PlanetPapers.com RSS Feedhttps://www.planetpapers.com/ xsmb truc tiep 2015-10-19T03:51:15.827-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/xsmb-truc-tiep-6946.aspx SWTOR endgame can be a dissatisfaction Enables acquire straight down to the level, as soon as you struck stage 50 the sport will get uninteresting. To help keep the sport intriguing there exists a handful of actions you can take. Firstly re-roll using a fresh persona, this implies pick a fresh persona and also replay the complete account. Subsequent, take part in PVP, although there is certainly available planet pvp the much less well-known azines the particular warzones. I would recommend an individual follow the particular warzones since the more pleasurable as compared to available planet pvp. End every one of the PVE tasks and acquire additional money. There is certainly many PVE part pursuit which can be avaliable and definately will retain an individual active to get a excellent although. One more action to take is always to work tough central flashpoints and also functions, the far better carry out these kinds of using a party or perhaps it is possible to become a member of any guild. Yet when you have moment on your own palms it is possible to loaf around the particular fast and also test piecing together friends, that may take the time yet surpasses signing up for any guild. You then nonetheless hold the area tasks still left to accomplish which usually inturn an individual help make even more funds, yet also these kinds of vision will get uninteresting as soon as you carry out these adequate instances. Now the receives quite tough to think about what direction to go, apart from mincing and also making. To help keep an individual active it is possible to create and also promote things on the GTN. One thing imaginative to accomplish will be demand fresh participants being right now there physique shield: ) Last but not least check out the instructor and acquire the ultimate expertise! A great action to take is always to understand the advanced making recipies a great invert manufacture these, in the event you by no means experimented with in which the constantly a great action to take. Ultimately it is possible to help you fresh participants and also wander these from the tasks asking these funds to suit your needs aid, I assume this kind of isint the maximum amount of entertaining nonetheless it gets rid of moment additionally you obtain breaks. Nonetheless, due to the fact there exists a lots of articles supplied through the video game it will acquire an individual concerning four 2012-08-30T03:17:21.757-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/SWTOR-endgame-can-be-a-dissatisfaction-6839.aspx Scholarships for College Scholarships for College: Way to Fulfill your College Tuitions As we know Scholarships for College could help everyone to fulfill their college tuitions. Nowadays we do realize that the price of education is always increases. The amount of money we need to get education is getting higher. You of course will get confuse how to fulfill your college tuitions and also your need during the school. Some of you will consider asking money from your parents, but is that will satisfy you. As you know that you are getting bigger and want to be independent. The best way to do that is got scholarship. With scholarship you could able to maintain your time. This is a great option than have side job where you will only have little time for you. Scholarships for College: Take the Advantages for Your Needs. Scholarships for College could help you who need fund support for your college needs. When you came from background of limited financial resources getting scholarship will be fit to fulfill your school needs. Scholarship will also help you to be independent and learn to organize all what you need. Since college you have to keep in your mind how to arrange money for your need and for your school. Some of requirement to get scholarship is your mark. You have to maintain and keep your mark in good scale to keep your scholarship. Scholarships for College are also available for those who complete their two semester. Scholarships for College Sophomores give the chance for students to get help for their college funding. College sophomore students have completed their first degree and now which major will they take. This is a great opportunity to get scholarship because you have one that that could be used to be extra points to get scholarship. Scholarships for College: Funds Offered by Your State. A lot of state offers Scholarships for College to help students with limited financial but have great capabilities. Scholarships for College Students in NC could be a good example for this. North Carolina have created agency to promote higher education, College Foundation of North Carolina (CNFC). This agency helps the students to get scholarship that will help them. Some of the qualifications are residents of North Carolina, qualified, and fit with other criteria. Don’t let the chance to continue your study ended because of limited fund that you have. You should be creative to 2012-06-20T09:08:50.387-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Scholarships-for-College-6819.aspx ART, What is it?? What is Art? The question itself is like a mystery wrapped inside an enigma. This very same topic has been on the minds of the mahachon party and also a topic for debate for centuries together. Just what exactly is art? What a question! Unveiling the mystery I would like to pen the most significant points mentioned by the prominent personalities, historians and also include my own perception of it. It is a form of expression. It is beautiful, ugly, tasteful, distasteful, impressionistic, realistic....and a plethora of adjectives and eloquence. Art is everywhere. It lives in the soul, mind, and even the heart. Art is an outlet for people to express themselves. Art is a way for the human mind to express itself. Even a loud, outgoing person has feelings that they do not feel comfortable sharing with people. These expressions often come out through their art. What is classified as art? Besides the obvious…paintings, drawings, architecture, etc…Art can be dancing, singing, acting, etc. It can be pretty much anything that expresses an idea. Even something as common as speech is art. Everyone speaks with a different voice, and each voice is a piece of art. Art surrounds us. It is encountered so often that often we don’t realize art when we see it. All too often we ignore art. We overlook the ideas and thoughts behind it. Anyone can look at a painting and say “Wow! That’s beautiful!” How many of us can actually stop and say “Wow! Now I understand!” Art is around to teach us. We can learn so much about ourselves and the world around us. Many times we create art without a conscious reason. We believe that we are just making a pretty picture. Usually we are expressing a subconscious idea. If take the time to actually analyze and critique our artwork we could possibly find out something about ourselves. Often, we use art to express some repressed feelings. Everyone has some feeling or thought that they wish to express but they are afraid. Art is seen as a window of opportunity for these people. They can express what has been on their mind without the worry of embarrassment. Even if a person does confront them about the meaning of the art, they can create a fictional story if they are still afraid. Even people who have feelings that are not repressed use art to express themselves. These people may 2007-02-14T11:25:21-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/ART,-What-is-it-6697.aspx Understand Eminem why are these jealous fucks complaining about the things that eminem spits on a record? could it be that they have a depressing life and cant relate to Em with their own problems? hmmm maybe...or maybe its because they know that Em always has something to say back to the assholes who try to strip him of his talent. "i dunno"...Boring memories you say?..what about when you're in your bed late at night when your kids (if you have any) are in their beds and you're remembering all of your depressing and meaningless memories? how are eminems memories any more boring than yours? At least his have some meaning. maybe if you listen to his lyrics and really try to comprehend on what the fuck he is sayin, you might just get an idea that its not just himself that he is singing/rapping for, but as well as the youth out there that are having a rough life similar to his. maybe you just dont understand what its like to grow up broke, with hardly any REAL family or loyal friends. maybe your just mad that eminem has an imagination, channels it, and uses it to provide all the essentials needed for his daughter. all shit set aside...what if you were in his shoes, and in his neighborhood....imagine with me...you’re broke, depressed, white man in a black neighborhood, twisted mother who is suppose to be there for you through every step of your harsh long life---later on you’re blessed with a daughter as well as a talent that you know you have but it seems to you that no one cares because they’re all a bunch of racist motherfuckers. Did you imagine that? No I bet you didn’t because you don’t care to listen. You think that your great because you disrespected the only man out there who has the balls enough to show everyone else how the world is. Yes, eminem does talk about bitches, drugs, violence, and insane thoughts. But if you listen very closely then you will see that he is saying NOT to do any of this. He is showing the people out there how stupid it is to do the shit that he did/or thought of. Bottom line eminem is the greatest MC out there…right now. There are many legends that eminem was both friends with and inspired by. Don’t try to strip eminem of 2006-10-18T17:53:23-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Understand-Eminem-6609.aspx persuasion essay Title - Elements of the Short Story By - Melanie Marchand Primary Subject - Language Arts Secondary Subjects - Language Arts Grade Level - 11-12 The Elements of the Short Story - Lesson 1 Short Story Unit Contents: • Short Story Unit Overview • Lesson 1 - Elements of the Short Story • Lesson 2 - A Ghost Story • Lesson 3 - Modern Fear and Suspense • Lesson 4 - Shirley Jackson's The Lottery • Lesson 5 - The Most Dangerous Game • Lesson 6 - Conclusion • Culminating Activity Purpose ~ This lesson is the first of several which will introduce and explore the short story. The purpose of this lesson will be to introduce the short story to students, by exploring what a short story is, and what the elements are that makes it a distinct genre. Objectives ~ Upon completion of this lesson students will have: 1. Discussed and demonstrated what the definition of the short story is, and its elements; 2. Established working definitions of the elements in a short story; 3. Discussed a well known fairy tale, and applied each of the elements to it; 4. Written a quiz about the elements of the short story. Activities and Procedures ~ 1. Ask the class to begin by giving some examples of what they believe to be short stories, ask them to back up their choice with what makes it a short story. 2. As a class brainstorm characteristics that define a short story, i.e. length (words), number of characters, time span, well-defined plot, etc. From this ask the class to then come up with a working definition of the short story, the short story is a piece of prose fiction, usually under 10,000, which can be read in one sitting (handout given by Michelle Forrest). 3. Next ask the students to further examine the uniqueness of the short story by listening to the children's story "The Three Little Pigs". Read aloud to class, and then ask them to point out any techniques or approaches that they see in this story, i.e. the title, introduction, characters, setting, plot, rising action, crisis, climax, conclusion. Introduce any of the above that are mentioned and include the rest as the elements of the short story. Pass out the handout Elements of Short Stories Notes, which can be found at: http://www.wathena406.k12.ks.us/clarkson/Lesson%20Plans/elemshrtstrynotes.htm 4. As a class read and discuss the elements of the short story, pay close attention to an applying the elements to "The Three Little Pigs" story. 5. Announce that there will be a quiz on 2006-07-28T23:54:39-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/persuasion-essay-6560.aspx Free Jazz: The Jazz Revolution of the '60s REVISED AND EXPANDED HERE, THIS PIECE ORIGINATED AS AN "ORAL ESSAY" FOR THE COSMOETICA OMNIVERSICA INTERVIEW SERIES More or less officially unveiled with the first New York appearance of the Ornette Coleman Quartet at the Five Spot Café in the fall of 1959, free jazz (or new black music, space music, new thing, anti-jazz or abstract jazz as it would variously be labeled), gave new dimension to the perennial "where's the melody?" complaint against jazz. For most of the uninitiated, what the Coleman group presented on its opening night was in fact sheer cacophony. Four musicians (a saxophonist, trumpeter, bassist and drummer) abruptly began to play—with an apoplectic intensity and at a bone-rattling volume—four simultaneous solos that had no perceptible shared references or point of departure. Even unto themselves the solos, to the extent that they could be isolated as such in the density of sound that was being produced, were without any fixed melodic or rhythmic structure. Consisting, by turns, of short, jagged bursts and long meandering lines unmindful of bar divisions and chorus measures they were, moreover, laced with squeaks, squeals, bleats and strident honks. A number ended and another began—or was it the same one again? How were you to tell? No. No way this madness could possibly have a method. But umbilically connected to the emergent black cultural nationalism movement, the madness did indeed have a method. The avowed objective of the dramatic innovations that musicians like Ornette, Cecil Taylor—and, in their footsteps, Sunny Murray, Andrew Cyrille, Archie Shepp, Bill Dixon, Albert Ayler, Jimmy Lyons, Eric Dolphy and (the later period) John Coltrane, among hundreds of others—initiated and practiced from the late '50s into the early '70s, was to restore black music to its original identity as a medium of spiritual utility. When these men abandoned an adherence to chord progressions, the 32-bar song form, the fixed beat and the soloist/accompanist format, and began to employ, among other things, simultaneous improvisations, fragmented tempos and voice-like timbres, they were very deliberately replacing, with ancient black methodologies, those Western concepts and systems that had, by their lights, worked to subvert and reduce black music in America to either a pop music or (for many of them no less a corruption of what black music was supposed to be) an art form. Alan Silva, a one-time bassist with Cecil Taylor and then the leader of his own thirteen-piece orchestra, made the point 2006-02-05T05:23:05-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Free-Jazz-The-Jazz-Revolution-of-the-60s-6396.aspx 'Wish you were here' - Pink Floyd A glass half full is a glass half empty. Ironic as it is, everything in this world exists with its converse apparently giving us, humans, to form our own unique perspectives of the same, few things of this small world. This however leads to the intricate aspects of circumstances at times, as some things or even some people may not be understood as they ‘should have been.’ Adding controversy to confusion, there is no definite way to perceive anything that one may follow. It is interesting to know, therefore, that we mostly depend on our experience to make sense out of almost everything. Hence to err is human and err, we shall. Pink Floyd is one of the bands that interest me. Their song ‘Wish you were here’ brings to light the same duality that characterises everything that can be named. The song is straightforward lyrically and yet challenges its very own claims making it deceivingly complicated. Roger Waters asks a couple of questions that mock the world over its conviction about right and wrong when there is hardly anything at all that is as clear as black and white. “Can you tell a green field from a cold steel rail? A smile from a veil?” The beauty of poetry, as illustrated, makes the obvious and the banal, worth more than just a glance. Similarly, it is far from being uncommon, that every second person carries a private world within him or herself, unknown to the world outside. Just like the ‘smile that may veil’ whatever the heart feels, it is more of a trick question asked by the vocalist demanding his audience to differentiate between the two. Nevertheless, it is clear that the singer himself knows that it isn’t possible to answer his own question. Conclusively, the song reminds us to rethink our points of view, especially when we think we know. Despite putting the listeners in a dilemma of doubt, making them uncertain about their own assumptions, the singer expresses contrary opinion towards the end. Rather than being insecure, the song illustrates to reject the baffled judgment of one’s mind and revert to a simpler, satisfying attitude towards life. Referring to the words of Roger himself: “Running over the same old ground, what have you found? The same old fears . . .” According to him, we ‘waste’ the precious time of our lives confirming our suspicions and in general search for 2006-02-03T15:35:34-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/-Wish-you-were-here-Pink-Floyd-6395.aspx No Hidden Meaning Here The Beatles were one of the top bands in the sixties with over two hundred songs recorded (Artist Facts: The Beatles). Many Beatles songs were said to have a hidden meaning, often thought to be referring to drugs like LSD, such as in the songs “Help” and “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds”. A few other songs like “I Am a Walrus,” “I Call Your Name,” “If I Fell,” “I Am a Loser,” “I’m So Tired,” and many more, are said to have a second meaning as well (Cross). One particular song that is debatable as to whether there is hidden meaning to the song is entitled “For No One;” written by Paul McCartney, for The Beatles’ Revolver Album (Song Facts: For No One). There are those who feel that there is a hidden meaning to the song other than a broken relationship, and then there are those who feel that this song has no hidden meaning, it simply is a poetically written break-up song. When one really listens to the words of this song ones first thoughts are that it is a song about lost love; well that is because it is. The line “Your day breaks. Your mind aches,” is the first line of the song and here McCartney is saying that an unknown man’s first thoughts of the day go to the unknown woman; she is thought about so much that it makes the head hurt. The line “You find that all the words of kindness linger on, when she no longer needs you,” is simply saying that this man has only good thoughts and feelings toward this woman, but she doesn’t feel the same way for the man. These lines, though artfully composed, have a straight forward meaning. Then next lines switch over to the woman’s perspective, “She wakes up, she makes up, she takes her time and doesn’t feel she has to hurry.” These lines are saying that when this woman wakes up she nonchalantly goes about her morning routine, with no thought of the man. “She no longer needs you,” simply restates what was previously said, that this woman does not have the same feelings for this man, as the man does for her. These lines, as well, are very straight forward, with no alter-meaning. The lines that make up the refrain, “And in her eyes you 2006-01-31T17:43:44-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/No-Hidden-Meaning-Here-6389.aspx The Bath: Mary Cassatt Mary Cassatt The Bath, 1892 Oil on Canvas, 39 x 26” The Art Institute of Chicago Mary Cassatt’s masterpiece, The Bath, is a profound representation of a very tender and intimate moment shared between a mother and child; of nurturing care and innocent trust. Romanticizing maternity with purity and honesty, the artist depicts the mother engaged in the act of bathing her child in a white, purple rimmed basin. The two are seated on the floor with the child held in the lap of her mother. The picture’s elevated vantage point pitches forward the planes, allowing the viewer to observe, but not participate in, the scene, thereby adding force to the complete absorption of the mother with child, of their interlocking gestures, of their focus on each other and the task at hand (May). The woman looks down toward the basin, in which she places the child’s right foot. Her gestures are fully natural and routine, but they also communicate her tender concern for the child’s well being. The child’s other foot rests nonchalantly in the basin. The child gazes downward intently, absorbed in the action of her mother, she is quiet and calm, assured in an embrace of maternal care and competence (Getlein). The child wears a white towel, wrapped around her waste, beyond which she is naked. The solid patterning of the mother’s dress contrasts with the little girl’s vulnerable nudity. The wide stripes of the dress, in lavender, green, and white dominate the whole center area of the composition; playing against the little girl’s pastel body and standing out from the dimmer tones of the carpet below, wallpaper to the picture’s left, and the painted bureau behind (Kleiner et al). The right arms of both figures and both the child’s chubby little legs are as straight as the lines in the mother’s dress (Getlein). The mother holds the child firmly in her lap with her left hand; her arm curving behind the child, hidden from view, with only the hand visible at the child’s waist. The child reaches back wither her left arm, bolding her mother’s knee, as if simultaneously bracing herself, and pushing off forward into the water. The hands of both meet and are alike at the waist of one and the knee of the other (Getlein). 2006-01-08T23:15:50-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Bath-Mary-Cassatt-6368.aspx Woman With the Hat by Henri Matisse Henri Matisse Woman With the Hat, 1905 Oil on Canvas 31’ x 23.5’ San Francisco Museum of Modern Art Henri Matisse’s Woman with a Hat (1905, is on display at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. Woman with a Hat is a classic fauve extravaganza of wild color. It is oil on canvas; 31.75 by 35.5 inches. The first thing one notices about the painting is the color, it’s everywhere. The painting looks like a splattering of garish color. Green stands out instantly, as it dominates a good deal of the composition. The image of Madam Matisse almost becomes secondary to the color experience. The lines are thick and yet undefined. There is a black contour line that runs from the left on her arm across her back and up past her ear and hair to her hat. On the first curve of the hat, a thicker blue line replaces the black line and continues across the hat’s outline, intermittently interrupted by regions of black. When the hat ends on the other side of her face, a rather thin black line forms again. This line is not so defined as a line per say, as it is a separation between the colors of her face and the green of the background. This small line continues around her face and helps to define her jaw line, her hair, and her ear. Below her face the line becomes more defined and increases in width and thickness as it sweeps down the edge of the fan. It is abruptly ended by a thick and conspicuous white line jetting diagonally downward at the end of the fan, which puts and end to the body. Beyond this line, there are no more definite lines to speak of; the colors themselves take over in the absence of line in the painting’s bottom right quadrant. Matisse gives us his wife in an hourglass shape. Her body is hidden behind her fan; we see only her arm and torso. She appears wide at the bottom half of the portrait. Her shape causes the viewers’ eyes to wander up over the fan toward her neck, the narrowest, and also one of the brightest, parts of the painting. Her face is oval and contributes to the impression of a triangular upsweep 2006-01-08T23:13:07-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Woman-With-the-Hat-by-Henri-Matisse-6367.aspx Buddha Bar Feeding the Soul By Kheyal Azam Khalil Claiming the spiritual worth of music, one of the best examples that can be quoted is of the Buddha bar collection. This exceptional compilation comprises of compositions that cross the boundaries of specific cultures and languages. ‘The music is suggestive rather than particular, evocative rather than exact, and so offer an enormous range of intellectual and emotional possibility, challenge and satisfaction.’ The Buddha bar is an amalgam of music from Indian classical trend to the western divine type. However, there is an unlimited soul in all sorts of music and it ranges from provocative melodies to banal facts said in a particularly addictive way. Whether anyone chooses to buy a CD or download this ‘music with a difference’, one can find numerous categories and an overwhelming range of sounds. The people unfamiliar with this amazing collection may find it analogous to the types of music found rarely amongst the popular singles. Example of songs by NightWish (Rising Sun), Evanescence (My Immortal), Madonna (Frozen) are all admirable tunes having a mystical way of penetrating the heart. Buddha Bar is not very uncommon as background music for television programmes. It can also be heard at self-service shops to create a calm ambience. The music generally serves as to heal the spirit in terms of moral regeneration and relaxation. Therefore the music is apt for spreading tranquillity and touches the inner self of the listener. Despite its hidden and mysterious effects, this collection of music has profound effects on the ideas that shape human thought. In other words, like all other commendable art forms, this music too has a purpose. Songs like “Always respect your mother” and “Deleium Silence (Feat. Sarah Mclachan)” are some examples in which the scanty lyrics are repeated like a chorus with marvellous music to compliment it making it a means of repair for the society. Another tune by Bob Holroyd “Journey Man” refers to the famous migration of the Holy Prophet (P.B.U.H.) from Mecca to Medina. The instruments used to compose it are of the same kind as those used when the migration took place in an attempt to authenticate the sound. These were then used as a proclamation of that historical event. Many others worth mentioning are “Swollen” by Dusted, “Rah” by Natacha Atlas, “Sajana” by Shri and Badmarsh, “Desire” by Deepak and the like. All of them spell ‘SOUL’ in every 2005-12-19T08:36:17-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Buddha-Bar-6346.aspx Charles Blackman Art Analysis C H A R L E S B L A C K M A N Blackman’s Schoolgirl in the Lane painting displays an ominous scene of a young schoolgirl wandering alone through a bleak ally way at night. The girl appears carefree as she is skipping along, portraying just how ignorant and vulnerable the innocent child is to this dark, threatening atmosphere. Dreary colours such as greys, browns and dull blues, contrasted with black build up the sinister mood of the piece. The girl is contrasted with a reddish-brown colour that does not appear anywhere else but on her that draws more attention to her without completely changing the tone of the image. Smooth, short yet bold brushstrokes flow in a style that harnesses the dark vibe that Blackman was trying to come across. The fact that Blackman displays the schoolgirl alone and does not show her face illustrates that the girl is aloof in her own world almost unaware of how dangerous the reality is. The hiding school girl is an image of a girl who is sitting crouched by herself, once again, in a dark setting, isolating herself from everything else. There is a sense of solitude and loneliness drawn from this painting as the adolescent escapes curled up, secluded from world. The way her face is left unexposed by her hat and the dark shadow beneath it, adds mystery, as we do not know who she is or what she is thinking, with no idea of her expression, we are subjected to conclude that she does not want to be revealed but wants to hide and dwell in her own thoughts. With her head down she seems as though she is sad and doesn’t want to be bothered or approached. Like Blackman’s Schoolgirl in the lane painting, the scene is dark and cold, only this image has greater sinister feeling to it. The bolder feeling of threat is painted with bolder colours and brushstrokes, giving the piece greater sensation, and emotion. The creepy sentiment of the overall image is made up from Blackman’s reddish tones, accompanied by the dark background and the girl’s shadow. The tone is then balanced out with the use of green shading on the figure’s hat and her blue dress. Dreaming in the street comes across, once again, with a dark, gloomy feeling to it. Although Blackman has created simple figures, 2005-10-26T09:37:47-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Charles-Blackman-Art-Analysis-6257.aspx Feng Shui: An Introduction to Good Luck. I. What I Know, Assume or Imagine Just a couple of weeks ago, I was thinking of a topic for this I-Search Paper, but I didn’t really know what I want to do except that I want to do something unique, something that will surprise the readers, something that has not been done before. I came up with two possible topics: landscape designing and origami. After couple more days of dilemma, I ended up doing landscape designing because I have always been interested in that field of career. So my research began. I first look up general information about landscape designing on the internet, that was no problem, but when I search in the library for some books, I ran across a problem. I only found one passé book, and I wasn’t sure that the informations are current. I looked through it anyway, though, and that was when I came across the word feng shui. I remember hearing about it when I was younger, but I didn’t know much about it. From what I knew, feng shui involves certain arrangement of furniture in the house and supposedly good arrangement will increases good lucks for people who live in the house. Since I want to do something unique, and landscape design isn’t too unique in my opinion, I decided to change my topic to feng shui. As I mentioned, I heard of feng shui before. Feng shui is quite common in Thailand, where I grew up. There’re a lot of Chinese in Thailand, and they contributed feng shui into Thai’s cultures. Although I’m not Chinese, I was taught by my grandmother of some basic principles of feng shui. I was taught not to buy a home at cul-de-sac, not to place the bed in direct line to the door, and not to place study desk back to the door. To tell you the truth, I believe in these things because it does make a lot of sense. When you come to think of it, if you place your study desk back to the door, you won’t be able to see who’s