), 23-157.

The Women’s Liberation movement of the twentieth century opened up a number of avenues for women. They were no longer confined to their homes and families and could go ahead and achieve whatever they wanted to. By the end of the twentieth century, women had made their mark as doctors and lawyers. And yet, despite all these outwardly achievements, on the inside women continued to aspire for a husband, children and a home in the suburbs.

Even intelligent, successful women secretly aspired the same ideal that their mothers and grandmothers had fought so hard to get rid of. Popular media only fueled these aspirations by not only pointing out what they were missing but by even suggesting ways to get what they wanted. Movies like “Legally Blonde” reinforce the idea that a woman’s primary objective in life is to get a husband and get married and that a woman’s intelligence, capabilities and talents are of not much use if she cannot find herself a suitable husband.

Elle Woods, played by Reese Witherspoon in Legally Blonde, is an extremely intelligent women who can get anything she wants once she sets her heart to it. Her natural intelligence is showcased on a number of occasions throughout the movie. She manages a score of 179 in LSATs and gets herself admitted to Harvard Law School with apparently only a little effort.

And once she decides to apply herself, she out-performs her classmates. Elle Woods is a woman who can achieve anything she wants. Yet, the sole focus of her life is to get the man who had dumped her to realize his mistake and come back to her. Elle Woods is not an ordinary woman. But her ambitions and aspirations are that of a very ordinary woman and hence very limited.

If Elle’s lack of ambition seems strange, her insistence on hiding her intelligent mind behind a facade of expensive clothes and well manicured hands is downright bizarre. Elle does not dress like any ordinary woman. Instead, with her perfect hair, designer dresses and loud makeup, she looks more like a living Barbie.

Elle is not a dumb blonde and yet that is exactly how she chooses to present herself to the world. According to Greenberg, female preoccupation with getting married may “spring from some ‘natural’ feminine psychic thrust toward passive dependent gratification” (Greenberg 151). Although Greenberg goes on to denounce this explanation and suggests that it may have something to do with women being disillusioned with their lives, this does not seem to be the case with Elle.

She comes from a rich family and is a successful women in her own way. Yet, the only ambition of her life is to get married and become “arm-candy” to a successful man. The movie seems to borrow from the desire of real women to get married to rich, successful man and exaggerates these desires to form Elle’s character. It is disturbing that in the post-feminist twenty-first century, real successful women still desire to get married ultimately.

And this desire may have been influenced by hundreds of romantic movies released every year which show successful women getting weak in the knees when confronted by rich, powerful men exuding male charm. Greenberg’s assertion that women may have a latent desire to be dependent on men may actually be a result of women being conditioned through such popular media to look for gratification through male dependency.

The way Elle dresses and her preoccupation with her looks also furthers the popular image of women being frivolous. Of course Elle’s character is an exaggeration of all female frivolities but Elle’s Barbie like wardrobe remains every woman’s dream.

All over the US, women spend thousands of dollar on clothes, shoes and grooming so that they may look more like the models and actresses they see on television. In the last couple of decades, more and more women are choosing to go under the knife to achieve some imaginary perfect body. Characters like Elle Woods tell these women that such a perfection may actually be possible.

Elle’s tailored, form hugging dresses, perfect blonde hair and high heeled shoes is an ideal that many women want to achieve. When the movie shows the beautiful and perfect Elle Woods is also an intelligent and successful lawyer, she becomes the ultimate role model for millions of women.

According to Lancaster, “fans appropriate images not as a way to feed into an ideologically created image… but [to] enter a liminoid fantasy world in order to help discover who they are in the everyday mundane world” (Lancaster 127). If this is true, it is sad that women should desire perfect, mythical bodies in order to help discover themselves.

The other main female character in Legally Blonde, Vivian, is also intelligent and beautiful but not as preoccupied with her looks as Elle. Elle suggests that if she were to spend some more time on her grooming, she could become even more attractive since she was not all that “unfortunate looking” (Legally Blonde). In Elle’s world, being beautiful and intelligent is not enough. A women must also look attractive, since the ultimate aim of her existence is to get married.

However, Warner dumps her because he needs to marry “a Jackie, not a Marilyn” (Legally Blonde). The practical looking Vivian apparently fulfills this need. While Elle was a great girlfriend, for a wife Warner prefers Vivian, not because he personally prefers Vivian over Elle, but because his voters might prefer the plainer Vivian. This is the same voter that ogles over Elle’s perfect body or aspires to get one like hers.

But these voters, just like Warner and Elle’s father see Elle as a dumb blonde and hence not a suitable partner for to someone who is expected to run the country. In achieving the perfect Barbie like persona that seems to be the female ideal, ironically, she alienates the very people who make it the female ideal.

