guernica & ubu tells the truth

Guernica- #balancetonporc

#balancetonporc

Guernica, The Enigma of Hitler

GUERNICA--THE ENIGMA OF HITLER

Guernica makes us sensitive to the outcome of war and
the price that is paid: blood, sweat, fear, pain, misery, death.
The painting is very creative in many ways. One being the use of only colors ranging from black to white. By taking out all other colors, our minds are forced to imagine what awful colors would create that scene. The lack of color is dehumanizing, but so is war.

Guernica taps into various strategies to convey what people then and now feel. The piece is large, but the size comes through its length. The width is short, cramming in so much which expands the chaos. The distorted screams and use of shapes displays the horror. This, too, could be a reaction to the many terrorist acts occurring all over the world. Last October, I, for the the first time, was caught in between a first and second hand live horror experience. I woke up in the middle of the night to a text from a friend wishing me and my family safety and updates from my dad, a firefighter. It felt surreal. My pain and shock were immense. I can't imagine what it was like for those whose who were there, those who were killed, and for their families. Although it wasn't an entire city, Guernica portrays the Las Vegas shooting and the pain we feel because of that night. 

Guernica and "The Enigma of Hitler" have an interesting connection beyond solely being based on gruesome historical events. The pain felt in both the Holocaust and Guernica were both caused by the government of Germany, one attack being on another country and the other being an attack on the people within itself both within the same time period. The painting, "The Enigma of Hitler" by Salvador Dali created only two years later, makes us sensitive to lack of control through: a dictator (whether a political figure or otherwise), being naive, poverty, your DNA not being worthy, and for that- death. It is very creative; Dali painted a surreal collection of images except for the "photo" of Hitler in the middle. Although everything around him is almost melting/ breaking/ crashing, he remains a steady force of power and influence. This piece reminds me of the pain that was felt because of the bombing of Guernica if not worse. 

The painting has a lot of symbolism from the tree of life breaking to the plate amplifying Hitler's words (http://yuguangzhang.com/blog/the-enigma-of-hitler-salvador-dali/). The piece's use of gloomy colors and easy flowing shapes mess with our heads to project the horror that was brought on in the 1930s-40s and even today. The colors are those of mourning and the shapes are a false reminder that when things are falling apart, we don't have any control. The piece suffocates your freedom, showing you the tiniest glimpse of what it was like. Just like Guernica and the Las Vegas shooting, this widespread terror is not over, it occurs around us everyday. Type into Google "current terrorist attacks." In .47 seconds, it gave me 22,200,000 results and if you add "US" in even less time pops up 54,000,000 more results totaling in 76.2 million. From local stabbings to bombings to shootings to drunk driving accidents, so much pain, gloom, death and heartache can be caused by one person, like Hitler or even a stranger we pass on the street. This painting projects the gloom, despair, and disturbing feelings we have towards the Holocaust and the events that still occur today.

*A few grammatical and other corrections were included in the typed version of the written assignment as well as some additional insights

The Enigma of Hitler by Salvador Dali: 

Guernica + Jardin de Malaga Assignment

1. Guernica is making the audience sensitive to the upheaval that occurs with war.  The disjointed figures and muted colors convey the feeling of panic and shock directly after the bombing.  For the victims, there will be a before and after forever in their lives because of that moment.  

2.I think it's interesting that Guernica is painted to protest a bombing on innocent people.  When analyzing wars throughout the years, you have to evaluate the impact it leaves on people left at home.  Everything is in a muted color and grayscale, indicating that after tragic events everything is muted in response to the pain.  Guernica is one of the few war paintings I've seen that women outnumber the men, people are praying to heaven, and the foreshadowing of the modern war is shown through the lightbulb.  This painting shows the behind the scenes of war, what people rely on (such as religion), but providing a juxtaposition of the new technology that will change warfare.  A modern day example to me is represented through the U.S. and the North Korea relationship.  The conflict between these two countries will alter nuclear warfare.  It will require people to rely on foundational values, as well as shift war for future generations.  

1. Jardin de Malaga was painted in response to the black and white myth in Spain.  The bright colors and bright hues are meant to represent the vibrancy of Spain.  This painting makes the audience sensitive to the vibrant and beautiful culture, while trying to argue there isn't a separation between races or social classes.  The painting's beauty encourages one to notice the beauty around you. 

2. The painting encourages critical judgement because it requires one to look beyond the simple plants and flowers.  When examining the beauty, I recognized that there is always another side to the story, especially when representing 'White Spain.'  I think art currently can ignore the darker themes of modern life, and this is demonstrated in art that is presented in social media, various products, and company collaborations.  

3.  Creativity  is demonstrated in the broad and free brushstrokes.  Nature is not confined or limited in this painting, and the carefree strokes encourage a focus on the beauty and carefree aspects of life.  

guernica and la famille en métamophose

semiotics 1

Semiotics 1

1. A bronze bull in a charging position
2. Aggression, anger, suspense, warning
3. expression and postition of bull, prior knowledge of what a charging bull looks like before
4/hint. Knowledge of location (Wall St.), interpretation changes to driven, goal oriented/ target oriented, fearless, powerful

The recent sculpture of the girl with pig tails hands on hips in front of the bull is a bold statement, and it changes the bull's meaning to a more negative connotation. Art is in the eye of the beholder, but is it ok to change someone else's art?

