Final task - What is Art?

Violino e paleta (I can not find the translation), was painted by Georges Braques in 1909. It shows us what it seems to be a person with a violin.

This piece was painted with oil, and it is a small painting, of only 91x42,8 centimeters. In general, the figure consists in geometrical forms and was drawn like a puzzle, with the object dismembered and with superimposed plans. This technique is also used in other pieces by this artist and cubist movement, being very characteristic of the latter (the geometrical figures and similar features). The figure seems to be opened to the viewer, as if we could see all the sides of the object. We can see that the violin is repeated, though in a smaller size, and the center is the clearest point of the painting. Braques used neutral and dark colours (specially grey and brown), with no vcariation of the same, creating a heavy atmosphere in the object. However, we can see that some lines are darker, so we can figure out the most important figures.

It is difficult to have an interpretation of a figure that you can not quite understand, with no certain object besides two violines. But maybe the violines are what trully matters, being more defined and clear than other possible figure in the painting. The colours and lines helps us to get this conclusion, once, like said before, it is got by the better definition of the object.

This undefinition of the object makes this interpretation and my response to the painting probably not the best one, or the most apropriate. I can not say what it is, because I do not know; I do not have any kind of interpretation of this painting. Nevertheless, it matters to try to analyse it, so we can open ourselves to new realities.

Reading Log - II

New things I found out about this book, about it's writing, style and, of course, plot.

Per example, I found out that Stoker writes just like one speaks, with the accent given by the writing - « Now, sir, you can go and arsk me what you want. You'll excoose me refoosin' to talk of perfeshunal subjects afore meals».
And, by now, more than before, we can see that nothing is said by chance. All the letters and journals are combined in a way that show us a little bit more about what is happening. Besides, some clues are left by those letter, or the introduction of the same, like « Letter, Mina Harker to Lucy Westemra (unopened by her)».

New characters are now important too. Well, they were before mencioned in the book, but only now we can see how important they are.

• The first one is Quincey Morris, from Texas: is young, fresh and have brave eyes. An adventurer, funny person, good-humoured that likes to speak slang when with someone of confidence. He's in love with Lucy and, when he knows that she's ill, he gets worried and even helps Dr. Seward and Prof. Van Helsing.
• Reinfield - Dr. Seward patient (of the asylum). He's know for his «sanguine temperament; great physical strengh; morbidly exicitable» and his, possibly, a dangerous man. Besides, is also selfish and likes animals (spiders, flies...). Dr. Seward considered him homicidal - a zoophagous maniac: life eating - absorve as many lives as he can, comulatively (the flies are eaten by the spiders, who are eaten by birds, who are eaten by cats, who are eaten by dogs, which he eats).

But another things is mantained: the human nature is still focused - the love one feels for someone who makes us do anything for that someone. We get a new perspective of that nature, while we are still trying to figure out what is going to happen next.

Reading Log - Beautiful Passages I

Here are the beautiful passages I selected for now from Dracula, by Bram Stoker:

Welcome to my house. Come freely. Go safely. And leave something of the happiness you bring.

Count Dracula

I liked this passage because it is interesting: when we receive somenone in our place we never say what we truly expect people to bring or do, but it is this: someone who comes because it wants, who goes safe with no harm and be happy while visiting.

Let me be prosaic so far as facts can be; it will help me to bear up, and imagination must not run riot with me. If it does I'm lost.

Jonathan Harker

Fearing for his life, something is needed. Maybe just imagination so he's able to bear all the provations he faces.

(...) The Szekely (...) can boast a record that mushroom growths like the Hapsburgs and the Romanoffs can never reach. The warlike days are over. Blood it's to precious a thing in these days of dishonourable peace; and the glories of the great races are as a tale that is told.

Count Dracula

Firts of all, I liked the expression « mushrooms growths», refering to the growth of the influency of the Hapsburgs and Romanoffs in Transylvania. Second, this is a perpective of a vampire about war ans conquests. We can figure out something about the character in this passage.

