De Stijl and Bauhaus Movements: Modernism in the Soviet

Formed in Holland in 1917, De Stijl (The Style) or Neoplasticism is a movement constructed by artists whose concepts are in line with utopian approach to art. Its founders were painters Theo van Doesburg, who is also an architect, and Piet Mondrian, a painter. The group which composed of other painters, and published the paper called De Stijl. Recognizing the need to remerge art and design, the De Stijl movement promoted functionalism. The basics of their design include rectilinear shapes sliding across one another.Opposed to surface decoration and free space, De Stijl explored the use of cubic or 3-D shapes to fill in space. With a tendency to be aesthetically simple, it applies only pure primary hues, black and white (Matthews, n. d. ). From functionality, one can derive that the proponents favor the use of space for abstract function and style. Arts produced in this movement had their own way of expression, which opposes pure art and natural design, but promotes other possibilitie s with the constructivist’s use of plastic art.Artists of De Stijl movement include Le Corbusier, who constructed designs using bold 3-D geometrical shapes set on the exterior. For example, in his House at Weissenhof, the designer used a massive horizontal block for the upper structure to attain highlight. Windows are designed similarly to avoid irregularity, thus suggesting order and functionality. Such design with the geometrical boxes set on the exteriors is most commonly used nowadays in office buildings, condominiums, and malls. The square boxes are used either as terraces or box plants, and each is designed with uniformity.In some schools nowadays, this design takes the form of extended ledges, which serve as safety structures to prevent falling. The United Nations Headquarters designed by Le Corbusier is another example of De Stijl art. As one can see, the building which towers high above has a similar structure to the office buildings nowadays. This 39-storey building accommodates 3,400 employees. The side walls are made of tinted glass, while the narrow end walls are of white marble. Considerably, buildings made subsequently take on this example, with tinted glass windows as walls, which combine high aspects of functionality with aesthetics.Although short-lived, the influence of De Stijl has been very prominent in the modern era. For instance, the concept of the toy Lego, which uses plastic art to construct structures, has been very popular among children. Also, many buildings and houses have been constructed based on the philosophy of this movement. Influenced by De Stijl, the Bauhaus movement followed, with a philosophy of turning away from old structures, and employing modern or international art with a higher sense of functionality for social and political purposes.Led by Walter Groupis, the artists focused on urban planning, housing, and development for the common people or the masses. Included in the teaching of Bauhaus arts is industrial production. Unlike De Stijl which supports plastic art, students under Bauhaus are taught to work on handicrafts to gain understanding of theoretical principles. One Bauhaus artist well-famed for designing multi functional buildings is Walter Gropius. Designed in 1911, Fagus Works boasts of modern art and style.The exterior is a combination of glass and brick walls, which allows passersby to view the interiors. Steel staircases adorn the corridors and add to the eclectic impression when viewed outside. Influenced by De Stijl, this building employs elucidative design but limited colors of beige and grey, thus striking a balance between simplicity and grandiose. Moreover, the use of bricks and glass, steel and wood for staircases also sets a balance between smooth and rough surfaces, or hard and soft, which further suggests both permanence and impermanence—a universal theme in the modern world.References Jirousek, Charlotte. (1995). De stijl. Retrieved August 22, 2008, from ht tp://char. txa. cornell. edu/art/decart/destijl/decstijl. htm Matthews, Kevin. Le Corbusier. Retrieved August 22, 2008, from http://www. greatbuildings. com/architects/Le_Corbusier. html Matthews, Kevin. Walter Gropius. Retrieved August 22, 2008, from http://www. greatbuildings. com/buildings/Fagus_Works. htmlhttp://www. google. com. ph/search? sourceid=navclient&hl=tl&ie=UTF-8&rlz=1T4GGLJ_tlPH259PH259&q=soviet+de+stijl+artists

