Two works that my tour group viewed at the Yale Museum Art Gallery were the “Blam” oil on canvas, which was created by Roy Lichtenstein in 1962 and the “Untitled” felt statue, which was constructed by Robert Morris. Both of these pieces of artwork depict different aspects of life such as war.
The print, “Untitled,” composed of all of the different sizes, lengths, and shapes of felt cutouts caught my eye in a startled and surprised fashion. At first I was almost annoyed that the artist would actually have the nerve to overuse the privilege of his “artistic license” to throw random pieces of felt carpeting together and actually consider it art! But as I kept passing by the carpet structure, I couldn’t help but think of why the artist would have selected those materials to create a compact piece of art. The perspective that I gained as I observed this work was that Morris was trying to convey the different stages, types, and walks of life, as well as the various social classes of society within our changing world. Without all of the different jobs and roles that people take and that citizens play within not only our country, but around the world as well, we as a world would not be able to function. This can be related to aspects in our history class discussions that we’ve had over the course of the year, such as when we read the novel Ordinary Men. In the “imaginary” world that the Nazi men were enclosed in, it was believed that the Jews as well as other classified types of individuals were not essential to the life that existed on earth and that they did not belong or deserve to live. The roles of these fellow citizens were considered worthless and minute. What the Nazis and in particular what Hitler did not understand and fathom correctly, was that a perfect society does not exist and theoretically never can or will, especially if one removes a whole layer or species of life from within the larger picture within society itself. Everybody must count and contribute in order to succeed and thrive together as one whole world in life. This statue does not portray an aspect where one piece of cloth over dominates any other parts of the pieces of the other various smaller pieces of cloth. Yes, they may be a little bit larger or significant in size or length, but just like in life, not one person can solely dominate the world alone. Like this work of art, there has to be some symbolism of uniformity where there are several levels of elements that build upon one another and thrive together in order to accomplish and establish a specific role and or purpose that this is trying to portray. The grey color of the carpeting is rather nondescript, which signifies that when given a grey slate in life, one must build upon it and create one’s own distinct individuality so that uniformity does not take over society. One must stand on their own two feet and not let others overpower them and overrule their dreams or beliefs. It is because of individuals such as Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King, Jr. that many citizens have their own freedom today, because they chose to stand their own ground despite the fact that they had to face demeaning consequences. They were selflessly willing to risk their own lives for the future lives to come.
The vibrant and catchy piece of pop art known as “Blam,” is a very influential painting of artwork that really stood out in Yale’s art gallery. It not only symbolized a popular form of art that was being utilized within the early 1960’s, but it also revealed the evils as well as the perils of war and the inevitable violence and tragedy that unfortunately followed along with it. I commend Roy Lichtenstein for taking the time and effort to produce this incredible Benday dot technique, which happened to be popular in commercial printing in order to make large-scale paintings come to life with comic-strip imagery. I really appreciate “Blam” because I feel that the quotation “a picture speaks a thousand words” sums everything up for this work of art. When one stares at this painting even just for a fraction of a second, it becomes quite clear that it portrays the symbolism of both war and death. Ever since planes were invented and were inserted into wartime combat, numerous quantities of soldiers overseas at war have died from plane crashes and invasions. This action picture captures the force, heat, pain, and bravery as well as fear that have been sacrificed tremendously time after time decade after decade, generation after generation when one’s life is taken away. The stars that are located on either side of the wings on the airplane’s wings represent patriotism and the fact that our soldiers have been and still continue to give up their lives for the betterment of ours. In return for their dutiful service and hard work as well as their dedication, society must not only respect, but remember the acts and atrocities that they have had to endure for the betterment of our country. By portraying this painting in a comic strip art form, it is easier to remind the public of what went on everyday in combat on the other side of the world, while the Americans lived safely at home. Sadly it is still the same scenario today, not just in America but throughout the world as well.
Friday, May 23, 2008
Thursday, March 20, 2008
WWI Reading-Reflective Response
A few ideas that were presented in my chosen reading (relating to the creation of masks for the WWI soldiers) that were new to me were about how two artists created masks of soldiers’ faces who were seriously deformed to depict their facial features the way they were originally before they were injured in WWI. This was a very new concept to me and I was surprised as to how successful and life changing the masks were to the victims, and how the masks remained in good condition over an extended period of use. Despite the fact that the masks had only one facial expression, it helped boost the veterans’ self esteem, and helped mitigate the feelings of shame, horror, shock and depression by the victims and their families regarding the soldiers’ scarred and deformed faces. The amazing deeds that both Wood and Ladd practiced were so selfless and courageous. Instead of shunning the shattered soldiers, they decided to take a stand to help them benefit from such a despicable tragedy by opening their hearts and utilizing their artwork skills to make a difference for their lives, so the soldiers could heal and recuperate from the war. This unique act of kindness portrays the theme of ‘art coming to life’.
