Category: Art

Introduction

Born in 1948 in China, Hung Liu is a famous Chinese-American artist who uses her paintings to present themes like gender, culture, politics, and war. Hung acquired her skills in the field of art from the Central Academy of Fine Art in Beijing, where she acquired a Bachelors Degree in Art, and later got a masters degree from the University of California.

Hung uses themes like gender and culture to explain the challenges that women and young girls experience globally. In addition, Hung emphasizes the importance of her themes using paintings, which are very practical in presenting her themes. The fact that Hung is among the early immigrants to the United States gives her a firsthand experience of the gender disparity and racism.

Thus, Hung is very vocal on aspects that focus on women, politics, culture, war, environmental crisis, and struggles of immigrants (Fichner 532). Moreover, the research also conducted through an interview with a colleague (Chiang Lee), who is a Chinese American, concerning his perspective of Hung’s paintings. Therefore, the research paper examines how Chinese-American artist, Hung Liu, addresses themes such as gender, racism, politics, culture, war, and immigrant struggles.

Gender Discrimination

Hung uses her fine works of art to explain the experiences that women and girls go through in their lives. In her famous work titled Goddess of Liberty, Hung employs imagery to demonstrate the effect of gender parity.

Moser explains that the paintings of Hung show women who have been bound on the feet to highlight the challenges that the women encounters globally (80). Hung outlines the theme of gender discrimination from historic periods and stresses her historic presentation by using concubines of emperors to demonstrate that the issue of gender discrimination affects both medieval and modern women and girls.

In her assertion, Hung argues that the emperors’ concubines wore masks to symbolize the authoritarian nature of men, who define the roles of the women. Moreover, Hung adds three cages of birds hanging on her painting to emphasize on the effects of gender discrimination. From a personal interview, Chiang explains that although discrimination against women has reduced compared to historic times, some individuals still perpetuate the vice.

Figure 2: Mother and daughter (Moser 94)

Immigrant Struggles

Another theme that Hung addresses is the immigrant struggles, which explains the dilemmas that Chinese immigrants who came to the United States in the mid-nineteen century experienced. According to Hung, many Chinese immigrants encountered different lifestyles and cultures in the United States. Therefore, most of the Chinese immigrants adopted the foreign cultures and compromised their native cultures.

Some of the paintings used by Hung to explain the vital nature of culture include the portraits of Chinese self, Buddha’s hand, the rainmaker, and the controversial fortune cookie that symbolizes the importance of Chinese culture. The implication of her cultural paintings, which includes the fortune cookie, shows the vitality of culture from Hung’s perspective (Moser 83). Hung uses her artistic skills to encourage appreciation of native culture and lifestyles of Chinese people living in the United States.

In the aspect of immigrant struggles, Chiang explains that since the lifestyles and cultures of people in the United States are different from Chinese lifestyles, many immigrants from China experienced immense challenges in the process of assimilating into the American culture and preserving their culture.

Figure 2: Old Gold Mountains (Moser 92)

Politics

Hung addresses the theme of politics using her homeland of China. From her paintings, Hung demonstrates the importance of good politics and governance.

By using images of Chinese slaves taken captives in Japan after the Second World War and women working on dry fields to recover the lost glory of the Chinese republic, Hung depicts the need for states to exercise good governance and healthy politics. Using numerous wall paintings that are eye-catching and appealing, Hung outlines the past and present political status of China (French 23).

In addition, to enhance the effectiveness of her paintings concerning the present political nature of her home country, China, Hung applies metaphors and figures of speech. Hung uses the figures of speech and metaphors to explain that the political system of China has challenges in terms of political balance. According to the interview, Chiang explained that although China is progressing politically, the country has to institute a number of policies to advance its political system.

Racism

Hung uses most of her paintings to show feelings, operations, and activities that individuals undertake in their daily lives. Since Hung is a Chinese American artist, some of her images depict things that concern her past life in the United States when the vice of racial and gender discrimination was highly pronounced.

Although Hung experienced many instances of racial disparity, however, she used her images to demonstrate the critical nature of living together like brothers and sister irrespective of race. Whenever Hung encountered a situation, she would try to retain it in history using imagery. A good example of artwork that Hung used in addressing the issue of racism focused on the Chinese living in South Carolina.

According to Guzman, Hung’s images are very practical in the study of racial discrimination practiced by some Native Americans during the 19^th and 20^th centuries (46). From the personal interview, Chiang notes that since Hung was a woman from China who travelled to the United States during the period characterized by high levels of discrimination basing on gender and race, her vulnerability to discrimination was high.

Figure 3: A sketch that demonstrates the need to take care of each other as brothers (Moser 82)

Culture

A number of paintings designed by Hung comprise of fine images that display rich and unique Chinese culture. In her artistic works, Hung displays both the past and the contemporary cultures of Chinese. Remarkably, her artistic works are multicultural, as she incorporates both Chinese and American cultures.

The main motivation of multicultural paintings is her experience in the United States and the need to help young Asian Americans, who experienced cultural dilemmas. Moreover, most of her paintings that focus on Chinese culture are born out of traditional Chinese education, which is the foundation of her present artistic skills (Desmond 23).

The contribution of Hung’s traditional Chinese education is evident from the majority of her images that either have their basis on Chinese photographs from the past or depict Chinese history and culture. The findings from the research also reflect a similar response, as Chiang states that Hung tried very hard to use her painting skills to educate individuals concerning Chinese culture and encourage the Native Chinese to appreciate and love their culture.

War

War is another theme that Hung addresses using her paintings. Most of the paintings that she designed show Chinese slaves captured by Japanese soldiers after the Second World War and the images of Chinese women working on dry plantations to recover the glory of China.

