August 23
I have always enjoyed looking and talking about art. Much like literature and poems, art can help us to better understand cultures, different times in history, and the human experience of those times. For example, much of the European Medieval art we have been looking at focuses around the church and religious figures. This contributes to the fact that during this time in history, the Church was an important part in the social and political life. It was used as the main education system, and it was through the art that people were able to understand the messages in the Bible.
The two art pieces we looked at in class today are both from this time and show religious figures such as Jesus and Mary, thus they have the same subject matter. However, the content of the pieces are very different because they represent two different scenes. In the first image, we see an enlarged figure of Mary and Jesus in the center of the piece. This enlargement and central location makes these two figures the focal point. The painting is also very symmetrical, and since it was intended to be an altar piece, the symmetry of the artwork would correspond to the symmetry of the architecture of the church.
The second piece, however similar in some aspects such as subject matter; differs greatly. For one, the intensity and hues of the colors are a lot brighter then the first painting. The second is also asymmetrical and adds movement to the piece. The eye moves around the figures taking in the action of the scene, where as the first piece, the figures were very stoic. Also, the focal point, again being Mary and Jesus, is not in the center of the painting but rather off to the right side.
August 30
I thought the reading and discussion on the Qur’an was very interesting. Some of the things that intrigued me the most were looking at some of the comparisons and contrast to Christianity and Judaism and their respective religious texts. In the Women section of the Qur’an, it laid out several rules and regulations in regards to women. This almost reminded me of the Ten Commandments. It even had some similar rules as the Ten Commandments including you should only have one God and no others. It differed however; in the fact that it discussed a lot about inheritance. This felt more political then religious and was awkward in a religious text.
Learning about Muhammad was also very interesting to see how different he was to other religious leaders. To learn that he was not only a religious leader, but also political leader was fascinating, especially because in our society today we emphasis a separation of church and state.
I also thought our discussion on the hijab and burka was very interesting. I did not know that it was not explicitly written in the Qur’an that women must cover their heads but only says to be modest. I was recently in Muslim countries and it was interesting to see the differences in what women wore. Some women had the whole burka with only their eyes exposed, were others only had on the hijab. We also went and visited a mosque, and to enter I was given a full robe and hijab to wear. I thought it was interesting that I was required to wear this even as an outsider to the religion.
September 13
Dante’s Inferno is very intriguing and confusing at the same time. For one, it is interesting how Dante is both the author and antagonist in the story. He also writes in several characters from ancient Greece and Greek mythology. The thing that confuses me is that he includes mythological creatures and places, like Cerberus and the River Styx’s, both of which appear in the underworld in Greek mythology. Yet, Dante includes characters such as Virgil and Homer in his story, which we acknowledge as actual people that lived in ancient times, and references the mythological creatures they wrote about. As a Christian, it intrigues me that Dante includes both fictional and nonfictional characters in his story about hell, because Dante does not expect to see Zeus and the other Olympians in Heaven, though the creatures of the underworld are in hell.
I also found it interesting how Dante categorized the different circles of hell. As we were discussing in class today, treachery comes after violence in the gravity of the crime. Many people were confused about this and believed that violence should be worse than treachery. For example, a serial killer who kills for the pleasure of the violent act should be in a lower ring in hell then a thief who steals food to provide for themselves and their family. However, I think Dante is referring to the trust that is in place for betrayal to happen, and that it is worse to act against trust then the urge of violence.
September 20
The last circle of hell is in high contrast to the rest of the circles. It is a large frozen lake with the traitorous sinners frozen in the ice. It is rather ironic that this final circle is frozen instead of being the hottest part of hell. This could be because the punishment of being frozen is fitting for the sin of treachery, for a person must have a frozen heart to betray someone else.
Another reason to explain why the bottom layer of hell is a frozen lake is that ice can be worst then fire. Fire can burn, but it has also provided life for people representing warmth and light, ice on the other hand does not support or promote life. Antarctica, for example is one of the most formidable places on earth, and the animals that live there have had to drastically adapt to their surroundings and continuously fight to stay alive.
