Scribe Post October 4, 2010

On a sleepy Monday morning, the 11th grade English class came together. Taus started the questions rolling by asking Mr. Neal what his favorite element was. Lets just say Mr. Neal had a difficult time answering. First siding with Au (gold) and ending with Barium. As a class we then discussed the chapters 8-10 in Invisible Man that were read over the weekend. We analyzed those chapters by going over thoughts or questions us students had come up with. We particularly went into depth of young Mr. Emerson, Taus giving us the lead, “Is there something wrong with him?”, he asked. Mr. Neal replied with, “There is nothing wrong with him per say, but there is definitely something invisible that Ellison is trying to make visible”. With that question said and put out into the minds of us students, books were torn into trying to find the answer.

We began analyzing young Mr. Emerson’s ways and some came up with answers. We first described him, he was nervous, odd, that there was something up with him. Imogene gave a wild guess “He is gay”, Alexys connected the gold cuff links that young Mr. Emerson wore back to Dr. Bledsoe.

In the end as a class we decided that young Mr. Emerson is exotic and probably gay, but was trying to help Invisible Man the whole way by telling him that he did not in fact want to meet with his father because he was a cruel soul. At the end of his spiel he tells the Invisible Man that he already was his fathers prisoner and that the Invisible man should not follow into his footsteps.

Thats it folks....!

The next Scribe-r (?) is EMMY...good luck.

-Imogene Edson

Since 1945: Origins of the Cold War

1. What is the impression of U.S.-Soviet relations conveyed in these documents? Why?

The impression I get is that the U.S. Soviet relations are rocky. America tried to stay out of all the controversy at first but eventually were sucked in, at one point, the U.S. was bragging to the Soviets and although they seemed unfazed by it, secretly they impressed.

2. What actions/responses taken by both the U.S. & U.S.S.R. led to the onset of the Cold War

The U.S. was the only power that was able to provide economic aid after the war, the fact that the United States had money was what made the U.S.S.R. strive harder to be a dominant country, the Soviets demanded for 10 million in reparations which could have created tension from not only America but other countries.

3. Is one country more to blame than the other? Why or Why not?

No, I believe that the countries dragged into this war were forced to, to protect what was theirs and to show others that they were strong, the Soviet Union started it and the blame should remain on them, although in their minds they might have been trying to protect what little they had after they had been damaged in the World War.

4. How did each country secure their sides? How did they literally create their spheres of influence?

The Americans, British and Soviets secured their sides by splitting up Germany and Berlin into four occupation zones, in the two “Big Three” conferences. France took over control in the fourth Zone.

5. Were their actions entirely selfish or selfless?

Their actions weren’t selfish, or selfless, while all the countries involved in dividing Germany might have realized that in the end it might be a good choice economically, militarily and politically. America, Britain, France and the Soviets divided Germany to protect the world from further damage. To control the Germans in every way was a very powerful thing and it obviously was in the wrong hands.

6. What connection was made between economic dislocation & communism?

Economic dislocation with essentially means a weak economy and therefore make the idea of communism more appealing, having everything be equal.

7. Why containment?

Containment was a way that made it seem as though the U.S. was on the offensive side and kept everyone calm and put together instead of going back on everything they said.

8. How "successful" was the Marshall Plan?

The Marshall Plan was successful, even though Europe was already on the road to recovery, it showed that the U.S. was there to help the countries that wanted to be helped. It gave ideas to the Europeans for the future on how to deal with their economic woes, the Marshall Plan also helped by unsettling the communists economy in Europe .

9. Was the Cold War inevitable? Why or Why not?

No, because another country like the USSR would have stood up to what they wanted and it might have been taken as far as the Cold War was because the USSR were very prepared, but there still would have casualties, and more economic troubles, allies and enemies.

Observation Paper

I like this drawing because i had a a difficult time starting out, but in the end all the time i worked on it, surely paid off!

Observation

I like this picture because it really show my sense of imagination. I found it an easy project, except for moving on from each location so quickly. That kind of tripped me up, but in the end I really like how it came out.

Places

The places project was easy for me to create. I had an idea before we even started, in this picture, A tree branch, and path is what one should see before the beach, like they are going through it themselves. I was trying to make an optical illusion but it seems as though it did not work. I had a hard time with the legs, getting them at the angle that I wanted them to be.