Reina Sofia Assignment

"Landscape" by Artur Carbonell 

1. Critical
1. Of what a human heart needs to survive
1. Physical
1. Food
2. Water
3. Exercise 
2. Emotional
1. Hope
2. Love
3. Spirituality
4. Peace
2. Modern Applications
1. Childhood development
2. Appearance vs.
1. true health
2. deeper struggle
3. Mental Illness
1. deeper than the surface
2. PTSD
3. Anxiety 
4. Depression
2. Sensitive
1. To the passage from
1. dark to light
2. life to death
3. hope to despair
2. To the intricacies 
1. of life
1. love
2. passion 
3. hope
4. pain
5. fear
2. of the human
1. body
2. mind
3. To the definition of 
1. life on earth
2. "living"
4. To what living things
1. look like
1. vibrant
2. growing
2. need to survive
1. human
2. plant 
3. animal
3. have in 
1. common 
2. difference

Semiotics 1

The signifier in this example is the bronze statue of a charging bull created by the artist Arturo di Modica. Due to the bull being placed in New York City’s financial district it is a representation of strength, hard work, and the American “can do” spirit.  It was placed only two years after the stock market crash in 1987 so it also becomes a signifier of overcoming struggles, pressing forward, and never giving up. Over the years along with these positive connotations of tenacity and optimism in the work place, it has taken on some negative connotations as well. This past year, the statue “Fearless Girl” by Kristen Visbal was created and placed facing the charging bull.  With the rise of women’s rights and equality in the workplace etc., it has begun to take on these connotations of aggression and bully-like, and woman are now taking a stand and fighting back.  Although there is no right or wrong interpretation of the statues, the connotations that come along with them (negative or positive) will live on and create meaning in society.

www.businessinsider.com/what-is-wall-street-charging-bull-new-york-city-2017-12/

chargingbull.com/chargingbull.html

Semiotics 1

Semiotics 1 assignment

1. The signifier of this picture is a bronze, aggressive Bull building up to charge, determined to win.

2. The Bull symbolizes optimism and financial aggression and it is strategically placed in the heart of The Financial District in Manhattan.

3. This Bull has the strength, the aggression, the mindset and it is all in to go for the gold, but even that cannot stop the unpredictability of the stock market. The Bull stands with pride as the rate of stocks go up and go back down. Right now we sit at a steady pace hoping to go in an upward spiral. We want the Bull to remain a pride to our country not an embarrassment. However, it seems as though the Bull does not stand alone anymore. A day before International Women's Day a statue which is named "Fearless Girl" was placed directly in front of the Bull. The girl is brave, proud and strong non-defiant whatsoever. Di Modica is not pleased with the combination of pieces. He said that it exploits his work for commercial purposes and he has requested for it to be taken down. 

semiotics one

The signifier is a bronze statue- an enraged bull prepared to charge in the middle of NYC's Wall Street, created by Arturo di Modica. 

Originally, Modica intended the Charging Bull to signify the American, and New Yorker, "can-do spirit". Bulls are traditionally viewed as fighters. With the fierce rhetoric of their inherit strength mixed with the bull's clearly enraged, prepared to attack stance, the Charging Bull was supposed to symbolize the universal determination and hard work from any person of any culture, race, and origin. It was a symbol to overcome and to conquer. 

Since it's original creation in 1989, wall-street has become different in the view of the public eye. With the increasing pushback to large corporations and an "unfair" global economy throughout the recent decades, "Occupy Wall Street" formed in 2011 as a people-powered grassroots movement. OSW self identifies as a fighter "against the corrosive power of major backs and multinational corporations of the democratic process." 
As this movement gained momentum and support, an increasing number of citizens have become skeptical and disapproving of Wall Street happenings. With this, one might see the bull and it's furious, angry expression as threatening-- just as Wall Street is being viewed as increasingly threatening to an ordinary citizen.
Last year, Kristen Visbal created the "Fearless Girl" and placed it directly in front of the bull. Some think the defiant, young girl accentuates elements of OWS by visually depicting a rivalry between the innocent, ordinary citizens of American and the big wigs of Wall Street. This completely opposes the original meaning of the statue which intended to promote a bonding, universally shared determination to succeed. However, the creators of the statue explain that the Fearless Girl's purpose was not to create a "you vs. me" argument. Ron O'Hanley says that because of it timely installation on the eve before 2017 International Women's Day, it is "part of State Street’s campaign to pressure companies to add more women to their boards".

http://chargingbull.com/chargingbull.html

http://occupywallst.org

https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2017/03/fearless-girl-wall-street/519393/

Semiotics #1

1. The signifier here is a image of a statue of a bull in ready to charge.

2. The statue signifies the power, aggressiveness and brute force that comes from Wall Street and the people who work there. It is a symbol of the success of the market in times past and its continual success thought to happen in the future.

3. Since the statue was made after a stock market crash, the economy hasn’t been all good as the bull is supposed to represent. We have had other crashes and dips in the market that change the meaning of the bull to show failure despite all the power and aggression. Wall street has failed and had to be bailed out and that is not what the bull represents. Currently we are in a good state, but it will inevitably fail again which will change the meaning of the bull again. In resent news, the Fearless Girl statue was placed in front of the bull changing the meaning completely. Now the girl represents innocence and the power of women and maybe even men who are not superior. The bull is then in turn the bully or the thing we are fighting against. It is making the bull the villain in this scenario instead of a powerful force for good as the artist intended it to represent.