Blood Diamond is a political war film which acquired its title from the diamonds mined in the African war torn areas. The starring in the movie is Leonardo DiCarprio. The movie also features Jenniffer Connelly and Djimon Hounsou. The movie is directed and produced by Edward Zwick.
There are many themes in the movie. The title introduces the main theme in the movie. From its title, it becomes clear that the diamonds mined in Africa are used to finance conflicts. The film ably depicts a conflict between the government soldiers and the rebels. The direct effect of the said conflict to the citizens is witnessed. Ordinary citizens are terrorized and forced to harvest diamonds by the rebels.
The most striking part of the film is portrayed when Solomon Vandy discovers a piece of diamond and hides it. His life changes from that moment. His family is taken away from him, and he is detained. His hope to see his family rests on his ability to locate where he buried the diamond.
His son becomes a child soldier under the command of Captain Poison. The movie indicates that the armed conflict in African states is funded by diamond companies. The lives of citizens in those countries are adversely disrupted by the conflicts.
In Blood Diamond, Solomons son becomes a child soldier hence missing a chance to get basic education. Poverty is evidenced which is aggravated by the endless conflicts. The movie shows the role played by developing countries in financing armed conflict in African countries.
How the book relates to the movie
The book, Bottom Billion by Paul Collier, directly relates to the events seen in the movie. The book focuses on the economic situations in Africa. Collier draws a distinction between the developing and the developed countries. The author argues that developing countries have experienced a growth while developing countries have been affected by poverty.
His book points out that developing countries have become poorer than they were in the previous years. In relation to the movie, Collier discusses the four traps that the developing countries face. He argues that natural resources in developing countries are used to facilitate conflicts.
Collier avers that developing countries experience distortions which target their natural resources. His research shows that armed conflict is a key economic impediment in developing countries. He vehemently denies the argument that conflicts in developing countries are caused by poverty.
According to him, civil war is a trap which hinders economic growth. He also examines the role played by natural resources in encouraging conflicts. He states that armed conflict is inevitable in developing countries. Collier argues that natural resources generate a lot of money, and developing countries under poverty traps are unable to manage the said income.
They use the proceeds of the resources to finance civil wars. This has been witnessed in the movie, Blood Diamonds. Collier observes that developed countries play a role in the said conflict. For economic reasons, poor governance has been encouraged by rich governments in exchange for natural resources.
Conclusion
The movie summarizes the causes and effects of armed conflict in African states. The role of mining companies in the said conflict is explained. Colliers arguments present four traps, which developing countries go through.
The said traps include poverty, poor governance and armed conflict. He observes that there are developed countries which finance and benefit from the armed conflict. The same arguments have been evidenced in the movie, Blood Diamonds.
Contemporary residential premises are characterized by enclosed structures. Housing architecture is replete with security features differentiating it from other forms of urban architecture. In addition, contemporary architecture pays attention to entrances, which are used to control outsiders access to the premises (Harvey 2005, 14).
The gated community and other issues in contemporary society elicit different reactions from different individuals. One such individual is director Rodrigo Pla. The director expresses his views regarding these developments through the film La Zona. The movie is a reflection of the gated community and other contemporary phenomena in Mexican cities.
The rate of crime in Mexican cities is high and a gated community is perceived to be the only solution to the problem (Mullings 2012, 421). The gated community phenomenon emerged in early 1970s. According to Caldeira (2007), a gated community is a residential premise that has its entrance strictly controlled to protect the insiders from the outside violence (p.17).
The author of this paper will provide a critical analysis of the movie La Zona with regard to the contemporary issues described above. The author will first provide a synopsis of the movie to give the reader an idea of what the movie is about. The illustration of the gated community and other contemporary issues in the movie will be critically analyzed.
A Critical Analysis of the Movie
Synopsis
La Zona is a depiction of events that took place in La Zona, a residential community. The movie illustrates the security measures taken by members of this residential community. In addition to the concrete wall surrounding the residential premises, barbed wires were used to increase security.
The residential premises are fitted with security cameras, which monitor the area for any suspicious activities (Judd 2009, 18). However, these extreme security measures were compromised one windy day. On this particular day, a billboard fell on the walls and demolished them.
The demolished walls exposed the gated community to the surrounding poverty-stricken community (Berman 2007, 29).
Three robbers from the slums took advantage of the security breach to rob residents of the La Zona community. Individuals from the surrounding community felt that the fortified homes contained valuable items, which they could steal. Members of the la Zona community felt that their properties are protected from members of the surrounding poor community (Susser 2009, 14).
Many anthropologists contend that gated communities negatively affect the whole community (Stack 2004, 24). Such scholars as Susser (2009) use the term enclave (p.14) to describe this phenomenon. The poor are separated from the others by fortified homes owned by the rich people. The segregation is based on the perception that the poor are a threat to the property and life of the rich people (Vincentia 2003, 41).
Under the direction of Rodrigo Pla, la Zona addressed various issues characterizing the social aspect of urban life across the world. Mexico is one of the countries in the world where gated communities are used to separate the rich people from the poor (Holston 2009, 51).
The segregation in the city is one of the reasons why Rodrigo used Mexico City to depict these contemporary phenomena in his movie. The various issues characterizing urban life are critically analyzed in subsequent sections of this paper.
A Critical Analysis of the Urban Issues Addressed in the Movie
Neo-Liberalism and Privatization
The surrounding slums are occupied by poor people struggling to make ends meet. The existence of the poor brings to fore an important aspect of contemporary urban life, which is neo-liberalism and privatization. The movement started in USA in the early 90s.
It later spread to other parts of the world (Wilsons 2007, 37). Most urban problems are brought about by neo-liberalism and privatization (Neckerman 2007, 49). Neo-liberalism holds that anything that is not privatized is unpromising (Caldeira 2007, p.91).
Such public utilities as education, healthcare, and security are privatized. In la Zona, neo-liberalism and privatization are vividly captured when the three robbers access the private premises. Two of them are killed and dumped into the city garbage truck. What this implies is that the poor are not protected by the law. On the contrary, the law appears to protect only the rich people (Caldeira 2006, 72).
In the 1980s, neo-liberalism policy in the US favored the rich people at the expense of the poor. 90% of the citizens lost a considerable amount of their income. At the same time, the income of the remaining 10% increased by more than 50%.
