In “A Shark in the Mind of One Contemplating Wilderness,” author Terry Tempest Williams considers the idea of wilderness as it is represented in art. The problem that the author identifies is the correlation between art and wilderness and the representation of animal species in various artists’ works. Williams argues that the process of preserving dead animals’ bodies involves no actual preservation. In the discussion, the author notes the irony of killing animals for the sake of keeping them in museums and calling the whole procedure preservation. In her words, “To preserve. What do we choose to preserve?”, Williams posits that it is impossible to make a quick shift between perceiving such animals as art and viewing them in terms of science (3).
The question raised by Williams provokes contemplation of the issues of wilderness and art, real life and how it might be retained after death. Indeed, the speculation arises as to the existence of a magic line that divides emotional and artistic perception from cold and detached factual observation. Even should such a line exist, locating where to draw it would be a challenge. As a naturalist, Williams finds it inconceivable to think of the shark she is observing “in the context of art, not science” (3).
However, it seems that it should be possible to do both: see the shark as an object of natural history and as an object of art. The individual may need to take more than one look. Undoubtedly, once people have set their minds at something, it can be complicated to refocus their cognition from the set direction. Still, as long as the necessity remains for individuals to question the nature of things, they should seek to make these inquiries. After all, through inquiries, no matter how preposterous they may look at first, answers are eventually born.
Williams suggests the idea of designating wilderness “as an installation of art” (6). This suggestion commingles sincere love for nature and a peculiar intention to view it as a framework of “interspecies dialogues” (Williams 6). While at first it may sound absurd to treat creatures living in the wilderness as “a painting in motion,” it then becomes clear that such a scenario can actually take place (Williams 6). In fact, a keen observer can interpret animal behavior as the movements of exquisite dances or performances.
Meanwhile, plants and natural elements may serve as the setting for these unusual actors. The transition between day and night will be the curtain of this extraordinary theater in which every actor knows its role without a written script or a prompter’s help. Thus, it is possible to “answer with a resounding yes” that wilderness “is our received idea as artists” (Williams 6).
Two people looking at the same thing have no guarantee that they see it similarly. Moreover, chances are that one of them will notice exquisite details that the other might fail to observe, and vice versa. Williams’s article testifies to the universal truth existing within every element of the universe. The results of contemplating something, whether nature, art, or neither this nor that, will always depend on the beholder. In the end, while the atmosphere may have some effect on the observer’s attitude toward what is observed, the inner feeling of the beholder is what decides the kind of emotional trace, if any, the inspected object will leave in the individual’s consciousness.
Brian Gillis’ art work was thought provoking and enlightening. I was very interested in his discussion of printing as a revolutionary technology, and the new applications of printing to creating three dimensional items. His work focuses on resistance to oppression and bigotry as well. Mr. Novak’s work also offered a critique of the violence of modern life. I chose the work of Huang Yong Ping that is an equally biting indictment.
Afterwards, I did some independent investigation online about printing. I corresponded with people who do letterpress printing as an art form, a craft, and a hobby. Mr. Gillis rightly asks us not to take printing for granted. It can actually be a painstaking handwork process, with a sensual and intimate connection to the block or frame containing the plate, the paper, the ink, the machine, and the drying process.
On the other hand, printing can be an entirely digital, high-tech process, even creating the sort of three dimensional objects to which Mr. Gillis referred, and creating the microchips in this very computer. Even the design of typeface is a whole art form in itself, as evidenced by the fact that a typeface received a place of honor at a museum.
I discovered from studying the history of printing that it was far more than a convenience. Printing apparently helped ignite the Protestant Reformation. It speeded the birth of the Industrial Revolution. It even made possible the development of our modern democracies. Printing, by placing books in the hands of more than just the wealthy, permitted all economic classes to access more or less the same information about their religion, science, and their human rights.
Mr. Gillis’ personal interest in printing fits perfectly with his focus on breaking the rules and pushing beyond limitations, including bigotry and stereotyping. His work, repeatedly speaks to the ways that people push back against oppression, for example in his piece entitled Disobedience, Abstraction, and the Opposable Thumb: Tank Man (2010) In this piece, he memorializes the solitary man who confronted the tanks in Tiananmen Square in 1989.
His use of wood seems to me to be a reference to human fragility. The neutral color makes me think of this being applicable to all of us, no matter where, or when, in the world or in time. By pairing the notion of disobedience with the opposable thumb, he suggests that to be human is to disobey. He also leads us to ponder that to be human is to invent and abstract from the world both ideas and art that are not available to other creatures.
His interest in printing and significance of ‘the word’ is reflected in his piece titled A Mystery, the Book, and the Chicken or the Egg (2007). In this work, he collects the key elements of Judeo-Christian religious tradition in drawers, tucked away, suggesting that there is perhaps nothing in the blank book. This connects with the role of printing in allowing people who could never have afforded to own a Bible to finally read it and interpret it personally.
Mr. Novak’s work also addresses deep issues, such as our self destructive tendencies. His fully armed 21st Century Bunny (2006), comments on how we must be constantly aware of the potential for violence these days, often random, whether from terrorists or drugged criminals.
His exquisite and wounded Disfigurines , as detailed and perfectly lifelike as Renaissance ceramics by Della Robia, criticize us for allowing the world to become so violent to one another that we damage each other’s beauty. Icarus Junior (2008) seems to critique our distressing tendency to ecological degradation.
The little figure, the offspring of the ancient Greek mythological teenager with attitude is described as caring nothing for the pursuit of knowledge, but only for speed and height. Each of these works is exquisitely crafted, often with vintage industrial processes such as commercial porcelain manufacturing techniques. These are particularly displayed in his sink/confessional titled Kohler Sink (2004).
Tomme
To pair with these two, I picked a Chinese artist named Huang Yong Ping. He makes subtle criticisms of humanity’s foibles. His work, Theatre of the World, houses a group of disparate, small, live animals together in a tiny, but beautifully constructed coliseum. They came from most terrestrial phyla, including ,mammal, reptile (pictured in the link), and insect.
Each animal had their own space and was fed generously with customized foods. In spite of this, they eventually ate each other. It is difficult to imagine a more vivid allegory of senseless human violence. His other works combine magnificent craftsmanship with social commentary as well, just as our guest artists do.
Works Cited
Gillis, Brian. “A Mystery, the Book, and the Chicken or the Egg.” 2007. Web.
—. “Disobedience, Abstraction, and the Opposable Thumb: Tank Man.” 2010. gillislab. Web.
Novak, Justin. “21st Century Bunny.” 2006. blogs eciad. Web.
—. “Disfigurines.” 1997 to 2006. blogs eciad. Web.
Tupac: Resurrection, which opens nationwide today, is a documentary with a curious, uncanny twist: it seems to be narrated, from beyond the grave, by its subject, the actor and rap star Tupac Shakur, who was shot to death at a Las Vegas intersection in 1996.
The film shows us the inner life of Tupac Shakur: political and social circumstances he has grown up in, musical and literary influences that have made him the person he was, Tupac’s relationships with his family (especially with mother) and his friends, his image in media and hip-hop business. All that creates for us an influential character that can be talked about and analyzed through the many philosophical aspects such as political involvement, spiritual life of the individual, crime and redemption, religion and fame, religion of a “thug” (“a person stuck in the ghetto that’s trying or has succeeded in getting out of the ghetto” (Tupac: Resurrection), etc.
