Category: Art

King Kong was originally produced during the year 1933 when theatre was the only medium of presentation and when depression was rampant. The renowned movie set during the great depression had several prominent features, namely, a big black ape, the beautiful girl, the skull island, and the empire state building.

Apparently, the skull island and the insidious ape depicted as solitary, primitive and full of pride which is symbolic of prehistoric culture while the empire state building and the beautiful girl present in all sequels of the movie represent the recurring theme of civilization.

The girl that always emerges victorious at the end clearly symbolizes the ability of postmodern society to sustain development regardless of unpredictable economic situations that could arise and threaten the very existence of civilization. Analysis of various stylistic details i.e. film stock, medium etc used in representation of all king Kong sequels will help us understand how the King Kong monster film relates to historically specific set of anxieties e.g. women’s rights, technology, urbanization and modernization.

A brief overview of King Kong 2005 movie will help us understand better how depression and urbanization are portrayed in this monster movie which was set at the height of great depression in New York. There is rampant unemployment and untold hunger among people. There is spiraling crime and people are willing to do anything to make the ends meet. The lead actor, Naomi Watts (Anne Darrow) performs for her group despite the fact that the crew members haven’t been paid a dime for weeks.

She is at the verge of a nervous breakdown on the streets of the Big Apple a moment after the closure of the theatre where she performs. A producer from Broadway approaches her and asks her if she can work at burlesque club but she declines after careful consideration. By rejecting the offer, the female figure demonstrates that she has principles that she is unwilling to compromise for financial gain.

Outside the club, the actress meets this filmmaker, Jack Black (Carl Denham) who has just made away with his producers masterpiece. Denham succeeds in convincing Anne to join in the making of his film by revealing to her that the masterpiece is made by her favorite hero Jack Driscoll, the scriptwriter.

The crew members cast a suspicious eye on Denham whom they think is eyeing Anne after an hour of character development since they believe that they are headed for Singapore. On the ship, Anne decides to perform for the members of the crew.

This is part of the reason why they are more than willing to risk their lives to get her out of trouble in later parts of the film. Later, the ship wrecks havoc at the skull island and the crew members are given a hostile welcome by savage natives who are probably descendants of people who got stranded on the Island.

After having gone through various adventures on the Island, The monster is subdued with bottles of chloroform after it breaks through the gates. Denham’s dream of becoming a millionaire becomes true after capturing the beast and bringing it to New York. Kong is to later break out of the theatre and give Jack Driscoll a big chase (Jackson, 2005).

After dealing the Cab which Driscoll is riding a great blow, Anne saves his day by appearing from the smog and allowing the monster to take hold of her and they both leave for the central park and the rest of what happens is well known by anyone who has ever watched this movie.

Before we commence with making any further analysis, it is good to note that there are various misleading visual analysis of this movie that are often stereotypical. Most critics of the movie argue that the awful big black ape specifically symbolize in implicit terms the black masculinity often depicted as being obsessed with white beauty.

This depicts the kind of white sexual anxieties that prevailed during the time when the movie was first made. This is so because it is unlikely that such kind of visual interpretation apply to all other monster movies like predator, Frankenstein etc that do not focus on beauty (Wilkins, 2004, 40).

This does not mean that movie producers do not have such agendas implicitly or explicitly interwoven in some of their movies but that most if not all of monster movies consistently portray the theme of unprecedented threats to, urbanization and how humanity bound by a common sense of purpose rise together regardless of their economic, political and social backgrounds to surmount such a threat.

The king Kong movie depicts how human conscience has matured to allow for objective rather than subjective outlook on life. To avoid making mistakes made by the four blind Hindustanis while giving their views and opinions on what an elephant looks like, this research article will restrict itself to analyzing stylistic details and other aspects used in production of King Kong to make it more appealing to its audience and bring out certain themes in social and political history.

Like most monster movies, King Kong endeavors to show the superiority of technology over some unknown force that could threaten urbanization. The eventual destruction of the monster through the use of advanced technology is symbolic of destruction of people posing a direct challenge to urbanization like Osama bin Laden, Hitler, Muammar Gaddafi and others.

Political views and ideologies held by such individuals are akin to monsters that can potentially lead to depression. Unlike other monster movies where the audience is often unsympathetic towards the monster, watching King Kong leaves a person with feelings of sympathy.

The unprecedented threat towards urbanization depicted by the 2005 King Kong movie took place when the terrorists struck the heart of New York City. The primitive monster had truly left the Skull Island and entered New York City in pursuit of the beauty of advances in commerce and industry not to embrace it but to subtly destroy the urban progress thereby weakening the society through acute depression.

This is so because a union between a woman and an animal is impossible and unproductive leave alone that of a monster and a woman. The King Kong 2005 movie clearly demonstrates September 11, 2001 situation through splendid use of specific visual details.

This monster is analogous to some terror gang living in caves planning on how to weaken their enemy by bringing down their urban progress without which, there would be hardly any civilization. The King Kong is also symbolic of the great depression while the empire state building mirrors twin towers and so on and so forth.

However, it would be completely wrong to restrict the monster film to mean war on terrorism only (Middleton, 1992, 76). The aim of the foregoing brief discussion is not to give any personal opinion but to give us a picture through which we can come to appreciate how the various stylistic details have been used in the making of the monster movie.

The producer of the 2005 King Kong movie must have realized that there is a close interconnection between a monster, depression and urbanization thereby prompting him to add more depth to the movie.

The woman is symbolic of urbanization while the monster symbolizes rural life and primal mans system of thinking. The movement of the beast from the Island into the city is symbolic to rural urban migration or migrants from developing countries into developed countries.