Camera Lucida essays

Camera Lucida essays The book Camera Lucida: Reflections on Photography was written by Roland Barthes and is 119 pages long. Camera Lucida was the final book written Barthes and is actually part of a trilogy which also includes the books, Roland Barthes and A Lovers Discourse. Camera Lucida discusses several aspects of the art of photography according to Barthes. The topics discussed in the book include; Emotion as Departure, Photography as Adventure, and photography as a casual Phenomenology. Barthes also explores the responsibility that photography has to inform, to surprise, to signify, to paint and to waken desire. Barthes begins the book by explaining his amazement with photography from an early age. The author describes a photograph of Napoleon's youngest brother saying that he was immediately intrigued by the eyes of the young men. This particular photograph actually caused Barthes to desire to know more about the art of photography. In the book Barthes mentions that he was "overcome by an ontological desire; I wanted to learn at all costs to what Photography was in itself" (Barthes) Barthes spent the rest of his life in pursuit of the definition of photography. Barthes also explains that the motivation behind writing the book was the death of his mother. Barthes asserts that he had a difficult time finding a photograph of his mother that really captured her personality. After search through hundreds of pictures Barthes actually chooses a photograph that was taken of his mother when she was five years old. The author refers to the picture, which also features her seven year old brother, as the Winter Garden Photograph. Barthes explains that this picture helped him to uncover who his mother truly was. He seemed to believe that this photo captured a time in his mother life when she was being her authentic self. Barthes also suggests that the picture is so pure becaus...

American Lobster Facts

American Lobster Facts Some think of lobster as a bright red delicacy served up with a side of butter. The American lobster (often called the Maine lobster), while a popular seafood, is also a fascinating animal with a complex life. Lobsters have been described as aggressive, territorial, and cannibalistic, but you may be surprised to know theyve also been referred to as tender lovers. The American lobster (Homarus americanus) is one of about 75 species of lobsters worldwide. The American lobster is a clawed lobster, versus the spiny, clawless lobster that is common in warmer waters. The American lobster is a well-known marine species and is easily recognizable from its two hefty claws down to its fan-like tail. Appearance: American lobsters are generally a reddish-brown or greenish color, although there are occasionally unusual colors, including blue, yellow, orange or even white. American lobsters can be up to 3 feet long and weigh up to 40 pounds. Lobsters have a hard carapace. The shell does not grow, so the only way the lobster can increase its size is by molting, a vulnerable time in which it hides, shrinks and withdraws from its shell, and then its new shell hardens over a couple months. One very noticeable feature of the lobster is its very strong tail, which it can use to propel itself backwards. Lobsters can be very aggressive animals, and fight with other lobsters for shelter, food and mates. Lobsters are highly territorial and establish a hierarchy of dominance within the community of lobsters that live around them. Classification: Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Arthropoda SuperClass: Crustacea Class: Malacostraca Order: Decapoda Family: Nephropidae Genus: Homarus Species: americanus American lobsters are in the phylum Arthropoda, which means they are related to insects, shrimp, crabs and barnacles. Arthropods have jointed appendages and a hard exoskeleton (outer shell). Feeding: Lobsters