Inequality, which is closely related to neo-liberalism, has encroached into contemporary society. Inequality is clearly evident in the movie. Slum dwellers languish in poverty as the rich people continue to accumulate wealth (Marcuse 2011, 702).
The rich people are not aware of the problems faced by the poor. For instance, when the two thieves are killed, the police are bribed to drop the charges against the killers.
The rich people are only interested in their property and safety. The poor are left to take care of themselves. Inequality leads to job scarcity, which pushes the poor into crime (Dobriner 2008, 19).
The Rise of Homeowners Associations
As a result of insecurity, home owners associations have established communities favoring individuals from a particular socio-economic class in the society. In the movie, gates protect the rich people from the outside world. There is no interaction between the rich people and the poor.
The residents have to abide by the rules and regulations set by the associations. The segregation is illustrated in the film by a golf park from where the residents view the slums surrounding the secured premises (Caldeira 2007, p.95).
Rodrigo Pla uses characters to express grievances of the poor in the community. For instance, Alejandros family does not understand what made the three robbers to steal. They kill two of the thieves, leading to a heated argument between the family members. Alejandros father killed the two thieves with the help of a guard. The family does not agree with the action the father has taken (Caldeira 2007, p.99).
In the film, everyone needs to control the security of their home. For instance, panic buttons, cameras, as well as barbed wires are used for control. The homes reflect the situation in the third world countries where the rich people live in houses that are besieged by the slum dwellers (Saskia 2011, 21).
Gated Communities in Mexico
The rate of crime has increased in many Mexican cities. There is fear that the situation is getting out of control. Several options are proposed to address the situation. Gated communities appear to be the most preferred option compared to other proposed solutions. Members of the rich community are afraid of the outside world. They opt to fortify their premises to protect them from the increasing rate of crime (Marshalls 2005, 29).
Addressing the insecurity problem is difficult for the rich people. They believe that the only way out is to establish fortified residential premises (Saskia 2011, 31). The jail-like homes are equipped with sophisticated security features, such as panic buttons, uniformed guards, and surveillance cameras (Holston 2009, 42).
The phenomenon is vividly captured in La Zona. For instance, the collapsed walls made it possible for the three thieves to access la Zona. The gated community phenomenon poses several challenges to urban life in general (Sennett 2004, 59). The challenges are clearly captured in the movie.
Problems Arising from Gated Communities
Fragmentation
Fragmentation occurs when low earning individuals come together to reside in such cheap places as slums where social amenities are inadequate. New home owners opt to acquire a home within a gated community. Home owners associations have come up with such homes, which are targeted at individuals with a considerable amount of income.
The associations have nothing to offer the low income earners, which leads to fragmentation of public resources (Saskia 2011, 42). Such fragmentation is evident in la Zona. The rich people are separated from the poor.
Social Interaction
Social interaction is considerably low within the gated communities compared to the slums. In the film, one of the residents in La Zona accidently shoots a guard. The shooting indicates that members of the gated community are less concerned with the welfare of their neighbors compared to slum dwellers.
The guard was patrolling the premises to keep the intruders at bay (Marshalls 2005, 72). However, the situation in both the gated community and the slums is similar. Residents from both localities have violated the law.
The thieves trespassed on private property while the members of the gated community killed them. Members of the gated community behaved like the slum dwellers, indicating that both parties are the same. Their similarities are separated by a thick wall, as well as wealth and poverty.
Studies conducted in this field found that residents in gated communities would rather ask a guard to ask children to stop playing in the lawn than initiate the act themselves (Stack 2004, 81). Such findings show that members of the gated communities are afraid of other people within their own community (Marcuse 2011, 22).
The situation poses a challenge to the community given that whenever an issue arises, the members are unable to tackle it together. In the film, residents killed the thieves and bribed the police officers (Stack 2004, 81).
Policing the Gated Communities
Police officers patrolling the gated communities are meant to protect the interests of the residents. For instance, they have guns to intimidate robbers. Additionally, they have their own laws, which give them the freedom to do whatever they want. However, the safety of the perceived safe community was compromised when the perimeter wall collapsed in la Zona.
What this means is that the issue of insecurity can only be tackled effectively by bringing together all members of the community (Clark 2006, 28). The poor and the rich people should come together to address the issue (Certeau 2004, 24).
Conclusion
The author of the paper critically analyzed the film la Zona in relation to the gated community and other issues in contemporary urban society. The gated community is a threat to urban life with regard to safety and development.
Measures put in place to boost security cannot be fully relied on. As a result, urbanization should be accompanied by equality to prevent crime, which in most cases results from segregation.
Reference List
Berman, Marshall. All that is Solid Melts into Air. New York: Penguin Books, 2007.
Caldeira, Teresa. Building up Walls: The New Pattern of Spatial Segregation. International Social Science Journal 10, no 147 (2006): 55-59.
Caldeira, Teresa. City of Walls: Crime Segregation and Citizenship. Berkley: University of California Press, 2007.
Certeau, Michael. The Practice of Everyday Life. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2004.
Clark, Titus. The Painting of the Modern Man. Princeton. N.J.: Princeton University Press, 2006.
Dobriner, William. The Suburban Community. New York: Putmans Sons, 2008.
Harvey, David. Consciousness and the Urban Experience: Studies in History and Theory of Capitalist Urbanization. Baltimore: The John Hopkins University Press, 2005.
Holston, James. The Modernist City: An Anthropological Critique of Brasilia. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2009.
Judd, Dennis. The Rise of the New Walled Cities. London: Sage Publications, 2009.
Marcuse, Paul. Dial City: A Muddy Metaphor for Quartered City. International Journal of Urban and Regional Research 1, no. 13 (2011): 697-708.
Marshalls, Hulk. Citizenship and Social Class: In Class, Citizenship, and Social Development. New York: Doubleday, 2005.
Mullings, Benard. Investing in Public Housing and Racial Discrimination: Implications in the 1990s. Journal of the Urban Studies 3, no. 18 (2012): 415-25.
Neckerman, Kelvin. Poverty and Family Structure: The Widening Gap between Evidence and Public Policy Issues. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 2007.
Saskia, Sassen. The Global City. London: Princeton University Press, 2011.
Sennett, Richard. The Fall of Public Man: On the Social Psychology of Capitalism. New York: Vintage Books, 2004.