The painting ‘By the Rivers of Babylon’ that shows refugees at the banks of a river running away from war is a good example of how Hung uses imagery to keep historic events alive in the minds of people. Since Hung spent most of her tender age living in China during the period when wars and revolutions were frequent, she uses some of the images to demonstrate the actual state of affairs to many individuals in the United States and globally.

According to the research, it is clear that images of Hung educate many individuals on issues that touch on war and its implications (Ressler 212). Chiang states that through the paintings of Hung, he had acquired a lot of information concerning war, especially in the Asian continent.

Figure 4: By the Rivers of Babylon (Moser 95)

Conclusion

The famous works of art displayed by Chinese-American artist, Hung, are very important and practical in the study of historic events that have shaped human life. The paintings designed by Hung are appealing and attractive since she uses streaks and shadows in enhancing reality of images or photographs. Some of the major themes that Hung addresses include gender discrimination, immigrant struggles, politics, racism, culture, and war.

Additionally, the interview with a colleague (Lee Chiang), who is a Chinese American, highlights the relevance of Hung’s artistic works not only to the past society, but also to the contemporary society. The themes addressed by Hung in her paintings bring to the fore the challenges that human beings encounter in their daily activities. Therefore, Hung’s paintings and images have an enduring influence as they touch on issues of the contemporary world.

Works Cited

Chiang, Lee. Personal Interview. 8 Feb. 2014.

Desmond, Kathleen. Ideas About Art. New York: John Wiley & Sons, 2011. Print.

French, Stephanie. In Plural America. New York: Hudson River Museum, 2012. Print.

Fichner, Lois. Understanding Art. Mason: Cengage Learning, 2011. Print.

Guzman, Rene . Summoning Ghosts: The Art of Hung Liu. California : University of California Press, 2013. Print.

Moser, Joann. “Interview A Conversation with Hung Liu.” Chicago Journals 25. 2 (2011): 76-103. Print.

Ressler, Susan. Women Artists of the American West. McFarland, 2003. Print.

The sequences taken from the films To Live and The Road Home can present a different use of formal elements; however, one can argue that both of them eloquently portray the despair of women who has lost people extremely dear to her.

This paper is aimed at discussing and comparing the way in which different techniques are used by film-directors in effort to highlight the experiences of these characters. Close attention will be paid to such aspects as non-diegetic sounds, the movement of camera, and its distance since they help the authors to explore the feelings and emotions of people. They can be regarded as tools that evoke the empathy of a viewer. These are the main issues that should be examined in greater detail.

One of the main similarities that can be identified is the use of non-diegetic sounds that play an important part in both movies. They are supposed to intensify the visual effect of these sequences. The source of these sounds cannot be identified by the viewer and it cannot be attributed to any physical phenomenon that can be observed in the movie.

Overall, they are supposed to highlight the emotions experienced by the female characters who have to accept the idea that their beloved ones can never be returned. They have to reconcile themselves with this idea. This argument is particularly applicable to the final shots in the sequence from the movie To Live. It seems that music prompts the viewers to feel even deeper compassion for a mother whose child passed away. The music reminds that the woman comes to the grave of her son and brings dumplings.

This is one of the details that produce a strong impression on every person who watches this film. Similar approach can be observed in the film the Road Home. In this case, non-diegetic sounds are essential for demonstrating the despondency of a woman who has to be departed by the man whom she loves. Close attention should be paid to the scene when she stumbles down and understands that her chase was futile. This is one of the similarities that can be identified in these sequences.

Additionally, one should speak about the functioning of the camera, especially its distance. It is possible to choose those cases, when the directors prefer to take close and straight-on shots in order to emphasize the feeling of loss that the female characters had to overcome. This technique is particular useful when the director wants to show the facial expression of a person.

It is possible to argue that in each of these sequences both music and camera distance are supposed to show the emotional distress that the female characters try to overcome. These are the main similarities that can be identified. The film-makers apply these techniques to make the scene much more vivid.

Nevertheless, there are certain differences that should be taken into consideration by the viewers. One can speak about the movement of camera in these sequences. One can say that the authors prefer to move the camera in different ways. For instance, one should mention that in the movie The Road Home the director decides to rely on tracking shots that are done with the help of a camera dolly.

This technique is particularly suitable in those cases when one has to depict moving objects. It seems that this technique is quite justified because in this way the film-makers were able to illustrate the desperate effort of a girl who tries to catch up with her beloved. Moreover, the viewers can look at this character from different angles.

Furthermore, this method makes the sequence more dynamic. This is one of the main distinctions that can be identified. In contrast, the movie To Live is based on a different technique. The cameraman focuses on the woman who mourns the loss of her son. This sequence consists of rather long shots that can last for approximately ten seconds. Furthermore, the camera is almost not moved in any way.

Additionally, when a new shot is taken, the cameraman takes a sufficient amount of time to show the facial expressions of the characters and their jestures. Overall, these examples suggest that formal elements can help film-makers express very complex ideas. Additionally, one can say that by paying more attention to formal elements, viewers can gain a better understanding of these movies and the ideas that the authors attempted to express.

The movies discussed in this paper can differ dramatically in terms of plot, genre, or cinematographic techniques. Nevertheless, each of these films shows that cinematography can explore the experiences of people who have to struggle with emotional distress. The sequences which were analyzed have several similarities.

For example, one can say that music and camera distances assist the film-makers in portraying the emotions and feeling of different characters. In turn, the movement of camera is one of the differences that can be identified in these sequences.

Introduction

All human beings have their own weaknesses which affect their daily lives. This is depicted in the movie ‘The King’s Speech’ which depicts how Bertie, a British prince, struggles with stuttering. Bertie is depicted as having a low self confidence, “If we were equals, I wouldn’t be here.