were once thought to be scavengers, but recent studies have revealed a preference for live prey, including fish, crustaceans and mollusks. Lobsters have two claws - a larger crusher claw, and a smaller ripper claw (also known as the cutter, pincher, or seizer claw). Males have larger claws than females of the same size. Reproduction and Life Cycle: Mating occurs after the female molts. Lobsters display a complex courtship/mating ritual, in which the female picks a male to mate with and approaches his cave-like shelter, where she produces a pheromone and wafts it in his direction. The male and female then engage in a boxing ritual, and the female enters the males den, where she eventually molts and they mate before the females new shell hardens. For detailed descriptions of a lobsters mating ritual, see the Lobster Conservancy or the Gulf of Maine Research Institute. The female carries 7,000-80,000 eggs under her abdomen for 9-11 months before larvae are hatched. The larvae have three planktonic stages during which they are found at the waters surface, and then they settle to the bottom where they remain for the rest of their lives. Lobsters reach adulthood after 5-8 years, but it takes about 6-7 years for a lobster to reach the edible size of 1 pound. It is thought that American lobsters can live for 50-100 years or more. Habitat and Distribution: The American lobster is found in the North Atlantic Ocean from Labrador, Canada, to North Carolina. Lobsters can be found both in coastal areas and offshore along the continental shelf. Some lobsters may migrate from offshore areas during the winter and spring to inshore areas during the summer and fall, while others are long-shore migrants, traveling up and down the coast. According to the University of New Hampshire, one of these migrants traveled 398 nautical miles (458 miles) over 3 1/2 years. Lobster In the Colonies: Some accounts, such as that in Mark Kurlanskys book say that early New Englanders did not want to eat lobsters, even though the waters were so rich in lobsters that they were literally crawling out of the sea and piling up inhospitably on the beaches. (p. 69) It was said that lobsters were considered a food fit only for poor. Evidently New Englanders eventually developed a taste for it. In addition to harvesting, lobsters are threatened by pollutants in the water, which can accumulate in their tissues. Lobsters in highly-populated coastal areas are also prone to shell rot or shell burn disease, which results in dark holes burned into the shell. Coastal areas are important nursery areas for young lobsters, and young lobsters could be affected as the coast is developed more heavily and population, pollution and sewage runoff increases. Lobsters Today and Conservation: The lobsters biggest predator is humans, who have seen lobster as a luxury food item for years. Lobstering has increased greatly over the last 50 years. According to the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, lobster landings increased from 25 million pounds in the 1940s and 1950s to 88 million pounds in 2005. Lobster populations are considered stable throughout much of New England, but there has been a decrease in catch in Southern New England. References and Further Information ASMFC. 2009. American Lobster. Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission. Accessed June 21, 2009.Ely, Eleanor. 1998. American Lobster.  Rhode Island Sea Grant Fact Sheet. Accessed June 15, 2009.Idoine, Josef. 2006.The Maine Lobster. Maine Department of Marine Resources. Accessed June 21, 2009.New England Aquarium. 2009. American Lobster. New England Aquarium. Accessed June 15, 2009.The Lobster Conservancy. 2009. The Lobster Conservancy Web Site. Accessed June 21, 2009.University of New Hampshire. 2009. Lobster Research at UNH: Frequently Asked Questions. University of New Hampshire. Accessed June 21, 2009.