coming in which can be very dangerous and can even create paranoid which effects mental health. Since the concept of feng shui is very complicated, and it takes years of study to become an expert in this subject, I decided to research its meaning, how it came 2004-11-13T04:49:39-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Feng-Shui-An-Introduction-to-Good-Luck_-5886.aspx La Jetee - Report Chris Marker’s 1962 La Jetée is one of the most influential films of its time. The 28-minute film is almost entirely compiled of black and white stills, supported by narrative throughout. Marker expresses his desire to recreate and re-write reality through exploring aspects of science fiction such as futuristic apocalyptic events and time travel; subjects that were not as widely exploited then as they are today. Marker’s usage of stills, haunting score and sparse narration captured the imagination of storytellers in the film industry. His original and alluring story has been the inspiration of many modern cinematic pieces. Michael Sragrow is cited in Huchins review of La Jetée & Sans Soleil; “It hasn’t lost its potency, even for audiences familiar with coiling time-jump narratives or with nonfiction films made up almost entirely of stills. Marker’s images suggest unfathomable mysteries of fate and desire”. La Jetée starts with a boy’s memory of a woman’s face and a man being shot at an airport pier at Orly, Paris. Then, there is a war; “And Sometime after came the destruction of Paris” (Marker’s script cited in La Jetée: cine-roman, 1992). ‘Peace-time’ is over, and we are now in the ‘present’ of the story in post-destruction. The few survivors of the war are forced to live in an underground ‘network of galleries’ to escape the rotting radioactive land above. The image of beauty and tragedy belongs to a prisoner of the ground, now a grown man. He is chosen as a ‘lab-rat’ for a time travel experiment to reach food and energy supplies, because of his strong mental imagery. The scientists performing the experiment believe that if he can dream of another time, he may be able to live in it without the trauma of time travel. The story content is based on science, but it is not the most important aspect of the film. Marker does not glorify technology, nor war. The scientists are not seen as positive figures, attempting to save the people of post-world-war-three Earth from starvation. They are portrayed as mad victors, and technology as what led the world to destruction, “the technology offers a chance for humanity to survive, but technology is what has destroyed everything in the first place” (Lorefice, 2003). Marker does not preach of the ‘evil’ of nuclear weapons, but focuses on 2004-10-03T08:39:24-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/La-Jetee-Report-5817.aspx The Birth of Sun Paintings Between 1844-6, William Henry Fox Talbot used the title The Pencil of Nature for his set of published prints which featured images of botanical specimens, photograms, still life and landscapes. Photography was very young at the time of the Pencil of Nature; this set being the first published photographically illustrated book. Talbot first investigated the usage of the camera obscura and camera lucida to aid his sketches by tracing the image projected onto the paper through the prism; “it was his inability to draw which caused him to experiment with a mechanical method of capturing and retaining an image” (Leggat, 2000). Through his want to record the everyday beautiful without the need of an artistically skilful hand, came his procession into photography. Talbot saw the results of his investigations not as a collection of random images, but “the possibilities he saw for photography, including pictorial, scientific and technical usages” (Marshall, 2004). Talbot had a scientific outlook and sensational enthusiasm for his calotypes, a paper process which he invented. He saw them as successful outcomes of his intention to fix the image he saw, exactly as he saw it without “the recourse of the artist’s pencil” (Scharf, p14), but only for a very short time without a fixative. He was recorded in the Fox Talbot Museum as having problems with the salt print fading rapidly, “how charming it would be if it were possible to cause these natural images to imprint themselves durably and remain fixed upon the paper”. The problem of the disappearing image was later solved by Sir John Herschel’s invention of fixative. From the plates of the Pencil of Nature, two images that I believe to illustrate the title well are Flowers Leaves and Stem, and Transverse Section of a Stem. The image Flowers Leaves and Stem is a botanical photogram, showing the form of flowers and plants. Talbot did this print by placing leaves and flowers onto paper soaked in sodium nitrate and sodium chloride, making it light sensitive, and positioning it in direct sunlight. After chemical development, the final image is a drawing of flora by the sun. Detail can be seen in some parts of the image where the light has penetrated single petals, offering the subscribers of the Pencil of Nature a slightly different view into the botanical, as the more 2004-10-03T08:35:12-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Birth-of-Sun-Paintings-5816.aspx Melting Clocks Since I was a child, I have been completely impressed whenever I look at anything. I have always been especially impressed by things that make me cry of emotion. It seems stupid but has been like this for years. Your feelings are the same. I can not believe I am the first person to make a comment regarding Picasso’s <i>Melting Clocks</i> masterpiece. The picture is the probably the best painting in the world. I think it is lovely. What I see is an extremely good painting that is bringing new life into the world. I believe the painting is made wisely because if it were any better it would be real. What’s really so amazing about this painting is that if you stop to think about it, it was actually painted by someone! I must admit that even though I am always impressed when I look at things, at first the <i>Melting Clocks</i> Painting was very disappointing and depressing. But then I was struck by the truth: I realized that this painting was made by a real person who painted it by hand. I thought it was lovely. And now I think the picture is wonderful! It is amazing that people can paint something so wonderful. It is such a great painting that it should be in every art-lover’s house. I would pay up to $1000 for this work of art. It is a masterpiece, pure genius! It looks as if Picasso was living inside the picture. It is one of the most beautiful paintings I have ever seen. This painting is wonderful. It makes me like this painter for his feelings and personality. It also makes me know. It astounds me that a mere man could make something so truthful when he is usually so stupid. The clocks are dripping like time itself really drips, when you stop to think about it. But even if you don’t want to take the time to understand this theory of mine, you can still appreciate the emotional force of <i>Melting Clocks</i>. I think it is a lovely painting because it has colors. I believe this artwork reveals a great power. It illustrates an overwhelming power. It emanates a vast fragility. You need to wonder whether Picasso holds an expression of regret, dislike of inability, a pure sadness, or a feeling of guilt. I believe that this masterpiece is wonderful. There are a lot of different details in 2004-08-16T17:08:31-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Melting-Clocks-5760.aspx Modernist and Post Modernist comparative essay (Dali & Duchamp) Marcel Duchamp – Nude Descending Staircase 1912 Marcel Duchamp, born 1887 and died in 1968, was a modernist artist. His painting, Nude Descending Staircase No. 2 was painted in 1912 using oil on canvas with a dimension of 58 x 35 inches in size. It was first exhibited at the New York Armory Show in 1913, where it aroused great controversy, and is now kept at the Philadelphia Museum of Art in the Louise and Walter Arsenberg collection. Duchamp was influenced by the increasing trend of artists’ discovery of new innovations with regard to style and technique at the time. It has a very futuristic approach to style while also appearing influenced by the African tribal artifacts popular at the time. Not only is the style futuristic but also it has a direct association to cubism, which was a flourishing technique during this modernistic period in art culture at the begginning of the 20th century. It is said that Duchamp painted Nude Descending Staircase based on a poem that describes the beauty of a woman ending eventually as a ‘bag of bones’, which was written by Jules Laforgue. Whether this statement is accurate or not, the painting is identified as symbolizing the artistic movement by taking traditional subject matter and altering it into a modern and original way. It is an explanation of Duchamp’s need to break away from tradition, thus causing great controversy throughout the world. Julia Pastore of the GLBTQ encyclopedia says in relation to this personality trait, ‘Above all, his life and art reflect a desire to turn things upside down and to break down all linguistic, sexual and social restraints.’ Not only has Nude Descending Staircase had a major affect on art culture at the time of release, but it, and the rest of Duchamp’s works have set an historical standard for the rest of time, Encyclopedia Encarta (2004) explains this painting as ‘influential to the development of Surrealism, Dada and Pop Art.’ When first glancing at Nude Descending Staircase, it is unnoticeable as to the form of the subject matter. It is actually a series of informal geometric shapes merged together to form the human figure. Lines, shape and tone are crucial to the depiction of movement, which the genderless figure seems to be doing in the direction of the bottom right-hand corner towards the viewer. The painting is, ‘Depicting continuous action with a series of overlapping figures,’ 2004-05-26T11:27:43-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Modernist-and-Post-Modernist-comparative-essay-Dali-Duchamp-5673.aspx Ansel Adams - Early Morning, Merced River Ansel Adams, b. 1902, was important to photography through history and through his works helped contribute to the respect photography is now given as a fine art. He first discovered photography when he received a Kodak #1 Box Brownie in 1916 from his father as a birthday present. At the time he aspired to be a concert pianist as he was an amazing musician, however, when aged 14 on a family vacation to Yosemite National Park, he discovered the Sierra Nevada mountains and returned there at least once every year of his life, thus inspiring his style of photography and subject matter. Photography in its early stages was not considered by critics as a true form of art, but photography was seen as an art form in itself, the art of creating the ‘perfect’ photograph. A flawless print, shot using pure, straight photography and produced using impeccable development techniques. Adams was not at all against this philosophy. He actually embraced it. He himself was a perfectionist and his folio of works reflects this trait, focusing on the unspoiled natural world, ‘I am always visualizing image possibilities in the world around me…’ He did this using top-quality printing, capturing every possible detail using apertures as high as f64. He even established a school of photographers with similar techniques called ‘the f64 club’. In his lifetime, Ansel Adams has produced 10 000 signed fine prints and has held over 500 exhibitions worldwide. In 1950, During one of his many routine trips to Yosemite National Park, Adams passed a serene landscape and prospective subject just along the highway on the way to the park. He had always passed this subject before and noticed it, but the lighting was never strong enough to capture the image at it’s fullest potential. On this day the lighting was just right for a photo to be taken, as it was sunrise. He noticed this as he was driving along the road and he stopped the car to set up and take the picture. This is how Early Morning, Merced River, Autumn, was shot. The photograph is black and white with a high contrast. It is of a horizontal landscape format. There is a large, twisting tree with lots of small foliage growing on the smaller branches on its ends. The trunk is short with two thick branches and one thinner one protruding from it. The roots above the ground 2004-05-26T11:23:34-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Ansel-Adams-Early-Morning,-Merced-River-5672.aspx Frederic Chopin Frederic Francois Chopin was born in Zelazowa-Wola, near Warsaw, Poland. No one is exactly sure about his birth date; he was born on February 22 or March 1, 1810. He was very gifted when it came to music and was playing the piano in public by the time he was eight years old. Soon after that he was composing music! When he was about sixteen, he studied at the Warsaw Conservatory and went to school there from 1826 to 1829. He left Poland in 1830 and settled in Paris in 1831. He lived in Paris for the rest of his life, except for some traveling. There he became well known in the fashionable salons, even though he barely ever performed in public. The first person that Chopin fell in love with was Maria Wodzinski. He had known her family since his childhood and fell in love with Maria in 1835 when she was sixteen. He proposed to Maria, but her family did not want them to get married, probably because of his chronic illness. In 1836, the composer Franz Liszt introduced Chopin to Mrs. Aurore Dudevant, a French novelist whose writing name was George Sand. After meeting her, he said, "I have met a great celebrity, Madame Dudevant, known as George Sand... Her appearance is not to my liking. Indeed there is something about her which positively repels me... What an unattractive person La Sand is... Is she really a woman? I am inclined to doubt it." His first impression of her must not have lasted, because he had a famous love affair with her, starting in 1837. Their relationship was very tragic and was the most influential and devastating development in his life. They went to the Mediterranean Island of Majorca for the winter of 1838 to 1839. The bad weather he experienced at Majorca weakened his already failing health. The most intense of his piano pieces were composed during the nine years that he lived with George Sand. During this time he was seriously ill with tuberculosis so she nursed him and for a short time he regained his health. Their affair ended in 1846 when they had a big disagreement, one of the last of the many quarrels they had over the years. It is strange that Chopin did not dedicate any of his 2004-03-14T21:19:25-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Frederic-Chopin-5513.aspx Madonna BIography Madonna Louise Ciccone was born on August 16, 1958, in Bay City, Michigan. Madonna is one of the most successful artists in the history of popular music. No other female singer in music has been as successful over such a long time. At the age of five, Madonna lost her mother to breast cancer, this had an effect on her music throughout her life. After the death of her mother, her and her brothers and sisters were sent to live with various relatives. After a couple of years her father remarried and Madonna and her brothers and sisters went to live with him. Madonna explains that her father was extremely strict and always had her doing something productive. She was also the oldest daughter of eight, which gave her many responsibilities. When Madonna was twelve, she entered a local Catholic high school. It was there that she learned a great deal from classes such as, tap, jazz dancing, Baton twirling and Gymnastics. Madonna’s rebel personality started at this age; she wanted to do everything that people told her she couldn’t do. After Madonna left school, she attended the University of Michigan on a dance scholarship, where the ballet school owner, Chris Flynn, taught her. After studying at the University of Michigan, Madonna decided to move to New York. She arrived in New York with thirty- five dollars, dance shoes and a bag full of tights. She bought a grungy apartment because that was all she could afford at the time and its what she called home. She then won a scholarship at the Alvin Ailey Dance Theater, where she spent two years working hard at her classes while holding part-time jobs at various fast food restaurants for some extra money. Madonna realized that she needed more than just dancing to have a career in this world. There was to many people going after very few jobs. She started auditioning for theatric and musical parts. One of the auditions ended up taking her to Paris where she was backing a lead singer, Patrick Hernandez. Hernandez’s management realized that Madonna had talent but refused to pay her more when she requested it so she moved back to New York. She met up with a few of her friends from dance school and found out that they were starting a band and needed a drummer. 2004-01-07T02:17:59-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Madonna-BIography-5387.aspx Beauty Queen of Lenane The WWU theatre arts production of “The Beauty Queen of Leenane,” written by Anglo-Irish playwright Martin McDonagh is labeled as a tragic comedy directed by Jessica McGlaughlin. However I felt that the production was below the standard that I hoped it would meet. My impression of the play was more comedic then a tragic story due to the hysterical content displayed in the WWU production on February 2, 2001 at the Old Main theatre. Beauty Queen of Leenane is the first play in McDonagh’s Leenane trilogy premiering in 1996 in Galway, Ireland and has been nominated for six Tony Awards coming away with four of them along with the Outer Critics Circle and Drama Desk Awards for best play of 1988. The set design by Dan Zimmerman takes place in the living room of a small cottage in rural Ireland where Maurine, a middle aged woman played by Lisa Hopp who seemingly has no choice but to take care of her hypochondriac mother, Mag played by Lisa Hoyt. The room has no accessories besides a few pictures a television and radio. You can imagine the burning hostility and feuds rising in the presence of the small shack they live in especially with both women in a crooked manipulative state of mind. However the two got along better then I hoped they would and the communication between them went on as though they were joking around. The only other characters in the play are Maurine’s love interest Pato Dooley, played by Zayce Kruse and the comic relief of the play his younger brother Ray Dooley, played by Aaron Tobiason who played his role as the comedian pictured in the book. Lisa Hoyt’s portrayal of a complaining mother was the most amusing character in the play due to her annoying high-pitched voice comparable to nails on a chalkboard as she begins to sound like a broken record by harassing her daughter and asking for complan (a powdered drink mix, similar to Metmucil) from anyone in her presence. Even more amusing was the portrayal of Mag’s costume designed by Katina Button displaying Mag in bright pink loafers and Ray Dooley in something similar to an Old Navy performance fleece. Although Hopp’s character isn’t particularly appealing either mentally or physically due to her make-up by Avi Liebowitz her acting makes up for it, and Mag becomes the only likeable character as you can sense 2003-11-19T04:47:10-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Beauty-Queen-of-Lenane-5267.aspx Music a Reflection of Culture An idea or way of life that we live by, that’s culture, and culture affects us all no matter where we live or what we do. We often live and work in these different cultures and we don’t even realize it. Music is a huge factor in the way we are affected by our culture. Hence the fact music is in all cultures even in our own way of life. Think about the last time you said something smooth or cool to your girlfriend or guy friend you probably heard it in a love song or rap song. We often take for granted the fact that music is all around us no matter what kind you listen to. You listen to music in your car, in the mall while you are shopping, in the shower, on television and at parties. Music is a key component in any kind of culture; it is a way to express the ideas and beliefs of that culture. Music has been a powerful force throughout history. Its power has affected all aspects of people’s lives. The ideas and attitudes people have toward their society can easily be seen in their music. Expression in music comes in every emotion you can think of sad, happy, mellow, anger, peaceful and many others. Music, especially in today’s society, brings about certain ways of life or attitudes about life. I often wonder what the next generation has to offer to the wonderful world of music. In the Fifties it was do-wop and swing music, America had its first taste of “Rock and Roll” in this era of happy times. People’s lives were safe and happy and this do-wop bee-bop music reflected the way people’s attitudes were about life. In the Sixties “Rock and Roll” made its collision with mainstream American culture and people like the Beetles and Elvis Presley became the forefathers for a huge cultural gateway. The era of peace love and happiness was beginning and so once again the music reflected this way of thinking, acting and feeling. The Beetles and Elvis were the first real artists to make it big and to have a following of a tremendous magnitude. That rebel rock and roll, grow my hair long, and shake my hips seed was planted into our culture. This started a snowball effect that led into the Seventies and Eighties cultures of “Sex, Drugs and Rock 2002-10-06T14:00:00-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Music-a-Reflection-of-Culture-5033.aspx Cezanne and Pollock Explain Cézanne and Pollock’s contribution to Modernism by: <li>Describing their new techniques/materials (practice) <li>Innovation in concepts, theories and intentions <li>Explore the significance of their work and the influence they had on other artists (support with critical and historical quotes/comments.) ‘I want to make of Impressionism something soled and durable, like the art of the museums’ Paul Cézanne ‘The source of my painting is the unconscious’ Jackson Pollock Modernism is the revolutionary ideas and styles in art, architecture, and literature that developed in the early 20th century as a reaction to traditional forms. Both Cézanne and Pollock understood that although their art was turning away from traditional forms, art is continuity. Never disregarding the Old Master, Cézanne is said to be the father of modernism and Pollock the man who brought art from Paris to America. These two men, both known as avant-garde artists, one who’s aim in life was to paint fruit and avoid people, the other who spent most of his time drunk, two great artists who revolutionised the art world with their use of new material and techniques and with their ideas and theories. Cézanne began as an Impressionist but soon became frustrated, as Impressionist did not generate paintings that were compositionally strong, and so the creator of Modernism set out on a journey to empower objects with three-dimensional solidity. Cézanne wanted to establish an equilibrium between the vivacious colour and solid form of three-dimensional objects and the two-dimensional surface of the picture plane. (Post-Impressionism: Cezanne, Nineteenth Century Art, pg 478). Similarly, Pollock was a modernist whose works were most prominent between 1948 and 1952. Pollock set out to explain as well as he could an emotional response to the day-to-day problems that are thrown in out face. Lee Siegal believes Pollock painted as if living and painting were identical. (Critical Eye, Lee Siegal, pg 3). Picasso, and the traditional Indian and Mexican ways of working inspired Pollock. Working mainly on the floor, Pollock would drip paint on the un-stretched canvas, sometimes hanging it on the wall to change the direction of the paint. Pollock was an artist who believed in art for arts sake. Cézanne on the other hand was still a realist, while Pollock worked with surrealism and abstract art. Cézanne was a realist he painted what he saw, but did not imitate it. By using many different techniques Cézanne was able to create something so simple that had been seen before but not 2002-08-25T14:00:00-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Cezanne-and-Pollock-4961.aspx Eminem (The real Marshall) You would be surprised how many people judge and descrimenate Marshall Mathers *Eminem*. He has been protested against and hated 2002-07-02T14:00:00-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Eminem-The-real-Marshall-4867.aspx Narcocorridos The Truth about Narcocorridos and their Interpreters When you turn on the radio, you listen to a song and you immediately have the choice on whether you like or dislike it. It may be because of the rhythm, artist/singer, lyrics or any other reason. In the Spanish-speaking community today, there is a controversy on a specific type of songs played on predominantly Mexican radio stations. Narcocorridos are becoming more and more popular every day (Narcocorridos are often referred to as Regional-Mexican). As the popularity of Narcocorridos increases, authors, interpreters, and fans are being labeled as traffickers of drugs, alcoholics and being corrupters. The problem is that the lyrics of Narcocorridos are strong, dealing with drugs, alcohol, and guns. Interpreters and authors of this type of music find these songs to be normal, just as any other song, because they have to do with real life, day to day, issues, even though they may not relate to them personally. Just as any other genre of music, Narcocorridos have an audience that is for and an audience that is against. The audience that is for Narcocorridos says that they are culture driven songs of their native “pueblo”. But the audience that is against it, claim that these songs praise drugs, alcohol and weapons that they are degenerating and are a bad influence to anyone who listens to them. A Narcocorrido is a type of song or music that often tells a story usually about drugs, alcohol and violence. . During the Mexican Revolution, the Narcocorrido served as a form of oral history for those campesinos that were illiterate and couldn’t attend school or read a book. It all started more than a century ago when German immigrants invaded Culiacan Sinaloa, Mexico to work in breweries. With them, came the polka-like music they were accustomed to in their own land. Narcocorridos have their origin in the time of the Mexican Revolution. They tell the adventures and deeds of leaders back in the day. In the beginning of the decade of 1970, there was a new flowing current of music derived with the song Contrabando y Traición. This song, with which Los Tigres Del Norte rose to the top, talks about a couple of smugglers that go on a long trip with the tires of their car full of marihuana. The lyrics in a narcocorrido are strong. As mentioned before, they tell the story about 2002-06-05T14:00:00-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Narcocorridos-4817.aspx The Scream, Society, and the Common Man Existentialist philosophy at first may appear to be at odds with the everyday world; however, existentialism has some very real applications in the context of society as opposed to the context of existence. Society gives us a role in life, something to give our lives meaning, but what happens when we look too closely at our role and reconsider it? What happens when we ask, “why?” “The Scream” by Edvard Munch is the answer. While not everyone in society feels like the man portrayed in Munch’s painting, a growing number of people do, and it is expressed in numerous ways through our society today. A plethora of evidence supports this assertion; from modern societal organization and alienation to specific examples of incidents caused by this “Scream”, to specific works in pop culture. Existentialism spawned from an expanding society, and will only become more relevant as the size of our society increases. “The Scream” portrays an image of a man on the foreground of a bridge, an unrealistically slanted bridge with two shadowed figures behind him. He has his hands clasped to the sides of his head, engaged in a pure scream for no apparent reason. Munch’s poem narrating the work: <blockquote>I was walking along the road with two friends. The sun was setting. I felt a breath of melancholy - Suddenly the sky turned blood-red. I stopped, and leaned against the railing, deathly tired - looking out across the flaming clouds that hung like blood and a sword over the blue-black fjord and town. My friends walked on - I stood there, trembling with fear. And I sensed a great, infinite scream pass through nature.