Welcome to my World

Created by: Marinet Hernandez

INTRODUCTION

Bienvenue! This blog is where I will share my creations and thoughts with you and hope to draw you in with a taste of my World. I will be posting regularly for the next 5 months as a results of my FSW Humanities class and will take on a journey with you. Subscribe to my blog for future posts!

Structure, Number 2 – Abstract Images

The painting above is from artist Sam Francis and was painted in 1957 (American, San Mateo, California 1923–1994 Santa Monica, California). When it comes to abstract paintings, we all have our own interpretation of what the painting is portraying. In my case, the various bright colors and lines interpret a frightening/horrid situation. I feel that a person has been murdered and the painting signifies the colors of the tragic incident. The color red being the victim’s blood, the blue being the suffering of the victim (the dark place he or she found themselves in), the yellow being the little hop/faith of survival, the orange the excruciating pain and the black signifying the death of the victim. The colors have been splattered in various places, indicating the magnitude of the torture! The extreme thin lines running down the painting shoots chills down my spine! They remind me of screeching nails (accompanied with the sound) and The Beldam (other mother) which is a cartoon character from the movie Coraline. The Beldam is a character where she tries to earn a child’s trust by luring them in with beautiful things, to then try to convince them to sew buttons into their eyes so she can consume their lives and steal their souls. Apart from being a cartoon movie, this character freaks me out to such extent, that it prevents me from sleeping! It’s the thin-ness of the lines that remind me of this demonic character because she herself is extremely thin and creepy. All the colors coming together implies (to me) the pain of the murder. The whole painting screams horror to me and it’s definitely a painting that I wouldn’t be able to put in my home because I will constantly be thinking of a murder scene!

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The sculpture above is the Statue of Jefferson by the sculptor Rudulph Evans. The statue is within the Jefferson Memorial in Washington D.C. and it’s a 19-foot (5.8 m) tall, 10,000 lb (4336 kg) bronze statue. The massive sculpture blends in very well with its surroundings since many of the statues in Washington D.C. are of such size and importance. The Jefferson Memorial was constructed from 1939-1943 but the statue was not. The statue was added in 1947. Below the dome are inscribed the words “I have sworn upon the altar of God eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man.” The sentence comes from a letter that was written by Jefferson to Dr. Benjamin Rush in September 23, 1800. Within the letter is where Jefferson defends the constitutional refusal to recognize a state religion. This would be the subject of the sculpture and the writing expresses its purpose. The Jefferson sculpture is a full round sculpture. The Jefferson memorial is not perceived as too prominent in popular culture like several of the other monuments and buildings in Washington D.C. Might be due to its location and distance from other important sights. There’s many important ceremonies and events that are hosted each year at the Jefferson memorial. A few being the Easter Sunrise Service, the annual National Cherry Blossom Festival and memorial exercises. The monument is on the shore of the Potomac River, Tidal Basin and it’s surrounded by Japanese cherry trees that were a gift from the people of Japan in 1912. The annual National Cherry Blossom Festival must appreciate that very much. Besides the monument being aesthetically perfect, the surrounding of the shore and Japanese cherry trees gives it quite the view. The colors of the monument and the statue gives it a feel of its time and importance of the meaning behind its intent. The monument couldn’t have been placed in a better community where many historical events commemorated and sculpted to its perfection. Within the monument are the excerpts from the Declaration of Independence, written in 1776. The experience and feeling of being in such monument was one of a kind.