People are ostensibly moving away from their poorly performing economies to go and seek respite in established cities like New York. The poorly performing economies are depicted by the savages who are not only unsightly but extremely dangerous. Immigrants’ entry into developed states threatens their outstretched economy that is already suffering from effects of depression.

The monster is also symbolic of depression that terrifies and overwhelms people. It brings chaos into the city and threatens the life of Anne not to mention that it led to deaths of so many people. The monster often takes world stage and it is the beauty of a woman or strength of urbanization that eventually leads to its demise. King Kong movie clearly shows that there will always be some financial controversy surrounding the monster. The monster eventually brings about destructions of social, political and economical nature.

Economically speaking, much of modern civilization is fuelled by oil. Without this commodity, economies would grind to a halt. This commodity has taken the center stage of the world and is a subject of both political and financial concern and undue changes in its price can lead to depression which can in turn slow development. Slowing of urban development could mean that some regions of the state could be neglected.

People from such regions might act out of hopelessness and resort to engaging in some antisocial activities as a way of escaping realities brought about by poverty arising as a result of depression. Such activities can be in form of cults that could by themselves pose a threat to urbanization.

People can be brainwashed by such cults into believing that there is no need of developing infrastructure and technology to improve people’s lives but people should instead take comfort in some horrible cults as a way of life (Wilkins, 2004, 55).

The visual effects i.e. common gateway interface used in the making of the first 2005 king Kong fantasy film makes the monster appear to be so real. The message carried by this movie remains timeless despite of changes in digital animation, special effects and film technology (Jackson, 2005).

The king Kong film stock which allows for the flickering of the silver screen allows for the interconnection of the current movie with its original settings thereby leaving the audience with a more realistic view of the beast. Contrary to popular beliefs, King Kong was made from a puppet and was not played by a man inside an ape suit.

The gigantic ape and other creatures shown in the film maintain a much realistic feeling through the use of stop motion animation. This technique of animation works by filming minute set of frames which are then shown at film speed in sequence (Jackson, 2005).

This result into an illusion of moving creature that is alive. Multi layered glass paintings are placed on the background to create a background that makes the illusion seem to be all the more real. In the scene where King Kong gets killed in all versions, there is a huge crowd of onlookers. The camera moves slowly from the base of the towers from where the crowd is standing, the music is somber and suddenly there is text scrolling upwards.

Apparently, there are prevailing theories such as Darwinism that reduce man to the level of a beast. From Galapagos Island and straight into the city came Darwin’s theory of survival for the fittest.

This brought about urban conflict. By making people to believe that they are nothing special but animals, people were desensitized and all they could ever think from that point onwards was to get rich at whatever cost regardless of religious or moral principles. There is this famous saying that goes “get rich or die trying”. Depression led to increase in criminal activities whose desire to be rich at whatever cost threatens to cause anarchy in urban places.

Though the film endorses masculinity based on the archetype of the ape, it does not allow the ape to emerge victorious. This shows the triumph of urban, industrial life over a rural agrarian one despite of prevalent depression. The role of a hero is granted to Jack who is Ann’s boyfriend. Jack is civilized unlike the beast and gives the lady the respect that she deserves. This shows the degree to which urban life has transformed behaviors of modern man who differs to a great degree from the primal archetype depicted by the ape.

Works Cited

Jackson, Peter, dir. King Kong. United States of America: Studio Canal, Universal Studios, 2005. Film.

Middleton, Peter. The inward gaze: masculinity and subjectivity in Modern culture. New York: Rout ledge, 1992. Print.

Wilkins, Riki. Queer theory, gender theory: an instant primer. Los Angeles: Alyson Books, 2004. Print.

Introduction

A sculpture is a three dimensional visual art that is designed by shaping hard and soft materials, such as wood, metals, glass, clay and polymers, into the desired shapes and designs. The designs may be made in form of freestanding objects in reliefs or other types of surfaces.

The word sculpture is not fixed to any prescribed artistic form of set of activities; it is rather used to refer to a growing and continually evolving range of activities and sets of art forms. There are two broad categories of sculptures: round and relief. The former refers to a separate, detached artwork in its own right, resulting in an independent, freestanding existence in space, such as a table, or an animal sculpture.

In contrast, a relief does not exist on its own because it is attached to or forms a central part of something else that acts either as a background or as a medium from which it arises (Curtis 56). Of these two broad categories, there are four basic methods of sculpture: carving, casting, modeling, and assembling. These processes are either additive whereby material is added, or subtractive, whereby material is removed.

Carving

This is one the oldest techniques that have been used to produce sculptures. In this process, the sculptor cuts or chips away materials from a hard material into a desired form. Carving is a subtractive process since material is removed from the original block of material. The most commonly used materials are wood, stones, plaster or ice. The main setback in this process is that if a lot of material is removed, the design might not come out the way it was expected because it is a subtraction process.

This carving was made on a marble medium between 1513 and 1515. It shows the biblical Moses with horns on his forehead. This is based on the description of Moses as he came from the mountain after talking with God. It is freestanding form of art with a clearly defined outline. There is enough evidence of the type of material used by the sculptor owing to its shiny surface. Michelangelo could have possibly used clay due to the minute details required in various parts of this carving. However, for an expert sculptor, marble is the best medium.

Casting

This is a process where one and/or more copies of a sculpture are produced. It is an additive process whereby material is melted down, then poured into a mold and left to harden. Usually, a sculpture is modeled, then covered with a melted mold material and left to cool; after cooling, the mold is then separated to reveal the actual sculpture. The process can be repeated many times. After the mold has dried, some finishing work is done on the sculpture to remove mold lines and smoothen rough edges.