I’d be at home with my wife, and no one would give a damn” (The King’s Speech). His stammering condition is seen as a big weakness that is likely to bar him from becoming the next king after his father’s demise. With the help of Lionel Logue, a speech therapist, Bertie becomes more coherent and leads Great Britain to declare war against Nazi Germany.

Bertie’s Insecurities

Albert, who is also fondly called Bertie, relies on Lionel Logue, an Australian speech therapist to help him improve the clarity of his speech. The two men hail from very distinct backgrounds.

Bertie is a prince of one of the most powerful states in the world, while Logue has a humble background. Logue helps a hesitant Bertie to make a radio speech that declares war on Nazi Germany after his brother David (King Edward VIII) abdicates and marries an American divorcee. Bertie says, “Is the nation ready for two minutes of radio silence?” (The King’s Speech).

At first, Bertie is reluctant to seek help with his condition. His wife Elizabeth and father King George V encourage him to seek help and this makes him handle the matter more seriously. Bertie needs to improve his speech skills so that he can participate more in leadership affairs.

Bertie brings back Logue after listening to his own recordings reciting a soliloquy and becomes certain that he can overcome his condition. The two become friends which makes Logue to understand the psychological reasons that make Bertie stutter (The King’s Speech). Bertie is under pressure from his father, King George V to satisfy the high expectations that have been placed on him as a prince.

Bertie Overcomes Stuttering

The strong relationship that Bertie and Logue have developed reduces the gap in social status between them. After Bertie’s father, King George V dies, his brother David ascends the throne as King Edward VIII but he later abdicates. Bertie is unsure of his ability to take over, “…the nation believes that when I speak, I speak for them. But I can’t speak” (The King’s Speech).

Logue offers Bertie a lot of support which builds his self-confidence. Bertie ascends to the throne and visits Logue’s home to show his gratitude; an act rarely done by a royal. Bertie’s coronation as King George VI still leaves him with doubts about his suitability as a ruler.

Logue helps Bertie realize that he can articulate without stuttering in his speeches. Britain is facing a big threat from Nazi Germany led by Adolf Hitler who has threatened to invade the country. Logue helps Bertie deliver a speech declaring war against Germany to millions of listeners over the radio.

He does this without stuttering and is able to inspire his country to have hope in the wake of adversity. Bertie declares, “…for the second time in the lives of most of us, we are at war. Over and over again we have tried to find a peaceful way out of the differences between ourselves and those who are now our enemies” (The King’s Speech). The movie shows how human beings have their own weaknesses regardless of the status they hold in the society.

In conclusion, ‘The King’s Speech’ shows the strong bond that exists between two friends. Logue offers Bertie unconditional support when he is facing the most difficult moments of his life. This makes Bertie have faith in his own abilities.

Works Cited

The King’s Speech. Dir. Tom Hooper. Perf. Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush, and Helena Bonham Carter. Momentum Pictures, 2010. Film.

The two sequences taken from Zhang Yimou’s movies Red Sorghum (1987) and The Road Home (1999) can be discussed as the illustrations of the director’s approach to using the theme of exchanging glances in order to emphasize the definite relations between the characters.

Thus, to demonstrate the relations between the woman and the workers and between the young man and the young woman falling in love, Zhang Yimou uses similar and different techniques. The main feature which connects both the sequences is the theme of reflecting feelings through exchanging glances, but to pay attention to the sequences’ other similarities and differences, it is necessary to focus on such formal elements as the mise-en-scene, shot number, image size, camera movement, editing, and sound.

The nature of relationships between the characters and the style of mise-en-scenes are rather different, but the fact of the relations’ existence is accentuated with references to definite techniques and the theme of exchanging glances.

Zhang Yimou uses the same technique in his two movies because of its effectiveness to provide the definite message to the audience. The helpfulness of manipulating the theme of the glance exchange depends on the successful mise-en-scenes.

A mise-en-scene is a complex picture which includes composition, sets, actors, and lighting in their combination to present the definite author’s idea. The mise-en-scenes in Red Sorghum and The Road Home are similar in relation to some specific features. Thus, the mise-en-scenes in two sequences are based on the characters’ looking at each other when one character stays rather motionless, and the other character goes forth turning around to look at the other person several times.

Moreover, the faces of the main characters are in the focus, and they are often centered, depicting from a short distance to emphasize the glance. There are presentations of the women who come forth turning back to the audience in Red Sorghum and The Road Home as rather long shots before the final shots of the sequences. The composition of the mise-en-scenes is also similar because there are groups of people presented in the scene, but they are not in the focus in comparison to the main characters.

The women in both sequences are presented alone when the male characters belong to the certain group of people depicted in the scene. However, mise-en-scenes are different in using the lighting and colors. Thus, the sequence from Red Sorghum is started in red in black colors to reflect the tension of the characters’ feelings in the mise-en-scene when the sequence from The Road Home is in vivid and sunny colors to emphasize the positive feelings of the characters.

The atmosphere of the scene and the feelings of the characters are also represented with the help of the shot number. The negative tension of the scene from Red Sorghum is presented through ten shots which are different in their length and image size. Long shots help feel the characters’ tension and worry.

Shots in The Road Home are also different in length, but this difference is intentional and the quick shift of the shots helps reflect the romantic anxiety of the characters. Thus, the shot number of the sequence from The Road Home is about fifteen shots.

The shot number in two sequences is different, but the approach to the image size is similar. The audience concentrates on the characters’ exchange of glances and the nature of this exchange with references to presenting the characters’ close-ups. Close-ups in both sequences are short in length, but they are vivid. The audience has the opportunity to guess about the characters’ feelings with the help of interpreting the emotions on their faces.

