May82012

Cover Art

In my edition of Things Fall Apart I see this lovely cover art:
 

There is a dark-skinned head that is upside down on a contrasting white background and an orange stripe on the bottom. The cover is also made to look like it is original and handmade, as if to be like no other. The originality of the cover shows that Achebe’s story is not like any other. The upside-down head shows that things fall apart in the book and SPOILER ALERT: that Okonkwo’s life is turned completely around so much that he takes his own life. END SPOILER! The handmade look to the cover emphasizes the culture Umuofia and shows even more originality. Things Fall Apart is a genuinely unique story and that uniqueness is shown by the cover art and the writing.

-Kai

ThingsFallApart Chinua Achebe cover art art 

May12012

Nigerian Traditions

As we read through the lovely novel Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe I have come to realize that though we, as a class, may have some idea of what the Nigerian drum beats and trials are, our ideas may be foggy. So I did some searching and found the musically talented people of Nigeria singing, dancing, reenacting, and drumming to the tradition of the Nigerian culture. So F Block English and followers here is one of many Nigerian traditions.

-Kai

Yorùbá Bàtá: A Living Drum and Dance Tradition From Nigeria

Things Fall Apart Chinua Achebe Nigeria Art tradition music drums 

April222012

In his critical essay on Heart of Darkness, the author Chinua Achebe mentions how artists like Picasso and Matisse were fascinated by the masks of the Fang people. These artists, well on their way to introducing the European art scene to cubism, were of the same era as Joseph Conrad, but unlike the latter, they channeled their fascination with African art to a wholly positive and original cause; while African influence is stylistically present in cubist works, the artists themselves did not obviously depict any of their opinions on African culture.

In looking at how the cubists of the early 1900s graciously borrowed from African art, and comparing this with Conrad’s handling of his own observations of Africa, I am inclined to agree with Achebe - that Conrad seems to not borrow from and therefore admire African culture, but he seems to steal from African culture, and pawn it off as a setting for his novel that  is deep down only a novel about chaos and despair, that happens to use Africa and its people as a background.

_Mikhaila

art Chinua Achebe Joseph Conrad Heart of Darkness cubism The Fang People Matisse Picasso 

April212012
Terrifying Brightness When I was 7 years old, I was exposed to the artist Matthew Barney’s haunting video piece, Cremaster 3. Visually, the main character (a man covered in white make-up, clad in a hot pink kilt and a crown of cotton candy fluff), and the scenery (the stark white spiraling walls of the Gugenhiem Museum) are very bright, almost kitschy. Judging by the color scheme alone, this is a palette that embodies the meaning of cheerfulness; there was not a drop of dark imagery in the film. However, the spiraling walls seemed to spiral relentlessly towards some unforeseen hell, and the pastel and neon colors are blinding. During the whole of this film, I began to feel that there was an eerie, brooding gloom hanging over me… Sound familiar?   In Heart of Darkness, Marlow too experiences a sort of “brooding gloom” in the midst brightness - a bank of white fog, which he notes as “more blinding than night” (39). Accordingly, it is within this white fog that matters become more and more disturbing for the colonists - the opposite of what Marlow and his crew expect.       In Western culture, there are established symbols and meanings for those symbols. For the Europeans in Heart of Darkness, darkness connotes ignorance, death, chaos, etc. But especially in this instance of white fog, Conrad pulls the rug out beneath the feet of typical Western philosophy, as he alternatively uses light to evoke an ominous scene.  Today, as certain colors and logos and letters have come to be associated with finite and marketable meanings, our society begins to reach the limits of originality… So, I truly admire how people like Matthew Barney and Joseph Conrad have ventured to question imagery as we know it. _Mikhaila

Terrifying Brightness

When I was 7 years old, I was exposed to the artist Matthew Barney’s haunting video piece, Cremaster 3. Visually, the main character (a man covered in white make-up, clad in a hot pink kilt and a crown of cotton candy fluff), and the scenery (the stark white spiraling walls of the Gugenhiem Museum) are very bright, almost kitschy. Judging by the color scheme alone, this is a palette that embodies the meaning of cheerfulness; there was not a drop of dark imagery in the film. However, the spiraling walls seemed to spiral relentlessly towards some unforeseen hell, and the pastel and neon colors are blinding. During the whole of this film, I began to feel that there was an eerie, brooding gloom hanging over me…

Sound familiar?  

