Riding my bicycle to school recently, I was crossing the dangerous Youree Dr. at E. Washington intersection. A bit of confusion between a driver and myself about my turning left caused a brief delay in the traffic.
While turning off I heard someone behind me say "Get that thing off the road."
I understand his negativity towards a bike commuter. But the truth is, his remark didn't disturb me. That was partly because his tone of voice was not harsh. I believe that I heard some sense of consideration in the timbre of his complaint.
That's where an effective writer needs to be in regards reviews. Don't be afraid to offer a critical or negative thought. Present it with detail and in a respectful tone.
For a good example, see the restaurant review site called tastingshreveport.wordpress.com.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Recommended: Flip Ultra HD & the little flexy tool called a Gorillapod
"It's the photographer, not the camera." That means even your cell phone can capture effective photos if you learn how best to use it.
A handful of rules to explore:
a) Rule of thirds.
b) Get close.
c) Turn off the flash. Steady the camera. Use soft, natural light.
d) Shoot at or around sunset.
e) Use high or low POV.
Video? The Flip Ultra HD is a phenomenal video cam for about $140. I like the picture quality, sound quality, capacity - 2 hours - and pocketability. Rechargeable batteries or use 2 AA batteries.
The Flip Ultra has been the best-selling camcorder on Amazon.com since the day of its debut, capturing about 13% of the camcorder market, says Wikipedia.
Cisco Systems acquired Pure Digital Technologies, the maker of Flip Video, for $590 million USD in stock in 2009.
A handful of rules to explore:
a) Rule of thirds.
b) Get close.
c) Turn off the flash. Steady the camera. Use soft, natural light.
d) Shoot at or around sunset.
e) Use high or low POV.
Video? The Flip Ultra HD is a phenomenal video cam for about $140. I like the picture quality, sound quality, capacity - 2 hours - and pocketability. Rechargeable batteries or use 2 AA batteries.
The Flip Ultra has been the best-selling camcorder on Amazon.com since the day of its debut, capturing about 13% of the camcorder market, says Wikipedia.
Cisco Systems acquired Pure Digital Technologies, the maker of Flip Video, for $590 million USD in stock in 2009.
Scissors, cardboard, color & paste help make Fine Arts Survey a tactile learning experience
We've played with light and legos, shot photos in the classroom and had a field trip. But how can the standard days be lightened and enlivened?
It shall be a 5 pt. activity to show me that you've got the necessary colors and scissors to construct hands-on learning aids.
Due Th, Sept 9.
Colors! Either pastel markers, map pencils, water colors or crayons will suffice.
Scissors! Cutting and constructing paper into architectural models is something of a specialty here.
Next week we will create a pop-up Manhattan skyline in honor of our study of jazz.
It shall be a 5 pt. activity to show me that you've got the necessary colors and scissors to construct hands-on learning aids.
Due Th, Sept 9.
Colors! Either pastel markers, map pencils, water colors or crayons will suffice.
Scissors! Cutting and constructing paper into architectural models is something of a specialty here.
Next week we will create a pop-up Manhattan skyline in honor of our study of jazz.
RW Norton review / essay: a sample and guide
Luminous landscapes by Ansel Adams a luxurious sight at RW Norton Art Foundation
Boulders, rocks, mountain peaks and adobe chapels were among the most frequent subjects of towering American photographer Ansel Adams. The RW Norton Art Foundation Gallery, Shreveport, has an August-to-December exhibit of some 47 Adams prints.
RW Norton Art Foundation, an almost-hidden but huge cultural resource center in Shreveport, is presenting a selection of prints considered by Adams to be his best work.
Students from Caddo Magnet High's fine arts survey class were recently guided through the museum and given a lecture on the life of Adams by Norton educational staffer Jennifer DeFratis.
"Moonrise, Hernandez, New Mexico," perhaps the most famous photo by Adams, was among the selections. Students learned that such 16" X 20" prints were sold by the photographer for a few hundred dollars during his lifetime, 1902 to 1984. Today the price of such prints may be as high as $600,000, says Wikipedia.
Students were also guided from the North Wing of the extensive museum to the South Wing. There the notebook-carrying teens were shown a selection of photo-realistic landscapes. Most impressive to many was a wall-filling view of the Himalayas by British painter Peter Ellenshaw.
