A Change in Cultural Consumption

At the beginning of this Humanities course, I consumed culture in the same way most other common people would - taking interest in whatever I liked, and seldom diving into new or foreign endeavors. Now that I have reached the end of this course, however, my habits for the consumption of culture have changed. Before, I would look at a painting, listen to a song, or view a work of literature as little more than whatever the surface of the subject displayed. Now, though I have had few chances to exercise this, I try to look deeper. I attempt to find the hidden messages or disguised themes in whatever I can comprehend. I view the world more critically and more emotionally. I have realized how much more I could discover in the world if I just sat and observed for longer than I usually would. I see the value in not only a formal, scholarly education, but also in the ability to see and the world from different angles and perspectives. I feel more well-rounded than I ever have before, and I came into this class believing I was already fairly well off. I appreciate having taken this class, and I know the skills I have begun to develop as a result will aide me in my life for many years to come.

A Parable for Your Troubles

For this post, I will present a parable and provide my interpretations of and feelings towards the piece. A parable, for those who do not know, is usually a simple story used to illustrate some moral or spiritual lesson. In many cases, parables are religious in nature, for this post, however, I will be looking at a non-religious parable for interpretation. The parable I have selected is as follows:

Good Luck or Bad Luck? (a Zen koan)

Once upon the time there was an old farmer who had worked his crops for many years. One day his horse ran away. Upon hearing the news, his neighbors came to visit. “Such bad luck,” they said sympathetically.

“Perhaps,” the farmer replied.

The next morning the horse returned, bringing with it three other wild horses. “What great luck!” the neighbors exclaimed.

“Perhaps,” replied the old man.

The following day, his son tried to ride one of the untamed horses, was thrown, and broke his leg. The neighbors again came to offer their sympathy on his misfortune.

“Perhaps,” answered the farmer.

The day after, military officials came to the village to draft young men into the army. Seeing that the son’s leg was broken, they passed him by. The neighbors congratulated the farmer on how well things had turned out.

“Perhaps,” said the farmer…

 I like this parable in particular because of its idea on perspective. I believe each story has two sides, and each side sees the story from a different perspective. This parable sort of echoes my belief. On one hand, the son's broken leg is a burden, but, under new circumstances, that burden becomes a blessing. There is always a bright side of every event, issue, or situation, and I feel as though this parable is taking a shot at trying to highlight that idea. I cannot help but feel as though the author of this parable wanted his readers to learn how to balance the good and the bad in life, and try to not fall under a dark cloud. This idea is especially relevant in a day where everything seems to be so negative and dark. So, perhaps it is time for us to start looking at all the bad things in the world, and start finding the good elements within each of them.

Passing Glance: Student Art Analysis

The annual Student Art Show has opened up at my college, and I have been assigned the task of viewing two of the Show's submissions and performing a sort analysis on both. Posting photographs of the works are not allowed, so I will do my best to describe them as I go.

The first submission to catch my attention also happened to be the second place winner for the Show. It is a photograph, no more than a foot wide by one foot high, capturing what appears to be a derelict escalator leading up to a gated-off abandoned structure. There is debris on and around the escalator, which is the central focus of the photo, and graffiti can be seen on the wall behind the escalator. What drew me to this work was its proportionality. The escalator itself runs down the exact center of the image, and the structure above and around the escalator divides the rest of the scene into near perfect thirds. Though the setting is littered with debris and dirt, this photo really satisfies my more OCD side with its framing. On an emotional level, this work gives me a somber feeling, with an undertone of past destruction. Its abandoned, derelict state leaves me with a combined feeling of dread and curiosity. The lighting comes from, as far as I can tell, the orange hue of the rising or setting sun, giving this piece an additional natural mood. Overall, this was easily my favorite submission from all of the entries I viewed at the Art Show, and I am very glad it at least earned second place.

