Are Artists Heroes? Artists that Defy Convention

Are Artists Heroes? Artists that Defy Convention The Idea of Artist as Hero They do not fight wars, end famine or rescue small children from burning buildings. Yet, at least according to some Renaissance-era boosters, they are heroes. Though they may not have led battalions, their accomplishments on the canvas were thought to be of such magnitude that, according to many, they deserved heroic praise and treatment. (Barolsky, 1998.) Two artists of their time who may deserve such accolades- emphasizing the qualifier- were Berthe Morisot and James Abbott McNeill Whistler. Though their work did not necessarily put their lives and bodies in danger, they, and many contemporary impressionists were heroes for daring to defy convention. Berthe Morisot was born into a wealthy French family where she was taught to appreciate art from an early age. However, this appreciation did not mean that she should have sought to make art her life’s work and Morisots’ decision to do so was surely a surprising one. Manet became one of her biggest influences both professionally and personally, so much so that he was eventually her brother in law. (Neary, 2005.) Morisot was known for her â€Å"pictorial technique, with her loose brushstrokes, unfinished backgrounds, and light-infused color† (Author Unknown, 2005) which placed her squarely in the Impressionist camp, a school of thought she remained loyal to in her work long after the Impressionists disbanded and the movement died. James Abbott McNeill Whistler, a Morisot contemporary, was born in Lowell, Massachusetts and spent his childhood shuttled between America and Russia, which was where his father worked as a railroad engineer. Shortly after his father died, Whistler, then still a child, came back to America, settled in Connecticut and attended West Point. At the age of twenty, Whistler left America and never came back, preferring to work in Europe. However, Europeans themselves did not care for Whistler’s output, considering it to be too abstract. Whistler in turn responded that the art favored by critics is too detailed, almost to the point of the canvas being stuffed with extras. (Author Unknown, 1998.) What made Morisot and Whistler, whose only commonality seemed to be their artistic styles, deserving of being artistic heroes? Perhaps it was their will to define convention. This willingness cost them dearly. As Brown writes of Morisot, Whistler and their fellow impressionists, they â€Å"began to oppose the Academic standards that had dominated artistic production since the time of Louis XIV† and were consequently met with public â€Å"mockery and derision.† (Brown, 2005.) Whether in politics, religion, art or any other aspect of society, it is never an easy thing to defy convention. Indeed, Brown’s article notes that towards the beginning of Hitler’s reign, he organized the â€Å"degenerate art show† where the German public was invited to laugh at what was perceived by Nazis to be art that was beneath them. Two decades later, United States Senator Joseph McCarthy targeted visual artists in his hearings and three decades afterwards another United States Senator, Jesse Helms, insisted that the National Endowment for the Arts be disbanded. All three of the subjects mentioned above had plans that reached beyond artists- be it Hitler’s Final Solution on McCarthy’s hearings on supposed Communist sympathizers- or Helms’ frequent attack on minorities and homosexuals. Yet in each of these cases, artists were the canaries in the coal mine- they were the first to wither attacks because they were perceived to be the easie st targets. Before his death in 1903, Whistler produced over four hundred paintings, many of which are now exhibited in galleries and museums world-wide. (Author Unknown, 1998.) Yet, all this fame was garnered well after Whistler’s demise. Even Leonardo Da Vinci, despite being well-respected even during his years on Earth, was mistrusted by certain British authorities- because he worked with his left hand. This struck many of the powers that be as ungodly and at one point Leonardo was tried as a sodomite. (Brown, 2005). Indeed, history is filled with figures who, despite having done good, often ground-breaking work, faced persecution- particularly in the Old World- [Galileo, Newton, even Einstein]. Lest one think that this is merely an exercise in Christianity-bashing or perhaps in decrying conventional Western civilization as we know it, it is important to note that early Christians themselves faced the wrath of others for being different. Tertullian, a figure of the Roman times, elucidated that â€Å"Christians are to blame for every public disaster and every misfortune that befalls the people.† (Wade, 2002.) Nor does this mean that anything which is new will inevitably shunned, with innovators put on the dock by the majority. A contemporary example involves the British Council, which recently reopened in Libya after a thirty year absence. (Black, 2007) However, people as a whole tend to operate within narrow confines, tend to lead safe lives and tend to dislike sudden changes or challenges to the routine of life. It is this aversion to change that allows the ridicule and persecution of the different. What, or who is a hero? Certainly those who fight fires, catch criminals, serve on the battlefield, or minister to the infirm in hospital wards count. But so too those men and women who create, inspire and persevere against the odds of their time. References: 1) Author Unknown. (2005) â€Å"Berthe Morisot: An Impressionist and Her Circle,† National Museum of Women in the Arts, 14 January-8 May 2005, accessed via http://www.nmwa.org/exhibition/artists.asp?exhibitid=122 on 25 May 2007. 2) Author Unknown. (1998) â€Å"James McNeill Whistler,† Scottish-American,  History Club, July 1998, accessed via  http://www.chicago-scots.org/clubs/History/Newsletters/1998/July98-3.htm on 25 May 2007. 3) Barlosky, P. (1998) â€Å"Leonardo, Satan and the Mystery of Modern Art,† The Virginia Quarterly Review, Summer 1998, accessed via http://www.vqronline.org/articles/1998/summer/barolsky-leonardo-satan/ on 25 May 2007. 4) Black, I. (2007) â€Å"Great Grooves and Good Grammar,† The Education Guardian, 10 April 2007, accessed via http://education.guardian.co.uk/tefl/story/0,,2053576,00.html on 25 May 2007. 5) Brown, B.A. (2005) â€Å"The Artist as Crazy, as Fraud, as Psychopath,† ArtScene, April 2005, accessed via http://artscenecal.com/ArticlesFile/Archive/Articles2005/Articles0405/BBrown0405.html on 25 May 2007. 6) Neary L. (2005) â€Å"Impressionist Berthe Morisot, Rediscovered,† National Public Radio (NPR) Morning Edition, 1 February 2005. 7) Wade, R. (2002) â€Å"Persecution in the Early Church,† Probe Ministries, July 2002, accessed via http://www.leaderu.com/orgs/probe/docs/persecution.html on 25 May 2007.