Fine arts survey teacher Robert Trudeau recommends the exhibit and the Norton to all audiences. "The medium-size format of the Ansel Adams - rather than sizable enlargements - was somewhat disappointing to me," he said. "But the luminosity and sensuality of Adams' work remains apparent." He added, "The galleries of the Norton are so well-designed and the paintings and sculptures so well-lighted that it is an unutterable joy to visit the site on Creswell Ave, near Pierremont and Uptown Shopping centers."
Hours of the Norton are Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. It is closed Mondays and national holidays. Admission is free.
See more at RWNAF.org.
Boulders, rocks, mountain peaks and adobe chapels were among the most frequent subjects of towering American photographer Ansel Adams. The RW Norton Art Foundation Gallery, Shreveport, has an August-to-December exhibit of some 47 Adams prints.
RW Norton Art Foundation, an almost-hidden but huge cultural resource center in Shreveport, is presenting a selection of prints considered by Adams to be his best work.
Students from Caddo Magnet High's fine arts survey class were recently guided through the museum and given a lecture on the life of Adams by Norton educational staffer Jennifer DeFratis.
"Moonrise, Hernandez, New Mexico," perhaps the most famous photo by Adams, was among the selections. Students learned that such 16" X 20" prints were sold by the photographer for a few hundred dollars during his lifetime, 1902 to 1984. Today the price of such prints may be as high as $600,000, says Wikipedia.
Students were also guided from the North Wing of the extensive museum to the South Wing. There the notebook-carrying teens were shown a selection of photo-realistic landscapes. Most impressive to many was a wall-filling view of the Himalayas by British painter Peter Ellenshaw.
Fine arts survey teacher Robert Trudeau recommends the exhibit and the Norton to all audiences. "The medium-size format of the Ansel Adams - rather than sizable enlargements - was somewhat disappointing to me," he said. "But the luminosity and sensuality of Adams' work remains apparent." He added, "The galleries of the Norton are so well-designed and the paintings and sculptures so well-lighted that it is an unutterable joy to visit the site on Creswell Ave, near Pierremont and Uptown Shopping centers."
Hours of the Norton are Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. It is closed Mondays and national holidays. Admission is free.
See more at RWNAF.org.
Monday, August 30, 2010
Kitsch and other vocab associated with the Norton essay guidelines
Kitsch (German) is a form of art that is considered an inferior, tasteless copy of an extant style of art or a worthless imitation of art of recognised value, says Wikipedia.
Example: the statue of Marilyn Monroe, skirt in the air, in the hallway at RW Norton.
The concept is associated with the deliberate use of elements that may be thought of as cultural icons[1] while making cheap mass-produced objects that are unoriginal.
Kitsch also refers to the types of art that are aesthetically deficient (whether or not being sentimental, glamorous, theatrical, or creative) and that make creative gestures which merely imitate the superficial appearances of art through repeated conventions and formulae.
Excessive sentimentality often is associated with the term.
More vocab -
carbonated quote: effervescent!
Xanadu: a stately pleasure dome.
brevity: being brief.
facade: the face.
canny: clever.
abysmal: the worst.
hackneyed: lacking significance through having been overused.
tithing: 10% or a voluntary gift.
tweak: play with.
alliteration: repeating the beginning sounds.
quote: a smart element in an effective essay.
generalities: "awesome place"
detail: "400 paintings"
thesaurus: use one.
Tip ping is not a city in China.
20% is the preferred level of tipping for those who have empathy with waiters.
Tasting Shreveport is a new restaurant critics' blog that is admired by your teacher.
Example: the statue of Marilyn Monroe, skirt in the air, in the hallway at RW Norton.
The concept is associated with the deliberate use of elements that may be thought of as cultural icons[1] while making cheap mass-produced objects that are unoriginal.
Kitsch also refers to the types of art that are aesthetically deficient (whether or not being sentimental, glamorous, theatrical, or creative) and that make creative gestures which merely imitate the superficial appearances of art through repeated conventions and formulae.
Excessive sentimentality often is associated with the term.
More vocab -
carbonated quote: effervescent!
