Nature: Observations and Meanings

Art and Nature: New York Water Front by Stuart Davis (1938) (3 of 3)

2012-02-14T10:59:00.000-08:00

Notes and Sources for this Essay on Stuart Davis

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Note 1: For actual pictures of the NY tug boats and lighthouse, this site offers a few: “New York Tugboats and the Little Red Lighthouse” at Inkwatu. http://inkwatu.com/2008/09/10/new-york-tugboats-and-the-little-red-lighthouse/

Works Used

Arnold, Michael, “Stuart Davis, American Painter, 1894-1964” Simply Art, 2011, http://www.michaelarnoldart.com/Stuart%20Davis.htm,

Bartel, Martin, “An Art Teacher’s Guide to Critique Art Work”, Goshen College, 2008, http://www.goshen.edu/art/ed/critique1.html,

Blizzard, Gladys, “Come Look With Me: Exploring Landscape Art With Children”, Charlesbridge: Watertown MA, 2006

Boddy-Evans Marion, “All About Painting”, About.com, http://painting.about.com/,

Brucato, Bruce Capt, “NY Tugmaster’s Weblog”, 2012, http://captbbrucato.wordpress.com/,

Essak, Shelley, “All About Art History”, About.com, http://arthistory.about.com/,

Jones, Hilton, “New York Tugboats and the Little Red Lighthouse”, INKWATU: Delights Near and Far, 10 September 2008 http://inkwatu.com/2008/09/10/new-york-tugboats-and-the-little-red-lighthouse/,

----, “Notes on Stuart Davis”, Abstract Expressionism, Warholstars.org, 2006, http://www.warholstars.org/abstractexpressionism/artists/davis/stuartdavis.html,

Peltakian, Danielle, “Stuart Davis”, Sullivan Goss: An American Gallery, 2011, http://www.sullivangoss.com/Stuart_Davis/,

----, “Understanding Formal Analysis”, J. Paul Getty Museum, 2012, http://www.getty.edu/education/teachers/building_lessons/formal_analysis.html,

Art and Nature: New York Water Front by Stuart Davis (1938) (2 of 3)

2012-02-13T08:34:00.000-08:00

http://www.artnet.com/usernet/awc/awc_workdetail.asp?aid=424974671&gid=424974671&cid=117638&wid=425612241&page=33

The above link will open to the Painting.

However, there is order amid the chaos. Balance is achieved with the horizontal sign dividing the painting into thirds. The vertical red-orange main-mast and yellow-orange mast keep the thirds intact. The left side has the yellow-orange smoke and the right side has the lavender bridge. The eye is first attracted to the sign, then to the smoke bellowing out, and then finally slides down the guide wire. Afterwards, the eye circles around to the bridge back to the sign again. Balance is this circle, which is both constantly dynamic and in perfect harmony.

Repetition in the painting is the squares and rectangles that puncture this circle. The squares keep rhythm, syncopating with the vertical and horizontal hash marks, that gives depth to the buildings and tug. These same shapes are repeated to allow the observer to enjoy the scene without being overwhelmed.

Davis’ signature style is to infuse a painting with a jazz rhythm and variety. The artist himself said that he often painted while listening to jazz music, and that his paintings reflect this in their rhythms. However, an actual waterfront does lends itself to a staccato beat, with ships are being towed in and out; cargo is being loaded and unloaded. The rhythm of “New York Waterfront” is supported by the bass beat of the blacks and greys. The mellow tones of the alto saxophone are the muted reds and oranges. The trumpet riffs are the bright yellows and whites. Each element of the painting moves together in the improvisations and broken rhythms of jazz. The bass beat keeps the painting moving, while the muted colors keep the melody easy and smooth.

In an interview with John Wingate for “Night Beat” in 1956, Davis said, “Well, my attitude toward life is realistic, but realism doesn’t include merely what one immediately sees with the eye at a given moment – one also relates it to past experience…One relates it to feelings, ideas. And what is real about the experience is the totality of the awareness of it.” What Davis offers us is not a painting of a waterfront but our encounter with one. We experience the essence of the waterfront, which ties us to everyone else who have experienced it as well. The New York waterfront ceases to be a real place, and becomes a part of our being.

In his painting, Davis gives us hints as to the reality that is the New York waterfront. First, he paints the tug with the traditional dull red of the New York tugs. Besides the color, the tug has a tall, narrow house, which reaches to the sign. Since New York tugs used a version of a steam engine, the steam smoke coming out of the smokestack was a common site. (Other waterfronts used coal, at the time Davis painted his picture.) Adding to the scene is the Little Red Lighthouse and the George Washington Bridge both which are at the Hudson River. (The lavender square represents the suspension bridge, while the square red pentagon is the lighthouse.) With this special knowledge of New York City, we can apply what we know to a scene of jumbled shapes and wild colors to see beyond to what is actually there. This is augury in art – looking with the inner eye, applying our special knowledge, and divining what is before us.

Like Davis, we can see with our second eye, and relate the painting to the past, present, and future. Descending into the bones of the painting, we see the tug which is captured in the moment. What will come next? Where is the ship going? Does it matter? We stick our toe in the stream of time at the nexus of this moment, before things shift and become revealed. The future for us like the waterfront is fluid, constantly changing.