12/2/09

It felt weird going around to other people’s drawings today especially when they were already really well drawn. I felt as though I would mess it up and they would be mad when they got back to their easel, but I soon realized some areas in the person’s drawing that could use some help. My process for correcting was when I saw something that I felt as though did not fit or work, I would erase it and start over but if I saw something that just needed some tweaking I would use the charcoal to correct the small mistake. When I returned to my drawing I felt very confused, a lot was erased and I had a hard time trying to correct my own drawing. I had to start over on my trash can and chair but that’s all I got to in the end.

Self portrait

In this painting i was trying to show one side as being a quiet, chilled out person and with the pink, i was trying to show my loud and happy side. Although the pink side didn't turn out as bright as i would have liked it to, i think that it looks good. I had a lot of trouble with the blue side, i tried to make it light and dark in some parts but then it got too watery. With the pink side, i wanted it to be brighter then it turned out. When I drew the picture i feel as though it didn't turn out looking like me, but i think i could have done a better job if i worked a little longer on it. I had a lot of trouble with the background and hair, they blended together, making it hard to see where the hair ended and the background started. 

Kiki Smith

Kiki Smith

American

Homespun Tales

This sculpture, made by Smith is elegance itself. Made with careful strokes from different tools, the women looks almost really, as if she is looking right at us, trying to send a message. While there is no color Smith did a wonderful job using her materials to bring out the life in the sculpture.

Kiki Smith is mostly known for her painting and drawing but succeeds greatly in her sculpting. Smith chooses to draw, paint and sculpt in a different way, she wants to create a story with her strokes of pencil, clay and paint. What she tries to tell in all her artwork is metaphor of social issues. They are hidden within her artwork of women and men. Smith has also worked with clothing, printing body part on them with a secret meaning of social issues for women and men alike.

Mona Lisa

Leonardo Da Vinci

16th Century 

Italian 

Sunday

Alex Echo

American

These pictures are similar by the way that they were painted. They both have women as the main point, with a landscape in the background. The landscapes are more natural with flowers and fields. They are different by the techniques used to paint them. The background in "Sunday" is more modern while the "Mona Lisa" is more old fashioned, of course because of when it was made (in the 16th century).  The artists point of views are very much different. I believe Alex Echo was trying to make the girl magical and distant, while the "Mona Lisa" is more about the women, rather then the background. It seems like the background was the final touches of the "Mona Lisa". 

Family

The Daughters of Edward Darley Boit

John Singer Sargent

American

1856-1925

The artists point of view: Through this painting, Sargent has shown us that there are four daughters in the Boit family. Although there is little movement going on, maybe just the girls holding hands, they all seem still. Balance within the painting is found through its colors, coming from dark and getting brighter, as if the two girls in the back are hiding. Who are they? Could they possibly benot the daughters but rather service girls? They are dressed very much alike and we cannot see their faces clearly, while the two girls in the front are much more clear and have a brighter setting. One is playing with a doll while the other young child is standing near the wall. This beautiful painting can be seen at the MFA in Boston, MA. The gorgeous china vases can be seen also, standing next to the painting itself.

The artist creates a repetition with the vases, they are very suttle. Sargent uses a great amount of contrast in this painting, with the light and dark. There is also a big sense of unitiy within the painting, something about an even amount of girls gives it that sense and also the rug gives it that almost home-y feel, making the girls look slightly stiff, but not, just like they are comfortable with being painted at such a young age.

Nighthawks

What I See: In this painting there are many contrasts of light and dark. The paint that the artist uses makes the people pop from the painting rather then hide in the dark, they seem to pop because of the background in the diner is bright, even though their faces are as bright and pale as the background. The artist also has balance and contrast in it, the balance that he uses is asymmetry. The placement is also perfect, over all the artist took much time in planning to make such a magnificent masterpiece. 

What I Have Learned: The painters name is Edward Hopper, the painting Nighthawk is of a diner in the Greenwich Village area of NYC. He had lived there for 54 years, he paints the by passers and customers. They are painted with such perfection and character that it is easy to see their eyes and clothes. 

Hopper creates a sense of unity through his art by the balance of asymmetry. The tertiary colors like the gray and dark forest green. The shapes are simple, as in squares and rectangles, circles and octagons. 