I want to relate the Deistic philosophical thought with a Tupac: Resurrection documentary via Shakur’s unusual religious beliefs, which you are reaching due to watching the film. Religious issues can be implicated to anything, including the given artwork about Tupac’s life.
But anyway, you see the main character which represents an individual with a critical mind that was built up during the “thug life” he’s come through. That character is Tupac Shakur itself, who believed in Karma and was rejecting an organized religion. According to Light (p. 53), “Tupac never professed following a certain religion, but his lyrics in songs such as Only God Can Judge Me and poems such as The Rose That Grew from Concrete suggest he believed in God”. That’s why Tupac was described as a deist by some analysts.
In the interview to the Vibe Magazine in 1996 Tupac said:
…if the God wrote the Bible I’m sure there would have been a revised copy by now, because a lot of thing have changed. I’ve been looking for this revised copy…well, I don’t see it. And I’m not disrespecting anybody’s religion. Please forgive me if it comes up like that. I believe God blesses us. God blesses those that use their mind. I believe that your Karma and everything that you do bad comes back to you. (Light, p. 160)
Referring to the Deism philosophy features I found that “rejection of all religions based on books that claim to contain the revealed word of God” is one of three basic critical elements of it (Johnson, p. 17). Next to this I’ve found a one from two constructive features: “God gave humans the ability to reason” (Johnson, p. 17), that is consonant to the religious beliefs of Tupac, the main character of Tupac: Resurrection documentary. It means that information given to the world by this documentary can touch upon different philosophical issues concerning the problems raised in it.
This film has changed my perception of the religion and God. Earlier I thought that God controls everything in this world and your prayer can help you in some situations. And I believed in that and didn’t think deeper than I should. But lately I’ve been spending time rethinking my past and realized that every victory or success I’ve reached was just a product of my strong will and the sense of reason. I’m thinking of becoming a Deist now.
Bibliography
Johnson, Bob. Deism: A Revolution in Religion – A Revolution in You. California: Truth Seeker Co. Inc., 2009. Print.
Tupac: Resurrection. Dir. Lauren Lazin. Perf. Tupac Shakur. Paramount Pictures, 2003. Film.
Light, Allan. Tupac Shakur. New York: Three Rivers Press, 1997. Print.
Before starting this essay, we should understand what a painting is. The word ‘painting’ is a noun as well as it is a verb. The act of making a painting (noun) is a verb (painting). In this essay, one is going to be concerned with the noun form of painting. So ‘painting’ is the outcome of the process of applying different colour on a surface in an artistic manner. What an honor to quote the legend himself. Michelangelo seems to be philosophical when he said this, “Good painting is nothing else but a copy of the perfections of God and a reminder of His painting. Finally, good painting is a music and a melody which intellect only can appreciate, and with great difficulty,” (Michelangelo). The theoretical meaning of painting can be understood by, “We should remember that a picture – before being a war horse, a nude woman, or telling some story – is essentially a flat surface covered with colours arranged in a particular pattern.” (Denis). We comprehend that Michelangelo loved to paint because he wanted to venerate God through his efforts.
Coming to the question, “Does the reproduction of a piece of art (i.e. a painting) diminish the original work of art’s value?” the answer is in the negative. No, the reproduction of a piece of art (i.e. a painting) does not diminish the original work of its value. But there is a stipulation. Any work that is being reproduced should not be misappropriated in any manner. The message or outcome should be the same as in the original one. There are people who might not have seen the original masterpiece. So when they see a reproduction, they should be able to visualize correctly about the original painting. If the painter of the reproduced painting is a skilled one, he or she will see to it that the ‘value’ of the painting is not diminished. In other words, the reproduced painting should be impressionist. Reproduced paintings are somewhat not liked by individual art collectors because they don’t know how many reproduction copies have been made. They think that in this manner, the uniqueness of the painting is lost. Moreover, if he wants to resell the original painting, he will not be able to get a good bargain. The reproduction of a piece of art (i.e. a painting) does not diminish the original work of art’s value because a reproduction painting, nevertheless perfect, will definitely be at variance from the original one and the aesthetic or artistic significance of the original painting cannot be achieved by any reproduction one.
But exceptions are always there. Some people might think that there is actually no difference in an original painting and a reproduction one. According to them the reproduction paintings have their own aesthetic or artistic value. They are also masterpieces in some sense because it’s not easy to copy a marvel in a manner that the difference is not easily visible. Actually the original artist’s main contribution is the idea or theme of the painting. In making the painting, he had the liberty to apply some extra brush strokes here and there. But in a reproduction painting, the artist has to follow the original. He can’t apply extra brush strokes by his will. Else the effect will not be the same.
Art has mesmerized humans since times unmemorable. Initially the paintings were centered on Gods, Goddesses and gallant heroes. A sense of spirituality was there in the paintings and they seemed to be more inclined towards the biblical characters. It seems that the intention was to portray the spiritual world. The art and paintings of the medieval world covered an enormous range of human life and the surroundings. This art progressed more under the patronage of the Roman Empire and the Christian church. The churches during that era were very powerful. Even Martin Luther King was concerned when he wrote in his ‘Letter from Birmingham jail’, “I have heard many ministers say: ‘Those are social issues, with which the gospel has no real concern.’ And I have watched many churches commit themselves to a completely other worldly religion which makes a strange, on Biblical distinction between body and soul, between the sacred and the secular.” (Luther).
Although there have been reproductions of numerous art works (paintings), the most reproduced painting in the world so far, is Monalisa by Leonardo da Vinci. Some others one can find below:
Swirls and stars: Starry Night by Van Gogh
Pitchforks at the ready: American Gothic by Grant Wood
The ceiling of the Sistine Chapel by Michelangelo
We’re off to see the wizard
Salvador Dali: The Persistence of Memory
One must say that it is a very costly affair to buy original masterpieces. Original paintings like ‘Monalisa’ or ‘The Last Supper’, for that matter, might cost a fortune. “I don’t own any of my own paintings because a Picasso original costs several thousand dollars – it’s a luxury I can’t afford.” (Picasso). Art collectors and enthusiasts all over the world keep a lot of collection of reproduction paintings. They get a good bargain by selling them. People also don’t mind in paying because they can enjoy the beauty and elegance of any particular painting in their living room. It doesn’t matter if it’s a copy. Anyway, you don’t have to touch the painting to get the feeling of the marvelous appearance.
The word ‘value’ here should not be misinterpreted for the price. As John Berger clearly interprets the meaning of ‘value’ in his work ‘Ways of Seeing’, “What determines an image’s value is not its meaning or quality of painting, but its uniqueness.” (Berger). Berger cited the example of two almost identical paintings of the ‘Virgin of the Rocks’ by Leonardo da Vinci. One is at the National Gallery and other at the Louvre. Moving ahead, in this context ‘value’ means the importance, the originality, the grandeur, the standard, the quality, and the message that it shows and the high regard or esteem that the painting commands. The sense or concern for the ‘value’ is very important. Masterpiece paintings are our heritage. We should protect them. At the same time, it should be a privilege of all to view such masterpieces. But the tragedy is that neither can all enthusiasts visit the places or museums where these masterpieces are kept safe, nor can the painting masterpieces be taken throughout the world. So it is a better and intelligent option to have them reproduced. Another bright side of reproducing paintings is that by doing so, the original remains safe from all sorts of threats including theft.
