Last year in English we learned a lot about theater and I didn't even know it. We had a list of vocabulary terms and they included such things as Deux ex Machina, catharsis, and plot. We didn't really connect them to the theatre even though we did read plays, Fences, Othello and a Man for All Seasons being the foremost in my mind. In the book it says, "A play in a book is only the shadow of a play and not even a clear shadow of it....The printed script of a play is hardly more than an architect's blueprint of a house not yet built or [a house] built and destroyed. The color, the grace and levitation, the structural pattern in motion, the quick interplay of live beings, suspended like fitful lightning in a cloud, these things are the play, not words on paper nor thoughts and ideas fo an author." I completely agree with this quote. In English we always watch a video of the play after we read it. It really does give a better idea of the characters than just words on a paper can, though they be quite lovely. Also, with Shakespeare, it is sometimes easier to tell what some of his words mean when someone else is saying them, with what inflection they are saying them.
Later on in the chapter, it says, "In both tradgedy and comedy, it is the nature of the balance between the strengths and weaknesses of the characters and the deserved or undeserved nature of the catastrophe taht determines whether the result is tragic or comic. With minor editing of character and situation, for example, tragic Othello becomes comic Othello." It goes on to itemize how this seemingly unseemly thing could come about. It just does seem that a man killing his wife could be funny, but they do a pretty good job of pleading their case. It's pretty interesting and I can see how several other plays could be made humorous.
Somewhere it talks about how due to television and other diversions the viewing of plays has gone down. I actually really like to see plays, but a lot of the time they are more expensive than I have the stomache for. My mom used to sew costumes for a local Junior High's plays and we would get free tickets. The plays we saw there were better than some of the ones my High School put on.
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Class Week 5
I really liked talking about dance this week. I dabbled in Jazz, ballet, tap and ballroom when I was younger but I got too tall and too old for the level I was dancing at, so I quite. I have to admit that I wasn't very good and pretty much had to watch the other dancers so that I could remember what to do even at the concerts. One of my favorite shows is So You Think You Can Dance and it was really interesting to learn about some of the things that I have seen while watching.
I really didn't know much about the history of dance until now. It is so interesting to see how the arts really do mesh together. I'd never thought about the dancing style beginning influenced by painting and visa versa like Martha Graham was influenced by the cubist style, but it really makes sense that they would have an effect on each other. While I was reading, I was pretty worried because I couldn't really picture in my mind what was written in the book. The diagrams helped, but I was relieved when we watched some dancing because I could pick out the cabriole and the entrachats. I kind of wish that I had attended the ballet after I knew some of the movements so that I would have had a better idea of what was going on. I really like the excerpt from Swan Lake that we watched and I'm eager to see the whole ballet someday. I have no idea how they continued to smile while executing steps that have to cause some great strain and even pain. It was really interesting to have somebody who had danced ballet to tell the class about the way point your feet and the rigorous training both ballet and modern dancers complete.
The Thriller segment we watched was also interesting. It was neat to sort of dissect it using the elements of dance. It really does add to the viewing when you know that the way they choreograph, costume, use music, and assign roles really is thought out to add to the experience. The balloon dance was also cool. I thought that it was both a narrative and diversion. It's really nifty that early dancers were willing to step out of the box even though they were criticized so that we can have that sort of dance now. It was amazing to see them use their balloon props in really unique ways. They had amazing flexibility in their feet and arms.
I really didn't know much about the history of dance until now. It is so interesting to see how the arts really do mesh together. I'd never thought about the dancing style beginning influenced by painting and visa versa like Martha Graham was influenced by the cubist style, but it really makes sense that they would have an effect on each other. While I was reading, I was pretty worried because I couldn't really picture in my mind what was written in the book. The diagrams helped, but I was relieved when we watched some dancing because I could pick out the cabriole and the entrachats. I kind of wish that I had attended the ballet after I knew some of the movements so that I would have had a better idea of what was going on. I really like the excerpt from Swan Lake that we watched and I'm eager to see the whole ballet someday. I have no idea how they continued to smile while executing steps that have to cause some great strain and even pain. It was really interesting to have somebody who had danced ballet to tell the class about the way point your feet and the rigorous training both ballet and modern dancers complete.
