Willis Tower

What is the context and how did that influence the work?

              The Willis Tower in Chicago Illinois has a history that many do not know about. It was originally named the Sears Tower based off of the company that built it to be their corporate headquarters. It was designed in 1969 for the Sears Roebuck and Company which was the largest retailer of the world at the time.  It began to be built in 1970 and was finished in 1973. At the end of construction the construction workers signed their names on the last security beam before placing it into the tower structure. Sears workers and other Chicagoans also signed the brace to signify unity with the tower. Sears Tower became Willis Tower in 2009 after being purchased by Willis Group Holdings. Many Chicagoans today still refuse to reject this change and refer to the tower as Sears tower. It is something many Chicagoans use to distinguish themselves from outsiders, similar to the famous way Chicagoans like their Hot Dogs and the quality of their Pizza. The Willis or Sears Tower is very interwoven with the culture of Chicago’s society just as it is interwoven into Chicago’s skyline. It also now features a Skydeck where both Chicagoans and tourists alike can stand on a very safe glass floor and witness the world from below thousands of feet in the air.

What is the artist communicating and how?

              Owings and Merrill and architect Bruce J. Graham designed the Willis Tower. They designed it to communicate two main things strength and modernism. The building itself was designed to be a headquarters for a company. The company wanted to convey its strength in business by building a grand building that would be famous all over the world, and it accomplished that goal. The entire building with its height and refined design immediately intimidate the viewer. This was designed to show the strength of Sears Roebuck Company and now works to convey strength for Willis Group Holdings. It also conveys modernism with its simplistic style and streamlined design. Its intersecting lines and amount of windows give the building a modern design although it’s been around for almost fifty years. This design is practically timeless while also achieving the feel of modernism. Even today it feels like one of the most modern buildings in Chicago both in design and in tenants. Its tenants are involved in modern business and more showing the importance and relevance of the Willis Tower. Cycles of tourists are drawn to Willis’ Tower’s strength and modern design. It has become a staple of Chicago because of its two main themes strength and modernism.

Why do you find it beautiful?

              The Willis Tower is beautiful to me for multiple reasons. I have known about the tower from a very young age and visited it while I was still quite young. Its height and elegance still feel quite magical and unique to me even today. Going to see the Tower while I was very young gave me an appreciation for its beauty that simply can’t be shaken. I am also very proud of the Willis Tower. Although I was raised in Evanston Illinois, I always felt a connection to Chicago and its landmarks. Having then Sears Tower and now Willis Tower gave me pride in my city and where I came from. Willis Tower is also filled with successful businesses and is very functional a long with being such a treasured landmark and tourist attraction. Being functional is so essential to the Willis’ Tower beauty, the outside is quite amazing, and its height is known around the world, but its origin and current purpose gives it value that can’t be taken away. Lastly its design is simply so well done. The way it welcomes everyone to the city, whether they are residents, tourists, or just passing through it is quite a welcoming sight to pass by. It’s reflection of the sky and its multi-dimensional design are truly beautiful to behold.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K.Rowiling

What is the context and how did that influence the work?

Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K.Rowling along with the other six books in the series was inspired from J.K.Rowling’s work with Refugees. Rowling had a job interviewing refugees in order to pay the bills because she was so poor. She has said that interviewing refugees from war showed her the real horrors of it and that is what inspired her to write the series. In specifically Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban Rowling shows how the government can influence the media, and refuse to listen the truth when it doesn’t go along with the agenda. This may have been inspired by the lack of media coverage given to people suffering from wars and the horrible events going on within those wars. The Dementors horrible creatures in the novel Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban were created based on J.K.Rowling’s experience with depression. J.K. Rowling once stated, “It’s so difficult to describe depression to someone who’s never been there, because it’s not sadness. I know sadness. Sadness is to cry and to feel. But it’s that cold absence of felling — that really hollowed-out feeling”. J.K.Rowling used her real experience and opinions from those experiences to create the beauty that is the Harry Potter series.

What is the artist communicating and how?

