The Evolution of Art

Life changes and evolves.  Unfortunately, we cannot stop this.  It is simply the way the world develops and shifts.  This is evident in both in the changing of our world and our environment.  We see this in the changes that come in animal species in their colors or migration patterns.  But one of the biggest way to see the changes in our world is the examine the art as it exists through time.

Art is one way that presents both the social and physical change of the world.  This can be everything from the representation of who is in power to a society's concept of beauty to the evolution of intellect and technology.  Let us first reflect on the power of society.  Commonly, those in power were one of the few who could afford to sit for hours for a live painting and/or portrait to be taken.  These would often hang in their homes or palaces to signify the wealth and lounging they could afford while the rest of society had to work feverishly for even a few pennies to afford their lodging.  In these paintings, the representation of wealth also changes.  The shifting of wealth can be seen more so when the countries began to push for their expansion.  Furs and jewels changed for silk and spices to gold and silver even to crops and commerce.  When you examine paintings, look at all the clues it contains to have an idea about the social standing of the person in the world and an idea of the wealth they possess.

A society's ever evolving concept of beauty can be examined through the eyes of an artist as well.  While it is true that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, art will reflect the society majority of what is beautiful.  If you study work and focus on the female form alone, this is evident.  It is often said that in times of famine, larger women become beautiful, while in time of plenty, thinner women become idolized.  In the Middle Ages art, women are often depicted as having a rounded belly, the natural curves and a full breast.  Children were sometimes depicted suckling, the woman cautiously smiling at the artist.  Today, through the eyes of media (our art form), women are forever becoming thinner, pressed for more fat to be lost.  Curves are not praised as much as they were in times past.  The clothing in the paintings also portray what is beautiful as it accentuates or displays what is found to be attractive.  These are all clues that you can think about while looking at a painting to find out more about the time period in which it was painted.

Finally, even simply the style of painting can help relay how far society may have progressed intellectually.  Consider the first known drawings, found in the caves of France.  The animals were out of proportion, the human figures are not well-developed and there is not a lot of background.  A simple representation of how their lives were lead.  As our understanding of the world, light and shadow evolved, so did the complexity and realism of the artwork.  Coming into the Renaissance period, the artwork seemed to be of people actually taken in real life, a photograph for that time period.  But even we can over-evolve.  Such movements as this are impressionism, surrealism and cubism, among others.  The art world has taken more leaps with the addition of instantaneous entertainment, such as television and movies.  We have come from the beginnings of live action movies to 2D animated movies to computer generated films and 3D animation.  As our intellect and our technology changes, our art form changes along with it.  Forms of expression and methods of sharing them has changed.

This is just a basic overview on what is evident when you go through an art book.  I invite you to explore the art world with these points in mind.  Remember to reflect on the time period, the concept of beauty, what may have been considered wealth and to look at a painting with renewed eyes.  Most importantly, remember that while you are trying to understand the artist and what was trying to be conveyed art is also meant to be enjoyed.  Take a moment either before your analysis or after to enjoy the light and shadow on the canvas, the light in the subject's eyes and to enjoy the composition that is this piece of art.  After all, what is art unless you can't enjoy what is there?

The Salt and the Light

While on my way to work one day this week, I heard this song by Rhett Walker Band come on the radio.  Now, I have never been a big one for Christian music.  My family never really listened to it at home and I tried to avoid it outside of the home.  The only time I really had to listen to it was because I went to Oneighty with a friend of mine in middle school.  It was a setting where kids in the community could go to have fun and then hear an "obligatory word of God" for the last hour of the night.  On Fridays, they had 5th Quarter, where students can come after football games and hang out.

I respected everyone's views being different but the struggle came from my views not being respected.  Again, I was raised Catholic.  Catholicism has always been something that, when I bring it up, it is frowned upon.  Mind you, my fiance's different background was frowned upon when we spoke with a priest as well.

Over the last few days, both the words of this song and an experience at World Youth Day in Canada has caused me to think.  The lyrics of the song strongly reflect feelings I have experienced for a long time in my life.  That of pride, of knowing what is best in my life:

                                       V1: I'm torn between myself and your truth

These cursed memories, forever seeping through

My thirst for myself left me wanting more

Till I found myself face down on your shore

Chorus

V2: My restless heart, led me astray

To my selfish pride I became my own slave

But you placed a thirst in me with no drink in sight

'Cause I could not see till I saw through your eyes

These lyrics paint the experience, the path I walked down for many years.  The confusion I faced and tried to overcome, the feeling of being lost and alone.  This song, the chorus (which is not included in the above lyrics), is trying to illustrate the meaninglessness of worrying, to lay burdens down and trust all will be well.  Won't my fiance be happy to read this, as it is something he has been preaching to me for the entirety of our relationship?

I mentioned World Youth Day.  This is an event for the Catholic youth.  Youth from all over the world come to a selected city and celebrate Mass together, make friends together, share experiences together and live together.  I remember myself and a friend of mine were suppose to be too young to attend, but we were given special permission by our parish priest.  What a week it was!  We slept in a school, with groups from 

Trinidad across from the girls room I was in.  We shared meals together with other groups from all over the nation and world.  The last night we were there, we were sleeping outside in anticipation of hearing the then Pope John Paul II speak and hold mass the net day.  We slept in boxes, talked with our peers and walked around.  The next morning, it was rainy, the boxes disintegrating under the weight of the water.  Suddenly, it stopped when the Pope came to the stage/altar.