We go deeper into the core of why a painting of a tug, a lighthouse, a bridge and several buildings. The tug speaks to the commonality of our daily experiences. As the workhorses of the harbor, the small tugs take the large tankers safely to the docks and back out. The lighthouse next to the bridge offers more safety to all who venture forth. Beyond the lighthouse and bridge are the beckoning windows of warmth and security. We have arrived to where we need to be – the future. Like the tug captain, we read the waters, watch for signs of trouble, and practice our art. We venture forth from the past of the lighthouse into the future of the distant buildings, while being safely guided by our bridge of the present.

Art and Nature: New York Water Front by Stuart Davis (1938) (1 of 3)

2012-02-12T08:52:00.000-08:00

Stuart Davis “New York Waterfront” 1938, Gouache on paper

Noted abstract expressionist, Stuart Davis (American, 1894-1964) described his art as stripping an object down to its core, and then painting it as he perceived it. Davis’ paintings were not factual depictions of a place but its essence. He stated, “I can work from Nature…In each case, the process consists of transposition of the forms of the subject into a coherent structure.” Like a diviner, Davis used his inner eye to see beyond the reality before him.

At first “New York Waterfront” seems to be a jumble of odd shapes, strange colors, and alien lines. However there is an interior logic to this painting. A visit to a waterfront does seem disjointed, since the activity there is both static and chaotic. Ships are being towed into wharfs, while others wait to be unloaded. Small tugs and large tankers are interspersed between warehouses, docks, offices, and factories. In New York City, the city’s skyscrapers are often seen in the distance. Looking at the painting again with their second eye, the observer senses the disordered stillness of a place covered with mundane grit and grime.

“New York Waterfront” encourages the observer to see beyond what is there. Penetrate the jumble and disorganized groups of shapes and lines with the inner eye, and a tug which is billowing smoke emerges. Focusing on the ship gliding by, the observer begins to see the buildings in the background – the lighthouse, warehouse, skyscraper, as well as the bridge.

Using the elements and principles of art, the observer can discern how Davis accomplished all this with his painting. Breaking the painting down to its basic elements, and then building it back up through the principles of art, the observer can divine the waterfront as Davis intended. Since he leaves clues as to the place in the painting, we engage in “augury by art” to find out where. Furthermore by peering more intently, we can discern more profound meanings in this simple scene.

As an artist, Davis was more interested in form and color than in realistic composition. In this painting, the vertical lines dominate the background while horizontal ones dominate the foreground. Two curved lines (guide wires on the tug) sweep down from the ship’s smokestack to its deck. These curved lines connect the foreground with the background, by directing the eye to look further back. Meanwhile the vertical and horizontal lines give backbone to the painting, and hold it together.

Emphasizing the man-made qualities of the scene are the rectangles and squares. Softening their sharp corners are the circles of the tug’s funnels. Furthermore, Davis adds a natural element to the scene with the shape of the smoke coming out of the tugboat’s smokestack. Meanwhile, the angular shapes of the tug contrast subtly with the straight ones of the buildings. Another element softening the verticality of the scene is the horizontal rectangles. The sign with the curved letters and the rounded shapes add more interest to the painting.

Negative space surrounds the scene, calming the uncontrollable shapes and colors. Also, this negative space gives a perspective to the painting by allowing the buildings to recede into the background. The ship is brought to the foreground with the black and white spaces. Also the empty space alludes to the city beyond in the haze of the off-white color.

The most striking aspect of “New York Waterfront” is Davis’ use of colors. At first glance, the colors of the painting seem bright and gay. The cheerful yellows, oranges, reds, and lavenders make the scene throb with energy, conveying the activity of the place. However, the pure black and white colors, which offset these warm colors, highlight their muted quality. Then the observer notices that the blue-greys of the tug are actually the brighter colors. These greys allow the ship to be noticed in the foreground. The more muted oranges and reds convey the grittiness and drabness of the place. Overall, the energetic palate of the reds is muted to calm the frenetic activity.

HYAENODON: Ideas of Success

2012-02-07T07:50:00.000-08:00

The most successful member of the Creodont Family (early predatory Mammals) was Hyaenodon. Resembling a modern Wolf, Hyaenodon ran on her toes like modern Dogs. Using her powerful jaws and sharp teeth, She also tore off meat and broke bones.

Smaller Hyaenodons hunted in packs at night, while the larger ones hunted alone. However, Hyaenodons of all sizes ground their teeth to intimidate other animals. Also, They pooped on their prey after eating their fill. By covering the smell, Hyaenodons kept scavengers away from their kill.

Hyaenodon gigas, who was the size of a Rhino, hunted the largest Mammals that had ever roamed on the land. This Hyaenodon lived at the same time that modern Carnivores were emerging, and competed with Them. Although, Hyaenodon gigas did go extinct, She was successful in her day.

Hyaenodon challenges our modern ideas of success and superiority. She asks us to accept her success and skill as much as we do modern Carnivores. Hyaenodon took down the giants of Mammal kind, and brags to us about her success. Measuring success is not done by one yardstick but many. Hyaenodon challenges us to step outside our notions of success, and find new ways of judging.

CREODONT FAMILY: The Paradox of Time

2012-02-06T07:43:00.000-08:00

Before the rise of the modern family of Carnivora, Creodonts (the dominant predators amongst early Mammals) first appeared during the time of Dinosaurs in the Cretaceous Era. At this time, Creodonts were only the size of Rats. However by the Oligocene epoch, Creodonts became the size of modern Rhinos. During the Eocene epoch, Creodonts flourished the greatest in numbers and variety. In all, They lived from 41 million years ago to 25 million years ago.