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Architectural Interiors

I have a friend that the style of his home is very private and clustered like. Before you walk into the house you have to pass a garden that is enclosed by screen from three sides. Once past the garden you walk up three steps and get to the front door. As you open the front door, you walk down two steps and there’s a living room. The living room has two walls on the side and the back wall is a glass door to get to the lanai. Facing the living room, to your right is a glass/wood door that has 5 rooms within the hallway. When you pass the door, there’s a bedroom in front of you, the bathroom to it’s right, two bedrooms continuing right, the master bedroom to your left from the hallway door, and an office to the right of the hallway door.  When you leave the hallway door you walk straight ahead past the living room to your right and to your left past the front door is the laundry (within there’s a door leading to the garage). Continuing straight ahead is the dining room surrounded by three walls and two columns. To your right facing the dining room is the kitchen with a u shape granite counter. In front of the kitchen is the family room, to the left is the eating room and within a half bathroom to the right. In the kitchen the roof is lower from the rest of the house. The house has 5,000 something sq ft living area but feels clustered because it has various living areas and rooms that makes it seem smaller than what it really is. The living room at the entrance of the house takes up a lot of space and being enclosed makes the house seem smaller. The house serves its function as a domestic space, but the space does not feel homey to me. It feels cramped with rooms within the living area and it’s dark inside. The colors are red, green, orange and beige. On the contrary, I have another friends home that I adore. This friend’s house has no garden to pass to get to the front door. The house has 3,000 something sq ft living area but seems much bigger because it’s all open space. When you walk into the house you first see a massive family room. The ceilings are very high! You must have one of those massive tall ladders to even change a light bulb. The high ceilings gives it a mansion like feeling. To the right of the family room is the master bedroom. Once in the master bedroom, the ceiling is lowered but still high. To the right there’s a mini hallway within the closet which is a room. You have to pass the hallway to get into the bathroom. Straight ahead is a massive shower and to the right of the shower there’s a room where the sink area is. Once out of the master bedroom is the family room and straight ahead is the kitchen with an island in the middle. To the right of the kitchen is the eating area. To the left of the kitchen is the dining room with two columns on the side of the entrance of the house. The laundry is blocked by the dining room wall (within there’s a door leading to the garage) and past the hallway is two bedrooms with a bathroom in the middle. The house is smaller but has less walls and dividing areas that makes it seem much bigger and less clustered inside. This home definitely feels homey to me.

Your Musical Theme

Frank Sinatra–The way you look tonight: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9ZGKALMMuc

“The way you look tonight” is a song from 1936 created for the film “Swing Time”. The song is about a woman that the singer loves and everything that is perfect about her to him. I chose this song because I’ve always wanted it to be a part of my wedding one day. The song is Pop/Jazz and it relates to the movie that the song was created for “Swing Time”. The melody of the song arranged in a medium swing feel. The song is in the key of F. Played at a tempo of 133 BPM. The song is associated with consonance feel. Its instrument has a joyful feel to it. The song makes you emotionally happy because it’s a man speaking about how much he loves this woman and the woman feels very loved by this man with just the way she looks.

Judy Garland-Somewhere over the rainbow:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oW2QZ7KuaxA

“Over the Rainbow” is a ballad from 1939 that was written for the film “The Wizard of Oz”. The song is about hope, that the bad times will one day be over. I chose this song because it reminds us about a horrific time for the Jewish people back when the Holocaust was going on. A nightmare that will never be forgotten! The song has a main melody (A) and a contrasting one (B). The song can be outlined as A A B A, followed by a closing part. Played at a tempo of 111 BPM. The song is associated with consonance feel. Its instrument has a sweetness/sad feel to it. The song makes you emotionally sad because it’s about having faith and hope that one day all the occurring horror will be gone, once and for all.

The Temptations-My Girl: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_CSjcm-z1w

“My Girl” is a soul song from 1964. The song was written and produced by Smokey Robinson and Ronald White. Robinson’s inspiration for writing this song was his wife Claudette Rogers Robinson. The song explains what makes him feel the way he does, his girl. I chose this song because my grandpa would always sing it to my grandma when I was a young girl. The melody of the song arranged in a medium swing feel. The song is in the key of C Major. Played at a tempo of 120 BPM. The song is associated with consonance feel. Its instrument has a sweet/upbeat to it. The song makes you emotionally happy because it’s a man speaking about the way his girl makes him feel and states that nothing else can make him feel the way he does.