Physician-Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia - Pro and Con :: Euthanasia Physician Assisted Suicide

Euthanasia - Pro and Con Abstract This paper will define Euthanasia and assisted suicide. Euthanasia is often confused with and associated with assisted suicide, definitions of the two are required. Two perspectives shall be presented in this paper. The first perspective will favor euthanasia or the "right to die," the second perspective will favor antieuthanasia, or the "right to live". Each perspective shall endeavor to clarify the legal, moral and ethical ramifications or aspects of euthanasia. Thesis Statement Euthanasia, also mercy killing, is the practice of ending a life so as to release an individual from an incurable disease or intolerable suffering. Euthanasia is a merciful means to and end of long-term suffering. Euthanasia is a relatively new dilemma for the United States and has gained a bad reputation from negative media hype surrounding assisted suicides. Euthanasia has a purpose and should be evaluated as humanely filling a void created by our sometimes inhumane modern society. Antithesis Statement Euthanasia is nothing less than cold-blooded killing. Euthanasia cheapens life, even more so than the very divisive issue of abortion. Euthanasia is morally and ethically wrong and should be banned in these United States. Modern medicine has evolved by leaps and bounds recently, euthanasia resets these medical advances back by years and reduces today's Medical Doctors to administrators of death. Euthanasia defined The term Euthanasia is used generally to refer to an easy or painless death. Voluntary euthanasia involves a request by the dying patient or that person's legal representative. Passive or negative euthanasia involves not doing something to prevent death-that is, allowing someone to die; active or positive euthanasia involves taking deliberate action to cause a death. Euthanasia is often mistaken or associated with for assisted suicide, a distant cousin of euthanasia, in which a person wishes to commit suicide but feels unable to perform the act alone because of a physical disability or lack of knowledge about the most effective means. An individual who assists a suicide victim in accomplishing that goal may or may not be held responsible for the death, depending on local laws. There is a distinct difference between euthanasia and assisted suicide. This paper targets euthanasia; pros and cons,