The Thriller segment we watched was also interesting. It was neat to sort of dissect it using the elements of dance. It really does add to the viewing when you know that the way they choreograph, costume, use music, and assign roles really is thought out to add to the experience. The balloon dance was also cool. I thought that it was both a narrative and diversion. It's really nifty that early dancers were willing to step out of the box even though they were criticized so that we can have that sort of dance now. It was amazing to see them use their balloon props in really unique ways. They had amazing flexibility in their feet and arms.
Eight Men Out
On Tuesday night I went to Eight Men Out, a movie they were screening at the Orem Public Library. I wasn't too sure that I was going to like it, because as much as I wish I were a sports fan and less mushy-minded, I'm really more a mystery, historical romance, comedy movie type of girl, and I knew that Eight Men Out was a baseball movie. In fact, I sort of have a hard time watching baseball unless I know someone that is playing because it seems like there are only a few minutes of action and then a lot of waiting. I guess I haven't really been exposed to watching sports much. The best game of baseball I've ever seen took place in South Carolina when I was watching my cousins husband and his military team play. They were super speedy and half of the balls they hit were home runs. So, the nice thing about watching a sport in a movie is that they don't have any of the waiting time and only show the highlights of the supposed game.
Eight Men Out is about the 1919 White Sox scandal. When I read that on the sign I figured it had to be about some team throwing a game for money and I was right. The movie starts with a game scene. The White Sox team are out playing in the hot sun, while their manager is inside with a bunch of newspaper men. There is a great contrast between the condition of the players and their master. He has all of this food and fine wine and is dressed impeccably. He is also plump from the great spoils he has obviously obtained as manager. The men however are in their dusty uniforms, sweating and on the thin side. It is obvious they love the game though. After the game they had be.en promised a bonus and instead they got flat champagne. During the game a few men in the stands kept commenting on who they thought they could get to work for them to throw the world series. The White Sox were considered unbeatable so a lot of people would be betting on them to win. If the people who paid the White Sox to lose bet against them, they could make a pretty penny. The players were pretty put out with their manager and they weren't being paid enough, so it was easy for the gamblers to draw a few of them into the plan. The gamblers also included some even larger gambler fish so that they would have the funds to bet and pay some of the players who wanted their cut at the start. It was really sad, because it was obvious that some of players didn't want to join, but they felt that there was no other option. One of the players, Buck Weaver, refused to be a part of the operation when he was approached. At the games he did his best, but both of the main pitchers had joined in so he was pretty much fighting a losing battle. A couple of newspaper men noticed the first game of the World Series that something fishy was going on, and they decided that they would each write down any plays they felt there was something wrong with and the player who had messed and compare their lists at the end. They came up with about six players they felt were purposely trying to throw the game. It was pretty much depressing to watch as the team struggled within themselves to try and win but kept losing even though the people around them said they were the best club they had ever seen. The best part of the whole movie was when the pitcher who wasn't in on the racket, Joe Jackson, pitched the third game. He struck out quite a few players and even some of the players who were trying to lose got behind him. I think it had a lot to do with their trainer who knew that something was going on and tried to talk to the team. It was basically the team's shining moment. After a few games they purposely lost, they realized that they weren't going to get paid, because the people who were handling the money kept putting any money they won back into the gambling circuit. Most of the players decided against continuing and one of the pitchers who had agreed to the scam just quit and actually did his part. This made the gambling people rather unhappy as they lost quite a bit of money and they sent someone to threaten the next pitcher's wife. He, of course, capitulated and the team lost their fifth game which knocked them out of the tournament. At this point the newspaper men delivered their evidence to the officials. Eight men were picked out as suspicious, but two of them actually had nothing to do with the scam. Their names were Buck Weaver and Joe Jackson. Joe really had had no knowledge and Buck knew but wasn't a part. He didn't turn his teammates in because he thought they would decide to be honest on their own. As the baseball player's trial was going on, the gamblers happily left the country on the proceeds. I have to admit that pretty much ticked me off. So did the fact that the players who spearheaded the crime were so stinking smug. I wanted to punch each of them in the nose. Unexpectedly, the court ruled not guilty, but that wasn't the end. A special commissioner the manager of the team had hired said that any member of a club who took a bribe to throw a game or knew of his teammates taking one would never play in the major leagues again. At the end of the movie it shows a minor league game. A few people in the stands wonder who the man is that is trouncing their team. One of them says it's Joe Jackson. The others don't believe him, but he insists it is and says that he was one of the players who threw the World Series. Buck Weaver happens to be sitting next to the group and denies that it is Joe saying he was one of the greatest players of all time. It's pretty much terrible that the only thing people remember about the fantastic group is that they threw the World Series.