There is a different class of reproduction artists. They are extremely talented and skilled in what they do. In fact this should be the quality in them since they are engaged in duplication or reproduction of great marvels of great artists.
There might be certain questions in the minds of people as regards to reproduction of paintings. How is it that certain paintings are available for reproduction but some are not? How do museums display paintings? Well, for such questions, the answer is that each one of us is vigilant enough so that our rights or interests are not compromised by others in any way. Similarly, artists are also afraid that their works might be copied. The copyright act comes to the rescue of such artists. In order to protect their work from being copied in an unauthorized manner, artists have now started taking copyrights for their works. They can initiate legal proceedings against anyone who is found to reproduce their work in any way or in any sort of media like print, television, films, internet, etc. in such cases the copyright infringement is applicable. People can avoid being sued if they know whether the art that they are copying is protected by copyright or not. There is a website that tells us what all products are under copyright. The penalties of copyright infringement are very severe. The person might have to go to jail as well. If any individual or a museum or any company wants to use any painting, an approval from the artist or the owner of that particular painting is required.
But all the legal procedures consume too much of time, energy and of course money. So artists should be careful not to give any chance to people who are on the lookout for an opportunity to make money by reproducing the paintings. Like for example, if at all an artist wants to advertise his painting online, he should not post a picture larger than 600 X 600 pixels. This will not be printable.
Undoubtedly, people are now inclined towards buying reproduced versions of original masterpieces. We all wish to have some good paintings on the walls of our homes. But not all of us have enough money to buy the original ones. Even the original paintings of small time artists cost too much because a lot of time is consumed in bringing out that painting. Due to this, painting reproduction is becoming widely accepted. Moreover, the reproduced versions bear such resemblance with the original that it cannot be easily differentiated.
Most of the famous paintings are either in museums or with private collectors. The reproduction of such paintings has become a sort of necessity because it enables others also to own a marvel (maybe a copy). Once it was a dream to own a masterpiece. But by the advent of painting reproduction, anyone can be a proud owner of such masterpieces. The main reason is the affordability. Normally, such reproductions are oil paintings. Artists use special varieties of oil to give the painting a worn out look.
Another benefit of reproducing the paintings is that the buyer is given the bragging rights also. People visiting your home will not be able to judge whether it is a reproduced version. The thought that you own a masterpiece will give you immense happiness and that too at very nominal cost. Such painting reproductions are very good for gifting purposes as well. You may buy one and gift to someone you love or to some friend. Even if the painting has been in your possession for quite some time, you may still gift it because art pieces never lose their charm. Another significant benefit of painting reproduction is that the buyer gets to feel the painting. He or she can smell the oil colors used in it. Some artists even go to the extent of mixing certain natural dyes (similar to those used by the original artist) in their colors. This gives an even better effect and is more towards the original. Moreover, you don’t have to search frantically for any particular masterpiece reproduction. Reproduction paintings are easier to get to than the original ones. The electronic media is so common nowadays that you can search online for any reproduction painting and order it then and there (online).
Nowadays, reproduction paintings can be found in great numbers in the possession of art collectors. Different art collectors acquire these paintings from different reproduction agencies. This surely diminishes the value and uniqueness of the original painting. There is also a possibility that the reproduction painting might be of a better quality than the original one. This would probably degrade the original work.
To conclude, it would be right to say that reproduction paintings do not diminish the value of the original work. This statement can be supported by various factors. The original painting is preserved. There is no fear of theft. People are able to own classic paintings at very nominal costs. People can actually feel the texture and experience the grandeur of the original one. This is possible because of the pigments used in the colors. More and more people can appreciate the works of renowned painters, which would not have been possible in the absence of the reproduction paintings. People would not have even known that any particular painter or paintings ever existed.
Works Cited
Berger J. “1 John Berger, Ways of Seeing”. Elsevier. n.d. 2011.
Denis, M. “Maurice Denis”. HighBeam Research Inc. n.d. Web. 2011.
Luther M. “Martin Luther King’s Letter from Birmingham Jail”. Bu. n.d. 2011.
A learning experience can be considered effective if it results in the acquisition of new knowledge or developing of new perceptions by a person. In the recent past, I visited three museums that represent various ethnic groups. These museums are; the Wing Luke Museum, The Burke museum, and the Cambodian Cultural Museum. I followed up my visit with research on the various ethnic groups. From these experiences, I gained a number of insights which I wish to reflect on.
I will through this paper give a reflection on what I learnt from my research as well as from writing the research paper on exhibition museums. In particular, I will give my opinion on the how I think the museums represented the various groups and how my perspectives on museum exhibits about ethnic groups were altered by my research.
Reflection
In my opinion, the museums to a large extent succeeded in representing their groups in a positive manner. The Wing Luke Museum highlighted the life experiences of the Asian-Pacific Americans and from this information; one was left with a deep respect and regard for this people. The Burke museum did a very good job in trying to explain the culture and the ways of Native Americans. From this information, my appreciation of the rich culture of the Native Americans was increased.
The museum also presented a lot of information on the Ainu group. Before my visit to the museum, my knowledge of this group was almost non-existent. The museum dispelled my ignorance though various exhibits of this people. They were represented as an active trader group who conducted commerce with neighboring countries since historical times.
The Cambodian Cultural Museum also documented historical events faced by the Cambodians as well as their popular culture. By learning about the culture and the art of the Cambodian people, I developed a greater interest in them and their culture. In my opinion, the museum succeeded in its quest to preserve the history of the group thorough its visitors.
To me, the museums did a good job in dispelling stereotypes and I believe that the groups represented in the museums are perceived more favorably as a result of the exhibitions. The American society is characterized by a great diversification since the nation is made up of people from differing races and cultures. In most cases, there exists misinformation about minority and ethnic groups which results in over generalization.
People are therefore predisposed to judge the ethnic groups based on the narrow minded and, in most cases, misguided preconceptions they have about them. Each museum was keen to promote a deeper understanding of various cultures and tolerance. This is a very positive attribute since a deeper understanding of different cultures results in appreciation and respect for the particular culture and its people.
However, I felt that the Burke Museum may have led to a negative image for the Ainu group. The museum presented a lot of information on the Ainu group which is the native people of the region referred to as Hokkaido in Japan.
I felt that the emphasis on the rituals and ceremonies undertaken by the Ainu only served to reinforce the stereotype that they are a backwards people who have failed to move on with the modern times. Such reinforcements are bad since they encourage the discrimination against the Ainu which takes place even today.
While I appreciated the positive manner in which the Wing Luke Museum and the Burke museum represented their respective ethnic groups, I felt that a great injustice was done in failing to address the bleak experiences by the groups. The Asian-Pacific Americans suffered from discrimination and oppression in their process of settling into America and I feel that these experiences are of importance.
As a matter of fact, the Native Indians have had a mostly turbulent past in the United States with many events of Indian wars and aggressive attempts by the federal government to assimilate Indians. From my research, I discovered that the Ainu are discriminated by the Japanese today and continue to be frustrated just as they were in history. The museum failed to highlight this history for fear of causing uneasiness among visitors.
In my opinion this is a very misguided outlook since positive change can only occur if people are made aware of evils in the society such as racism and discrimination. However, I understand that the decision not to highlight this dark history might have had to do with the policies of the museums which dictate the manner in which they present their artifacts.