Stack, Caleb. All Our Kin. New York: Harper Torchbooks, 2004.
Susser, Irene. Norman Street: Poverty and Politics in the Urban Neighborhood. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2009.
Vincentia, Joan. Framing the Underclass: A Critique of Anthropology. American Journal of Urban Studies 13, no. 3 (2003): 215-231.
Wilsons, Wycliffe. The Truly Disadvantaged. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2007.
Effective narratorial voice causes readers to share in an experience and hence feel what the characters are supposed to feel. An essay, novel, short story or any other literary work is a way of embarking on a journey. The narrator must take readers on that journey with him or her.
It is never enough to recollect a series of events; the story teller must share how an occurrence changed, affected or strengthened a character. It is this quality that gives readers a sense of living the plot.
Three ways in which narratorial voice accomplishes this effect
Narrators can cause readers to live the plot by maintaining the right balance between crucial information and tedious details. Readers do not necessarily have to know the identity or background of the narrator. However, they need to be furnished with just the right amount of information to understand the plot.
Since audiences are unfamiliar with a narrators background, it essential to let them know about this information at the right time. For instance, in the story A family supper by Kazuo Ishiguro, one learns that the narrator had lost his mother, yet he knew about the cause of her death two years later (Ishiguro 167).
Readers can then decipher that the family supper mentioned in the title would be a tense and constrained one. It is then possible to relate to the effects of immigration between family members, as a theme in the novel. Through this careful placement of information in the novel, the narrator was able to convey information about the constrained relationship with his family.
Readers did not need to know about why Kazuo left Japan for the US as this was not essential to the story. The events of interest were his relationship with his family, and this took place after his mothers death. This narrator started with the issues that were pressing his family rather than the occurrences that led up to their loss. Using such an approach locks readers into the book because it dwells on consequential issues (Eakin 33).
A good narrator must refrain from overpowering or dominating the story at the expense of certain characters in the play; instead, one should combine characters experiences in an effortless and rich way. A good way of accomplishing this goal is through paragraphs that have varied subjects.
One such strategy is in the short story A man to send rain clouds by Marmon Silko. Before they wrapped the old man, Leon took a piece of string out of his pocket and tied a small gray feather in the old mans long white hair. Ken gave him paint. (Silko 65). The point of view in this narration is third person.
In one small paragraph, the narrator has talked about three characters that were essential to the story. However, instead of dominating the work through the narrators descriptions, the author opted to show the actions conducted by Ken and Leon rather than expounding on them.
For instance, instead of adding comments about why it was necessary to place a gray feather in the old mans hair, the narrator simply described what the characters did. This minimized the level of dominance that the storyteller would have added to the story.
Readers continue to follow the story because few unnecessary explanations from the third person narrator exist (Altman 19). This individual only states what needs to be said and allows readers to deduce the characters motivations.
Scene clarity is a priority in engaging readers through narratorial voice. Audiences should be able to see the image of a certain character, event or setting as the narrator describes it (Wyile 200). In essence, visualization of the storys plot must occur seamlessly throughout the story.
Some narrators achieve this by following a character as he or she gets into a scene and then describing what the narrator does in that circumstance. Alternatively, a storyteller may choose to give details of a conversation as it unfolds in a certain scene. Clarity is evident in the story A family supper. The narrator describes the family meal lucidly: What is it? Just fish. Its very good.
The three of us ate on in silence. Several minutes went by. Some more? Is there enough? Theres plenty for all of us. (Ishiguro 168). The storyteller gave a step by step description of what went on during the meal in order to convey his main theme. These short exchanges between the narrator, his father and sister demonstrated how each of them related to their father.
The fact that the conversation largely revolved around food also proves that there was a loose connection between these individuals. Readers can experience the sense of uneasiness, loss and uncertainty that these family members have around one another because every aspect of the conversation has been covered. Therefore an accurate and clear scene description is essential in engaging readers.
Conclusion
Effective narration works by providing the right balance of information to readers. Storytellers must not give too much away, but they should also share what is essential to the plot.
Additionally, effective narratorial voice is accomplished by merging different characters predicaments; unnecessary explanations by the narrator would delineate readers. Finally, an effective narrator can engage readers by explaining scenes clearly as this enables visualization and hence connection with readers.
Works Cited
Altman, Janet. Epistolarity: Approaches to Form. Columbus: Ohio State UP, 1992. Print
Eakin, John. How Our Lives Become Stories: Making Selves. Ithaca: Cornell UP, 1999. Print.
Kazuo, Ishiguro. A family supper. Esquire Nov. 1990: 167-169. Print.
Silko, Marmon. The man to send rainclouds. New Mexico Quarterly 1981: 65. Print.
Wyile, Andrea. Expanding the View of First-Person Narration. Childrens Literature 30.3 (1999): 185-202. Print.
Rubens was born in Siege, Germany, in 1577. He was a prominent baroque artist. He supported Baroque movement of arts and travelled popularize it around Europe. The purpose of this paper is to use visual skills to analyze the portrait of Marchesa Brigida Spinola Doria .
Analysis
The title of the painting is Marchesa Broginda Spinola Doria by Peter Paul Rubens. Although the exact date is not known, Rubens indicates that he finished this work in 1606 at the time he was working in Genoa. The portrait shows a young Marchesa Broginda Spinola Doria in her wedding gown at the age of 22, just after she married Giacomo Massimiliano Doria in 1605.
The extravagant Baroque style, to which Rubens belonged, was one of the most popular artistic movements in Europe in the 17th and 18th centuries. This is because it placed a lot of emphasis on color, movement and sensuality (Andersen, 2006). Although this portrait does not provide evidence of movement, it is easy to analyze it in terms of Baroque movement, with the reference to exaggerations in color, light, emotions and sensationalism (Buci-Glucksmann, 1994).
Like most popular paintings of the Baroque movement, Reubens Portrait of Marchesa Broginda Spinola Doria was developed using oil on canvas. From an analysis of the portrait, the viewer notes the gaze and the angle of architecture. This indicates that Rubens intended his audience to use a worms eye view.
According to the National Gallery of Arts, the painting was initially large and more imposing, but it was cut into a smaller frame sometimes in the 19th century (National Gallery of Arts, 2013). Brigidas pose is evidently static, with no evidence of movement. However, Rubens emphasized on the exaggerated light, which in this case, is successful in activating the pose.