This casting stands in Vienna and is made to commemorate the victims of the Holocaust. It was built using steel and concrete. The surface of the artwork depicts library shelves turned inside out with the book spines facing the inside and hence obscured. Consequently, the titles of the books are not known. Due to the uniformity required in bringing out the details of the numerous ‘books’ used in the sculpture, casting turns out to be the best method.

Modeling

Modeling is an additive process in which a soft material is worked on to create a desired shape. Typical materials used for this process include clay, wax, and cement. The sculptor adds soft material little by little to build up or produce a finished artwork.

This process requires soft material that can later be fired to harden it (Chaney 130). As much as it is an additive process, subtraction is often used to achieve the desired shape unlike carving where subtraction is the only process. While modeling, a framework is required to bear a soft modeling material which otherwise will loose its shape.

This artwork was produced from terra cotta. Unlike marble based sculptures, this art form does not have a smooth surface, however, it has a clearly defined outline with a lot of details. The bust is free standing. Due to the numerous details in this sculpture, terra cotta is the best surface as it gives the sculptor the flexibility to add more details and to correct any errors.

Assembling

Assembling is an additive process whereby a sculpture is constructed by combining existing objects, shapes or materials to one another into a complete art work. In this process, the objects are shown in a new dimension through assembling different collection of shapes.

This sculpture is made out of various materials; in the background, there is a painting, while in the foreground, we observe a three dimensional picture of an eagle ‘flying’ towards the viewer. A small bag also hangs from the painting. None of the objects used in this sculpture is free standing as they all depend on one another. The medium chosen for the sculpture is the best as it makes the artwork look like real.

Works Cited

Chaney, Sheldon. Sculpture of the World: A history, The Viking Press, New York, 1968. Print.

Curtis, Penelpoe. Taking Positions: Figurative Sculpture and the Third Reich, London: Henry Moore Institute, 2002. Print.

The event in this case is Edward Ruscha’s exhibition at the Denver art museum where the main artwork of interest was “On The Road”.

This piece of work is inspired by the works of Jack Kerouac novel published in 1957 that was critical in defining the Beat Generation and it is a limited edition of Ruscha’s artistic version of “On The Road” done in 2009, which incorporates images from the Gagosian gallery as well as Steidl. It bears similarities to Jack’s work in the sense that they both apply language to bring out some level of social commentary, which is then documented through a series of American landscapes.

Ruscha has been known for the road trip culture as most of his previous paintings were of gas stations, landscapes and road signs. He was even identified at one time as the Andy Warhol of the West. However, in recent times he has been known to produce more word paintings on canvas with single words or phrases that are sometimes done over captivating landscape art.

Ruscha’s work is mainly composed of phrases lifted from the novel “On The Road”, which are painted in block over photorealistic backgrounds of captivating landscapes along the lower part of the large canvas. The venue of the exhibition is the Denver art museum and the work is displayed in unbound versions that are double paged and framed.

They are displayed in one end of the gallery in a particular elegant grid with the rest of the space featuring 15 of the previous works done by Ruscha that are related to the same work. The combination of his previous artistic niche in regard to the landscape art as it is experienced on road trips, and the works contained in Jack’s novel bring out a different form of art that is unique to Ruscha. This gives his work a particular high value due to the rare combination contained therein.

On the other hand the use of a previously captivating work compromises the originality that is often associated with the previous works done by Ruscha and even though these particular pieces may seem to be unique to him as they still contain elements of his previous pieces, they still remain unoriginal. It has been identified by various critics that a reinvention of previous works in a contemporary context still remains a phenomenal style and this is what makes these pieces exceptional.

The event was quite captivating in the sense that it exposes the audience to the age old road trip culture in a 1957 setting, but in relation to a more contemporary setting.

This makes the audience to attach his or her modern perceptions of life in the 50s to modernity while still appreciating the timelessness of natural landscapes as they have persisted over the years. It is a perfect depiction of western culture in a contemporary setting through unconventional artistic styles in regard to the words and phrases.

Of particular interest are the natural and free aspects of the particular western culture as it is depicted amongst natural landscapes and this brings out the beauty not only in the landscape, but also in the life of the free spirit road trip enthusiast, which is an experience that everyone would want to go through. It is, however, hard to comprehend the true meaning of these pieces if one is not familiar with Jack Kerouac’s work.

This is an American comedy film, directed by Howard Hawks, starred by Cary Grant and Katharine Hepburn, and produced by RKO radio pictures. It’s a movie that narrates a paleontologist’s story, which revolves around a woman who is embedded with a unique sense of logic, and a certain leopard that is given the name Baby.

Some of the people that give a shot behind the scenes include Walter Catlett, May Robson, Charles Ruggles and Barry Fitzgerald. This movie employs a madcap heiresses, to give the needed sense of humor, fun, irresponsibility and the irrelevance that develops the story to its intended context, contrary to the logic, seriousness and the dignity that is associated with the working class heroes.

The director labels Katharine Hepburn as a dotty heiress, and Cary Grant as a stuffy paleontologist, to bring out the humorous sexual battles that reversely describe the stereotypes of sex roles. The director, Howard Hawks, labels Grant as dutiful, docile, and submissive. According to the film, his dignity is stripped by nature and the director uses the divided nature of his character to bring out stereotypes that are both masculine and feminine. This is clearly brought out in the last chapter of the film, where he integrates both principles of sex.

A critique

The director has developed a good sense of humor throughout the play and this has clearly developed the film into its intended purpose of a comedy. The constant use of humorous scenes in the story is a good asset for the film, since it gives viewers an interest, to keep on watching it due to the entertainment aspect, which is a great tool for a comedy intended film.