Close-ups in The Road Home present the smiling faces of the characters who have interest to each other when close-ups in Red Sorghum present the tense face of the man and the inducing face of the woman (“The Road Home”; “Red Sorghum”). These close-ups are effective to observe the difference in relations of the two pairs discussed. It is also possible to focus on the speed of the characters’ movements in shots.

The number of shots in The Road Home sequence is correlated with the tempo of the characters’ movements, and the number of shots in the sequence from Red Sorghum is smaller as well as the speed of the characters’ motions is slower. Furthermore, there are some differences in using short and long shots. Thus, long shots taken from a large distance are characteristic for the sequence in The Road Home.

As it was stated earlier, the director draws the audience’s attention to the women’s turning round while they are going forth to exchange the glances one more time. Thus, the camera follows the women’s movement in both sequences. However, the variation of the camera movement is more characteristic for the sequence from The Road Home when the camera does not only horizontal movements to follow the character but also vertical movements to emphasize the scene of giving the basket.

Therefore, the particular features of editing in both sequences depend on the shot number and their length. The director uses the combination of long shots in Red Sorghum where editing is used to determine one man among the group of the other men and accentuate the woman’s intention to exchange the glances with this man.

Editing in The Road Home is based on the combination of diverse short and long shots as well as shots presented from distance and close-ups in the complex picture. It is also important to pay attention to the specifics of editing when main characters from the sequence in The Road Home exchange glances while passing near each other. The shift of shots is quick and it helps to see the picture from both perspectives.

The combination of the sound and image is one more effective technique to represent the characters’ feelings and the nature of relations between them. The sounds associated with the sequences in Red Sorghum and The Road Home are extremely different.

The sequence in Red Sorghum is accompanied by the natural sounds and noises reflecting the surroundings of the mise-en-scene, and rare shouts of the man are heard to stress on the pressure and tension represented in the scene. The mise-en-scene from The Road Home is accompanied by light sounds of the romantic music to reflect the mood of the characters. Thus, the sound is connected with the images according to the scene’s atmosphere and main message.

The sequences from Red Sorghum and The Road Home represent the action of exchanging glances between the main characters of the movies. However, the nature of relations between these persons is different as well as the techniques used by the director to stress on this difference.

Works Cited

Red Sorghum. 1987. Video file. Web.

The Road Home. 1999. Video file. Web.

There can be only a few doubts the 2000 film American Psycho does serve as a metaphor to the clearly defined parasitic essence of the so-called ‘American dream’, concerned with people’s unconscious desire to impose their dominance upon others.

After all, as the movie illustrates, in America, one’s ability to lead a socially prominent/luxurious lifestyle, has very little to do with the concerned person’s actual value, as an individual that contributes to the society’s well-being. Therefore, there is nothing incidental about the fact that, throughout the film, the main character of Patrick Bateman (Christian Bale) is shown being primarily preoccupied with bellyful idling – even in the scenes where he sits at the desk in his office.

Apparently, the director wanted the character of Bateman to be perceived, as such, that allegorizes the very source of the America’s prosperity, concerned with the fact that American richest bankers (the country’s actual rulers) are being in the position to continue printing out the countless tons of a valueless green paper, which in turn is being traded for the world’s most valuable natural resources.

In order to have this nothing short of a robbery more or less concealed, the country’s top-officials come up with the well-meaning but essentially meaningless rhetoric about protecting the values of democracy and combating the ‘world’s hunger’. In the similar manner, the talented demagogue Bateman also never ceases to position himself, as an utterly progressive individual – despite the fact that in the reality, he is a psychotic serial killer.

It is needless to mention, of course, that the above-stated suggestion is rather speculative. However, I believe that it does not make it less legitimate – especially given what we know about the actual causes of the financial crisis of 2008-2009, triggered by the bankers’ irrational sense of greed and by their willingness to lead a luxurious lifestyle, at the expense of depriving the rest of their co-citizens of a chance to advance in life.

It will not be much of an exaggeration to suggest that the film American Psycho is indeed strongly violent. The validity of this suggestion can be well illustrated, in regards to the scenes where Bateman murders people just for the sake of doing.

The latter characteristic of his killing spree is discursively revealing, as it shows that Bateman’s obsession with violence was nothing but the subliminal extrapolation of his endowment with the strongly defined domination-seeking instinct. Being an utterly rich and handsome 27-year-old man, with the particularly bright life-prospects ahead of him, Batemen is shown in the film as a person who had achieved just about anything that one can dream about.

Yet, this did not have even a slight effect on the earlier mentioned Bateman’s instinct – despite having achieved a socially dominant status, the film’s main character continued to aspire to seek dominance. In its turn, this created certain preconditions for the character’s transformation into a serial killer to be only the matter of time.

Hence, the actual significance of the manner, in which Bateman is depicted experiencing the sensation of guilt – the reason why he felt, as he wanted to be arrested, is that on an unconscious level, the film’s main character expected his ‘feats’ to be acknowledged by the society. In other words, the sensation of guilt, on Bateman’s part, did not have anything to do with his actual remorse for having killed a number of people, but rather with his narcissistic desire to remain the focus of the society’s attention.

Antigone is a 1961 movie directed by Yorgos Javellas and produced by Demetrious Paris. In the movie, Irene Papas plays Antigone, Maro Kodou plays Ismene, and Creon is acted by Manos Katrakis. The movie was released in 1961 and it is based on the famous Greek tragedy. Several months ago, I decided to watch a black-and-white film version, an adaptation of Sophocles’s most famous play called Antigone. The movie was released in Greece and it involves Greek actors, which suits mythological themes recovered in the picture.