In addition, some diagonal flow of red curtain behind Brigida provides a good way of activating the static pose. Moreover, it is worth noting how Reuben has used his skills in applying thin but fine brush. For instance, the slivery satin dress worn by Brigida as part of her attractive and seemingly expensive dress was developed using layers of almost translucent glazes.
In fact, to achieve this, Rubens highlighted it with thick and freely painted strokes of brush. It is clear that Rubens must have spent adequate amount of time in developing this portrait because it appears that he combined his bold style of painting with traditional style of focusing on details.
Emphasis on color is evident. Rubens has used both primary and secondary colors. The whitish-grey color of the dress, the bright-red curtain, the whitish brown color of the face, the red lips the black eyes of Brigida are the most eye-catching features of the portrait. Light and dark are also evident in the work. For instance, while exaggeration of light is evident on the particular details of the subject such as the face and the dress, the objects behind her are actually fading to give the subject ability to attract the viewers eye.
The symmetrical details of the portrait give the subject its dominance on the plane. Brigida occupies more than 80% of the portrait. The smooth texture of the dress other details shows the preciousness of the wedding gown, while the smooth texture of the face indicate the beauty with Brigida.
Reflection
I selected this portrait as an example of age-old portraits that still show the skills and talent of the ancient artists. In addition, it demonstrates the need for appraising Baroque as one style that contributed to the evolution of modern arts. It is clear that Rubens was attempting to show the beauty of women in Genoa and the need for cities and states to appreciate, respect and appreciate their women.
References
Andersen, L. (2006). Baroque and Rococo Art. New York: H. N. Abrams.
Buci-Glucksmann, N. (1994). Baroque Reason: The Aesthetics of Modernity. New York, NY: Sage
The review relates apparent production concepts and elements portrayed on the stage. It focuses on performance and principles of performers by looking at sounds, movements, and gestures. It also reviews styles of performance based on acting styles and performance as well as themes and production concepts.
The entire story of the Wild Bride emanates from the dance that creates the stage. The girl (Audrey Brisson) shows innocence as she jumps and embraces her father (Stuart Goodwin) and giggles. We can notice that the father loves her daughter. The daughter also loves her father.
However, we have a father tricked into trading his daughter to the Devil with devastating results. Stuart McLoughlin (the Devil) negotiates a business deal with the father of the Bride to sale the backyard with everything in it. The father did not realize that her daughter was there too.
As a result, she must escape from the Devils grip. The Devil realizes that the girls hands are too pure for him and asks the girls father to chop them off for him. However, the girl retains her purity in her soul. As a result, the girl cannot forgive her father, starts her adventure into woods, and turns into a wild woman.
We can follow the typical journey of the Bride from the wilderness to redemption. Emma Rice (Director) combines various elements of performance such as dance, music, design, and poetry. This results into a passionate theatrical creation that sways the audience through various performances such as horror, surprise, pathos, and comic actions.
The wild woman becomes the Bride after her encounter with the Prince in the woods. We can notice that the Kneehigh production has a well-executed and enthusiastic theater work. It asserts the role of humanity as we realize this through images and sounds on the stage.
Three different performers play the role of the woman at different ages (Audrey Brisson, Patrycja Kujawska, and Eva Magyar). We note the role of the song and dance in these transition processes. We can notice the pain, confusion, endurance, and the final transformation of the girl.
Every performance achieves an instant of appalling magnificence and insight. This tripartite performance gives unusual transformation and depth to the performance because we can see all the women embrace different ages of the daughter, including her future.
We recognize the piece of music from Ian Ross, Stuart Goodwin, and Stuart McLoughlin. The blue music acts as the center of the play. However, we can notice other styles, which show and emphasize the emotional appeal of the performance.
The Kneehigh production does not refer to the word cast, but it uses performer. This is an attempt to show various skills from different performers. We can also note that the work deviates from the confinement of the usual drama performances. The performance reflects Kneehigh styles of singing, dancing, performing, and playing music.
This seems to be the norm of Rices productions. We can recognize the enchanting voice of the girl from the music. One outstanding feature is also the use of musical instruments throughout, and the performers rarely leave the arena.
At this point, we can also observe the details of human transformation and pear tree and light bulbs on the stage, and the letter-writing cast involving the Devil. Bill Mitchell brings nature to the stage with a tree with a twisted ladder and branches. On the stage, we can observe a littered stage with twigs and leaves. We also notice how the girl is muddy.
The Wild Bride reflects a story told on the stage. It appeals to audiences imagination and sways viewers into a dream-like world. We can see how Rice portrays the initial performance in the drama. At this point, the Devil arrives and thrusts himself on the girl. We can see the transformation of the dark undertones and their effects on the innocent girl.
The director is able to create sinister acts and combine them with acts of comedians. However, we cannot realize this humor instantly. Instead, we have to experience the pain of the girl first and effects of the harsh weather on her. It reflects fairy tales, which emerge from folklores of the past.
The drama has sounds, sights, and stories that transform performances of the theater. The viewers never know what to expect from the performers because they assume different roles such as singing, dancing, and playing comedies and instruments. This creates constant delights and surprises among viewers.
Reflection: SF Mime Troupe
Commedia dellarte from Italy refers to Comedy of Profession. These are unwritten drama. They tend to focus on the way of performance instead of the theme of the drama. The play relied on chosen subjects and characters. The director named and determined their roles and relationships to one another together with scenes and acts. Performers must know their roles properly.
Stock characters achieve their goals because they have opportunities to change, heighten, and exaggerate scenes as their genius may allow them. Therefore, there is a need for constant surprises, clearness, and the use of wit, which come from the medieval period.
Stock characters have to find suitable words in order to arouse emotions of the audience. In addition, they also have to establish relations with their fellow performers. This requires characters to study their scenes thoroughly.
San Francisco Mime Troupe also uses stock characters in order to reach the audience with various messages. It also uses homilies and banal statements in story lines. We recognize the roles of stock characters in developing famous political satire. However, the general approach is mimicry. SF Mime Troupe also uses elements of American Melodrama. Stock characters must create fantasies, adopt exaggerated approaches with the strong story line in order to appeal to viewers.
However, the theme must present avowed observations. Stock characters focus on how America has achieved its status, which portrays fears, the growing power of religious bodies, and disenfranchised masses. Stock characters explore these issues by focusing on the government and corporate as in the God Fellas, 2006, Doing Good, 2007 and Making a Killing, 2007.