The Cambodian Cultural Museum was significantly different in that it did not shy from publicly documenting the acts of violence perpetrated against the Cambodians. While I previously held the opinion that museums should avoid displaying the bleaker history of an ethnic group, my museum experience made me reconsider this thought.
Following my visit to the Cambodian Cultural museum, I came to recognize that public awareness can help bring about reconciliation since it enables people to talk about the past and make peace.
While the other museums were of the opinion that presenting information on death and violence would displease the museum visitors, the Cambodian museum say public awareness as a means of preventing such atrocities in future. By sharing the Cambodian people’s story, I was able to appreciate how brave they were and sympathize with the violent history that they had had in their country.
As a result of my research, the manner in which I approach museum exhibits about ethnic groups has been forever changed. I have in the past perceived museums as leisure places whose primary role is to present the visitor with interesting artifacts, scientific objects, and/or information about people.
This perception was profoundly changed by my visit to the three museums and I now know that museums can also be used as tools for championing reform. The museums encouraged the visitors to take up an active role in championing the role of ethnic groups and fighting discrimination.
Conclusion
While I embarked on my visits to the museums with an open mind, I must admit that I did not expect the experience to have any profound impact on me. As it turned out, the experience was very enriching and it changed the manner in which I perceive museum exhibits about ethnic groups. I am now excited at the prospect of future museum visits and I will encourage my friends to do the same. This is because visiting museum exhibits about ethnic groups helps to create a positive perception of ethnic groups and dispel off stereotypical views.
In the biography Space is the Place: The Life and Times of Sun Ra, John Szwed sets an example of how historians should study a musical icon and his works. Szwed definitely shows that one must accept an artist and his music on his terms. The author concludes that discussing Sun Ra’s life presented several challenges. First, the artist refuses to acknowledge a fixed identity, which leads to the intentional obscurity of his biographical data. Second, the artist does not accept a locatable historical position, which can be explained by his haphazard jumble of material. Third, Sun Ra resists closure and, thus, makes it harder for a biographer to present facts about the artist’s life in a traditional matter (Wuethrich). Challenged by the complexity of the artist’s works and his personal character, Szwed manages to create a multi-dimensional and fascinating image of an enigmatic jazz performer.
Ra’s life is presented in a chronological order, which is a traditional approach to biographical storytelling. The author follows Ra from his childhood in Alabama to his first steps in the jazz scene in Chicago, then to New York, and eventually Philadelphia. In this paper, the focus will be placed on exploring Szwed’s analysis of Sun Ra’s personal and musical characteristics, the artist’s biography and his contribution to jazz as a whole. From a personal perspective, a period from Sun Ra’s life will be discussed to reveal its impact on shaping the musical craft.
Sonny’s Childhood and First Experience with Music
To understand from where Sun Ra came and how his upbringing influenced his future views on art, it was chosen to first pay attention to the first half of the books first chapter, which encompasses pages 30 to 80. Szwed reveals that Herman Poole Blount (later known under the scene name of Sun Ra) was born on May 22, 1914, in Birmingham, Alabama (32). The name that mother gave him was inspired by the name of a famous Afrocentric magician who claimed to have the ability to resurrect women from the dead. This name is heavily associated with spirituality and, thus, contributes to Ra’s worldview that “he was not born, that he was not from earth, that he was not a man, that he had no family, that his name was not what others said it was” (Szwed 35). It is revealed that Sun Ra’s father left when the boy was young as well as that he had an older sister Mary and an older brother Robert. From his early childhood, Herman was nicknamed Sonny.
At elementary school, Sonny was a polite and studious boy who was protected from violence on the part of his teachers and the mother. As he reached adolescence, several health issues such as hernia and cryptorchidism started tormenting him (Szwed 48). When struggling with these issues, the boy found protection from his great aunt for whom Herman was “her favorite, her joy in life, and she refused to let anyone discipline or correct him” (Szwed 48). Sonny’s first memories came from Robert’s records as well as his grandmother’s love for church music. Soon after getting familiar with music, the boy began composing songs and writing poetry. Also, it should be mentioned that Birmingham was “flush with music,” which made it possible for Herman to visit musical plays and start learning the piano (Szwed 53). Walking down the city’s streets, the boy could get inspirations from church choirs, sounds of blues from the music shops, dance bands that performed at night at black nightclubs and social bars. Sun Ra said, “I never missed a band […] I loved music beyond the state of liking it […] I will give honor to all the sincere musicians who ever were and will be” (qtd. in Szwed 64). Music was an outlet for black people to express their disdain and anger with oppression and segregation.
Chicago Years
The second large stage in Sun Ra’s life relates to his Chicago years, where he moved after WWII (Youngquist 134). The musician quickly found work and first played for Wynonie Harries, a blues singer, and later collaborated with Fletcher Henderson at the Club DeLisa. The Henderson band began gaining momentum at the club and was successful in playing a series of shows such as “Sound Off,” “Early Fall Capers,” “Romance & Rhythm,” “Bronzeville Holiday,” “Favorites of 1947,” and several others (Szwed 159). As the band diffused its attention on different things, Sonny had an opportunity to remain at the club and work with other musicians. When given new arrangements to floor shows, Sonny started making small changes in them, which led to them becoming more dramatic. As Sun Ra remembered his experimentation with new arrangements, he mentioned that Red Saunders, the leader of the club’s new band, said “I give you these nice, clean arrangements each week, and look at what you did with them! But damn, they sure sound good, though” (qtd. in Szwed 162). It should be mentioned that Sonny did not fit in with the rest of the musicians. Not only because he did not drink or smoke but also because he paid attention to spirituality, physics, astronomy, and space travel. Often, Sonny lectured his fellow musicians about morality, which contributed to his reputation as a weird person even more.
In Chicago, Sonny became obsessed with Egyptian mythology and read numerous works on the origins of the civilization, its history, and occult interpretation. Alongside with composing new music, he delved into the exploration of his moral and spiritual value, and mythology played a significant part in that process overall. Soon after, the musician came up with a stage name for himself. The name ‘Ra’ is associated with the central deity in the Egyptian mythology as was considered the most powerful among all other gods (Pinch 185). Also, the name was translated as ‘the sun’, which sounded similar to the musician’s lifetime nickname Sonny. The name Sun Ra became a stage name, warranted by the traditions of jazz royalty (Szwed 227). As it was set in place, the name prompted some debates, with Sonny challenged to reveal his real name. However, to the artist, Sun Ra was his real name and any explanations he gave for it were hard to follow (Beta). Similar to his pseudonym, Sonny wanted to give his orchestra a name and started referring to it as ‘Arkestra,’ which also had the word ‘Ra’ in it twice (Szwed 252).
New York Years and Secrets of the Sun
The Arkestra established an independent record label – El Saturn Records, which helped in creating Sun Ra’s singles and records for artists related to him. In the fall of 1961, the Arkestra moved to New York City, which represents a new chapter in Sun Ra’s musical career. This period will be analyzed in terms of shaping the artist’s craft to a large degree. To capture the free spirit of New York, Sonny began wearing his stage clothes on the streets and always introduced himself as Sun Ra, “a descendant of the ancient Egyptians” (Szwed 463). From the very beginning, Sonny was fascinated by the street life of New York and liked strolling through the city. His unusual outfit as well as interesting conversations in which he engaged gave Sun Ra the reputation of a public fixture. When one was to stop for a brief talk with Sun Ra on the streets of New York, the conversation would briefly turn into a coffee or a fruit juice at a café, the musician would start writing poetry of complex formulas on napkins, pondering on the meaning and value of mystical things (Szwed 427). Thus, it was New York where Sun Ra got an opportunity to connect with his audience and share the most important thoughts he had about life and the world overall.