Xanadu: a stately pleasure dome.
brevity: being brief.
facade: the face.
canny: clever.
abysmal: the worst.
hackneyed: lacking significance through having been overused.
tithing: 10% or a voluntary gift.
tweak: play with.
alliteration: repeating the beginning sounds.
quote: a smart element in an effective essay.
generalities: "awesome place"
detail: "400 paintings"
thesaurus: use one.
Tip ping is not a city in China.
20% is the preferred level of tipping for those who have empathy with waiters.
Tasting Shreveport is a new restaurant critics' blog that is admired by your teacher.
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Ansel Adams through Rembrandt: FineArtsMagnet web site notes quiz Th, Sept 2
Ansel Adams, fine arts photography and additional notes.
- Open notes quiz. About 12 - 15 questions, in chronological order of entries.
- Multiple choice.
- Material begins Wed, Aug 18.
- Open notes quiz. About 12 - 15 questions, in chronological order of entries.
- Multiple choice.
- Material begins Wed, Aug 18.
Inspired by Rembrandt van Rijn; the side-lighting photo project / due Tues, Sept 7
- Shoot and print 3 portraits featuring side lighting. Convert the images to black & white in your computer.
- Standards: sharp focus, plain & dark background, adequate lighting and contrast. Print on typing paper.
- Place them in cardboard mats as found in crafts stores such as Michaels, Hobby Lobby. Please use 5X7 or 8X10.
- Due Tues, Sept 7. 15 pts.
- One portrait pose should be an imitation of a famous Rembrandt painting.
The Fine Arts Portrait Exhibit: your portraits will be mounted on a display panel in the cafeteria.
Be prepared to write an in-class essay: 200-word (or more) essay on the process and outcome of your project.
- What you did; what you learned.
- Offer both description and insight.
‘Rembrandt’ or ‘chiaroscuro’ lighting accentuates the focal point of the composition by bathing it in light and surrounding the focal point by darker recesses, says David Bennett.
The Italian word ‘chiaroscuro’ means light and dark, and the alternative name of ‘Rembrandt’ lighting comes from the fact that he created that lighting effect in a lot of his paintings and may be the finest artist to have used the technique.
The contrast between light and dark areas also accentuates the three-dimensional appearance of the subject.
This is traditional, timeless, lighting, says Belle Gerard. Your main light is about 45 degrees to the right of center - and slightly above your subject.
The key is to have the shadow created by the nose connect with the shadow on the far side of the face - creating a triangular highlight on the subject’s cheek.
Read a basic bio of Rembrandt van Rijn.
More info: trudeau11@gmail.com
- Standards: sharp focus, plain & dark background, adequate lighting and contrast. Print on typing paper.
- Place them in cardboard mats as found in crafts stores such as Michaels, Hobby Lobby. Please use 5X7 or 8X10.
- Due Tues, Sept 7. 15 pts.
- One portrait pose should be an imitation of a famous Rembrandt painting.
The Fine Arts Portrait Exhibit: your portraits will be mounted on a display panel in the cafeteria.
Be prepared to write an in-class essay: 200-word (or more) essay on the process and outcome of your project.
- What you did; what you learned.
- Offer both description and insight.
‘Rembrandt’ or ‘chiaroscuro’ lighting accentuates the focal point of the composition by bathing it in light and surrounding the focal point by darker recesses, says David Bennett.
The Italian word ‘chiaroscuro’ means light and dark, and the alternative name of ‘Rembrandt’ lighting comes from the fact that he created that lighting effect in a lot of his paintings and may be the finest artist to have used the technique.
The contrast between light and dark areas also accentuates the three-dimensional appearance of the subject.
This is traditional, timeless, lighting, says Belle Gerard. Your main light is about 45 degrees to the right of center - and slightly above your subject.
The key is to have the shadow created by the nose connect with the shadow on the far side of the face - creating a triangular highlight on the subject’s cheek.
Read a basic bio of Rembrandt van Rijn.
More info: trudeau11@gmail.com
Arts reviews / essay guidelines
1. Vivid opening. Describe an image you thought was one of the best elements of the show. Write with color and vibe.
2. The overall impact or significance of the display or performance. Ex: "The Graffiti show at Artspace attempts to broaden visitors' sense of the definition of fine arts."
3. Principal elements of the event or display. Use detail from your notes. Mention titles. Describe pieces.
4. Your evaluation: what you think was effective or appealing.
- Also, what you thought was difficult to understand or to like.