Stock characters appeal to viewers because of contemporary issues they explore. For instance, in 2008, they explored the issue of the global financial problem by playing the Red State. In this manner, stock characters can appeal to masses or the working class, who experience the greatest effects of economic troubles.
In some cases, the characters appeal to the audience to reclaim their nation because the government and corporate no longer care about them. Therefore, stock characters appeal to viewers by making extreme demands like making claims that the government should share the wealth of a nation with citizens who make that wealth.
Musique concrète is one of the types of electroacoustic music that unite instrumental sounds with natural ones, which are usually altered during recording processes. “Early musique concrète can be seen to belong to the world of radiophonic art, here without a sense of clear narrative normally associated with most radio plays.” (Landy 31) The father of this kind of music was Pierre Schaeffer, who presented his works at the end of the 1940s. The brightest representatives of musique concrète were such compositors as Pierre Henry, John Cage, Vladimir Ussachevsky, and Otto Luening. Their works and co-compositions are known to the whole world and make lost of listeners admire their creations.
In 1950, a radio engineer and writer, Pierre Schaeffer, and his friend, a classical composer, Pierre Henry, united their skills and mastery and created a wonderful Symphonie pour Un Home Seul (Symphony for One Man Alone). (Holmes, 2008, 45) In order to create this 12-movement work, the authors recorded human body’s sounds. They did not want to concentrate on the sounds of cello, which were so familiar to the listeners of those times. They made use of steps, voices, and noises, which were so inherent to humans. This work was a real futuristic ideology. It was not similar to any previous music work; such a choice was rather dangerous, but really justified. This co-composition was one of the most successful ones in the middle of 1900s.
Another representative of early musique concrète was John Milton Cage. This American composer, one of the pioneers of electronic music, turned out to be the most influential avant-garde musician. His originality, his marvelous ideas, his unique vision of music – this is what attract so many people to Cage’s works. One of his early tape-music pieces was Williams Mix. In order to create this work, Cage divided sounds into several categories: sounds of a city, electronic sounds, country sounds, sound produced by wind, manually produced sounds, and sounds, which require amplification. (Pritchett 90) His oddness made him a really significant figure in the world of musique concrète.
One more co-composition that deserves attention in early musique concrète is the co-work of Vladimir Ussachevsky and Otto Luening. In the middle of the 1950s, these two composers established the Columbia Tape Music Center, where started creating lots of collaborative pieces of works for magnetic tapes. They both preferred the manipulation of recorded sounds. They work with nonmusical and natural sounds in order to bring out some new resonances, which are so inherent to the world of voices and instruments. (Holmes, 2002, 106) Incantation for Tape Recorder is one of their famous collaborative compositions, created in 1953.
The unity of the aesthetics of these two great composers brought satisfactory results and made them popular to the world. They both used European traditions, and created music via tape-speed vibrations and filters. Ussachevsky’s darkness and Luening’s calmness were perfectly combined in Incantation; with the help of natural sounds, their music was much closer to listeners and allowed everyone feel a kind of unity with nature.
People prefer different styles of music. Those, who are fond of hard rock and heavy metal, will hardly comprehend the beauty of musique concrète and the works by Schaeffer, Henry, Cage, Ussachevsky, and Luening in particular. Unbelievable and unknown unity of natural sounds with electronic sounds made their works captivating and rather attractive. Nowadays, lots of people still admire such works, which help people be closer to nature.
Works Cited
Holmes, Thom. Electronic and Experimental Music: technology, Music, and Culture. Routledge, 2008.
Holmes, Thomas, B. Electronic and Experimental Music: Pioneers in Technology and Composition. Routledge, 2002.
Landy, Leigh. Understanding the Art of Sound Organization. MIT Press, 2007.
Pritchett, James. The Music of John Cage. Cambridge University Press, 1996.
Primarily, this art involves the utilization of lines to depict mostly two-dimensional medium. The art requires the draughtsman to have a number of tools or instruments, which are compulsory for completion of any work of art in this field.
This paper will discuss drawing lessons for beginners, with emphasis on the nature of material important in different drawings, amount of time required, and procedures that any draughtsman must use, for success in drawing ventures.
Lesson 1: How to Hold a Pencil
Any venture into this world of art begins with the handling of materials; mostly pencils, necessary for completing sketches. Depending on one’s preferred method of holding it, practically there is no method that the art recommends for use but rather, the mechanism of holding depends on individual preferences. It is important for all individuals to note that, use of forced holding methodologies can be disastrous, hence the importance of adopting a strategy that is the most comfortable.
One of the most ordinary methods of holding a pencil is the basic tripod grip. This is the commonly used methods by majority of individuals in their normal writing practices. The method requires individuals to position their fingers in a manner that will ensure the middle finger, thumb and forefinger form a shape, which almost resembles a triangle.
For achievement of such a shape, individuals must use their ring finger and pinkie to sustain the shape. The primary aim behind use of all these fingers is to ensure there is full management of the pencil orientation hence, ensuring achievement of required shading pattern using the tip.
In undertaking the entire exercise, because the hand will always rest on the same page one is using, it is advisable for one for one to use an extra piece of paper; a practice aimed at minimizing effects resulting from skin oils and stains. Sometimes, depending on the nature of hand movements involved; primarily the elbow, it is advisable for individuals to ensure they place their elbows on the border of the surface they are using. Another second common method is the extended tripod grip.
To some extent it uses the same idea as the basic tripod technique however, in this method individuals must elevate the positions of their pencils; a practice aimed at writing easiness. In addition, this method requires individuals to ease their holds, to ensure they achieve superlative outcomes.
The third practical method, which individuals can use, is the overhand grip. This method is the most appropriate in any sketching exercise. It primarily involves supporting of the pencil with fingers; primary the flat section of the thumb, whereby, the grip orientation depends on the hand proportions. In addition, this method works best, when individuals are using vertical surfaces, in sitting or standing positions hence, giving the hand some movement liberty.
Contrary to this, the underarm grip requires individuals to raise their thumbs a little bit higher whereby, the pencil rests on the palm, in the space existing between the thumb and index finger. Success in this first lesson requires a minimum of five minutes whereby, an individual has to have a pencil and some piece of papers for practice.