Biography of Maria Stewart, Activist and Abolitionist

Biography of Maria Stewart, Activist and Abolitionist Maria W. Stewart (1803–December 17, 1879) was an American activist, abolitionist, and lecturer. A contributor to The Liberator, Stewart was active in progressive circles and influenced groups such as the New England Anti-Slavery Society. After her career as a lecturer came to an end, she worked as a schoolteacher in Washington, D.C. Fast Facts: Maria W. Stewart Known For: Stewart was an activist against racism and sexism; she was the first known American-born woman to publicly lecture to audiences that included both women and men.Also Known As: Maria MillerBorn: 1803 in Hartford, ConnecticutDied: December 17, 1879 in Washington, D.C.Published Works: Meditations from the Pen of Mrs. Maria W. StewartSpouse: James W. Stewart (m. 1826-1829) Early Life Maria Stewart was born Maria Miller in Hartford, Connecticut. Her parents names and occupations are not known, and 1803 is the best guess of her birth year. Stewart was orphaned by age 5 and became an indentured servant, bound to serve a clergyman until she was 15. She attended Sabbath schools and read widely in the clergymans library, educating herself to make up for her lack of formal schooling. Boston When she was 15, Maria began supporting herself by working as a servant, continuing her education in Sabbath schools. In 1826, she married James W. Stewart, taking not only his last name but also his middle initial. James Stewart, a shipping agent, had served in the War of 1812 and had spent some time in England as a prisoner of war. With her marriage, Stewart became part of Bostons small free black middle class. She became involved in some of the institutions of the black community, including the Massachusetts General Colored Association, which worked for the immediate abolition of slavery. James W. Stewart died in 1829; the inheritance he left to his widow was taken from her through long legal action by the white executors of her husbands will, and she was left without funds. Stewart had been inspired by the African-American abolitionist David Walker, and when he died six months after her husband died, she went through a religious conversion in which she became convinced that God was calling her to become a warrior for God and for freedom and for the cause of oppressed Africa. Writer and Lecturer Stewart became connected with the work of abolitionist publisher William Lloyd Garrison after he advertised for writings by black women. She came to his papers office with several essays on religion, racism, and slavery, and in 1831 Garrison published her first essay, Religion and the Pure Principles of Morality, as a pamphlet. Stewart also began public speaking- at a time when Biblical injunctions against women teaching were interpreted to prohibit women from speaking in public- to mixed audiences that included men. Frances Wright had created a public scandal by speaking in public in 1828; historians know of no other American-born public woman lecturer before Stewart. The Grimkà © sisters, often credited as the first American women to lecture in public, were not to begin their speaking until 1837. For her first address, in 1832, Stewart spoke before an audience of women at the African American Female Intelligence Society, one of the institutions founded by the free black community of Boston. Speaking to that audience, Stewart used the Bible to defend her right to lecture and spoke on both religion and justice, advocating activism for social equality. The text of the talk was published in Garrisons newspaper on April 28, 1832. On September 21, 1832, Stewart delivered a second lecture, this time to an audience that also included men. She spoke at Franklin Hall, the site of the New England Anti-Slavery Society meetings. In her speech, she questioned whether free blacks were much more free than slaves, given the lack of opportunity and equality they had. She also questioned the move to send free blacks back to Africa. Garrison published more of her writings in his abolitionist newspaper, The Liberator, under the heading the Ladies Department. In 1832, Garrison published the second pamphlet of her writings as Meditations from the Pen of Mrs. Maria Stewart. On February 27, 1833, Maria Stewart delivered her third public lecture, African Rights and Liberty, at the African Masonic Hall. Her fourth and final Boston lecture was a Farewell Address on September 21, 1833, when she addressed the negative reaction that her public speaking had provoked, expressing both her dismay at having little effect and her sense of divine call to speak publicly. Then she moved to New York. In 1835, Garrison published a pamphlet with her four speeches plus some essays and poems, Productions of Mrs. Maria W. Stewart, which likely inspired other women to begin public speaking. New York In New York, Stewart remained an activist, attending the 1837 Womens Anti-Slavery Convention. A strong advocate for literacy and educational opportunities for African-Americans and women, she supported herself by teaching in public schools in Manhattan and Brooklyn, eventually becoming an assistant to the principal of the Williamsburg School. She was also active there in a black womens literary group. Stewart supported Frederick Douglass newspaper, The North Star, but did not write for it. Baltimore and Washington, D.C. Stewart moved to Baltimore in 1852 or 1853, apparently after losing her teaching position in New York. There, she taught privately. In 1861, she moved to Washington, D.C., where she taught school during the Civil War. One of her friends in the city was Elizabeth Keckley, a former slave and seamstress to First Lady Mary Todd Lincoln. Keckley would soon publish her own memoir, Behind the Scenes: Or, Thirty Years a Slave and Four Years in the White House. While continuing her teaching, Stewart was appointed to head housekeeping at the Freedmans Hospital and Asylum in the 1870s. A predecessor in this position was Sojourner Truth. The hospital had become a haven for former slaves who had come to Washington. Stewart also founded a neighborhood Sunday school. Death In 1878, Stewart discovered that a new law made her eligible for a widows pension for her husbands service in the Navy during the War of 1812. She used the eight dollars a month, including some retroactive payments, to republish Meditations from the Pen of Mrs. Maria W. Stewart, adding material about her life during the Civil War and also adding some letters from Garrison and others. This book was published in December 1879; on the 17th of that month, Maria Stewart died in the hospital in which she worked. She was buried in Washingtons Graceland Cemetery. Legacy Stewart is best remembered today as a pioneering public speaker and progressive icon. Her work influenced the anti-slavery and womens rights movements of the 19th century. Sources Collins, Patricia Hill. Black Feminist Thought: Knowledge, Consciousness and the Politics of Empowerment. 1990.Hine, Darlene Clark. Black Women in America: The Early Years, 1619-1899. 1993.Leeman, Richard W. African-American Orators. 1996.Richardson, Marilyn. Maria W. Stewart, Americas First Black Woman Political Writer: Essays and Speeches. 1987.