I thought that it was actually a really good show, even if it was somewhat depressing. The actors did a good job and there were a few pretty big names. It was especially impressive to see how well Hollywood did at making them believably good baseball players. There was a bit too much swearing for my taste, but I guess it wouldn't be believable baseball history if there wasn't some swearing. Of course, while it did show that the players each had a humongous wad of tobacco in their mouths none of them that I could see had rotten teeth and that isn't very realistic. I was actually surprised by how much I enjoyed it even if some parts made me mad enough to spit.
The atmosphere of the Orem Library was really great. I'm pretty comfortable with going there, because I go pretty much every week to rent some of their old movies for a dollar. I wasn't expecting the theatre to be so small and their to be so few people, but that was also nice in a way. I hope I wasn't a detriment to the six other people's experience because I kept coughing, but I guess I won't worry too much because a few of the smaller kids there kept getting up and running down the aisles and on the stage when they got restless. It was great. I had a really good view of the screen and I could hear pretty well. I'm actually interested in attending some more of these screening things because I love older movies and free is quite the best price I know of.
Eight Men Out is about the 1919 White Sox scandal. When I read that on the sign I figured it had to be about some team throwing a game for money and I was right. The movie starts with a game scene. The White Sox team are out playing in the hot sun, while their manager is inside with a bunch of newspaper men. There is a great contrast between the condition of the players and their master. He has all of this food and fine wine and is dressed impeccably. He is also plump from the great spoils he has obviously obtained as manager. The men however are in their dusty uniforms, sweating and on the thin side. It is obvious they love the game though. After the game they had be.en promised a bonus and instead they got flat champagne. During the game a few men in the stands kept commenting on who they thought they could get to work for them to throw the world series. The White Sox were considered unbeatable so a lot of people would be betting on them to win. If the people who paid the White Sox to lose bet against them, they could make a pretty penny. The players were pretty put out with their manager and they weren't being paid enough, so it was easy for the gamblers to draw a few of them into the plan. The gamblers also included some even larger gambler fish so that they would have the funds to bet and pay some of the players who wanted their cut at the start. It was really sad, because it was obvious that some of players didn't want to join, but they felt that there was no other option. One of the players, Buck Weaver, refused to be a part of the operation when he was approached. At the games he did his best, but both of the main pitchers had joined in so he was pretty much fighting a losing battle. A couple of newspaper men noticed the first game of the World Series that something fishy was going on, and they decided that they would each write down any plays they felt there was something wrong with and the player who had messed and compare their lists at the end. They came up with about six players they felt were purposely trying to throw the game. It was pretty much depressing to watch as the team struggled within themselves to try and win but kept losing even though the people around them said they were the best club they had ever seen. The best part of the whole movie was when the pitcher who wasn't in on the racket, Joe Jackson, pitched the third game. He struck out quite a few players and even some of the players who were trying to lose got behind him. I think it had a lot to do with their trainer who knew that something was going on and tried to talk to the team. It was basically the team's shining moment. After a few games they purposely lost, they realized that they weren't going to get paid, because the people who were handling the money kept putting any money they won back into the gambling circuit. Most of the players decided against continuing and one of the pitchers who had agreed to the scam just quit and actually did his part. This made the gambling people rather unhappy as they lost quite a bit of money and they sent someone to threaten the next pitcher's wife. He, of course, capitulated and the team lost their fifth game which knocked them out of the tournament. At this point the newspaper men delivered their evidence to the officials. Eight men were picked out as suspicious, but two of them actually had nothing to do with the scam. Their names were Buck Weaver and Joe Jackson. Joe really had had no knowledge and Buck knew but wasn't a part. He didn't turn his teammates in