The labeling of Grant as a stuffy paleontologist also reflects his character where the director labels him as docile, dignity stripped, dutiful and submissive. This style has efficiently been stamped on the film by the character and this proves the director’s directing ability.

Hawks also shows his superiority in directing as he relies on assertive heroines, to get rid of the shambling and the mock seriousness of the female heroines. The use of women clothing by the male characters clearly demonstrates the extent of their confusion.

The director of the film uses this clothing idea, to clearly explain or bring out the confusion aspect of male characters in the film. Also, the use of breakneck pace, humorous swipes of the sex roles, and a comic timing that is superb, is a big plus for the film because this promotes its popularity. The play has used all sorts of styles that have made it fulfill its intended purpose of a comedy film.

The screening of the film can be termed as superb, because of its effective combination of humor, clothing, and both sexes, to convey the true purpose of its objective. The importing of an untamed leopard by the name Baby further leaves the viewers entertained and many describe the film as one with extreme creativity.

The effective and well-coordinated change of scenes from a golf club to a jail, and then a museum in the film, also motivates the viewers to watch more of the film. This also demonstrates clearly, the level of creativity in the film. It also shows the diversity of the film director and all this, make the film very interesting to viewers, mostly the ones who love comic films.

The film scenarios relates very well with the totality of the film through the types of clothes that are demonstrated by the director, Howard Hawks. The use of stinky and rugged clothes to describe the confused characters in the film brings out the comedy part of the film as it helps the viewers to have a distinct identity on each character in the film, a style that effectively brings out the totality of the film.

The use of dotted clothes to describe certain females in the film also helps to bring out the love aspect of the film, as the viewers identify with these characters when the subject of love comes along. The change of scenes and clothing along the story helps in making sure that every part in the story comes out effectively, according to the theme of every episode. This is a great asset as the totality of the film in regard to the clothing and the scenery used, has helped greatly in bringing the true meaning and theme of the film.

When the National Socialists received the power in 1933 they were inclined to change all the aspects of the social, political, and cultural life in Germany according to the Nazi specific ideals. These changes were rather painful for the society. They were also associated with those attacks which were directed against the examples of different kinds of modern art.

The notion of ‘degenerate art’ became typical for determining those art pieces which were too modern and unique to be accepted by the Nazis. However, what art can be considered as degenerate? To understand the differences between the pieces of the classical and degenerate art, it is necessary to compare two artworks with paying much attention to their peculiarities.

The notion of ‘degenerate art’ became familiar to the public in 1937 when the Entartete Kunst (Degenerate Art) exhibition was opened in Munich. 650 art pieces including paintings, sculptures, and books were exhibited there in order to show those works which reject the idea of the perfect German art associated with the Nazi ideology (Barron).

The main feature which combined all these pieces was their development as the examples of the modern art which did not follow the principles of the Nazi ideology and, thus, such art was considered as inappropriate or ‘un-German’.

It is significant that the whole art movements such as Cubism, Expressionism, Dada, and Surrealism became forbidden because they did not reflect the reality of the Nazi regime. Moreover, not only modern art was rejected but also the Bolshevist and Jew art (Petropoulos). Thus, what peculiarities of the modern art which were not accepted by the Nazis are important to focus on?

The Nazis’ main task was to make all the aspects of people’s everyday life advantageous for providing the necessary propaganda. German culture was a significant element of forming the consciousness of real German people. That is why it was important to concentrate on such art pieces which could not provoke the person’s thinking, but only help to provide the control under his consciousness.

The strict rules according to which the German people’s life is organized should be everywhere including the sphere of art. That is why the conceptual works of modern art which evoke people’s emotions and make them think originally are considered as dangerous, as a result of people’s mental illnesses (Barron).

The German society should be healthy, and the German art should be understandable. Thus, the classical perfect forms are required for providing the real art because their common features can organize the minds of the crowd. The statement about Hitler’s abilities can also be relevant for description the necessary art, “he could convert crowds, and he could convert individuals”, and these conversions should be thoroughly controlled by the authority (Spotts 44). Uniqueness is a quality which was strictly despised by the Nazis (Barron).

To focus on the peculiar features of the degenerate art, it is useful to compare it with the example of the traditional artwork. If we concentrate on paintings “A” and “B”, it is possible to say that these paintings represent two opposite styles one of which can be referred to the degenerate art and the other one to the classical tradition in painting. The painting “A” can be discussed as the symbolic representation either of war or any actions which involve using the arms.

It is rather difficult to give the detailed description of the objects presented in the picture because of their symbolic character. It is possible to identify five figures of men with guns who are hidden in the futuristic refuge with the cannon above them. The figures are depicted in dark blue colors, and green trees around the refuge are also presented symbolically. The actions are depicted with the help of visualizing shots in light colors.

It is possible to consider that Aphrodite and five angels are depicted in the paintings “B”. The figure of Aphrodite is portrayed rather naturalistically with following the classical traditions of depicting women in paintings. All the details of the paintings are understandable for the audience.

The composition is organized according to the central figure of Aphrodite who is lying on the waves, and five angels are flying above her. The colors of the paintings are true to life, and in spite of the mythic theme, the painting is perceived as realistic because of many details.

After examining both paintings, it is possible to say that the painting “A” should be discussed as the example of the degenerate art when the painting “B” is developed according to the classical tradition of realistic portraying. The painting “A” is based on the symbolic meanings of the depicted objects which help the audience guess the theme of the picture, but it is not clearly understandable.