</blockquote> The reason for the man’s great scream is intentionally ambiguous, indeed it seems as if there is no reason besides a sudden feeling that came over him. Indeed, he was walking with his friends, a time of supposed happiness! That is what this painting represents, not something terrible, not something evil and awful, but something that is intrinsic to the subject which causes fear- everything may seem just fine, and it very well may be from a native perspective, but this painting makes one think: Why is everything the way it is, and should it be that way? Analyzing this painting from a societal standpoint, it is a strong criticism of the pointlessness of our roles in society, our little cliques and niches, the drudgery of our jobs… 2002-05-21T14:00:00-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Scream,-Society,-and-the-Common-Man-4778.aspx How politically liberating is rap music? NWA was a gangsta rap crew who told stories of the ‘hustler’ lifestyle where “life ain’t nothin’ but bitches and money.” As such, they relied heavily on being as offensive as possible. The cover of their 1988 album, Straight Outta Compton, features a power-emphasising low-angle shot of the band members looking down into the camera, which places the audience in the position of the defeated enemy. A gun is pointing straight at us. Each man is wearing ‘street’ clothes, and one has a chunky gold necklace showing. The picture is shot in natural lighting, and the eyes of three of the men are obscured by shadows. Judging by their stern facial expressions, they probably won’t be showing mercy. This is the image they’re aiming for: hard, ruthless, cold. Over the course of the narrative the three front men - Ice Cube, MC Ren and Eazy-E - accuse the LAPD of racism and violence and go so far as to threaten any rogue officers with death. Their overtly violent stance separates them from the rap mainstream, and the righteous anger of the song - the marked refusal to let the enemy smite the other cheek - is loaded with subversive potential. It begins with a courtroom scene pastiche in which the DJ, Dr. Dre, re-positions himself as the judge and the three vocalists as witnesses. In his booming voice Judge Dre asks Ice Cube if he swears to tell “the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help your black ass?” Ice Cube replies: “You’re Goddamn right!” The exaggerated informality of the NWA courtroom shows how they also bring a sense of humour with them. Tricia Rose says “oppressed people use language, dance, and music to mock those in power, express rage, and produce fantasies of subversion.”1 This can be a powerful tool for raising awareness of problems that face African Americans, and engendering the spirit of resistance in others. NWA’s mocking role-plays give way to rage over the verses, where they lay down the charges against the police. One of the less strongly worded and blatantly valid accusations comes from Ice Cube: “Searching my car/Looking for the product/Thinking every nigga is sellin’ narcotics.” This refers to ‘profile’ arrests - Rose’s name for the policy of stopping and searching young black males, particularly if they are driving an expensive car, on the shaky and unashamedly racist basis that 2002-05-12T14:00:00-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/How-politically-liberating-is-rap-music-4756.aspx Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven <H2>The classical period (1750 – 1810)</H2> 1750 –1810 is what we call the classical period, and really any music not composed in this era is not classical music. Most of the well known classical composers come from this time such as Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven who I have written about know. Here are some short biographies of their lives. <H2>Franz Josef Haydn (1732 -1809)</H2> In Haydn’s life he wrote 108 symphonies for 36 weeks starting when he was 27. Most, if not all of Haydn’s music was inspired such as his first string quartet in 1755. He was encouraged by Von Furnburg, a musical amateur. After his first quartet Haydn was intrigued and produced many more string quartets that delighted everyone including Von Furnberg with their openness and charm. Shortly after Haydn divorced his wife he was familiar with Mozart. Haydn had recognised how great a composer Mozart was, far better than himself. So until the end of Mozart’s life, Haydn tried to make other people notice Mozart as well as himself. To return the favour Mozart affectionately dedicated six of his quartets to Haydn. Haydn really enjoyed his music and he took most of the offers he was given like when he was given. So in 1791 he was able to visit London to direct some orchestral concerts. The next time Haydn visited London was in 1974 when he had six new symphonies. As he aged lie moved slowly, leading to his death in 1809. <H2>Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)</H2> Mozart was a gifted child, and by the age of four he showed extraordinary musical powers and a year later he was composing music. His first major opera was performed in Millan in 1770, when he was only fourteen. In his short life he produced: <li>41 symphonies <li>38 concertos <li>6 quintets <li>29 quartets <li>8 trios <li>47 sonatas <li>23 operas <li>19 masses In 1781 Mozart earned an unsteady living as a freelance performer and a composer. Not many he people recognised how great Mozart was, only a few fellow-composers like Haydn. He wrote his first symphonies when he was eight and unfortunately died after 35 years of composing music in 1791. <H2>Ludwig Van Beethoven (1770 – 1827)</H2> Beethoven was born in Germany in 1770, and after arriving in Vienna in 1792 he studied the composition and counterpoint of Haydn, Schenk, Salieri and Albrechtserger. He also tried to prove himself as a pianist and composer at the same time. He was successful and quickly won himself fame, first as an outstanding pianist then 2002-05-03T14:00:00-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Haydn,-Mozart-and-Beethoven-4717.aspx Against Music Censorship Music censorship has been a major problem plaguing America for over fifty years. In 1957, Elvis Pressley was only allowed to be filmed from the waist up on the Ed Sullivan show (Nuzum 1). Plenty of controversy has taken places between then and now, but more recently it has become much more prominent in the media, and people and organizations are beginning to actually take a stand. For example, Island Records (owned by Disney) dropped the Insane Clown Posse just after their release of The Great Milenko and MTV actually refused to play Madonna’s video for Justify My Love because it was considered too sexually explicit (Nuzum 1). Music content is just one of the many issues that puts the First Amendment of our Constitution to work. On one hand people believe that lyrics should be censored so that people can be protected. And on the other hand, people believe that the First Amendment protects everyone’s rights to free speech. Basically, it is a matter of whether lyrical censorship be accepted. Many people say yes, that there should be censorship because lyrics from songs are telling our youth it is acceptable to participate in illegal actions such as murder, rape or drugs. These people believe that the lyrics actually drive people to become social deviants. In one case, the parents of John McCullom sued Ozzy Osbourne, because his song “Suicide Solution”, “aided, advised and encouraged” McCullom’s suicide (Nuzum 1). C. Delores Tucker, chair of National Political Congress of Black Women, said, “No one and no industry should be allowed to continue the social and psychological poisoning of the young minds of this nation that occurs with the music industry” (91). This belief of musical content being “poison” is prominent all over America. During the 1970’s, record burning was a popular way to speak out against music content, and today protests are quite popular. Other ways of stifling these problematic artists may be through the pressure of having to use a parental advisory label or legislation passing bills. The head of the Boston Coalition for Freedom of Expression, Jim D’ Entremont, explains one of the bills passed by Governor George W. Bush Jr. as “Prohibiting the state of Texas or any of its agencies in investing in any private concern that owns at least ten percent of any corporation that produces music which describes, glamorizes or advocates violence, drug abuse or sexual 2002-03-15T13:00:00-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Against-Music-Censorship-4526.aspx Music as a Nationalistic Tool Music has been a powerful force throughout history. Its power has affected all aspects of people’s lives. The ideas and attitudes people have toward their country can easily be seen in their music. While music in the early part of the modern era (1400-1900) served to promote patriotism and nationalism, music’s role in the late 20th century seems a reversal and has been a deconstructive force challenging nationalistic feelings. The origin of all music is cultural (Nettl 940). Folk songs tell a story of one’s culture (Nettl 940). The traditions of a nation and the feelings of people towards that nation are first displayed in folksongs. (Nettl 76). “Culture grew from everyday life of the people. It was made up from all that was specific to a particular nation: their native speech, their folklore, their religious deviations, their idiosyncratic practices.” (1). The origins of modern European nations can be traced to ancient folksongs and lore. The folk songs and the musical style reflected the inner characteristics of the culture (Nettl 7). Epic songs were the earliest of musical stories (Nettl 93). These songs were told by traveling minstrels about the history of an area (Nettl 93). “The Song of Roland” typifies the epic song as they impact folk culture and feelings of nationalism (Nettl 93). In “The Song of Roland”, the main character extols the people: Says Oliver: “Pagans from there I saw; Never on earth did any man see more. Gainst us their shields a hundred thousand bore, that laced helms and shining hauberks wore: and, bolt upright, their bright brown spearheads shove. Battle we’ll have as nev’ was before. Lords of the Franks, God keep you in valor! So hold your ground, we be not overborne” Then say the Franks “Shame take him that goes off: If we not die, then perish one and all” (2) In the minds of the Franks a nationalistic spirit was already forming. From the folklore and myths emerged some of the greatest modern operas of Europe (Davies 20). These operas promoted nationalism by appealing to national pride insuring their popular success (Grout 411). Operas appealed to pride by utilizing the ancient folktales known by all (Grout 411). During the Romantic Era many new composers utilized their nation’s folksongs and music (Romantic Era np). One example is Felipe Pedrell (1941-1922), a Spanish composer who used folksongs and folk music of the past to compose his most famous opera, La Celestina (3) (Grout 482). Pedrell was a hardened nationalist 2002-03-03T13:00:00-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Music-as-a-Nationalistic-Tool-4506.aspx Raving Over the years I've seen many people get addicted to the rave scene in many ways. Financially, Socially, and Mentally. Raving in itself seems to be more addictive than the drugs performed at them. Raves persuade people to become dependant on each other. Financially Raves drain your wallet, sure the ticket only costs at the most $30, for an everyday party but then there’s the drugs (if any), the clothing, the transportation, the food, the drinks, the accessories everything piles up to be a ton of money... Easy to go through at least a hundred with out the drugs. Many Ravers work solely to party, I know a couple of people who just pick up odd jobs just before raves to be able to pay for it or Just after raves to replenish they’re bank accounts just in time to do it all again the weekend after. All financial priorities seem to go down the drain when a rave is announced, the first thing thought of is “Who’s spinning?” And “I’m There”. There is absolutely no consideration of money, or how much the night is actually going to cost. Socially Raving is an amazing place to meet new people, but these people are hardly dependant on. The scene spreads all over the place and friends show up from basically everywhere in Southern Ontario. The realistic chance of having a strong friendship with someone like that is slim to none. Rave friends are good to be around within the scene but outside of it they can’t really do shit on your personal life. Friends from Parties usually only talk about Parties with each other. The relationships depend on ICQ or AOL or MSN to be able to stay intact. Some Ravers see it fit to choose these friendship over the stable ones that have been in the making for years, as some Ravers prefer the scene and the technologies around it to other things that go on in life that are more important in a priority sense. Mentally raving become the reason to live for some. Everyone says they live and breathe P.L.U.R. but when all is said and done can any of you really say you go home and completely respect every moment of that night. That you united with many and never disrespected anyone. That during that night you found Peace within your self and others, and your love for the 2002-03-02T13:00:00-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Raving-4469.aspx Music Censorship Albums with explicit lyrics or content started having black and white parental advisories on them in 1994 (http://www.riaa.org/Parents-Advisory-4.cfm). Are these labels necessary? Is controversial music molding our society and causing teenagers to turn to drugs? Is censorship necessary to protect the youth of our nation. Generally, younger people are against censorship on this issue. Music is an outlet and even an anti-drug for many teens; however, parents and society feel differently. Should parents censor their children or society, many parents would like to raise their own children. “Censorship, like charity should begin at home; but unlike charity, it should end there,” is a quote by Clare Boothe Luce (Fitzhenry, 84). Many believe that the “explicit” lyrics and content in this controversial music like Eminem will turn their children to crime and drugs. Music censorship started in the United States in the late fifties and continues till today. Will it ever go too far or stop? Society causes a lot of music censorship. Starting in the late fifties and early sixties members of society made efforts to censor R&B music (http://teenmusic.about.com/library/weekly/aa022301a.htm). They were concerned that the music endorsed wild living, promiscuous sex, and lewd dancing (http://teenmusic.about.com/library/weekly/aa022301a.htm). “During the late sixties and seventies, Jim Morrison’s dark and suggestive lyrics stirred up communities, and parents were appalled to see Elvis Presley’s hip-thrusting” (http://teenmusic.about.com/library/weekly/aa022301a.htm). Society censors music like this because they are afraid of it. They think it will alter the minds of their children and cause them to do things they would have never done if it were never suggested in a song’s lyrics. “Music mirrors the society that creates it” (http://teenmusic.about.com/library/weekly/aa022301a.htm). Some people believe this, while others believe that music causes problems in our society such as crime and drugs. “For every person who believes certain lyrics portray a frightening world, there is another person who finds them deep and powerful because that world is all too real” (http://teenmusic.about.com/library/weekly/aa022301a.htm). A number of people believe there is a correlation between album sales and the parental advisory label. Others, like the Recording Industry Association of America believe, or at least try to make parents believe that there is no correlation. “It’s not the labels kids look for, it’s the music. Independent research shows kids put limited weight on lyrics in deciding which music they like, caring more about rhythm and melody. The warning label alone isn’t enough incentive.” (http://www.riaa.org/Parents-Advisory-4.cfm). “Censorship, like charity should begin at home; but 2002-02-24T13:00:00-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Music-Censorship-4441.aspx Andy Warhol When considering the life and works of Andy Warhol, one thing is agreed upon: for good or bad, he changed the visual construction of the world we live in. By the time of his death in 1987 he was ranked on the same level with Pablo Picasso and Jackson Pollock as one of the three most important artists of this century. He was a working man, a social climber, a person who liked to build things, an acquirer of goods, and a known homosexual. These attributes all contributed to the interesting and complicated nature of his art. Andrew Warhola, was born August 6, 1928 in Pittsburg. He was the youngest son of Czechoslovakian immigrants. Andrew was born at the time of the Wall Street Crash (1929) and the Great Depression. Like millions of other families, Andrew’s father could not find work and his early childhood was very difficult and deprived. After several years his family’s financial situation improved and he was older he attend a commercial design course at Pittsburgh’s Carnegie Institute of Technology. Although he was very shy and had a strong fear of failure, he did very well there. In 1949, Andrew Warhola moved to New York. After his first commission to illustrate shoes, Andrew noticed that the final ‘a’ of his name was omitted in the credits and since decided to call himself Andy Warhol (a name that he considered youthful). He quickly became a successful and highly paid commercial artist in the 1950’s but desperately wished for fame as a fine artist. He was unsuccessful in his efforts and sold few exhibits. Andrew became depressed and believed that the ‘fine art world’ had rejected his art as old fashioned and irrelevant. Andy needed new ideas to help boost his creativity. He got several ideas from a woman named Muriel Latow; a gallery owner he knew. She advised him to paint what he loved most (like money) or what everybody would recognize (soup cans and coke bottles). Andy expanded on these ideas and his paintings of the early 60’s reflected his progress as a Pop artist. He finally gained the financial success and international fame he had longed for. Although Andy was identified with Pop art and credited with its invention, this is a misunderstanding of his creative ability. Pop is much more complicated than it seems. In creating Pop art, one must create memorable (although sometimes 2002-02-01T13:00:00-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Andy-Warhol-4318.aspx Unique Photographers: Their Lives and Their Art From 1979 to present there have been many famous photographers, but there are three who really stick out: Jerry Uelsmann, Freeman Patterson, and Annie Slivovitz. These three photographers had very distinct photography and viewed photography as more than pictures but as pigments of emotions and feelings. These photographers are very famous for their pictures and one photographer is known for her help in third world countries. The first photographer that I would like to mention in my research paper will be Jerry Uelsmann. Uelsmann was born in Detroit on June 11th, 1934. Uelsmann acquired school degrees and actually went on to teach classes. He was an intelligent man, who knew exactly what he wanted to do in his life. When Uelsmann was 23 years old (1957) he received his B.F.A degree at the Rochester Institute of technology. When he was 26 (1960) he received his M.F.A at the Indiana University. In 1960 he received his first job offer to teach photography at the University of Florida in Gainesville. Jerry Uelsmann is also a member of the Royal Photographic Society of Great Britain. Jerry Uelsmann founded The American Society for Photographic Education. Jerry Uelsmann did mostly double exposures. When working a day in the darkroom Uelsmann would go through 50 sheets of photo paper, trying to find at least one or two prints that he liked. During a year, Uelsmann may produce one hundred and fifty images, and only fifteen of those one hundred and fifty images last through out the year. The fifteen prints that are left are the prints that had meaning to him. Sometimes he would draw sketches of the pictures he would like to develop, just to give him an idea of the kind of image he would like to create in his next photo. Jerry Uelsmann is not known for computer images but on a couple of his photographs he has used his Mac Intosh computer to enhance the prints. One photograph that he has computer enhanced is (“Man Walking on the Desk“). Uelsmann decided to use a computer to alter this print because it amazed him; all the possibilities/creations that are available to him through a computer. The print that he altered with his computer is one of his most famous prints (“Man Walking on the Desk”) which was created in 1976, and then resurrected in the year 2000 to modify he print by scanning it on 2002-01-29T13:00:00-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Unique-Photographers-Their-Lives-and-Their-Art-4314.aspx Raves Raves are not just parties surrounded by total chaos and no rules. They are a really great experience. There is a whole culture surrounding raves. Have become a way of life for some people, they have there own music. And even there own way of thinking. We have a thriving rave culture, with a growing population. In fact raves are becoming a way of life for many people. If you get a flyer with anything with wards like love (spelt any way possible,) sweat, house music, techno, smile, sauna, rhythm, garage rhythm, You can generally see ravers (someone who goes to raves and subscribes to the rave philosophy) At these parties. Hard core ravers have been known to refer to themselves as a tribe. Hopping on the techno-bus is possibly a ticket to the next dimension. Raves are not only gathering of people, but also have their own type or style of music. In general Rave music is known as all music that has a electronic beat to it, but even this is misleading. In fact it is very hard to classify rave music, mainly due to the varied style and preferences. To give a broader definition of what rave music is\; it is all music which is dominated by a bass beat of 115 and above beats per minute (BPM). Rave music cannot be split into one style of music. In fact all the following are styles of music which are associated with the rave culture: Acid-House, Techno, Techno, Hardcore Techno, Breakbeat, Ambient, Trance, Tribal, Progressive, Deep House, industrial, happy hardcore. It is hard to name them all new styles just keep coming up. A rave is far more than a couple of people getting together for a party. It is a way of life and way of thinking. Raves are not about drugs but about having an experience of, PLUR (Peace, Love, Unity, Respect). Most ravers say it is an experience of release and pure happiness. They say that raves have a very deep spiritual meaning behind them It is an experience that many young people are looking for. Young people are searching for the meaning to life. They live in a post modernistic society where spirituality is reduced to what one can feel. No longer is it important to know what we believe or why we believe it. The important issue is what I experience what I believe. The key 2002-01-14T13:00:00-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Raves-4270.aspx Art Theories and Influence on Artists <center><b>Essay Question: Discuss how theories about art influence the practice of artists and/or art critics or historians</b></center> Practice in art refers to the decisions and actions that affect choices, perceptions, ways of working and views of an artist or art historian. Tim Storrier sums up the practice of an artist by saying that “A painting is really a graphic illustration of where a particular artist is at that point in his life and the art encompasses what the artist has gone through in their life.” On art historians and critics he says “Other people come along and interpret the painting with their own life experiences” The subjectivity involved in a critic or art historian’s views are extremely high. The practice of Tim Storrier is informed by the theories of painting an idea with a poetic edge. This idea then goes searching for “totems” to portray itself upon. Storrier speaks about this theory: “My paintings don’t start with visual stimulation, it’s usually an intellectual idea with a poetic edge, then the idea goes searching for different totems to portray itself upon.” Storrier elaborates further that “The bottom line of my paintings is that they are trying to come up with totemic images about Australia. We don’t have many, for me the true totemic image of Australia is the horizon.” A totem is a natural object that is usually the emblem of a clan in a tribal group. Storrier’s totems are a natural object that he can apply his poetic idea to. We see from these quotes that the theory of Tim Storrier’s art is concerned with the idea of painting “totemic images” and that the paintings are trying to come up with totemic images about Australia. Storrier believes that the totemic image of Australia is the horizon. Storrier is using both the Subjective and Cultural frames in his artwork. Storrier uses the cultural frame to emphasise the point that his belief is that the horizon is the totemic icon of Australia. The horizon is included in most Australian paintings and has become an integral feature of Australian artworks. Storrier was influenced by Australian artists Russel Drysdale and Sydney Nolan. Both these artists use the horizon as a key feature of their paintings. Storrier incorporates the horizon in almost every painting and the main idea of his paintings are the horizon, not the actual objects he portrays in them. Storrier’s theory on the horizon being 2001-11-18T13:00:00-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Art-Theories-and-Influence-on-Artists-4065.aspx Piss Christ - Paradoxes of Aesthetics That Andrew Serrano's painting Piss Christ has caused an overwhelming amount of controversy and response is undeniable. A search on The Age's Archives turned up no less than 72 articles related directly to Serrano's Piss Christ, mainly from the time Serrano and the work visited Melbourne during 1997 and 1998. The exhibition of the work provoked some violent responses here. One Timur Grin caused almost $100,000 worth of damage to works at the National Gallery of Victoria, including damage to Piss Christ, although he then claimed not to be offended by the photograph and not even to be a Christian (The Age, 28 March 1998 and 17 April 1998). When the photo arrived in October 1997, the Catholic Church took it to court in order to seek a ban, unsuccessfully, on the public display of the photograph. Responses have been extremely varied. Some have criticised Serrano's work as dull and read the response to it as the public's "fear of art": The difficulty is whether the current debate is due to some new phenomena or if it is a manifestation of the old 'fear of art'. I suspect in Serrano's case it is both. Serrano's work is fundamentally conservative and indeed as boring in its spectacle as any 19th Century salon piece. Apart from the obsessive recording of deviant behaviour, or the clinical approach to morbid subject matter, there is beyond that nothing of which to speak. The works are lifeless, tedious, over-inflated and depressing in their complete negation of themselves as gifts to the world. It is certain the reviews and responses would have been savage if it weren't for the expected and current negativity from certain quarters of the public (Fish Communication Network, 1998). Other commentators have defended the work as a profound piece of religious art: I wish they'd all lighten up and see this piece for what it is: not blasphemy, but a profoundly religious reflection on the place of Jesus Christ in contemporary society. Yes, it IS disturbing. So? One of the most important functions of art is to disturb, and that, dear flock, includes religious art (Schildgen, 1998). Others have, in perhaps "typical" Australian fashion, attempted to defuse the hype and 'seriousness' surrounding the whole situation by taking the "piss" out of Piss Christ: In the tradition of Piss Christ comes Piss Pot, featuring a pot of beer immersed in urine. "Piss Pot is deeply offensive to all Australians," said 2001-11-12T13:00:00-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Piss-Christ-Paradoxes-of-Aesthetics-4032.aspx Techno Schmechno: a postmodern approach to electronica <ol><li>In searching for a properly post-modern style of music, it may be better to look at the electronic music scene, which began with house music in the early to middle 80s, rather than at hip-hop. It is true that the hip-hop artist generally disappears into the narrative of the music to the extent that many of their lives are a direct reflection of what they sing about: gang violence, drugs, racism, alienation in the US, etc. but here already we encounter two problems. One is the existential choice of reading: if we do read these lives as reflected, or as ghostly risings out of formal lyrical narratives called rap and hip-hop, which lend to the narratives distinct anthropological and sociological connotations of a symbolic as opposed to structural order, or at least blur the concept ‘reality’ (qua the signified) with rapping (qua the signifier), then one perhaps makes the mistake of naturalising signs which are altogether become ambiguous, to the extent we have blurred an idea about ‘nature’ with a structural and then formal aspect of the narrative anyway. To do this makes the historical or ‘real’ experiences of gang violence, drugs, racism etc. little more than lame stereotypes or pastiches of the rap, now become Rap, or somewhat almighty in terms of its ‘myth’. Whence, though originate these themes? To read as above, is altogether too much myth construction. Either the reality of experience is annulled as signified, in favour of structural or formal readings, or rap narratives suck the lifeblood out of experience and turn it into symbolism. The other way then to read hip-hop, and this is where one encounters the second problem, is to commence with real experience: to see this art as a function of the artist's experience, or even to annul the artistic dimension in favour of pure type of expression: cathartic, violent, confronting - this may salvage a political dimension, but that's not very post-modern really. Nevertheless the primary elements for hip-hop to cross over into post-modernism were there, and post-modernism here primarily connotes a logical conclusion, which makes explicit the absence of a delineation between a staged performance and a real event. These elements should however include not only critical analyses of lyrical content and its performance, but, and which is lacking, also the formal dynamics of mechanical production and reproduction as triggered by such technologies as synthesisers, samplers, sequencers and drum 2001-09-26T14:00:00-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Techno-Schmechno-a-postmodern-approach-to-electronica-3779.aspx Mr. Tambourine Man by Bob Dylan - Why it is a Classic <b>Mr. Tambourine Man - Bob Dylan</b> Chorus Hey, Mr. Tambourine Man, play a song for me I’m not sleepy and there is no place I’m going to Hey, Mr. Tambourine Man, play a song for me In the jingle jangle morning I’ll come following you Though I know the evening’s empire has returned into sand Vanished from my hand Left me blindly here to stand but still not sleeping My weariness amazes me, I’m branded on my feet I have no one to meet And the ancient empty street’s too dead for dreaming... ->CHORUS Take me on a trip on your magic swirling ship My senses have been stripped My hand’s can’t feel to grip My toes too numb to step Wait only for my bootheels to be wandering I’m ready to go anywhere, I’m ready for to fade Into my own parade Cast your dancing spell my way, I promise to go under it... ->CHORUS Though you might hear laughing, spinning, swinging madly across the sun It’s not aimed at anyone It’s just escaping on the run And but for the sky there are no fences facing And if you hear vague traces of skipping reel rhyme To your tambourine in time It’s just a ragged clown behind I wouldn’t pay it any mind It’s just a shadow you’re seeing that he’s chasing ->CHORUS Take me disappearing through the smoke rings of my mind Down the foggy ruins of time Far past the frozen leaves The haunted frightened trees Out to the windy beach Far from the twisted reach of crazy sorrow Yes to dance beneath the diamond sky with one hand waving free Silhouetted by the sea Circled by the circus sands With all memory and fate driven deep beneath the waves Let me forget about today until tomorrow... ->CHORUS <b>Why Mr. Tambourine Man is A Modern Classic</b> The most obvious and popular interpretation of Bob Dylan’s Mr. Tambourine Man is that the song is about drugs. This makes sense, as it was against the law to write songs about drugs in the 1960s when ‘Mr. Tambourine Man’ was composed. The metaphors are simple: ‘Mr. Tambourine Man’ is the drug-dealer. “Take me on a trip upon your magic swirling ship...” is asking the drug-dealer for the drugs, and then the lyrics go on to describe the physical effects on the body after consuming hallucinogens: “My senses have been stripped My hands can’t feel to grip My toes too numb to step. . .” Another obvious reference to drug-taking comes from the fourth verse, “Take me disappearing through the smoke rings of my mind...” The smoke rings relating literally to drugs being smoked, and the last line 2001-09-15T14:00:00-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Mr_-Tambourine-Man-by-Bob-Dylan-Why-it-is-a-Classic-3726.aspx The Gross Clinic In 1874, Thomas Eakins took a second course in anatomy at Jefferson Medical College. He attended surgical lectures and clinics presided over by Professor Samuel D. Gross. Eakins painted “The Gross Clinic,” to show the emotion involved in medical procedures. It appears as if the doctors performing the surgery have emotionally removed themselves from the situation at hand. By removing themselves from the emotional aspects of the surgery, the doctors can complete the task much easier than they would have been able to do if they had become emotionally attached to the patient. Had the doctors been emotionally involved in the surgery, they would have become more prone to making errors while operating on the patient because they would be thinking more of their feelings than they would about the surgery in progress. Although emotions are great and necessary things, sometimes trying to remove them is for the best. Another thing noticed by the viewer is the veiled woman crying next to the doctor. She is very involved in this operation by letting her emotions freely show themselves. This woman could be the mother or siblings of the patient, and while she knows that the surgery was necessary to save or improve the life of her beloved, it is difficult to watch. By putting emotions out into the open, as the woman has done, makes them easier to deal with. Keeping feelings bottled up inside can cause breakdowns and emotional instability. This adds another layer of complexity to the surgery. Performing the task would require enough of the doctor's skill, but mix emotion into the equation, and the work, mentally as well as physically, is doubled. In the painting, Gross appears to be feeling a various assortment of emotions. He has paused his surgery and lecture, to deeply think about something. While he must keep his feelings in check, he also needs to by sincere for the sake of the patient’s mother and the students in the surgical amphitheatre. The head of the doctor is placed against a dark background, making it stand out. This creates a dividing layer of emotions. This “emotion layer” divides the onlookers, who have no real intentions other than to observe the lecture, from the actual participants involved in the surgery. The people in the foreground, whether fighting to get rid of them or choosing to let them to flow out, are dealing with some sort of feelings. 