It is not that women have any biological or evolutionary need to be dependent on men. Yet, even in this modern post-feminist era, women continued to be preoccupied with finding a suitable husband. All the time and money that women spend on grooming themselves and the obsession with the perfect body is the result of this latent desire in every women, no matter how successful, to find a husband.

Gomes discusses an interesting aspect of Confucianism which requires women to “submit to patriarchy” (Gomes 139) and to know their “place in society, and behave according to the ethical codes of general virtue: not talk too much, be clean and make herself beautiful to men, and be a good housekeeper” (Gomes 139).

Although, Gomes is discussing a very eastern cultural trait, the fact is that women all over the world had been for centuries conditioned to submit to patriarchy and make themselves beautiful to men while being good housekeepers. The Women’s Liberation movement of the last few decades has had only limited success in negating centuries of conditioning. Even today little girls play with Barbies, which become their role models for physical beauty, and are expected to have mock tea parties.

It is no surprise than that when these girls grow up, they want to continue playing tea party hostesses dressed as Barbies. Female ambition, even in the twenty first century, is governed by centuries of indoctrination and furthered by movies like Legally Blonde that encourage women to spend more time on their looks, even when they are capable of a lot more.

A movie is a mirror to the society and yet at the same time the society derives its inspirations from popular culture including movies. When the images propagated by the popular culture are as regressive as those seen in Legally Blonde, they slow down the process of change which is so vital for any society’s growth.

It is true that a movie is but an entertaining commentary on the realities of our times. However, they need to shake off the baggage of the past if the society as a whole is to truly modernize. And a modern society needs for women to have bigger and better ambitions than simply getting married an having children.

Works Cited

Gomes, Catherine. “Crouching Women, Hidden Genre: An Investigation Into Western Film Criticism’s Reading of Feminism in Ang Lee’s Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon.” Celluloid Dreams: How Film Shapes America. Eds. Chris M. Ramos, David T. Mayeda and Lisa Pasko. Dubuque, IA: Kendall Hunt Publishing, 2010. 133-140. Print.

Greenberg, Harvey Roy. “Re-Screwed: Pretty Woman’s Co-opted Feminism.” Celluloid Dreams: How Film Shapes America. Eds. Chris M. Ramos, David T. Mayeda and Lisa Pasko. Dubuque, IA: Kendall Hunt Publishing, 2010. 147-151. Print.

Legally Blonde. Dir. Robert Luketic. Perf. Reese Witherspoon, Selma Blair, Luke Wilson and Matthew Davis. MGM, 2001. DVD.

Lancaster, Kurt. “Lara Croft: The Ultimate Young Adventure Girl or the Unending Media Desire for Models, Sex, and Fantasy.” Celluloid Dreams: How Film Shapes America. Eds. Chris M. Ramos, David T. Mayeda and Lisa Pasko. Dubuque, IA: Kendall Hunt Publishing, 2010. 123-128. Print.

The film “This is not a Test” was an American film produced in the midst of the cold war specifically in the year 1962. The film and several others were produced as way of increasing awareness about the possibility of a nuclear war between the two nuclear superpowers: the United States and the Soviet Union. The movie begins with a United States enforcement officer receiving orders to install a road block in a rural road in the State of California.

The officer stops several vehicles and their occupants as one way of dealing with the threat of bombardment. Threats are heard over the officer’s phone and this complicates his work as he attempts to carry out his orders and keep the group of people detained in order. When the possibility of an attack becomes imminent, the officer and the rest of the gathered citizens attempt to protect themselves from the attack by converting a truck into a temporary bomb shelter.

But the chaos of the attack leads to anarchy and in the process the law enforcement officer is atomized while some of the others drive away to safety. The film portrays the level of fear which was prevalent in the early days of the cold war and shows the kind of anarchy that an actual war could bring.

The movie makes one thing clear, the pointless nuclear race which nearly led to assured mutual destruction of both states and allies. The Soviet Union was bent on perpetuation of its communist agendas and saw military supremacy as one way of ensuring the continuation of its intentions.

This included assisting countries perceived to be communist against the threat of capitalistic societies. This included supporting Cuba’s government against US invasion and the subsequent placement of Soviet nuclear missiles in Cuba. There was as an effort by the Soviet government around this time to take over Berlin which nearly put the nation on a collision course with Western powers.

The United States employed several policies and interventions during the cold war as a way of containing the Soviet threat. This included increased armament to deter Soviet aggression under the principle of assured mutual destruction. This would mean that an attack on US soil would lead to a swift counter attack on Soviet territories.