- Technical successes or problems.
- Philosophical approval or disagreements.
5. Names of people and / or groups responsible for the production.
6. Location, date(s). Ticket price.
7. Online source for more info.
8. Titling: snappy title, explanatory subtitle.
9. Third person voice at all times.
Save to Google Doc folder; send to trudeau11@gmail.com.
Scored at 15 pts.
2. The overall impact or significance of the display or performance. Ex: "The Graffiti show at Artspace attempts to broaden visitors' sense of the definition of fine arts."
3. Principal elements of the event or display. Use detail from your notes. Mention titles. Describe pieces.
4. Your evaluation: what you think was effective or appealing.
- Also, what you thought was difficult to understand or to like.
- Technical successes or problems.
- Philosophical approval or disagreements.
5. Names of people and / or groups responsible for the production.
6. Location, date(s). Ticket price.
7. Online source for more info.
8. Titling: snappy title, explanatory subtitle.
9. Third person voice at all times.
Save to Google Doc folder; send to trudeau11@gmail.com.
Scored at 15 pts.
Friday, August 27, 2010
Fine Arts Magnet @ Norton, Shreveport
Please see a video compilation of images capturing the tone of the RW Norton session. The still images and video clips have been assembled and sited at vimeo.com.
Magnet at Norton.
Magnet at Norton.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
RW Norton Art Foundation: the basics
In the early 1920's, Richard W. Norton (1886-1940) became one of the discoverers of the Rodessa Oil Field in north Louisiana, says the foundation web site, Rwnaf.org.
Over time, Mr. Norton's wife and son began to amass a significant collection of fine art. In 1946, to honor Mr. Norton and for the benefit of the community, Richard W. Norton, Jr. (1919-1974) and his mother, Mrs. Richard W. Norton (1886-1975) created the R.W. Norton Art Foundation. In turn, the Foundation eventually established the R.W. Norton Art Gallery, basing its initial collection upon donations from the acquisitions of the Nortons.
The R.W. Norton Art Gallery houses incomparable collections of American and European paintings, sculptures and decorative arts spanning more than four centuries. Since its opening in 1966, the museum has become particularly well-known around the country for its impressive collections of works by those titans of western art, Frederic Remington and Charles M. Russell.
Over time, Mr. Norton's wife and son began to amass a significant collection of fine art. In 1946, to honor Mr. Norton and for the benefit of the community, Richard W. Norton, Jr. (1919-1974) and his mother, Mrs. Richard W. Norton (1886-1975) created the R.W. Norton Art Foundation. In turn, the Foundation eventually established the R.W. Norton Art Gallery, basing its initial collection upon donations from the acquisitions of the Nortons.
The R.W. Norton Art Gallery houses incomparable collections of American and European paintings, sculptures and decorative arts spanning more than four centuries. Since its opening in 1966, the museum has become particularly well-known around the country for its impressive collections of works by those titans of western art, Frederic Remington and Charles M. Russell.
Taking notes at Norton or during any museum visit
At least nine citations of pieces of art is required of fine arts students in a museum visit. I will expect students to carry notebooks and pens. I encourage you to bolster your notes with photos.
Brief description as well as a title, artist and date are the standard items.
In classes subsequent to the visit we will write a detail-filled review.
Your behavior must be impeccable.
Asking questions is highly encouraged.
Brief description as well as a title, artist and date are the standard items.
In classes subsequent to the visit we will write a detail-filled review.
Your behavior must be impeccable.
Asking questions is highly encouraged.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Field trip to Norton on Thurs, Aug 26, during the class period
Jennifer DeFratis of the RW Norton staff will give a spiel on the Ansel Adams photos as well as another section of the Norton when students and parents visit the Norton gallery on Th, Aug 26.
Please see the web site: Rwnaf.org
discussion vocab -
- mausoleum / ossified
- vibrant
- Lewis Norton, Jr, visionary
- Americana
- Frederick Remington, Charles Russell: kinetic sculpture
History of Photography
-Nicephore Niepce, French
- Louis Daguerre, French: Daguerreotype (Matthew Brady), metal plate
- Wm Henry Fox Talbot, British: callotypes
- precursor
- camera obscura ("room," "dark")
- pinhole camera
WC: the impact of the long-lived British Empire.