2001-09-15T14:00:00-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Gross-Clinic-3727.aspx Ambient music and the impulse towards deconstruction Out of Light – cometh Darkness, dark ambient music and the impulse towards deconstruction © 2000 Daniel du Prie 1. “These recordings may be seen as a notation of our deadminded society, but not as a reaction against it, we will all become ambient dead heads, if not...” (Archon Satani, In Shelter, liner note, 1994) If not, then ellipsis. The conditional clause of fact, followed by an open-ended ellipsis, where not only the conjunction between a conditional present and an effected future (then...), but the whole of future time itself is omitted – is a good way to immerse oneself in a description towards a functional definition of a difficult form of a “popular” underground music (I write popular because it is, in critical terms, usually excluded from the domain of “high” culture, or “serious” music, being more aligned with other popular underground genres, eg, industrial, death metal), that would seem to defy the very notion of popularity a priori: I write of so-called ‘dark ambient’ music. 2. Your attention is drawn to a notation of the future as ellipsis, as a potent form of signifying a coming-into-being that is never-yet, and may well never be, as a danger: The future can only be anticipated in the form of an absolute danger. It is that which breaks absolutely with the constituted normality and only be proclaimed, presented, as a sort of monstrosity (Derrida, 1974: 3). This ellipsis of the future, signifying danger (becoming, in Archon Satani’s space, dead headed), also dislodges the comfort of the present, and of presence; of the representing object, and its relation to the object represented, of the sign versus its referent. Hence the need for a notation, obtuse of signifying directives, not yet as a denotation and decoding, full of revealed meaning, of a certain type of society; but only of the function of recording qua art in reality, over and against symbolised reality, and even without any metaphysical reality. Archon Satani refuse permission for their recordings (not yet historicised as music, nor art) to be seen and hence, to be read as a reaction qua art against society: “we will all become ambient dead heads...” 3. In refusing music, and art, and reaction as historically revealed, politics are also seen to be refused. The future is one where the listener-subject will become as dead as the given inanimacy of the environment that surrounds her. Fundamentally psychoanalytic desires – those 2001-09-14T14:00:00-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Ambient-music-and-the-impulse-towards-deconstruction-3721.aspx Self-portraits - Van Gogh and Rembrandt Each artist is an individual with a unique style, and although these styles can be similar in practice – the individuality of the artist often proves the discriminating factor for a successful artwork. Self-portraits are beneficial when looking at the individuality of the artist as there are two aspects to look at – the artist’s style, and the artist’s view of him/herself. The latter can provide a brief insight into the mental situation of the artist as well as any apparent influencing factors of the artwork. This view can often also include fragmental insights into the society and culture of the time. Rembrandt van Rijn and Vincent van Gogh are 2 artists of whom are well represented by this statement. Rembrandt was born into a Dutch society of the Baroque era . This time period influenced his style of artwork heavily as these were the Post-High Renaissance years. This meant that the accepted artworks of the society at the time were religiously based works influenced by the efforts of the Reformation which was also occurring at the time. This meant that Rembrandt painted his works using religious artwork methods such as the art of chiaroscuro, strategically planning the composition of light and dark to give the figures an enlightened or holy appearance. Therefore when Rembrandt painted self-portraits he carried over these methods, painting himself in this almost holy presence with the use of chiaroscuro. The self-portraits show a vast expressiveness that make the works successful. Rembrandt longed to be like his Renaissance predecessors, often painting himself in the garments and fashion trends of the Renaissance era. The most common of these portrayed garments were the generic Berets that have now been typically associated with the common artist as a stereotype. Looking at the untitled self portrait of 1657 (Figure 1) you can see Rembrandt’s attention to detail and his persistence to achieve life-likeness. He has built up the wrinkled brow, the puckers of skin, in very detailed and effective passages of reddish colours. You can see the application of chiaroscuro in this painting which is obviously intentional as even his clothes, including fashionable beret, are dark to help with the distribution of light and dark with the focus being on his face. This self portrait is one I consider to be among his best. This work provides an insight into Rembrandt’s indifference to self-consciousness as you can see an aged, wrinkled 2001-09-08T14:00:00-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Self-portraits-Van-Gogh-and-Rembrandt-3701.aspx Beethoven, Bach and Bartok: Comparisons Barouque Composers Still Being Played Frequently <li>Monteverdi <li>Lully <li>Corelli <li>Pachelbel <li>Scarlatti <li>Purcell <li>Couperin <li>Albinoni <li>Vivaldi <li>Telemann <li>Rameau <li>Bach <li>Handel <li>Gluck <b>Baroque and Classical Orchestras – Differences</b> <table><tr><td width="50%">Baroque Orchestras</td><td>Classical Orchestras</td></tr><tr><td>String section and basso continuo central to the orchestra. Other instruments are occasional additions.</td><td>Standard group of four sections: strings, woodwinds, brass and percussion. Different instruments treated individually.</td></tr><tr><td>Fairly small; generally 10- 40 players.</td><td>Larger than baroque; great variation to the numbers of players.</td></tr><tr><td>Flexible use of timbres, e.g. Timpani and trumpets used generally just for festive music.</td><td>Standardised sections. Most sections used regularly.</td></tr><tr><td>Tone colour is distinctly secondary to other musical elements.</td><td>Greater variety of tone colour and more rapid changes of colour. </td></tr><tr><td>Timbre is unimportant and therefore a piece written for harpsichord could easily be rearranged for a string section.</td><td>Each section of the classical orchestra has a special role. And each instrument is used distinctively.</td></tr><tr><td>Wind instruments mainly used as solo instruments or as part of the basso continuo.</td><td>The wind section had become a separate unit capable of contrast and distinct colour.</td></tr><tr><td>The harpsichord generally plays an ostinato under the orchestra. Piano not invented.</td><td>The piano introduces a third colour-tone to be contrasted with the orchestra</td></tr></table> <b>Baroque and Classical Concerto Form– Differences</b> <table><tr><td width="50%">Baroque Concerto Form</td><td>Classical Concerto Form</td></tr> <tr><td>Concerto grosso (use of string orchestra set against a number of solo instruments) is the most popular concerto form of this period. Other forms include The ripieno concerto and the solo concerto.</td><td>Symphony form develops from baroque concerto forms and becomes the new form.</td></tr> <tr><td>Shorter movements than classical form.</td><td>Concerto longer than baroque from.</td></tr> <tr><td>Fairly strict structure and prerequisites, e.g. Traditional ritornello form, virtuostic displays etc.</td><td>More freedom and experimentation with traditional form.</td></tr> <tr><td>First movement has solo passages extending into long sections; alternated between four or five ritornello sections. </td><td>First movement constructed in a variant of ritornello form with a double exposition.</td></tr> <tr><td>Violin is preferred concerto solo instrument although the harpsichord becomes more and more popular throughout the century.</td><td>The newly prominent piano takes over as the most popular solo instrument.</td></tr> <tr><td>Composers rely heavily on ritornello form.</td><td>More freedom in the form although a sinfonia proper is later developed.</td></tr> <tr><td>The melody is made up of long, drawn-out phrases. </td><td>The melodies are shorter motifs.</td></tr> <tr><td>Minuet and trio third movement.</td><td>Minuet and trio is left out of the dramatic symphonic form.</td></tr></table> <b>Expansion of Music in the 20th Century</b> There are many elements that led to the expansion of music in the 20th Century. In some ways these elements were all linked to each other and it is difficult to say what events or ideas triggered the huge development of 2001-09-08T14:00:00-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Beethoven,-Bach-and-Bartok-Comparisons-3708.aspx Kurt Cobain & Jim Morrison - Poets of a generation Kurt Cobain and Jim Morrison were more than leads of great bands. They were heros of their generations. They had so many talents and each influenced a multitude of people. Aside from being singers and song writers Kurt was also a musician, guitarist and mass-media phenomenon, and Jim was also a poet, film maker and writer. Their groups also had about a twenty year span in between them. Even though it seems you could not compare them you actually can. Unlike fictional writers their material comes more from their life experiences and feelings. Even though it was different things that affected each one you can still see a pattern of similarity between their lives. They both experienced hardships in their lives and also a few unexpected turns. There was a massive amount of stress put on their lives because not only did they have to worry about what they wrote but also what they said. Live performances were constantly being taped, there were interviews and television shows and specials, newspaper and magazine articles, and also public appearances. To them this also had to become a form of artistry. The publicity and fame that comes to band is far greater than any that would come to just one single writer. This was also a factor in their writings and maybe even in their tragic deaths. Influences for their writings came throughout there whole lives. Even as far back as childhood. Kurt was very damaged from his parents divorce. He once said "I had a really good childhood up until I was nine, then a classic case of divorce really affected me."(www.downer.com quotes) He also confesses " I used to try to make my head explode by holding my breath, thinking that if I blew up my head, they'd [mom and dad] be sorry."(www.downer.com quotes) In a song "Serve the Servants" from In Utero he talks about this by saying " I just want you to know that I/ Don't hate you anymore/ There is nothing I could say/ That I haven't said before/ Serve the servants-oh no/ That legendary divorce is such a bore" As for Jim, he grew up in a military family. His father was in the navy. They were constantly moving and Jim's dad was frequently not home. Jim seemed to grow a lack of respect for his family and authority. In an early fact sheet Jim claimed 2001-08-16T14:00:00-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Kurt-Cobain-Jim-Morrison-Poets-of-a-generation-3646.aspx Salvador Dali <center><b>(1904-1989)</b></center> Salvador Dali was born into a middle-class family on May 11th, 1904 in Figures Spain. In 1921 he entered the San Fernando Academy of Fine Arts in Madrid where he made friends with Federico Garcia Lorca, Luis Bunuel, and Eugenio Montes. He pursued his personal intersest in Cubism and Futurism. In June of 1923 Dali was suspended from the Academy for having indicated the students to rebel against the authorities of the school. He was let back in October of 1925, and a year later Dali was permanently expelled. In 1924 he was imprisoned in Figures and Gerona for political reasons. Dali joined the Surrealists in 1929 due to the influence of metaphysical paintings, and his contact with Miro. Dali developed his method over the next few years. He describes his method as 'paranoic-critical, a 'spontaneous method of irrational knowledge based on critical and systematic objectivation of delirious associations and interpretations.' Works he produced at this time include The Lugubrious Game 1929, The Persistence of Memory 1931, and Surrealist Objects, Gauges of Instantaneous Memory 1932. Salvador Dali was the top Surrealists of this time. Surrealism explored the subconscious, the dream world, and irrational elements of the psyche in the belief that the discoveries to be made from such exploration would be of more fundamental importance to the human condition than any other form of social analysis. Salvador Dali was very fascinated by the fleeting state of the mind between sleep and consciousness, dream and reality, sanity and insanity, as one in which the mind functioned purely, free from the constraints of logic and social behavior. He read psychological case histories, hoping to represent neuroses in an ultra-realistic style, objectifying the irrational with photographic accuracy. In 1936, Dali began painting in a classical manner again, switching between Italian, Spanish and pompier styles. Dali was very politically involved, and had some extreme opinions. He was fascinated with Hitler, and his relations with the rest of the Surrealist group became strained after 1934, breaking away in 1939 when he declared his support for Franco. He moved to the USA, living there from 1939-1948. Dali held many one-man shows during his career. He directed and was a part of many films including the first surrealist film "Un Chiea A Dalou A Andalusian Dog", with the director Luis Bunuel. In 1945 he designed the surrealistic dream sequence for Hitchcock's Spellbound, and filmed Don Juan Tenorio, in 1951. Salvador Dali returned 2001-07-29T14:00:00-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Salvador-Dali-3597.aspx Tim Storrier <center><b>(1949-)</b></center> Tim Storrier was born in Sydney Australia in 1949. He spent his early childhood on his family's sheep station at Umagarlee, near Wellington, NSW. His mother and grandmother were interested in art, and he would draw a lot. He drew military heroes and rural subjects such as woolsheds. At the age of ten he went to boarding school in Sydney, where he spent a lot of time in the art room, painting under the influence of his teacher Ross Doig. Storrier attended the National Art School from 1967-1969. Storrier is a contemporary artist. He has used non-traditional artforms, incorporating different artstyles into the one artwork. He challenges the audiences comfort zone by depicting carcasses. Tim Storrier's artworks have been influenced by his childhood memories, dreams and myths of the Australian outback, country life, his travels to the outback, his travels to Egypt, and Dutch seascapes. Dutch artist Theo Kuijpers, English artists Constable and Turner, French artists Delacroix and Gericault, and Australian artists Russel Drysdale and Sydney Nolan have influenced Storrier's artwork as well. Tim Storrier goes about creating his artwork as follows. He travels to a sight, for example, the Australian bush and he commits what he sees, feels, and experiences to memory. He paints and creates his artworks when he returns to his studio. They are his personal response to the spirit of the location. He does not sketch or record notes whilst he is travelling, although he does take polaroid photographs. He takes photos of the same thing at different times of the day, resulting in his artworks having atmospheric effects of sunrise and sunsets. When Storrier did roleplays, dressing up for heroic roles, like a spy for example, he took photos to record himself as well. Upon returning to his studio Storrier picks a photograph that can be associated in a variety of ways. He makes works similar in subject matter, but which give different overall impressions. 'I never work from photographic documents. The little polaroids are just mental records. I paint pictures about, not from, photographs.' He explores the concept, and makes preliminary sketches and small studies of his ideas to decide the colour and tone. He chooses the size to make his artwork oncer he has his idea. Tim Storrier uses a variety of media in his artworks. He uses acrylics and oils, but likes acrylics more as they are quicker to work with, and it is easer 2001-07-29T14:00:00-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Tim-Storrier-3598.aspx Van Goghh - There are several van Goghs Art historian Griselda Pollock, in her documentary entitled The Legend of van Gogh, stated that ‘there are several van Goghs.’ To agree or disagree with this statement, one must firstly understand the point Pollock is attempting to get across. One could interpret this opinion as meaning that there are various artistic styles and several facets of van Gogh’s life that can be critically analysed; having this understanding of Pollock’s attitude toward van Gogh, it would be difficult not to agree with her. Using phraseology similar to that of Pollock, one could say that there are four van Goghs: the failing peasant, the successful sophisticate, the eccentric meaningful lover, and the van Gogh of the present day. All who have knowledge of the artist would know how complex his life was, and so it is not incredible to believe that he was all these things during his relatively short life. (Born in 1853, he died at the age of only 37, in 1890.) An alternate definition of Pollock’s statement is the following: He was prolific and protean: He was a scholar and a sufferer, an art-world pro and a destitute outsider, an evangelical bohemian, both sordid and sublime. There are as many ways to see his pictures as there are ways to read his life. Some are stolid brown and gray. Others seem to detonate in a shrapnel burst of color, as if his world had begun to fly apart. Some are piercingly original. Others closely imitate other artists' art. Apparent in these paintings – from "Van Gogh's Van Goghs: Masterpieces From the Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam" – are the combustible components that he mixed in his art. Firstly, van Gogh as the failing peasant. Van Gogh was not always a painter; although many claim he realised his artistic potential early in life , he did not seriously consider devoting his life to it (de Grausen , Eurie ). There is little known information about the artists first fifteen years, yet it is possible to find out the basics: after a few years of education in Holland, he left his studies at the age of 15, and never returned to them. In 1869, he joined a firm of art dealers in The Hague, called Goupil & Cie. (The van Gogh family had been involved in the art world for many years: both Vincent’s uncles, Cornelius and (Vin)Cent were art dealers, as was, of 2001-06-16T14:00:00-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Van-Goghh-There-are-several-van-Goghs-3502.aspx Recording Studio Technology and the Producer Studio technology has developed drastically over the years and has become ever more vital to the record producer within the music industry. Different producers make use of studio technology in different ways, often depending on the style of music that they are producing, their preferred method of production and the band’s preference of sound. The development of recording technology has run parallel to a reorientation in popular music production. The goal of getting a good sound is no different now than it was when the first recordings were made, but the idea of what a good sound is and how it should be achieved are radically different. The role of the recording producer in popular music is very important; the producer plays a very big part in the realisation of a composition by deciding what technology should be used and how to use it. Interplay between the musician, record producer and engineer is critical to the recording process. However, what is eventually fixed to tape must first be composed around the limitations of the available technology. Thus the most direct interactions between music and technology occur during composition and realisation. There are a number of record producers who have become famous for their distinctive sound and their particular techniques and application of varied developments of studio technology. Some producers take much advantage of the technology available to them, whilst others seem to prefer to employ more classical techniques of record production, tending to shy away from the increasing practise of digital studio technology. Ross Robinson, well known for producing ‘nu-metal’ bands such as ‘Korn’, ‘Deftones’, ‘Limp Bizkit’ and ‘Soulfly’, generates his own distinctive sound. Robinson focuses more on capturing the soul and spirit of the music that he produces. He does this by resisting the use of digital technology and continuing to use analogue, stating that ‘the digital realm is very trendy, and it’s not a very permanent sound, it’s just too synthetic, it doesn’t come from flesh and blood.’ (R. Robinson. Quoted by A. Pertout. Ross Robinson: The Art of a Record Producer [online]. Available from: <a href="http://www.users.bigpond.com/apertout/Robinson.com">http://www.users.bigpond.com/apertout/Robinson.com</a>. [Accessed 02/06/01].) Another producer known for his creation of a specific sound is Butch Vig, who became famous for his work on the album ‘Nevermind’ by Nirvana. (1991, Geffen). Butch Vig had a tendency to record everything dry, steering away from the use of effects when recording. He would use quite a lot of compression on Kurt 2001-06-05T14:00:00-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Recording-Studio-Technology-and-the-Producer-3460.aspx Eminem's Controversial Lyrics The average rapper wouldn’t be able to grace the pages of Rap Pages, VIBE, Spin, The Source, URB and Stress and go on a national tour months before their major label debut album is released. Then again Eminem isn’t the average rapper. Marshall Bruce Mathers a.k.a. Eminem. Born October 17, 1972, grew up in Kansas City. From there he began his career as an individual white rapper. Not many white people are able to succeed in the rap industry, but Eminem has proved everyone wrong. He is now one of the most talked about persons on the earth. His lyrics offend some people, this sparks controversy and censorship. His lyrics containing things such as drugs, alcohol, death, homosexuals, sex and suicide. In some of his songs he includes lyrical slander towards bands like NSYNC, Christina Aguilera, Backstreet Boys, Brittney Spears and Puff Daddy. He views these bands as manufactured and as he calls them “faggots”. In one of his songs called “Marshall Mathers” he says “Boy girl groups make me sick, and I cant wait until I catch all you faggots in public, I’m a love it.” Most of the songs off his records he is bad mouthing homosexuals. This creates a ruckus in the media because the gay and lesbian parties protest outside of his concerts and award shows. These groups want Eminem to be either banned, have his records changed or a heavy censorship on his records. In response to these claims Eminem said “I am who I am, I don’t compromise my stuff for nobody.” That’s the way he is and that’s the way he is going to stay. A fellow rapper, Dr Dre (Eminem’s producer) said “Its working, we are creating controversy, this means record sales, if you don’t like this record, wait for the next one, if you don’t like this one then you ain’t going to like next one much better.” And that’s what happened. The next album was worse. The critics had lots to complain about and still are complaining. In my eyes being an Eminem fan, I liked it. But some people didn’t see it my way. Not long ago Eminem was in court for gun charges. He hit somebody over the head with a gun because he was hitting on his wife, Kim Mathers. Eminem was fined thousands of dollars, put on a good behaviour bond and monthly drug tests. So to stay 2001-05-21T14:00:00-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Eminem-s-Controversial-Lyrics-3389.aspx Differing Mentalities In Hip Hop And Rock Some of my friends listen to certain genres of rock music, some listen to hip-hop. Despite our friendship we have differing views upon each genres of music. Having listened to both genres of music at one point in my life I have an understanding of why some rock listeners would be quick to reject hip-hop as meaningful, complex and valid art form. The production of hip-hop music first consisted of two turntables and a microphone. The originators of the music who embraced the essence of spoken word in a rhythmic format, were working with the best of what they had living in a situation of poverty. As time and technology progressed, and became cheaper, the production of hip-hop became digital. Beat machines, computer programs that sequenced samples and DAT players that recorded vocals all combined in a computer to produce a finishing product known as hip-hop. Rock music consisted of a drummer, a guitar and a bassist. As time and technology progressed the instruments of this music also changed. The introduction of the electric guitar connected to amps and speakers. Guitar players were able to distort the sound giving it a louder angrier tone. Although technological progress has changed the method in which hip-hop is produced, rock music is still traditionally played with guitarists, drummer and bassists. The actual music being played in hip-hop is simplistic. Traditional hip-hip will not exceed 8 bars of music and is looped over and over again. It is usually a repetition of one-note with quarter note intervals or mere arpeggios, or just the use of a sample with simple bass and constant drum line. There is a reason for this simplicity. If hip-hop were more melodic, it would clutter the MC. Therefore the beat in hip-hop plays a secondary role, accompanying the MC. The focus of hip-hop music is not in the actual music being produced but is the content of the message that the MC is attempting to portray. Of course some have more meaningful things to say than others. The simplicity of hip-hop is where most of the rock listeners find hip-hop music unappealing, because of the “lack of skill” in the production of music compared to that of rock. Majority of rock music is more complex than hip-hop concerning the actual music being played. There is more effort in the production of the notes being played as it grows from a 2001-05-09T14:00:00-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Differing-Mentalities-In-Hip-Hop-And-Rock-3344.aspx The Last Supper The Last Supper was a very powerful Biblical event, in which Jesus and his disciples gathered for one final dinner together. According to the Bible, important events took place during the Last Supper, including an announcement by Jesus that one of his disciples would betray him and the first communion. To artists in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, it was necessary to give proper deference to such notable occurrences. Both Leonardo da Vinci and Jacopo Robusti, known as Tintoretto, took upon the challenge of recreating the Last Supper. While Last Supper by da Vinci and Last Supper by Tintoretto are very similar in subject matter, they differ in composition, symbolism, and the choice of narrative moment. The Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci is the first great figure composition of the High Renaissance and the definitive interpretation of its theme. Jesus and his twelve disciples are seated at a long table that is parallel to the picture plane. The room is spacious and peaceful, and Christ has his arms spread in disposed trust . The rest of the group is in intense and dramatic excitement, with their hands out in shock and question at Jesus’ words. The viewer can just feel the tense excitement sweeping through the groups of disciples. Jesus, the most important figure in the painting, has been placed in front of three windows that are in the back of the room, and he is framed by the center window with a curved pediment that arches above his head. His head serves as the focal and vanishing point of this piece, and your eye is immediately attracted to it. Da Vinci has arranged the disciples into groups of three and tied all the groups together through their hand motions giving this piece a symmetrically aesthetic feeling. Your eye is taken on a journey through the oval-shaped composition of the piece, but it is clear that Jesus serves as the vital magnet. The Last Supper by Tintoretto is a beautiful Mannerist-style painting in which the painter creates a revolutionary type of composition. The piece’s surface plane now shoots in a diagonal motion and Jesus is noticeable only because of the light around his head. There is a feeling of unsure commotion throughout the figures as they lean into uncomfortable positions, such as the maid in the foreground. The figures also seem to blossom in light through a darkness of the 2001-05-04T14:00:00-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Last-Supper-3321.aspx The Winged Human-headed Bull The one piece of Mesopotamian art that struck me the most was the Winged Human Headed Bull, also called Lamassu. This high relief struck me because of its power. It is able to command attention through its size, position, and strangeness. Its scale is massive at almost fourteen feet tall. It is placed at the entrance of the Citadel of Sargon II, demanding attention and setting the mood. It carries a strangeness with its five legs, bull body, human head, and bird wings. When I first saw this piece, I felt a fear arise in me, especially after visualizing what it must be like to see it up close. The Assyrians that designed this piece of art were trying to capture the viewer’s attention and provoke fear. The Assyrians, who reigned 2001-05-04T14:00:00-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Winged-Human-headed-Bull-3323.aspx Miles Davis and the development of improvisation in jazz music <b>Abstract</b> This essay is a discussion of how the way jazz trumpeter Miles Davis changes his way of improvising, looking at two pieces from different times. The solos in the pieces were transcribed by myself and then analysed in detail. From these analyses, several conclusions on the style of improvising were drawn, and then the conclusions from the two pieces were compared. The piece ‘New Rhumba’, showed how Davis was using his technical ability to create an impressive solo, but was also leaning towards a more sparse and spacious form of improvising, where the times he doesn’t play are just important as when he does play, and the solo in ‘So What’, showed this new style in full. The analyses of the two solos also showed Davis’ ability to improvise solos in a way that it seemed as though he had already composed them. They were full of melodic tunes. This was also emphasized by the fact that Davis often would think of a motif, and would then repeat this, developing on it, creating variations of it. This all gave the solo a sense of unity. When people in the audience heard the solos, they would recognize things Davis was playing late in the solo, as variations on themes he was playing earlier on. On a more technical basis, it shows the difference in the two solos, of the amount of time Davis spends on notes outside the chord. In ‘New Rhumba’, the earlier piece, his use of extensions is greater, and there are far more times where he uses flattened, or sharpened extensions. The later piece, ‘So What’, is less active in this area. This essay reveals some of the aspects of Miles Davis’ style, which made him such a legendary, and influential jazz trumpeter. <b>Topic: A discussion of the development of improvisation in jazz music in reference to trumpeter Miles Davis.