A nuclear war seemed inevitable during the Cuban missiles crisis when the United States saw the Soviet’s placement of nuclear missiles as direct threat to the security of the United States. The movie assumes that this tension actually leads to a nuclear war and shows the kind of carnage and chaos such a war would bring to our society.

Both governments employed intelligence and security organs in promotion of their cold war agendas and propaganda. The Soviet Union used secret police agencies to bear down on oppositions and those perceived to be against communism were executed. The American government created organs like the CIA to conduct spy missions and even orchestrate attempted coups in countries like Cuba. But the people of both nations just wanted peace and this might be a reason for subsequent reduction in nuclear weapons and a stop to the arms race.

The movie shows the kind of fear that the threat of a nuclear war would put on a nation and bring all other activities to a halt. It is also clear that the country is ill prepared to shield its people from the effects of such an attack as is demonstrated by the officer trying to convert a truck into a bomb shelter.

The message here is for nuclear disarmament since the losers in a nuclear war would be the citizens of the involved nations and no side can hope to emerge victorious with mutual destruction being assured. As in the case of those who drive away to safety, avoiding major cities in a nuclear war seems to be the best way to survive. Diplomacy then is the best way of solving issues and nations should refrain from acts which can be deemed as a threat to the security of others.

In art, formalism describes the concept that the artistic merit of a work of art is completely established by its form, its medium, and its visual characteristics^[1]. Formalism stresses on the elements of the works of art that include shape, color, texture and line while avoiding concepts of realism such as content and context. In the modern world, visual art has been very prominent.

In visual art, formalism denotes a concept that puts forwards that everything required to understand a work of art is enclosed inside the work of art. Formalism is a method of understanding a work of art that reduces the importance of context in a work of art. In this paper, I intend to look at the Export to world project displayed at the Museum of Modern Arts (MoMA) in New York City and located in Ars Electronica in Linz, Austria.

Formalism in the modern world has taken a huge leap and focuses on bringing virtual art and object into the real world. Unlike modeling natural objects that utilizes common paths and well-known tools, export to world shows that modeling man-made phenomena can be engaging and quite interesting.

Export to the world is an artistic project that seeks to copy virtual objects from second life and export them to real world by converting them into paper craft models^[2]. The project was created on behalf of Ars Electronica by Linda Kostowski and Sascha Pohflepp. Export to world aims at investigating the unclear separation between the virtual world and the real world. The project tries to bring to life the design and production of virtual objects into the real world for observation.

In export to world, the form of the virtual object is of the main importance. At the shop in Ars Electronica in Linz, buyers can buy purchased or custom-made virtual objects that are exact replicas to those in the second life market. These real life representations of virtual merchandise are exact copies that even contain the flaws inherent in copying.

When a buyer purchases a virtual object in Export to world, he is given a two dimensional paper representation of the virtual object which he can physically fit to form a three dimensional real life object on site^[3].

In export to world, the real life object is usually forced to correspond point to point to the virtual object. The prominent examples used in Export to world are the Bubble gum machine and the television set.

The bubble gum machine in second life contains several objects that are joined to form the final virtual merchandise. The most prominent section is the bubble gum glass container. In Export to world, this container is represented as a sphere embedded with several colors such as orange, yellow, red and blue. These colors give the illusion that the sphere is filled with bubble gum.

The sphere is covered on the top by a red plate like object. The plate is not smooth but has rough edges common in most low pixel 3-D pictures. Beneath the sphere is a black vase that is connected to a stand that contains a grey rod fitted to a cylindrical base. All these aspects are transferred into the real world in the Ars Electronica shop. A buyer is provided with a paper representation of the object that can be fitted to form an accurate copy of the virtual object.

The “Export to World” project is a fine example that demonstrates the veil between virtual representation and reality is becoming smaller and smaller. In the past, artistic were trying to represent real objects in the virtual world. Modern formalism has changed this and at the moment virtual art and objects are being copied and represented in the real world.

Bibliography

Bartholl, Aram. “Second City.” Ars Electronica. 2007. Web.

Kaplan Andreas and Haenlein M. “Consumer use and business potential of virtual worlds: The case of Second Life”. International Journal on Media Management 11, no. 3 (2009): 1-42.

Kostowski, Linda and Sascha Pohflepp. “Export to world. 2007.” Posting to Museum of Modern Arts. 2007. Web.

Footnotes

1. Andreas, K. and Haenlein M. “Consumer use and business potential of virtual worlds: The case of Second Life”. International Journal on Media Management 11, no. 3 (2009): 1-42
2. Linda K. and Sascha P. “Export to world. 2007,” Posting to Museum of Modern Arts.
3. Aram B. “Second City”. Ars Electronica.