Please see the web site: Rwnaf.org
discussion vocab -
- mausoleum / ossified
- vibrant
- Lewis Norton, Jr, visionary
- Americana
- Frederick Remington, Charles Russell: kinetic sculpture
History of Photography
-Nicephore Niepce, French
- Louis Daguerre, French: Daguerreotype (Matthew Brady), metal plate
- Wm Henry Fox Talbot, British: callotypes
- precursor
- camera obscura ("room," "dark")
- pinhole camera
WC: the impact of the long-lived British Empire.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
O'mar Finley as photographed by Vanessa Wright
This profile is an enormously capable portrait.
Notice that the light hits only parts of his visage. His lower lip stands in relief. His eyelid.
Wright has employed chiaroscuro ( Italian for light-dark). It is characterized by strong contrasts between light and dark, usually bold contrasts affecting a whole composition.
Also, his eyes are downcast and a pensive air rises from the moment.
Notice that the light hits only parts of his visage. His lower lip stands in relief. His eyelid.
Wright has employed chiaroscuro ( Italian for light-dark). It is characterized by strong contrasts between light and dark, usually bold contrasts affecting a whole composition.
Also, his eyes are downcast and a pensive air rises from the moment.
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Ansel Adams one-sheet bio project: 10 pts
Colorful, one-sheet biography project:
American photographer Ansel Adams
10 pts / due Aug 26 / in notebook or via Google Docs to trudeau11@gmail.com
Images -
( can be printed from online source and cut to fit or sketched with color)
1. Ansel Adams
2. view camera on tripod
3. map of Western states with principal mountain ranges (Sierra Navada Range, Tetons, Rocky Mtns) identified on the map. (The pop-up requirement was one intended as an in-class activity).
- Yosemite national park
- identify states, ranges, major cities
4. at least 3 sources (at bottom of page), informal citation: ex., National Geographic.com, Wikipedia.org, The Portfolios of Ansel Adams, NY Graphic Society, 1981.
American photographer Ansel Adams
10 pts / due Aug 26 / in notebook or via Google Docs to trudeau11@gmail.com
Images -
( can be printed from online source and cut to fit or sketched with color)
1. Ansel Adams
2. view camera on tripod
3. map of Western states with principal mountain ranges (Sierra Navada Range, Tetons, Rocky Mtns) identified on the map. (The pop-up requirement was one intended as an in-class activity).
- Yosemite national park
- identify states, ranges, major cities
4. at least 3 sources (at bottom of page), informal citation: ex., National Geographic.com, Wikipedia.org, The Portfolios of Ansel Adams, NY Graphic Society, 1981.
Fine Arts Survey class basic format, 2010-11
Fine Arts Survey 2010-11
Review of the major personalities - from Leonardo to Warhol - and styles of artistic expression - from the Celts to the Dadaists.
Principal skills:
- composition, especially focusing on evaluation (reviews of arts experiences)
- reading comprehension
- vocab building
Homework: read the class blog and be ready to be answer basic questions on that material.
Projects
- as assigned. See Rembrandt Portraits.
- Arts Essay: one per month
Field trips: first sortie will be to RW Norton.
Reading: Week of Aug please have purchased or borrowed a proper biography of an artist (anything from Michaelangelo to Satchmo to Banksy). Check online for a bargain. To be read in class - approx 50 mins per session - over 5 classes.
Book report format TBA.
First unit:
Visual arts
Photography
Ansel Adams and the impact of fine arts photography on America
materials: field trip to RW Norton, biography on PBS video, wikipedia bio,
Activities:
class group photos
Review of the major personalities - from Leonardo to Warhol - and styles of artistic expression - from the Celts to the Dadaists.
Principal skills:
- composition, especially focusing on evaluation (reviews of arts experiences)
- reading comprehension
- vocab building
Homework: read the class blog and be ready to be answer basic questions on that material.
Projects
- as assigned. See Rembrandt Portraits.
- Arts Essay: one per month
Field trips: first sortie will be to RW Norton.
Reading: Week of Aug please have purchased or borrowed a proper biography of an artist (anything from Michaelangelo to Satchmo to Banksy). Check online for a bargain. To be read in class - approx 50 mins per session - over 5 classes.