Creodonts were divided into two groups – Oxyaenids and Hyaenodons. Both groups had teeth designed to slice meat but no grinding teeth. (Modern Carnivores have both.) Similar to Cats and Weasels, Oxyaenids had long bodies, short legs, and long tails. Meanwhile, Hyaenodons, similar to Dogs and Wolves, had longer legs and ran on their toes like dogs.

Although one species of Hyaenodons existed until the Pliocene epoch, most Creodonts went extinct during the Oligocene epoch. As the more specialized Predators of the Carnivora evolved, Creodonts died off. Although scientists tried to connect the two groups, they could not prove that Creodonts were ancestors of Carnivora. The two groups had evolved separately achieving the same ends as predators.

Creodonts teach that life is not linear. One thing does not necessarily flows from another one. Life is like the springs that feed both lakes and seas, both different but both support life. Creodonts and Carnivores are similar in that aspect since they were not linear in time but existed together.

Creodonts guide us through the paradoxes of time. They lead us through the eddies and whirlpools in the river that is time. Sometimes Creodonts demonstrate parallel time, at other times breaks in the time-stream. Let Creodonts hold you in time, and experience their fluid wisdom.

Divination in Nature: Other proverbs

2012-02-01T09:13:00.000-08:00

Rats leaving a house mean that the building will collapse.

A cock crowing outside a back door means that someone is coming.

A dove calling from outside a back door means that someone is coming.

Bees flying into a house mean that a visitor is coming.

See a spinning spider on a web, and you will get new clothes.

Birds flying on the right side are a lucky omen. (Fly on left, unlucky)

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Works Used.

Conway, D.J. “Animal Magick”, Llewellyn: St. Paul (MN), 1999.

Nightshade, “Folklore and Superstition”, The Raven’s Aviary, 1998, http://www.shades-of-night.com/aviary/folklore.html,

Schlosser, S.E., “Rain Proverbs and Sayings”, American Folklore: Weatherlore, 2010, http://americanfolklore.net/folklore/2010/07/rain_proverbs_sayings.html,

----, “Weather Proverbs and Prognostics: Animals”, “The Old Farmer’s Almanac”, Yankee Publishing, 2012, http://www.almanac.com/content/weather-proverbs-and-prognostics-animals,

Divination in Nature: Luck proverbs

2012-01-31T11:06:00.000-08:00

Signs of Good Luck:

A sneezing cat brings good luck.

A cock crowing out as a person leaves for work means good luck that day.

Frogs coming into a home means good luck is arriving.

Seeing a whale is good luck.

“Ants building nests near the door, security and riches will come in the future.”

If a spider falls on you from the ceiling, you will have good luck.

Finding a spider on your clothes means money coming soon.

Finding a dead crow is good luck.

Signs of Bad Luck:

Three butterflies on a leaf are unlucky.

Two crows flying together from left is bad luck.

Birds at a window bring bad news. A robin tapping on window brings bad news.

When a lizard crosses your path, the day will not be a happy one.

Divination in Nature: Weather proverbs

2012-01-30T08:09:00.000-08:00

Signs of a Severe Winter:

Squirrels seen gathering a lot of nuts mean a severe winter.

The wider the brown segments of a woolly bear caterpillar, the milder the winter.

On February 2, if the groundhog sees his shadow, six more weeks of winter.

When hornets build their nests near the ground, expect a cold and early winter.

Signs of Good Weather:

Dolphins swimming alongside of a ship mean good weather.

If after a rain, you see enough blue sky to make a man a pair of paints, it will clear.

Signs of Rain:

A sneezing cat is a sign of rain.

A cow slapping a tree with its tail means bad weather.

A bat hitting a building is a sign of rain.

Frogs croak more just before a rain.

Busy ants mean that bad weather is coming.

“When leaves show their undersides, be very sure that rain betides.”

“A pale moon rising portends rain the next day.”

“Sea gull, sea gull, sit on the sand/ It’s never good weather while you’re on the land.”

“When grasses dry out at morning light, look for rain before the night.”

“Sound traveling far and wide, a stormy day betide.”

Divination in Nature

2012-01-29T08:43:00.000-08:00

Aeromany which is divination by signs in the sky has various subsets. One is chaomancy, the divination of aerial visions such as what clouds form or apparitions such as signs of the Wild Hunt. Cometomancy (Nephomancy) is the divination by the appearances of comets such as Halley’s Comet.

Cromniancy is the divination by onions. The onions are usually inscribed with an answer. Before they are planted, a question is asked. The first onion to sprout provides the answer.

Metoposcopy is the interpretation of facial wrinkles to determine a person’s character. The noted mathematician Girolamo Cardano (1501 – 1576) invented this form of divination and combined it with astrology. The facial features added with various Star Signs would predict the character and fate of a person.

Molybdomancy is divination by melted lead. After dropping the hot lead into cold water, the diviner would predict the future by the noises that the lead made. Another form of this particular divination was to look at the shapes that the cooled lead made.

Papyromancy is divination by folding paper. The diviner reads the creased paper the way that a palm reader would read a person’s palm. Another form of papyromancy is done by folding an illustrated piece of paper and interpreting the resulting image.

