Arnold Mesches Essays - Arnold Mesches, Liberty, Painting

Arnold Mesches Arnold Mesches uses a direct and outspoken type of art to present the work, Art In Public Places I. He is an abstract expressionist who's work has become less literal in the past few years. Mesches started exhibiting in 1945 with the support of his wife. Meshes has a very original way of making his work. He takes a very famous painting, paints it on the canvas, then he blends over it by scratching and scraping. Then he paints over the old one with one of his own. Thus, creating a whole new painting. Art In Public Places I is a perfect example of this. In the background he has placed the March of Liberty, a painting with the Statue of Liberty and people marching. After blending and scratching that, he placed two people being hung. There is much significance to these two people because they are Mussolini and his mistress. Hanging upside down, and by their feet, signifies that freedom has come because Mussolini is dead. Mesches also shows that freedom is here to stay becuase of the Statue of Liberty, with all the people around it. The statue has always been a sign of freedom, so when Mesches placed this in the background, he knew exactly what he was doing.

SYMBOLISM OF ANIMALS Essays - Ultima, Bless Me, Ultima, Free Essays

SYMBOLISM OF ANIMALS Essays - Ultima, Bless Me, Ultima, Free Essays SYMBOLISM OF ANIMALS Bless Me Ultima, a book by Rudolfo A. Anaya, is about a young boy named Antonio who comes of age through troubling ordeals throughout the book. He is aided in this journey by a curandera named Ultima, who teaches Tony many life lessons. Anaya uses animals to symbolize intangible attributes such as good and evil. Representing Ultima, he uses the owl, which serves as the good character, while the coyote represents evil, portrayed by Tenorio. The Golden Carp is a symbol of Tony?s uncertainty toward religion and morality. Anaya?s portrayal of these mystical characteristics shapes Tony?s ascent into manhood. The need for good is represented by the owl, which symbolizes Ultima. The symbolic value of the owl is seen early in the story when Tony calls it ?Ultima?s owl? (12). Tony is aware of the presence of the owl because he ?heard the owl cry its warning? before the death of Lupito (14). This foreshadowing of events occurs throughout the book, and shows the magical powers Tony believed to belong to the owl / Ultima. Because of these powers Tony?s life is very confusing and unstable. The owl also proves to be a savior to Antonio?s family when it ?pounced on the coyotes? while Ultima and Tony are helping Uncle Lucas (92). Tony realizes that in order to be successful, he must heed the warnings that come to him through nature, and his dreams. He learns that he must put himself in vulnerable positions, like the owl who risks it?s life, to help others. Evil, on the other hand, is symbolized by coyotes and the character of Tenorio. Before Tenorio is involved in the story, there is no mention of the wickedness of the coyotes, but once he shows up, they?re constantly on the side of evil. Tony refers to Tenorio?s friends as a ?ring of coyotes around him? (83). A unique perspective differentiates Tony from the other characters in the story. Once an idea is implanted into his mind, it remains there in his subconscious. Later in the story he even calls the coyotes Tenorio?s ?He ran to find refuge behind two of his coyotes? (124). In times of death Tony also mentions the ?circling? of hawks (104, 231). Even if this is just coincidence, Tony finds it important that scavengers be associated to the evil deeds committed. The connection that Tony makes between animals that live off the misfortune of others, and Tenorio, who holds vengeance toward others, is another step towards his realization of the world. The Golden Carp represents all the questions Tony has about religion and morality. Tony?s confusion is due to conflicting forces in both these aspects of life. When Cico first introduces the Carp to Tony, he is forced to make a tough decision ?Do you believe the Golden Carp is a god which he skillfully evades until he has the information he wants to make his decision (99). After the emergence of the Carp, Tony begins to question his Catholic upbringing, and he wonders why God punishes people. Florence, his atheist friend, explains his philosophy toward religion, and this pulls Tony even farther away from priesthood, which he desired at the outset of the story. Tony?s exclamation ?Seeing him made questions and worries evaporate...? is a good example of how his beliefs shifted drastically in this short period due to his coming of age (227). By the end of the book Tony is interested in not which is the right god, rather how he must live his life to satisfy his own beliefs. Anaya uses animals to help Tony ease through the process of maturing, which Tony is forced to do in a short period. The animals help young Tony express his feelings through a medium that relates to both the reader and Tony. Because of all the violence and death, Tony?s perspective is different, as a young child, then other children his age. Symbolism is the key to understanding the thoughts occurring in Tony?s mind, while he is experiencing things for the first time in his own unique way.