Book report format TBA.
First unit:
Visual arts
Photography
Ansel Adams and the impact of fine arts photography on America
materials: field trip to RW Norton, biography on PBS video, wikipedia bio,
Activities:
class group photos
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Vocab from the Mary Pols / Time review of the movie Eat Pray Love
Fine Arts Vocab -
ashram - Hindu term for community
Bali - idyllic Indonesian island: warm surf, palms, white sand, cheap
wizened - old-looking
dysentery - amoebic illness; severe diarrhea, fever
symmetry - perfect balance
lushly - opulent, luxurious
sumptuous - opulent, luxurious
charisma - exceptional charm
empathy - sympathy
haggard - tired
luminosity - glowing with inner light
discreet - not revealing everything
feckless - ineffective
existential - each person gives their own life its meaning
sublime - highest possible pursuit
rapturous - tripping
beatifically - like a saint
ashram - Hindu term for community
Bali - idyllic Indonesian island: warm surf, palms, white sand, cheap
wizened - old-looking
dysentery - amoebic illness; severe diarrhea, fever
symmetry - perfect balance
lushly - opulent, luxurious
sumptuous - opulent, luxurious
charisma - exceptional charm
empathy - sympathy
haggard - tired
luminosity - glowing with inner light
discreet - not revealing everything
feckless - ineffective
existential - each person gives their own life its meaning
sublime - highest possible pursuit
rapturous - tripping
beatifically - like a saint
Exhibit of compositions by Ansel Adams, American photographer, has opened at RW Norton Art Foundation
On April 18, 1906, an aftershock from the famous San Francisco earthquake flung the four-year-old Ansel Adams against a brick wall, smashing his nose and leaving a leftward twist in it for the rest of his life -- almost as if the earth were marking him for its own.
Adams has become the best known and probably the best-loved of American landscape photographers, though he himself would probably eschew the term "landscape photographer" since in his lifetime, he also did portrait photography, commercial photography, photography dealing with "found objects", and even some documentary photography. Nonetheless, what we envision when we think of Adams are his breathtaking vistas of the American West.
Adams was also a tireless worker for conservation, beginning with a membership in the Sierra Club in the 1920s, and carrying its message to every president from Franklin Delano Roosevelt to Ronald Reagan. He was the first recipient of the Wilderness Society's Ansel Adams Conservation Award, established in 1980. In 1985, the California Wilderness Bill designated over 200,000 acres as the Ansel Adams Wilderness Area and an 11,760 ft. peak in California was named Mt. Ansel Adams. Adams always claimed:
"The artist has an inescapable obligation . . . both the natural and the human world are imperiled . . . this peril lies in overpopulation, pollution, depletion of resources, and the destruction of natural and cultural beauty. The power of art to counteract this destruction, not merely to veil it, is -- I am sure -- tremendous."
Today, the photographic prints that Adams once sold for $10 apiece are worth tens of thousands of dollars and their status as art is assured. In addition to the fine art prints, posters, books, and calendars utilizing his work generate millions of dollars every year. But in the end, what matters is the way his photographs reconnect us to our planet, to its beauty, to its fragility -- in his words, "to reveal to others the grandeur and potential of the one and only world which we inhabit". Perhaps his life's work is best expressed in the words with which he ends his autobiography, quoting an ancient Gaelic mantra taught to him by Ella Young:
"I know that I am one with beauty
And that my comrades are one.
Let our souls be mountains,
Let our spirits be stars,
Let our hearts be worlds."
Please see the RW Norton Art Foundation web site.
Adams has become the best known and probably the best-loved of American landscape photographers, though he himself would probably eschew the term "landscape photographer" since in his lifetime, he also did portrait photography, commercial photography, photography dealing with "found objects", and even some documentary photography. Nonetheless, what we envision when we think of Adams are his breathtaking vistas of the American West.
Adams was also a tireless worker for conservation, beginning with a membership in the Sierra Club in the 1920s, and carrying its message to every president from Franklin Delano Roosevelt to Ronald Reagan. He was the first recipient of the Wilderness Society's Ansel Adams Conservation Award, established in 1980. In 1985, the California Wilderness Bill designated over 200,000 acres as the Ansel Adams Wilderness Area and an 11,760 ft. peak in California was named Mt. Ansel Adams. Adams always claimed:
"The artist has an inescapable obligation . . . both the natural and the human world are imperiled . . . this peril lies in overpopulation, pollution, depletion of resources, and the destruction of natural and cultural beauty. The power of art to counteract this destruction, not merely to veil it, is -- I am sure -- tremendous."