Despite the spiritual revelations that Sun Ra had in New York, the Arkestra had some issues with finding work in the city. Eventually, one year after arriving, the band had the breakthrough performance that gave it national notice and a review in New York Times. The Arkestra’s music was described as space-age jazz, rhythmically strong and “full of keening dissonance varied by thick, heavy ensembles, by three saxophones and a euphonium” (Szwed 443). Secrets of the Sun is an album that is particularly important to mention in relation to this era of the musician’s work because it was recorded by Sun Ra and his Solar Arkestra in New York but was available years later.
The album is valuable to the discussion about Sun Ra’s New York years because it represents an increased form of free musical experimentation, although it is considered one of the most under-represented albums in the artist’s career (Collins). Compared to more structured and less aggressive recording made in Chicago, Secrets of the Sun pushed the limits of tonality and harmony, as mentioned by music critics (Collins). For instance, as stated by Troy Collins for the All About Jazz article, “Ra’s veteran saxophone line-up is vociferous on “Space Aura,” as Marshall Allen, John Gilmore and Pat Patrick […] spin an angular web of interweaving lines that venture into outside territory.” Recordings on the album have a definite raw quality with its warehouse-like acoustics, the erratic proximity of microphones, and the distortion of sound. Listening to the album, one can come to the impression that the album represented garage jazz with psychedelic undertones, which were heavily influenced by the diverse musical scene of New York.
Conclusion
To conclude, Sun Ra was more than a musician. The artist was deeply interested in the spiritual aspect of his life, which had a noticeable influence on his work as a composer and performer. His life was full with the exploration of the inner and external world and appealed to his audience due to his mysterious persona. After reading several chapters from Space is the Place: The Life and Times of Sun Ra by John Szwed, a conclusion can be made that the artist inspired spiritual rather than intellectual creativity and helped the audience understand Ra’s contribution to its fullest. Lastly, Szwed’s approach was more reverential than critical despite having to deal wit Sun Ra’s confusing retelling of stories. The author wanted his readers to understand the enigmatic personality of Sun Ra and his inclinations to explore the transcendent and the mysterious.
In spite of being a young upcoming artist, Ryan Lambright is a skilled performer and world-class Euphoniumist whose name is increasingly gaining fame in the world of Music. Over the recent times, Lambright has been furthering his career by advancing his music education major while intermittently using his music prowess to perform in live concerts—especially in recitals. It is based on his razor-sharp music skills that he was recently honored by presenting his Senior Euphonium Recital at the prestigious Laidlaw Performing Arts Center Recital Hall—courtesy of the University Of South Alabama Department Of Music.
This recital—which I attended—was scheduled for Saturday, October 15, 2011 starting at 7: 30 p.m. Since admission to the concert was free of charge and open to the public, a large crowd was anticipated. I, therefore, made sure that by 7.00 p.m., I was already seated at front row of the Laidlaw Performing Arts Center Recital Hall eagerly waiting for the performance to start.
Before delving into the performance intricacies of this concert, it is worth noting that the report below is essentially based on the examining the performances of music by music of George Frideric Handel, Gordon Jacob, James Barnes and James Niblock which were done by Mr. Lambright (as the main performer) and Dr. Robert Holm (as a collaborative pianist).
As expected, Ryan Lambright was on time and after a brief introduction by master of ceremony, the recitals began. Worth noting is that most of the performances were in English since majority of the composers (Gordon Jacob, James Barnes and James Niblock) to the recitals were of English-speaking countries. It is only in the case of doing recitals composed by George Frideric Handel (a famous German-British Baroque composer) that Mr. Lambright used some German. During this one case, we were given handouts with the lyrics printed on them and their translations of the performance for ease in understanding.
The performances done by Mr. Lambright together with Dr. Holm ranged from piano, opera orchestras, chamber music, concertos, choral works, symphonies and poems. Effectually, this gave a good blend of musical content and style to the visitors. This, probably, is the reason everyone at the concert was very attentive during the entire performance. The only time the deafening silence of concentration was broken was in moments when the audience applauded Mr. Lambright’s performances.
Moreover, Lambrights’s style of performance combined the maturity of classical opera and concert performers like Mozart with the modern-day form of recitals—which entail the usage of modern accompaniments. According to observers and critics, this timelessly unique style of blending modernism and classism is the major reason his performances normally appeals to a wide range of audiences.
Remarkably, the way Lambright performed the recitals emphasized various thematic concerns and various admirable of Lambright, as a professional musician. For example, when performing compositions by James Barnes, the lyrics showed a strong progression of his unique style which involved a more speaking, intimate and conversational character. The melodies provoked swaying in the audience thus making the music to sound kind of harmonically conservative, rarely venturing beyond modest chromatics.
George Frideric Handel’s and James Niblock performances, however, had an undulating and flowing piano accompaniment with the vocal lines deriving from patterns and intimacy of speech. Surprising intervals and cadences cleverly placed mezza voice presented sophisticatedly with depth greatly wowed the audience.
Finally, Gordon Jacob and James Barnes’ compositions highlighted strength in musical character, depth of emotion, high level of maturity and tonal god manipulation. The melodies, musical development, use of modulation and texture, and characterization of emotion set the style apart from the other performances. Generally, the piano sonatas and concertos left feelings of romanticism in listeners with the well-placed tempo and rhythm being felt emphatically.
In conclusion, the concert can be generally described as a hugely varied work of art with each displaying a unique musical prowess. The instruments used did not disappoint altogether and the voice range was particularly breathtaking. Moreover, melodies and rhythms were well-placed and themed, just like it is in most operatic performances. Variations were also created in terms of elaborate stage-lighting and various special effects such as theatrical smoke, fog and costumes. The only failure in the concert was the fact that it was relatively short—thus left the audience yearning for more. I bet it is true when they say even great things always have to come to an end.
“Hocus Pocus” is a fantasy film with the elements of comedy directed by Kenny Ortega and first released in 1993. According to SUNDAY; Your Movie Planner (2010), it is “occasionally bewitching Disney comedy about three Salem sorceresses…Entertaining in spells and surprisingly gruesome “. This Walt Disney Pictures movie is rather fun, exciting and entertaining; and it is still loved by numerous people. Those who watched it in childhood love refreshing these sweet memories and I am not an exception. The film is Halloween-themed and tells the story of three sisters-witches who were unintentionally resurrected by a teenager named Max on Halloween night and started their terror on the surrounding territories and their inhabitants. The boy actually does not like Halloween but appears in the situation making him to participate in it and has to go through a row of Halloween-connected adventures to save his loved ones from these terrible witches. This undaunted boy goes through a row of serious tests to defend his sister and defeat the witches.