While reading the last cantos, the imagery Dante provided of the frozen lake and its inhabitants was very vivid. The sinners were encased in the ice, unable to move, even to wipe away the frozen tears from their eyes. Satan himself was trapped in the ice. It was interesting to see him portrayed this way: another sinner being punished rather than the ruler of hell.
September 27
The Wife of Bath tells an interesting tale. We were not able to discuss it in class this week, but I think it is important to look at it in regards to the prologue. In both readings, the Wife of Bath talks about her ability to control her husbands and take over the marriage. In this portrayal, she paints a bad picture of men. She depicts them as creatures fueled by their desires and easily seduced into relinquishing control in the marriage. However, I think this description from her is Chaucer satirizing the role of women. It is more evident in the tale she tells. When the knight goes out in search of the queen’s answer to what women want most in life, he discovers that it is to be able to control their husbands. Here, we discover that it is not only the Wife of bath who wishes to control her husband, but it is every woman’s deepest desire. Even though the story is written to cast a negative light on men, it is women who are controlling and want to be in charge of the men.
The story can also be looked at how the old hag tried to trick and deceive her husband. It is only when she is satisfied that her husband has learned to please her and that she is in charge, does she allow him to get what he wants, a young, beautiful, and faithful wife.
October 11
I plan on writing over topic 1, comparing two works. I will be comparing Dante’s Inferno to the iconic Gothic Cathedral, Notre Dame. Both works deal with spirituality, yet contrast on the subject matter, one a church and the other of hell.
In the Inferno, Dante discusses sin and the multiple layers of hell. The book serves as a guideline to how to live or not live your life from a spiritual perspective. It is also organized by layers and different levels, so in a sense it is a procession towards the bottom layer of hell. Each of these layers is unique and tells a different story to portray the sin that caused those who committed it during their lifetime to end up in hell.
The unique aspects of Notre Dame and other Gothic cathedrals are the stories they tell through the stained glass. These were biblical stories told through pictures since most of the population at the time was illiterate. The church is also constructed in a processional type manor and has many layers to it much like Dante’s work.
I plan on focusing on the story both works tell and how they reinforce spirituality on Earth and the afterlife. I also will include the physical structure of the architecture of Notre Dame and how it compares to the structure of the story and the different layers of hell Dante refers to.
October 11 Kathleen, I love the idea of comparing the Inferno to a cathedral. I'm really interested in your ideas about the structure of Notre Dame and how it can be compared to Dante's vision of the universe. - MH
I plan on writing over topic 1, comparing two works. I will be comparing Dante’s Inferno to the iconic Gothic Cathedral, Notre Dame. Both works deal with spirituality, yet contrast on the subject matter, one a church and the other of hell.
In the Inferno, Dante discusses sin and the multiple layers of hell. The book serves as a guideline to how to live or not live your life from a spiritual perspective. It is also organized by layers and different levels, so in a sense it is a procession towards the bottom layer of hell. Each of these layers is unique and tells a different story to portray the sin that caused those who committed it during their lifetime to end up in hell.
The unique aspects of Notre Dame and other Gothic cathedrals are the stories they tell through the stained glass. These were biblical stories told through pictures since most of the population at the time was illiterate. The church is also constructed in a processional type manor and has many layers to it much like Dante’s work.
I plan on focusing on the story both works tell and how they reinforce spirituality on Earth and the afterlife. I also will include the physical structure of the architecture of Notre Dame and how it compares to the structure of the story and the different layers of hell Dante refers to.