Today, the photographic prints that Adams once sold for $10 apiece are worth tens of thousands of dollars and their status as art is assured. In addition to the fine art prints, posters, books, and calendars utilizing his work generate millions of dollars every year. But in the end, what matters is the way his photographs reconnect us to our planet, to its beauty, to its fragility -- in his words, "to reveal to others the grandeur and potential of the one and only world which we inhabit". Perhaps his life's work is best expressed in the words with which he ends his autobiography, quoting an ancient Gaelic mantra taught to him by Ella Young:
"I know that I am one with beauty
And that my comrades are one.
Let our souls be mountains,
Let our spirits be stars,
Let our hearts be worlds."
Please see the RW Norton Art Foundation web site.
Friday, August 13, 2010
Eat Pray Love — Happily Ever After?
Why your teacher is not considering going to see this Julia Roberts/Javier bardem movie: <i>Eat Pray Love</i> — Happily Ever After?
If you read between the lines, I think you will see the numerous ways in which this movie is being assassinated even while the overall tone seems positive.
If you read between the lines, I think you will see the numerous ways in which this movie is being assassinated even while the overall tone seems positive.
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Number of US citizens with a college degree falling - 11 nations have higher degree rates
From NY Times columnist Bob Herbert
According to a new report from the College Board, the U.S. is 12th among developed nations in the percentage of 25- to 34-year-olds with college degrees. The report said, “As America’s aging and highly educated work force moves into retirement, the nation will rely on young Americans to increase our standing in the world.”
The problem is that today’s young Americans are not coming close to acquiring the education and training needed to carry out that mission. They’re not even in the ballpark. In that key group, 25- to 34-year-olds with a college degree, the U.S. ranks behind Canada, South Korea, Russia, Japan, New Zealand, Ireland, Norway, Israel, France, Belgium and Australia. That is beyond pathetic.
“While the nation struggles to strengthen the economy,” the report said, “the educational capacity of our country continues to decline.”
But instead of exercising the appropriate mental muscles, we’re allowing ourselves to become a nation of nitwits, obsessed with the comings and goings of Lindsay Lohan and increasingly oblivious to crucially important societal issues that are all but screaming for attention. What should we be doing about the legions of jobless Americans, the deteriorating public schools, the debilitating wars, the scandalous economic inequality, the corporate hold on governmental affairs, the commercialization of the arts, the deficits?
Why is there not serious and widespread public engagement with these issues — and many others that could easily come to mind? That kind of engagement would lead to creative new ideas and would serve to enrich the lives of individual Americans and the nation as a whole. But it would require a heavy social and intellectual lift.
According to a new report from the College Board, the U.S. is 12th among developed nations in the percentage of 25- to 34-year-olds with college degrees. The report said, “As America’s aging and highly educated work force moves into retirement, the nation will rely on young Americans to increase our standing in the world.”
The problem is that today’s young Americans are not coming close to acquiring the education and training needed to carry out that mission. They’re not even in the ballpark. In that key group, 25- to 34-year-olds with a college degree, the U.S. ranks behind Canada, South Korea, Russia, Japan, New Zealand, Ireland, Norway, Israel, France, Belgium and Australia. That is beyond pathetic.
“While the nation struggles to strengthen the economy,” the report said, “the educational capacity of our country continues to decline.”
But instead of exercising the appropriate mental muscles, we’re allowing ourselves to become a nation of nitwits, obsessed with the comings and goings of Lindsay Lohan and increasingly oblivious to crucially important societal issues that are all but screaming for attention. What should we be doing about the legions of jobless Americans, the deteriorating public schools, the debilitating wars, the scandalous economic inequality, the corporate hold on governmental affairs, the commercialization of the arts, the deficits?
Why is there not serious and widespread public engagement with these issues — and many others that could easily come to mind? That kind of engagement would lead to creative new ideas and would serve to enrich the lives of individual Americans and the nation as a whole. But it would require a heavy social and intellectual lift.
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