(...) it is wonderfull how small a matter will interest and amuse a man when he is a prisioner.

Jonathan Harker

The mere event and Triviality can have some interest to one who's outside world seems so far away. It's like our mentality changes and our reality changes.

(...) the old centuries had, and have, powers of their own which mere "modernity" can not kill

Jonathan Harker

The old centuries have the wisdom to show us our mistakes, to lead us to a better way. If we pay attention or not, that's another question.

(...) I ain't afraid of dyin' not a bit; only I don't want to die if I can help it.

Mr. Swales (I didn't introduced this character in the first log, but I can say now that is an old man who lives in Whitby and stays friends with Mina and Lucy while they are there)

Trying not to die is no synonym of being afraid of death; it's synonym of loving life and what ir brings. But death it's the ultimate destiny and no one should ever fear it; we would be fearing life itself, since death is part of it. We would fear every minute of our existence.

For life be, after all, only a waintin' for somethin' else than what we're doing'; and death be all that we can rightly depend on.

Mr. Swales

Life is a constant wainting. The only thing we are exactly certain is about death. It is the only thing we are positively sure that it's going to happen.

Ah, sir, you dwellers in the city can not enter into the feelings of the hunter.

Count Dracula

City was so apart from country side as it is now.

It is something like the way Dame Nature gathers round a foreing body an envolope of some insensitive tissue which can protect from evil that which it would otherwise harm by contact. If this be an ordered selfishness, then we should pause before we condemn anyone for the vise of egoism, for there may be deeper roots for its causes than we have knowledge of.

Dr. Seward

I just like this passage. Sometimes it happens. It says something more.

I suppose it is that sickness and weakness are selfish things and turn our inner eyes and sympathy on ourselves, whilst health and strengh give love rein, and in thought and feeling he can wander where he wills.

Lucy Westenra

We controle how we feel, and how we feel is how we see life and how he see ourselves and the others.

These are the passages and this is what they make me think. I reflected about each and one of them, and this was what it came up. Or, at least, some of it.

My I recommend

Here it is the presentation I was supossed to show today in my - technology is a beautiful thing!

I Recommend

Basicly, is just the videos and some images of Hauru no Ugoku Shiro I would like to show you. And no, the videos of M Butterfly are NOT in Spanish!

And because I just can't resist...

SPOILER ALERT

The last scene of M Butterfly. Here we understand how deep Rene believed in that lie.

However, I truly recommend to you to watch the whole movie, so you can understand better why he acts this way.

« I'm the master of my fate; I'm the captain of my soul »

There is something about some movies that just keeps me looking at the screen with the will of knowing and finding everything I can about every pictured moment. Those movies with an emotional bagage and plot beyond the average and merely entertainement. Invictus is one of those.

I had some high expectations, not because of the well known director or actors, but mostly because of the strong story, that deserves a strong movie. Something bellow this would have ruined it.

Nelson Mandela is Nelson Mandela; no need to introduce the man, the fighter, the politician, the personality. But what I thought it was more curious is the fact that even Mandela used sports as a way to unite his country. And what a wise made he was (and is).

It was wise because no one can be indifferent to the fact that his country is so well represented internacionally n a beloved sport, no matter if the players are black or white, and Mandela used rugby as a way to avoid black people to behave just as the ones they were fighting against.

Because that is what it was going to happen, just look at the decision of ending with the team and give it another name. However, we can't forget the wound in the hearts of one people that suffered for so many years in the hands of the ones whio now were their fellow compatriots.

One of the most impressive scene was when the Springbrook team visits the prision where Mandela was a prisioner for 30 years, and François Pineaar closes the door of his cell. Pineaar says latter that he thinks about how can a man be in jail for 30 years, in such tiny place, working as a slave, and still be able to forgive the ones who put him there.

This is a lesson of life and for life.

Reading Log - I

Dracula, by Bram Stoker

Plot: Jonathan Harker, an english solicitor, travels to Transylvania on work, and there he meets Count Dracula, a strange person who is with Jonathan at night and disapears during the day.
Curious, Jonathan starts to find out more things about this Count and gets scared.
Meanwhile, in England, life goes on until some suspicious events occur, connected with Dracula without the knowledge of anyone.
Lifes start to change...