October 25
It has been very interesting learning about the exploration of the New World, especially the essay by Montaigne. We always learn about the conquering of the native people and hear about the brutality shown by the Europeans, it is refreshing to see someone take a step back and look at the situation from a more objective viewpoint. When talking about barbarism, it is important to understand what barbarism truly is. It is the act of being cruel or the lack of civility and culture. When applied to the natives, this is not necessarily the truth, and as Montaigne says it is only because the Europeans did not understand. By solely looking at the definition, the Europeans could be seen as barbaric for killing the natives and their culture, and by doing so turned them into the monsters they were trying to eliminate. It is the inability for the Europeans to try and accept this new culture and accept their ways that resulted in the hostility. We see this happen so often throughout history and it still continues today. The resent shut down of the government stems from the same inability to accept what is foreign and to try and learn from different perspective. Every war goes back to this same idea, and it would be nice if every could “get along and play nice”, but unfortunately barbarism to some extent seems to be written in the DNA of every human.
November 1
Our discussion in class on Wednesday was very interesting when we were talking about who the true villain of the play is. I think it is important to look at this from who the true villain and who is more evil. Tartuffe is definitely written as the antagonist of the play, but is Orgon necessarily the protagonist? I don’t believe he is, but who would the protagonist be? Is it Damis because he is the one who is most actively trying to go against the antagonist? Or is it a combination of several characters who are trying to talk sense into Orgon about Tartuffe’s true nature? Or is Orgon himself at the end who, after realizing his mistake in trusting Tartuffe, goes against him and tries to get him arrested.
In the question of who is the most evil, I believe Orgon wins. Yes, Tartuffe has an evil nature and is conning the Orgon to gain what he wants for himself. It is Orgon however, that goes along with Tartuffe instead of his family and is actively doing so to spite his family. He also doesn’t believe and blames them for Tartuffe’s behavior when they try to come to him and explain that he is being tricked. Orgon is more evil because his actions are done not for himself, but to anger his family and he does not think of how his actions will not only affect himself but his family in the long run.
November 8
I have found Voltaire’s story Candide to be very interesting. I find his theme of optimism throughout the story to be intriguing. Candide stays optimistic through so many terrible acts committed to him and others. He keeps on believing that there is “the best of worlds” even when he is forced to be drafted to the army and then punished unjustly for deserting, even when he hears Cunégonde, the women he loves, being raped and sold. Pangloss too has this optimism when he is talking about the syphilis that was passed on to him. He justifies that it was necessary for him to contract syphilis from the New World for there to be chocolate. As the reader, we know that these events and the characters justification for them is absurd, and I think this was Voltaire’s intention. He is commenting on the same philosophy that Alexander Pope was in his “An Essay on Man”. The Philosophy that if there is evil and bad in the world, then how can there be an all knowing, all powerful, and benevolent God. If contracting syphilis, being raped and sold, and unjustly punished, were not all somehow a good thing, then that asks the question, how can God be all knowing, all powerful, and benevolent, and allow for these terrible things to happen.
November 15
The question of whether we live in an enlightened age or not is a difficult one, but I believe that we do. I think Kant was not necessarily saying that all of our ideas and philosophies have to be original and completely our own; I think he was saying that to live in an enlightened age to need to have the freedom to express our ideas and opinions. This was a common idea at the time and a favorite with Thomas Jefferson, John Locke, and other enlightenment philosophers. The freedom of life, liberty and the pursuit of property were three things that were pushed during the founding of our nation and made it possible for us to have free speech.
In class on Wednesday, we only talked about social media and the press and how these inhibited individuals to “think for themselves”. However, I think it is important to remember the arts in this situation. There have been so many different movements in architecture alone throughout the 20th century, and individual architects who have broken from the norm. According to Kant, they would be considered enlightened. Although these architects created new forms, their ideas were still inspired by past architects. Le Corbusier, for example, created his own ordering system called the modular. This was based on the proportions of the human man; however, the ancient Greeks and Vitruvius also created ordering systems. It was the way Corbusier implemented his ordering system with his ideals of architecture that made it unique.
For me, whenever I start a new project, I do not create anything entirely new, because it is impossible. I take precedents of other architectural pieces, my own past projects and the things that I have learned, and the inspiration from places I have been to inspire me to create something new within the context of the site and community around it. It is not the same project as anyone else has done, but it has drawn ideas from the past and the society around us. The ideas we form are our own, but they have been inspired by others and society. We are enlightened when we can sift through the information we are given and formulate our own opinions about it, and our society allows and encourages this freedom to happen. So yes, we live in an enlightened age.