The message of this trip was Matthew 5:13-14, "You are the salt of the earth....you are the light of the world."  I remember hearing animated stories about this and what it means.  I remember attending a Mass where the priest said, "A radical Christian is a salty Christian!"  The verses, in their entirety (Matthew 5: 13-16) are this:

¹³ “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.

¹⁴ “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. ¹⁵ Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. ¹⁶ In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

We carry the weight of our faiths on our shoulders.  We alone as responsible for it thriving and growing.  We have to provide the flavor of the world and the light all around.  Even if not in solely a religious ideology, we should be a light, a beacon to those who need help, support and love.  Perhaps you have needed that in the past and felt yourself gravitate to someone who was a stranger to you.  Perhaps you found yourself telling a stranger your life story, not really knowing what prompted you.  And perhaps, because of this serendipity, you felt all the better.

Yes, I have had incidences and experiences in my life that are far from favorable.  But I also have points in time that I should celebrate.  I have experienced now that should be celebrated.  I know I need to stop fretting and worrying, stressing and carrying things I have no control over.  Maybe you need to reflect this as well.  Remember, a thing called, "La Vie" comes and passes so quickly that it can be gone in a blink of an eye.  Try to not let it pass without enjoying it.

"Hoppy" Easter

Christ is Risen!  Alleluia!  Alleluia!

A very Happy Easter to those of my readers who celebrate the conquest of death by Jesus Christ!  For those of you who may not share in this belief, happy final day of March!  I certainly hope it is filled with candy, love, family, friends and happiness!

I recall the phrase above being shouted at the Easter Vigil right as the lights were to be turned on and the church brought back into Light.  Shouts of "Hosanna" could be heard in celebration of the cementing of eternal life.  To reiterate the meaning of this celebration, Easter is one of the most honored feast days in the Christian religion.  It is celebrated as the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.  

Easter is also known as a time for rebirth and renewal.  The world is just starting to bud and burst from beneath a layer of snow or permafrost, the Earth becoming ready to till.  As is the Earth, so our minds must turn and till to prepare for more knowledge and growth in our lives.  How ironic that school was a thing taken up during the time where the harvest was done and the sowing could not yet commence?  However, when the sowing could commence, the learning was thought to stop.  It is as though where one sense of learning ceases, another takes its place.

This is much like the world outside of school.  While attending school, you focus as your source of learning is what you read from books and glean from your teachers.  You hardly notice learning from experience or gain wisdom from life lessons.  When you leave school, you may think initially that learning is completed, only to find out otherwise.  Learning doesn't ever stop or cease its existence.  It only becomes more intuitive and more ingrained in our world.

Just yesterday, I came to to learn another lesson.  You see, I am constantly someone who guards her thoughts, feelings and attitudes for fear of judgement.  I discovered that I still perpetuate this attitude in even writing this piece of literature.  My fiance reminds me well that I am talented in expressing my thoughts and feelings and yet, expressing them is to share a piece of vulnerability that lies within myself.  

As a result, my rebirth for this year occurred yesterday.  I shared with the world my musings, my writings and my vulnerability.  With this, I expose who I am with no holds barred.  I hope you will enjoy what I write and what I think.  Most of all, I hope you respect it.  I cannot promise what I put will be in line with yours thoughts, Reader, but I would be respectful of your thoughts and feelings.

I hope you all have a wonderful Easter and please come back to read more of my writings.  I draw from my experiences, my environment and what I hear around me.  Until then, enjoy a thing called, La Vie."

From Passion to Resurrection

Today is Good Friday, vendredi saint, and a solemn feast day for those in the Christian world.  In Roman Catholicism, I would be expect to fast, refrain from eating meat or have a complete fast and not eat at all.  But not only are our bodies bare, but the Church usually is to.

If you have ever been inside a Catholic church, you know they can be ornate settings, draped in cloth, gold and coverings.  But walk into one today.  If it is anything like the church I grew up in, the altar will be bare.  Crosses may be removed or, in the case of a large crucifix that cannot be physically removed, the face of Jesus will be covered in cloth.  It is a dark time in the church.  Services as limited to the Passion, the Stations of the Cross.  Light and bells are not flooded into the Church.  The Easter Vigil begins late on Holy Saturday completely in darkness.  Candles are the only thing we come into the church with.  It is when the light has left the world.  Suddenly, His resurrection!  Gloria is sung, the lights come on and we all start singing.

Today is somber to celebrate the joy for Sunday.  Easter is more than candy, bunnies, eggs and big dinners.  It's about family, love, celebrating the Light of the World coming back.  Even if you don't recognize Christianity, is there any better thing to celebrate than family?  Togetherness?  The light?

It's Spring but you would hardly recognize it here.  Who knows?  Perhaps Easter, when the Light comes flooding back into church, will mark the beginning of Light warming up the Earth.

Have a Happy Weekend...er...Hoppy Weekend!