Observational Essay Essay

Its Monday a rainy evening, I am sitting in the library waiting for my friend to come, so we could study for our sociology test. The library is humongous; it reminds me of my high school library. This place is silent. In the kids section I hear a little boy crying for a book he wants to read but his mom will not let him read, a baby babbling, and the mother trying to make him quiet. There are two dark skinned boys playing marble drop with their mom’s. There are two cute little girls coloring. There is tall teen looking girl reading stories to kids. There does not seem to be many kids in this section. Therefore, I go back to the main room. I see a girl, who looks like a high school freshman doing her homework quietly. A couple of blocks from her, there are group of blonde girls texting and talking in low voices and teenage girls checking their facebook and chatting about guys. In the main desk, area toward the right of the girls there is a frustrated woman who is trying to swipe the library card but perhaps her card is not working and is asking for help to a librarian. In the non-fiction book, area there is a short woman with brown hair, stacking up the books. Towards her left, there is a tall thin college looking girl arranging the books working a part time job to her college expenses. In the front of the library there are middle school kids waiting for their parents to pick them up. There is staircase next to the main door that leads to the computer room. I take glance over the computer room and it is packed with teens and adults. Some are doing homework while some are chatting in myspace and facebook. It seems like this library is always filled with people. From my observation, I see that some people come to library to study quietly and while others come to check facebook and myspace and it seems like library is a great hangout place for some kids.

The Camelot Legacy essays

The Camelot Legacy essays The Camelot Era began with the presidential election of John Fitzgerald Kennedy, in November of 1960 and ended tragically with his assassination three years later. Kennedys bold vision of a new frontier and idealistic programs won the hearts of young and old alike. Why are Americans still fascinated with the Kennedy family and the Camelot Legacy? The President impacted America with his bold vision of a new frontier and advance in space exploration. The Bay of Pigs disaster caused John to distrust his military aides and turned more to his brother Senator Robert Kennedy for counsel. The Kennedy administration stood up for what they believed in and took stands against the spread of Communism, in such situations as the Vietnam Conflict and the Cuban Missile Crisis. John F. Kennedy went on television to explain the chaos and took responsibility for the catastrophe. Ironically, this only served to make him more popular with the public. The President appropriated money to advance the competition with Russian Space Program. The Russians were the first in space but America was the first to put a man on the moon. The First Lady, Jacqueline Jackie Kennedy also played a part in the building of Camelot. Jackie set up a committee for the restoration of the White House. Jackie felt the White House belong to America. She believed the American public had the right to see their countrys remarkable history. So, she introduced the first edition of the White House Guide book describing the rooms and their themes in detail. This book was to be sold to the visitors for a small fee which itself would go towards the growing restoration cost. She also suggested the picturesque South Lawn of the White House as the site for ceremonies with visiting officials. Jackie heightened our awareness of culture and its importance in our society. She was a great examp ...