The Conclusion of Kerner Commission Report Essay

The Conclusion of Kerner Commission Report - Essay Example My extensive research on the riots enabled me to realize that there are significant differences between what the commission reported and what actually happened back in the mid 1960s. I found that the riots were far less destructive than they were claimed to be and in most cases there were no serious confrontations between black and white people. Therefore, what actually happened was less extensive and less destructive than it was reported by the mass media. However, most of the public sector lacked other sources of information and believed what they saw on the television or heard on the radio and thus their beliefs and impressions were shaped accordingly. (Symposium: The Urban Crisis: the Kerner Commission Report Revisited., 1993 pg 10-15) Therefore, most of the American society was a victim of what is known as the sensationalizing strategy of mass media. I believe that the Commissions claim regarding two societies has ever materialized. My view is backed up by the fact that by 1985, American African population in the suburbs had increased to approximately 20.8 million. If America had been moving towards distinct unequal black and white societies as predicted by the Kerner Report, then the American Africans would not have been able to gain the immense political success which they have in the modern society. An African American scholar W. E. B. Du Bois over 100 years ago stated that: â€Å"The problem of the twentieth century is the problem of the color line† (Walker et al 2007 pg 1) ... If America had been moving towards distinct unequal black and white societies as predicted by the Kerner Report, then the American Africans would not have been able to gain the immense political success which they have in the modern society. An African American scholar W. E. B. Du Bois over 100 years ago stated that: â€Å"The problem of the twentieth century is the problem of the color line† (Walker et al 2007 pg 1) I do believe that wherever multi cultural societies live in close proximity, racism will be inevitable. But what I do not believe is that racism alone is capable of dividing the nation. Despite all the controversies, the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s was a success because due its efforts the African American population has been able to accomplish its birth right i.e. an equal status to American white population. Before the Civil Rights movement was launched, African American population did not have an equal status to the white and were not even allowed to vot e. (Walker et al 2007 page 23). Therefore, they had no elected representation in American Parliament. After the Civil Rights movement was launched, things started to change dramatically. In accordance with the Voting Rights Act of 1965, the Literacy test was abolished and therefore ensured that the black voters were not discriminated. Therefore, the Civil Rights movement paved the way for the success of African American population. It forced the Americans to accept the black population as equal to the white population. (Walker et al 2007 pg 24-25) Indeed, the success of the movement was reflected by the fact that Cruel and unjust punishment of black people was abolished by the American Government. Furthermore, American government strived

Nike advertisement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Nike advertisement - Essay Example The advert persuades the viewers to buy the Mercurial vapors and its target is an audience of soccer players.   The music that is set to a slow beat and the calm blue background of the advert gives a viewer a peaceful state when watching the advert. The cleats are outstanding in the entire advert since they are bright orange in color. The outstanding color of the cleats is meant to excite the viewer. People will want to buy the cleats so that they can impress other with a powerful shot. The producer of the advert highly uses ethos successfully through use of the best player to show his weapon of choice, the Nike boots. Ethos means being able to convince through the character of the author. It is obvious that people believe those they respect more than anybody else. Use of somebody who is likeable and worth a lot of respect is a positive move for any advertisement. Christian Ronaldo is a product of effectiveness of the cleats. A viewer who sees his success in the field and links it to the boots will definitely purchase a pair.   Individuals will want to purchase the cleats to emulate his skill.   The unrealistic expectation makes individuals think that if they purchase cleats they can be able to play the same way as Christian Ronaldo plays. The use of the fastest car to compare with the best player makes the viewer get interested in finding out more about the advertisement.The author also makes an appeal to pathos in the advertisement. Pathos involves persuading the reader by appealing to their emotions.