Lesson 2: Exploring Mark Marking
Regardless of the type of pencil owned by individuals, it is important for all individuals to explore the how different writing materials work. The primary method of ascertaining the working mechanisms of different drawing materials is mark marking. This method involves basic scribbling, with no intent of creating a meaningful drawing. Through such basic scribbling, draughtsman will build the required confidence in their resources.
Success in this undertaking requires an individual to take at least five minutes of their time whereby, they must have the writing material they want to test; charcoal or pencils, and some writing surfaces, which are mostly pieces of papers. The entire exercise involves simple scribbling using different grades of the writing materials, which one is intending to use.
Although it may sound like an easy exercise, it is important for all individuals to bear in mind that, success of this exercise depends on how serious individuals take their scribbling ventures. That is, whichever the orientation preferred, individuals should do the whole exercise with one goal in mind; to discover how different materials work. The most meaningful scribbling orientations that one can use include drawing of oval, wavy, light or heavy lines.
In addition, this involves varying the shading patterns; from light to dark ones, through scribbling varying marks and lightly erasing them. This is important in ascertain the most appropriate pencils for erasing with little smudges, materials with the best impressions, and which materials are appropriate in creating specific impressions.
In ensuring maximum learning from this lesson, individuals require a minimum of five minutes whereby, it is important for individuals to conduct a critical analysis of the quality of their scribbling, in terms of orderliness, gentleness, and neatness.
Lesson 3: Wire Drawing Lesson
After ascertaining the effectiveness of the working materials, individuals now can venture into the drawing exercise, whereby such exercises involves drawing with little significance on impression. The entire practice may require a time span of about fifteen to thirty minutes whereby, it is important for individuals to have materials such as a piece of wire (flexible one), some drawing surface; primarily pieces of paper, pencils, or pens, and some wire bending instruments for example, a pliers.
The main purpose behind using a flexible piece of wire is that, all obtained shapes from different wire twists are theoretical however, they are crucial in helping individuals learn to synchronize their eyes and hand.
To achieve good results, it is advisable for individual to avoid bending the wire into shapes that are common in nature but rather, they should embrace the concept of randomness in their shapes. In addition, there is need for individuals to try to form both two and three-dimensional shapes.
In three-dimensional shapes, the depth concept is very important; hence, to achieve this, individuals should use the lightweight concept of drawing. It is important to note here that, the primary aim behind this lesson, is achievement of desired shapes of wires hence, the individuals should lay little attention of the shadow effect, which may result.
On the other hand, in wire drawing, the concept of the realistic concept of drawings is of less significance but rather, what individuals should make sure is that, their lines are continuous and embrace the drawing relaxation concept. It is important for all individuals to avoid the use of uncertain strokes, because in most cases they make many drawings to have a bad look.
Lesson 4: Blind Contour Drawing
Although Wire drawing lesson is important in ensuring there is coordination between the eyes and hands, it achieves little as compared to blind contour drawing. This is because; this is a classic undertaking, aimed at ensuring individuals train appropriately their eyes and hands to coordinate in any drawing venture. The entire exercise requires a time span of about fifteen to sixty minutes whereby, it is compulsory for individuals to have some drawing materials for example, pieces of paper; A4 sketch paper and pens or pencils.
It primarily involves drawing of outline representations of various objects in mind, while avoiding staring at the drawing surface. It is important for individuals to note that, regardless of the nature of the outcomes, the main idea behind this lesson is individuals to develop the ability to synchronize ideas in their eyes and put them down using their free hand. That is, individuals must be able to look at the subject hence, draw what their eyes have observed.
Lines are very important in this level, whereby one should at least capture some concepts of the real objects in their drawings. In addition, for individuals to ensure they embrace the continuity concept in their drawings, it is important for them to minimize chances of lifting scribbling materials from drawing surfaces.
To obtain a perfect shape, individuals should draw simple shapes like their hands by making sure that their writing materials are at appropriate positions on the drawing surface. After ensuring that, they should look at the objects they want to draw, conceptualize them, and then commence sketching them, while avoiding staring at them.
As one draws, it is important for one to ensure they follow all the curves and bumps, something that is achievable by being keen on every available feature. After finishing this exercise, it is important for individuals to analyze their pictures, mark all the mistakes hence, try to repeat the same for accuracy purpose, using a variety of shapes.
Lesson 5: Pure Contour Drawing
This form of drawing also applies the concept of outline drawing; however, the method is advanced in that, it is necessary for the drawing to depict the visible ends of the object drawn. This form of drawing can utilize either pure lines or clean contours depending on the artist’s preference.
To achieve this lesson’s objectives, an individual will require a time span of almost thirty to forty five minutes; whereby, it is compulsory for individual to have important materials for example, pencils, erasers and some writing surface, preferably a piece of paper.
The primary goal of this form of drawing is to provide a vivid depiction of the edges of an item, in pictorial representation. Primary qualities, which most drawings of this form should have, include strength, easiness, and lucidity. To achieve this, it is advisable for individuals to limit their use of color, highlight, and shadow; primarily to achieve edge clarity.
In these drawings, individuals can represent edges in different forms for example, in plain forms; for edges with clear starting points and endings or in line-implied forms; in most edge bending or flattening out cases. The main aim behind these two forms is to help the picture observer to clearly see some concepts of form in pictures; a point that is achievable through consistence in representing identical bends. In addition, individuals can represent surface change over using either dotted or a series of broken lines.
On the other hand, in cases where individual do not want to use the two, they can use the line weight concept, which depends on the amount of energy used in pressing the pencil. Primary line forms for use include signatory lines; a feature that embraces the uniqueness concept, depending on an artist and calligraphic lines; a line feature that aims to express the thoughts.
Although a good a good drawing method, this method has limitations, which primarily depend on the features of an object. That is, most complex drawing will vividly give the required characteristics of an object, a feature that is rare in simple pictorial representations; more so in three-dimensional objects.
Lesson 6: Cross Contour Drawing
In addition to blind and pure drawing, there exist cross contour drawing, which encompasses both the concepts of value and line drawing. In addition, this method is very important in drawing of objects in three dimensions in that, it provides a mechanism of creating the three-dimensional effect.
To obtain the three-dimensional effect, artists must draw traverse lines on the form, which can be either horizontal or vertical. It is important for individuals to note that, the angular inclination of such lines varies, depending on the effects the artist wants to bring out hence, forming a pattern, which resembles the grid lines of a globe; but which are a little bit wavy.