Another form of papyromancy is folding the paper into an origami device that can be manipulated with the fingers. The questioner gives a color or number. Then the diviner recites a rhyme with the color or counts the number as they are manipulating the origami device. Then the diviner lifts the flap of one of the folded pieces of paper, and the person’s fortune is revealed.

Sciomancy is divination by shadows. A person’s shadow is examined by its size, shape, and appearance. A shadow with no head or no shadow at all was considered to be a bad omen.

Works Used:

---, “Adula, The Worldwide Encyclopedia of Divination”, 2010, http://www.adula.com/index.php?title=Main_Page,

Carroll, Robert, “The Skeptic’s Dictionary”, 2012, http://www.skepdic.com/

---, “Divination”, “Paranormal Encyclopedia”, Paranormal-Encyclopedia.com, 2008, http://www.paranormal-encyclopedia.com/d/divination/types.html

Negative Energy: Depression (2 of 2)

2012-01-25T10:32:00.000-08:00

Another part of my mental health program was to read books of people overcoming depression. One book I read was “A Season in Hell” by Percy Knauth, who had everything but feared growing old. He described becoming depressed as his “descent into hell”, which he likened to a snake swallowing its tail. Knauth detailed three basic rules that he discovered to help him overcome his depression. I follow his basic rules even today, since they remind me to take care of myself.

The first rule is to get out of your bed. Depression tells you that nothing good will come of leaving your bed. By getting up, you are declaring victory over depression. By leaving your bed, you are greater than your depression.

Rule number two is to make your bed. Depression creates chaos in everyone’s life. The chaos can overwhelm you, and keep you stuck in the mire and debris of your wrecked life. By making your bed, you are creating order out of chaos. Since you can do that, you can rise above your depression.

The third rule is to make yourself a hot drink. This simple act of ministering demonstrates that you still care about yourself. Depression tells you that you are worthless. By feeding yourself something that you have cooked, you demonstrate your self-worth. You are re-enforcing your desire to live.

Doing these three simple things every day becomes building blocks to a good life. Some days when you feel useless, you can point to accomplishing these three things. Each is fundamental in creating your future, since each propels you away from your nihilism.

What depression has taught me is that all feelings need to be expressed and felt. For example, grief can be love that has no place to go. Instead of constructing a tomb to live in, you build a shrine to visit. By releasing the grief, you open yourself up to more love.

Breaking out of the prison of despair and hopelessness takes action. By following Knauth’s rules, we can become unstuck and move on. Employing a program of mental hygiene helps us to give up our old stories of despondency and grief. Depression does not need to be the black hole sucking us in. We can see it as a time of learning about our strength and reclaiming our personal power. We can use this new found power to fill the black abyss up with flowers.

Works Used:

Boeree, C. George, “The Ultimate Theory of Personality”, Shippensburg University, 2006 http://webspace.ship.edu/cgboer/conclusions.html,

----, “Depression Guide”, Depression-guide.com, 2004, http://www.depression-guide.com/index.htm,

Flach, Frederick, “The Secret Strength of Depression”, Hatherlaigh Press: New York, 2002.

Frankl, Viktor, “Man’s Search for Meaning”, Washington Square Press: New York, 1963.

Hartman, Tori, “Color Wisdom Workbook”, PDF from author, http://www.torihartman.com/shop/pc/home.html,

Heath, Ian, “Discover Your Mind”, 2002, http://discover-your-mind.co.uk/index.htm,

Knauth, Percy, “A Season in Hell”, Time-Life: New York, 1975.

---, “The Merriam-Webster Thesaurus”, Merriam-Webster: Springfield (MA), 1989.

Myhre, Mark Ivar, “Existential Despair”, The Emotional Times, 10 July 2011, http://www.emotional-times.com/2011/07/existential-despair.html,

Negative Energy: Depression (1 of 2)

2012-01-24T11:09:00.000-08:00

In order to discuss depression, one needs to separate the mental illness from the emotion. Although the two are intertwined, there are differences. The mental illness is a disease of the brain, which is not producing enough of the chemicals needed for brain health. To help the brain function better, doctors prescribe various medications to replace the chemicals needed for mental balance.

Depression, the emotion, occurs when various negative emotions turn sour and then go underground. The result is a dull ache of the heart, and a feeling of despondency. Depression, as despair and loneliness, becomes the end point of the soured emotions, opening up the black abyss before us. We can be happily jumping rope one day, and then suddenly stop because the activity now seems meaningless to us. We question why we should continue to live since we were born to die. This is full blown depression which invites us to jump feet first into the oblivion.

In his presentation on depression, Ian Heath divides this emotion into three types. Each has a base emotion that has gone underground, and reappears as a different form. Depression, based on guilt, fixes the blame on the person themselves, who now feels guilty for existing. Depression, which is derived from envy, creates alienation from other people. The person becomes an injustice collector because they see themselves as a victim. Depression, based on sorrow, turns into self-pity with a feeling that much injustice permeates the world. The result of these varieties of depression is a sense of personal unworthiness. Combined with their bitterness and resentment, the person becomes overwhelmed by life. Depression, then, sets in prompting a feeling of nihilism and futility.

For me, depression is a deep sadness and grief that the world is not what it should be. This deep unrelenting grief has no place to go, and becomes the tomb we live in. The feelings of helplessness and hopelessness have come to dwell inside in our hearts.