Relationship Analysis in A Christmas Carol Essay

Relationship Analysis in A Christmas Carol - Essay Example In books, the tone of communication is enough to describe the relationship between two characters and the author does not need to explain the relationship separately. The analysis in this paper will be done in a similar manner, i.e. by considering the tone of communication between the characters. Thus, this analysis would show that the context and manner of communication define the relationship between the individuals communicating with each other. This is also one of the most important aspects of the interpersonal communication. The main character of the book is Ebenezer Scrooge who has been described as being a stingy and miser person who stays away from philanthropic activities and spends every penny after giving it a significant thought. Scrooge has no value for the acts of kindness or benevolence and all he cares about is accumulation of wealth. Jacob Marley was the business partner of Scrooge who has been disclosed to have been dead for seven years when the story starts to unfo ld. On the Christmas Eve in the 1840’s Scrooge is visited by the ghost of his dead business partner Jacob Marley who tries to convince Scrooge to change his ways. In the past, Marley has been described as being the only friend, administrator, business partner and mourner of Scrooge therefore it can be said that both the characters had a similar personality, i.e. they both had love for money. After seven years of the death of Marley, Scrooge is visited by the ghost of Marley. Initially the character of Marley does not communicate directly with Scrooge but makes Scrooge feel his appearance in different ways. He then appears in the fireplace in Scrooge’s bedroom. Ultimately, the ghost of Marley appears in front of Scrooge himself. This is where the first verbal communication between these two characters takes place. Initially the character of Scrooge responds coldly to the appearance of the ghost and asks what does the ghost wants from him. The ghost of Marley replies, â €Å"Much!† Scrooge then asks who the ghost was and Marley replies, â€Å"Ask me who I was.† The character of Marley then reminds Scrooge that he was his only friend in his life. Scrooge still remains doubtful but the manner of his dialogue suggests that he is not as cold as he was at his first reaction. He offers Marley a seat and remains unsure whether a ghost would need one. Scrooge remains skeptical whether Marley is real or not and the communication between the characters takes another turn when Scrooge behaves as if Marley is just a figment of his imagination and it is not a real ghost. At one point, Scrooge expresses to Marley that it must be something he had eaten that is playing tricks on his mind. The ghost of Marley lets out a cry that makes Scrooge so afraid he fell upon his knees and begged from mercy. Here, it can be said that the context of communication has changed completely as compared to where it started. Initially, the character of Scrooge was cold t owards the character of ghost Marley. Perception of the characters also plays an important part in the effectiveness of communication between two individuals. If the perceptions of individuals are similar, there would be effective communication between them as the receiver would understand what the sender is trying to communicate (Robbins, 2009). However, if there is difference in perceptions there would be distortion in the flow of communication and a lot of reconciliation would also be required. In this book, the character of