The other work I viewed was also a photograph, but was different from the first. Smaller in dimensions than the first, this image captured what appears to be a light being trailed about a room. The capturing of the long trail left behind by said light suggests, as far as I known since I'm not a photographer, the photographer used a longer period of exposure to capture it. There is energy in this photograph. The light captured in motion gives it a sense of life and emotion, and really draws its viewers in (thus why I chose it for analysis). The white-purple-blue light is contrasted by the dark background of the room (likely a bedroom) it inhabits. Something akin to a terrarium can be seen also in the background, and the heat lamp within projects and reddish-orange glow, further contrasting the light. This image reminds me somewhat of lightning. The bright, energetic flash amid the dark environment is very captivating. Though not receiving any award in the Art Show, this photograph was very interesting to me. Its colors and life offered much more to me than many of the other submissions could.

Francisco Goya's Dark Works - An Analysis

Francisco Goya was a Spanish painter and printmaker during the Romantic Age. Goya is seen by many as not only the last of the great Old Painters, but also the first Modern Painter in the western world. During his career in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, he grew to be one of the most important Spanish artists of all time. Though revered for his work at his height, the works of Goya took a dark turn in his later years. Goya made two large collections, an etching series titled "The Caprichos," and a collection of paintings now known as his "Black Paintings." Both sets of works served as a way for Goya to explore the darker aspects of humanity and society through art. Here, I will analyze one work from each set, and provide my views on what Goya has created.

The image above is Goya's Caprichos Number 48, titled Sopolones (Tale-Bearers - Blasts of wind). This etching, imprinted on paper in the dimensions of 205 x 150 mm (8.1 x 5.9 in), was made from 1796-1797 and published in 1799. It depicts what appears to be a winged beast attacking someone or something. I chose this etching over the others due to the framing of the subjects, particularly, the flying creature. Rather than cut down the size of the scene to focus on the faces, Goya illustrated the entirety of the creature's wing extending upwards into the sky. This feature gives the scene a great deal more openness, and helps to portray the events as occurring outside. Like the rest of Goya's Caprichos, this image has a deeper meaning. Perhaps it is some form of satire on some aspect of life during that age, or it stands as a warning to something? Honestly, I find it difficult to discern what exactly is going on in this work, and what it could possibly mean.

This illustration is titled Duel with Cudgels, and was painted from 1820-1823. It is an oil-on-canvas medium, with dimensions of 123 x 266 cm (48.4 x 104.7 in). I chose this painting over the rest because of how different it was from most of Goya's other "Black Paintings." Unlike most of the others in the collection, this painting is brighter and less unnerving. It has a full background, rather than a black void, behind the subjects, and depicts the subjects off-center. There is more energy in this work, the two men are attacking one-another with weapons, while their legs are buried in sand or mud. I believe this painting is a sort of depiction of the violent nature of man, wherein mankind is "stuck" with fighting itself, and even if one side wins, it has not really gone anywhere. Perhaps it is a commentary on the pointlessness of war or violence? 

So, of his many later works, which of Goya's do you like? Of the two presented here, do you see a deeper meaning that I did not? 

Gordon - The Scourged Back

This image is of a slave named Gordon. Around the 1860's, Gordon had escaped his master in Mississippi and fled to the Union Army in Baton Rouge. There, he enlisted in service to fight the south, and underwent a brief medical exam where the extent of his injuries became clear. He was whipped by his master an untold number of times, and each laceration left a permanent scar, equating to the wounds seen in the picture. This image, titled "The Scourged Back," was quickly picked up by newspapers, and began its circulation in the abolitionist North, galvanizing the movement further. This was one of the first uses of photography as propaganda.

The significance of this picture is/was great. As one of the earliest instances of propaganda, this image portrayed the reality of life for enslaved Blacks in the South. Photography was still in its infancy, and was not widely used at the time. However, this photo showed how pictures could communicate powerful messages and ideas simply by capturing the reality of a situation. Rather than have an artist paint or a writer write about an issue, photography took a true, unfiltered frame from the world, and allowed it to be spread very quickly. This ability is seen still today. Many horrific acts of violence and terror are usually summed up using a single photo from the event. That image is capable of being interpreted a million different ways, but regardless of who you show it to, the same message gets across. So, thanks to "The Scourged Back," and thanks to Gordon, photography's power was realized very early into its life, and eventually became one of the most powerful and influential mediums of storytelling ever devised.  