The Meaning of -N Desu in Japanese

The Meaning of '-N Desu' in Japanese The phrase –n desu (ã‚“ 㠁 §Ã£ â„¢), meaning it is, is sometimes used at the end of a sentence. It is also commonly used in conversation, though it might be difficult for beginners to learn. The phrase has an explanatory or confirmatory function. The difference between –masu (ã€Å"㠁 ¾Ã£ â„¢), another nominal ending for a verb, and  Ã¢â‚¬â€œn desu is very subtle. This makes it very hard to translate. The nominal ending  Ã¢â‚¬â€œn desu can be translated as it is the case that or it is for the reason that. However, there is no true English equivalent. –N Desu Versus –Masu One of the best ways to understand the subtle, nuanced meaning of –n desu is to compare it to  Ã¢â‚¬â€œmasu  by viewing how two sentences use these endings differently: Ryokou ni iku n desu ka? (りょ㠁“㠁† 㠁 « 㠁„㠁  ã‚“ 㠁 §Ã£ â„¢ 㠁‹ã€‚) Are you going to travel? Ryokou ni ikimasu ka? (  Ã£â€šÅ Ã£â€šâ€¡Ã£ â€œÃ£ â€  㠁 « 㠁„㠁 Ã£  ¾Ã£ â„¢ 㠁‹ã€‚) Are you going on a trip? In the first sentence, which uses –n desu, the  speaker assumes that the listener is going on a trip and just wants her to confirm it. In the second sentence, which uses –masu,  the speaker simply wants to know if the listener is going on a trip or not. Formal Versus Informal You also need to use a different form of  Ã¢â‚¬â€œn desu when it  is attached directly to a plain form of the verb in an informal situation. When the circumstances are informal, use –n da  instead of –n desu, as demonstrated in the table. The sentences are written first in hiragana, which is a phonetic syllabary  (or transliteration) made from simplified  kanji  characters. These sentences are then spelled using Japanese characters. An English translation follows on the right side of the table. Ashita doubutsuen ni ikimasu.明æâ€" ¥Ã¥â€¹â€¢Ã§â€° ©Ã¥Å"’㠁 «Ã¨ ¡Å'㠁 Ã£  ¾Ã£ â„¢Ã£â‚¬â€š(formal) I am going to the zoo tomorrow.(simple statement) Ashita doubutsuen ni iku.明æâ€" ¥Ã¥â€¹â€¢Ã§â€° ©Ã¥Å"’㠁 «Ã¨ ¡Å'㠁 Ã£â‚¬â€š(informal) Ashita doubutsuen ni iku n desu.明æâ€" ¥Ã¥â€¹â€¢Ã§â€° ©Ã¥Å"’㠁 «Ã¨ ¡Å'㠁 Ã£â€šâ€œÃ£  §Ã£ â„¢Ã£â‚¬â€š(formal) I am going to the zoo tomorrow.(explaining his or her plans for tomorrow.) Ashita doubutsuen ni iku n da.明æâ€" ¥Ã¥â€¹â€¢Ã§â€° ©Ã¥Å"’㠁 «Ã¨ ¡Å'㠁 Ã£â€šâ€œÃ£   Ã£â‚¬â€š(informal) Note how in Japanese, social context is very important. In English, the social situation, or position of the person you are addressing, would make little or no difference. You would tell a good friend at school or a visiting dignitary at a formal state dinner that you are going to the zoo using the same words. Yet, in a formal situation in Japan, you would use –n desu, but you would use  Ã¢â‚¬â€œn da if the circumstance were less formal. In the case of the first two sentences above, you would use –masu  in a formal situation but omit the ending altogether if the setting or circumstances were informal. Why Questions In Japanese, why questions are often completed with –n desu because they are asking for a reason or an explanation, as the table demonstrates: Doushite byouin ni iku n desu ka.Haha ga byouki nan desu.㠁 ©Ã£ â€ Ã£ â€"㠁 ¦Ã§â€"…é™ ¢Ã£  «Ã£  Ã£â€šâ€œÃ£  §Ã£ â„¢Ã£ â€¹Ã£â‚¬â€šÃ¦ ¯ Ã£ Å'çâ€"…æ °â€"㠁 ªÃ£â€šâ€œÃ£  §Ã£ â„¢Ã£â‚¬â€š Why are you going to the hospital?Because my mother is sick. Doushite tabenai n desu ka.Onaka ga suiteinai n desu.㠁 ©Ã£ â€ Ã£ â€"㠁 ¦Ã© £Å¸Ã£  ¹Ã£  ªÃ£ â€žÃ£â€šâ€œÃ£  §Ã£ â„¢Ã£ â€¹Ã£â‚¬â€šÃ£ Å Ã£  ªÃ£ â€¹Ã£ Å'㠁™ã â€žÃ£  ¦Ã£  ªÃ£ â€žÃ£â€šâ€œÃ£  §Ã£ â„¢Ã£â‚¬â€š Why don't you eat?Because I am not hungry.