Queen-Bohemian Rhapsody: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJ9rUzIMcZQ

“Bohemian Rhapsody” is a song from 1975 by the British rock band Queen. It was written by Freddie Mercury for the band’s 1975 album “A Night at the Opera”. The song is a six minute suite that has several sections and no chorus. The song has an intro, a ballad segment, an operatic passage, a hard rock part and a reflective coda. I chose this song because I’ve been listening to Queen since a very young age and have nothing but adoration for this band (thanks to my parents). The songs genre is progressive rock, in the 1970s. The melody of the song arranged in a medium swing feel. The song is in the key of C major. Played at a tempo of 104 BPM. The song is both associated with consonance and dissonance. Its instrument has an upbeat and lowkey feel to it. I have mixed emotions about this song. It makes me happy because it’s a wonderful song but it’s sad because I feel that Mercury is speaking about his life and how he’s faced the truth for the remainder of his life. He never really explained what the song meant, he wanted individuals to interpret the song how they thought to be or what they understood from it.

Def Leppard-Pour some sugar on me: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RaG8faaFUMM

“Pour some sugar on me”  is a song from 1987 by the English rock band Def Leppard. The song was created for the “Hysteria” album. I chose this song because it’s been in several movies that I really like, especially “Coyote Ugly”. The song is classified as glam metal, hard rock, arena rock. Pop/Jazz and it relates to the movie that the song was created for “Swing Time”. The melody of the song is arranged as a catchy jumping song. The song is in the C-sharp minor. Played at a tempo of 84 BPM. The song is associated with dissonance feel. Its instrument has a harsh and upbeat feel to it. The song makes you feel pumped and sexy! The song is basically about sex and rock and roll; which hides it pretty well within the words (radio appropriate).

Whitney Houston-I have nothing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FxYw0XPEoKE

“I have nothing” is a song that was recorded in 1991 but released in 1993 for the movie “The Bodyguard”. The song is an orchestrated power ballad written by David Foster, Linda Thompson and song by Whitney Houston. I chose this song because Whitney Houston is simply one of the best singers ever! All her songs are worth listening to and are very known worldwide! The song is considered Pop, R&B and soul. The melody of the song is an arrangement of piano and voice with guitar chord frames. The song is in the key of C. Played at a tempo of 153 BPM. The song is associated with consonance feel. Its instrument has an emotional/love lust feel to it. The song makes you emotionally sad because it’s about this profound love and the different perceptions of the opposite sex when it comes to commitment.

Poetic License

For the Sake of Strangers

No matter what the grief, its weight,
we are obliged to carry it.
We rise and gather momentum, the dull strength
that pushes us through crowds.
And then the young boy gives me directions
so avidly. A woman holds the glass door open,
waits patiently for my empty body to pass through.
All day it continues, each kindness
reaching toward another—a stranger
singing to no one as I pass on the path, trees
offering their blossoms, a retarded child
who lifts his almond eyes and smiles.
Somehow they always find me, seem even
to be waiting, determined to keep me
from myself, from the thing that calls to me
as it must have called to them—
this temptation to step off the edge
and fall weightless, away from the world.

Commentary

What I understand from the poem above is that a woman is going through grief. She explains how the grief has a heavy weight to it and how one is still supposed to carry on despite the weight of this grief. Basically, the world around you continues and you must continue with it. When she says “we” she is trying to relate to the readers because almost all of us have gone through grief at one point and know the struggle it is to continue on (like any other day). Throughout the poem she explains how the crowd of people surrounding her helps her get through her grief and it’s unintentional. The kind gestures is what gets her through. For example, the young boy gives directions enthusiastically (meaning she must have asked him first, she’s trying to move on by interacting), a woman holds the glass door open for her (a kind gesture unasked for, not knowing of the persons current situation) as she waits for her “empty body to pass through.” By saying “empty body”, she means that she is basically walking through without any strength left from her pain. Then the woman goes on and states that “All day it continues, each kindness reaching toward another.” What I interpret from that is that she feels that the world around her tries to improve her pain with small kind remarks. “Somehow, they always find me” makes us feel that by saying “they” she means that the world is trying to help her and is protecting her from her own misery and keep her moving forward. “This temptation to step off the edge and fall weightless, away from the world” explains how the world is keeping her from falling off the edge (fighting against her depression/and self-danger) and to keep her safe from her own self.