The movie begins in Salem, Massachusetts more than 300 years before our time. The three witches are about to suck out the life of a little girl to become younger. However the girl’s brother finds them and tries to prevent it. Still he fails to do so and the girl is killed. The boy himself is turned to an immortal black cat Binx as a punishment from the witches. The people from the village come to save the girl and her brother but it is too late. They noose the witches for the committed crimes. However, the witches promise to come back in 300 years as the prophesy in their magic book tells. Then the audience sees the days of 1993. On Halloween eve pupils are discussing the history of sisters Sanders. The new boy at school Max, the main protagonist is skeptical, he protests against this story and the Halloween in itself, but later this evening he lights an ancient candle to prove his beliefs that everything is not true, but he unintentionally resurrects the Sanders witches. So there begins a fight between the witches and Max who tries to protect his little sister from them. Max has a great support of his new friend Allison and the immortal black cat Binx. After a row of exciting adventures and struggles the heroes conquer the witches and remain alive. The ending of the film is not clear-cut. The witches’ magic book remains so to say alive and is shown in the last film cadre thus offering an idea of the film’s continuation. Still about 20 years passed and there was no such one though there were numerous efforts to write the new script for the continuation.
The main characters of the movie are played by famous and talented actors. In particular, they are still famous all over the world Sara Jessica Parker (witch Sarah), Bette Midler (witch Winifred), Kathy Najimy (witch Mary), Omri Katz (Max), Thora Birch (Dani) and popular nowadays actress Vinessa Shaw ( Alisson). Acting is mainly good one, especially the character of Bette Midler Winifred with her constant fun chewing and unusually staring eyes. The other character which is well developed to my mind is Dani by Thora Birch. The girl is shown with a strong character, great sense of humor, self confidence; she is still sentimental and really nice; so this character is one of the best in the movie.
Speaking about the film’s cinematography it should be first of all stated that it is done by Hiro Narita. Hiro Narita is really a great operator and he is also known by such his works as “Valley of the Heart’s Delight”, “Honey, I Shrunk the Kids”, “The Rocketeer “and “White Fang 2: Myth of the White Wolf”. The cinematography of the film is quite good for 1993 and even now it is presentable enough especially if to compare it with the other movies form 1990s.
As to the editing it is done by Peter E. Berger. He is a very good specialist also known by his tremendous work for “Alvin and the Chipmunks”, “Garfield: The Movie”, “Star Trek Series” and his masterpiece “Fatal Attraction”. According to Maslet (1993), “of special note in “Hocus Pocus” is a computer-generated talking cat”. This personage is great and it is really one of the best and the most memorable characters in the movie; it is nice that such spec effect was possible in 1993.
If to analyze the sound, for 1993 it is a very good one. The music is by John Debney. The film is also featuring a song by famous composer James Horner, whose incredible work for Titanic still remains one of the best movie music masterpieces ever. Mainly the film’s music is great and makes its due contribution to the better realization of the storyline. Some of the main music themes used in the movie are “I Put a Spell on You” by Marc Shaiman, “Sarah’s Theme” by James Horner and “Come Little Children” performed by Sarah Jessica Parker.
The film is featuring traditional Disney style of a family watched movie with its particular level of humor, rather high moral standards and fairy-tale like magic and mysteriousness. According to Maslin (1993), “It includes very mild scares, occasional rude language and a few jokes about one young character’s virginity.” Directing is done by Kenny Ortega, one of the Disney favorite directors. There exist different opinions about Ortega’s work for the film but it is still good enough on my mind. Those who say directing was bad are mainly dissatisfied with the constant run in the film which never stops and thus leaves the audience tired and a little bit confused.
Speaking about the “Hocus Pocus” impact of society it should be stated that the film is definitely among the most loved family fantasy films ever. It is amazing that the film still stands out the test of time; when the movie is annually shown on TV starting from late October it has a big audience. People love it as the film brings special Halloween mood which is so magic and intriguing since childhood.
And as for the impact of society to the film it can be stated that first of all people’s great appreciation of this film encouraged numerous efforts to shot a sequel on this topic but these efforts are still in progress though this idea is worked for a long time.
Taking all the above mentioned into consideration, it should be stated that “Hocus Pocus” is a great work by Disney. It deals with important issues of loyalty and faithfulness, family values and team spirit while fighting with evil. I believe it will continue bringing special Halloween mood to its lovers even after many more years. On my mind it is an all-time family fantasy classic, which I would definitely recommend to fans of the genre.
This is a research paper of history of film pre 1930. My topic is about the response of critics to the movie “The great train robbery” when it first came out and how it changed over time, how did people respond to it then and over time up to now.
Silent era films are films that only contain motion picture without sound. Silent films make up majority of the films made in the years preceding 1930. The use of body expressions in these films acted to cover for the lack of sound. This meant that there had to be a lot of bodily actions in the film. Synchronization of sound films posed a formidable challenge to film makers during that era. The end of silent era films came in the 1920s with the synchronization of sound in films. The first of these was called the jazz singer. It was followed by many other such productions in the 1920s.
Film criticism has been seen as a way of assessing the public appeal of a film as well as the artistic merit. Traditionally, the effect of criticism acted only to improve the production of movies and films. In modern times, that has changed effectively. Criticism of movies possesses significant impact on the sale of movies. In the contemporary world, criticism has always been what people rely on when purchasing newly released movies or watching the same in the theatres. Positive film review has been accredited with sparking interest in little known films.
Films made before 1930 have not been subjected to the kind of criticism accorded to modern movies. Criticism of movies has evolved through the decades up to today. The review on movies starts prior to the release or even the shooting. In modern times, critics go as far as criticizing the choice of actors in a film. The Great Train Robbery movie has not been deeply criticized. Criticism did not exist at the time of release of the film. Reviews to the movie industry have, however, been done in relation to the film. These reviews are focused more on the positive side of the movie and to a lesser extent on the negative. In fact, what mostly exist outlines on the movie and not actual the criticism. Modern criticism focuses on the positive and negatives of any particular film.
From the little review done, the film can be termed as a great milestone within the film industry. This film saw the application of new techniques first in it. The film used innovative techniques like cross cutting and double exposure editing. Other new techniques applied in the film included camera movement and on location shooting. The movie, based on a real-life train heist, can be considered a classic creation in the film industry. The movie played an influential role in revealing the possibility of fiction stories on film. Most motion pictures prior to this one, revolved around true stories.
Though not particularly artistic by today’s standards, it invented a lot of ideas which have been adopted in modern film. There are many innovations that are accredited to this film making it the first western film containing a storyline with various western clichés. This feature has been used in many western films that have followed “the great train robbery”. The shooting was done out of chronological sequence. All scenes of movies prior to this one were shot in a non-chronological manner. This feature was made possible by employing the cross cutting way of editing films. The movie does not include fades or dissolves between the scenes or shots.
According to Dirks (n.d), the film was rated a success in the film industry. Soon after its release, the film received wide reception from the public. The Great Train Robber came out as the most popular film which performed well commercially during the pre-nickelodeon era. It firmly brought into fore the awareness that the film industry could be commercially viable. One would ask why the success. The director of the film was innovative enough to apply new techniques when shooing and developing the 12 minutes long film. For instance, the film had scenes where a new style of parallelism was applied. In parallel editing, a main plot of the movie taking place cuts back to show a different set of scenes happening simultaneously. In the film, we encounter new techniques of editing where the there is a display of two separate lines of actions happening continuously at identical times.
The development of the script in the film displayed a great deal of technological innovation of the time. The director of the film Porter was able to capture images of people running into the forest through his camera, a totally new aspect in the film industry during 1900’s. On the other hand, the film was color tinted making it a rare one of its kind. The film developers were able to use a color that draws us to the objects in the scenes which reflects a high standard of shooting a film in the 1900’s. This aspect of quality of color is brought to the limelight whenever there is a shoot out in the film. The gun shots come with a wave of color rather than the grayish and white puff of smoke. The same was seen when the robbers used the dynamite to open the safe.