The contours in this form of drawing have some linear characteristics whereby, through wrapping a specific form, these lines help in providing a three-dimensional form of an object.
For individuals to ensure they provide a mechanism of understanding the three dimensional concept of an object, it is important for them to show the direction of the contours; a fact that will aid the brain’s imaginative power, in interpreting the picture. In addition, it is important for individuals to note that, it is not necessary for these contours to have the mechanical property, but rather all they need is the ability of having the expressive effects on individuals.
On the other hand, it is important for individuals to ensure their drawings have the expressive power, which is crucial for understanding of the implied form.
One main application of this form of drawing is during hatching whereby, the artist may decide to cover the entire form with lines, or select a few sections to use them, in either a wavy or a straight manner.
This strategy is important even in scenarios where individuals prefer shading primarily because, correct use of contours can help to create a shade effect hence, creating the desired effects dimensionally. To achieve this, an individual requires almost thirty to forty five minutes whereby, it is necessary for one to have an item to sketch, a drawing surface, a pencil, and an eraser.
“Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it”. – George Santayana
This statement cannot be refuted. People should know their history in order to have the future. A great role in understanding one’s history is played by historical exhibitions. They can be especially helpful for young people who will be able not only to read about some historical events, but to see some pictures of those distant years.
hus, the exhibition “Chicago: Crossroads of America” at the Chicago History Museum provides people with a great opportunity to find out something new in the history of this great city and too see the artifacts which reflect some peculiarities of Chicago story and represent a part of American culture.
This exhibition embraces the entire history of Chicago. Of course, it points out the most significant eras of this city which made it well-known worldwide. As far as I am concerned the most fascinating and ambiguous part of Chicago history was the era of jazz and gangsters. Many books reveal the years of gangsters revealing different figures and some pictures, but it is impossible to feel that atmosphere reading a book.
However, in the “Chicago Jazz and Blues club” the visitor becomes a kind of part of those years. When I was there I immediately started thinking about gangsters and Prohibition. When I saw “copper still and bucket for making alcohol” I was a bit surprised how easy gangsters could create the drinks and, of course, money.
I would not say that this is the most significant artifact at the entire exhibition, but it is definitely interesting since it is impossible to imagine this apparatus (and evaluate people inventiveness) if you are reading about it in the book, and even if you see the picture. It is necessary to add that this artifact is the part of Chicago history since the 20-30 was “the jazz era” which was “accompanied by prohibition” (Lewis 436). Thus, this part of exhibition is the reflection of a definite period of time.
However, the most significant artifact which reflects not only the history of Chicago, but the whole spirit of this city is, to my mind, the Pioneer locomotive. This great construction symbolizes the rapid development of the city and its continuous progress. Of course, now there are many machines which are faster and more progressive. However, this “old” locomotive seems a great the great guard of the past and the future of the city.
As Hudson stated (precisely and gracefully) that the railroads “completed the work which nature had begun of making Chicago the great central mart of the continent” (Hudson 27). This locomotive is embodiment of this supremacy. In my opinion, the Pioneer is a symbol of the eternal development of humanity. People will never stop moving forward on the powerful locomotive of progress. Thus, The Pioneer can be not only an example of the city of Chicago development, but it is the reflection of the whole humanity.
Thus, after visiting the exhibition “Chicago: Crossroads of America” at the Chicago History Museum” I found out more about the history of this great city. In particular, I saw the embodiment of the Chicago development, the Pioneer locomotive and was able to see with my own eyes the device which reflects the era of gangsters and jazz, a device for making alcohol. To my mind, such comprehensive and exciting insight made me understand some historic events better which only proves that exhibitions made the visitors feel the necessary atmosphere and plunge into some era becoming a part of it.
Works Cited
Hudson, Harper. Chicago, a History and Forecast. Charleston, SC: BiblioBazaar, LLC, 2009.
Lewis, Lloyd. Chicago – The History of Its Reputation. New York: READ BOOKS, 2007.
Leon Golub lived between 1922 and 2004. He was a well known American painter whose paintings and portraits depicted and exposed historical events in Africa and Central America. His paintings were in form of narratives which vividly captured events happening in the real world. The paintings mainly expressed realities of power in terms of the relations between social and political spheres.
Most of his portraits were largely featured in the daily newspapers as well as weekly magazines. His paintings were inspired by major faces of individuals whose names were featured in daily news and events.
With the help of his paintings, Golub argued that the relationship between identity and masculinity with power and dominance is a direct one (The Irish museum of modern art para.1). In the 1980s, Golub created a Mercenaries Series which portrayed major historical conflicts in power and leadership.
This essay entails an analysis of personal views on museum curators exhibited Leon Golub: Historical witness. In addition, essay takes into consideration the mercenaries series in an effort to explore Golub response to the crisis which occurred in Central America and Africa in 1980s.
Discussion
Golub’s approach to paintings is almost real. Having witnessed the Second World War, his paintings carry with them a historical narration. Bird (16) considers work of art from a classical point of view. He argues that past experiences influence a work of art.
Golub’s paintings clearly depict past experiences through conflicts and manly aggression which are compelled in his images. As a historic artist and painter, Golub is intensely alert of the past history to his own descriptions and symbolism (The Irish museum of modern art para.3).
Museum curators are selected in Golub’s paintings for exhibition because of their significance throughout history. The paintings are chronologically organized in a special way such that they can be traced to a single point in time making them suitable for the archives.
Considering the fact that most of his work revolves around political power along with the habitual exploitation of power through brutality, Golub is able to portray the tyranny and lust for power that took place in the period of neo-colonialism. This is mainly attained via consideration of African history.
His paintings were not portrayed as a secluded inhuman phenomenon but rather as an expression of well thought-out, frequently state-sponsored, repression and violence (The Irish museum of modern art para.5). In his series of Vietnam and mercenaries, the contrast in relationship between black and white soldiers is clearly illustrated. It depicts the racial discrimination that took during the civil in the United States.
Conclusion
The Mercenary Series have had a major significance to the history of the political systems of Africa and Central America at large. Golub’s contribution through artistic paintings provides viable information towards the chronological development of politics in the two continents over the years.