J.K.Rowling communicates two main themes in Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban. The first is that mental illness and suffering from a trauma are nothing to be ashamed of. This lesson is shown especially through Harry’s reliving of his parents deaths every time he comes into contact with a Dementor. He feels weak because no one else passes out or is affected as seriously as he is when in contact with a Dementor. Rowling speaks through Professor Lupin and states that Harry has been through more terrible things than most adults, and his reaction to Dementors is nothing to be ashamed of. He also teaches him ways to protect himself to cope with Dementors a symbol for Depression. The other theme is too do what is right. After Harry finds out that Sirius Black is innocent, and the Ministry of Magic is going to take his soul form him, he has every opportunity to not get involved. He chooses to do what is right and saves two innocent lives. He could have used this opportunity to avenge his parents and capture the man that betrayed his parents, but he instead chooses to save innocent people instead. He also chooses not to kill the man that betrayed his parents in the first place.

 Why do you find it beautiful?

            Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban is beautiful because of the components that make it up. The richness of the imagery and the specific details that J.K.Rowling includes is phenomenal they make the reader feel like they are actually there experiencing Hogwarts and Harry’s adventures with him. Harry’s happiness is felt clearly by the reader, his rage and confusion is also felt very vividly. Being as involved with Harry as a character pushes the reader to keep reading page after page. Also the rich characters that Rowling includes are truly amazing, it’s not just details about Harry, Ron, and Hermione, but details of all the background characters as well. Professor McGonagall, Professor Dumbledore, all of the Weasley family, and more are given three-dimensional descriptions. Beyond the characters the whole world is created so well. Although we only experience what Harry experiences, the description of the Dursley’s and their home and the Hogwarts Express all allow the reader to really experience the story. Above all else Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban is beautiful because of the in depth experience the reader has. The emotions that are felt, the characters that are known, and the places that are created all make Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban beautiful all created brilliantly by J.K.Rowling.

Dr.Horrible's Sing-Along Blog

What is the context and how did that influence the work?

            Dr.Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog was filmed during the writer’s strike of 2008. All writers in Hollywood didn’t write for about two weeks. Joss Whedon the creator and writer of Dr.Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog decided to utilize this time in order to create something new and amazing. He had been think about Dr.Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog for about a year when the time finally came to make it. Whedon gathered his family together and finished writing the story and music for the project. These writers include: Joss Whedon, Jed Whedon, Zach Whedon, and Marissa Tancharoen. This elite group then gathered together the cast that starts in Dr.Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog Neil Patrick Harris, Nathan Fillion, and Felicia Day. It started out as a passion project. People really didn’t expect it to go anywhere, because of this Joss Whedon really wanted to make it exclusively for the fans. This pushed him to ignore other production companies and release it for free online. It was so popular on the first day that the website shut down. They put it in so much effort, and worked so hard in order to create a piece of art for their fans. The creative energy used in Dr.Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog, is electric.

What is the artist communicating and how?

            Dr.Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog has two main themes. One being that everyone is capable of goodness and love, the other that power corrupts. Both of these themes are shown explicitly in the actions of Dr.Horrible played by Neil Patrick Harris. Dr.Horrible is a villain for all the right reasons, he wants the world to be a better place, but unfortunately believes that in order for that to happen he must conquer the current social order and destroy things, but at his root he’s a good person. This is also shown in his relationship with Penny, he truly loves her. He is willing to do anything for her, he gets her Frozen Yogurt and then at the end tries to kill her boyfriend who he believes is using her. This leads directly into theme two, power corrupts. Dr.Horrible believes that if he can obtain power then he can make the world a better place. Unfortunately he doesn’t take into account what he will have to do in order to conquer it. As he tries to join the Evil League of Evil he is forced to do things he usually wouldn’t. After a failed heist, the Evil League of Evil, tell him that his only way in is by killing another person. He decided to kill his nemesis Captain Hammer who is also using Penny, in order to get even with the social structure he hates, where he accidently kills Penny. He does all of this in order to gain more power, and at the end it is clear that he hates himself for it.

 Why do you find it beautiful?

            Practically everyone involved in Dr.Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog was there because they cared about the project. This shows in the acting, the writing, the music, and even the extras. It’s beautiful because of the amazing performances given, the witty one liners, and the brilliantly composed music. More specifically it is beautiful because of all of those things combined. Without the writing there would be no story, and without the actors it could not be seen as well, and the music is just the icing on the cake. The enthusiasm and gusto that Joss Whedon had for Dr.Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog is seen in everything involved in the project. His effort and outlook helped influence the rest of production to be positive. This attitude and tone makes Dr.Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog beautiful. Joss Whedon took a troubling time, where a lot of people were out of work and made something great to distract everyone. He wouldn’t write for a company so he wrote for himself. All of Dr.Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog is beautiful because the people who made it wanted it to be. They created an environment where people’s ideas flourished, and took a dark time and turned it into laughter.