Project Proposal:
While reading Tartuffe, we discussed it as a sitcom with typical characters. For my next essay I plan on doing a creative topic and rewrite a scene from Tartuffe as a 30 minute modern day sitcom. I will start by setting the scene and describing each character in their modern day sense. I have not yet chosen the scene in which I want to portray, because it depends on what I feel will best tell the story with a modern twist. As of now, I will most likely keep the casting we chose in class.
Kathleen, this sounds great--a fitting idea for a parody. You could, if you wanted, take an actual sitcom (probably, a family sitcom) and bring in a Tartuffe character. Or you can make up your own sitcom, with stock characters as we talked about in class. Would Tartuffe still be a religious hypocrite in this version? Or would he pose as something else? -MH
December 6
I have been familiar with analyzing art and architecture and ideas. Looking at composition, hue, light, form, and movement and understanding how all these pieces go together in art is easy for me. Music on the other hand is a lot more difficult. When I was a first year in architecture, our first project was to create a space based off of a piece of instrumental music. This was an interesting project because we had to analyze the emotion in the music, look at the repetition and structure, and create forms that went with the piece of music.
This reminds me of what we were talking about in class about how art and music both reflected the time period in which they were created. It shows how closely related the two are, which I never really considered before. With art and architecture, the Baroque and Rococo movements had a lot of ornamentation and decoration, and then as it moves towards the neoclassical movement, the forms convert back to the original Greek and Roman ordering. This was the same in music. During the time of Mozart, he takes music back to the fundamental roots. Then while both of these movements are occurring, society itself is changing through the Age of Enlightenment.
This makes me think about the present day and looking at the art, architecture, and music that is being created now and how it reflects our society. Music is a driving factor in social trends, and in the architectural world, there is experimentation with digital fabrication and using modern technologies to print and construct buildings using robots.
I have always enjoyed looking and talking about art. Much like literature and poems, art can help us to better understand cultures, different times in history, and the human experience of those times. For example, much of the European Medieval art we have been looking at focuses around the church and religious figures. This contributes to the fact that during this time in history, the Church was an important part in the social and political life. It was used as the main education system, and it was through the art that people were able to understand the messages in the Bible.
The two art pieces we looked at in class today are both from this time and show religious figures such as Jesus and Mary, thus they have the same subject matter. However, the content of the pieces are very different because they represent two different scenes. In the first image, we see an enlarged figure of Mary and Jesus in the center of the piece. This enlargement and central location makes these two figures the focal point. The painting is also very symmetrical, and since it was intended to be an altar piece, the symmetry of the artwork would correspond to the symmetry of the architecture of the church.
The second piece, however similar in some aspects such as subject matter; differs greatly. For one, the intensity and hues of the colors are a lot brighter then the first painting. The second is also asymmetrical and adds movement to the piece. The eye moves around the figures taking in the action of the scene, where as the first piece, the figures were very stoic. Also, the focal point, again being Mary and Jesus, is not in the center of the painting but rather off to the right side.
August 30
I thought the reading and discussion on the Qur’an was very interesting. Some of the things that intrigued me the most were looking at some of the comparisons and contrast to Christianity and Judaism and their respective religious texts. In the Women section of the Qur’an, it laid out several rules and regulations in regards to women. This almost reminded me of the Ten Commandments. It even had some similar rules as the Ten Commandments including you should only have one God and no others. It differed however; in the fact that it discussed a lot about inheritance. This felt more political then religious and was awkward in a religious text.
Learning about Muhammad was also very interesting to see how different he was to other religious leaders. To learn that he was not only a religious leader, but also political leader was fascinating, especially because in our society today we emphasis a separation of church and state.