Image – “A stranger singing to no one as I pass on the path, trees
offering their blossoms, a retarded child
who lifts his almond eyes and smiles.”

Metaphor – “A retarded child
who lifts his almond eyes and smiles.”

Irony – “No matter what the grief, its weight,
we are obliged to carry it.”

Landscape Photography

I was in Puerto Rico this past week and thought “what better than to take photo shots of the river”! There’s lots of joy being absorbed in a shot from within a river. The rushing sound of the water clashing into the rocks, the bubbling sound, water drop splashes, glowing mossy rocks and so much more that makes part of the highlights. When shooting from a river and its slippery rocks, you sure present yourself with challenges! Challenges that are so worth it, especially when seeing the visual outcome of your photos. Fortunately, water presents you with spectacular opportunities for photography. The pattern and shapes that it presents you is endless. Flowing water, splashing water, still water, rigorous water and so on. Water can be a main subject in itself. Within the water, you may find curves or S shapes which are sought after compositional devices. Sometimes when the water isn’t too rigorous, you may look closely and obtain visual rewards. Reflections of surrounding objects and colors can be astonishing and help build a composition. In some occasions, you are able to see rainbow prisms if the sun is reflecting at the right timing and water spray is present. Lots of color splashing can also happen. We’ve all been through this need to photograph landscapes that are just breath taking. You may find yourself stopping at every sight you come across to capture the perfect photograph, because in your eyes it is as such. When we observe and stare a landscape, our eyes scan through it and we selectively focus on the essential elements that we find pleasing. Our field of vision tends to scan a vast deal of the scene in front of you, but our eyes and brain have the capability to ignore all except the most appealing details. Camera lenses, sensors, films and other photograph items can’t do this on their own. They must have a guide to obtain this capability. Landscapes are very special and favorite to many photographers and now I know why. You get the chance to be one with nature and explore within to capture the best shots. I did realize that having lots of patience was key. Waiting for the right lighting, the movement of the water, and other aspects was important when taking the photographs. Waiting could be tedious, but that magic photograph makes it worthwhile. We truly are blessed to live in a planet with such amazing scenery and so fortunate to have millions to choose from. The technology available to us is essential for capturing these landscapes.  With practice, patience and time, one is capable to develop skills to capture outstanding shots. All it takes is to get out in the world and start shooting at anything that inspires you.

Accessing The Godfather and La Jetée

The Godfather

The Godfather is known as one of the greatest Classics ever! When viewing The Godfather, you notice that the film is in a continuous action, with scenes passing in chronological order from start to finish. The directors (Coppola) technique of continuous action helps create a lulling ambiance throughout the movie. The film displays this rhythmic, slow, brooding pace. For example, the scenes where we sit for a long time, where no violence happens and the Corleone family running business. Demonstrates a balance within the movie. An editing tool that is used frequently within the movie is the transitional cross dissolve. This technique helps the violent scenes feel extremely horrifying. One of the scenes that uses this technique is when Woltz finds his detached horse’s head near his bed. The scene opens with several cross dissolves over his house (outside) and morning cricket sound integrated. This implies a calm morning before a terrifying event. The movie is filled with many techniques, making it a great Classic!