Postmodernism in London Architecture

Postmodernism in London Architecture Reflective Summary The video was produced to critically examine the concept and spatial pattern of London as many cities in one. We took a postmodern urbanism view using iconographic place making analysis. It must be stated that the term postmodernism in itself is a highly debated topic (Crook, 1992). There exits much debate about whether the conditions described as postmodern are at all unique and new, or if said conditions even exist (Best and Kellner, 1992). For us, the very debate surrounding the term is evidence enough that as embedded researchers we must consider the ideas associated with the term. Thus, the term has become an indispensable name for a way of thinking about urbanism, which clearly concerns us. The video showcases how social and urbanism intersect and the concept of postmodernism in London. The video incorporates hard and soft features of the city, focusing on eight key aspects of urban ecology, economic, religious, tourist, education, retail, sports, and political. Expanding on th e concentric zone theory by the Chicago School, we detailed social spaces of London that could iconically define the city on their own. I focused on London as an educational city. My initial approach was to examine and detail London’s education system as a whole, but quickly realized this was too ambitious. So I decided to only include the higher education institutions. Higher Education students make up 4.7% of London’s total population of 8.17 million estimated in the 2011 Census. In 2013 London’s universities attracted over 100,000 international students, and 62,000 from the rest of the UK; additionally, 24% of all international students in the UK were studying in London (London Higher, 2013). Through my research I found this to be quit a task as well, since London has approximately 40 higher education institutions. I had to narrow down what would be the most iconic institutions for my video, and decided the oldest institutions would be the most iconic. So I research the three oldest institutions, Kings College Founded in 1829, University of London Founded in 1836, and London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) Founded in 189 5. These schools have a long history and distinct architecture which I thought was important to the overall project. The universities were all centrally located in the heart London with the tourist spaces a short distance away. This posed some difficulties in the ease of access, since the only viable transport seemed to be the subway. So I planned accordingly, first starting with King’s College. King’s College is organised into nine academic schools, spread across four Thames-side campuses in central London. I decided to film on the Strand Campus, which is the founding campus of Kings College. Once I began filming I started by detailing the architecture, and spaces within the campus. The most prominent building on the campus was the Somerset House East Wing. This was contrasted by the postmodern architecture of the entrance to the main reception building, and remodelled facade facing Strand St. (See Plate 1). This mix of architecture was interesting, and a good example of defined periods in English history. I started with architecture because contained within each of these two buildings is the respective ideologies of neoclassicism and postmodernism (Jencks, 2002). The architecture provides a clear example of the visual aesthetics associated with each movement, and a concrete reflection of the culture and economic conditions from which it arises. Walking around the ca mpus I had the feeling of exclusion, as the area was gated and there was a stark difference in the social aspect of the space, and social aspect outside the gate just a few meters away. In contrast, LSE less than a block away has a feeling of inclusion and openness. Plate 1. Contrasting architecture of Somerset House East Wing, and the main reception building. The London School of Economics and Political Science campus at Clare Market and Houghton Street in Westminster was my second filming location. The openness of the campus is due to its ownership of adjacent buildings, creating an almost continuous campus between Kingsway and the Royal Courts (See Plate 2). The architecture was modern, and walking through the campus felt like walking on a regular London street. However, there were spaces of student culture, which felt different and unique from off campus. These spaces had various arts, student made posters, and seating areas. There is current renovation occurring at the school that may be postmodern, but is not visible. Plate 2. LSE campus at Houghton St. and Aldwych. The third and final site filmed was the University of London (See Plate 3). London is the second-largest university by number of full-time students in the United Kingdom, with around 135,000 campus-based students (London Higher, 2013). The main criticism of urban ecology is that it neglects the role of culture in its analysis of the social structure of a city. Another criticism is that the theory is overly simplistic, taking no account of class, race, gender and ethnicity (Best and Kellner, 1992). When filming on this campus I decided to address this by taking a social approach, and filmed the cultural aspects of the students in the campus spaces. Although the campus is relatively open like LSE, there is a feeling of exclusion when walking through the space. In and around the university the student culture is very apparent. The demographics of the students were diverse with no sign of a dominate race or sex, creating a multi-cultural space. Additionally the local shops in the area ca tered to the students, indicating a symbiotic relationship with the students driving the economy in the area (Clarke, 2003). Plate 3. University of London campus at Gower St. As the finished film was put together we begin to see that postmodernism is not purely an aesthetic style, but something more. This something more includes cultural and economic conditions. More precisely, Postmodernism names a change in the cultural and economic conditions that help to constitute the western world. References Best, S. and Kellner, D. (1992) Postmodern Theory: Critical Interrogations, New York, Guilford Publications Clarke, D. (2003) Consumer Society and the Postmodern City, London, Routledge Crook, S. (1992) Postmodernization, London, Sage Dear, M. and Flusty, S. (2002) Spaces of Postmodernity, Oxford, Blackwell Gane, N (2002) Max Weber and Postmodern Theory, London, Palgrave Jencks, C. (2002) The New Paradigm in Architecture: The Language of Post-modern Architecture. 7th ed. New Haven: Yale University Press Kaplan, A. (1988) Postmodernism and its Discontents, London, Verso London Higher (2013) Students In Higher Education Institutions 2012/13 – London Region, From http://www.hesa.ac.uk/index.php?option=com_pubstask=show_pub_detailpubid=1Itemid=286 accessed on 02 Feb 2013 McKible, A. (2002) Space and Place of Modernism, London, Routledge Minca, C. (2001) Postmodern Geography: theory and praxis, London, Blackwell