In Heart of Darkness, Marlow too experiences a sort of “brooding gloom” in the midst brightness - a bank of white fog, which he notes as “more blinding than night” (39). Accordingly, it is within this white fog that matters become more and more disturbing for the colonists - the opposite of what Marlow and his crew expect.

      In Western culture, there are established symbols and meanings for those symbols. For the Europeans in Heart of Darkness, darkness connotes ignorance, death, chaos, etc. But especially in this instance of white fog, Conrad pulls the rug out beneath the feet of typical Western philosophy, as he alternatively uses light to evoke an ominous scene.

 Today, as certain colors and logos and letters have come to be associated with finite and marketable meanings, our society begins to reach the limits of originality… So, I truly admire how people like Matthew Barney and Joseph Conrad have ventured to question imagery as we know it.

_Mikhaila

Cremaster 3 Heart of Darkness Joseph Conrad Matthew Barney art 

March82012

A Supermarket in California

When we ended our discussion on A Supermarket in California in class, one concept we did not wrap up was that of Ginsberg’s feeling about American tradition and idealism: does he admire it, resent its hypocrisy, or is it a bit of both? 

To look deeper, I’ve included these images which are both iconic and contradictory…

The first is a work done in 1963 by the pop artist, Tom Wesselmann. It depicts a very ordinary, mid-century still life of consumer products. But there are thematic oddities in this image. For one thing, the portrait of Abraham Lincoln demands our respect - he was, after all, a pioneer in the philosophy of liberty. We remember him as a true American. And yet, this great historical figure is shrouded over either shoulder by images that remind us of the chronic dissent in American society - an epitome of the struggle  between capitalism (the exotic fruit in the left corner) and anti-capitalist communism (the red star), which ignited immediately after Lincoln’s Civil War. This juxtaposition of capitalism and communism especially relates to the conflicted, bi-polar American society, as described in the poem.

The second image is one of Ginsberg himself dressed as Uncle Sam. Here, again is a dichotomous juxtaposition of themes: traditional man versus non-traditional man. Uncle Sam is the standard male ideal, while Ginsberg is no where near being a perfect model - he was a controversial poet, and he was homosexual. Opposingly, Uncle Sam represents  the traditional  American man - a father, a serviceman, the family breadwinner. In the poem, the phrase “aisles full of husbands” versus “wives in the avocados” suggests the separate  gender roles within 1950s American society - thereby initiating Ginsberg’s lonely tone; he does not fit in. Regardless, Ginsberg dressed up in such patriotic clothes illustrates how the definition of the traditional American was at least on the verge of change. 

_Mikhaila

art Tom Wesselmann pop art Allen Ginsberg Uncle Sam A Supermarket in California 

March72012

Leaving

In the plat The Tempest, a ton of leaving takes place in the play. First Prospero and Miranda leaving Milan, then the ship leaving Milan, and everyone leaving the island at the end of the play. However after leaving becomes arrival, just as the saying about closing one door and opening another. Every time a character closes a door of their own they open another door that leads to a plethora of opportunities. For Prospero specifically he closes multiple doors at one time, leaving one open that leaded him back to where he came from. Now he is going back to the start his “little life is rounded with sleep” (133). Prospero has made a full circle in his lifetime and now has no choice but to follow it until the end.

Art Leaving The Tempest Shakespeare William Shakespeare Prospero 

February282012

Ambiguity

First, the ambiguity.

