Nature: Friend or Foe?

The chalkboard art was made by Joseph Beuys who was born in Germany. According to the didactic, this blackboard is from a lecture in Bochum, Germany. This piece of art features an animal in the center with lines connecting it to a drawing of a man, a mountain, and the sun. Beuys was a self-proclaimed advocate for nature being the center of society. It may be interpreted that this drawing is a reflection of his personal views on nature. He titled the piece "The Social Organism - a Work of Art." Unquestionably, Beuys not only admired the environment but also believed that there is information to be learned from observing it. The multiple lines connecting the different drawings illustrates the various ways that individuals connect to nature. The lines attaching the outer images form a circle which  symbolizes of wholeness and the everyday cycle of life and death. His use of an industrial surface to convey the raw beauty of nature figuratively conveys the lives of man and nature colliding. Nature is portrayed as a friend of man and willing to share the secrets of life. The drawing of the man contains a large heart which implies caring for the environment.

The four images were taken in the western part of the United States by Mark Ruwedel. In contrast to Beuys, Ruwedel makes it clear that nature is not delicate or amicable towards humans through naming this collection of photographs "Pictures of Hell." The terrain of the photographs is desolate, rugged, and unforgiving. His collection focuses on mankind's impact on nature as destructive and irreversible. In his opinion, there is nothing to learn from nature because its authenticity has been tainted by human expansion. While the pictures would be considered very beautiful in this age, he titles the piece a exceedingly unattractive name. The barren landscape is a representation that nature has little to offer humans. Additionally, the images portray nature away from society indicating that each are not reliant upon each other. The independence of nature is conveyed as a positive rather than a disadvantage. The images do not fill the entirety of the frame but are minimized to tangibly represent that there is more to life than industrial development of the environment and learning from surroundings. The choice to make the photographs black and white instead of color can represent the harmful effect that industrialization has on nature. Human development strips the vibrancy of life from nature through destroying the habitat of many animals and depleting resources.

These two artists have conflicting views of what nature has to offer humanity. However, they both express their opinions in equally beautiful ways. While Beuys conveys a symbiotic relationship between nature and humanity, Ruwedel portrays a relationship in which both nature and society are each other's parasite. Both artists use art to express their opinions and agree that it is a useful to convey ideas through this form. Ruwedel utilizes the space of the isolated desert to further the idea that humans and nature are better when separated. In contrast, Beuys chooses a common blackboard as his surface to portray his desire for the connection between the environment and humanity to be strengthened.

CineTrek #4: British Museum

The British Museum is a public institution that is accessible for residents here in London as well as tourists around the world. Entering the exhibit was first overwhelming due to the amount of ancient artifacts and culture this museum has to offer. One can easily be lost within many chambers and different pathways to take, but if you take a deep breath and slowly examine the artifacts, the knowledge this museum provides will be a breath taker. Two artifacts that instantly caught my eye was both ancient and rare.
 

The Hoa Hakananai'a which means "lost or stolen friend" is a Moai statue which originated from Easter Island between the years 1000-1600 CE.  The material is made from a a dark grey-brown flow lava which lengthens about 2.42 meters. This magnificent was found in an Orongo ceremonial centre and had signs of movement before being placed in the ceremonial centre. These monolithic human figures were carved by the Rapa Nui people, residence of Easter Island. Easter Island is found in the pacific Ocean and is one of the most remote inhabited islands in the world. The people of Rapa Nui carved these basalt statue in order to commemorate important former chiefs who were perceived as divine, but was soon ceased to make these structures and were then abandoned. Years later a bird man cult emerged that replaced these worships of the Rapa Nui's moai. These inscriptions can be found on the back this specific statue. The Bird man motifs depict a central ritual where chiefs compete to capture the first sooty tern egg of the season. The chief who triumphs in victory would then be known as the Bird-man. Bird-man is perceived as a the representer of the creator god. The victor would live in exile for one year, shaving his hair and growing out his nails like talons. Two cultures found within one ancient statue during two different time periods, an interesting find that the British Museum proudly houses.

All information was found here

The Rosetta Stone is an ancient stone which possess inscriptions on its body in three versions of writing written on it. The material is a granodiorite which was discovered in 1799, created roughly in 196 BC. One of the most famous artifacts that the British Museum has to offer. The stone is not a complete piece, it is only a broken part of a bigger stone stone. This artifact is an important clue that helped experts learn to read Egyptian hieroglyphics. The decree is inscribed three times, the first line being hieroglyphics which was suitable for a priestly decree. The second line being Demotic which was the native Egyptian script used daily by the people, also known as the language of the people. Then lastly Ancient Greek which was the language of the rulers of Egypt. The inscription was written the same thing in three different scripts which allowed scholars to translate the whole thing due to scholars still being able to read Ancient Greek. This beautiful artifact was the key ti deciphering the hieroglyphs. 

information found here and notes I took down from Makey

Leaving this beautiful museum, its vast information provided historical context that will stay within my head to the very end. A museum worth while, allowing me to learn about ancient artifacts that I would never learn about on my own until I saw it in person. A memorable cinetrek that will definitely stay with me!