The film refers to the times of ancient Greece. King Oedipus invades Thebes and unintentionally kills his farther and marries his mother Jocasta. The King later has four children –two daughters, Ismene and Antigone, and two sons, Polyneices and Eteocles (Antigone).

After Oedipus’s death, Eteocle promises his father to reign with his brother by alternating their power annually. However, when Polyneices ascends the throne, he refuses to give power to his brother and gathers the army to confront Eteocle. However, when both brothers die in a battle, the king Creon decrees that only Eleocles deserves the honorable ritual of burial whereas Polyneices must be left unburied.

When Antigone learns about this, she decides to bury his brother herself. As soon as Creon is informed about Antigone’s decision, the king thinks that burying her alive in a tomb is the only punishment for her horrible deed. However, the heroine hangs herself after she is pushed in a tomb. Haemon, Creon’s son, tries to attack the king, but later he kills himself as soon as he finds Antigone’s body.

The story is based on the famous Greek tragedy Antigone written by Sophocles in 441 BC. The play, in its turn, is an extended version of Theban legend. Despite the fact that the film is based on fictional characters, it is premised on historical context as well. In particular, Antigone dates to the epoch of national rebellion in 441, when imperialist movement was on the rise.

The story also relates to numerous military expeditions of Greek leaders to expand imperial control and power. In the play, Sophocles criticizes anarchy and makes direct references to Athens. In general, the play does not touch on patriotic themes. On the contrary, it refers to analysis of moral themes typical of those times.

The movie was set in Greece and it features Greek landscapes and ancient interiors so that the atmosphere was skillfully rendered by the director. In the movie, several locations have been used, the mountainous setting, the buildings reminding of ancient Greek palaces, and the caves where the main characters were buried.

In such a way, the director has managed to describe the epoch, as well as demonstrate what challenges that main heroes faced. While watching the actor’s clothing and the building interior, it was possible to feel the air of time. Black-and-white version contributed to the entire idea of the picture.

In my opinion, the movie successfully reflects the epoch of imperialism when the Kings expanded new territories and were obsessed with gaining control over new lands. The story also accurately conveys the behavior and habits of ancient time because honor and respect were among the most important qualities that a person should possess. Therefore, the movie is not a patriotic account about achievements and courage of Greek military leaders; it is a story about love, compassion, betrayal, and independence as presented by Sophocles.

Works Cited

Antigone. Ex. Prod. Demetrios Paris. Greece: Dinos Katsouridis, 1961. DVD.

Introduction

In this painting, Nicholas Poussin depicts the Triumph of Baucchus, the God of Wine. It is actually a copy of Poussin’s original piece at the Nelson Art Gallery of Art museum, Kansas. The action centers on Pan, a deity that causes the action of even the spectators who are not interested or even looking at him.^[1] The characters in the foreground, as well as the ‘river god’ depicted at the bottom right of the picture, are cerebrating Baucchu’s victory.^[2]

The piece of artwork is a good example of Poussion’s series of French Baroque paintings. Arguably, the use of color, texture, light and dark and the theme makes the painting one of the best examples of Poussin’s distinguished pieces of work that depict his style as both a Baroque art and a Venice renaissance, where Poussin appears to use a cool, cerebral, detached and intellectual style to create unique piece.

Poussin: Historical content

The genre of work

The ‘Triumph of Bacchus’ is a historical painting that depicts non-recurring events. These events are primarily religious, literal, classical and allegorical sources, which are the products of the Italian Renaissance of 15^th and 16^th centuries. These paintings contain religious themes or presentations of recent activities, but they are mostly associated with classical topic.^[3]

The element of color

Poussin’s ability to apply the three basic attributes of color (hue, saturation and value) is evident in the painting. He uses color to develop different meanings and communicate the themes in his work. First, the viewer is attracted to the figure in the middle left of the painting, which depicts Bacchu sitting on a chariot. Poussin has concentrated bright white color on the body of the god, which appears naked on its right side.

He is sitting on a bright red chariot, while the rest of the chariots body is light brown. The contrast in the three colors gives the god a clear appearance.^[4] It creates a contrast of colors between the god’s body, his chair and the lower parts of the chariot. In this way, Poussion is easily attracts the eye of the viewer. Apart from the god, the horse drawing the chariot as well as its rider is depicted with a good application of hue.

The horse has a whitish color, but its head, which appears to take the shape of a man, is brownish red. The white color of the rider creates a contrast between the body of the horse, its head and the blue clothing he is wearing. Other figures on the background assume a dark color, which further creates a contrast that creates the difference between them and the main characters on the foreground. In addition, bright white and brownish grey colors are used to depict the nymphs, and other creatures.

Element of motion

The element of motion is evident in the painting. Poussin has used motion to describe the vigor and agility shown by the characters. In particular, the human-headed horse and its rider are in vigorous motion, while the characters in front of the horse seem to be fleeing away from the horse.^[5] However, the characters in the background seem to be in a more calm motion, probably cheering the arrival of the god from victory.