The most ambiguous and ever changing character in The Tempest is the one and only Ariel (my personal favorite). Ariel’s character is a spirit whom does not have a gender (but Prospero calls Ariel “he”), age, race, culture, sex, etc., but Ariel does have a connection to Prospero until set free. His attachment to Prospero allows the readers a way to envision a face behind the personality of Ariel, though Shakespeare does not give evidence to support any of the ideas. Ariel’s ambiguity directly relates to the optical illusion above because, like Ariel, the photo can be seen as multiple things, but no one knows exactly what it is. In this case the photo is a glass or two faces (fewer options than Ariel), but both options can not be proven 100% true. Just because Prospero calls Ariel “he” does not automatically make Ariel a man.

-Kai

ambiguity The Tempest Shakespeare William Shakespeare Art Ariel 

7PM
Our discussions about the importance and meaning of dreams in The Tempest reminded me of an artist, Jim Shaw. He is known for a series of drawings he did based off of his own dreams in order to commemorate and prolong the magic that ends the moment we awaken. This notion relates to one that Caliban from The Tempest expresses in act 3 scene 2 - “when I waked/ I cried to dream again” – ultimately acknowledging that our dreams are in fact illusive and unattainable in real life. Still, Shaw’s work uncannily connects this same breach between fantasy and reality that Caliban laments. His dream drawings are not a surreal body of work, but one that attains an equilibrium by presenting fantastic, figurative scenes in a concrete, narrative, matter-of-fact manner. As in the case of this particular drawing – Heather – Shaw reaches this equilibrium visually, through the balanced juxtaposition of realistic rendering with abstract lines.  To create his dream drawings (a collection of over 200 pieces!) Shaw kept a voice-activated tape recorder next to his bed as he slept. The moment he awoke from a dream, he would immediately regurgitate everything he could remember. Later, he would play back the recording and draw out these images or stories. His drawings make the inspirational ideas that surface during sleep accessible, and dreams a cohesive part of reality. In regards to The Tempest, had Caliban the technology to record and play back his own dreams, I wonder if he would find himself uplifted from the burden of reality, or only more reminded that his dreams were unattainable.  _Mikhaila  

Our discussions about the importance and meaning of dreams in The Tempest reminded me of an artist, Jim Shaw. He is known for a series of drawings he did based off of his own dreams in order to commemorate and prolong the magic that ends the moment we awaken. This notion relates to one that Caliban from The Tempest expresses in act 3 scene 2 - “when I waked/ I cried to dream again” – ultimately acknowledging that our dreams are in fact illusive and unattainable in real life.

Still, Shaw’s work uncannily connects this same breach between fantasy and reality that Caliban laments. His dream drawings are not a surreal body of work, but one that attains an equilibrium by presenting fantastic, figurative scenes in a concrete, narrative, matter-of-fact manner.

As in the case of this particular drawing – Heather – Shaw reaches this equilibrium visually, through the balanced juxtaposition of realistic rendering with abstract lines. 

To create his dream drawings (a collection of over 200 pieces!) Shaw kept a voice-activated tape recorder next to his bed as he slept. The moment he awoke from a dream, he would immediately regurgitate everything he could remember. Later, he would play back the recording and draw out these images or stories. His drawings make the inspirational ideas that surface during sleep accessible, and dreams a cohesive part of reality.

In regards to The Tempest, had Caliban the technology to record and play back his own dreams, I wonder if he would find himself uplifted from the burden of reality, or only more reminded that his dreams were unattainable.

 _Mikhaila

 

Caliban Heather Jim Shaw Shakespeare The Tempest Art 

February212012

In the movie, The Tempest, starring Helen Mirren, Felicity Jones, and Ben Whishaw, director Julie Taymore portrays Ariel as a being of the air and Caliban as a creature of the earth. Ariel disappears into thin air and blends in with the somber blue sky after a storm. Caliban is dark and is covered in what looks like mud or the bark of a tree. Typically, those associated with land stay true to their beliefs and roots and are slow to change to the evolving world around them. The air is affiliated with constant motion from wind and fluctuating movement. In the Tempest, the characters break from their appearance. Caliban is eager to switch alliances, while Ariels devotion to Prospera is unwavering. What does this switch reveal about the power of association to specific personality traits? Does this change our thoughts on any other characters that appear to fit in one box, but break from their affiliation?