Gulliver's Travels: A Pre-Analysis

For my class' upcoming book analysis, I wanted to read something that I could find interesting. I first looked to literature from the Scientific Revolution and settled on a work about Galileo. Unfortunately, that book was not available at my local or school library when in came time to acquire my book, so I was forced to look elsewhere. Nothing else caught my eye in the list of pre-approved readings from the Scientific Revolution, so I moved over to the next best era: the Age of Enlightenment. While glancing through the list, one name popped out at me: Gulliver's Travels, a name I had heard in passing, but had never really known about. I thought this would be a great opportunity to see what it was about.

The story of Gulliver's Travels is told from the first-person experience of Lemuel Gulliver, a man with a heart for adventure and a background in medicine. Gulliver wants to explore the world and see what few others have witnessed. By chance, he gets his wish, seeing fantastical lands only ever described in fantasy stories. From the nations of people only inches tall, to the world of giants taller that buildings, Gulliver sees the world like no other Englishman would, and lives to tell the tales. It is a lighthearted work of literature, and could easily be seen as another story of fantasy adventure and discovery, if not for the more learned meanings behind each of Gulliver's travels. 

Written by Jonathan Swift in the 18th century, and published Oct. 28, 1726, Gulliver's Travels is much less about storytelling, and much more about real-life issues (at least of that time). Swift, an Irish satirist who lived during the Age of Enlightenment, was known for his cheeky criticisms and critiques of Europe during that day. He was one of the first writers to largely use satire as a literary form to provide commentary on issues through stories, like those seen in Gulliver's Travels. Each of the different worlds Gulliver visits in his travels is actually representative of some group or idea from 18th century Europe, but none of this is explicitly stated in the book (at least not as far as I have read). The satirical themes are hard to see if you don't know what they mean, and are easily overlooked. It is interesting to me, to see such a great deal of work go into such a great story, and also have so much meaning under the surface. 

In all, I am enjoying my read of this book. It is well-written, clever, and takes on an interesting view from the shoes of Gulliver, who talks and refers directly to the reader. I would gladly recommend this work to anyone, and I look forward to completing a detailed analysis of this literature.

Analyzing Music: Mozart's Lacrimosa

Music is one of the greatest forms of art ever conceived. From the earliest days of banging sticks together to make a rhythm, to composing massive symphonies and orchestras in today's greatest music halls, the art of music is among the most influential and impactful art forms ever. This, in no small part, is thanks to the many great musical legends that have come and gone throughout history. Bach, Beethoven, Vivaldi, just to name a few. Today, wanted to become better at not only listening to music, but also understanding what each piece of music means. To help me, I decided to briefly study the work of the great Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and his piece Lacrimosa.

Mozart stands among the titans of European musical composers in the 17th and 18th centuries. His many famous works are known by all, even people who do not regularly consume classical music. His natural talent for playing music at an 

early age kick-started his career in the music industry, and brought the world one of the greatest artistic minds ever seen. Who better than for me to analyze than one of the greatest? The two works of his I eventually had to decide on for this analysis (if you could call it that) were between Requiem and Lacrimosa, both I instantly recognized, but had never actually known the names of (which is just the power of Mozart, I suppose). I eventually chose the latter of the two.

Lacrimosa is a beautiful piece that carries the emotion of sorrow or mourning with it. The heavenly vocals combined with the powerful horn and percussion lines, led by a string group, make this piece an unforgettable cantata (at least that's what I believe it is). I love how the sound is soft, but heavy with emotion using a calm tempo and soothing flow. Even as I write this post, I am listening to the piece on repeat, and it is not getting boring or dull to me. I can't help but believe this work tells the story of some great loss or failure that led to a time of great sadness. Overall, a very inspiring piece.

My recommendation: I love this piece, and I would recommend it to anyone, especially to those who do not listen to this type of music regularly. Also, listen to it using some surround-sound headphones or speakers, as I did. This was an overall positive experience for me, I had my doubts going in, but I am glad to have done this.