Cinetrek #4: Tate Modern

"When you share an image, is it still yours?"

This quote flashed up on a television exhibit while wandering through the industrial and magnificent architecture of the Tate Modern. Being only a small moving piece of one larger exhibit, it managed to pique my interest in the idea of art as a philosophy. Modern and contemporary art are unique in the fact that they become the eye of the viewer's imagination--an open-ended question asked by the artist and answered by the world.

The exhibit I found most intriguing was a combination of neon lights--triangular, alternating between the words silence, violence, and violins. At first, this spoke to me on a purely aesthetic level. The combination of multicolored neon lights in contrast to the dark background was eye-catching, but as I began to actively watch, I noticed it cycled every 30 seconds between each word individually and ending the cycle with all three of the words lit up.

I took this to be a political piece of art, especially since the artist, Bruce Nauman, hails originally from California and had the artwork commissioned for a fellow state school, CSULB. California is known for political and social activism, and my interpretation of this piece follows suit. At first, before a crime happens, silence. The country minds their own business, living their daily lives without a second thought to anything greater than what falls directly in front of them. Then, violence occurs. A school, church, movie theater shooting, police brutality, any number of various crimes that have become far too normalized across the United States. Finally, violins. We hear the music of people who are angry, people crying out for change and vowing to make a stand, it all comes together in a grand finale....until it doesn't. Until the media silences, the oppressed and the world forgets until the next great tragedy comes along.

Rather than comparing two pieces of art, I chose to compare two interpretations of one piece of art: Violins Violence Silence. The question of ownership mentioned in the start of this rings especially true for this piece of art: in the time I spent viewing this exhibit, I saw multitudes of people take out their phones, snap a picture, and even have pictures taken of them in front of it. At this point, when it becomes used as an arbitrary backdrop of an Instagram picture, in the words of Barba Kruger's exhibit (picture below), Who Owns What? Do I own the interpretation of this artwork as a messenger of social justice, or does the girl behind me own it with the Instagram post she just snapped of it? Do we appreciate art for art itself, or art for the aesthetic benefit it can give ourselves in the realm of the social media world?

If I had to ask myself this question, I would honestly answer the second. In most cases, I struggle to appreciate art for what it is. But in a sense, that lack of analytical understanding becomes my own interpretation of the piece. I am studying marketing and media, so I have been trained to see how the piece markets itself and the role it plays in social media cultures. To an English major, its meaning could dwell from so many possibilities I could not begin to connect. This piece lights the way to an endless number of interpretations and allows every viewer to make their own story--making something seen so often in everyday life, just plain neon lights, into a vessel for a world of possibilities.


"Violins Violence Silence" taken by me on an app recreating the aesthetic of a 1998 disposable camera.


Photoception--a photo of people taking a photo of the art.

When you share an image, is it still yours?

Who Owns What?

The Skilled Craftsman: Waiting for Guffman

A surgeon wields the tools he has with exact precision to achieve a desired outcome; Similarly, Christopher Guest, a film director best known for This is Spinal Tap, used immense skill as he carefully crafted a unique, funny, and endearing film in Waiting for Guffman. Guest, using a style that would later influence many directors, produced a film that would popularize the documentary comedy style. In the film, we are introduced to an array of characters from Blaine, Missouri. These characters perform a play in their small town in hopes of receiving critical praise from Mr. Guffman, a well known Broadway critic. Praise from this critic, they believe, will take them to Broadway, and their dreams of making it big in the theater world will be fulfilled.

After the film, we in the audience were treated to a discussion on Waiting for Guffman by a film critic and Sam Mendes. (Director of acclaimed films such as American Beauty, Skyfall, Road to Perdition, etc.) Their discussion highlighted how much of a master Guest was in crafting his films. I had to find out more on his style and approach to film-making.

I dove deeper into his methodologies for making his films, and I discovered a true genius style that wholly separates Guest as one of the best directors when it comes to comedic films.

Although Guest carefully constructed every detail in each shot of his film, most—if not all—of the scenes have a spontaneity to them that is an essential characteristic to the film. This feeling of spontaneity is one of the reasons Waiting for Guffman works so well as a comedic punch. Guest is able to achieve this idiosyncratic feeling throughout his film by using an improvisational method of film-making. The director elaborates more on his style in his interview with Charlie Rose. In the interview, one of the most fascinating things mentioned was that no dialogue was written for this film. Let me repeat: no dialogue was written. This is astounding to hear at first, but once you watch the film, it all makes sense. All of the scenes feel natural and free-flowing. Christopher Guest states that one of the reasons this style works is because "the things being said are being said for the first time."

One of the aspects of the director to note is how reserved Guest comes off in his interviews. There is a stark contrast between the man and the actor. For me, one thing that becomes clear is that he channels his comedic prowess only through his films. And he channels a lot of it. Again, this is unique to a man in comedy. Normally, we would see funny on the screen and off. This speaks to the many levels that Guest is working on, and how he is able to approach specific modes in different instances.

Christopher Guest is a man of great film-making ability; I can't wait to see his next masterpiece.