-Rachel F.

art media The Tempest Ariel Caliban Prospera Helen Mirren Julie Taymore appearance earth air character traits 

February202012

 The Tempest Costume Critique: Miranda

Okay, so, as much as I love the Julie Taymor Tempest, Miranda’s first costume (see the first two pictures) in the movie really threw me off. I love the dress and I would totally want to wear it, but that’s just the problem. It looks like they went to Urban Outfitters and bought her a muslin dress. Now don’t get me wrong I LOVE Sandy Powell and this kills me because I think she is just downright brilliant and I LOVE Oralando and she is soooooo fantastic but this first dress just seemed off and too modern. I mean if you’re sitting there for the first half of the movie wondering if I could buy myself a dress like that at Anthropologie, something’s not working. Although later in the movie, Miranda wears sort of an asymetrical dress with, what almost looks like a painted bustier (third picture). This, my friends, is brilliant. The tattered ends of the dress give it that “I’ve lived on an island my whole life” feel while the bustier is really fashion forward but still looks like it could have been fashioned out of an old painting. Overall this Miranda was defiantly more of an artistic fashion forward, runway Miranda all thanks the the brilliance of Sandy Powell. 

Now we move onto a very realistic and practical approach. If you direct your attention to the fourth picture, you will see what looks like a raggedy, cut off, and distressed Elizabethan style men’s shirt. This design is very realistic and probably makes the most sense; but in my opinion is a little boring and The Tempest is a fantastical play filled with magic, not all of it needs to make sense. But, with that said, I think this costume serves its purpose well. 

Now for some fun!! If you look at the fifth picture you will see Ferdinand and Miranda looking all “lovey-dovey” on the beach. Everything looks pretty good, you’ve got Ferdinand wearing a nice white puffy shirt, a brocade vest, some pirate-tastic sailor boots; Miranda looks good she’s in all shades of green (which makes her hair look FANTASTIC) she has a nice velvety cape and green dre— HOLD UP…is she wearing TOMS????  I don’t even know what to say….It’s too much for me to deal with right now. 

Lastly, we come to the “oh-so-pretty-but-where-the-hell-did-you-get-that” dress. I know its just a rendering but whey would you even think about that. I know its traditional and all but it just doesn’t make sense. Did like Ariel just whip you up a dress in his spare time or have you not grown since you were three… 

Stay Fabulous,

Paige

Toms shoes The Tempest tempest costumes costume WTF Urban Outfitters Muslin Art fashion shakespeare miranda Ferdinand 

February172012

Mona Lisa

The famous Leonardo DaVinci painting portrays a healthy woman who welcomes all that come her way. She welcomes everyone, just as the new world welcomes millions of people seeking new found opportunities. The Mona Lisa and the New World are both healthy, fertile, pure, new and welcoming, and they share their virtues with Miranda. Miranda is new and innocent like the land she lives on, she welcomes Ferdinand and worries for Prospero’s ship and crew members. Miranda represents the future of the population of the new world to Caliban, but to Prospero she represents his journey back to dukedom. The Mona Lisa also has a beauty that no one can ignore. Miranda, to Ferdinand, is “So perfect and so peerless, are created/ Of every creature’s best.” as Mona Lisa is to Leonardo DaVinci.