The article lead me to examine the bigger picture of history much differently because when you learn about war, people tend to focus on the what happens to the land, the government that is formed, and the overall well-being of the society that results. We tend to get caught up in the more material issues and forget about looking at the most important aspect of the result of war…the soldiers who fought to make a difference and those who are impacted. We tend to forget about the actual citizens who were involved that risked and sacrificed their own lives for the sake and betterment of others. It isn’t fair and even though war may not always be right or just, we must remember all of the innocent people who placed their lives on hold for the sake of ours by risking all that they had. These people that put their lives on the line for us must live with the painful cold-blooded memories, images, as well as horrible injuries of war for the rest of their lives.
Yes, there are several lessons and/or events of the WWI period that could be applied in a contemporary setting. One major lesson would be that no matter how advanced our medical studies and practices are today, war never changes and it is just as ugly and dangerous as it was almost a century ago. The decapitation of facial features that happened in WWI still occur today and unfortunately there will always be veterans who will have to live with the loss and social burden of their physical as well as their emotional deformities. We could all learn a life lesson from these soldiers as well as from the doctors and artists who helped contribute to making the soldiers’ post-war worlds a little bit more peaceful by returning their self-respect, dignity and confidence they once had. By enhancing the masks that were made, the artists and physicians went against the social norm of society and rather than scowling at the poor hurt soldiers, they aided them with the proper support and self-confidence that they were not able to find on their own. Whether it’s a mask of the past, or plastic surgery of the present, making a difference in the lives of our freedom fighters is an obligation of our society.
The article lead me to examine the bigger picture of history much differently because when you learn about war, people tend to focus on the what happens to the land, the government that is formed, and the overall well-being of the society that results. We tend to get caught up in the more material issues and forget about looking at the most important aspect of the result of war…the soldiers who fought to make a difference and those who are impacted. We tend to forget about the actual citizens who were involved that risked and sacrificed their own lives for the sake and betterment of others. It isn’t fair and even though war may not always be right or just, we must remember all of the innocent people who placed their lives on hold for the sake of ours by risking all that they had. These people that put their lives on the line for us must live with the painful cold-blooded memories, images, as well as horrible injuries of war for the rest of their lives.
Yes, there are several lessons and/or events of the WWI period that could be applied in a contemporary setting. One major lesson would be that no matter how advanced our medical studies and practices are today, war never changes and it is just as ugly and dangerous as it was almost a century ago. The decapitation of facial features that happened in WWI still occur today and unfortunately there will always be veterans who will have to live with the loss and social burden of their physical as well as their emotional deformities. We could all learn a life lesson from these soldiers as well as from the doctors and artists who helped contribute to making the soldiers’ post-war worlds a little bit more peaceful by returning their self-respect, dignity and confidence they once had. By enhancing the masks that were made, the artists and physicians went against the social norm of society and rather than scowling at the poor hurt soldiers, they aided them with the proper support and self-confidence that they were not able to find on their own. Whether it’s a mask of the past, or plastic surgery of the present, making a difference in the lives of our freedom fighters is an obligation of our society.
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Versailles Conference
The total experience of the Treaty of Versailles Conference process definitely enhanced my understanding of the political, social, and economic issues facing the world in the aftermath of the Great War. Having the opportunity to perform hands-on related tasks of learning how to conduct and produce a treaty helped me develop a much clearer perspective of what the treaty was truly all about as well as increasing my understanding of the complex relationships between the countries that were affected. Being able to reenact this crucial era was very challenging and intense, however very helpful and beneficial as well. Every person in each group was held accountable for their own research and networking with their fellow country delegates, as well as making sure that any political hostilities or relationships were appropriately kept under control, well organized, and strictly maintained. I was able to gain a clearer picture of how government complies with completing and accomplishing its specific tasks such as forming alliances and creating specific strategies that need to be carried out successfully in order for one’s country to gain anything in return. In order for this treaty to have worked successfully each group member needed to research their own country as well as the other countries that were involved. This was done so that each delegate had an insight of what occurred so they would make certain that they could apply their background knowledge in a way that could be incorporated into a modified treaty that would work to many countries’ own advantages and benefits, without repeating the mistakes that had been carried out before. Despite the fact that each and every country had their own specific set of motives and objectives to accomplish, just like in the real treaty, not everyone was satisfied or was receiving exactly what they would personally preferred. Besides having to deal with the heavy-duty political issues and obstacles that were often thrown at each country, the social and economic problems were very difficult as well. This made it very crucial for good networking skills to be utilized so that countries had backup support as well as other options to use if they were placed into difficult situations.