Moai Statues

1.      Polynesian colonizers sculpted the Moai statues. They are located on Easter Island, and are world famous for their mystery and their size. The native Polynesian people call the statues Moai which is where they got their name. The island that the statues live on is called Easter Island, it is named Easter Island because a Dutch explorer (Jacob Roggeveen) found it on Easter in 1722. The statues themselves are very mysterious and not much of their past is known. However it is thought that there are 900 statues in existence on Easter Island. Also natives believe that they are representations of the dead. They serve to watch over the Easter Island residents and protect them from the spirit world that existed in the water. People would leave the Moai statues offerings, as a token of respect so they would continue to protect them from the beyond. Infighting struck the natives as hardships such as famine arose. The men and warriors would fight for leadership which weakened their entire society. After the society was already weak Peruvian slave traders abducted many natives and put them in slavery. This is the reason the Moai statues are so mysterious, the culture around it was made practically extinct.

2.       These Moai statues communicate two themes. The first is protection and safety. The second is spiritual and earthly energy. The Moai statues communicate protection and safety in the way that they are designed, facing and watching over what would have been their people many years ago. They also communicate this in the serious expressions they have on their faces. Originating in their people’s beliefs the statues reflect what they were made for. They were supposed to act as anchors to the people’s ancestors that would protect them against the spirit world and provide what they needed. The statues are made of rock which shows the strength the designer wished for them to have. The second theme spiritual and earthly energy is shown mainly through the substance that they were made from and the expressions on their face. Their plain yet serious expression communicates an ancient vibe to the viewer. Beyond that the rock that the statues were made from ties the connection the people had with the statues to the earth. The blankness of the statues shows the spiritual connection they have, it shows that their purpose and their main theme. They were made to protect their people from the beyond and it shows.

3.       I find these statues beautiful because of their deep history and beliefs beyond their appearance. The way that their people made them and believed that they would protect them is amazing to me. The beauty is that they lasted so long, and were so valuable to a group of people long ago and we still know about them. The way they were carved is beautiful, the stone is beautiful, and the location is beautiful. Someone a long, long time ago made all those decisions and created these statues not just for art, but to represent safety to his people. Someone chose to put in a ton of effort and to believe in something grader then themselves and made beautiful sculptures. Although the deeper meaning behind the sculptures is what is the most beautiful the sculptures themselves are also beautiful. The dark rock and intricate carving of the faces is amazing, the way art links us to times that they we will never see is truly beautiful. Being connected is beautiful, whether that is to distant times, far off places, different cultures, it is beautiful and it is all represented in this one group of sculptures. The Moai statues are mysterious and amazing.

A Storm in the Rocky Mountains, Mt.

1.     

What is the context and how did that influence the work?

  This painting A Storm in the Rocky Mountains, Mt.Rosalie was created based off of an expedition the artist Albert Bierstadt made in 1863. He wanted to go on this expedition so that he could gain material and experience for his art, specifically his painting. The work that he did from this expedition defined his career and his status as a painter. This painting A Storm in the Rocky Mountains, Mt.Rosalie was a part of many beautiful pictures that captured the ideals of the west specifically the idea of Manifest Destiny. Manifest Destiny was the idea that God had intended for Americans to claim all of the land in America no matter the means. It fueled settlers to pack up everything they owned in the search for a better life in a new place. Albert Bierstadt was capable of capturing the beauty of not only the physical landscape of the west, but also the beauty of the hopeful ideals so many people were clinging to during this time period. Albert Bierstadt incorporates the hope of the age into the painting in the form of light.The current events and excitement of traveling to the west directly fueled Albert Bierstadt’s idea for the painting and inspired him to make this beautiful work.

2.       What is the artist communicating and how?

       In A Storm in the Rocky Mountains, Mt.Rosalie made by Albert Bierstadt communicated two main themes, first the beauty of nature, second the danger of the unknown. The way Bierstadt communicated the beauty of nature is shown in the detail that he includes in the painting. Specific rocks and trees are painted to a very sharp degree that shows the importance of every single piece of the scene beyond the ominous clouds and large mountains. It is also shown through the emphasis or focus of the scene. Although the storm in the background of the scene is what the painting is named after the scene before it is the majority of the painting. The simple nature landscape shows how beautiful nature is and the importance of that beauty. The second theme of the danger of the unknown is shown mainly through Bierstadt’s use of light. The light in the majority of the landscape is pretty steady while it steadily decreases towards the storm except for a patch of bright light before it. The darkness of the storm is emphasized by the use of the bright light just before it. This communicates the danger of the storm and a sense of foreboding and tension towards the storm that is about to unfold over the beautiful landscape before it.