Rosenberg (n.d) while offering a critical review of the movie ‘the great train robbery’ concedes that the movie was a success story of its time. The film ushers in new and standard techniques in the film industry, such as the cross-cutting. The plot also resembles many of today’s movies on robberies in banks, trains and hijacks. She says that apart from being the first narrative movie, the Great Train Robbery introduced other techniques in the film industry. In the film, we encounter a shift from the traditional single set to the filming in different locations. To Porter, this was an important aspect of shooting his movie. This added flavor to the film since it was shot in 10 different locations. The movie includes the use of rear projection for the first time in the film industry. The image of a moving train can be seen through a window. This can also be termed as another first innovation in the movie. The producer introduced the use of moving cameras when shooting films first appears in this movie. The camera shooting the scene was mounted on a moving train. Development of film editing using cross cutting technology appears hear. The producer first applied this feature in this film. The feature has since been popular in cinematic art. It became the first motion smash hit. This created the notion that the film industry could become a commercially viable medium. This innova Train Robberyki, 2001).
A critical review of the film is to be found in the works of Gunning Tom (n.d.). He provides an argument presented in 1922 by Fernand Leger. The critic had tried to define the possibilities of radical changes in the film/cinema industry in the 1920’s. He forwarded an argument that the potential of the new art lay not in imitating the movement of nature but in making images seen. This underscored the importance of harnessing the visibility of event as that was ushered in by early narrative films such as The Great Train Robbery. The writer presents another food for thought on the contribution of the film in the growth of the film industry. The film The Great Train Robbery was such a thriller and crowd puller that theatres started to fill to the brim. This led to the setting up of more permanent theatres which were a big attraction. Early audiences frequented the theatres during exhibitions to have a look at the machines on demonstrations. The newest technology was such a wonder that, at one point, it was felt that the viewers went there purposely for the machines and not the films.
The Great Train Robbery ushered in an era in the film industry where short films became the in thing. They were either arranged in a non –narrative or narrative form. Basically, their presentation took place in the nickelodeons. The most notable thing was that they appeared in different formats. The non-narrative films were the precedent of the narrative films. They were relatively poor in terms of quality which led to much criticism. The setting in of the narrative forms was seen as an end to the low quality acts, and the Great Train Robbery is credited for breaking the ground for this great revolution in the film industry. Its release brought in the era of film attraction into the theatres. Despite the later shift to the world of fiction in the film industry, the aspect of attraction has not lost value.
Modern critics have argued over the importance of the film. The ten long film produced over 180 years ago has fourteen scenes each with its unique purpose with regard to narrative and character development. The hot de bate has centered over the issue of whether The Great Train Robbery was the first western movie. A closer review of the film reveals western ideas, styles and props which makes many critics qualifies the film as arguably the first true western movie of its kind. Critics have tried to authenticate the genre of The Big Train Robbery based on the aspect of the plot. They put into consideration the world of movies’; one of robbery, bandits, outlaws and innocence. Another authenticity is based on the period in time of the shooting. This was the era where the American society was undergoing transformation in major spheres of life (Rosenberg, n.d.). There was the transport revolution, women empowerment and basically the nation was establishing itself as an economic and sociological powerhouse, a step away from the nostalgia of the West. The Americans were slowly detaching themselves from the close ties with the west and the coming in of the film retained a certain importance with early American film lovers-excitement, nostalgia, and the thrills of cowboys and criminals. (Rosenberg, n.d).
Critics dispute the fact that the film can be classified as an epic film. They claim that the film fall way far from a standard movie in the contemporary word. However, they all point out that there exist some aspects of the film which are still in use, in the contemporary film industry. The director of the film The Great Train Robbery centered his 12 minute film into three main parts – the robbery, the escape and the capture of the robbers by the sheriffs. A look into the modern film industry reveals that movie makers still employ this basic structure. The only notable difference is the extent of character development, which is more profound than in Porter’s film The Great Train Robbery
Some critics have downplayed the importance of the film in the industry. They argue that the film apart from, the style of cross-cutting lacks the quality of a good film. They claim that most of the time the audiences are kept glued to the screen with events of square dancing. The plot is too standard with the only special effects being too vague to impress the viewer in the contemporary world of the film industry. For instance, in one of the scenes, one of the robbers is seen beating a man to death. He then throws him off the moving train even though its evident to the audience that the figure being beaten is actually a tailor made dummy. However, despite the negative comments about the film, they concede that the film was quite an achievement bearing in mind the time in history that the film was directed.
The violent nature of the movie marked a precedent chapter for many such movies which were shot later and have been in production up to date. For instance, the incident in scene eleven where the robber forces a character to dance by shooting at his feet was a thriller that had been repeated in many western movies. This underscored the success of the film as it influenced modern movies. Nowadays, there are many movies that are longer than the Great Train Tragedy where bandits rob valuables only for them to be killed in a shooting by the police (Dirks, n.d). The most popular movies in the world today resemble Porte’s film that in many ways presents the lavish lifestyle of characters to the violent nature and the attempts of struggling in different situations and their consequences.
The film has been accused to be a bad example in the modern generation especially among the teenagers. It features scenes that are full of immorality. The immorality ranges from sexual point to the aspect of robbery. In one of the scenes, viewers are suggested the situations where the sheriffs and their accomplices are engaging in a merry celebratory feast. Here, we encounter women dancing with dresses dropped to the knee level. The portrayal of sexual immorality where men drink in the company of half naked men, has continued to influence modern film industry (Haberski, 2007). The immorality of the film industry in America was transferred from the nickelodeons of the times of The Great Train Robbery to the halls of Hollywood. The movies coming out of the world largest film and movie centre in the world were a reflection of the nickelodeon films led by the ‘great train robbery’.
The film The Greatest Train Robbery has come under criticism for its unnatural acts in some scenes. For instance, when a character is shot in the film, he stands straight and waves his arm that does not appear natural. The other unnatural act is put in the limelight when one of the robbers beat the dummy in the pretext that it is a man. The scenes of the robber throwing the dummy out of the moving train rivals the over-acting aspect of deaths in the film.
Another critical review is provided by Jessica (2007). The Porters film is credited for being the first narrative document on how to execute a robbery. It is seen as coach to potential robbers on how to best execute a robbery. These fears have continued to be experienced even in the modern days where the movie industry is regarded as the most effective and widespread tool of encouraging the perpetuation of crimes. However, on a positive tool the film industry has evolved from the times of Porter, to become an effective media for positive participation in the civil society.
A critical review of The Great Train Robbery reveals a great contribution across the film industry. One of them was the aspect of editing which becomes a mainstay in the film industry for a long time. It is regarded as the onset of modern day documentaries. The modern day’s Porter is best represented by D.W. Griffith and Sergei Einstein. The former developed film rhetoric using consistent use of the flash back, deep focus, long shot and the pan shot. This was after making a major discovery on the effect of the films in the minds of the audiences. He laid much emphasis on the interplay between events which allowed the spectators to synthesis the events relayed on the screen. This is an extension of Porter’s way of making the films more narrative through moving images that are consistent. On the other hand, Einstein pioneered the montage technique which serves as a creation of sense of meaning and objectivity contained in the images themselves but is derived exclusively from juxtaposition (Silbey, 2007).