The painting “A” is worked out with using the geometrical forms which reflect the principles of Cubism and Abstract art considered as modern art and forbidden by the Nazis. This painting provokes the audience’s thinking about its message because it reveals mainly the idea, but not the theme as the painting “B” does. The complex of these aspects allows discussing this painting as the piece of degenerate art which rejects the ordinary forms and realistic depictions typical for other art styles and movements.

Works Cited

Barron, Stephanie. “1937: Modern Art and Politics in Prewar Germany”. Degenerate Art: The Fate of the Avant-Garde in Nazi Germany. Ed. Stephanie Barron and Peter W. Guenther. New York, NY: Harry Abrams, 1991, 9-23. Print.

Petropoulos, Jonathan. The Faustian Bargain: The Art World in Nazi Germany. USA: Oxford University Press, 2000. Print.

Spotts, Frederick. “The Artist as Politician”. Hitler and the Power of Aesthetics. Ed. Frederick Spotts. New York, NY: The Overlook Press, 2003, 43-72. Print.

Introduction

Louise Bourgeois was born on December 25, 1911 in Paris, France. She was an American citizen and an artist by profession; however, she passed on at the age of 98 years in 2010 following a heart attack (Nixon 12). Born in a financially stable family, as the second born of three children, her parents owned an antiques tapestries gallery. As a child, she often drew the missing parts of images, which assisted in repairs.

Her work has flourished since the 20^th century. She was married in 1938 to Robert Goldwater, an art historian, and together, they raised three sons; however, her husband died in 1973. She studied at the University of Sorbonne, in Paris, France, where she studied mathematics and geometry; however, she later on left the university and enrolled in an art school.

After she got married, the couple moved to New York, where she enrolled at the art student league, and studied painting. Her work is well illustrated in sculptures, paintings, and drawings. In 1982 at the age of 70 years, the museum of modern art in New York brought attention to her career.

Having found effective audiences, she continuously presented her work (“Louise Bourgeois” 2). Some of her famous art included the velvet eyes, which includes “two large, staring, bird-like eyes locked in eternal gaze from the depths of a rough-edged rock” (Newsmakers 2). Another art is that of a headless rabbit with breasts vertically. Needless to say, her art was stylish and emotionally aggressive, as well as displayed forms of sexual explicit.

In 1994 exhibition, Louise created a locus of memory, whereby, a single sculpture with variety of drawings, and a center image of a spider represented a woman of changing moods (Nixon 45).

In spite of starting her exhibition career in the 30s, her career began to mature in the 50s when she was introduced to successful artists such as Willem de Kooning and Louise Clement. Louise Bourgeois remains one of the famous women artists to date; most of her work is based on domestic confinement and comfort, where feminine is presented by vulnerability, strength, and complicity.

The work of Louise Bourgeois compared to other artists

Louise Bourgeois’ work was competitive; the stylish, emotional, and creative art stood out from the rest. The artist revealed emotions and tragedies in her art. In 1992, she was the only second woman to be honored at the Venice Binnale, where she represented America (“Louise Bourgeois” 4). Unlike other artists like Lucian Freud, who concentrated on painting alone, Louise Bourgeois expanded her horizons to sculptures as well as drawings and paintings.

The art industry was competitive, with the existence of several talented artists; Lucian Freud was among them, and among his significant painting is the ‘naked man with a rat’, of 1977-78. Though controversial, his painting gained more fame. However, Freud passed on in July 2011; nevertheless, he is known as a figurative artist of the 20^th century.

Louise Bourgeois was not limited to any materials; she used wood to curve sculptures, and also painted and drew images that were motivated by her emotions. Willem de Kooning was another artist who was born in 1904; he mainly engaged in painting and resided in New York just like Louise Bourgeois.

His painting was mostly based on expressionism, and his paintings are legendary; however, unlike Louise, Willem specialized in painting alone. According to Hess and Kooning (7), Willem was dedicated to art and painting, qualities that were expressed in his paintings.

Louise’s artwork gained fame due to its uniqueness and diversity, varying from sculpture work, painting to drawing. For instance, one of her major works included ‘destruction of the father’ in 1974, which include cave-like structures shaped like rocks in a sacrificial slab. This was a disturbing piece of work, describing a tearing family due to the war in Vietnam, which left many soldiers dead.

Needless to say, Louise’s work has continued to flourish, and has no limits in expressing emotions. While dealing with feminine issues, Louise is not limited, as she expresses both the female body and sexuality. Her work also consists of style and a subject matter; unlike her fellow artists, she challenges the traditional concepts of women and the masculine stereotypes. It is also evident that Louise art includes several materials ranging from wood to steel. Therefore, she took pleasure in selecting her art materials. Louise has surpassed the status of a highly significant and intelligent woman.

She was and still is one of the most influential and challenging artists. According to Potts (17), Louise’s artwork especially sculptures are visible, which allows audiences to get the picture and the themes of the art. Louise can be differentiated from her fellow artists through her unique incorporation of art materials, which yields to an outstanding artwork.

An example of the Louise Bourgeois’s work

The spider sculpture symbolizes Louise Bourgeois’s mother who was her best friend, and was protective like the spiders; she was also a weaver just like the spiders. Therefore, Louise’s artwork is influenced by emotions, which makes her art unique (catton 16). This image is made of steel, wood, fabric, silver, gold, bone, and tapestry, and as a result, her artwork was not limited to one component.

It signifies maternal protection. The huge legs are for a child’s support, whereby, he can cling to the legs and feel secure. According to Bal (184), Louise’s work consists of narratives, especially in the spider sculpture, offering a view of how dreams can be constructed uniquely.