3.       Why do you find it beautiful?

       This painting is beautiful to me, because landscapes are very calming to me. Beyond that I also feel as if looking at this painting anything could happen, a story is about to unfold. A Storm in the Rocky Mountains, Mt.Rosalie captured a moment in time that will never happen again without the technology we have today. Sure it was affected by the painter, and what he specifically wanted to communicate from this piece, but it was based off an adventure and an experience that truly happened. The authenticity of that moment is very easy to see in this painting, it is the core of the beauty that radiates out from it. That moment out of all time is saved, the motion west and the nature that accompanied it is saved through this painting. The use of light in this photo is very dynamic and really draws attention to the storm and the emotion and tension that is within it. Everyone can relate to that nervousness whether it is from a real storm, or a huge project that emotion is real and pops out from the painting. Being able to relate to that feeling, that isn’t being stated in words or in a description is truly beautiful. 

Blog Post #1: Stressed Out by Twenty One Pilots

1.     What is the context and how did that influence the work?

The song “Stressed Out” by Twenty One Pilots is largely about the stress facing teens and young adults. Today’s teenagers are faced with more challenges than any generation before. In an American Physiological Association 2013 stress survey stated, “31 percent of teens report feeling overwhelmed as a result of stress, 30 percent say that they feel sad or depressed as a result of stress, and 36 percent report feeling tired or fatigued because of stress”. The expectations of teenagers drive them to ignore their limits by taking extremely challenging classes and pursue extracurricular activities not for fun, but for their resume.

“Stressed Out” also talks about the necessity for the stress being placed onto young adults shoulders while also showing the immense pressure facing kids today. With a broken economy and poor job market facing almost every country around the world, students must be the best of the best in order to make money, the primary goal of our society. Twenty One Pilots have gained more and more popularity for their authentic emotion in the past year. They have come along way from Columbus Ohio, having recently been dubbed “the Biggest New Band of the Past Year” by Rolling stone magazine.

2.     What is the artist communicating and how?

Twenty One Pilots communicates both the emotions of being stressed out, frustrated, and nostalgic for easier times while also communicating the origin for these emotions. Twenty One Pilots communicates the emotion of being stressed out by sharing what initially causes being stressed out, being people’s opinions and his level of talent as a musician.

Twenty One Pilots also communicates being stressed out with the tempo and mixed rhythms of the song. The fast tempo of the stanzas and the slower calmer chorus also juxtaposes the emotions of stress and nostalgia. Placing the lines focused on the past in the chorus shows the desire of returning to simpler times, that Twenty One Pilot’s communicates. The fast paced chorus communicates wishing that things were simpler like in the past while the main content of the song is slower and communicates Twenty One Pilots feeling of stress and frustration at the world.

      Twenty One Pilots’ use of repetition and rhyme communicate the cycle of stress and wishing for things to be different. Placing a large amount of rhyme in the last few lines of the song calls attention to the conclusion Twenty One Pilots’ want’s their audience to come away with. It adds emphasis on the importance the world puts on conformity in order to obtain monetary success.

3.     Why do you find it beautiful?

I find “Stressed Out” Twenty One Pilots beautiful because of the way that I can connect to it emotionally. Being real about the desire to return to innocence and dreams, is something I think everyone connect too. Being raw and allowing catharsis from its audience is what makes this song so beautiful. It has emotionally charged lyrics and great rhythm that allows me to both mentally and physically experience the song. Being at the time in my life in which I am deciding where I will spend my next four years, and possibly what I will spend my life it’s easy for me to connect to this song. By connecting with it and feeling emotions of the song while listening to it allows me piece of my mind, which I find beautiful.

            I also find the repetition of the song incredibly beautiful. The emphasis and contradiction of childhood innocence and the required greediness of adulthood creates stress throughout the entirety of the song that is felt organically in life as well. “Stressed Out” by Twenty One Pilots is beautiful because of the way it combines real emotion and complex rhythm to form such an organic emotion that everyone feels, stress.