Leapolds Land Ethic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Leapolds Land Ethic - Essay Example Overview of Leopold’s land ethics Leopold states that it is imperative to incorporate human beings and non human factors of the ecosystem when developing ethical standards. As such, the collectivity of human and non human elements of the ecosystem is referred to as land. The ethics developed as a result of the human and non human collectivity within the ecosystem is referred to as land ethics. According to him, the principle of land ethics is aimed at preserving the beauty, stability and integrity of the biotic community and so anything, action or view that tends to counteract this opinion is considered to be wrong. In his view, the intention of land ethics is to increase the boundary of the community from one that incorporates only human beings to that which includes waters, animals, plants and soils. The land ethics shifts the Homo sapiens’ roles from being conquerors to being citizens of the land community. Respect for the land community is vital for sustainable and stable ecosystem. Leopold’s view of developing a balanced, stable and friendly environmental system to include all aspects of nature is supported by Baird Callicott, who expounds the land ethics by developing an environmental ethics that call for inclusion of other non human elements in the human legacy. Leopold’s ideas is well expounded in his deeds when he was employed to terminate bears, mountain lions and wolves in new Mexico(Leopold and Michael 42).The local ranger hated the predators because they used to attack their livestock, but Leopold views were different because he felt that they were part of nature and had a positive role in maintaining a balanced ecosystem. For instance, if all predators were terminated, their natural prey would increase exponentially resulting in extreme competition with rangers’ animals for vegetation, a fact that would be disastrous to both the ranchers and the balance of the ecosystem. Basing on Leopold’s land ethics, th ere is a close relationship between ecosystem balance and evolution, but human factors have brought detrimental impact on the relationship causing disastrous results to the course of nature (Leopold and Michael 72). The relationship between land ethics and evolution and how man has come to affect it Evolution is a gradual and natural change of biological population over a period of time. It occurs in natural settings and results in extinction of some species and development of other generations. Charles Darwin is a major proponent of evolution theory and his ideas have been instrumental in the formulation of land ethics. The relevant ideas in land ethics that were influenced by Darwinian’s natural selection principal hold that the survival and reproduction of animals is well achieved within cooperative group, no groups can remain integrated without necessary ethical standards and ethics are started within the family cooperation of species. Darwinian’s notion is reflect ed well in land theory which calls for cooperation between humans beings and non human factors of the ecosystem to ensure stability of biotic system and sustainable living conditions. For evolution to occur well, it must take a natural trend. However, if other factors distort the natural pathway, there is likely to be an unexpected

Critically examine the internationational expansion strategy for Essay

Critically examine the internationational expansion strategy for Starbucks.Discuss the motivations for the expansion and the app - Essay Example Through the expansion, the company has focused to create a strong network across the US, while expanding further to the new locations worldwide. This report would look into the strategic management of the company with a profound insight into its core competencies and international expansion strategies. The effectiveness of its leader has been discussed to show the contribution in the company’s success by implementing appropriate strategies. Strengths and Strategies which have emerged as the Core Competencies of the Company Starbucks has a number of strengths which has emerged as the core competencies of the company. Starbucks has a corporate culture which has encouraged the innovation and creativity within the organisation. The organisation does not have any formal organisation chart with a proper hierarchy structure. Starbucks has several departments, functional departments including marketing, finance, operations, supply chain and human resources. Apart from that, the compan y also has cross functional teams which encourages accumulated effort to achieve a common goal. The decision making process in this organisation is bottom up process where the employees are authorised to take the decisions without even referring back to the upper management. This has encouraged innovation and creativity at the employee level. The employees are treated as family members and as partners. The company relies on the employees to offer a differentiated experience to its customers. With this organisational structure, the company has excelled in introducing new products and ideas. The employees had stock options on the company shares. Moreover, employee training is another significant arena which can be seen as the core competence of the organisation. The marketing strategy is one of the significant strengths of the company. The organisation positions itself as a consumers’ place, which encourages the customers to visit the place again and again. The company customis es its stores depending on the specific locations, the stores are in. Another significant strength of Starbucks is that it positions itself as environment friendly. In the wake of environment awareness among the customers this positioning has helped the company to reach at its environment friendly customers. The company has a well known practice to make enough effort to comply with the environment. Starbucks try to be ethical in all its dealings. This has enables the company to gain from a good image among its customers. The large size of the company can also been seen as core competence of the company over its competitors. The sheer size of the company has allowed them to set the prices and has also helped the company to prevent the growth of other competing organisations. The world, specifically the people in the United States look at the Starbucks and its associates as the producer of high end coffees. Moreover, the consumers look at the company as the biggest and the best in the business, it is in. This can also been see