Element of exaggeration

Baroque paintings are normally a part of European Renaissance revolution, mainly made on oil and canvas. Poussin preferred oil on canvas for his works. In addition, the French Baroque and Italian renaissance aspects are evident in this piece of artwork because the effect of light, dark and shade are real. In particular, his paintings often feature some exaggerations of light, intensity of emotions, restrain and sensation.^[6]

Exaggeration of light, dark and intensity of emotions are some of the main features of Baroque paintings. In fact, the exaggerations seek to capture the viewers’ attention in explaining the imaginary and exaggerated theme. The paintings do not depict lifestyle of the people at the time of their development, but they reaffirm the existence of the religion at the time they are made.^[7]

Purpose of the work

The Catholic Church can trace the purpose of the work by Poussin to the recognition of his work. At around 1635, Poussion, living in Rome, received a prestigious commission from Paris, when Richelieu, the Cardinal of Paris, ordered a set of Bacchanals to cerebrate the specific antique gods. ^[8] By the end of 1636, Poussin had produced three of the required works- the Triumph of Bacchals, the Triumph of Pan and the Triumph of Silenus, which were placed at the Cabinet du Roi Richelieu’s chateau in Poitoui.^[9]

Themes

Poussin’s Triumph of Bacchus shows the victory of Bacchus, the God of Wine. Here, the god is depicted on the left side of the picture, and is seated on a magnificent chariot. A number of satyrs, centaurs, putti and nymphs lead the chariot. Among these creatures is the famous Pan, who is carrying his pipes.

In addition, Hercules is shown carrying a tripod, a cause of disagreement in the ancient Greek mythologies about Hercules and Apollo.^[10] Here, Apollo is shown among the clouds that are leading the chariot. On the lower right side of the scene, Poussin has made a magnificent river god that has an inverted amphora beside him.^[11]

According to analysts, this figure could have been associated with the Indus River and India because Bacchus is an Indian mythology.^[12] This depiction proves to be one of the best examples of Poussin’s mythological depictions in his work. In his mythological composition, the artist focuses on the narrative sequence, but at the same time, he has placed an emphasis on the influences of classical styles of paintings.

In addition, he has shown the presence of Italian Renaissance in his work, especially the equilibrium and naturalistic movements developed by Raphael.^[13] The use of warm colors and as well as romantic atmosphere is characteristics of the paintings from the Venetian Renaissance. Moreover, the lively movements as well as gesture are an indication of the vigor and counter-balance of classical baroque.

Conclusion

The change in location is perhaps one of the reasons that change the understanding of the work in the modern context. Since the piece is now located at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in London, it is evidence that viewers will likely develop a difference perception of the work from its original themes.

For instance, in the modern context, competition between Catholicism and Protestantism is no more, and one would not take the painting as an influential piece in religious wars. In addition, if the piece of work remains at Poitoui, it would be possible to associate it with ancient religious issues. However, it is still a good example of Baroque paintings, and provides modern viewers with an insight into the pattern of development of art in Europe.

Bibliography

Andersen, Liselotte. Baroque and Rococo Art. New York: H. N. Abrams, 2002.

Bazin, Germain. Baroque and Rococo: Praeger World of Art Series. New York: Praeger, 2004.

Carrier, David. Poussin’s Paintings: A Study in Art-Historical Methodology. London: Springer

Mahon, Denis. “Nicolas Poussin and Venetian Painting: A New Connexion-I.” The Burlington Magazine for Connoisseurs 88, no. 514 (1996): 15-20

Footnotes

1. David Carrier, Poussin’s Paintings: A Study in Art-Historical Methodology (London: Springer, 2008), 21
2. Denis Mahon, “Nicolas Poussin and Venetian Painting: A New Connexion-I,” The Burlington Magazine for Connoisseurs 88, no. 514 (1996): 16
3. Carrier, 58
4. Carrier, 62
5. Bazin, 44
6. Bazin, 63
7. Liselotte Andersen, Baroque and Rococo Art (New York: H. N. Abrams, 2002), 67
8. Carrier, 76
9. Mahon, 16
10. Carrier, 88
11. Andersen
12. Mahon, 17
13. 46

The movie Hurt Locker was released in 2008 at a film festival in Italy. Hurt Locker is an American action film directed and produced by Bigelow Kathryn. Just as the movie was criticized for the reckless nature of the uniformed soldiers, it went ahead to win many accolades from army veterans. The movie was produced at a time when the Middle East peace process was a global issue. Hurt Locker was shot in Jordan, some miles away from Iraq.

This was because the situation in Baghdad was unpleasant and insecure for the cast and Crewmembers. However, the scenes used in the film were typical of an Iraqi style. Natives from Baghdad acted as refugees in the film. This gave the film its major storyline just as the producer described. Hurt Locker won many awards for best movie director, best screenplay, best war action movie to mention a few. To date, the movie remains the best film that portrayed the life of a combat soldier in Iraq (Horton, 2009).

The hurt locker was an outdoor film, the producer took time to show the harsh environments that existed in the Middle East and the dangers an average citizen of Iraq encountered on a daily basis. Unlike many other action movies that were produced in a room, Hurt Locker portrayed a harsh and terrible life conditions. There was nothing intriguing about the interior decoration, it was purely a war movie, and it was done outside.

The landscapes used in the movie were the rugged mountains and deserts, which was typical of an Iraqi terrain (Horton, 2009). The dry lands and the rough roads that were filled with dusts and stones provide the natural costumes for the movie. Hurt Locker was quite different from other movies because there was really no need for the beautiful costumes instead the movie was characterized with hard lines, blood, and explosions. The movie was fully packed with breathtaking scenes that made the audience love the film.

The external decoration was well coordinated in such a way that made the actors and cast comfortable. The men were armed to the teeth, and that alone provided the feeling of real combat, and the ability to perform exemplary. Ordinarily when a person is dressed in a camouflaged uniform, he/she becomes aware of the enormous responsibility attached (Horton, 2009).

The movie was loosely based on the testimonies of Mark Boal, a journalist attached to an elite bomb squad that operated in Iraq between 2003 and 2004. The transcripts of Mark’s testimony were used to act in the film. Kathryn Bigelow wanted to explore the inside story of an elite team in the heart of a major war. Although many news agencies tried to show and report stories from major conflicts at that time, Kathryn believed that, their stories fell short of a vivid account of each elite unit in a war situation.