I also thought our discussion on the hijab and burka was very interesting. I did not know that it was not explicitly written in the Qur’an that women must cover their heads but only says to be modest. I was recently in Muslim countries and it was interesting to see the differences in what women wore. Some women had the whole burka with only their eyes exposed, were others only had on the hijab. We also went and visited a mosque, and to enter I was given a full robe and hijab to wear. I thought it was interesting that I was required to wear this even as an outsider to the religion.
September 13
Dante’s Inferno is very intriguing and confusing at the same time. For one, it is interesting how Dante is both the author and antagonist in the story. He also writes in several characters from ancient Greece and Greek mythology. The thing that confuses me is that he includes mythological creatures and places, like Cerberus and the River Styx’s, both of which appear in the underworld in Greek mythology. Yet, Dante includes characters such as Virgil and Homer in his story, which we acknowledge as actual people that lived in ancient times, and references the mythological creatures they wrote about. As a Christian, it intrigues me that Dante includes both fictional and nonfictional characters in his story about hell, because Dante does not expect to see Zeus and the other Olympians in Heaven, though the creatures of the underworld are in hell.
I also found it interesting how Dante categorized the different circles of hell. As we were discussing in class today, treachery comes after violence in the gravity of the crime. Many people were confused about this and believed that violence should be worse than treachery. For example, a serial killer who kills for the pleasure of the violent act should be in a lower ring in hell then a thief who steals food to provide for themselves and their family. However, I think Dante is referring to the trust that is in place for betrayal to happen, and that it is worse to act against trust then the urge of violence.
September 20
The last circle of hell is in high contrast to the rest of the circles. It is a large frozen lake with the traitorous sinners frozen in the ice. It is rather ironic that this final circle is frozen instead of being the hottest part of hell. This could be because the punishment of being frozen is fitting for the sin of treachery, for a person must have a frozen heart to betray someone else.
Another reason to explain why the bottom layer of hell is a frozen lake is that ice can be worst then fire. Fire can burn, but it has also provided life for people representing warmth and light, ice on the other hand does not support or promote life. Antarctica, for example is one of the most formidable places on earth, and the animals that live there have had to drastically adapt to their surroundings and continuously fight to stay alive.
While reading the last cantos, the imagery Dante provided of the frozen lake and its inhabitants was very vivid. The sinners were encased in the ice, unable to move, even to wipe away the frozen tears from their eyes. Satan himself was trapped in the ice. It was interesting to see him portrayed this way: another sinner being punished rather than the ruler of hell.
September 27
The Wife of Bath tells an interesting tale. We were not able to discuss it in class this week, but I think it is important to look at it in regards to the prologue. In both readings, the Wife of Bath talks about her ability to control her husbands and take over the marriage. In this portrayal, she paints a bad picture of men. She depicts them as creatures fueled by their desires and easily seduced into relinquishing control in the marriage. However, I think this description from her is Chaucer satirizing the role of women. It is more evident in the tale she tells. When the knight goes out in search of the queen’s answer to what women want most in life, he discovers that it is to be able to control their husbands. Here, we discover that it is not only the Wife of bath who wishes to control her husband, but it is every woman’s deepest desire. Even though the story is written to cast a negative light on men, it is women who are controlling and want to be in charge of the men.
The story can also be looked at how the old hag tried to trick and deceive her husband. It is only when she is satisfied that her husband has learned to please her and that she is in charge, does she allow him to get what he wants, a young, beautiful, and faithful wife.
October 11
I plan on writing over topic 1, comparing two works. I will be comparing Dante’s Inferno to the iconic Gothic Cathedral, Notre Dame. Both works deal with spirituality, yet contrast on the subject matter, one a church and the other of hell.
In the Inferno, Dante discusses sin and the multiple layers of hell. The book serves as a guideline to how to live or not live your life from a spiritual perspective. It is also organized by layers and different levels, so in a sense it is a procession towards the bottom layer of hell. Each of these layers is unique and tells a different story to portray the sin that caused those who committed it during their lifetime to end up in hell.