However, her work has faced numerous critics, among them being the fact that the spider sculpture lacks a narrative that fulfills its story (Bal 191). Nevertheless, other critics view Louise more of a surrealist compared to an artist; this is as a result of her subversive art. The spider web is both a home and a weapon as well, symbolizing trappings of domesticity.

In addition, her works symbolize both post modernist and modernist eras. Needless to say, other critics arise from the fact that a spider is viewed as a threatening symbol; however, audiences of this sculpture art find it humorous, mysterious, and comforting.

Another criticism is the artist’s symbolization of her mother as a spider, which is big and dangerous, as opposed to a mother who is humble and caring. This argument challenges the context of the sculpture. The childhood experiences and emotions are present in her artwork. Her experience with a calm, collective, and affectionate mother who was considered as an invalid, and her domineering father who was unfaithful are evident in her art.

Catton (15) insists that Louise’s creativity is evident in the way she sews together her memories, emotions, and experiences to an art. In addition, Louise’s art signifies creativity and self-sustaining, and the artist did not imitate anyone – she outlaid vision and the importance of art, however simple or complicated it may be. According to Potts (37), Louise always insisted that art is not related to the artist; however, art should always be independent.

Conclusion

Louise Bourgeois is a legend in the field of art; despite her death, her works continue to inspire and motivate fellow artists. Throughout her career, she has been one of the most successful women in the industry. Despite numerous critics concerning her artwork, she is praised for her maximization of art materials, as she is not limited to a specific material, with her artwork comprising of wood, steel, and fabric among other components.

Another admirable factor is the emotions expressed in her artwork; she is among the few artists who put her emotions into her work. Her spider sculpture symbolizes her mother, who is seen as caring and protective, while the destruction of a father sculpture signifies a tearing family. All her art ideas are drawn from experiences and emotions, and most of them aim at promoting equality and discouraging masculine stereotype.

In addition, Louise’s artwork is unique in that, she is diverse and can create art through painting, drawing or making sculptures, an aspect that is rare. This is because most artists concentrate on one field; for instance, Willem Freud concentrated on painting alone. Louise Bourgeois’ artwork attempts to capture the audiences’ thoughts by creating quality in her works. In spite of her death and critics surrounding her work, she remains a legend.

Works Cited

Bal, Mieke. “Autotopography: Louise bourgeois as builder.” Biography: An Interdisciplinary Quarterly 25.1 (2002): 180. Web.

Catton, Pia. “Louise Bourgeois Dies at 98.” New York Cultures, 20.1 (2010): 15-16. Web.

Centre Pompidou. Louise Bourgeois: A landmark exhibition. 2008. Web.

Hess, Barbara and W. Kooning. Willem de Kooning, 1904-1997: content as a glimpse. NY: Taschen Publisher, 2004. Web.

“Louise Bourgeois.” Newsmakers. Detroit: Gale, 1994.

Nixon, Mignon. Fantastic Reality: Louise Bourgeois and a Story of Modern Art. NY: Taschen Publisher, 2010. Web.

Potts, Alex. “Louise Bourgeois – Sculptural confrontations.” Oxford art journal, 22.2 (1999): 37-53. Web.

Stuart, Paul. Sculptor Louise Bourgeois: A year of events celebrating her life and work. 2009. Web.

Happy Days is a play introduced by Winnie, a middle aged woman buried up to her waist. However, the play does not explain why Winnie is in that position, and for how long she will remain there. Winnie describes how it is another happy day for her, with the sun shining. She expresses her gratitude because she is able to breathe. The play does not reflect realism because Winnie cannot be optimistic of the day, when she is buried in the sand.

The play does not suggest a positive character to the audience since Winnie, who speaks of optimism, is stuck at the bottom of the hierarchy of needs. The play does not explain to the audience why Winnie is covered in the sand, and for how long she will stay in that state (Beckett 1994). Although it can be used to create suspense so as to win the audience’s attention and curiosity, the playwright does not answer these questions by the end of the play.

This does not reflect realism because the play should depict the real life of the audience. Nevertheless, the play is entitled Happy Days, with the character speaking of a happy day because the sun is shining and she is alive. This indicates that this part of literature was intended to breed optimism in society. However, this cannot be achieved because the audience relates the words of the characters and the situations around them.

Winnie is speaking of a happy day when she is soaked in sand. Happiness cannot be identified and reflected by the characters. Therefore, the play does not impact the audience with a sense of optimism, since the characters are in struggles of survival. Theater will improve when literary artists connect words of characters with their situations on stage so as to create originality and realism to the audience.

On the other hand, The Three Sisters describes three characters, where one of them is a provincial school head teacher. The second character is the head teacher’s wife, while the third one is non committal to marriage. The trio had a purpose to leave their village and move to Moscow. The three girls, with their brother Andrei, live a dream of returning to Moscow, where they hope that life will be charming and stimulating.

From the movie, nothing can surface to replace their hopes of going back to Moscow (Candby 1977). According to the girls, Moscow would change their lifestyles. However, tragedy struck and shuttered their hopes. The play does not fulfill the girls’ dream of landing back in Moscow. This does not reflect optimism since the girls’ hopes were not fulfilled in the play. It also suggests that the play cannot impart optimism to the audience because the characters used did not achieve their dreams.

The audience associates itself with characters in the movie, and when they cannot achieve their dreams in the play, the audience will feel the same. Therefore, the two plays do not show optimism because characters used do not point it to the audience. Literature is used as a mirror of communication to society. Characters used in the plays represent actual scenes in real life, whereby they should be to portray actual lifestyles.

References

Beckett, S. (1994). Happy Days. New York, NY: Grove Press.