Kathryn believed that the reporters that covered war actions in real situation had limitations and could only describe what they feel at certain times without physically taking pictures of the area. In addition, an elite team will not allow a photographer to go that far in trying to cover their major actions in real combat.

Unlike other comedies or action movies that were shot in a quiet atmosphere, Hurt Locker was produced in Jordan at a time that refugees from Iraq were resident in Jordan. The movie cast performed well in the film and this contributed to the reason why the movie was chosen as the best movie in 2009.

The movie did not show the rich class individuals and their extravagant lifestyle, instead it portrayed a society without the rule of law, and a society where survival was best served hot. The environment used in the film reminded the audience that peace was far-fetched in Iraq and the inhabitants were at the mercy of the tyrants and warlords. Although it was a war movie, the settlements used were modern buildings that portrayed civilization of Iraq in modern times.

The social status of the inhabitant’s mostly average class was observed throughout the film. Though non-racial in nature, the characters were mostly Americans, and those who portrayed Iraqi citizens were not natives of Iraq. Except for the refugees who were natives of Iraq, the remaining casts were not from Iraq.

Hurt Locker went on to win many awards even though it had much criticism. Some army veterans argued that the reckless behavior of some of the officers of the elite bomb squad did not represent in true life the real state of an average marine. The co-ordination between the soldiers was poor.

The interaction between members of the team was poor, and not befitting for such an elite team (Horton, 2009). In some instances in the movie, the zealous captain of the bomb squad gave himself a mission that was not sanctioned by the American command. This scenes over heated the argument of how this classic movie should be rated.

The characters in the film were not specially treated unlike other movies, they never had a perfect room, or a private space or a kitchen filled with stylish furniture. The producer created a typical scene that will remind the audience it was wartime and not bedtime fantasy.

The entire cast had to perform in extreme temperatures and had to work day and night just to maintain a perfect storyline. Most of the cast were at their best in the movie, but the major role played by Williams James was controversial. James was a reckless soldier that could have killed his entire team because of his conduct.

Nevertheless, James was best at bomb disposal, his précised timing and controls of his environment provide him with the support he needed to discharge his duty as a solider. His rugged attitude was a problem to his assistant Sanborn. Sanborn was a soldier with a humble background and was ready to serve his country. His allegiance to his country became a tough call when he planned to eliminate James because of his behavior (Horton, 2009).

Most of the characters and Crewmembers in the film were American citizens. Although the film was non-racial, some people argue that the cast should have been Iraq natives. The boundary of racism is yet to be broken in Hollywood’s movies; many producers have tried to bridge the gap.

Like in most movies, the enemies are made to wear Arab attire. This means that wars are majorly between the West and the Middle East. The movie is excellent and a thriller with heart pounding suspense. Every second that went by was considered the last for each member of the unit. Hurt locker remains a movie to see if you are looking for real action.

Reference

Horton, A. (2009). “Review: The Hurt Locker”. Army of Dude. Retrieved from http://armyofdude.blogspot.com/2009/07/review-hurt-locker.html

Homer Parrish is a character in the movie “Best years of our lives”. The movie chronicles the lives of three soldiers returning from the war. Homer Parrish is returning from the war with severe injuries that have resulted in both his arms being amputated. Therefore, Homer has to adjust to both the civilian life and his disability. Other characters in the movie are Al Stephenson a middle-aged family man who worked as a loan officer, and a scarred Fred Derry who served in the Air force.

Homer’s personality is well highlighted throughout the movie. For instance, his numerous encounters with other characters especially his fiancé give great insight into his personality.

The first trait in his personality is extroversion. Right from the beginning, Homer’s character is outgoing, talkative, energetic, and enthusiastic. All these traits are synonymous with extroversion. For example, in the scene where Mr. Mollett approaches him with a question, his answer is riddled with humour and sarcasm. This conversation is just one among many in which Homer uses skilled humour.

Homer’s character is also very talkative. He is not intimidated by any of the people he encounters. Even when he is trying to cut his girlfriend loose, he still does it talkatively. Another trait that points towards Homer being an extrovert is his use of gestures and facial expressions. His personal warmth is what makes his friend Fred volunteer to be the best man at his wedding. Following these examples, it can be speculated that Homer has an extroverted personality.

Another trait used in determining a person’s personality is one’s agreeableness. This trait shapes a person’s trust, forgivingness, generosity, and kindness. Homer’s agreeableness is mostly on the negative side.

When he gets into an argument with a customer at the soda store, the confrontation ends in a physical altercation. This incident points towards lack of agreeability. Another manifestation of this trait is his distrust towards his girlfriend Wilma. While Wilma insists that she is okay with Homer’s condition, Homer takes a long time to believe her.

Homer also has a neurotic personality. This personality trait is highlighted in various instances. At the beginning of the video, there are several instances when Homer pities himself. In another incident, he compares himself to a baby. This self-pitying is synonymous with neurotic personalities.

It is also clear that from the way he answers people self defensively, he has neurotic tendencies. Fluctuating moods are also associated with neurotic persons. During most of his conversations with Wilma, this trait is evident. A neurotic personality is also susceptible to depression, hostility, and anxiety.

Homer’s personality is mostly open. The openness is witnessed in various incidences. For instance, there is a scene where he insightfully explains to Wilma why they should not be together. This openness is also portrayed by Homer’s unusual thought process. His mind seems to wander off in unusual thoughts.

Homer is a Conscientious person. This is why after coming back from the war he decides not to carry on with his marriage to Wilma because of his disability. When the plane is landing in their hometown, Homer takes the moment in and has high aspirations. All these scenes portray Homer as a Conscientious person.