</b> Miles Dewey Davis was born on the 26th of May 1926, in Alton, Illinois. He became famous around the world for his incredible trumpet and flugelhorn playing, but he was also an accomplished keyboard player, and composer. Although born in Alton, Illinois, Miles Davis lived in East St Louis. He came from a wealthy middle-class background. It isn't surprising to see that a person with the talent of Miles Davis came from a Davis' father musical family. His mother played the violin, and his sister played the piano. Although Miles 2001-04-24T14:00:00-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Miles-Davis-and-the-development-of-improvisation-in-jazz-music-3255.aspx Visit to an Asian art Collection The Metropolitan Museum of Art has one of the finest Asian art collections that has enlightened and strengthened my understanding in my personal art experience. The Museum itself is an artistic architectural structure that graces the entire block on 82nd Street in Manhattan. Entering inside, I sensed myself going back into an era, into a past where people traded ideas and learned from each other. It is a past, where I still find their works of yesteryears vividly within my grasp, to be remembered and shared as if their reflections of works were cast for the modern devoted learner. Walking into the Hall of the Buddhas, there was a sense of peace and guidance lingering inside me. The seated Bodhisattva, of the Northern Wei dynasty (386-534), CA.480, from the Yungang, Cave xv, Shani Province, made of sandstone, guarded the entrance. At first, I thought it was a time to be disciplined, but the transcending smile from the statue was a delicate fixed gesture that offered a feeling of welcome. It was not a place to confess your wrongdoings; neither was it a place for me to say, “Buddha I have sinned.” It was a room to purify the mind, the mind that we take for granted without giving it harmony. There was a large mural decorating the main wall called “The Paradise of Bhaishajyaguru”(916-1125). I sat down wandering if the artist of the portrait knew that his work would one day be shared on this side of the world, in my time. Much like Jesus Christ and his followers, the mural is a painting of healers and saviors. It was a large figure of the Buddha of medicine, (Bhaishajyaquru) surrounded by followers of Bodhisattvas, Avalokiteshvara, and Mahosthamaprapta with twelve guardian generals who have pledged to disseminate the Buddha’s teaching (Tradition of Liao 916-1125, Metropolitan Museum wall plaque). On the other side, I noticed a standing statue called “Quan Yin” that I have often encountered. It was an Avalokiteshvara from the Sui dynasty (581-618) made of limestone (Metropolitan Museum Plaque). Unlike the Quan Yin statue at home or any of the ones I have seen, it was difficult to pinpoint the gender of this Saint. I often hear people ask if “Quan Yin” was really a female, but throughout my learning experience it was mainly worshipped by women and given the status as female. Perhaps, like Red Azalea by Anchee Min, “Quan Yin” 2001-04-20T14:00:00-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Visit-to-an-Asian-art-Collection-3225.aspx Sandro Botticelli: The Renaissance Artist Sandro Botticelli, born Alessandro Mariano Filipepi, was the son of a tanner. He was born in Florence around 1445 and showed a talent for painting at a very early age. Botticelli was first apprenticed under a goldsmith named Sandro, from whom it is believed he derived his nickname. At the age of sixteen, he served an apprenticeship with the painter Fra Filippo Lippi (Durant, 1953). From Lippi he learned to create the effect of transparency, to draw outlines, and to give his pictures fluidity and harmony. He also worked with painter and engraver Antonio del Pollaiuolo, from whom he gained his sense of line. By 1470, Botticelli had his own workshop and had developed a highly personal style characterized by elegant execution, a sense of melancholy, and a strong emphasis on line. Botticelli spent most of his life working for the great families of Florence, including the Medici family. Botticelli’s name appears regularly in the account books of members of the Medici family, for whom he painted banners, portraits, and altarpieces along with paintings of allegorical or mythological subject matter. Likenesses of the Medici family are found in various paintings including “Judith,” “Madonna of the Magnificat,” and “Adoration of the Magi.” Apart from his works for members of the Medici family, Botticelli received many commissions from other prominent members of the Florentine society, including the Vespucci family. Botticelli first made a name for himself by his paintings of the Virgin and Child, and was given a public commission to paint “Fortitude” which was to be hung in the Trade law court. In about 1481, Botticelli, along with Ghirlandaio, Perugino, and Cosimo Rosselli, was called to Rome by Pope Sixtus IV to decorate the walls of the Sistine Chapel with scenes from the Old and New Testaments. Botticelli controlled the scheme and executed three of the frescoes. The large scale of these works and the attempt to include several stages of narrative in one composition were not fully mastered and remain confused and disorganized (Gowing, 1983). In his paintings, Botticelli retained enough objects and paid enough attention to the human body to create a sense of realism, but it is evident that he was more concerned with the spiritual presence of his subjects (Magill, 1989). Because of this, his subjects were less individualized in terms of their clothing or bodily structure and the sense of a domestic scene was not emphasized. Feminine beauty was 2001-04-14T14:00:00-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Sandro-Botticelli-The-Renaissance-Artist-3207.aspx Picasso - Cultural Expression Picasso was arguably the most influential artist of the twentieth century. He had some degree of influence in all styles of painting which were used during his time, and was known and respected by almost every art enthusiast on the face of the planet. Pablo Picasso, born Pablo Ruiz y Blasco, came into the world on the 25th of October 1881 in the southern Spanish town of Malaga. Pablo was an artist from early in his life – he was a child prodigy. He began his career as a classical painter. He painted things such as portraits and landscapes. But this style didn’t satisfy Picasso, he was a free man and wanted to express himself and ultimately leave a lasting mark on art as we know it. Picasso turned his attention to cubes. He invented Cubism – a radical art form which used harsh lines and corners to display a picture instead of the usual soft curves (see enclosed picture no. 1). Picasso won a lot of fame for his Cubist paintings, but was criticized for it also. He designed and painted the drop curtain and some giant cubist figures for a ballet in 1917. When the audience saw the huge distorted images on stage, they were angry, they thought the ballet was a joke at their expense. Cubism lived on despite this. Other artists mimicked Picasso’s Cubism, and it took hold. Picasso had only just begun his one-man art revolution. In the late 1920s, Picasso fixed himself upon an even more revolutionary art form – Surrealism. Surrealism emphasized the role of the unconscious mind in creative activity. Surrealists aimed at creating art from dream, visions, and irrational impulses. Their paintings shocked the world – particularly Picasso’s – it was unlike anything anyone had ever seen before. Picasso saw his newly found art form as a kind of “painted literature” or sign language. He took advantage of this fact and also the fact that he was extremely famous, to make a few political statements, statements that would go down in history. 1936 saw the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War. Fascist revolutionaries, led by Francisco Franco took hold of Spain and imposed a fascist dictatorship upon the country. Due to poor economic control and disregard for the people on the part of the Fascists, the country went through hell. The unemployment rate was phenomenal. The majority of the population were peasants and lived 2001-03-18T13:00:00-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Picasso-Cultural-Expression-3061.aspx Raves We’ve all seen them before. Maybe at a bus stop, in our schools, or at the coffee shop. “They” look odd enough to frighten a circus clown, but for some reason, they always smile when you look their way. Perhaps it’s that their hair is the color of the sunset or that their pants look like they could house a small family. It could be that their headphones seem permanently glued to their ears and that they’re never afraid to groove on the sidewalk. Whatever the reason, you know that “they” are not quite normal. You may call them “freaks,” or “punks,” or simply “those crazy kids.” But if you did, you’d be misled for “they” are not you’re average young people, no, “they” are ravers. Before we go any further, I think I should first dispel some rumors and ease your mind of the negative thoughts that must be sweeping through it. What do you think of when you hear the word rave? Drugs? Hoodlum kids running amuck? Loud music that interferes with the whole community’s sleeping habits? Violence? The dictionary defines the word “rave” as a numerous amount of things, such as “an act or instance” or the verb “to talk with extreme enthusiasm,” but this is one case where Webster has got it all wrong. What is the true definition of a rave? In most cases, a rave is simply a dance party where guests experience a sense of camaraderie and elevated consciousness through the presence of music. This means there is an abundance of dance expression, interaction with other such ravers, and a positive mood change. And while there are sometimes drugs involved, there is absolutely no deliberate disturbance of the peace and zero tolerance for violence. But I’m getting ahead of myself. Let’s divulge into the history of this invigorating phenomenon. The exact origin of raves is unknown, though many say the gatherings are reminiscent of American Indian religious ceremonies, like pow-wows. The first modern raves are said to have occurred in English warehouses around 1987 and were focused around homosexual males. Since then, raves have grown more than anyone might think possible. With this growth has come evolution as well. Raves are now held in nearly almost city or town, whether it be heavily populated or in the middle of cornfields. Customarily, they are centered in abandoned warehouses decked out in black lights and strobes, but 2001-03-17T13:00:00-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Raves-3052.aspx The Rebirth of American Musical Theatre Two great writers of American musical theatre, Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, had one idea in common. They wanted to present to the American public a new and revolutionary musical that would stand out above the rest. They wanted to make an impact on the societies of the era. They wanted to be creative and do something that was considered rebellious. When they finally combined their ideas together they created an American masterpiece in musical theatre: Oklahoma!. It was the first Rodgers and Hammerstein collaboration, starting the most successful creative partnership in the history of American musical theatre. According to Joseph Swain in his book The Broadway Musical: A Critical and Musical Survey, there are a number of reasons why a particular work of art might be considered a milestone in the history in its genre. It might introduce innovations of technique and style so convincing that they may become extremely influential. It might attract such wide acclaim that it cannot be ignored by the artists who come after, even if the acclaimed fame eventually fades with time. It could stand as the first work of an important series. Or perhaps, it sets a new standard of artistry. (73) For whatever factors that influenced the writers to create the works they did, they produced some of the most successful and incredibly influential works of musical theatre in their time. In the years before Oklahoma! was created, Broadway was dying. New and refreshing musicals were a rare occasion and when an artist tried to create something that he hoped his audience would like, he was sadly disappointed. Broadway was suffering from a lack of what it was revered for: astounding plays and musicals. Its time of glamour and glitz was almost forgotten, and was in need of being saved. That is why Oklahoma! is considered a rebirth of the American musical theatre at the time. It brought Broadway back to life, filling theatre seats with enthusiastic audiences who embraced the changes of this new theatre musical with open arms and made it a legend. Oklahoma! set new standards for classic American theatre by introducing new techniques of presenting the musical to the audience, introducing a new genre of music into the theatre, and strayed away from the usual classic form and structure of a musical that audiences had grown used to. It was a time of change, a time of excitement, 2001-03-03T13:00:00-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Rebirth-of-American-Musical-Theatre-2959.aspx Van Gogh: The Expressionist <i>"What lives in art and is eternally living, is first of all the painter, and then the painting."</i> - Vincent Van Gogh Expressionism is an art form in which the very style itself and the symbols that the artist uses are meant to express his innermost feelings on the subject. Vincent van Gogh has often been hailed as the quintessential expressionist painter. His artwork covers a range of moods over the years, and his canvases are almost mirrors into his troubled soul. Vincent van Gogh lived a troubled life. He once described his childhood as " cold, gloomy and sterile." He alienated himself from his parents and siblings by being a stubborn and reclusive child. He was clumsy, uncommunicative, and lived an early life of solitude, being misunderstood by his own family. The only sibling he had any sort of close relationship with was his brother, Theo. He would later be Vincent’s biggest supporter, both moral and financial, during the formative years of his unsuccessful career in art. As the young Vincent grew up, he realized that art was his calling in life. He decided that he would paint and make a living off his sales. Ironically, though his paintings may sell for millions today…van Gogh actually sold only one painting in his lifetime, and this, for the meager cost of 40 francs. Van Gogh’s problems were numerous. First of all, he just didn’t have the social skills to be happy in his personal life. He had a few disastrous relationships with women before sinking deep into solitude and depression. His paintings during his troubled romances and the ensuing heartbreaks are filled with darkness and pain, reflecting his inner sorrow. Secondly, while Vincent’s paintings were indisputably brilliant, he simply didn’t have the interpersonal skills to make any sales! The legend has it that he actually used to argue with buyers who praised them, trying to convince them forcefully that his work was not remarkably good! He was an extremely modest man, perhaps overly so. He signed all of his works with simply "Vincent," never adding the surname. His numerous personal failures are arguably evident in his works at the time. His inability to find companionship and his constant dependence on Theo for financial support depressed him considerably. In his portraits of people and his scenes during this period, one could argue that the lines and the somber expressions on the faces are practically screaming replicas 2001-03-01T13:00:00-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Van-Gogh-The-Expressionist-2969.aspx Black Nationalism and the Revolution in Music The black population has fought hard to get where they are in today’s society in terms of their courage, beliefs and faith to accomplish what they have done in the fields of politics and music. They have been affective in the field of politics by having leaders such as Dr. Martin Luther king Jr., Malcolm x and Nelson Mandela lead them to a civil right society where everyone was treated equally. And they have also been part of the revolution of music in terms of how many categories they have invented and taken over. In the field of politics, their leaders led their community in different ways that at the end; their work paid off. They won each and every battle they had to fight. But the most important battle they had to face was to influence their people to do right things and help them achieve goals in life. They made them believe in themselves in every way, that they could do whatever they were capable of doing. These leaders have inspired blacks in many ways such as being positive, having faith in what they believed in, being strong, fight for their families and for what was right. For example, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.: he inspired blacks because he was one of the fewest civil rights leaders in the history to shape America. The fact that he helped change the terrible situations that the black community and other races were going through, and to win equal treatment of citizens of all races, made him a true hero and role model for his community (the black community). On the other side, we have a man called Malcolm X. Similar King, he was also a leader who fought for justice and equality in America for all the races. Although he fought differently from Martin, X’s legacy influenced blacks and coloured people to believe in their dreams. And then we have a man called Nelson Mandela. He is the hero in the African history who fought hard for his country to be where it is today. He believed that for a community to be successful, everyone had to work together as one. And although, at that time, whites were controlling the country (South Africa), he didn’t stop his mission there. No, he went to the extreme, to see his people prosper. He stayed in prison for 27 years, just to see his 2001-01-22T13:00:00-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Black-Nationalism-and-the-Revolution-in-Music-2783.aspx Are Asher Lev's Paintings Disrespectful to his Parents? <center><b>Are Asher's paintings of the Cruxifixion an ultimate act of disrespect towards his parents?</b></center> Asher Lev paints against the values of his family and community. He disregards Jewish traditions and observance by pursuing his passion for art. His individuality has him disobeying the Rebbe, the mashphia, his mythic ancestor as well as his parents. Asher does not intend for his artwork to be harmful, but that they convey truths and feelings. Yet, the Brooklyn Crucifixions cause shame for his observant Jewish parents. In that way, he disrespects their teachings and wishes. He challenges the Jewish belief on modesty in creating nude works and disturbs the Hasidic community in his Christian imagery. Worst of all is the reflection of the life-like representation of his family in the paintings. This causes a shocked and angry reaction from the public. The climax evolves towards the last chapter of My Name is Asher Lev, when Asher's parents react hurtingly after the paintings are exposed to them in the New York Museum. Chaim Potok writes their reaction as happening slowly in a step-by-step movement; in silences; building up readers' expectations of a negative outcome. Guilt and fear of disobedience induces a silence from Asher. "They're not the truth, Papa; but they're not lies either". Asher appears to be speaking in his mind while thinking of the memories that the pictures portray. He disregards his father's lesson on how 'one Jew can cause the rest of the Jews to suffer'. Asher feels his disrespect as a son and justifies himself in his mind, but does not speak to his parents about the Cruxifixion paintings at all. Disrespect for his parents makes Asher scared. He anticipates their disappointment and hurt. Readers sympathize in acknowledging his inner suffering as he struggles to communicate freely with them. Asher fears his father's reaction more than his mother's reaction for it is his father that disapproves of Asher drawing in the first place. The father appears to be the one who should be feared the most. Other characters suggest this, for example, Asher's teacher who says,"What will your father say if he saw this?" in regards to the picture of the Rebbe Asher drew in his Chumash. His mother is more supportive of Asher and just wants him and his father to get along. After finishing their journey for the Rebbe, she says " I want you and your father to be friends", The 2001-01-07T13:00:00-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Are-Asher-Lev-s-Paintings-Disrespectful-to-his-Parents-2738.aspx Development and Demise of the "Seattle Sound" The “Seattle sound”, a phrase coined for music created by Alternative-style rock bands based in Seattle, is said to contain three (3) basic elements: it is loud, it is honest, and it is borne of musicians that have experienced a degree of difficulty in achieving recognition. The “Seattle sound”, often times referred to as “grunge”, is notorious for being performed at exceedingly high volume. It has been defined as honest music because it is performed in a raw and unrefined manner, without the aid of electronic polishing. Additionally, a common thread of grunge bands is said to be that they suffer from an uncommonly low rate of recognition The affects of Seattle’s geographical location appears to be an ingredient of the music created by these grunge bands, whether expressed blatantly or subliminally. Seattle exists in a corner of our nation and a great distance from more prominent cities, therefore, a sense of isolationism amongst its citizens is to be expected. Seattle is also subject to an unusually high level of precipitation, most notably rain, one (1) of the few things that the city may be regarded as famous for. An abundance of gloomy days certainly plays upon the psyche of the human attitude. Musicians of grunge bands appear to express this geographical condition in the manner in which they choose their topics for lyrics and deliver their music. Isolation may be cited as an influence in their music with the respect to the style in which they deliver their product, well practiced, yet unrefined because of their lack of hope for recognition. Unrelentingly dreary weather may be responsible for depression among band members that may well be reflected in their music, possibly accounting for their extreme volume (frustration and yearning to be heard) and crude lyrics (unpolished because they expect to remain obscure). As with any trend, grunge began to lose its followers within a relatively short period of time, or perhaps it simply became excepted to the extent that its label changed from “fad” to “mainstream“. Grunge, much like most trends or fashions, relied upon commercialization to exist as such. When newness fades, replacements are sought and new titles created that are designed to draw popularity to address the apparent human need to represent uniqueness, but at the same time fulfill a desire to be accepted by others with similar likes and dislikes. If one (1) views history with regard to 2000-12-13T13:00:00-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Development-and-Demise-of-the-"Seattle-Sound"-2683.aspx The History of Rave Music The history of Rave Music is quite interesting. It has been around for decades. Some enjoy it, some don’t. There is some conflict as to where Rave Music actually started. Some people, non-ravers most likely, ask what is Rave Music? Rave Music is made up of technologically advanced beats that are mixed with other beats to form music. Rave Music has a culture of its own, as so does any other music type. The history of Rave Music is hard to sum up, but here it goes... The controversy in “Who started Rave Music, U.K. or U.S.?” is going to forever live on. But in all actuality, the U.S. sparked the flame that started it all. It all started back in 1970, in Detroit and Chicago, when Djs, like Frankie Knuckles, would program drum rhythms and play disco records over the top of his beats. He would play this “music” in the “club environment”. In 1977, in Chicago, the first club, playing this “music”, opened and was called The Warehouse. This is where house music received its name (shortened version of the clubs name). The U.K. heard of this and adopted the music. The music blew up over seas. Meanwhile it was still on the low in the U.S.. That is why people say the U.K. started it. House music was being played in gay clubs, in England, for 2 years before any sign of acceptance in the straight scene. While that was going on, the Djs in the U.S. were playing around with their music and somehow came up with the idea of mixing house music and hip-hop together. In 1985, Hip-house was born. This is when house music blew up in the United States. In 1986, Underground was born. Djs started getting creative with their music and in 1987 Deep House and Techno were born. In 1988, came Acid House. This was invented by 2 Djs who were hooking up their equipment and someone accidentally hit the on switch and on came the speakers making an “acidy” noise. The Djs liked the noise and decided to mix house music in. Thus, making Acid House. The U.K. began feeling left out and started experimenting themselves. In 1989, they came up with New Beat, a mix between Acid, Techno and House. While this was going on the U.S. came up with Hardcore, some really really fast house music. In 1990, LA finally 2000-11-28T13:00:00-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-History-of-Rave-Music-2584.aspx Music of the 60s The Sixties were an exciting revolutionary period of time with great social and technological change. Some people called it the “decade of discontent” because of the race riots in Detroit and La, and the demonstrations against the Vietnam War. Other people called it the decade of “peace, love, and harmony”. It was called this because of the peace movement and the emergence of the flower children. (Britannica) The sixties were about assassination, unforgettable fashion, new styles of music, civil rights, gay and women’s liberation, Vietnam, Neil Armstrong landing on the moon, peace marches, sexual freedom, drug experimentation, and Woodstock. All of these components caused a revolutionary change in the world of popular Music. The beginning of Rock and roll started with The Twist. by Chubby Checker This song changed our dancing moves. Other dance songs that helped this period of rock and roll along include: The Mash Potato, The Monster Mash ,the Pony, The Swim, The Jerk, The Monkey, and The Hully Gully. The first New York white rock star was Dion. He was the lead singer of the band the Belmonts. He was one of the the few rockers in his generation to evidence serious artistic growth (Unterberger). He moved into Country Blues, and Dylan material with sensitivity ,but drug problems slowed his progress until the late 60s. He made a comeback as a folk-rock singer with his song Abraham ,martin and John. Dion was one of several Italian-Americans to make important pop rock in the 60s. Other big American Rock groups of the 60s include: The Beach Boys, the four Seasons, and Frankie Valli. They had songs which included Sherry, Walk like a man, Candy Girl, Dawn, and Rag doll. Joey Dee was the most popular white twist artist of the 60s with his hit Peppermint Twist. Other members of Joey Dee’s band formed another Band called the Nucleus of the rascals. This band Featured a thick Organ sound of Felix cavaliere,They had a number one hit titled Good Lovin in 1966. The beatles started the British invasion in 1964, when they had there first television appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show. The british Invasion was influenced by American recordings of British Pop Music. This period confirmed rock music internantionally .The baetles combined the guitar based rock and roll of Chuck berry and buddy holly with the artistry of the tin pan alley style.