The unique aspects of Notre Dame and other Gothic cathedrals are the stories they tell through the stained glass. These were biblical stories told through pictures since most of the population at the time was illiterate. The church is also constructed in a processional type manor and has many layers to it much like Dante’s work.
I plan on focusing on the story both works tell and how they reinforce spirituality on Earth and the afterlife. I also will include the physical structure of the architecture of Notre Dame and how it compares to the structure of the story and the different layers of hell Dante refers to.
October 11
Kathleen, I love the idea of comparing the Inferno to a cathedral. I'm really interested in your ideas about the structure of Notre Dame and how it can be compared to Dante's vision of the universe. - MH
I plan on writing over topic 1, comparing two works. I will be comparing Dante’s Inferno to the iconic Gothic Cathedral, Notre Dame. Both works deal with spirituality, yet contrast on the subject matter, one a church and the other of hell.
In the Inferno, Dante discusses sin and the multiple layers of hell. The book serves as a guideline to how to live or not live your life from a spiritual perspective. It is also organized by layers and different levels, so in a sense it is a procession towards the bottom layer of hell. Each of these layers is unique and tells a different story to portray the sin that caused those who committed it during their lifetime to end up in hell.
The unique aspects of Notre Dame and other Gothic cathedrals are the stories they tell through the stained glass. These were biblical stories told through pictures since most of the population at the time was illiterate. The church is also constructed in a processional type manor and has many layers to it much like Dante’s work.
I plan on focusing on the story both works tell and how they reinforce spirituality on Earth and the afterlife. I also will include the physical structure of the architecture of Notre Dame and how it compares to the structure of the story and the different layers of hell Dante refers to.
October 25
It has been very interesting learning about the exploration of the New World, especially the essay by Montaigne. We always learn about the conquering of the native people and hear about the brutality shown by the Europeans, it is refreshing to see someone take a step back and look at the situation from a more objective viewpoint. When talking about barbarism, it is important to understand what barbarism truly is. It is the act of being cruel or the lack of civility and culture. When applied to the natives, this is not necessarily the truth, and as Montaigne says it is only because the Europeans did not understand. By solely looking at the definition, the Europeans could be seen as barbaric for killing the natives and their culture, and by doing so turned them into the monsters they were trying to eliminate. It is the inability for the Europeans to try and accept this new culture and accept their ways that resulted in the hostility. We see this happen so often throughout history and it still continues today. The resent shut down of the government stems from the same inability to accept what is foreign and to try and learn from different perspective. Every war goes back to this same idea, and it would be nice if every could “get along and play nice”, but unfortunately barbarism to some extent seems to be written in the DNA of every human.
November 1
Our discussion in class on Wednesday was very interesting when we were talking about who the true villain of the play is. I think it is important to look at this from who the true villain and who is more evil. Tartuffe is definitely written as the antagonist of the play, but is Orgon necessarily the protagonist? I don’t believe he is, but who would the protagonist be? Is it Damis because he is the one who is most actively trying to go against the antagonist? Or is it a combination of several characters who are trying to talk sense into Orgon about Tartuffe’s true nature? Or is Orgon himself at the end who, after realizing his mistake in trusting Tartuffe, goes against him and tries to get him arrested.
In the question of who is the most evil, I believe Orgon wins. Yes, Tartuffe has an evil nature and is conning the Orgon to gain what he wants for himself. It is Orgon however, that goes along with Tartuffe instead of his family and is actively doing so to spite his family. He also doesn’t believe and blames them for Tartuffe’s behavior when they try to come to him and explain that he is being tricked. Orgon is more evil because his actions are done not for himself, but to anger his family and he does not think of how his actions will not only affect himself but his family in the long run.