Candby, V. (1977). New York Times. The Three Sisters (1965) Film: Egos Beset Chekhov’s sisters.

Evidently, the Neil Young’s song (My My Hey Hey) is symbolic in nature. His choice of words and thematic use of colors are evident upon analysis. It is crucial to understand various provisions of this song in the context of its meaning and symbolic aspects. For example, Kurt Cobain quoted it in his suicidal note. Lyrically and symbolically, the line “Out of the blue and into the black” means a lot and can be used variedly to demonstrate diverse situations. It is symbolical that ‘blue’ is better than ‘black’ in the contexts of fate (Young & Crazy par. 1).

This provision depicts that one has moved from better to worse. Contextually, Neil Young could not believe that, at one moment, his rock songs would be irrelevant and obsolete. This is what is simply summarized by the concerned lyrical phrase. This symbolism does not apply only in the music industry; however, it is applicable in various contexts. It is vital to understand what an individual does in an industry so as to remain relevant.

The issue of remaining germane in the artistic industry is a critical provision. Literally, blue and black colors tend to contrast both in appearance and application. Their use in this song can be considered critical and meaningful in bringing out what Neil Young meant thematically. Another relevant example helpful in this context can be drawn when one uses heroine to avert pain. In this context, the side effects of heroine might be worse than the atrocities initially caused by the pain.

The song is inspirational. It urges people to put their best foot forward and endeavor to produce the best as time runs out. One might be irrelevant as time passes as depicted by the artist (Neil Young). The situation is worse when things have gone stuffy and nothing can be done about them. Precisely, this can be the symbolic meaning of this phrase and the color codes used.

Also, there is a considerable difference between the use of “burning out” and “fading away” in the song. Neil Young used the two phrases to support the previously mentioned color codes. Symbolically, “burning out” has been used to denote a total extinction from existence. Conversely, “fading away” is a slow-paced disappearance from existence. The latter is retrievable while the former is irreversible. By using the two phrases together, the artist provided an opportunity to evaluate various artistic situations.

This is backed up by another line in the song, “And once you’re gone, you can never come back”, which supports the previously mentioned total extinction. It is evident that songs are written to reflect on the daily happenings. Neil used this song to discern various aspects of artistry and other relevant provisions. It is crucial to understand the deeper meaning of the entire phrases within the song. This will help in revealing the symbolic meaning of the song.

Critically, the differences that exist between the use of “burning out” and “fading away”, can be discerned contextually and variably. As indicated before, the consequences of burning out incorporate the absolute extermination. Symbolically, things that have burnt out are no longer in existence (Lyricsfreak 2). Another credible issue in this context is the fact that various fashions and artistic styles have come and gone.

This denotes what Neil meant symbolically. Conversely, the consequences of fading away are evident. What has faded away might sound irrelevant when considered critically. Several things happen when one has passed his or her prime life. It is unfortunate that as time passes by, one becomes unable to do the things he/she could do during his or her prime time. Evidently, life changes considerably. This is what Neil wanted to demonstrate.

Additionally, the line, “They give you this, but you pay for that” is an interesting concept as evident from the song. Usually, people do not get what they desire. They fight to obtain a particular thing only to get the reverse. This is an interesting provision in the context of human life and how people relate.

This phrase also denotes the insincerity evident among people. Most individuals are not straight forward. What they give out is not what was asked for. Neil used this phrase to discern the aspects of dishonesty amongst masses. “They”, in this song, refers to individuals who one deals with regardless of the sector.

One can be deceived in numerous ways (Lyricsfreak 4). The deceit in this context means that what one realizes later might not be what he or she expected before. What is given out is not what was asked for. This can range from physical objects to vital information. Precisely, there is no honesty in the concerned deals. “Payment” refers to the ultimate loss incurred in the concerned deal.

Conclusively, Neil Young used symbolism in his song. The significance of colors and thematic styles of the song are evident. It is important to understand various provisions of this song as discussed earlier. Contextually, this is a critical provision in regard to symbolism and song writing.

Works Cited

Lyricsfreak. Neil Young My My, Hey Hey Lyrics. 2012. Web.

Young, Neil and Crazy Horse. “My My Hey Hey.” Rust Never Sleeps. 1979. New York, NY: Reprise. Print.

The annual Emmy Awards attract a lot of audience to the screens of TV sets because many people want to be the first to know the names of the winners. It is important to note that the popularity of the Emmy Awards is connected with the fact that the nominated primetime shows entertain the millions of Americans each evening, and all these shows have their fans.

That is why, the 64th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards Ceremony which was on Sunday, September 23, 2012 drew the attention of TV fans and critics. The most controversial situation is associated with the problem of categories according to which the shows were assessed. The fans of American Horror Story accentuate the fact that the category for presenting the show was chosen inappropriately.

Producers of the show are inclined not to comment on the situation, and critics propose different explanations to the problem. Thus, examining the information about this controversial situation with determining the category for American Horror Story, it is necessary to pay attention to such aspects as the speaker or the person who provides his vision of the problem, the causes of the situation, and its consequences in relation to the fact the show has not won all the announced nominations.

To examine the aspects of the situation, it is significant to refer to different sources of information. The materials presented in the daily magazine The Hollywood Reporter and posted by the online provider of business news International Business Times were chosen to compare and contrast the approaches to the media coverage of the situation.

The Hollywood Reporter is oriented to the entertainment information that is why the information was presented in the form of commenting on Jessica Lange’s (the actress of American Horror Story) vision of the problem, basing on the interview with the actress.