(Encarta) The animals were another 2000-11-20T13:00:00-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Music-of-the-60s-2548.aspx Beto cuevas There are many rock bands in the world. One of them is the Spanish singing band of La Ley (The Law). Luis Alberto Cuevas Olmedo or "Beto" as everybody knows him, is the vocalist and the image of the band. Thanks to Beto’s hard work, dedication, and education, La Ley has exported their music all over Latin America and the United States. To begin, Alberto Cuevas was born in Santiago de Chile, the capital of Chile, September the 12th, 1967. When he was four years old, he moved to live in Venezuela. Then, he went to Canada, and France. When he was twenty years old. he went back to Chile. Once in Chile, he joined the rock band that his friend Andres Bobe was putting together. From that moment on, he started to work hard for the band. He made his debut in1989 when the band’s first CD came out. The CD was called "Desiertos"("Deserts") from which only 500 copies where made. Then, two years later, they recorded a new CD called "Doble Opuesto." In 1994, the band suffered a tragedy. the founder of the band Andres Bobe got killed in a car accident. In his memory, Beto wrote five songs about Bobe. In 1996, they signed a record deal with WEA Latina. They took advantage of this opportunity and recorded a new album, which was called "Invisible." La Ley used the five songs Beto wrote in Bobe’s name. This album, with songs like "Dia Cero" "El Duelo," and Cielo Market" was a hit in Mexico, Latin America, Spain, and the United Sates. Thanks to Beto’s hard work, La Ley has got to the point where it is right now. Besides singing, Beto also designs the drawings and designs they use on their CDs. He does this because he studied graphic design in a university in France. That is where he learned to speak perfect French. He also speaks perfect English. He learned to speak English when he was in Canada. While he was living in Canada, before joining the band, he took music classes. He learned to sing, play both the acoustic and electric guitar. He also learned to play the drums and the piano. To conclude, La Ley has been around for ten years. They have been through tough times like when the founder of the band, Andres Bobe, died. But thanks to Beto’s hard work and dedication they have come 2000-11-16T13:00:00-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Beto-cuevas-2520.aspx Rap and Censorship The beginnings of rap are believed to based on African rhythms which were used as a form of communication by the native peoples. The lyrical component of rap music is thought to have been greatly influenced by Cab Calloway with his repetitive chants and scats, along with his call-and-response technique with the audience. Rap evolved and gained in popularity in the 1960's when a few revolutionary "DJ's," including Kool DJ Herc, DJ Lovebug Starski, and DJ Hollywood, began to work block parties in the Bronx. They would bring in large speakers, hook them up to a turntable and play two of the same record at the same time, repeating the same section of the vinyl over and over by scratching it. Other performers would chant and yell to the crowd. In 1979, music companies recorded rap for the first time. Such acts as The Sugar Hill Gang, The Fatback Band, and Grandmaster Flash were among the first to gain popularity. In 1982, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five released the first popular politically based rap. Grandmaster's song "The Message" deals with life in the inner city, and the stress of being around violence and drugs. It included such lyrics as, "Junkies in the alley with a baseball bat, I tried to get away but I can't get far, cause the man with the touch-up repossessed my car, don't push me 'cause I'm close to the edge…" The early popularity of rap was hindered by an inability to reach new audiences. After much controversy, MTV began to run videos by black artists. These artists were showcased primarily on the new program "Yo! MTV Raps". The rhythms and the lyrics attracted a spectrum of listeners, from inner-city minorities to suburban upper-class whites. During the same era, as rap was rising in popularity, the infamous "PMRC hearings" occurred. Tennessee senator Al Gore's wife, Tipper, led the PMRC, or Parents' Music Resource Center. This group, which included a number of other wives of Washington legislators, convinced Congress to hold hearings regarding the placement of warning labels on "offensive" albums. The National PTA also called for warning labels on violent, sexually explicit, or vulgar albums in their yearly address in 1984. During the Congressional hearings, several ideas were considered including warning labels, a ratings system, and singer/songwriter Frank Zappa's idea which was to publish the actual lyrics of the album and put them on a sheet of 2000-11-14T13:00:00-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Rap-and-Censorship-2502.aspx Giuseppe Verdi Verdi, Giuseppe (1813-1901), was an Italian operatic composer. He was raised as a duchy. He was born on October 10, 1813, in Roncole. Verdi first studied music in the town of Busseto. In 1832 Verdi was rejected to study with the Milan Conservatory because of his age. He became the pupil of composer Vincenzo Lavigna. Then returned to Busseto in 1833 as conductor. At the age of 25 Verdi again went to Milan. His first opera, Oberto, was produced at La Scala 2000-11-13T13:00:00-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Giuseppe-Verdi-2498.aspx Leonardo da Vinci in Milan according to Giorgione Vasari. The objective of this essay is to provide an explanation of Leonardo da Vinci’s life and work as an artist in context with his time spent in Milan. Following an initial introduction to Leonardo’s formative years in Florence (and his apprenticeship to the sculptor and painter Andrea del Verrocchio, 1435-88), I will attempt to explain the significance of his presence in Milan with detailed descriptions of his work there. Giorgio Vasari (1511-74) was also an artist and architect, but is perhaps better known for his book on the lives of well known painters, sculptors and architects (published 1550; from Cimbue to his autobiography which was included in a revised edition): “Vasari's book offers his personal evaluation of the works of these artists, as well as discussions on the state of the arts. His easy, natural writing style helped to make his book one of the most enduring of art histories.” His reflections on Leonardo’s life include insight specifically relating to his unusual character and the intellectual merit of his life’s work. Using this evidence I hope to provide valid observations on Leonardo’s significance as a father of the High Renaissance. Leonardo (who was christened Lionardo, the name to which Vasari refers) was born near the small town of Vinci on 15th April 1452. The town was situated in the Florentine province of Italy, where his father, Ser Piero was a notary. According to Vasari, Leonardo was somewhat of a child prodigy in his studies, but he showed little commitment to one single area, constantly finding new interests in other subjects: “Thus in arithmetic, during the few months that he studied it, he made such progress that he frequently confounded his master by continually raising doubts and difficulties. He devoted some time to music … Yet though he studied so many different things, he never neglected design and working in relief, those being the things which appealed to his fancy more than any other.” Being very conscious of his son’s talents, Ser Piero moved to Florence with Leonardo and his wife (not Leonardo’s mother, as he was illegitimate and never took his father’s name) to utilise them professionally. Being a friend of the artist and sculptor Andrea del Verrocchio (1435-88), Ser Piero convinced him to recruit Leonardo as an apprentice by the promise shown in his work. Verrocchio strongly encouraged da Vinci, and his admiration of his student's talents convinced Verrocchio to allow Leonardo 2000-11-02T13:00:00-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Leonardo-da-Vinci-in-Milan-according-to-Giorgione-Vasari_-2442.aspx Music Today : Just a Bunch of Garbage? It's 4:00 pm and you just got home from school. You turn on the radio only to hear some media generated stuff banded together by some lame drum beats. This is unfortunetly, the music of today. Along with pop music and boy bands, alternative and rock music has , essentially gone to the pits. There's truly no other way to put it. The media has been spoonfeeding us talentless garbage and sell out's for years but it is only now manifesting it's intensity on MTV and the radio. Sure, pop music and boy bands "make" great music to dance to, but there's no talent there. Indoctrinating girls as young as eight years 2000-10-28T14:00:00-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Music-Today-Just-a-Bunch-of-Garbage-2419.aspx The Renaissance (1400-1520 AD) The Renaissance was “A revival or rebirth of cultural awareness and learning that took place during the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, particularly in Italy,” according to Art In Focus. It followed the Middle Ages, and was basically a time of the revival of learning after the Middle Ages, or Dark Ages, a time with little increase of ideas, inventions or developments. During the Renaissance, art was a branch of knowledge. It was a way to show God and his creations, as well as a science, of anatomy and perspective. Also during the Renaissance there were many people who used art as a way to record discoveries and inspired people to take pleasure in the world around them. In 1452 AD, a genius named Leonardo da Vinci was born in a small town called Vinci. He was the illegitimate son of a local lawyer. When he was small he loved to draw pictures of plants, insects, flowers, animals, and birds. When Leonardo was in his teens his father took him to Florence, Italy, to study at the workshop of Andrea del Verrocchio. When Leonardo was twenty, he was so good at painting that he helped his art teacher finish his painting. Not only was Leonardo an artist, but he was also an architect, musician, sculptor, scientist, inventor, and mathematician. He kept detailed records of all of his inventions in his notebooks, which he wrote backwards so nobody could steal his ideas. One of his sketches in his notebook was of a skull. He used lines possibly to measure the length and the width of the human head. He might have done this to be able to paint the human head in proper proportion, and more life like. Leonardo painted very realistically, as you can see in the painting Ginevra de’Benci, which is of a young lady. Another advancement of Leonardo’s was to make his backgrounds very detailed and in proper aerial perspective. The techniques he might have used in his paintings are as follows: He would first cover a wood panel with gesso then, rough in the figures on the panels. The major forms were then modeled in a brownish tone. He would also use his fingers as well as his palms for the under molding. He would then use a fine “minever” brush for details. Leonardo was a genius in his approach to art and many other areas of study. Another great 2000-10-26T14:00:00-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Renaissance-1400-1520-AD-2415.aspx Form and Malignant Form <center><a href="http://www.geocities.com/vaksam/">Sam Vaknin's Psychology, Philosophy, Economics and Foreign Affairs Web Sites</a></center> Every type of human activity has a malignant equivalent. The pursuit of happiness, the accumulation of wealth, the exercise of power, the love of one's self are all tools in the struggle to survive and, as such, are commendable. They do, however, have malignant counterparts: pursuing pleasures (hedonism), greed and avarice as manifested in criminal activities, murderous authoritarian regimes and narcissism. What sets the malignant versions apart from the benign ones? Phenomenologically, they are difficult to tell apart. In which way is a criminal distinct from a business tycoon? Many will say that there is no distinction indeed. Still society treats the two differently and has set up separate social institution to accommodate these two human types and their activities. Is it merely a matter of ethical or philosophical judgement? I think not. The difference seems to lie in the context. Granted, the criminal and the businessman both have the same motivation (at times, obsession): to make money. Sometimes they both employ the same techniques and adopt the same venues of action. But in which social, moral, philosophical, ethical, historical and biographical contexts do they operate? A closer examination of their exploits will expose the unbridgeable gap between them. The criminal acts only in the pursuit of money. He has no other considerations, thoughts, motives and emotions, no temporal horizon, no ulterior or external aims, no incorporation of other humans or social institutions in his deliberations. The reverse is true for the businessman. The latter is aware of the fact that he is part of a larger fabric, that he has to obey the law, that some things are not permissible, that sometimes he has to lose sight of moneymaking for the sake of higher values, institutions, or the future. In short: the criminal is a solipsist - the businessman, an integrated person. The criminal one track minded - the businessman is aware of the existence of others and of their needs and demands. The criminal has no context - the businessman does. Whenever a human activity, a human institution, or a human thought is refined, purified, reduced to its bare minimum - malignancy ensues. Leukaemia is characterized by the concentration of the bone marrow upon the production of only one category of blood cells (the white ones) while abandoning the production of others. Malignancy is reductionist: do one thing, 2000-10-15T14:00:00-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Form-and-Malignant-Form-2374.aspx The Basic Dilemma of the Artist <center><a href="http://www.geocities.com/vaksam/">Sam Vaknin's Psychology, Philosophy, Economics and Foreign Affairs Web Sites</a></center> The psychophysical problem is long standing and, probably, intractable. We have a corporeal body. It is a physical entity, subject to all the laws of physics. Yet, we experience ourselves, our internal lives, external events in a manner which provokes us to postulate the existence of a corresponding, non-physical ontos, entity. This corresponding entity ostensibly incorporates a dimension of our being which, in principle, can never be tackled with the instruments and the formal logic of science. A compromise was proposed long ago : the soul is nothing but our self awareness or the way that we experience ourselves. But this is a flawed solution. It is flawed because it assumes that the human experience is uniform, unequivocal and identical. It might well be so - but there is no methodologically rigorous way of proving it. We have no way to objectively ascertain that all of us experience pain in the same manner or that pain that we experience is the same in all of us. This is even when the causes of the sensation are carefully controlled and monitored. A scientist might say that it is only a matter of time before we find the exact part of the brain which is responsible for the specific pain in our gedankenexperiment. Moreover, will add our gedankenscientist, in due course, science will even be able to demonstrate a monovalent relationship between a pattern of brain activity in situ and the aforementioned pain. In other words, the scientific claim is that the patterns of brain activity ARE the pain itself. Such an argument is, prima facie, inadmissible. The fact that two events coincide (even if they do so forever) does not make them identical. The serial occurrence of two events does not make one of them the cause and the other the effect, as is well known. Similarly, the contemporaneous occurrence of two events only means that they are correlated. A correlate is not an alter ego. It is not an aspect of the same event. The brain activity is what appears WHEN pain happens - it by no means follows that it IS the pain itself. A stronger argument would crystallize if it was convincingly and repeatedly demonstrated that playing back these patterns of brain activity induces the same pain. Even in such a case, we would be talking about cause and effect rather than identity 2000-09-11T14:00:00-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Basic-Dilemma-of-the-Artist-2232.aspx Censorship In Music Censorship in music is a topic that has brought about much controversy in the past two decades. There have been many different arguments on the topic, however the question still remains as if it should be censored or it should not be censored. Before you can form an opinion on this, you must hear both sides of the argument on this much-debated topic. Some people believe that music should be censored so all audiences can hear it without it containing any controversial lyrics. Others believe it should not be censored and musical artists should be able to speak, sing, rap, or rhyme freely without anyone censoring them. "Whether a person finds a work obscene depends largely on his or her moral or religious beliefs. These views change with each generation and further complicate the censorship dilemma." (Censorship by, Bradley Steffens page 97) The quote above is very true. Religious or moral beliefs have a great influence on how a person feels about censorship, and as generations pass on the common beliefs on it may change. Right now, America is more uncensored than ever. However, things were very different a few generations ago. Some people believe music should be censored. They believe some of the language musical artists use is vulgar, obscene, and crude. Also the fact that music is played on medias such as radio and television, which are free to listen to by all audiences, and there are many parents that would not wish for their kids to hear foul language. So on radio and televison any controversial language is either silenced, edited out by a soft sound, or some artists make two versions of their songs; one that is made for the artist's album, which is uncensored; and one for televsion and radio with any controversial words change to be acceptable for all audiences. This does not include cable television, which can be audited by parents since the parents must order and pay for the channel to be viewed. "Preventing or punishing speech…is a clear violation of the First Amendment." (Censorship. Opposing Viewpoints by, Greehaven Press page 147). This quote here is the "battle cry" of many anti-censorship groups. When you really think about it, it is a violation of the First Amendment, which says: "Congress shall make no law… abridging the freedom of speech or of the press". The First Amendment guarantees the right to freedom of speech, and 2000-06-08T14:00:00-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Censorship-In-Music-2076.aspx Jimi Hendrix: Are You Experienced? The Jimi Hendrix Experience released its first album in early 1967. Popular music had been leaning towards psychedelics for a couple years already and Are You Experienced? came out at about the same time as the Beatles' Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. Are You Experienced? far exceeded the Beatles' triumph in complexity, capturing the essence of the late 1960's culture. Naturally the newer band did not share the immediate success of the Beatles. But its staying power has been testified to by several generations. The British version of Are You Experienced? contained a few subtle differences. Most prominent were the absence of "Purple Haze" and the addition of Hendrix standard "Red House". "Purple Haze" caught fire in America after the Monterey Pop Festival and became Jimi's signature song. Although it was said to have endless verses, Jimi generally sang only the shortened version from the album (with a few ad lib changes). The single was sent to radio stations with a note: "This song was intentionally distorted. Do not adjust." Are You Experienced?, as with most of the Experience's music, sounds heavy no matter how many times you listen to it. In actuality, the stony "Purple Haze" is about as close as they ever come to hard rock. The next song, "Manic Depression" comes in strong with the opening chords and then reveals Mitch Mitchell's trademark rolling drums. It also contains another of Jimi's solos worth listening to by any new or Experienced fan. Chas Chandler chose the quietest song on the album to give the world its first taste of Jimi Hendrix's talents. Its first single, "Hey Joe", a song written by turn-of-the-century bluesman Billy Roberts debuted at number on the pop charts. No other song written or performed by Jimi Hendrix had as much success as this one. It topped out at number 2, behind the Beatles' "Lucy In the Sky With Diamonds". When there are other people around, it makes you feel alive. But when you sit alone and listen to the music, every chord catches in your throat. "Love or Confusion" has happened upon me more than once when I was suddenly realizing the dispair of yet another relationship. If the answer to his question is not obvious during the song itself, Jimi answers it for you with his very last whisper. "Love or Confusion" is a wicked twister of emotion. It shakes you up and when you lose 2000-06-05T14:00:00-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Jimi-Hendrix-Are-You-Experienced-2068.aspx Like A Prayer Music Video Analysis Madonna first arrived in the national popular culture in 1984 with her song "Borderline". She moved very quickly in the ensuing years to make several records (many of which have gone multi-platinum) and to take several world tours with sold-out concerts, and has caused quite a bit of controversy in what she has done in the public eye. Examples include posing nude for Penthouse magazine (and announcing afterwards that she was not ashamed for doing it), marrying (and subsequently divorcing) actor and media-avoider Sean Penn, creating a fashion trend (which was primarily popular with teenage girls), and making truly atrocious movies which the critics hated and the people refused to see (the only two exceptions are Dick Tracy and Truth or Dare, her controversial yet fascinating self-documentary about her tour of the same name). It seems that Madonna seems to enjoy attention, good or bad, and it seems like she feeds on her own controversy. Her songs, and the music videos which accompany them, are no exception to this. However, the things she does and the images she projects requests contemporary society to reflect on itself, and to possibly re-create itself in innovative and inventive styles. Perhaps she always breaks with convention because she sees things in a different light than the rest of society. This essay shall focus on the video which accompanies the title track from her 1989 album, "Like A Prayer," which certainly had its share of controversy. Probably the most startling image in the music video was that of several burning crosses on a lawn or a hill. These crosses were in the background, while Madonna was facing the camera and singing. When I saw the music video for the first time, this particular section of the video made me sit up and intently watch my television screen. The first things I thought about were, "She's a very outspoken woman for doing this! Boy, she's got a lot of nerve! I believe she was raised Catholic, and she's making a mockery of the Catholic Church by doing so! The Pope would be offended, to say the least!" The radical approach to dispose of any religion (or a person's religious or pious fervor) is at least shocking. The cross is the symbol of Christianity and all it stands for. Seeing the cross engulfed in fire -- which symbolizes (and is) a destructive force -- would be very disturbing 2000-06-05T14:00:00-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Like-A-Prayer-Music-Video-Analysis-2069.aspx Sweeny Todd Sweeney Todd is by no means a conventional musical; it takes several forms of music and theater and artfully places them together. Sondheim very effectively transports the audience back to Victorian England for a mad waltz with murder, mayhem...and meat pies. He also utilizes his skill as a choral composer to write some truly fascinating ensemble pieces accompanied by a very intricate plot with many elements carefully layered. 2000-06-05T14:00:00-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Sweeny-Todd-2071.aspx The Doors Poet William Blake once said "If The Doors of perception were cleansed, everything would appear to man as it is, infinite" (Gilmore 34). From this quote arose a band that even over 20 years after its disbanding still is played and remembered. <b>The Doors</b> started as a little garage band in California back in the early sixties. They were extremely popular due to their lead singer, Jim Morrison. Morrison himself was a real character. Morrison is considered by many critics a modern day poet. Others view him in a different light, George Will wrote "Morrison resembled Byron in one aspect, they both were mad, bad, and dangerous to know" (Will 64). Still others view him as a hero of the 'counterculture'. He was a sort of 'Peter Pan', one of those boys who never grew up. Morrison basically was <b>The Doors</b>. His blatant disregard for law and order made him a very well known figure. He was arrested on a few occasions for charges ranging from inciting riots to indecent exposure. He was also notorious for his drug use and alcohol abuse. His poetry though, justified his lifestyle. There were also three other members of the band: Ray Manzarak (keyboards), John Densmore (drummer), and Robby Krieger (guitarist). They all made up <b>The Doors</b>, but after the death of the lead singer Jim Morrison, the band's popularity dropped significantly. They did though produce three albums after Morrison's untimely demise (all of which were not very popular). Jim Morrison died on July 4th, 1971, in Paris, France. He was 27 years old at the time of death (the same age Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin died at also). He was found in his bathtub with a cute smirk on his face. He had finally "broke through to the other side"(Gilmore 35). <b>The Doors</b> were known for their style of rebellious, psychedelic rock. Their music is poetry (written by Jim Morrison) set to music. Morrison also had many books published just of his poetry. Although not all of <b>The Doors</b> music was written by Morrison, ninety percent of it was. The band was considered a guru by the youngsters of the sixties, and a scourge by the public. The band seemed to fuse music, drugs, and idealism as a way to reform and even redeem a troubled society (Gilmore 34). They were much like the other bands that were emerging in the sixties, but 2000-06-05T14:00:00-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Doors-2072.aspx Berry Gordy: Father of the Motown Sound Berry Gordy Jr. was born in Detroit, Michigan on November 28, 1929. He was the seventh born out of eight siblings. His parents migrated to Detroit from Georgia during 1922. They were part of a mass exodus of African Americans who left the South in the 20's and traveled to northern cities in search of better economic futures. During that time jobs were plentiful in the factories, mainly the big four automotive plants that like, Chrysler, Ford, Chevrolet, and General Motors. Berry and Bertha Gordy would instill in Berry Jr. and his brothers and sisters a strong work ethic and a belief that anything could be achieved through persistence. His family also had deep roots in business. Berry Sr. owned a plastering and carpentry service, a general store, and a printing business. Gordy's family believed in the philosophy of Booker T. Washington, which stressed economic independence for blacks. Gordy Sr. named his store after him. Berry Gordy Jr. was heavily influenced by the ambition of his father. Like his father, he was also very determined and he tried many new ventures. Berry was an average student who earned decent grades. Despite this he decided to drop out of Northeastern High School to peruse a featherweight boxing career. He once even fought on the same card as the great Joe Louis. He had a brief but successful series of fights but decided to give up boxing in 1951. That same year he would then decide to try out the Army. He served for two years during the Korean War; there he earned his high school equivalency diploma. After his short stint in the army, he decided to open a record store, which only sold jazz records. Berry always enjoyed listening to records in his basement and he had a great love of music. Berry always hung around Detroit's popular nightspots to hear the bebop jazz sounds. He was able to see the performances of famous artists like pianist Thelonious Monk and saxophonist Charlie "Bird" Parker. Unfortunately, Berry's store eventually closed due to financial difficulties. Gordy soon found himself working at Ford's Mercury plant, earning $85 a week. Bored with his assembly line job, he spent all of his free time writing songs. Berry would hum melodies and make up song lyrics in his head to break the monotony of everyday work. Berry soon began to get serious about song writing and he got 2000-05-03T14:00:00-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Berry-Gordy-Father-of-the-Motown-Sound-1909.aspx Themes of Bob Dylan's Music Bob Dylan was recognized by his poetry and song writing. He usually wrote songs about protesting and religious themes. Although the theme of Bob Dylan’s work is depressing, it is necessary to consider how the events in his life affected his music. Also Bob Dylan had other musicians that influenced him in his early years. Bob Dylan was born in Duluth Minnesota on the date of May 24th 1941. By the time he was ten years old he was writing poems and had taught himself to play guitar. He later changed his name from Robert Allen Zimmerman to the famous name Bob Dylan. In 1962 Bob visited his big early influence Woodie Guthrie in the hospital. Finally Bob Dylan got to meet him and become friends with his lost idol who was slowly dying of Huntington’s disease in Morristown, New Jersey, Dylan had written him a song called song to Woody. A famous quote from this song is “Bout a funny old world that’s coming along. Seems sick and it’s hungry, it’s tired and it’s torn, it looks like it’s dying and it’s hardly been born.” After he graduated high school in the early 1959 Dylan found himself playing folk music. This is also the time he began to write his legendary folk songs. In the 1960s Bob Dylan had turned the themes of his music to protest what many people consider the wrongs of society. In his songs he writes about the “luckless, the abandoned and’ forsaken,” as he put it in “chimes of Freedom.” He condemned the Ku Klux Klan in “The Death of Emmett Till” and the John Birchites in “Talking’ John Birch Paranoid Blues.” In Masters of War”he damned the war makers. And in Blowing’ in the wind, “he created probably his most famous song, though Dylan once stated that he wrote that song just for his friends. In fact, this anti racist, antiwar anthem is, in its deepest sense, a subtitle plea for awareness. (“How many times must a man look up/ Before he can see the sky? / Yes ‘n’ how many ears must one man have/ before he can hear people cry?”) Dylan had the characteristics of a biblical prophet, but also he had a sense of humor and irony (“Talking Bear Mountain Picnic Massacre Blues”). One soon started to notice that he was a beginning to write songs that saw the world as consisting 2000-04-30T14:00:00-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Themes-of-Bob-Dylan-s-Music-1886.aspx Sculpture of the Old Kingdom of Ancient Egypt <b>Introduction</b> Egypt is situated in the north-eastern corner of the African continent. It is composed of two very different regions--Upper Egypt and Lower Egypt. Lower Egypt--the Black Land as it was also called by the ancient Egyptians--with its fertile soil strip along the Nile River makes up the northern part of the country. The Red Land--the Upper Egypt--is a desertous southern part with the red, sun-baked soil. The history of ancient Egypt starts around 3000 B.C. when, according to the tradition, Menes Narmer unified the two lands and founded the first dynasty. That was the beginning of the Old Kingdom--the period of stability of the state that lasted until 2263 B.C. and included the dynasties Ist to VIth. Old Kingdom is known as the Golden Age of Egyptian art: during this period the famous pyramids of Giza and the legendary Sphinx were built and the canon that lasted for two millenniums was established. <b>Influences</b> Even though Egyptians were the first to build a civilization they weren't the first artists. Obviously the first artists on Earth were the cavemen who produced the beautiful cave paintings found all over the world. However, the artworks that date tens of thousands of years back had little influence--or at least little direct influence--on the Egyptian art. The characteristic features of the art of the Old Kingdom were derived almost exclusively from the works of the Bronze Age (4500-3000 B.C.). Made in that period, there were sculptures of animals that were the predecessors of the statues of Egyptian gods and goddesses in the shape of animals. There were terra-cotta figures of women--probably the slaves from the African tribes--which probably were to represent the Mother Goddesses. However the art of the Old Kingdom had much more to borrow from that prehistoric period than just bits and pieces of ideas here and there. Probably the most important thing that the Bronze Age should be noted for in this context is the development of the canon of Egyptian sculpture. Here is quite long, but very complete and precise definition of the word 'canon' given by the Polish Egyptologist Kazimierz Michalowski in his book called Great Sculpture of Ancient Egypt: 1) The canon is a historically conditioned element of indigenous character. 