because he thought they would decide to be honest on their own. As the baseball player's trial was going on, the gamblers happily left the country on the proceeds. I have to admit that pretty much ticked me off. So did the fact that the players who spearheaded the crime were so stinking smug. I wanted to punch each of them in the nose. Unexpectedly, the court ruled not guilty, but that wasn't the end. A special commissioner the manager of the team had hired said that any member of a club who took a bribe to throw a game or knew of his teammates taking one would never play in the major leagues again. At the end of the movie it shows a minor league game. A few people in the stands wonder who the man is that is trouncing their team. One of them says it's Joe Jackson. The others don't believe him, but he insists it is and says that he was one of the players who threw the World Series. Buck Weaver happens to be sitting next to the group and denies that it is Joe saying he was one of the greatest players of all time. It's pretty much terrible that the only thing people remember about the fantastic group is that they threw the World Series.
I thought that it was actually a really good show, even if it was somewhat depressing. The actors did a good job and there were a few pretty big names. It was especially impressive to see how well Hollywood did at making them believably good baseball players. There was a bit too much swearing for my taste, but I guess it wouldn't be believable baseball history if there wasn't some swearing. Of course, while it did show that the players each had a humongous wad of tobacco in their mouths none of them that I could see had rotten teeth and that isn't very realistic. I was actually surprised by how much I enjoyed it even if some parts made me mad enough to spit.
The atmosphere of the Orem Library was really great. I'm pretty comfortable with going there, because I go pretty much every week to rent some of their old movies for a dollar. I wasn't expecting the theatre to be so small and their to be so few people, but that was also nice in a way. I hope I wasn't a detriment to the six other people's experience because I kept coughing, but I guess I won't worry too much because a few of the smaller kids there kept getting up and running down the aisles and on the stage when they got restless. It was great. I had a really good view of the screen and I could hear pretty well. I'm actually interested in attending some more of these screening things because I love older movies and free is quite the best price I know of.
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Music and the Spoken Word Rehersal
Okay, so I'm not exactly sure what it was called, but my family and I went to Salt Lake on Thursday to see the rehearsal of the Tabernacle Choir and the Orchestra on Temple Square in the Conference Center. It was in preparation for the 80th anniversary of Music and the Spoken Word and for the 24th of July. I have played the violin since I was in 3rd grade and I sing in our ward choir, so I know the basics pretty well. The concert was completely enjoyable and from what I know I found no fault with the illustrious Tabernacle Choir or the grand orchestra accompanying them. Another great part of the evening was our seats. We were in the middle section on the floor, pretty near the front. We had a fantastic view of the orchestra and the choir and also the Organ.
So the object was music and there were all sorts of genres involved. I'm not very good with recall, so I'm not sure of all of the names, but there was some classical and some African American spiritual and some hymn like music. It represented all of the hard work of this particular choir and orchestra and of those of the past and it represented them very well. Even though it was a rehearsal they only restarted a song one time. I'm not really sure what the medium constitutes for as singing orchestra affair. The medium could be all of the instruments or the music for the orchestra, but I'm not sure if the medium for the choir is their voices or their bodies which produce the sound and the music.
I would have to say that they are the most organized choir I have ever seen. Every woman is wearing the same thing and ever man is. On Thursday the women wore a magenta dress and a sparkly silver necklace and the men were in black suits and bow ties; the members of the orchestra all wore black as is customary. The visual aspect was very pleasing, but that isn't really what I should be concerned with when the object is music I suppose. They all stood up together and it sounded like two or four voices depending on how many parts were required at different points in the music. I know that my choir in church has definite struggles saying our S's together and enunciating and on a good day there are only twenty of us. The Tabernacle choir has, well I'm not sure how many there are in it other than there are assuredly more than twenty.