Where I am at

The project I would do again is the taking apart junk and make sculptures out of it. I had a lot fun taking apart the junk because it let out I guess emotions building up inside. I am still creating my sculpture but I really like the way that its going. I am making a flamingo out of a lot of pink sequins and pink junk. What i have so far is a body, head (eyes, beak and all). I am really excited for my grandmas reaction because it is for her because of how energetic she is (the color reparsents that) and for her balance of life (the flamingos legs balancing). I would love to do this project again and was very awesome. 

An artist I would research again would be the most recent one I have done. I researched Sarah Stockholder. Her work is bright and colorful and quite enjoyable. Stockholder does her hart with found things. Sometimes trash and sometimes not. She takes the found objects that could be plain and boing but paints them to be fun and nice to look at. I only saw a couple of her art works but if I another chance to research her I would go further into depth. 

Shapes

Jessica Stockholder

American

#291

My first impression: In this interesting sculpture there are cool aspects. Most of it is made out of stuff you could find randomly in the trash except for the paint. The shoelaces that lace up the tuber ware gives it a urban look while the chain and plunger gives the sculpture a dirty and dangerous look. Even though this is 3D the colors make it pop out. The warm (red&orange) colors make it pop out the most because the sculpture is up against blank white and black backdrops. 

What I have learned: The artist Jessica Stockholder was born in Seattle, Washington but grew up in British Columbia. She studied art at Yale & University of British Columbia. In this sculpture she has used oil paints, couch cushions, hardware, plastic containers, shoes laces, a chain, toilet plunger, and plastic scoops. 

Marcel Duchamp

Marcel Duchamp 

Pode Bal

French

My first impression: This painting almost looks like a photograph. Everything looks so realistic, from the shine on the chess pieces to the windows reflection. Duchamp used more neutral colors within the painting, starting from the green, to the brown and the tan. Behind the man everything seems to brighten up, the yellow walls makes the man and the chess board stand out the most. 

What I've learned: Marcel Duchamp is a French artist who, while alive and a painter focused on the Dadaist movements. Duchamp loved to play chess, while in Argentina he worked with a craftsman to carve his own pieces for his own chess board.  By making his own chess board and pieces lead him to a new inspiration. This painting.

Portrait

The Cup of Tea

Mary Cassatt 

American

What I've observe: In this painting, Mary uses light pastel colors. What I can see is a women possibly sitting in a green house/porch enjoying a cup of tea. I see many primary colors like the blue in the chair, and the teal in the flower pot. There are also teritary colors in the pink dress and lilac shading. This painting makes me think of a spring evening and I feel as if she is looking over her probably beautiful garden. The model looks as if she is almost smiling but it is as if she content. 

What I have learned: I have learned that this painting was painted in 1879. Critics praise Cassatt for her ease to show the soft light dancing off of the models dress and flowers. This painting is currently residing at the Museum of Art in New York. 

Henri Mattise

Henri Mattise

French

"The Green Line"

A painting by Henri Mattise called "The Green Line". It is said to be Madame Mattise, his wife. The coloring that he has done with the painting is amazing, if you cannot tell. In this blog we are to look at his painting and explain why he has chosen to paint the way he has done. In the models face she is half green, half normal skin toned. She looks like she could be sick a lot but sometimes can feel better. Maybe he chose to present her this way because green can sometimes mean greed and she could be greedy. Paintings or pictures, or sculptures can be like music, another art, people can let their feelings out in music with lyrics and beats. Others can paint it out, take pictures, and create beautiful sculptures as a way to explain how their feelings. 

Canadian Summer

There's a Light

Homage

Edward Hopper

American

"Homage"

My impression of this painting: 

We are suppose to tell what we think the artist is trying to tell us in this painting. I believe that Edward Hopper is trying to show us that the women may be seeing a ghost, maybe her friend, daughter, lady of the house who had died recently and follows her to remind her of who they were. The shading is amazing in this, even if it is painted it is hard to paint someone so lightly that they seem transparent. 

What I have learned: 

That Edward made this from oil paint and that he is quite famous for it. This was one of his rural scenes. 

New York Movie- Edward Hopper

My first impression: Is that this place could be a regular theater or a movie theater (hence the greenish screen). The women by the door must be a usher from the 1930's. The light detail is amazing, going from dark to light and the opposite. 

What I have learned: That this is in fact a movie theater, and that Edward Hopper did work a lot with light, in all of his paintings, in this one particularly he used his paint to show the brightness on a persons face, as the movie bounced off of it and the shadows of the womans pants while she leans back against the yellow wall.