2) It is a result of a mass of observations and experiences that lead to the fixing in art of the most typical forms found in nature but brought down to specific and constant proportions. 3) 2000-04-02T14:00:00-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Sculpture-of-the-Old-Kingdom-of-Ancient-Egypt-1832.aspx Modern Music In an age of error the most influential thing in a child and or a teenagers life is music. Whether it be Reggae, Hip Hop, Gangster Rap, R&B, Oldies Rock, Latin, or Heavy Metal it still has a way to overpower a persons mind no matter how old they are. Right now pretty much everybody that I talk to when I am on the Internet like Rap. I don’t understand how people could listen to non-stop cursing and fast-paced lyrics. Even though my opinion of the music isn’t so great the singers have to get some credit for being able to recite poetry in such a manner. I prefer the heavier stuff like Slipknot, KoRn, or Kittie because I enjoy talented people who play their own instruments, and personally I like very loud music. Reggae is well known because of one group and that group is Bob Marley and The Wailers. I happen to like them because they pretty much set the standards for a band that are known to people as Sublime. They are sort of a rock "n" roll/reggae band with hit songs like "What I Got" and "Santeria". My friends and I sometimes refer to Bob Marley as the "God" of music. Another popular style of music is the Pop music category. I think it features a bunch of no talent boy groups like N’Sync* and the Backstreet Boys. It is artists like this who are ruining our countries youth. These bands are corrupting the minds of our teen and pre-teen girls, and I don’t believe its right that they are doing this because very rarely do girls like the same music as my friends and I. Finally we get to the music that gets more interesting the heavy metal/rock music. I happen to like this style of music the best because the music means something. I don’t think that it is right for the tabloids to go out every time something happens with shootings at schools and blame it on the rock music. Rap is the music that gives the message of killing and shooting people. I don’t think it is right that they can go blame artists like Marilyn Manson and Ozzy Osbourne for children with weak minds when it comes to music that deals with death. Finally, my last point is that the tabloids judge a musician by the way that they look and 2000-03-23T13:00:00-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Modern-Music-1789.aspx Akai MPC2000 (MIDI Production Center) The following is a summary of the advanced features of the AKAI MPC2000, which include a built in sampler, sequencer and more. <b>Here is a detailed general description of the AKAI MPC2000.</b> <li>Large 248 x 60 dot LCD display with graphics. <li>6 functions keys under the LCD display provide various functions on each page. <li>Built-in 1.44 megabyte floppy disk drive to store both sequences and sound data. <li>Built-in SCSI interface for storing data to external hard disk. <b>Here is a detailed description of the AKAI MPC2000’s built in sampler.</b> <li>16-bit, 44.1kHz stereo sampling <li>High capacity sound memory: 2 megabytes standard (22 seconds mono or 11 seconds stereo), expandable to 32 megabytes with SIMM memory. <li>Digital sampling input for direct recording from digital sources with IB-M208P board. <li>128 sounds (samples) may be held in memory at one time. <li>32 simultaneous playback voices. <li>The envelope or filter can be set for each sound. <li>Optional multi-effects generator EB16 for versatile effects. <li>Sample files may be loaded from AKAI S1000 and S3000 disks. IB-M208P (optional) enables you to mix and output internal sampler sounds from 8 individual outputs. <li>A maximum of 24 programs (sound assignments and sound parameter settings) can be created. <li>A selection between poloyphonic (multiple sounds are overlaid when the same sound is played continuously) or mono (the second sound silences the first). <li>It is possible to stop the playing of a sound with another sound. This is used to simulate the open close effect of the hi hat. <li>It is possible to copy a part of a sound as a separate sound or paste a sound to a section of a sound. It is also possible to mute or reverse part of a sound. <li>One MIDI note can play three sounds. The sounds can be played simultaneously, switched by velocity, or with the NOTE VARIATION slider. <li>Loop settings can be made to a sound <li>The velocity can change the playback pitch. <li>When phrase sampling, it is possible to calculate the tempo of the phrase from the length of the sound loop. <li>Since the sound wave patterns are displayed, its is possible to edit the sound while watching the wave pattern. It is also possible to zoom in or out on the wave pattern <b>Here is a detailed description of the AKAI MPC2000’s built in sequencer.</b> <li>Loop recording function enables quick recording by looping short phrases. <li>10,000 note sequencer memory capacity. (1NOTE VARIATION = 2NOTE) <li>99 sequences may be held in memory at once. Each sequence contains 64 individual tracks. <li>2 independent MIDI outputs ports permit 32 simultaneous MIDI output 2000-02-13T13:00:00-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Akai-MPC2000-MIDI-Production-Center-1643.aspx Renaissance Art Architecture of the Renaissance reflects the earlier works of the Roman, Byzantines, Moslems, and many other civilizations. The S. Pietro No. 1 was begun in 1564 and was designed by Michelangelo Buonarroti, and Carlo Maderna. Many components of this structure reflect their foreign influences. The large, ominous dome along with the two smaller, less intimidating 2000-01-03T13:00:00-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Renaissance-Art-1546.aspx The Beatles The English ROCK MUSIC group The Beatles gave the 1960s its characteristic musical flavor and had a profound influence on the course of popular music, equaled by few performers. The guitarists John Winston Lennon, b. Oct. 9, 1940; James Paul McCartney, b. June 18, 1942; and George Harrison, b. Feb. 25, 1943; and the drummer Ringo Starr, b. Richard Starkey, July 7, 1940, were all born and raised in Liverpool. Lennon and McCartney had played together in a group called The Quarrymen. With Harrison, they formed their own group, The Silver Beatles, in 1959, and Starr joined them in 1962. As The Beatles, they developed a local following in Liverpool clubs, and their first recordings, "Love Me Do" (1962) and "Please Please Me" (1963), quickly made them Britain's top rock group. Their early music was influenced by the American rock singers Chuck BERRY and Elvis PRESLEY, but they infused a hackneyed musical form with freshness, vitality, and wit. The release of "I Want to Hold Your Hand" in 1964 marked the beginning of the phenomenon known as "Beatlemania" in the United States. The Beatles' first U.S. tour aroused a universal mob adulation. Their concerts were scenes of mass worship, and their records sold in the millions. Their first film, the innovative A Hard Day's Night (1964), was received enthusiastically by a wide audience that included many who had never before listened to rock music. Composing their own material (Lennon and McCartney were the major creative forces), The Beatles established the precedent for other rock groups to play their own music. Experimenting with new musical forms, they produced an extraordinary variety of songs: the childishly simple "Yellow Submarine"; the bitter social commentary of "Eleanor Rigby"; parodies of earlier pop styles; new electronic sounds; and compositions that were scored for cellos, violins, trumpets, and sitars, as well as for conventional guitars and drums. Some enthusiasts cite the albums Rubber Soul (1965) and Revolver (1966) as the apex of Beatle art, although Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967), perhaps the first rock album designed thematically as a single musical entity, is more generally considered their triumph. The group disbanded in 1970, after the release of their final album, Let It Be, and during the 1970s pursued individual careers. On Dec. 8, 1980, John Lennon was fatally shot outside his Manhattan apartment by Mark Chapman, a 25-year-old former mental patient who, earlier that same day, 1999-12-15T13:00:00-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Beatles-1495.aspx Art The Arts play a large role in the expression of inner thoughts and beauty in my life. From dance and music to abstract art our concept of life is shown through the various ways in which we interpret it. We use the Arts as a means of touching that part of us that we cannot reach with Physical Science, Social Science, or any of the Humanities. The arts allow us to be as specific or as abstract as we please. It helps us become closer to ourselves and to others around us. Though there has been a lot of confusion as to what the true definition of “good art” is, how we show others what is going on in our minds and inner souls cannot be judged, graded, criticized or revised by anyone other than ourselves. The arts play a valued role in creating cultures and developing and documenting civilizations. The arts teach us how to communicate through creative expression. Show us how to understand human experiences, past and present. Prepare us to adapt to and respect the ways others think, work, and express themselves. Music, singing, dancing, poetry, and sketching are just a few of the different forms of art that I use to express myself in a way that I enjoy. Because each art discipline appeals to different senses and expresses itself through different media, each adds a special richness to the learning environment. Arts help people Learn to identify, appreciate, and participate in the traditional and non-traditional art forms of their own communities and the communities of others. Art teaches us how to be imaginative, creative, and reflective. Different art forms help us develop the verbal and nonverbal abilities necessary for lifelong learning. The intellectual demands of the arts help us develop problem-solving abilities and such powerful thinking skills as analyzing and evaluating. Numerous studies point toward a consistent and positive comparison between concrete education in the arts and student achievement in other subjects. A program in arts education would engage students in a process that helps them develop the self-esteem, self-discipline, cooperation, and self-motivation necessary for success in life. Most important, the arts should be experienced and studied for their own true value. If art was not present in my life, I know that I would be missing so much. I would not be able to do the things that I love to do each day. The only 1999-12-04T13:00:00-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Art-1418.aspx Leda Atomica Leda Atomica (24 x 18"- oil on canvas), is a painting by Salvador Dali (1904-1989) who was the top Surrealists of this time. Surrealism explored the subconscious, the dream world, and irrational elements of the psyche in the firm belief that the discoveries to be made from such exploration would be of greater fundamental importance to the human condition than any other form of social analysis. Surrealists like Salvador Dali was very fascinated by the ephemeral state of the mind between sleep and consciousness, dream and reality, sanity and insanity, as one in which the mind functioned purely, unfettered by the constraints of logic and social behavior. (#1 - Surrealism) Salvador Dali was born in May 11 of 1904 in Figures Spain, and in 1921 he entered the San Fernando Academy of Fine Arts in Madrid where he made friends with Federico Garcia Lorca, Luis Bunuel, and Eugenio Montes. In June of 1923 Dali was suspended from the Academy for having indicated the students to rebel against the authorities of the school but was let back in October of 1925, and a year later Dali was permanently expelled. Then in 1924 he was imprisoned in Figures and Gerona for political reasons. The influence of metaphysical paintings and contact with Miro, caused Dali to join the Surrealists in 1929. (#8 - Biographical Outline) Dali held numerous one-man shows during his career and did many art forms from paintings to sculpture and even movies. He directed and was a part of many films including the first surrealist film "Un Chiea A Dalou A Andalusian Dog", with the director Luis Bunuel. In 1945 he designed the memorable surrealistic dream sequence for Hitchcock's Spellbound, and filmed Don Juan Tenorio, in 1951. By reading psychological case histories, Dali hoped to represent neuroses in an ultra-realistic style so as to objectify the irrational with photographic accuracy. A lot of his artwork has some kind of connection to other artwork of his, like the melting clock, his symbol of death, and most of all is Dali's anamorphic self portrait mask that appears in allot of his paintings. The shape of the face, usually presented resting on its nose, is strongly reminiscent of one of the rock formation of the coastline near Dali's home. Leda Atomica is some what connected to The Madonna of Port Lligat, as if Dali 1999-11-29T13:00:00-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Leda-Atomica-1368.aspx The Beatles When people hear the name "The Beatles" most people think of lead singer, John Lennon. However, the role of Paul McCartney is often overlooked. It was McCartney, not Lennon who was the driving force behind the Beatles. John Lennon and Paul McCartney were in many bands together before the forming of the Beatles. In 1962, along with Ringo Starr1 and George Harrison, they formed the rock group known as "The Beatles". The group featured a modern rock that was new and popular during the period with John and Paul composing and doing the leads on most of the songs. They were backed by George on rhythm and bass guitar and Ringo on drums. George and Ringo also assisted on backing vocals. When they first began playing, the main influence inside the band was John Lennon, who had an uncanny ability to compose songs at a moments notice with an inspiration that others missed. He pushed the members of the band during their touring years and was able to achieve the best possible results from the group. The band began playing in a Music Hall style that is very effective for the audiences but was lacking on their albums. Together with Paul, John began to evolve the band. As the years began to pass, the band was obviously beginning to grow musically. They had moved from simple lyrics like "Love me Do" to harshly aware reflections of life in their home country in "Eleanor Rigby"2. There were attempts, some more successful than others, to incorporate the other Beatles into the idea stage. George Harrison made this leap successfully with such tracks as "I want to tell you", "TAXMAN", and the psychedelic "Love you to". Ringo was featured in the humorous "Yellow Submarine" As the group matured, their creativity began to rely more on the effects and manipulations that they were able to produce in the studio. The Beatles agreed to end their touring career after an American tour of large halls that they failed to fill. It was around this time, that John Lennon began to search for himself. He began using any means that he thought might help him connect. This era was marked by the Beatles visits to the Maharashi Mahesh Yogi, and the beginning of heavy drug use 3. As Lennon began to use LSD in greater and greater quanti-ties4, the other Beatles began to have more and 1999-11-25T13:00:00-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Beatles-1332.aspx Beck's Music Music is central to my life. Without music, the world would be naked, cold, and quiet. Music can set the rhythm for a long day of work, the mood for a date, for a party, for your whole life. It can wrap you in a blanket of comfort when you are lonely, or inspire you when you are down. Music is a vehicle for expressing love, telling a story, or showing happiness. My love for music has grown immensely throughout the past few years and continues to grow without bounds. Playing musical instruments, such as the piano and guitar, has deepened my appreciation for the sounds I hear when I listen to music. From personal experience playing in concerts and writing my own songs, I have captured the views of both sides of music's artistic prism: creation and presentation. Creation, I have learned, can be a tremendously tedious task. It involves much more than perseverance and determination. Creating music requires the harmonious articulation of one's feelings and thoughts through instrumental or vocal sounds. There is no one who accomplishes the feat more cleverly than Beck. Beck Hansen, known as Beck, is a musical genius who performs an unparalleled, funky, and melodic music style. At the age of 29, he has produced six full albums and will soon be releasing his seventh. Beck has become an inspirational icon among rising musicians and has defied the classification system of musical genres. Much disagreement has arisen over what kind of music it is that Beck performs, but the resistance to classification is what makes it unique. He merges coinciding genres, such as psychedelic hip-hop, folk, rap, and country, to define his own genre. Beck's dynamic music adjusts to the latest musical trends and builds off of talent from past generations. Like a catfish feeding on the bottom of a lake, Beck's music feeds off of the styles of other successful musician, such as Bob Dylan and The Beastie Boys. However, this does not mean that Beck is a copycat artist. It means that his music is based on a collaboration of the sounds of the world, and this makes his music very diversified. Beck is one of the most original musicians of all time, and to classify him as anything but a genius would be even more absurd than Beck himself. He is always "courting cultural disaster, and part of his genius is that 1999-11-16T13:00:00-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Beck-s-Music-1177.aspx Journal On Rapoport Human had a long history of showing their will to shape, control their surrounding and understanding the natural world. Thus, it is no surprise that mankind had gone this far in advanced technology. By improving our science and technology, we are able to understand and research the world. This will allow mankind to create more stability thus avoiding some of the effects from great fluctuations of nature forces explore the truth of myths. With this theme in mind, I find it to be a very common characteristic among the three articles by: Rapoport (Australian Aborigines And The Definition Of Place), Hertzberger (Lessons For Student In Architecture) and, Deyner (African Traditional Architecture), which could possibly explain the difference in the definition of place both by the author and the locale. It is not so much as the level of technology that these cultures exist in, but more relevantly, the period of technology improvement they are living in which defined their indigenous landscape architecture. Rapoport believes that Australian Aborigines, "cooperated with nature rather than to subdue it" (Rapoport, 1980:p.44.) I found this to be a point that is somewhat accurate but not precise. The fact that these Australian aborigines did not advance in technology, are forced to accept nature as it is. As a result, they live their lives primitively through myths and stories instead of research and development. This is evident when compared to Deyner's article, explaining that the more advanced (this advancement is draw from the fact that these less nomadic Africans do trade and had farms) Africans developed more permanent dwellings, practical buildings (huts) which created a clearer boundary to identify their territory. However, the Africans' minute building structures are still primitive and they are only constructed to serve a prime purpose like say, a small mud granary to store food. On the other hand, Hertzberger's "Lesson for student in Architecture" dwell deeper into concept of space and how we divide and articulate building structures when he mentioned, "question of sensing the required distance and proximity between people ...purpose of space." (Hertzberger, 1991:p.100)This level of division and detachment from natural dwelling showed a precise mentality of modern era human though I could not say that we are now in the 20th century and do not appreciate or dislike nature. But the point is that, modern era human had so much control and complex thought that enable us articulate our confinement 1999-11-06T13:00:00-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Journal-On-Rapoport-1125.aspx Rap Vs Poetry "When I first started rapping, me and a couple brothers would all sit around my place freestyling while someone beat boxed. I even used to tell all the girls that I was a poet. They seemed to find it a little more touching than a rapper" (Prince Paul, The Source 16) The lyrics of rappers are very similar to the words of Black poets. It is argued as to wether or not rap is a viable form of poetry. Both discuss similar subjects, write in the same style and use the same type of language in their writings. When looking at a poem or reading rap lyrics, distinguishing between the two can be difficult, if not impossible. Both Black rappers and Black poets write about the same subjects. For example the rap group NWA, and the poet Alice Walker, both cover the topic of being from a minority race. Alice Walker states in one of her poems that "there is no planet stranger than the one im from" (Walker, "Note Passed To Superman" 18-19). What Alice is saying is that the world is strange because people judge others by their skin color. The approach NWA takes is a more presumptuous one. In the song "Fuck Tha Police", NWA says " Young nigga got it bad cuz im brown / And not the other color so police think / They have the authority to kill a minority" (NWA "Fuck Tha Police" 3-5). Another common subect between Black poets and rappers is "ghetto life". Nikki Giovani's poem called "For Saundra" is about how she is going to write a poem about trees and blue skies. Then she realized that she was living in a "concrete jungle". i wanted to write / a poem / that rhymes / but revolution doesnt lend / itself to bebopping / then my neighbor / who thinks i hate / asked -do u ever write / tree poems- i like trees / so i thought / i'll write a beautiful geen tree poem / peeked from my window / to check the image / noticed the school yard was covered / with asphalt / no green - no trees grow / in Manhattan / then, well, i thought the sky / ill do a big blue sky poem / but all the clouds have winged / low since no-Dick was elected / so i thought again / and 1999-09-24T14:00:00-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Rap-Vs-Poetry-1026.aspx Manet - Still Life "Clarity, Condour, urbanity and virtous ability to handle paint-such are the qualities which first strike us in Manet's art". A quote by John Richardson still life grapes and figs 1864 Frank Jay Gould collection. Cannes- "The dark rich tones of this painting carry in them the strong popular Spanish influence the light hitting the fruit from the left creates a startling and brilliant luminosity." Said also by John Richardson Before we attempt to anaylse the meaning of what's within Edouard Manet's work entitled still life, Grapes and figs, one must first identify , and note, the somewhat colorful events which occurred within the artist life, and note the way in which they must have led his work. Born in France in 1832, Manet was raised by his parents Auguste and Eugenie-Desiree a society couple, who's social standing resulted from Auguste's successful career in the Ministry of Justice , Paris. Indeed, so successful was Auguste in his chosen field that upon his retirement he was awarded the Legion of Honor. It is thought by many that the importance of Augustes role in both society and the ministry actually intimidated the young Manet, who constantly aspired throughout his adult life, to gain the same level of reverence as that which his father possessed. Manet's personal background to the analysis of the artists treatment of gender within his work, is apparent to his paintings, they showed deeper side of the artist and what "angle" he saw women. However, it is the actions of the artists youth which many therapists believe is the key to understanding the ambiguous portrayal of woman within his paintings throw out his career. It was during the late 1850's when Manet was serving as a naval cadet in Rio de Janeiro, that he met a number of slave girls, Manet had openly admitted in letters to his friends the extend to which he found their tropical beauty alluring. Yet, is was not until Manet returned to France that he reveled the true extent of his relationships with these girls, and confessed to the fact that he had been using his time to relate to the girls in an adult way. The answer lies in the artists life long ill-health, it was in fact Manet himself who first diagnosed although now medically proven to be wrong that the physical pain from which he suffered on a daily basis was the result of a syphilis virus 1999-09-14T14:00:00-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Manet-Still-Life-948.aspx Quick History of Art Before the portrayal of the human body can be critiqued, you must understand the artist's culture. As man evolved over centuries, his views of the body also transformed. Our tour definitely showed the drastic changes in different cultures' art. Each culture and era presents very distinct characteristics. Through time and experimentation, we have expressed our views of the human body clearly with our art. Egyptians were the first people to make a large impact on the world of art. Egyptians needed art for their religious beliefs more than decoration or self-gratification. The most important aspect of Egyptian life is the ka, the part of the human spirit that lives on after death. The ka needed a physical place to occupy or it would disappear. Most of the important men of Egypt paid to have their body carved out of stone. That was were the spirit would live after the man dies. They used stone because it was the strongest material they could find. Longevity was very important. The bodies are always idealized and clothed. Figures are very rigid, close-fisted, and are built on a vertical axis to show that the person is grand or intimidating. Most of the figures were seen in the same: profile of the legs, frontal view of the torso, and profile of the head. Like most civilizations, Egyptians put a lot of faith in gods. The sky god Horus, a bird, is found in a great amount of Egyptian art. Little recognition was ever given to the artists. The emphasis was on the patron. Early Greek art was greatly influenced by the Egyptians. Geography permitted both cultures to exchange their talents. The beginning of Greek art is marked by the Geometric phase. The most common art during the Geometric phase was vase painting. After the vase was formed but before it was painted, the artist applied a slip (dark pigment) to outside. Then the vase was fired and the artist would incise his decorations into the hard shell. It was important to incise humans into the fired slip and not paint with slip. The people in the pictures needed light colored skin, which was the color beneath the slip, because Greeks wanted to make their art as realistic as possible. Much like Egyptian art, the Greeks idealized the bodies of the people in their works. As the Archaic Period evolved, Greek sculptures were almost identical to the 