History Of Art Essays - Visual Arts, Painting, Egyptian Hieroglyphs

History Of Art The body has been used as a sign or symbol in art for centuries. The body was used to symbolize perfection in ancient Greece, and in Egypt, to give a precise image for the God of the After-life. Not to mention their colossal monuments which promote power and glory, and are used to intimidate. However contemporary artists use the body as a symbol which conveys a whole range of different kinds of layered meaning, although the simple symbol of power has not been lost over the centuries. Ancient Greek sculptures of the body are a medium between man and the gods, they are an ideal of physical perfection. The female figure of c.650-625 B.C. (fig. 123) and a nude male youth of c.600 B.C. (fig. 124) are perfect examples of the use of symbols to convey meaning. These statues, Kore (maiden) and Kouros (youth) were produced in large numbers, all being virtually the same in outline. Their general names emphasised the need for the statues to remain unidentified and the lack of personal character. Some were placed on graves only to be viewed as representations of the deceased in the broadest sense (completely impersonal). And some were used as offerings, for example: for a favoured person like the victor in an athletic competition.The strange lack of differentiation seems to be part of the character of these figures. They are neither gods nor men, but rather somewhere in between, a symbol of physical perfection, an ideal shared by not only humans but also immortals, the gods. Moreover, statues of the body in Ancient Greek art were also used to capture the image of the gods themselves. Nine of Samothrace (fig. 181)has a dramatic impact on the viewer. It is the image of the goddess descending upon the prow of a ship. The beauty of the shapes that the body creates, glorifies and beautifies the goddess. It is a symbol of the power and immortality of the gods and the sole purpose of the artist is to convey this beauty and power to the people of Ancient Greece. Ancient Egypt is also another place in which the body was used as a symbol or sign. Colossal monuments such as The Great Temple of Ramesses II at Abu Simbel was a symbol of great power and wealth, as only pharaohs were able to create these monuments. Size was everything to the Egyptian pharaohs, it was the primary key to emphasise and increase their power and worshipers. The wonderful inscriptions and hieroglyphs found on temple walls were of great importance. The use of the body in the relief work on the temple walls were used to convey a perfect image of the deceased to the God of the After life. The detail and intricacy of the body was to insure that they could be recreated to perfection in their life after death. Contemporary works that use the body as a sign or symbol, are found in abundance. Works as simple as a portrait can have a great impact on people. Portraits such as that of Hitler, during World War, I had enormous effects on the people of the Jewish religion. To have these huge portraits of Hitler's face all over the country insured his control and power over the turn of events and the Jews. Victims by Jose Clemente Orozco is of the Symbolist art movement. The name of this movement is indicative of the precise purpose of the artists of that time. Orozco had a deep humanitarian sympathy with silent suffering masses and in Victims he illustrates his powerful trait. The bony bodies of the unidentified people in Victims is a symbol of the problems that were afoot in the world in 1936. Vast numbers of people were starving, suffering and dying. Orozco used the bodies in his artworks as a symbol of this suffering and successfully draws the focus and the emotions of the viewer. Thus, the artwork has fulfilled its primary purpose. The use of the body in Les Demoiselles d' Avignon by Pablo Picasso symbolizes the change of the way we view art and the body in art. Picasso introduced Cubism to the world. His brave abandonment of the Blue Period for a different and more robust style is seen and conveyed through his art. When Picasso started this picture, it was supposed to be a temptation scene in a brothel. However, he ended up with five nudes and a still life. This artwork was Picasso's own counterpart to Matisse's The Joy of

Defence Mechanism and Soldiers Essay

Defence Mechanism and Soldiers Essay Defence Mechanism and Soldiers Essay Alexis Roberson Ms. Dye AP Literature 3rd Block Coping Mechanisms in The Things They Carried The Things They Carried withstands one of the central themes of soldiers in the war carrying physical and unwanted emotional baggage. Consequently, it is questionable how the soldiers cope with the horrors of war. Throughout the novel it is shown that the soldiers use many mechanisms to manage this emotional baggage. This includes, but is not limited to, storytelling, humor and denial. Majority of the novel is a recollection of stories from the war. O’Brien states at the end of the novel that the stories are â€Å"Tim trying to save Tim’s life with a story.† (O’Brien 233). Yet, not all of the stories are entirely factual. The storyteller tends to exaggerate or obliterate parts of the stories. This is so that the soldiers can forget things that they do not want to remember, keep in mind things they do want to remember and focus on more positive aspects of the war. In doing so, this helps the soldiers cope with t he horrors of war by neglecting negative aspects. For example, in â€Å"The Man I Killed†, O’Brien goes into detail on the man’s physical characteristics and possible life story, and neglects his presence in the actual situation. By doing so, he isn’t focusing on the fact that he feels guilty for killing the man or the fact that he killed the man in general. Also, in â€Å"Sweetheart of the Song Tra Bong†, it is unknown whether that story is true or not but it isn’t a horror war story or death war story. It is a story that took focus off the negative things in war, and put focus on a lighter subject. Another coping mechanism that is seen in The Things They Carried is humor. Whenever a tragic incident occurs, jokes are always made in order to make light of the circumstances. For example, when the soldiers go looking for Kiowa’s body, Azar makes jokes of the irony within the situation. He says â€Å"Man, talk about irony. I bet if Kio wa was here, I bet he’d just laugh. Eating shit- it’s your classic irony.† (158). Azar is focusing more on the irony of the situation rather than the fact that he lost yet another friend. If they didn’t find a way to cope with these frequent horrors they would go mad and most likely become suicidal. The soldiers have to make light of situations in order to prevent themselves from going insane. Humor essentially functions as the means of their emotional stability during their time in Vietnam. Instead of the soldiers grieving on the deaths of their fellow men, they find the humor in the situation and laugh it off so they can continue on their journey. Denial is another big coping mechanism when it comes to the horrors of war. Throughout the soldier’s journey in Vietnam all the coping mechanisms they use cause them to be in denial of reality. Using humor to cover up horrors, and

Explain the differences between a group and a team Assignment

Explain the differences between a group and a team - Assignment Example The formation of group is easy than a team. If an auditorium is filled with medical professionals, they could be grouped according to gender, expertise, experience, age, specialty etc. The effectiveness is a different issue. In the group total comparability is only the ideal, it rarely occurs. When points view of the group members differ, achieving consensus is a difficult task for a leader. A team is a responsive unit and formed to achieve a particular goal or group of functions. A team leader is seized of the final goal of the team, in advance. Though the process of forming a them is difficult, may involve much spadework, deliberations and consultations, once the profess is accomplished, the working is smooth. There is not much room for differences as the final objective is the same. Take for example a construction team. It may consist of an architect, an accountant, an engineer, a supervisor, a sales manager and a secretary. A collection of people and counseling them for a cause does not evolve them into a team. Teams have definite features that set them apart from group. Generally, a team consists of a small number of individuals, with complimentary skills and all of them are committed for a common purpose, they have target-oriented performance goals. They have a common approach and as such they consider themselves mutually accountable. They are a responsive and responsible unit. The membership of a team is definable, generally not more than twelve. Their functioning is mutually dependent and they can be compared to the steps of a ladder. They know the import and importance of the term â€Å"we† than the syllable â€Å"I.† The working of the team is dynamic, the performance is measured directly and the collective work products are linked to financial performance of the business. The results can be quantified, everyday, when necessary. The team meetings are held often, the problem-solving is taken up