We were a little bit late and the first song we came in on was about halfway done. The first song we heard in its entirety was really incredible. It actually was probably one of my favorites because it was really uplifting. It involved all of the different players, choir and orchestra. The next piece was equally enjoyable. It was Come Thou Fount, which has always been one of my favorite songs. It was different from the first in that it was more still. The first song had sort of a military beat to it. Two of the songs at the concert included a male soloist. I think they were Rockin' my Soul in the Bosom of Abraham and Go Down Moses or something like unto it. They were great proof that the choir is excellent in all areas, even as backup singers. I have to say though, that one of the most exciting parts of the program was when the organist did a solo. He played a lot of the piece with his feet. My sister and I decided it was impossible even though we were watching him carry it off beautifully. They ended with God Be With You Til We Meet Again, which of course was quite fitting. They had some other songs such as I'm trying to Be like Jesus and all of them were well done.
It is programs like these that really inspire me to become better at my talents. I couldn't help wishing that I had a better voice so that I could be a part of the choir someday, or that I was more willing to practice so that I could be a part of the orchestra. I have to admit that some of the appeal comes from the fact that they have traveled all over the world and are internationally renowned, but also I can't imagine how great the camaraderie would be in the group. I like singing. It was definitely worth the drive to Salt Lake.
So the object was music and there were all sorts of genres involved. I'm not very good with recall, so I'm not sure of all of the names, but there was some classical and some African American spiritual and some hymn like music. It represented all of the hard work of this particular choir and orchestra and of those of the past and it represented them very well. Even though it was a rehearsal they only restarted a song one time. I'm not really sure what the medium constitutes for as singing orchestra affair. The medium could be all of the instruments or the music for the orchestra, but I'm not sure if the medium for the choir is their voices or their bodies which produce the sound and the music.
I would have to say that they are the most organized choir I have ever seen. Every woman is wearing the same thing and ever man is. On Thursday the women wore a magenta dress and a sparkly silver necklace and the men were in black suits and bow ties; the members of the orchestra all wore black as is customary. The visual aspect was very pleasing, but that isn't really what I should be concerned with when the object is music I suppose. They all stood up together and it sounded like two or four voices depending on how many parts were required at different points in the music. I know that my choir in church has definite struggles saying our S's together and enunciating and on a good day there are only twenty of us. The Tabernacle choir has, well I'm not sure how many there are in it other than there are assuredly more than twenty.
We were a little bit late and the first song we came in on was about halfway done. The first song we heard in its entirety was really incredible. It actually was probably one of my favorites because it was really uplifting. It involved all of the different players, choir and orchestra. The next piece was equally enjoyable. It was Come Thou Fount, which has always been one of my favorite songs. It was different from the first in that it was more still. The first song had sort of a military beat to it. Two of the songs at the concert included a male soloist. I think they were Rockin' my Soul in the Bosom of Abraham and Go Down Moses or something like unto it. They were great proof that the choir is excellent in all areas, even as backup singers. I have to say though, that one of the most exciting parts of the program was when the organist did a solo. He played a lot of the piece with his feet. My sister and I decided it was impossible even though we were watching him carry it off beautifully. They ended with God Be With You Til We Meet Again, which of course was quite fitting. They had some other songs such as I'm trying to Be like Jesus and all of them were well done.
It is programs like these that really inspire me to become better at my talents. I couldn't help wishing that I had a better voice so that I could be a part of the choir someday, or that I was more willing to practice so that I could be a part of the orchestra. I have to admit that some of the appeal comes from the fact that they have traveled all over the world and are internationally renowned, but also I can't imagine how great the camaraderie would be in the group. I like singing. It was definitely worth the drive to Salt Lake.