La Jetée

What’s impressive about this film is that it consists of 24 frames in 28 minutes. To create a moving image, the images are shown at a certain rate throughout. The film is completely filled with still shots and photographs. The images are shown for several seconds, forcing the audience to stop and analyze the images being portrayed. The movie is about survivors that managed to live through a nuclear explosion that caused World War III. The movie focuses on a man and his memories from the past. Through the editing of the film, you can feel movement and time lapse through the images. The film uses techniques such as dissolves, fade-ins and fade-outs to obtain the feeling of time lapse. Dissolves are repeatedly used throughout the film to generate a feeling of elapsed time in an otherwise still visual atmosphere.

Anatomy of a Scene

Charade (1963) – Synopsis

Regina Lambert (Audrey Hepburn) is the Charles wife. She already had planned to divorce her husband, but upon her return to Paris from a skiing holiday in Megeve (French Alps), she finds out that her husband has been murdered. Also, to her dismay, her apartment has been emptied out. Regina is then informed by Hamilton Bartholemew (CIA agent) that her deceased husband was apart of a group of men who confiscated a quarter of a million dollars in gold from the U.S. government. This robbery was done during WWII and the government is in search of it. Gideon (Ned Glass), Tex (James Coburn) and Scobie (George Kennedy) are the three men that were apart of Charles group. They all threaten Regina to tell them where the money is. Regina is unable to find the money amongst the few possessions that were left of Charles and has no idea where she can find it. Later on, she’s visited by Peter Joshua whom she met at her skiing holiday in Megeve (French Alps). Peter finds out that Regina is being threatened by the three men from Charles WWII group and offers her to help find the money. So, it begins, the charade, where nothing or no one is who or what they say to be.

M (Fritz Lang) – Synopsis

This film is a classic German thriller, where a child-murderer (serial killer) is on the loose in the city of Germany. The people of Germany are in constant fear knowing this serial killer is on the loose. Hans Beckert (Peter Lorre) becomes Berlins police department main concern and goal to trap. In search of this criminal, the police come in contact with other several criminals in an effort to trap the serial killer. The city is so disturbed by Beckert’s horrific and gruesome crimes that even the worst of criminals are in search for him. Beckert soon notices that the police department and criminals are searching for him that he becomes concerned and trapped that he tries to find a way to escape. To Beckert’s dismay, he is trapped by criminals and fortunately for him the police find him before he is killed by the “kangaroo court”.  

Analysis

One of the most interesting techniques in Lang’s M is the absence of a film score. Directors usually use film scores to most early sound films (and modern ones) directors would use a film score to invoke emotions such as romance, fear and tension. M opens up with a title card and a gong sound. This is to call the audience’s attention from the start. Afterwards, the screen turns pitch black and, in the background, you can hear children playing an elimination game. As the first scene appears, you can see an apartment complex where the children are playing this “elimination” game. The children are singing this song about a man dressed in black coming for them. One of the adults from the apartment complex hears the song and yells at them to stop singing the song. Lang likes to use sound a lot to create this atmosphere where fear is very present and dread/paranoia is strongly felt. Leitmotif is a portion of repeated music that is linked to a situation, character or place. M contains leitmotif.

 Anatomy of a Scene

She, who only knows her truth

Can only tell, but not to whom she sees.

Elegance accompanies her being

But only she knows the truth.

Her youth catches the eye;

The eye of whomever sees her.

—

She’s taken aback from the man who sees her;

The man who stares profoundly.

She’s caught in a moment

A moment of curiosity.

Only he acknowledges her pure beauty

She who is not mindful of it.

—

And there it is

Her deepest secret, hanging from her ear

Only she knows of it.

He captures this moment

As it will never be forgotten.

She knows nothing of his expertise

But her deepest secret will WOAH the World.

—

When writing the ekphrasis, I wanted to express the mystery behind the girl. I chose the The Girl with a Pearl Earring, Painting by Johannes Vermeer. The essential details in this painting is the girl sitting in a dark area, which creates an intimate/mysterious setting for the viewer. Her pure eyes and rosy lips present. She’s the center of attraction and on her is a blue and gold turban, an elegant pearl earring, and a gold jacket with a white collar beneath. My translation of the portrait preserves the original because there is indeed a secret/mystery that lies within the girl. My work captures the mood and feeling of the image because the image itself is mysterious, elegant and luring. I replicated the original visual details in my own words and style by interpreting the image as it is and expressing its captivating mystery. My ekphrasis brings a new understanding and interpretation to the original piece by stating that she has a secret, a secret that only she knows and the world will appreciate.