November 8
I have found Voltaire’s story Candide to be very interesting. I find his theme of optimism throughout the story to be intriguing. Candide stays optimistic through so many terrible acts committed to him and others. He keeps on believing that there is “the best of worlds” even when he is forced to be drafted to the army and then punished unjustly for deserting, even when he hears Cunégonde, the women he loves, being raped and sold. Pangloss too has this optimism when he is talking about the syphilis that was passed on to him. He justifies that it was necessary for him to contract syphilis from the New World for there to be chocolate. As the reader, we know that these events and the characters justification for them is absurd, and I think this was Voltaire’s intention. He is commenting on the same philosophy that Alexander Pope was in his “An Essay on Man”. The Philosophy that if there is evil and bad in the world, then how can there be an all knowing, all powerful, and benevolent God. If contracting syphilis, being raped and sold, and unjustly punished, were not all somehow a good thing, then that asks the question, how can God be all knowing, all powerful, and benevolent, and allow for these terrible things to happen.
November 15
The question of whether we live in an enlightened age or not is a difficult one, but I believe that we do. I think Kant was not necessarily saying that all of our ideas and philosophies have to be original and completely our own; I think he was saying that to live in an enlightened age to need to have the freedom to express our ideas and opinions. This was a common idea at the time and a favorite with Thomas Jefferson, John Locke, and other enlightenment philosophers. The freedom of life, liberty and the pursuit of property were three things that were pushed during the founding of our nation and made it possible for us to have free speech.
In class on Wednesday, we only talked about social media and the press and how these inhibited individuals to “think for themselves”. However, I think it is important to remember the arts in this situation. There have been so many different movements in architecture alone throughout the 20th century, and individual architects who have broken from the norm. According to Kant, they would be considered enlightened. Although these architects created new forms, their ideas were still inspired by past architects. Le Corbusier, for example, created his own ordering system called the modular. This was based on the proportions of the human man; however, the ancient Greeks and Vitruvius also created ordering systems. It was the way Corbusier implemented his ordering system with his ideals of architecture that made it unique.
For me, whenever I start a new project, I do not create anything entirely new, because it is impossible. I take precedents of other architectural pieces, my own past projects and the things that I have learned, and the inspiration from places I have been to inspire me to create something new within the context of the site and community around it. It is not the same project as anyone else has done, but it has drawn ideas from the past and the society around us. The ideas we form are our own, but they have been inspired by others and society. We are enlightened when we can sift through the information we are given and formulate our own opinions about it, and our society allows and encourages this freedom to happen. So yes, we live in an enlightened age.
Project Proposal:
While reading Tartuffe, we discussed it as a sitcom with typical characters. For my next essay I plan on doing a creative topic and rewrite a scene from Tartuffe as a 30 minute modern day sitcom. I will start by setting the scene and describing each character in their modern day sense. I have not yet chosen the scene in which I want to portray, because it depends on what I feel will best tell the story with a modern twist. As of now, I will most likely keep the casting we chose in class.
Kathleen, this sounds great--a fitting idea for a parody. You could, if you wanted, take an actual sitcom (probably, a family sitcom) and bring in a Tartuffe character. Or you can make up your own sitcom, with stock characters as we talked about in class. Would Tartuffe still be a religious hypocrite in this version? Or would he pose as something else? -MH
December 6
I have been familiar with analyzing art and architecture and ideas. Looking at composition, hue, light, form, and movement and understanding how all these pieces go together in art is easy for me. Music on the other hand is a lot more difficult. When I was a first year in architecture, our first project was to create a space based off of a piece of instrumental music. This was an interesting project because we had to analyze the emotion in the music, look at the repetition and structure, and create forms that went with the piece of music.
This reminds me of what we were talking about in class about how art and music both reflected the time period in which they were created. It shows how closely related the two are, which I never really considered before. With art and architecture, the Baroque and Rococo movements had a lot of ornamentation and decoration, and then as it moves towards the neoclassical movement, the forms convert back to the original Greek and Roman ordering. This was the same in music. During the time of Mozart, he takes music back to the fundamental roots. Then while both of these movements are occurring, society itself is changing through the Age of Enlightenment.
This makes me think about the present day and looking at the art, architecture, and music that is being created now and how it reflects our society. Music is a driving factor in social trends, and in the architectural world, there is experimentation with digital fabrication and using modern technologies to print and construct buildings using robots.