This movie would score poorly if judged by today’s standards of criticism. The length of the movie would be a massive shortfall. Some modern day commercials are the length of this movie. The fact that this type of criticism has not been applied on the movie makes it a classic. A lot of innovations have been accredited to the movie. There are numerous reasons for this movie to be talked about so highly. First, there existed no real critics at the time. The review of this movie has been done many years after the release. This means that the purpose of the movie could not be clearly identified. Secondly, the choice of characters can not be questioned. There existed no professional actors back in those days. Most of the people who acted in movies came from the public and would be volunteers.
Out of the famous artists who created in minimalist style, the name of Anne Truitt stands out as the proclamation of the outstanding power of art. Truitt’s paintings and sculptures are remarkable due to the choice of colors and techniques. The artist is well-known both in the US and abroad, and her exhibitions gather thousands of visitors. The work I chose to analyze is Knight’s Heritage (Truitt). With this sculpture, Truitt expresses the freedom of thought, exceptionable grace, and comforting warmth.
Knight’s Heritage is a wooden block-like sculpture painted with acrylic paints in three colors (see fig. 1). The crimson and yellow divisions are almost equal in width whereas the black division is narrower than the other two. Unlike the majority of minimalists who preferred using neutral tones in their works, Truitt used a more vivid palette that captured the attention of the viewers. With the help of colors, she tried to reflect the states of memory and mind, both the viewers’ and her own (Marzona 94). The variety of colors gave way to a variety of thoughts, allowing each person to see something different in each piece of art. As the majority of sculptures created during the minimalist period, Knight’s Heritage has a geometric shape scaled to the body of the viewers and placed on the floor directly and without any base. The piece was created in 1963 in the US (Truitt). The materials and techniques used by the artist make the piece look extremely impressive, and it is impossible to get rid of the feeling that there is something alive about it. The brushwork is readily apparent, and rather than distracting from the subject matter, it creates a feeling of coziness and the artist’s presence.
There is a low impasto whose function is to provide texture to the work. The piece of art is not integral to my perception of paintings or sculptures since it is rather big. The size of the sculpture is 60-3/8 x 60-3/8 x 12 inches (Harren). Being an especially large work, the sculpture made a profound impact on me as the viewer. I cannot describe this feeling as a negative one. Rather, it suggests some protection, comfort, and security. The sculpture as if invites people to approach it and view it from different angles and perspectives, and in each of the cases, it is possible to discover something new about it. Even the name of the piece of the art name is unique. While Truitt’s colleagues chose to leave their minimalist works untitled or numbered, she made hers more animated by naming them after places, things, or people (Marzona 94). The artist was sincere in each of her creations, be it sculptures, paintings, or written pieces. What makes Knight’s Heritage so memorable for me is the combination of a number of features that make it an exceptional work not only among other artists’ creative heritage but even in Truitt’s legacy. While there are many pieces presented at the exhibition that draws attention and provoke particular interest, Knight’s Heritage has some magic and magnetism that is impossible to explain. One is merely attracted to the piece and may spend many hours contemplating it and trying to reveal its secrets.
Fig. 1. Knight’s heritage (Truitt).
Not less important than the sculpture itself are the technical aspects employed by the artist while creating it. The straight lines and strict shapes signify the alteration in Truitt’s manner that resulted in leaving the referential style and moving to uncomplicated color combinations. This sculpture is more “an apartment block” than “a skyscraper” (Marzona 94). The shape and form of the piece are somehow unique, it being not quite square and not clearly rectangular. The colors are not too bright, but the combination of crimson, yellow, and black is rather pleasant and not garish at all.
The texture is represented via multiple layers of acrylic paint and visible brushstrokes. Truitt used such technology to make her wooden sculptures more realistic. There is no vivid focal area, but it is possible to say that the focus of the sculpture is in the middle color stripe because it is yellow and stands out from two other colors. The artist managed to create an illusion of three dimensions with the help of several techniques. First of all, the sculpture is big in size and can be observed from every side. Secondly, the use of multiple layers of paint makes it look not static. Thirdly, the brushstrokes also make the sculpture look more alive. Lastly, the choice of colors makes the viewers exposed to considering the piece of art as a multidimensional one. The composition is not dynamic and does not imply any movement. Rather, it is relaxing and stable. The choice of colors and geometric forms make it look calm and tranquilizing. Truitt challenges her audience to discover the breadth and depth of the work. Because it is minimal art, viewers are expected to guess the dimensions of the sculpture rather than be deceived by its simple forms.
The sculpture’s origin is the 1960s’ America. In that period, minimalism was one of the most popular trends in art, and Truitt was one of the brightest representatives of the style. Knight’s Heritage is one of the most famous creations of that period. As Truitt herself admitted, she loved “color in three dimensions, color set free to a point where, theoretically, the support should dissolve into pure color” (Marzona 94). Knight’s Heritage was not a single example of such artistic expression. Several other sculptures were created in a manner similar to Knight’s Heritage, such as Insurrection (1962), Flower (1969), Mid-Day (1972), and Spume (1972) (“Anne Truitt Exhibition”). Thus, the sculpture Knight’s Heritage is typical of the artist’s output. Apart from paintings and sculptures, Truitt was famous for her books in which she described her artistic life (“Anne Truitt”). The artist was dedicated to Washington, DC, where she worked alone independently from all her colleagues who preferred to stay in Los Angeles and New York (“Anne Truitt Exhibition”). Starting with 1069, Truitt established a unique collection of studio spaces in Cleveland Park, Dupont Circle, Georgetown, and Adams Morgan neighborhoods. Also, she spent three years in Tokyo where she lived and studied in the period between 1964 and 1967 (“Anne Truitt Exhibition”). Knight’s Heritage is one of the most recognizable works of the artist, and it is considered one of the preeminent pieces of minimal art created in the 1960s’ US.
The reason I chose this piece to talk about is that it has so much to tell while having so few details. The artist only used three colors and a simple form, but there is so much depth in that form and those colors. It is impossible merely to walk past Knight’s Heritage and not feel inclined to stop and think of its meaning. The longer I watched it, the more details I noticed, and the more meaning the piece of art revealed. The impression it made on me is difficult to explain in a short paragraph. First of all, it made me feel serene and comfortable. The colors are not too bright but, at the same time, they immediately draw attention. Different width of the stripes provokes to think about the artist’s choice and invites to imagine why the black part is narrower than the crimson and yellow ones. The texture of the sculpture is also quite intriguing. The brushstrokes that are visible if one looks closely enough to serve as proof of the artist’s presence in the museum as one is contemplating the exhibition.
Knight’s Heritage is undoubtedly not only one of the most famous works of Anne Truitt but also one of the greatest masterpieces of minimal art style. The artist’s preference to work alone far away from other representatives of minimalist art made it possible for her to gain outstanding popularity due to the sophisticated ideas expressed by simple forms. The choice of colors and size in Knight’s Heritage once again proves that the sculpture is aimed to evoke the freedom of expression, comfort, warmth, and grace. I thoroughly enjoyed my visit to the exhibition that gave me a lot of food for thought. Particularly, I cherished the opportunity to observe Anne Truitt’s Knight’s Heritage as one of the best pieces of minimalist art created in the 1960s’ America.