However to come completely back from the brink meant that I needed to take baby steps. First was to reorder my chaotic mind. To that end, I established a program of mental hygiene. I would read and watch only things that would be helpful to me. I follow this program, even today, to fill my mind with happy and cheery things.

One of the first books that I read about depression was “The Secret Strength of Depression” by Frederic Flach. The author presented the concept that depression is a normal reaction to stress. Dr. Flasch emphasized that it is normal to feel grief and loss but not for long periods. Since I had a chaotic childhood, I mourned the loss of feeling safe. Being depressed had became a habit of thought as familiar to me as breathing. Dr. Flach discussed how to leave the squirrel cage of depressed thinking and reconstruct “normal” thoughts.

The next book I read was “Man’s Search for Meaning” by Viktor Frankl. In this book, he related his experiences in the Nazi concentration camps. As a survivor, Frankl pondered why some people, who had many advantages, died while others with nothing like himself lived. He was kept alive by the memory of his young wife since he believed that they had a future together. From this experience, Frankl realized that the survivors believed in the future. He developed his theory of logotherapy, which is to find a will to live through meaning. In the emptiness of time when nothing exists to take us away from ourselves is when we seek to find meaning for our lives.

ANDREWSARCHUS: Enter the Void

2012-01-20T07:08:00.000-08:00

In 1924, Roy Chapman Andrews discovered a huge skull (which was twice the size of a modern Lion) of a predatory Mammal. In constructing the animal from the skull, paleontologists came up with their claim that this Beast was the largest of Mammal Predators that have ever lived on the land (even larger that modern Polar Bear). In honor of the discoverer, this Beast was named “Andrewsarchus”.

The only evidence of the existence of Andrewsarchus is this one skull. From that skull, scientists extrapolated this species to be a giant-wolf-like Animal. Andrewsarchus from the Eocene epoch (60 to 37 million years ago) was a carnivore before the order of Carnivora came into being. A member of the extinct order of Mesonyx, Andrewsarchus was a part of a group of carnivorous hoofed Animals, and possibly related to Pigs and Rhinos and perhaps Whales.

Although He was sort of a predatory Pig, Andrewsarchus resembled a cross between a Wolf and a Hyena. His jaws were so strong that Andrewsarchus could easily crush animal bones and turtle shells. Scavenging for dead and dying animals, He preferred living near the water.

However having only a skull to base an entire species on poses many questions. Where does Andrewsarchus fit in the Mammal Family tree? Is He really a Mesonychid of the Paleocene or a close Cousin? Is He a full relative to Pigs, Horses, and extinct Litopterns? No one really knows fully. They can only guess at what Andrewsarchus was actually like.

What comes out of this fog of questions is a wolf-like Predator with hooves, who is a Pig but not a Pig. All that we do know about Andrewsarchus is that He had a large head and monstrous teeth. In other words, He was scary. Whatever He was, Andrewsarchus was also freakishly weird by our standards.

Andrewsarchus invites us to enter the void, and go beyond our notions of certainty. Once in the void, we find ourselves questioning everything that we know. Living between guesses and assumptions, we ponder the grey areas of truth and fantasy. However when we need leave, we must make sure that Andrewsarchus leads us back out.

WOOLLY RHINOCEROS: Keeping Important Secrets

2012-01-17T10:42:00.000-08:00

From 50,000 to 10,000 years ago, Woolly Rhinoceros (Coelodonta antiquitatis) roamed throughout Europe and Northern Asia. As detailed in many cave paintings, Woolly Rhinoceros was well-adapted to life in the Ice Age for He had an undercoat of thick fur and a top coat of shaggy hair. To survive in the extreme conditions of the freezing cold, He also had a compact body. In fact, Woolly Rhinoceros was stockier than Modern Rhinos. (The modern Relative of Woolly Rhino is Sumatran Rhino, who has a light covering of fur.)

As depicted on cave walls, Woolly Rhino is often shown leaning down scraping the ground with his horn. When these horns of Woolly Rhinos were first found, people thought that they were the claws of giant Birds. Made of compacted hair, these horns were flat unlike modern Rhinos, whose horns are rounder. Living on the plains and in open woodlands, Woolly Rhino would sweep the snow away with his horn to uncover the grass underneath.

Fossils of Woolly Rhino were found recently in 2011 on the Tibetan Plateau. From examining these fossils, some scientists believe that He originated there during the Pliocene epoch about 3.6 million years ago. Meanwhile, other fossils of Woolly Rhino were found near the Beringia land bridge on the Asian side.

One major mystery that is puzzling to scientists is why Woolly Rhino did not cross over to North America. What was so different between Asia and North America? So far, Woolly Rhino has not told anyone why He did not migrate any farther.

Behind a thin veil of mystery, Woolly Rhino keeps his secrets. We may know nearly everything about Him, but there are still some things He keeps to Himself. We know what Woolly Rhino ate, lived, and other facts but we do not know why He did not migrate to North America. He keeps his own counsel about these things. We may never find out why Woolly Rhino decided to remain where He was. Learn from Woolly Rhino how to keep important secrets from prying people.

Art and Nature: The Scream of Nature by Edvard Munch (3 of 3)

2012-01-12T08:05:00.001-08:00

The two paintings reflect different times in Munch’s life. The artist painted the 1893 version whilst in the throes of poverty, drugs, and nihilistic living. Seventeen years later, Munch had fought his way back from the brink of insanity and perpetual drunkenness. The 1910 version is his mature perspective looking back on his original experience as a young man. He divorces his original experience from his emotion. Now, Munch paints the pure emotions of fear, dread, and insanity.