Pre-Islam, Bedouin customs and religious beliefs Essay

Pre-Islam, Bedouin customs and religious beliefs - Essay Example For example, there are three major features of Bedouin religion which are quite absent from the Muslim beliefs. In fact, these practices are actually abhorred in Islam with punishments for disobedience of the same. Idol worship, polytheism and accepting that god has children are three things expressly forbidden by Islam while these things were expressly accepted by the Bedouin tribes. Additionally things which were part of the Bedouin religion of the time included the worship of stars, the worship of ancestors and other influences from Christianity as well as the Judaic religion (Henninger, 1981). In fact, the connection between Christianity, Judaism and Islam seems to be far greater than any connection between pre-Islamic Bedouin religions. For example, Mohammad accepted Christ as his brother but does not accept that Christ was divine. He also accepts the prophets of the Jews as rightly guided individuals and even follows the customs of the Jews until Islam is able to define customs for itself as a new religion. Moreover, the idea of animal sacrifice to appease or win favor with God comes from Judeo-Christian traditions and the idea of animal sacrifice is accepted by Islam as well (Henninger, 1981). While Mohammad was able to find some allies in the shape of Christians who were his friends and relatives, we know for a fact that Mohammad and his followers were all persecuted for their religion by the pagans (Hines, 1999). The Muslims must have said harsh words against the pagan religions of the tribes in Mecca which led to the negative reaction. Had there been no discrepancy between the two ideas for religion it is doubtful that Muhammad would have to go into exile from Mecca to save his life. One important connection between the pre-Islamic religion of the Bedouin and the religion of the Muslims is that the concept of the supreme god remains pretty much the same (Wikipedia, 2006). However,

Organizational Behavior wk 7 discussion Assignment

Organizational Behavior wk 7 discussion - Assignment Example Norms are on the other hand established codes that are communicated to members of the organization and subsequently observed (Cameron and Quinn, 2011). The structure at the company, Google, is organic. This is because of its structural features that include teamwork, integration of efforts and processes, decentralized authority, and informal communication (Cho, 2012). Organizational culture of a company can be a strategic competitive advantage. This is because it is a direct tool to operational efficiency and hence organizational performance. A culture that motivates employees particularly promotes efficiencies towards cost effectiveness. As a result, the organization will be able to achieve competitive advantage through lower prices. Similarly, an informal culture in which the employees are allowed room for experiments into innovation leads to development of new brands of commodities towards competitive advantage (Cameron and Quinn, 2011). The organizational culture at Google Company is an example of cultures that generates effectiveness. The organic structure and the freedom of employee facilitate innovation of processes and products leading to effectiveness (Cho,

Film analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Film analysis - Essay Example People positioned in the front become more clearly seen than those at the back (Gernot 35). Lighting in the film is plentiful and majorly used to emphasize more on the comments the general gave to the soldiers in the line (Riviere 23). For instance, in the short clip, lighting in the front becomes brighter while as one moves towards the back, lighting on the faces of the soldiers becomes reduced. In addition to lighting, the soldiers are in the hall and viewers could be able to see it clearly (Gernot 44). In the film, all the soldiers wear the same costume, that is, the soldiers wear white tops while the general wears a green combat. The soldiers remain in a line, and their faces remain positioned straight ahead. In addition, they remain totally alert in the whole clip indicating obedience of power just like in the real army. Though the setting, of the film remains in a hall, but still the element of obedience by the soldiers any place they belong becomes depicted in the film (Gernot 66). In terms of sound, it is realistic. There is no music played in the back in order for the audience to concentrate more on the words the general speaks to the soldiers. In this case, the general congratulates the first soldier as being a genius. The purpose of no music in the film also brought out the element of soldier- general relationship pretty well (Riviere 23). The atmosphere brought about in the short clip remains to be tense. Often the interaction between the general and the soldiers always expected to be tense. Soldiers often become expected to obey all commands from the soldiers (Gernot 56). In a realistic manner, the clip became meant to bring such aspects of tension, and the obedience soldiers have for their general in detail. The soldiers remain the position in one straight line, none looking sideways, but straight ahead away from the camera. The camera becomes positioned in the film in one direction, in order to capture the line of soldiers. In addition, the camer a utilized lighting by ensuring the clip became a close up to concentrate more on the commentary of the general to the soldier, for example, the two general and the soldier in the front become well lit compared to those at the back (Gernot 76). Furthermore, the camera became set in a way to show the element of aspect ratio and dimension pretty well, that is, people in the front became shown in the clip as bigger compared to people at the back. Moreover, in terms of clarity, people at the front remained clearer than people positioned far away from the camera in order to bring the element of aspect ratio in the clip. In conclusion, the clip remained to convey the message it meant to convey is a professional manner. The audience eventually could get the meaning of the commentary from the general to the soldier and acknowledge the importance of setting. Works Cited Gernot Friedbacher, Henning Bubert. Surface and Thin Film Analysis: A Compendium of Principles, Instrumentation, and Applic ations. New York: John Wiley & Sons, 2011. Riviere, J. C. Film analytical techniques. New York: Clarendon Press,