Homer acts as the main protagonist in the film. However, all his actions are motivated by things that happened either before or after his military accident. These same actions are also pivotal in shaping Homer’s personality. Right from the beginning, it seems like Homer is going to have the hardest time readjusting owing to his age and disability.

However, Homer seems upbeat about his chances even with his artificial arms. When explaining what led to the loss of his arms, he says he had no idea a shell was coming their way. This indicates that one of the things that motivate him is the knowledge that his disability was not because of his mistake.

According to him, his disability was just an unfortunate incident. Another thing that motivates Homer is the fact that even though both his arms were burnt off, his prosthetics work just fine. In the bar, he even shows Mollette that he can scoop ice cream with them. This gives him motivation as he feels he is lucky for the second chance.

Before the war, Homer was a young and energetic young man. At that time, he was engaged to Wilma. In school, he played football in the enviable position of a quarter back. He also lived with his parents as a contributing member of the family. These issues contributed to his later development.

As a football player, he learnt how to put up a fight and capitalize on the chances he got. This possibly explains why he is not about to give up on his ambitions now that he is disabled. He also understands that one of the reasons Wilma was attracted to him was because of his abilities. This fact motivates him to abandon his relationship with Wilma.

When Homer is touching ground at his hometown, he is upbeat about everything else in his life except for his relationship with Wilma. He is convinced that his fiancé will feel differently about him now that he is disabled. In response to this threat, he becomes withdrawn and hostile towards Wilma.

No matter how much she tries to make it work with him, he is resolute about ending this relationship. In a final attempt to convince himself that she is still not comfortable with his condition, he unhooks his hands in front of her. When this gesture does not perturb her, he becomes convinced that she really cares for him. Homer’s is not easily threatened even when he faces probable defeat. This is why in the drug store he stands up against the arrogant customer. He is also not moved when Wilma threatens to move to another town.

Homer is an outgoing person and has several acquaintances. Most of his relationships are cordial. However, his condition puts a strain on most of his relationships. Before his accident, Homer had a good romantic relationship with Wilma. However, after the accident the relationship becomes one-sided.

Homer lives with his parents and other siblings. Before he became disabled, they all considered him an able-bodied young man and a great asset to the family. After the accident, the relationship becomes dominated by pity and curiosity. For instance, at one time his sister gathers her friends and they all spy on how Homer is coping with his new hands. His relationships with fellow veterans are more stable because most of them understand his condition. Fred even volunteers to be the best man at his wedding.

Artwork is any form of art that communicates a message to the audience or one developed with a purpose. This includes paintings, sculpture, photography and collages. There is a lot of development in artwork, in the contemporary world, and most of the developments are just transformations of ancient artwork.

Most of the pieces of art can be found in museums and art galleries. This paper outlines information about The Seated Goddess with a Child and the Winged Deity, found in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. This brings out a comprehensive understanding of the two pieces of art.

Seated Goddess with a Child and the Winged Deity

The artworks represented in this article take similar forms. They are sculptures. The Metropolitan Museum houses the two pieces of artwork (Metropolitan Museum of Art). The Seated Goddess with a Child is a three-dimension piece of art made through the lost-wax technique around the 13th and 15th centuries. It has epic and pastoral styles. The winged deity is a three-dimension of work made with the Hittites style (Beckman, 1989).

The Seated Goddess with a Child is a perfect result of cutting and twisting gold. The Winged Deity is a result of casting bronze and gold. The Seated Goddess with a child has a golden colour which is bright enough to characterize a goddess associated with illumination. It also depicts a peaceful mood and creates a high level of unity.

On the other hand, the Winged Deity has grey and yellow colours, which bring out a sombre mood. The artists used contour lines to show the faces, horizontal and vertical lines to show the other body parts, and an outline to enclose the images. The image looks smooth and balanced. There is a balance in the work since images cover the entire space. The goddess image has a value of light due to the vibrant colour employed in the artwork.

The Winged Deity has curved lines shaping the wings and the arms. There is a visual appearance of roughness and a value of darkness, as well as symmetrical balance. Both artists have an aspect of the Hittite Empire period, a period whose information is not widely known.

The Seated Goddess with a Child depicts a woman adorned with a headdress which is extremely bright. This brightness represents the glamour and illumination that comes from the sun. Therefore, this is Arinna, the sun goddess. The chair on which the statue sits has lion caws.

This shows bravery. The child shows simplicity and humility. The long gown has an association with modesty of women. The two loopholes suggest that the figure is a pendant. The loop earrings and a necklace, indicate beauty of Hittite women (Beckman, 1989). The work has a substantial influence in contemporary societies. It challenges modern artists to make sculptures which are symbols of creativity and imagination.

The Winged Deity represents a god of the Hittites. He is most likely the Prinki, a god of Ishtar, made around the 13th century (Metropolitan Museum of Art). The deity has a circular cap around his head, a gold leaf as well as a kilt. He has a rod on his right arm representing the protection that gods offered to the Hittites. He has two wings in the shape of a sickle, and the left wing is incomplete. The wings show the possibility of flying and signify that god could go to any place unusually fast to offer aid. The sculpture helps to reconstruct the history of Hittite culture (Beckman, 1989). The artist has the ability to use a traditional style (Hittite style) with creativity. The work has also influenced modern sculptors. They are trying to make replicas of the sculpture, and sculptures which have similar features to those on the Winged Deity.

In essence, ancient artworks have significant influence to the modern artworks. This is evident in the modern artworks displayed in the art galleries of modern museums. Therefore, the impact of ancient art on contemporary artworks cannot be underrated.

References

Beckman, G. (1989). The Religion of the Hittites. The Biblical Archaeologist 52 (2/3):98-108.

Metropolitan Museum of Art. (n.d). The Seated Goddess with a Child and the Winged Deity. Web.