1999-09-14T14:00:00-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Quick-History-of-Art-974.aspx Raku Ware and Staffordshire Pottery Raku Ware was originally from Japan in the town of Kyoto and was named after the Raku family during the 16th Century. At this time, the Emperor Hideyoshi had conquered Korea and the native potters immigrated to Japan bringing with them pottery techniques and knowledge. The pots were produced for the Zan Buddhist tea ceremony and the decorating and firing of the pots were part of the tea ceremony. Bernard Leach introduced Raku into the west after living in Japan and China setting up pottery in St. Ives, England in 1920. It is still popular today, and made almost worldwide. Raku Ware is still produced today by the 14th generation, of the same Japanese family. Staffordshire was a large and important part of Britain for earthenware production. The first known examples of Staffordshire slipware date back to early Seventeenth Century. Even though lead-glazed earthenware seemed to be established before this time, the market generally went beyond Staffordshire. Butter pots made in Staffordshire were well known for their quality by dairy farmers in England and surrounding areas. Slipwares are named for their decoration with liquid clays, usually poured or trailed onto the pot. Although this was a highly developed technique in Staffordshire it was used in other surrounding areas such as London and Wrotham. Staffordshire slipware usually has three categories flatware which are plates, dishes and bowls, jugs and lidded pots are classified as hollow ware, and miscellaneous ware includes money boxes, cradles and candle sticks. Just as tea was important in the development of Raku Ware in Japan, so the Elers brothers who studied salt glazes in Europe and moved to Staffordshire in the 1690s, produced small tea pots, tea canisters, teacups and jugs. They used finely prepared red clay which was thrown on the wheel, and then lathed when leather hard. (Common salt is thrown into the kiln during firing 1200oc to produce a salt glaze) In Raku any clay that copes with the firing technique must be able to withstand heat shock without warping, distorting or cracking. The clay needs to have particles in it to allow water to escape quickly so calcinated China clay or clay with temper (grog, flint or shell) added to it, is successful. This clay occurred naturally in Japan. Many contemporary potters have favourite clay recipes for their clay bodies when making Raku Ware. Staffordshire slipware clays usually have trouble withstanding higher temperatures without distorting and warping while stoneware 1999-09-12T14:00:00-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Raku-Ware-and-Staffordshire-Pottery-842.aspx Artists throughout History That Have Self-Destructed The most successful or famous artists are not always as happy as successful people are portrayed- living a life of fame, fortune, and glamour. The following examples will show some of the problems that four different artists have suffered in the past century. Vincent van Gogh was a Dutch painter who lived from March 30, 1853 to July 29, 1890. He is now one of the most famous painters in modern art (World Book 306). He only sold one painting in his living days, but now his paintings are considered priceless. Some of his paintings and drawings include: The Bedroom at Arles 1888 Self-Portrait 1888 Vase with 12 Sunflowers 1888 Langlois Bridge with Women Washing 1888 (Sweetman 378) Those are just a few of his accomplishments, though he has created many, many more works of art. In 1888, artist Paul Gaugin moved into Vincent's house with him. At first everything worked out fine, but within the year, their personalities started to clash, and big problems arose. Then, on December 23, 1888, Paul Gaugin was taking a walk in the nearby public garden, when, according to his memoir "Avant et Apres," Vincent chased after Gaugin with an open razor blade. But, when Gaugin turned around, Vincent turned and ran home. Gaugin decided that this threat was too much for him to take, so he checked into a hotel room for the night. When Paul Gaugin arrived at home the next morning, he saw a crowd of police officers and citizens surrounding the house. When he went in the house he saw that there was blood everywhere- on towels and blankets, then a trail leading up the stairs. When he got to Vincent's bedroom, he found him curled up on his bed covered in sheets pink with blood. Gaugin thought Vincent was dead, but when he went to touch his friend's hand, it radiat! ed warmth from his friend's body (Sweetman 290). Gaugin found out later that Vincent had cut off almost his whole left ear, wrapped it in newspaper, and given it to his friend Rachel. He then said "Guard this object carefully" (Sweetman 293). Some reasons speculated for this unusual self-destruction were: 1. Schizophrenia 2. He failed to harm Paul Gaugin so he turned the violence on himself? 3. He was just filled with self-loathing? It was later discovered that he was tormented by voices and was having hallucinations. Had he attempted to silence the voices by cutting off the offending organ? (Sweetman 294) Vincent 1999-08-22T14:00:00-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Artists-throughout-History-That-Have-Self-Destructed-799.aspx Pantomime This paper is about pantomime, about it's origin, it's people, how it has evolved, and how wonderful it is. Pantomime is a dramatic performance in which a story is told or a theme developed through expressive bodily or facial movement. The origin of pantomime can be traced back to classical farce and the Italian Commedia Dell'arte. Not all pantomime is silent. The completely silent performance of pantomime was invented in Rome. Pantomime is sometimes used to worship. Mime is a short way of saying pantomime and also means someone who performs pantomime. A mime, if performing on the streets, will have a hat that is passed around for spectators to put money in. When doing pantomime, it should be noted that the imaginative performance skills are illusion and illustration. Also, you should "cultivate an understanding of the role that the body plays in suggesting an idea, an impression, a sensation, or a character." Pantomime can be done solo, or in a group of any size. Before performing, a mime must do warm-up and relaxation exercises. Miming takes mental and physical strength. Perfect coordination of all parts of the body is essential for expressive movement and graceful poise in pantomime. A good mime must be very flexible. You must be fluid at changing posture to create a character. Facial expression changes everything while performing pantomime. You must be very relaxed when doing pantomime. People speak different languages, but most gestures mean the same thing. Animals, insects especially, have probably done pantomime before humans were even alive. For example, bees do pantomime when telling others where nectar is, and peacocks use pantomime to impress a mate. Prehistoric man was next, after animals, to do pantomime. Prehistoric men would do pantomime to try to influence nature to let them get a kill while hunting. Before language, prehistoric men told about a hunt with pantomime. Prehistoric men would use pantomime to tell the history of the tribe. A clown named Grock became a very successful mime. He started as an acrobatic clown at a very young age. Grock became famous because he succeeded in the circus and in the music hall. After years of successfully performing in circuses, he tried his clown routine in a theater in Berlin. Grock began to move away from broad comedy in the Grimaldi tradition, and towards Debureu's type of performance. In his first performance in a theater, the audience did not respond. Grock realized 1999-08-22T14:00:00-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Pantomime-800.aspx Johann Sebastian Bach Johann Sebastian Bach was one of the greatest composers in Western musical history. More than 1,000 of his compositions survive. Some examples are the Art of Fugue, Brandenburg Concerti, the Goldberg Variations for Harpsichord, the Mass in B-Minor, the motets, the Easter and Christmas oratorios, Toccata in F Major, French Suite No 5, Fugue in G Major, Fugue in G Minor ("The Great"), St. Matthew Passion, and Jesu Der Du Meine Seele. He came from a family of musicians. There were over 53 musicians in his family over a period of 300 years. Johann Sebastian Bach was born in Eisenach, Germany on March 21, 1685. His father, Johann Ambrosius Bach, was a talented violinist, and taught his son the basic skills for string playing. Another relative, the organist at Eisenach's most important church, instructed the young boy on the organ. In 1695 his parents died, he was only 10 years old. He went to go stay with his older brother, Johann Christoph, who was a professional organist at Ohrdruf. Johann Christoph being a professional organist, continued his younger brother's education on that instrument, as well as on the harpsichord. After several years in this arrangement, Johann Sebastian won a scholarship to study in Luneberg, Northern Germany, and so he left his brother's tutoring. A master of several instruments while still in his teens, Johann Sebastian first found employment at the age of 18 as a "lackey and violinist" in a court orchestra in Weimar. Soon after, he took the job of organist at a church in Arnstadt. Here, as in times before, his perfectionism and high expectations of other musicians - for example, the church choir - rubbed his friends the wrong way, and he was caught up in a number of quarrels during his short stay. In 1707, at the age of 22, Bach got fed up with the "lousy musical standards" of Arnstadt (and the working conditions) and moved on to another organist job, this time at the St. Blasius Church in Muhlhausen. The same year, he married his cousin (now that's just wrong!) Maria Barbara Bach. Again caught up in a running conflict between parts of his church, Bach fled to Weimar after one year in Muhlhausen. In Weimar, he assumed the post of organist and concertmaster in the chapel. He remained in Weimar for nine years, and there he composed his first wave of major works, including organ showpieces 1999-06-06T14:00:00-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Johann-Sebastian-Bach-714.aspx Jazz Jazz has been an influence in many artist's work, from painting to other forms of music. Jazz is an American music form that was developed from African-American work songs. The white man began to imitate them in the 1920's and the music form caught on and became very popular. Two artists that were influenced by jazz were Jean-Michel Basquiat and Stuart Davis. The influence is quite evident in many of their works, such as Horn Players, by Basquiat, and Swing Landscape, by Davis. Stuart Davis was born in Philadelphia in 1894. He grew up in an artistic environment, his father was art director of a Philadelphia newspaper, who had employed Luks, Glackens, and other members of the Eight. He studied with Robert Henri from 1910 to 1913, made covers and drawings for the social realist periodical The Masses, which was associated with the Ash-can School, and exhibited watercolors in the Armory Show, which made an overwhelming impact on him. After a visit to Paris in 1928 he introduced a new note into U.S. cubism, basing himself on its synthetic rather than its analytical phase. Using natural forms, particularly forms suggesting the characteristic environment of American life, he rearranged them into flat poster-like patterns with precise outlines and sharply contrasting colors. He later went on to pure abstract patterns, into which he often introduced lettering, suggestions of advertisements, and posters. The zest and dynamism of such works as Swing Landscape reflect his interest in jazz, which Davis considered to be the counterpart to abstract art. Davis is often considered to be the outstanding American artist to work in a cubism idiom. He made witty and original use of it and created a distinctive American style, for however abstract his works became he always claimed that every image he used had its source in observed reality. Davis once said " I paint what I see in America, in other words I paint the American scene." Stuart Davis' works of the late 1930's celebrate the urban and technological environment and are quite complex and frequently recall Legers's brightly coloured geometric forms. Early works depict saloons and ragtime musicians. Titles and images of his works in the 30's reflect syncopation and unusual rhythm of jazz, particularly swing . Jean-Michel Basquiat was born in 1960, four years before Stuart Davis' death. At an early age Basquiat showed an interest and love for drawing. His mother often took him 1999-05-19T14:00:00-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Jazz-692.aspx Iconographical Analysis: di Nardo, 'Adoration of the Magi' The painting "Adoration of the Magi" by di Nardo portrays the three Magi approaching the baby Jesus and the Virgin Mary. However, there is much more to it than just this familiar scene from Judeo-Christian lore. When approaching this painting in order to analyze it iconographically, it is necessary to first look at all aspects of the form. If this aspect is ignored, it provides for an incomplete analysis of the painting. Once this is looked at, the iconography of the painting becomes much clearer, and it is easier to compare the painting to the actual biblical text from which it was derived (Gospel of St. Matthew 2:1 - 2:12). When approaching the painting the first thing I noticed was the odd perspective. There are several vanishing points. Also, all of the figures seem to be placed on one plane. Because of this, the two figures that represent Jesus and Mary seem to be hovering weirdly above the ground. This, I believe, draws the viewer's attention to these two figures, since they are the main focus of the painting. Due to the influence of my culture, I recognized the figures as Jesus and Mary immediately. However, despite this, there are a few indicators as to who the people represented in the painting are. When viewing the painting, it is obvious that the figures of mother and child are the main point because the gazes of all of the people in the represented center on the child, including the mother's. Also, the weird hovering effect also directs the viewer's attention to these two figures. Both Mary and Jesus have halos, but this is not necessarily a distinguishing factor seeing as how there are also four other figures in the painting that have halos. However, the halo that surrounds the head of the baby Jesus has a slightly different pattern than those that the other figures possess. This lets you know that for whatever reason, this child is set apart from all other figures in the painting. So, even if the viewer is of another culture or religion and doesn't see the significance of the female in the picture being clothed in blue and red, or the significance of the "blessing" position in which the baby is holding his hand, he can see that for some reason, this child is being distinguished from all other people in the painting. Another aspect of 1999-03-16T13:00:00-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Iconographical-Analysis-di-Nardo,-Adoration-of-the-Magi-610.aspx Dance and body Expression The video Dance in the Real World expressed the details of dance and body expression. The video stated that sometimes the only way to get to know someone is to watch the way they express themselves through the detail of dance. This video showed many different cultures of dance. Native Americans traditions have suffered for 500 years. When the band was lifted from their dance. The Native Americans had many huge POW wows to keep their dance alive. The Hawaii Hula praised the ancestors, and fertility of the land. It was also band because it was thought to be immoral. It was keep secretly keep alive by a few families. Hula has keep Hawaii's traditions through the years. They continue to dance. The dance moves interrupt words of the songs written. They are always writing new songs to dance out. They feel their dances bring them closer to the earth. African dance is the knowledge of life. In African dance the women are suppose to express themselves through their body. One African American expressed him by saying this; " You never lose 1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Dance-and-body-Expression-231.aspx David Sculptures David, who was destined to be the second king of Israel, destroyed the Philistine giant Goliath with stone and a sling. Donatello, Verrocchio, Michelangelo, and Bernini each designed a sculpture of David. However, the sculptures are drastically different from one another. Each one is unique in its own certain way. Donatello, whose David was the first life-size nude statue since Classical times, struck a balance between Classicism and the realism by presenting a very real image of an Italian peasant boy in the form of a Classical nude figure. Although Donatello was inspired by Classical figures, he did not choose a Greek youth in his prime as a model for his David. Instead, he chooses a barely developed adolescent boy whose arms appeared weak due to the lack of muscles. After defeating Goliath, whose head lies at David's feet, he rests his sword by his side, almost to heavy to handle. It seems almost impossible that a young boy like David could have accomplished such a task. David himself seems skeptical of his deed as he glances down towards his body. Apparently, David's intellect, faith and courage made up for his lack of build (Fichner-Rathus 331-332). Verrocchio, who also designed a sculpture of David, was the most important and imaginative sculptor of the mid-fifteenth century. This figure of the youthful David is one of the most beloved and famous works of its time. In Verrocchio's David, we see a strong contrast to Donatello's treatment of the same subject. Although both artists choose to portray David as an adolescent, Verrocchio's brave man "appears somewhat older and excludes pride and self-confidence rather than a dreamy gaze of disbelief" (Fichner-Rathus 334). Donatello balanced realistic elements with an idealized Classically inspired torso whereas Verrocchio's goal was absolutely realism in minute details. The sculptures also differ in terms of technique. Donatello's David is mainly a closed-form sculpture. The objects and limbs are centered around an S-curve stance, which balanced his human form. Verrocchio's sculpture is more open. For example, the bared sword and elbow are sticking out, away from the central core. "Donatello's graceful pose had been replaced in the Verrocchio, by a jaunty contrapposto that enhances David's image of self-confidence" (Fichner-Rathus 334). Michelangelo was yet another artist who sculpted David. His reputation as a sculptor was established when he carved his David at the edge of twenty-seven from a single piece of relatively unworkable marble. Unlike the 1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/David-Sculptures-232.aspx A story about seeing MxPx On November 13<SUP>th</SUP> I went to Tramps in New York to see one of my favorite bands, MxPx. MxPx is a Christian pop-punk band. Pop punk basically means happy punk. The band members, are Mike Herrera who plays bass and sings, Tom Wisniewski who plays guitar and Yuri Ruley plays drums. They played about 10 songs, all of which I knew. Some of their songs have to do with society problems through the eyes of a teenager. At the show, the first song they played was one of my favorite's, "Teenage Politics". Some of the lyrics to this song are, "No I'm not mad but I think they forget what it's like and how hard it is to be a teenager. This is a new day and age, we read a different book where Elvis ain't the rage and polyester ain't the look." "...Is it time again to disagree about anything, everything and what's on TV it's a vicious circle, never ending a linear equation worldly extending. No, I'll never be like you; I'll never be like you. Oh no! I'm just like you!" The second song they played was "I'm the Bad Guy". The first couple lines of state, "Legalistic people suck. Legalism makes me sick." Even though they openly bust on legalism, they also know the world has nothing to offer them but hurt and pain, while God is the only answer. Since they are a Christian punk band, of course they have to play religious songs. One really good song that they played there was "False Fiction". This song basically means that the world is going through such turmoil because we don't have Christ in our lives. "They guarantee our freedom but freedom isn't real unless you know Christ you wont know how I feel. Inflections of the way things were supposed to be the mental disorder of our society...maybe this world had stopped thinking maybe all their minds are shrinking you failed system is including chaos, it's chaos, it's your loss." In "Like sand through the hourglass...so are the days of our lives," they say, "My world is breaking down around me. I see my destroyed world in front of me. Any and everything I trusted, I weep for my world disgusted. Will I look to you? Jesus, yes I do!" Not only did they play songs about Christ and society, they also played songs about love. The fifth song they 1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/A-story-about-seeing-MxPx-237.aspx A story about seeing NOFX On November 26<sup>th</sup> I went to the Stone Pony in New York to see another of my favorite bands, NOFX. NOFX is a punk-ska band. Punk meaning fast paced drumbeats and quick singing and ska meaning a song played with trumpets. The band members are Fat Mike (vocals, bass), El Hefe (guitar, trumpet, vocals), Eric Melvin (guitar, vocals), and Erik Sandin (drums). The one thing I found out there was that El Hefe sings a lot. I thought he only sings in a few songs but when I heard them play, I noticed that he sang about half of the songs. NOFX music has considerable groove for a punk band and is sparked by the two lead guitarists, Eric Melvin and El Hefe. Tight play between the band's four members, and short, fast, punchy songs, with a laid back approach would even have non-punk fans entertained. Their songs talk about racism, politics, social problems, sex, drugs, lesbians, bums, alcohol, animal freedom... and many other strange subjects. In their music you will find punk, of course, but also rock, hardcore, ska, even reggae and jazz. If you ask me they are a just a punk-ska band. Their songs are interesting and different from one another. Each song has it's own characteristics. The lyrics are very interesting, sometimes strange, and sometimes incomprehensible. You basically just have to understand them in your own way. The club was packed, or more accurately, stuffed. After much anticipation the punk gods, NOFX hit the stage and the crowd surged with excitement even before they opened the set with one of my favorite songs, "Reagan Sucks." The next song they played was "Bob". They played songs from the album "Flossing a Dead Horse" - which is one massive trumpet solo presented by El Hefe. The next song they played was "Eat the Meek" with trumpet and lead vocals by El Hefe. The mosh pit was monstrous and seemed to gain in size as it rotated in circles and swallowed innocent bystanders into the craziness. People were being knocked over everywhere and smashed by the surging waves of dancers. People were body surfing and there seemed to be chaos going on everywhere. After that, the seventh song they played was "Hobophobic" (Scared of bums not just because they stink bad. Not just because they're crackers. From drinking too much lysol. Let them be.) Then they played "Six Pack Girls". They 1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/A-story-about-seeing-NOFX-238.aspx Examination of Music History A verbal art like poetry is reflective; it stops to think. Music is immediate, it goes on to become." - W.H. Auden. This quote best explains the complex art of music. Music is an elaborate art form that will always remain ever changing. Music developed drastically from it's beginning in the Prehistoric era to the 14th Century. The exact origin of music is unknown. It is known that music was used in prehistoric times in magical or spiritual rituals but no other use is known. This knowledge is borne out of the fact that music still forms a vital part of most religious ceremonies today. The history of Greek music is problematic. Although there are frequent references to musical performance in Greek manuscripts, there are less than twelve fragments of actual Greek music, including both vocal and instrumental music, that have survived. It is impossible to fully understand the notation to make an authentic performance. For the Greeks, music was of divine origin. According to Greek mythology, the gods themselves invented music and it's instruments. Many of the early myths told of the powerful effects of music. Music played an important part in both the public and private lives of the Greeks. They believed it could deeply affect human behavior. Greek music was built up of a series of distinct modes, each with it's own name. According to the doctrine of ethos, each mode was so powerful that it gave music the ability to influence human actions in a precise way. The Phrygian mode expressed passionate and intimate emotions, where as the Dorian mode produced forceful, rigid feelings. In later Greek history the doctrine of ethos was widely argued by the most philosophical of men. Plato and Aristotle both had broadly different views on the power and importance of music. The persocratic philosopher Pythagoras was even interested enough in music to develop the numerical octave system that we still use today. The Classical Greeks used music in much of their drama and by the time Greece was made a Roman province, music dominated dramatic performances and social activities. There is not a great deal of original Roman music. Most of the music that did come out of the Roman era was derived from the Greeks. Despite this, there was definite musical activity in the later Roman Empire. An ample amount of evidence survived for instruments and a good deal of theory also. But 1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Examination-of-Music-History-268.aspx Masaccio: The Holy Trinity The Holy Trinity by Masaccio was done approximately 1428. It is a superb example of Masaccio's use of space and perspective. It consists of two levels of unequal height. Christ is represented on the top half, in a coffered, barrel-vaulted chapel. On one side of him is the Virgin Mary, and on the other, St. John. Christ himself is supported by God the Father, and the Dove of the Holy Spirit rests on Christ's halo. In front of the pilasters that enframe the chapel kneel the donors (husband and wife). Underneath the altar (a masonry insert in the painted composition) is a tomb. Inside the tomb is a skeleton, which may represent Adam. The vanishing point is at the center of the masonry altar, because this is the eye level of the spectator, who looks up at the Trinity and down at the tomb. The vanishing point, five feet above the floor level, pulls both views together. By doing this, an illusion of an actual structure is created. The interior volume of this 'structure' is an tension of the space that the person looking at the work is standing in. The adjustment of the spectator to the pictured space is one of the first steps in the development of illusionistic painting. Illusionistic painting fascinated many artists of the Renaissance and Baroque periods. The proportions in this painting are so numerically exact that one can actually calculate the numerical dimensions of the chapel in the background. The span of the painted vault is seven feet, and the depth is nine feet. "Thus, he achieves not only successful illusion, but a rational, metrical coherence that, by maintaining the mathematical proportions of the surface design, is responsible for the unity and harmony of this monumental composition." Two principal interests are summed up by The Holy Trinity: Realism based on observation, and the application of mathematics to pictorial organization. All of the figures are fully clothed, except for that of Christ himself. He is, however, wearing a robe around his waist. The figure is "real"; it is a good example of a human body. The rest of the figures, who are clothed, are wearing robes. The drapery contains heavy folds and creases, which increases the effect of shadows. The human form in its entirety is not seen under the drapery; only a vague representation of it is seen. It is not at all like the 'wet-drapery' 1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Masaccio-The-Holy-Trinity-275.aspx Art: The Ultimate Expression Before the portrayal of the human body can be critiqued, you must understand the artist's culture. As man evolved over centuries, his views of the body also transformed. Our tour definitely showed the drastic changes in different cultures' art. Each culture and era presents very distinct characteristics. Through time and experimentation, we have expressed our views of the human body clearly with our art. Egyptians were the first people to make a large impact on the world of art. Egyptians needed art for their religious beliefs more than decoration or self-gratification. The most important aspect of Egyptian life is the ka, the part of the human spirit that lives on after death. The ka needed a physical place to occupy or it would disappear. Most of the important men of Egypt paid to have their body carved out of stone. That was were the spirit would live after the man dies. They used stone because it was the strongest material they could find. Longevity was very important. The bodies are always idealized and clothed. Figures are very rigid, close-fisted, and are built on a vertical axis to show that the person is grand or intimidating. Most of the figures were seen in the same: profile of the legs, frontal view of the torso, and profile of the head. Like most civilizations, Egyptians put a lot of faith in gods. The sky god Horus, a bird, is found in a great amount of Egyptian art. Little recognition was ever given to the artists. The emphasis was on the patron. Early Greek art was greatly influenced by the Egyptians. Geography permitted both cultures to exchange their talents. The beginning of Greek art is marked by the Geometric phase. The most common art during the Geometric phase was vase painting. After the vase was formed but before it was painted, the artist applied a slip (dark pigment) to outside. Then the vase was fired and the artist would incise his decorations into the hard shell. It was important to incise humans into the fired slip and not paint with slip. The people in the pictures needed light colored skin, which was the color beneath the slip, because Greeks wanted to make their art as realistic as possible. Much like Egyptian art, the Greeks idealized the bodies of the people in their works. As the Archaic Period evolved, Greek sculptures were almost identical to the 1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Art-The-Ultimate-Expression-276.aspx