Edvard Munch said of his art, “It’s not the chair that should be painted, but what a person has felt at the sight of it.” He wrote about his view on life, “Without anxiety and [mental] illness, I am a ship without a rudder…My sufferings are part of myself and my art. They are indistinguishable from me, and their destruction would destroy my art.”

Reviewing Munch’s artistic statements, I believe that the 1910 version succeeds in what he wanted for his art. Instead of a graphic representation of the emotions of fear and dread, Munch captures the pure feeling of the soul shattering beyond repair. The 1910 version draws the observer in and pins them down. The scream erupts from within us for we are the scream itself.

Unlike the 1893 version, the 1910 painting burrows itself into our inner being. We cannot separate ourselves from the 1910 version like we can with the 1893 version. We cannot escape the moment of this painting. We frantically grasp at the faraway witnesses only to fall back into the abyss. The scream then erupts from the abrupt breaking of our soul.

Works Used

Bartel, Martin, “An Art Teacher’s Guide to Critique Art Work”, Goshen College, 2008, http://www.goshen.edu/art/ed/critique1.html,

---, “Becoming Edvard Munch: Influence, Anxiety, and Myth”, Art Institute of Chicago, 2011, http://www.artic.edu/aic/collections/exhibitions/Munch/index,

Boddy-Evans Marion, “All About Painting”, About.com, http://painting.about.com/,

Brookes, Mona, “Drawing With Children”, G.P. Putnam: New York, 1996.

----, “Edvard Munch – Art History”, Edvard Munch Info, 2011, http://www.edvardmunch.info/,

Essak, Shelley, “All About Art History”, About.com, http://arthistory.about.com/,

Fineman, Mia, “EXISTENTIAL SUPERSTAR: Another look at Edvard Munch’s The Scream”, Slate.com, 22 Nov. 2005, http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/culturebox/2005/11/existential_superstar.html,

---, “Guide to Art History”, ArtHistory.net, 2009, http://www.arthistory.net/,

Janson, H.W. and Dora Jane Janson, “The Story of Painting”, Harry N Abrams: New York, 1966.

Lubow, Arthur, “Edvard Munch: Beyond ‘The Scream’”, Smithsonian Magazine, March 2006, http://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/munch.html,

----, “Understanding Formal Analysis”, J. Paul Getty Museum, 2012, http://www.getty.edu/education/teachers/building_lessons/formal_analysis.html,

Art and Nature: The Scream of Nature by Edvard Munch (2 of 3)

2012-01-11T11:27:00.000-08:00

Negative space is used differently, as well, in the two paintings. In the 1910 version, positive space overwhelms the painting allowing no rest for the eye. What negative space that exists highlights the screaming face. What relief the eye seeks is thwarted by directing it to the unsettling face. In contrast, the negative space of the 1893 version settles the eye and gives it time to take in the scene. However, the negative space created by the clothing and sea gives a sense of balance to the screaming face. These negative spaces allow the painting a sense of gravitas, and cement the incident in our time and space.

In both versions, the emphasis is on the screaming figure. The straight lines of the path and railing take the eye directly to the figure. Moving along these lines, the eye becomes focused on the witnesses who seem detached from the scene. The curved lines then force the eye back to the screaming head. There is no escaping the agony of the scream from that soul.

Balance is achieved by the three point triangle of the two witnesses, the bulge of the sea, and the screaming figure. (In buildings, triangles provide the greatest stability to structures.) However, this triangle of the painting is inverted with the apex as the screamer. Since the triangle is inverted, a sense of unease and precariousness permeates the painting. However the triangle does create a sense of unity to the picture. It settles the observer enough to see the scene and feel its impact. The triangle also solidifies the proportions of the art work which are slightly askew. Because of its inverted qualities, the triangle fools the eye into believing that everything is natural relative to each other. Also, it allows a certain sense of calmness to pervade the artwork.

Also, the two versions differ greatly in their rhythms. Although their patterns are similar with alternating light and dark stripes, each one pulsates at a different tempo. In the 1893 version, the colors move quietly much like a mellow jazz tempo with the riffs being the circles around the screamer’s head and the point of land in the sea. In addition, the straight lines provide the solid bass tempo, whilst the crashing waves give the staccato beat. The witnesses act as a counterpoint to the screaming figure. The rhythm of the 1893 version is calm but relentless.

The rhythm of the 1910 version reminds me of the music of Bella Bartok (Hungarian, 1881-1945). The pulse is not the usual 4/4 time but a freakish 5/4 time. It is contains dissonant rising and falling along with the cacophony of music. There is a melody but it is one of the twelve-tone scale rather than the customary eight-tone one. The eye and the ear find it hard to follow, but they are impelled to do so. The waves of blues and purples crash against the oranges and yellow greens of the path. The witnesses become loud cymbals to emphasize the screaming face. The straight lines provide the bass rhythm that throbs under the wild syncopation of the curving lines. The rhythm increases in volume until the observer is drawn into pounding essence of the screaming. Then the scream erupts inside of the observer, and overwhelms them.