Currently, numerous traditional references ranging from the early artistic work resurface throughout paintings of modern days. Other themes which are still prevailing relate to power, position of man in society and mortality. This means that Leon Golub still remains a model in contemporary society in terms of creating a history through painting as well as painting people who feature in the news and events by vividly describing the relationship that exists between them and their political roles.
Works Cited
Bird, John. Leon Golub: Echoes of the real. London: Reaktion Books Ltd, 2001. Print.
The Irish Museum of Modern Art. Leon Golub exhibition at the Irish museum of modern art. 2000. Web.
Every time art movements replace each other, a new, “fresh” tendency rebuts and refutes the old one with enthusiasm and categoricity. However, there is hardly any movement in the history of art that demonstrated as strong aspiration for destroying the “old” and bring the “new” as Futurism.
Having emerged in the early 20th century, Futurism absorbed the tense and contradictive spirit hovering in the air of progressive Western European capitals. One of the first artistic personalities who managed to grasp this spirit was Filippo Tommaso Emilio Marinetti, an Italian poet who is today considered one of the “fathers” of Futurism.
In his Futurist Manifesto published in 1909 in Paris (Marinetti 1909), Marinetti formulated the essence and the purpose of the Futurist movement and thus outlined the “ethical code” of a New Artist, a Futurist. Playing on the contrast of new and old, courage and cowardice, a human and nature, freedom and captivity, Marinetti not only expressed the spirit of his epoch, but also gave direction to it.
The contrast of “old” and “new” is the core of the Futurist movement. The term “Futurism” itself carries a certain paradox: on the one hand, its name includes the allusion to the future; on the other hand, this term was used in the beginning of the 20th century to denote not the art of the “future”, but the art of “today”.
Probably, this paradox was the issue that pleased Futurist poets and artists of that time who had opportunity to claim that they had overthrown the past and overstepped the present. We may notice this when familiarizing ourselves with numerous works of visual art, cinema, literature, music and architecture of that period.
Futurists do not mourn over the glory of antiquity or Renaissance; they look at the world around them with excitement: cars, airplanes, huge buildings constructed of concrete and glass become the objects of panegyric and poetical description. Thus, together with the contrast “old/new”, Futurists create the contrast of “human” and “nature” where a human is in the superior position. Instead of admiring the scenery with a bird flying in the sky, a human of the new epoch soars with his metal wings.
This message and this rhetoric take their origin in Futurist Manifesto. “Why should we look back, when what we want is to break down the mysterious doors of the Impossible: Time and Space died yesterday”, says Marinetti (1909), and a reader may even imagine the passion and enthusiasm put by the author in his words.
Marinetti outlines the new notion of beauty that has come to replace its old “version”, “…the world’s magnificence has been enriched by a new beauty: the beauty of speed” (ibid.); he says, it is time to free Italy from the heritage of the past that burdens it, from those “professors, archaeologists, ciceroni and antiquarians” (ibid.).
Marinetti is against stagnation, stability and tradition, but for a breakthrough, experiment and innovation. Thus, a modern person cannot enjoy the beauty “preserved” in museums; the beauty of a “roaring car” is more comprehensive and dear to a human of the beginning of the 20th century.
This is what we can see in the Futurists’ paintings: experiments with textures, techniques and shapes help to express the spirit of the time and thus help the “new” overthrow the “old” and “ascend the throne”. Painters try to depict speed and energy, light and sound; composition seems not harmonious and well-balanced, but unsteady, disturbing.
Particularly, we may allude to the paintings by Umberto Boccioni, Marinetti’s compatriot and “confederate” in the artistic movement. Boccioni’s The Street Enters the House (1911) is the bright illustration for the statements of Marinetti’s Futurist Manifesto: the author depicts speed, energy and noise my means of colors, composition and numerous details, blurring and overlapping.
Futurist poets tend to experiment with a word, a sound, a sentence. Their desire is to break the rules that exist in the traditional, “ordinary” language. Below, the fragment of Marinetti’s poem Aeropoem for Agello: 700 Km an Hour (1939) illustrates these tendencies (in Bohn 2005, 14):
Suddenly far from the earthly feminine tic-toc Agello Castoldi and I gulp down the beautiful misty lake at 200-300 metres triumphantly joining those illustrious fliers who have flown 700 kilometres an hour Uuuaaaa Uuuuaaaaa Uuaaaaaaaa
However, in Futurist Manifest, the notion of the new beauty is inseparable from the notion of struggle, “Except in struggle, there is no more beauty” (ibid.).
Marinetti operates one more contrast: “freedom” versus “slavery”; freedom should be brought to the society, which implies to overcome “every opportunistic or utilitarian cowardice” (ibid.), and to art where the museums, libraries and other “vestiges of the past” should be destroyed (ibid.). To free the society from the state of sleep and constraint, Futurists need to come with courage and violence.
“Art, in fact, can be nothing but violence, cruelty, and injustice”, say Marinetti (ibid.). This spirit was impregnated Futurist works of literature and art. The above mentioned painting by Boccioni “radiates” the energy of riot, anxiety, violence, penetration and destruction. In Luigi Russolo’s paintings, we may also see violence and aggression (for example, Impressions of Bombardment (Shrapnels and Grenades), 1926).
Not accidentally, Futurism is to some extent considered one of the forerunners of Fascism. Promotion of changes brought by means of destruction and violence is neighboring with nationalism. Yet in Futurist Manifesto, we see the nationalistic tint in the author’s narration, “It is from Italy that we launch through the world this violently upsetting incendiary manifesto of ours… For too long has Italy been a dealer in second-hand clothes” (Marinetti, 1909).
Thus, besides seeing Futurism as a solid, integrated movement in art, we also may notice its connection with the tendencies that existed in politics and society of that time. The ideas declared in Futurist Manifesto found their development during the next decades and had crucial impact on the history of the mankind. We see one more illustration of how art and the real life are always connected.
References
Boccioni, Umberto. The Street Enters the House. 1911. Sprengel-Museum, Hannover.
Bohn, Willard. 2005. Italian Futurist Poetry: Edited and Translated by Willard Bohn. Toronto: University of Toronto Press.
Marinetti, Filippo T. 1909. Futurist Manifesto. Le Figaro 20 February 1909. CSCS.Umich.Edu. Web.
Russolo, Luigi. Impressions of Bombardment (Shrapnels and Grenades). 1926. Collection of the Comune di Portogruaro.