An aspect that I found particularly engaging throughout this whole process was the forming of alliances with other countries such as two of the Big Powers, as well as keeping a stable and reserved reputation of your own country so that you were well received, trusted, and respected by your fellow delegates. I enjoyed privately talking to other delegates from other delegations and negotiating on different circumstances in return for rewards, such as trade and supporting specific votes in return for others. I also really enjoyed how you could unexpectedly “turn” on any of your allies if you had to in order to gain benefit from them, regardless of the consequences imposed on them. China being a minor contributor to this treaty as well as a non-enemy provided us much leeway with smaller countries’ allies, and we were able to receive greater support in order to regain independence from our sole enemy Japan. We depended on our strongest, faithful, and most dependable ally Great Britain. We both shared an equal understanding and a reciprocal alliance where we were able to help support one another’s votes to help gain greater control, safety, land for more trading ports and joint military support. Just as China depended on other countries to help gain control over Japan, more significant countries such as France and Great Britain greatly depended on us for support in voting to pass certain rulings that were crucial to aiding to their success. Negotiating with other countries was not very difficult because China was far less involved with the greater issues in the war as well as the treaty itself. The only country that we did not negotiate with was Japan. Our sole focus was to have other Pacific territories support us and at least gain the support of two of the ‘Big Powers’ countries, ultimately delivering successful results. As for the nations who were larger in geographic size and who were more involved with the escalating issues and problems that had resulted, it was a far more difficult for them to agree with each other and reach an appropriate compromise. Being truly engaged in this process lead to much harsher consequences faced if the more significant nations didn’t “play their cards out right” and react smartly to very contentious topics that could potentially have changed their country’s well being just by the difference of one vote.
There were problems left unresolved due to the fact that all of the nations were only given one school day to completely debate, share, piece together, and vote on all of the crucial topics that were brought up during the conference. So yes, there were some issues and topics that were left either unsettled or in distress for the sake of time management. There were certain portions of the treaty involving The League of Nations where topics were neglected or not fully thought through to the best ability, such as the section on the League of Nations Army. Some of the decisions resulted in unethical actions and unresolved issues that were not handled appropriately. Despite this, all of the Nations generally handled themselves as well as the treaty very conscientiously, and a fair amount was accomplished for a one-day conference.
If I could change one significant ruling in the treaty, it would be in the area of limitations relating to the size of armies per the significance of each power. Even though China did not play as large of a role in the conference as did the bigger powers, China deserves to have an army of at least one million men because China gained even more land in this treaty and has one of the largest populations represented in the treaty. If China only has 500,000 men supporting and fighting for its immense expanding country, how is it supposed to properly defend itself in an adequate manner? The current amount of men that are charged to protect China is completely unreasonable and does not ensure stability. Due to China’s small size of three delegates, no one was able to negotiate any war reparations in return for damage caused by the war. Minimally, China should have received some form of compensation for their suffering and inconvenience.
A topic that I would like to raise in the post-conference class discussion would be to compare the results of the treaty relative to individual countries’ expectations for their outcome. This would help demonstrate how successfully each nation benefited from this experience and what they could have done differently to manage their strategies in a more efficient and effective manner. This would give delegates of each nation insight and understanding of what was gained and lost by each country relative to the ‘big picture’ results of the treaty.
An aspect that I found particularly engaging throughout this whole process was the forming of alliances with other countries such as two of the Big Powers, as well as keeping a stable and reserved reputation of your own country so that you were well received, trusted, and respected by your fellow delegates. I enjoyed privately talking to other delegates from other delegations and negotiating on different circumstances in return for rewards, such as trade and supporting specific votes in return for others. I also really enjoyed how you could unexpectedly “turn” on any of your allies if you had to in order to gain benefit from them, regardless of the consequences imposed on them. China being a minor contributor to this treaty as well as a non-enemy provided us much leeway with smaller countries’ allies, and we were able to receive greater support in order to regain independence from our sole enemy Japan. We depended on our strongest, faithful, and most dependable ally Great Britain. We both shared an equal understanding and a reciprocal alliance where we were able to help support one another’s votes to help gain greater control, safety, land for more trading ports and joint military support. Just as China depended on other countries to help gain control over Japan, more significant countries such as France and Great Britain greatly depended on us for support in voting to pass certain rulings that were crucial to aiding to their success. Negotiating with other countries was not very difficult because China was far less involved with the greater issues in the war as well as the treaty itself. The only country that we did not negotiate with was Japan. Our sole focus was to have other Pacific territories support us and at least gain the support of two of the ‘Big Powers’ countries, ultimately delivering successful results. As for the nations who were larger in geographic size and who were more involved with the escalating issues and problems that had resulted, it was a far more difficult for them to agree with each other and reach an appropriate compromise. Being truly engaged in this process lead to much harsher consequences faced if the more significant nations didn’t “play their cards out right” and react smartly to very contentious topics that could potentially have changed their country’s well being just by the difference of one vote.