Both versions focus on the anguish of the soul with the two on-lookers as witnesses to its breaking. Because the 1893 version placed the incident in the here and now, the artwork attains a certain sense of gravitas. The 1893 version reflects Munch’s own anguish of his own soul cracking open. We feel as Munch did at that place and moment of time. Moreover, the dark tones of the colors give a factual grounding for his time of panic.

In contrast, the 1910 version has no details for us to grab onto. The swirling clouds and abstract sea combine to convey a sense of free floating anxiety. The two witnesses become black crows ready to feast on the shattering soul. The lack of facial features and the dramatically waving lines gives this emotion of total despair an otherworldliness. The straight lines running through the screaming figure pierce the soul and pin it down. The swirling, wavy figure then becomes us.

Art and Nature: The Scream of Nature by Edvard Munch (1 of 3)

2012-01-10T11:17:00.000-08:00

1893

1910

“The Scream” (1893 and 1910) by Edvard Munch

The artist, Edvard Munch (Norwegian, 1863-1944) painted “The Scream” from a visionary experience that he had. He tells of walking along a path near a Norwegian fjord with his friends. As the blood red sun was setting, Munch felt “an infinite scream passing through nature”. While painting this picture as a part of his series, “The Frieze of Life”, Munch described it as “the soul’s final breaking point.”

During his artistic career, Munch painted several versions of “The Scream”. Since each picture was done at a different point in his life, they reflect the subtle changes in his style and point of view. Examine the first version of 1893 with the later 1910 one to see how Munch’s perspective changed about his initial experience. Although the subject matter remains the same, the paintings have become separate entities.

The original 1893 painting is a more realistic painting of the scene at the fjord. Although the screaming figure is stylized, the observer can tell that he is a male human. Moreover the sky, sea, railing, and on-lookers are realistically painted. The scene is stylized but still realistic.

In contrast, the 1910 painting reflects a more abstract style. The sea merges into the sky, while the path becomes a straight line leading into the horizon. The screaming figure ceases to be a human male, and the onlookers merge with the sky.

To understand their differences, the elements of each painting need to be examined more closely. The similarities are that both versions include the diagonal straight lines of the path and the curling wavy lines of the sea and sky. However, the lines of the 1893 version are calm with natural shapes dominating the space. Meanwhile, the 1910 version has ramrod straight lines and gyrating curves which become semi-circles. Also, the shapes of the 1910 picture are the artificial ones of squares and circles.

Comparing the colors of each painting leads to uncovering more differences. The 1893 picture has conventional colors for each of the subjects portrayed. The railing and path are depicted in various shades of brown. The clothing of the people is navy and black; the same as the sea. The sky is filled with oranges, yellows, and light blues of a sunset. These colors mesh well together to keep the observer from being unsettled by the experience of the screaming man.

However it seems that Munch’s aim in the 1910 version is to completely unsettle the observer. Nothing is painted in a natural color. The garish oranges and yellows of the sky flow into the equally garish oranges and yellows of the path. The yellows, which are tinged with green, then clash with the blood red of the oranges of the painting. The royal blue of the sea creates discord with the various oranges. Finally, the blue and purple figures are paired with the yellow greens to create a noxious stomach-churning edginess.

Negative Energy: Hate (3 of 3): Henry Wadsworth Longfellow "The Christmas Bells"

2012-01-05T08:39:00.000-08:00

A stark contrast to Gov. Perry’s ad is Longfellow’s poem, “The Christmas Bells” (1864). This poem details the poet’s emotional struggle with several major tragedies in his life. Three years before, his wife died in tragically and horribly. In trying to save her from the flames that engulfed her, Longfellow himself was permanently physically disfigured. Later in that year, one of his sons ran off to enlist in the Union Army (U.S.) to fight in the U.S. Civil War (1861-65). Later this son was seriously wounded in battle, much to his father’s horror.

To express his sorrow and despair, Longfellow wrote this poem (later put to music as a carol). As he listened to the bells, Longfellow relates, “And in despair, I bowed my head: ‘There is no peace on earth’, I said”. He goes on to say, “For hate is strong and mocks the song, of Peace on earth, good will to men.” This is Longfellow expressing his bitterness in contrast to Christmas Day, when people celebrate joy and life.

However Longfellow does not end the poem there. He continues with the bells’ answer: “God is not dead, not doth He sleep; The wrong shall fail, the right prevail”. Longfellow’s response is that there is a power greater than hate. This power, God, is actively involved with the affairs of humans. With patience and hope, we will see our wrongs corrected and the present hate overcome. God can end the hate that people cannot. Longfellow offers an antidote to hate, after he notes that it will always plague humans. We do not have to give into this emotion for we can counter it with faith in God.

Longfellow’s use of the Christian religion differs from Gov. Perry’s. The poet relies on his religion to breakdown the differences between people. Through God’s actions, peace and goodwill will be restored on the earth. God’s love is the key to ending hate. Meanwhile Gov. Perry uses his religion to divide people. He sees God as being under siege, and that we people need to fight to assist Him. In Gov. Perry’s case, God becomes weak and unable to overcome hate.

Using Longfellow’s example, I can counter hate with other thoughts. I do not have to be overcome by it. For example, when hate pops into my head, I can think thoughts of gratitude. During the week of trying not to think about hate, I decided to be grateful for central heating and indoor plumbing. I dislike the cold, and thought that being grateful for these things would be a good antidote. As I felt gratitude about central heating, I could feel my mind expand to include the people who invented such marvels and also those who maintain them. As I became more grateful, I became more inclusive in the group of people to thank.