-Kai

the tempest shakespeare mona lisa art new world renaissance 

February152012
Hieronymous Bosch Creatures and Caliban Sorry to be sticking with the Caliban trend… There was an image in our copy of The Tempest (Folger, page 84), glossed in the reference notes, of a fish-bird-man-thing - a visual interpretation of Caliban. Of course, there are a million interpretations of Caliban (and Ariel too), but this one was so eerie that it got me thinking of some paintings I’ve seen by Hieronymous Bosch. A bit about Bosch:  he lived simultaneously in line with and before his time, and a century prior to Shakespeare. A Dutch painter of the 15th century, Bosch’s work represents the transition from the religious imagery of the Middle Ages to the individualist imagery of the Renaissance; his work’s content derives from Biblical scenes (such as Genesis, Hell, The Last Judgement, etc.) though the imagery he uses is visionary and magical. His creatures are often absurd hybrids of things…hence, we may consider them many of them Caliban-like… This image is a detail from Bosch’s Temptation of Saint Anthony.  Besides the connection to the wild visual representations of Caliban, I think Bosch’s larger body of work reflects larger themes in The Tempest: for instance, the work represents different types of power - magical, religious, political, etc, through this rare combination of religious imagery and individualized artistic style. Also, Bosch lived at a time of toss up between religious hierarchy and individual autonomy, and he also lived though the era in which European nations began conquests to the New World. I like to think Bosch was embracing the concept of the New World in his art, as his paintings of abnormal creatures were breaking the artistic codes of the day.  _Mikhaila

Hieronymous Bosch Creatures and Caliban

Sorry to be sticking with the Caliban trend…

There was an image in our copy of The Tempest (Folger, page 84), glossed in the reference notes, of a fish-bird-man-thing - a visual interpretation of Caliban. Of course, there are a million interpretations of Caliban (and Ariel too), but this one was so eerie that it got me thinking of some paintings I’ve seen by Hieronymous Bosch.

A bit about Bosch:  he lived simultaneously in line with and before his time, and a century prior to Shakespeare. A Dutch painter of the 15th century, Bosch’s work represents the transition from the religious imagery of the Middle Ages to the individualist imagery of the Renaissance; his work’s content derives from Biblical scenes (such as Genesis, Hell, The Last Judgement, etc.) though the imagery he uses is visionary and magical. His creatures are often absurd hybrids of things…hence, we may consider them many of them Caliban-like…

This image is a detail from Bosch’s Temptation of Saint Anthony. 

Besides the connection to the wild visual representations of Caliban, I think Bosch’s larger body of work reflects larger themes in The Tempest: for instance, the work represents different types of power - magical, religious, political, etc, through this rare combination of religious imagery and individualized artistic style. Also, Bosch lived at a time of toss up between religious hierarchy and individual autonomy, and he also lived though the era in which European nations began conquests to the New World. I like to think Bosch was embracing the concept of the New World in his art, as his paintings of abnormal creatures were breaking the artistic codes of the day. 

_Mikhaila

Hieronymous Bosch Caliban The Tempest Shakespeare Art 

February52012

Burdens

Like the Titan, Atlas, the characters of The Tempest have, or had, burdens unbearable as holding up the sky. Caliban has the burden of servitude to Miranda and Prospero, Ariel is under Prospero’s power until Prospero sets him free, Prospero is no longer the Duke of Milan, and Miranda has to suffer through her father’s horridly boring stories. Though all the characters have completely different problems they are all connected through the way they perceive their personal problems. This foreshadows and symbolizes a future connection of all the characters through a shared hate for something or someone.

-Kai

burden the tempest atlas art 

January222012

Friendship

“I was good to you, Sula, why don’t that matter?” (year: 1940. paragraph: 70).

Sula and Nel had always been inseparable, but one thing split them apart for the rest of their lives. Sula has an affair with Nel’s husband, doing the most unforgivable of all deeds. Sula not only split the marriage, but split the friendship, the more important of the two, as well. Nel asks Sula why she would ever betray her in such a way, to take away one of the men they never shared, a man who was her possession. Nel wonders if their friendship ever mattered and confronts the ill Sula to ask her why she’d be her husband’s mistress. She scolds Sula, but Sula realized that Nel had changed from the girl she was before and does not give Nel a straight as to why she did what she had an affair with Jude. Their friendship is never mended and neither friend understands why the other did what they did. 

-Kai

Sula Toni Morrison friendship love argue Art picture silohuette 

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