It happens in 1897, in differente places: starts in Transylavania and then the story goes on in England, in several places.


Characters:

• Jonathan Harker - english solicitor (no certain discription); it's a strong and brave man, devoted to his work and family (wife-to-be); firstly, is very formal and even curious about the Count and Transylvania; gets curious when meeting the Count; when he finds out that is a prisioner in Dracula's Castle, he gets scared and fearing for his life.
• Count Dracula - wants to buy a property in London; old man, with moustache; strong, aquiline face; arched nostrils; lofty forehead; much hair; sharp white teeth; very pale. He is always firm and calm, and only loses his temper once (until now). Is a very misterious person, very formal and full of secrets
• Mina - Jonathan's wife-to-be (no certain discription). Brave woman, hard working. Goes to Whitby to meet Lucy, and gets excited when arrives. Likes all the misteries of the town and, after a while, starts to get more and more worried and anxious about Jonathan, from whom she has no news, and Lucy, who is apparently sick.
• Lucy - Mina's friend. Sweet and lovely; rosed chickbones. She is a sleepwalker, and even gets out of the house and goes to the street, moment when she loses her characteristic gayety and gets sick. To be married with Arthur Holmwood.
• Dr. John Seward - takes care of a lunatic asylum. 29 years old; handsome, good birth, clever and imperturbable. Is very curious about Renfield, one of his pacients. In the begining he is very sad about Lucy's marriage refusal, working to forget it (he even takes sleeping-pills). When sees that Lucy is sick, starts worrying.
• Professor Van Helsing - from Amsterdam. He is known for knowing about obscure diceases and for being one of the most advanced scientists of his day. Is very open minded and has an «iron nerve, temper of the ice brook and indomitable resolution, self-command and toleration exalted from virtues to blessings, and the kindiest and truest heart that beats». When Dr. Sewards asks for his help with Lucy's condition he gets curious about the case.

Narrator: The story is told by the characters mencioned above in letters, journals, telegrams and more so.

Bram Stoker introduces the story by saying: « How these papers have been placed in sequence will be made clear in the reading of them. All needless matters have been eliminated, so that a history almost at variance with the possibilities of later-day belief may err, for all the records chosen are exactly contemporary, given from the sandpoints and within the range of knowledge of those who made them».

We get to know the story from the organisation of this journals and letters, according with the date and occurance of events.

While reading this book I've been selecting some passages which I liked and found interesting. However, I would like to dedicate on single post to those passages, since there are a few of them. Just like the vocabulary: many of the words and expressions I read were not of my knowledge, so I am preparing a mini Dracula's dictionary, to be posted when I finish to read it, so it can be well organised.

Altough, I do found some Interest Points, or, at least, there are interest points to me. Most of them are related with the writing technique, since it is the way he writes that becomes interesting.

• Stoker doesn't talk about that past, only about the present, so the story does not become to long and tirering (?) with the discription of details. We can imagine until we actually know.
• Those details about the characters, the reason of their apearence and meeting are revealed by bits: not entirely, but little parts which come up with the events. It keeps the reading more interesting, once wedon't know everything by once; we have to read!
• Everything goes just like in a movie: we go back in time with the different journals and letters and like this we know what is happening with all the characters.
• When writing. Stoker uses the some style and techniques. Nevertheless, we can identify which one of the characters is writing without reading who is actually the person in question.

One of the things I understood while reading Dracula is that it is strongly connected with human nature and feelings. We can understand that right in the begining, when Jonathan founds himself fearing for his life, fearing the unknown but, at the same time, feeling such a curiosity about it that can help to find out more about the Count, even knowing what it could happen.

This sort of feelings are often, just like the sense of love and commitment, mostly in the female characters.

Until now, I am finding Dracula more than a horror story, more than a story about vampires. While entertaining, Bram Stoker give us a lesson about human nature.