People do not start feeling hate as a primary emotion. The first emotions can be fear, sorrow, or despair. Senseless tragedy can lead to sorrow and unhappiness. From these emotions comes resentment and bitterness. This chain-link of feeling leads to hate, which is the final stop on this emotional train. To stop it, we need to backtrack to the beginning.

Resentment has us place our despair and hurt outside of ourselves, usually on another group of people. Bitterness purifies our selves by putting our unwanted and shadow feelings onto another group. These two emotions encourage rigidity in people and harden them as well. With laser-like aim, we can lay the source of our pain onto someone else. Hate gives us a reason to eliminate the Other as a source of our pain.

However, hate can be countered through the generosity of spirit and forgiveness. Sorrow and hurts have to be felt because through this process of feeling, wounds can be cleansed. With hope and optimism, our wounds will be healed. After accepting our sorrows, we will have a more flexible approach to life. Then forgiveness will eliminate the final traces of hate in our lives.

In my own experience, eliminating hate from my thoughts was difficult, since it is a force that needs to be dealt with. Most of the time, I do not consider hate, but it does creep up on me in unguarded moments. What I did was to replace the idea of hate with thoughts of gratitude. However, I do need to make sure that I process my feelings of hurt and sorrow, lest they fester into hate.

Works Used:

Anderson, Douglas, “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day”, The Hymns and Carols of Christmas, 2010, http://www.hymnsandcarolsofchristmas.com/Hymns_and_Carols/i_heard_the_bells_caulkin.htm, .

Clarkson, Frederick, “Thirty Seconds of Dominionism over Iowa”, “Talk to Action”, 7 December 2011, http://www.talk2action.org/story/2011/12/7/23297/7132, .

Heath, Ian, “Discover Your Mind”, 2002, http://discover-your-mind.co.uk/index.htm, .

---, “The Merriam-Webster Thesaurus”, Merriam-Webster: Springfield (MA), 1989.

Pressfield, Steven, “Warrior Ethos”, The Black Irish Press: New York, 2011.

Stewart, Tom, “The Story Behind ‘I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day’”, What Saith The Scriptures?, 20 December 2001, http://www.whatsaiththescripture.com/Fellowship/Edit_I.Heard.the.Bells.html, .

Williams, Mary Elizabeth, “Rick Perry: More disliked than Rebecca Black”, Salon.com, 9 Dec. 2011, http://www.salon.com/2011/12/09/rick_perry_more_disliked_than_rebecca_black/, .

Negative Energy: Hate (2of 3): Gov. Rick Perry's Ad: "Strong"

2012-01-04T07:36:00.000-08:00

Examining Gov. Perry’s ad “Strong” in the light of hate as identity and separateness is an eye opener since it presents the meta-definition of hate. The Texas Governor puts a wall between himself and the Other (which in his case includes homosexuals, President Obama, liberals and Moslems). Gov. Perry sets himself and “his people” apart from the Other, by denigrating the humanity of several groups of people.

Hate accomplishes two things. It dehumanizes and demonizes the Other, who then becomes your enemy. Once this happens, you can destroy them without any scruples or qualms. In contrast, the “warrior ethos” gives respect to the enemy. We see our enemy’s full humanity and accord them their honor. We may fight them, but we allow them the same rights as ours.

However, Gov. Perry, in his ad, rejects the humanity of homosexuals. As the Other, their service to their country (the same one as Gov. Perry’s) is denigrated. The sacrifices of homosexuals in preserving the Constitution that grants Gov. Perry his rights are not acknowledged. Instead, he claims that they, by openly serving their country, bar his children’s right to openly practice their religion in public schools.

Gov. Perry declares, “I’m not ashamed to admit that I’m a Christian, but you don’t need to be in the pew every Sunday to know there’s something wrong in this country when gays can serve openly in the military but our kids can’t openly celebrate Christmas or pray in school.” Possessing a siege mentality, he and “his people” see themselves in peril from “Them”. The subtext of the ad is that the Texas Governor will stand up to “Them”, who have endangered us and our way of life. He goes on to say, “As President, I’ll end Obama’s war on religion. And I’ll fight against liberal attacks on our religious heritage. Faith made America strong. It can make her strong again.” He uses code words for “hate” such as “war” and “attack”, and emphasizes a “Them versus Us” mentality. He portrays Christians like himself being under siege by homosexuals, liberals and President Obama (as himself and as a representative of the Moslems. (Note 2)) Gov. Perry sets himself up as a Christian warrior ready to slay the non-human Others that threaten us. These people, whom he implicates as not being Christian, are not worthy of anyone’s respect. Only Gov. Perry and “his people” and their safety are what matters.

This ad could be considered to be “hate speech”. To understand it fully, we need to decode the language in it. The words of hate do not always include that particular word but do create a wall between “Them and Us”. The sad thing about the ad is that neither Gov. Perry nor “his people” see it as hate speech but as a positive statement of the truth.

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Notes

Note 1: “Strong” by Gov. Rick Perry can be found at his campaign website “Rick Perry for President”. It was broadcasted 7 December 2011.

Note 2: Various reviews of “Strong”, the ad conclude that the reference to the President is code for those who believe that President Obama is a secret Moslem.