Class Week 4
I am just going to say that class on Wednesday was pretty challenging for me. I felt like I had missed day or that I wasn't studying something we were supposed to be studying. It seemed like all of a sudden people knew everything. When we were asked what about different works made them from a certain time period and people knew the answers I knew I was in big trouble. I think I was starting to catch on by the end of class, but only because I really invested myself in trying to figure out what was going on. As usual I thought it was really interesting. Also, I don't know if anyone else noticed this, but the same tapestry that was on our quiz was on Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. I pretty much jumped out of my seat to tell my brother about it and how the unicorn symbolized purity and because it was surrounded by a fence it specifically symbolized Mary. I love being able to tell stuff like that.
It is really interesting for me to learn about the different Mediums artists used. I had never even heard about half of them before our class. It kind of gives me a new appreciation for the work of artists. I really value the ability to erase when I'm drawing because I almost never get something right the first time. To me fresco sounds particularly difficult in that regard, but I've also tried oil paints and those are no cake walk either. I mean, I haven't had any tutoring or education in those types of things, but I sort of like to dabble in the arts.
Another interesting thing for me to learn about in class was the different 'isms' they developed during Modernism. In my English class last year we talked about the different eras of writing, and around the same time period there were lots of different 'isms' in writing as well. I'm not sure which of the 'isms' is my favorite, but I do know that I kind of liked the Cubism and Surrealism pictures. That might just be because I have heard of Picasso and Salvador Dali.
It is really interesting for me to learn about the different Mediums artists used. I had never even heard about half of them before our class. It kind of gives me a new appreciation for the work of artists. I really value the ability to erase when I'm drawing because I almost never get something right the first time. To me fresco sounds particularly difficult in that regard, but I've also tried oil paints and those are no cake walk either. I mean, I haven't had any tutoring or education in those types of things, but I sort of like to dabble in the arts.
Another interesting thing for me to learn about in class was the different 'isms' they developed during Modernism. In my English class last year we talked about the different eras of writing, and around the same time period there were lots of different 'isms' in writing as well. I'm not sure which of the 'isms' is my favorite, but I do know that I kind of liked the Cubism and Surrealism pictures. That might just be because I have heard of Picasso and Salvador Dali.
Reading Week 4 continued
Alright, so I already did my reading blog for this week and it was pretty long, so I basically refuse to write more than four sentences about the artists we were supposed to look up. Just kidding in a way, I don't refuse exactly, but I'm not going to make this entry very long. I looked at works by Durer, Van Eyck and Caravaggio. I thought that Durer and Van Eyck were very similar in the fact that they both used a lot of symbolism in their works. Of the two of them I really like Van Eyck because of his use of color. All of his paintings use a darker value, and yet they seem somewhat bright and defined to me. Caravaggio is the one we talked about using Chiaroscuro. The thing that caught my attention in his paintings is how much emotion is infused in them. Through the faces of his subjects what they are feeling is made obvious; even without a background story you can tell their basic emotions.
Monday, July 13, 2009
Reading Week 4
This week I'll write about the reading I did in Chapter 16. I had never thought about the fact that you have to view sculpture in two different ways. I think that sculpture really is unique because it is tangible and because you have to walk around it, view it form different angles, to get the whole experience. I've never been in a position that I could touch a great work, but it sounds pretty nifty when Finn describes it. "There must have been a heavenly spirit in Michelangelo's fingers as they guided his tools, and I felt that spirit now transmitted like electric impulses through my fingers into my heart. I ran my hand again and again over those surfaces I could reach. It took only moments but it was a timeless experience." It was interesting to me that Michelangelo thought that he was just beginning to learn his craft as he died. I really am more of a realist I guess, because I really like his Pieta, and while I admire his skill still, the Rondanini Pieta isn't my favorite. At this point, I like his "polished words," better even if his later work "betrays all the anguish and genius of this great artist's last years and expresses a nobility and poignant depth."