Jessica Lange “took a firm no comment on whether the FX series would have been better off competing in the drama category”, but concentrated on her emotions in relation to the work (Goldberg). According to the first criterion, the readers of The Hollywood Reporter have the opportunity to observe the situation only from the point and position of one person.

That is why, this vision can be discussed as rather subjective. The material presented at International Business Times provides the viewpoints of several speakers interested in the problem. Thus, it is possible to examine the position of the producers, of John Landgraf, FX’s president, and of James Hibberd in relation to the problem of confusing categories (Zara).

One of the most important aspects to be highlighted is the causes of presenting American Horror Story in the category of miniseries when the show actually should be nominated in the drama category because of its format.

The article in The Hollywood Reporter does not provide the direct answers to the question of causes, providing the description of the situation with references to Jessica Lange’s words (Goldberg). However, the material at International Business Times provides the audience with several possible causes of the situation with references to different persons.

Thus, it is stated in the article, “many critics saw the move as a thinly veiled way to keep the show from competing directly with heavy hitters in the Outstanding Drama category, including AMC’s Mad Men and Breaking Bad and Showtime’s Homeland (Zara). Moreover, John Landgraf accentuates that “we always knew that American Horror Story was going to be a miniseries in the sense that we knew that it was a close-ended show” (Zara). It is possible to state that the question of real causes remains still open.

The fans of American Horror Story concentrate on the fact that the inappropriate category could influence the chances of the show to win the nomination. From this point, it is necessary to focus on presenting the consequences of the situation for the show. Thus, answering the question about the chances of American Horror Story to win the nomination in another category, Jessica Lange said, “I don’t know. That’s an area that I wouldn’t be able to speak to” (Goldberg).

When the position of Jessica Lange in relation to the outcomes of being nominated in the wrong category cannot be identified clearly, the position of the author of the material presented at International Business Times is rather clear. Stating that the controversy “ended with a thud on Sunday night when Horror Story lost to Game Change”, the author connects the choice of an inappropriate category for nomination with the show’s loss (Zara).

In spite of the fact the materials presented in The Hollywood Reporter and at International Business Times are dedicated to the controversy with categories at the Emmy Awards, the approaches to discussing the aspects of the situation are different. The coverage of the situation in two sources differs in three criteria which are the speaker, the discussion of the causes, and the analysis of the consequences of nominating American Horror Story in the category of miniseries instead of the drama category.

Works Cited

Goldberg, Lesley. “Emmys 2012: Jessica Lange Says ‘American Horror Story’ Like ‘Doing a Different Film’”. The Hollywood Reporter. 2012: 10.

Zara, Christopher. Confusing Emmy Categories Are The Real American Horror Story. 2012. Web.

This study looks at jazz elements including vocalists and accompaniments as portrayed by Carmen McRae in the song “Round Midnight” and Louis Armstrong in the song “Hotter than That”. The two jazz artists portray their brilliance in composition as seen in their variation between vocals and instrumentation.

Carmen wrote the song “Round Midnight” at the end of the Second World War, when he was only 18. He performed the song with his band a few years later, after he had mastered various styles of other musicians. The song “Round Midnight” is a dark and beautiful ballad that provides a fresh and original sound that is timeless.

Carmen portrays a brilliant understanding of the lyric and its placement as he plays the chord during rubato sections. The phrasing by McRae shows independence in the arrangement of chords to match the key words in the lyrics. He brings out the mood of the song by adjusting his voicing to encase the melody in a supportive manner.

“Hotter than Hot” by Louis Armstrong is identified as one of the greatest jazz recordings in the history of jazz music. Louis brings out a crisp and live performance by skillfully combining his trumpet and vocals in the piece. The song comprises a lead from the piano, a trombone solo by Kid Orv and intro licks by Louis.

The song shows exceptional understanding of roles by the musicians, with Louis playing the vocals and trumpet, Kid Ory the trombone, Johnny Dodds the clarinet, Lil Armstrong the piano, Lonnie Johnson the guitar, and Johnny St. Cyr the banjo.

The performance involves collaboration between the original “Hot Five Group” and Lonnie, a featured musician. Louis’ brilliance as a solo vocalist is evident, which explains his dominance in the group’s performances. The song has a higher tendency towards jam sounds on the chord than it has on melody. “Hotter than That” uses an eight bar introduction with a fast tempo.

It starts with a trumpet solo by Armstrong, which portrays a strong melodic notion with a combination of an energetic sound and a stylish swing. The song presents the rhythmic sense of Armstrong, using his vocals behind the beat and a set of dotted quarter notes that deviate from the original beat of the melody.

The melody by Armstrong contains various styles, including the use of scat singing as seen in the repeated use of “RIP” with a rising glissando, and the invention of the word “BEBOP”, which was picked up as a reference to the jazz movement in the 1940s.

For instance, Louis’ performance in the first chorus is serene, as he approaches the break in a rhythmical way. The appeal of jazz music is seen in the energy, brilliance, dominance and confidence of the vocalists with the support of the entire group in their instrumentation. The rapid change of emotion in instrumentation is a feature of jazz music.

This is observed in the performance of “Hotter than That” when Dodds plays his clarinet solo with an angry opening that is supported by Lil the piano. The urgency of the two instruments prepares the audience for beautiful music that follows the performance, as Louis varies his tempo while singing and applying the hornlike scat solos.

Jazz music exhibits a formidable partnership between vocals and instruments. The brilliance of instrumentalists is seen when Lonnie Johnson plays his guitar solo using the single-string ideas, as he skillfully bends his guitar strings to impersonate the moans by Louis. Such working relationships between vocalists and accompanists make jazz performances a powerful and timeless source of musical entertainment.