There were problems left unresolved due to the fact that all of the nations were only given one school day to completely debate, share, piece together, and vote on all of the crucial topics that were brought up during the conference. So yes, there were some issues and topics that were left either unsettled or in distress for the sake of time management. There were certain portions of the treaty involving The League of Nations where topics were neglected or not fully thought through to the best ability, such as the section on the League of Nations Army. Some of the decisions resulted in unethical actions and unresolved issues that were not handled appropriately. Despite this, all of the Nations generally handled themselves as well as the treaty very conscientiously, and a fair amount was accomplished for a one-day conference.
If I could change one significant ruling in the treaty, it would be in the area of limitations relating to the size of armies per the significance of each power. Even though China did not play as large of a role in the conference as did the bigger powers, China deserves to have an army of at least one million men because China gained even more land in this treaty and has one of the largest populations represented in the treaty. If China only has 500,000 men supporting and fighting for its immense expanding country, how is it supposed to properly defend itself in an adequate manner? The current amount of men that are charged to protect China is completely unreasonable and does not ensure stability. Due to China’s small size of three delegates, no one was able to negotiate any war reparations in return for damage caused by the war. Minimally, China should have received some form of compensation for their suffering and inconvenience.
A topic that I would like to raise in the post-conference class discussion would be to compare the results of the treaty relative to individual countries’ expectations for their outcome. This would help demonstrate how successfully each nation benefited from this experience and what they could have done differently to manage their strategies in a more efficient and effective manner. This would give delegates of each nation insight and understanding of what was gained and lost by each country relative to the ‘big picture’ results of the treaty.
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
"There Isn't Any Such Thing as the Past"
“History is mostly, it seems to me, a lesson in proportions” (David McCullough). This quote is a very strong and insightful reflection on the subject of history. What David was trying to convey to us is that we should keep an open mind and learn from the lessons of numerous topics, perspectives and eras of history. One must be able to look at both the positive and negative aspects that historic events have had on life-that the people of the past were living their lives in the present, just as we are doing now. There is no such thing as the past, we are still learning and continue to learn from the wisdom of previous generations, and utilize their knowledge to make strategic improvements for the future. Without the previous forefathers, artists, philosophers, engineers, and evolutionists, we would not have made nearly the progress that we have been able to achieve today. History prepares us and guides us for the future.
David McCullough’s interview with Roger Mudd opened my mind in how to study and understand history. History is such a broad topic of wonder, accomplishment, imagination, innovation, creation, and possibility. We shouldn’t always focus on all of the “great” people in history who were accepted by society but also the people who actually made a difference, regardless of their particular value system. David gave me such a positive intake on what has occurred over time and how it’s really crucial that one learns about our predecessors who set the standards for society, how society has evolved over time and how much we have grown (or regressed) as a society. This has motivated me to consider a double major in education as well as in U.S. history. I desire to learn more and to discover new facts revealing greater wisdom and new opportunities. History helps one to grow as a person and to expand one’s horizons. Having the opportunity to discover, ponder, and explore new challenges with a foundation provided by lessons of the past gives me a sense of fulfillment that I wish to share with others in an educational and learning environment.
David McCullough’s interview with Roger Mudd opened my mind in how to study and understand history. History is such a broad topic of wonder, accomplishment, imagination, innovation, creation, and possibility. We shouldn’t always focus on all of the “great” people in history who were accepted by society but also the people who actually made a difference, regardless of their particular value system. David gave me such a positive intake on what has occurred over time and how it’s really crucial that one learns about our predecessors who set the standards for society, how society has evolved over time and how much we have grown (or regressed) as a society. This has motivated me to consider a double major in education as well as in U.S. history. I desire to learn more and to discover new facts revealing greater wisdom and new opportunities. History helps one to grow as a person and to expand one’s horizons. Having the opportunity to discover, ponder, and explore new challenges with a foundation provided by lessons of the past gives me a sense of fulfillment that I wish to share with others in an educational and learning environment.
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