For a tenth grade English project on veterinarians I sculpted a pair of hands cupping a puppy. I thought it was pretty hard, you know, fairly realistic. Then I see these sculptures carved out of marble, that look just like a living person. Holy cow, how did they do that? All three of the sculptors the chapter talks about had an interest in art in the very beginning. It's a good thing that their talents were encouraged or the world would be deprived of some very great visual and apparently physical, experiences. I like the sentence about Bernini's skill, "the great Italian Baroque sculptor of the seventeenth century, created the illusion of soft flesh or silken cloth in solid marble with breathtaking credibility." I used some sort of clay for my veterinarian's hands, and they didn't look soft. In fact the puppy's fur looked somewhat sharp. The greats used marble, metamorphosed limestone, as their medium, and it looks far more supple than my clay creation when carved by their talented hands.
I have to admit that I've always been a little afraid of sculpture, especially that of 'Greek' origin. The naked and nude bodies kind of make me uncomfortable. I think it might be because of what my mom calls a Victorian upbringing. For example, my mom's mother didn't even approve of talk about bathrooms and my mom was absolutely shocked when at a movie, her date leaned over to her and said, "At least you don't have to urinate." I don't remember why he said that, as I never quite understood that part of the story, but honestly, it even makes me uncomfortable to write that. I mean, what if someone just skimmed my blog and saw that word on the page causing them to think that it was simply disgusting. Anyway, the point is, my mom passed that same sort of upbringing on to me. The really weird thing though, is that one of my grandma's favorite paintings was one that she called 'Grab Your Hat and Let's Go,' which was of a woman donning only a hat. My family isn't uncultured I guess. At the start of the chapter there is a quote that it says is supposed to help people who have my same sort of problem. "To be naked is to be deprived of our clothes and the word implies some of the embarrassment which most of us feel in that condition. The word nude, on the other hand, carries, in educated usage, no uncomfortable overtone. The vague image it projects into the mind is not of a huddled and defenseless body, but of a balanced, prosperous and confident body: the body re-formed." I don't really know if that helps my phobia, but I'll try to remind myself of it when I view sculpture of, in my opinion, a provocative nature.
For a tenth grade English project on veterinarians I sculpted a pair of hands cupping a puppy. I thought it was pretty hard, you know, fairly realistic. Then I see these sculptures carved out of marble, that look just like a living person. Holy cow, how did they do that? All three of the sculptors the chapter talks about had an interest in art in the very beginning. It's a good thing that their talents were encouraged or the world would be deprived of some very great visual and apparently physical, experiences. I like the sentence about Bernini's skill, "the great Italian Baroque sculptor of the seventeenth century, created the illusion of soft flesh or silken cloth in solid marble with breathtaking credibility." I used some sort of clay for my veterinarian's hands, and they didn't look soft. In fact the puppy's fur looked somewhat sharp. The greats used marble, metamorphosed limestone, as their medium, and it looks far more supple than my clay creation when carved by their talented hands.
I have to admit that I've always been a little afraid of sculpture, especially that of 'Greek' origin. The naked and nude bodies kind of make me uncomfortable. I think it might be because of what my mom calls a Victorian upbringing. For example, my mom's mother didn't even approve of talk about bathrooms and my mom was absolutely shocked when at a movie, her date leaned over to her and said, "At least you don't have to urinate." I don't remember why he said that, as I never quite understood that part of the story, but honestly, it even makes me uncomfortable to write that. I mean, what if someone just skimmed my blog and saw that word on the page causing them to think that it was simply disgusting. Anyway, the point is, my mom passed that same sort of upbringing on to me. The really weird thing though, is that one of my grandma's favorite paintings was one that she called 'Grab Your Hat and Let's Go,' which was of a woman donning only a hat. My family isn't uncultured I guess. At the start of the chapter there is a quote that it says is supposed to help people who have my same sort of problem. "To be naked is to be deprived of our clothes and the word implies some of the embarrassment which most of us feel in that condition. The word nude, on the other hand, carries, in educated usage, no uncomfortable overtone. The vague image it projects into the mind is not of a huddled and defenseless body, but of a balanced, prosperous and confident body: the body re-formed." I don't really know if that helps my phobia, but I'll try to remind myself of it when I view sculpture of, in my opinion, a provocative nature.
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