The Roman Colosseum Essay -- essays research papers

The Roman Colosseum, also known as the Flavian Amphitheatre, is perhaps the most famous ancient landmark in the world. The Colosseum was the host to thousands of gladiatorial shows, mock naval battles, executions, and animal hunts. Today, the Colosseum still stands in the center of Rome, Italy, however, not quite as it used to be. Still, today, the Roman Colosseum is a large tourist attraction, thousands of tourists from all over the world still come to view this marveled arena. The Roman Colosseum has a rich history, and remains a prized possession of the Roman citizens. Construction of the Colosseum was initiated by Roman emperor Vespasian, around 70 AD. Vespasian named the Colosseum after the colossus of Nero, a large statue that stood nearby. Vespasian, however, did not live to see the completion of the Colosseum, as he died in AD 79, only a year before the construction of Colosseum had been finished. Titus, Vespasian’s son and successor, completed the construction in 80 AD, in dedication for his father. Further modifications were made during the reign of Domitian, the brother of Titus. Construction was very expensive. Just the external wall of the Colosseum would cost about $50 million dollars, today. About the size of a professional football stadium, the Colosseum could hold over 50,000 spectators. Upon entering, the audience climbed sloping ramps to their seats. These seats were separated according to gender and social class. The women and the poor sat at the top of the Colosseum, on wooden benches. The Colosseum contained over four stories. The first three contained over 80 entrance arches and contained a complex drainage system. These entrance arches made evacuation extremely fast in case of an em... ...s were outlawed by Emperor Constantine I in AD 325. Combats, however, continued long after that. The last recorded gladiatorial battle was recorded in 404 AD. Even after this, the Colosseum was put to further use. Parts of the Colosseum were torn down and donated, in the production of other buildings (mostly churches) in Rome. Today, the Colosseum still stands, but in ruins. It now serves as a tourist attraction. Thousands of tourists from all over the world come to see this ancient stadium. This Colosseum is standing proof of the great architecture and engineering that the Romans possessed. Even today, in a world of skyscrapers, the Colosseum is very impressive. One of Rome’s most popular tourist attractions, The Colosseum tells very much about Roman culture. Even in ruins, the Colosseum continues to stand as a great marvel and a spectacular artifact. The Roman Colosseum Essay -- essays research papers The Roman Colosseum, also known as the Flavian Amphitheatre, is perhaps the most famous ancient landmark in the world. The Colosseum was the host to thousands of gladiatorial shows, mock naval battles, executions, and animal hunts. Today, the Colosseum still stands in the center of Rome, Italy, however, not quite as it used to be. Still, today, the Roman Colosseum is a large tourist attraction, thousands of tourists from all over the world still come to view this marveled arena. The Roman Colosseum has a rich history, and remains a prized possession of the Roman citizens. Construction of the Colosseum was initiated by Roman emperor Vespasian, around 70 AD. Vespasian named the Colosseum after the colossus of Nero, a large statue that stood nearby. Vespasian, however, did not live to see the completion of the Colosseum, as he died in AD 79, only a year before the construction of Colosseum had been finished. Titus, Vespasian’s son and successor, completed the construction in 80 AD, in dedication for his father. Further modifications were made during the reign of Domitian, the brother of Titus. Construction was very expensive. Just the external wall of the Colosseum would cost about $50 million dollars, today. About the size of a professional football stadium, the Colosseum could hold over 50,000 spectators. Upon entering, the audience climbed sloping ramps to their seats. These seats were separated according to gender and social class. The women and the poor sat at the top of the Colosseum, on wooden benches. The Colosseum contained over four stories. The first three contained over 80 entrance arches and contained a complex drainage system. These entrance arches made evacuation extremely fast in case of an em... ...s were outlawed by Emperor Constantine I in AD 325. Combats, however, continued long after that. The last recorded gladiatorial battle was recorded in 404 AD. Even after this, the Colosseum was put to further use. Parts of the Colosseum were torn down and donated, in the production of other buildings (mostly churches) in Rome. Today, the Colosseum still stands, but in ruins. It now serves as a tourist attraction. Thousands of tourists from all over the world come to see this ancient stadium. This Colosseum is standing proof of the great architecture and engineering that the Romans possessed. Even today, in a world of skyscrapers, the Colosseum is very impressive. One of Rome’s most popular tourist attractions, The Colosseum tells very much about Roman culture. Even in ruins, the Colosseum continues to stand as a great marvel and a spectacular artifact.