Manifesto

While the meaning of art has transformed over the years, the goal of art history has advanced to permit us to classify changes in art over time and to better comprehend how art forms and is formed by the creative instincts of artists. Having a solid grasp of art history, then and now, is important to those who enjoy it. I have a way of viewing art and prefer artwork that expresses the artist or period. I can’t grasp what contemporary art stands for, or at least what it’s intended to be. Yes, you may trace a line from traditional to contemporary art, but not a straight one. Possibly it’s a parabola that goes up and then down, or a spiral. We have no idea. All we can be sure of is that the art market has advanced, which disturbs the art itself. With what we call contemporary art, words and clarifications are always valued more. Primarily, visual arts have been altered by articles and critical essays. While in the meantime, the works themselves have become mute. In theaters, the critics and keepers have occupied the front row. This is just my perspective between contemporary and traditional art. To be honest, I prefer art measured in human dimensions. Art that speaks to you and doesn’t yell. Art that takes over me and makes me glide, not crush. But I must admit, several of these modern things fascinate me; for example, graffiti and abstract things. Like for example: my abstract image from Sam Francis on my blog. A lot of people claim that art cannot be defined. One can go about this in many ways. Many of the times, art is frequently considered the process or product of intentionally laying out elements in a way that pleas to the senses or emotions. It incorporates a variety range of human creations, activities, and forms of literature, expression, music, movies, paintings and sculpture. The definition of art is discovered in a branch of idea known as aesthetics. At least, that’s what many sources claims. Art is commonly interpreted as any activity or product completed by people with a forthcoming or aesthetic purpose. Roughly something that indicates an idea, an emotion or, more normally, a world view. It is a factor of culture, reflecting social substrates and economic in its design. It conveys concepts and values in every culture across the globe and time. Its part changes through time, obtaining more of an aesthetic element here and a socio-educational role there. The meaning of art is exposed, subjective, arguable. There is no arrangement among artists and historians, which is why we’re left with so many classifications of art. The perception itself has transformed over centuries. The very idea of art continues today to stir controversy, being so exposed to several interpretations. It can be taken merely to define any human activity, or any pair of rules required to change an activity. This would generalize the notion beyond what is usually understood as the fine arts, now expanded to incorporate academic areas.

 I prefer traditional art over digital art because I appreciate the skill that is involved throughout the work. Not meaning that digital art doesn’t involve skill, but because it’s not the same. Especially, when you can take a shot of something on a daily basis and edit it. Like for example: my landscape photography on my blog. Maybe it’s the raw genuine value of the art that entices me. A lot of digital art is thrown around that it seems to get lost. It takes place in computer and tv screens that it’s overlooked. Not saying that digital art takes less skill than traditional artmaking, but it does require a much different style of thinking. Yes, a digital device may have the ability to make a stroke look and display like a rainbow or give the form of drawing with chalk. But, when one knows about traditional art techniques, they obtain a much deeper understanding of the supplies and what they can achieve. Learning to use a paintbrush to form different paint strokes or to be able to use carving tools to create a sculpture provides a physical experience. Like for example: my Anatomy of a scene painting “Girl with a pearl earring” on my blog. During this experience, you obtain a broader view of how supplies can be used. The physical construction is good for hand-eye coordination as well as motor skills. Mixing colors like yellow and blue to obtain green, is an experience one can’t get by digitally mixing colors. Because of the handmade nature of traditional artworks, they cannot be easily replicated. Each creation is like no other piece, different from digital creations that can be imitated and shared immediately. Because of this, traditional art pieces have much more value than digital art pieces.