Also, I just had to include the last musical number in the film; it's too good to leave out. Here it is, everyone. Enjoy!

Tate Modern

I loved this museum. Before going in, Nericcio asked us who feels confident enough to talk about art. I think maybe two people raised their hands. After walking through the various floors of this museum, and being introduced to different interpretations of work, I now want to raise my hand and tell everyone about the amazing pieces of art I saw. I know the promo says to find some pieces that contradict each other, or if not then find some other meaningful art, so I’m going to. Discuss a few pieces that I found, insightful, beautiful, and LOUD. My common theme? Looking beyond...


The first piece that I found, actually had me so distracted that I got lost from the group and had to text someone to ask where everyone went. It was called “Desert Houses 2002-Ongoing” (click here to see it) It was by an artist named Mark Ruwedel. His work emphasizes “revealing the narratives contained within the landscape, especially those places where land reveals itself as both being an agent of change and a field of human endeavor” (you can read more about him by clicking on the link attached to his name). The reason this piece caught my eye was because it looked just like my hometown. As I was strutting by it, I chuckled and thought, “Art?? No way is this art.” I am from the desert. A small small town in Southern California called Pinon Hills. This is a place where I see homes, just like the ones photographed, more often than I’d like. I have always thought my hometown was ugly, boring, and in no way entertaining. As a result, this makes my mom sad because I do not like visiting home. So, when I saw these progression photos of rundown homes in Antelope Valley, a mere 30 miles from my home, it made me question the way I was viewing art as a medium. It challenged me, and I appreciated it. The photos embrace a broken theme: a sense of vulnerability, tragedy and fragility. It shows struggle and hardship in the different types of homes that are broken, not trash. The environment to which these photos are in are harsh and secluded, which makes thinking about living in them, an unsustainable goal. This piece of art showed me how to look beyond the relationship I have with my hometown and how to see through to the vulnerability of the structures that were once someone’s home.

The next part of the museum that had me speechless was practically the whole fourth floor. As I walked into a room full of art about the Guerilla Girls, I couldn’t not help but be amazed by one specific framed question of art (click here to see it). The Guerilla Girls is a group of anonymous feminist artists that are committed to ending sexism in the art world. The visual language and strategies used to mass communicate a political message, is brilliant. The Guerilla Girls are known for challenging prejudice and confronting societies views on feminism, consumerism, and the cult of celebrity. This piece empowers society to take a stand on important views. Looking beyond the words in the frame allows for the audience to truly reflect upon the inequalities and injustices that are mirrored in society.

And the third piece that I wanted to mention just down the hall from the Guerilla Girls, was “Babel 2001” by Cildo Meireles (click here to see it). It consisted of a piece that was ceiling high filled with different radios that were all saying different things. When I saw this piece, it emphasized the importance of mass communication and how influenced we, as a society, are from the advertising, news broadcasts and bullshit we hear from the different platforms of media. Again, here we see with our eyes a tower of radios, but this piece challenges us to look beyond just what you see into the engrained themes of society, which really makes this piece memorable. In saying all of this, I was wrong about the way I interpreted this piece. In fact, “Cildo Meireles refers to Babel as a ‘tower of incomprehension.’ Comprising hundreds of radios, each tuned to a different station, the sculpture relates to the biblical story of the Tower of Babel, a tower tall enough to reach the heavens. God was offended by this structure, and caused the builders to speak in different languages. No longer able to understand one another, they became divided and scattered across the earth, and so began mankind's conflicts” (Tate Modern Museum). Even though my interpretation on this piece was wrong, it still challenged me to look beyond my initial thoughts, and appreciate the differences in the way people view art.

The Empty Room

The location and appearance of the British Museum can be described as grand, intricate, and full of history, correctly reflecting the multitude of artifacts inside of the building. Upon entering into the museum, I was surprised to see such a modern design in the Great Court. However, after spending a few moments inside of the courtyard, the cohesiveness of the room with the artifacts is apparent. The design by Foster and Partners continued the use of a neutral palette, tile, and columns that can be found throughout the museum. Continuing past the crowded rooms which contain the Rosetta Stone and parts of the Parthenon, I entered into the Persian room which was relatively empty. The ruins of a palace in Iran caught my attention and the didactic left me with many unanswered questions.

After researching, I learned that the palace of Persepolis is a World Heritage UNESCO site. This structure was built in 518 B.C. as a symbol of the wealth and power of the Achaemenid Empire. The architecture of the building was modeled after the Mesopotamian buildings yet had many significant improvements. For example, the king of the Achaemenid Empire at the time, Darius I, helped design a beautiful terrace in which architects were able to use a remarkably minimal amount of columns which were very slender for the time. Because the roof was built with lighter materials, there was less of a need for supporting beams allowing for a greater emphasis on constructing large monuments to honor the king. The design of the reception rooms and size of the palace are incomparable to any other standing structures at the time it was constructed.

The importance of an artifact is often undermined in comparison to other well-known relics. This does not negate its value or its deserving to be studied. The destruction of Persepolis by Alexander the Great is symbolic of his desire for complete power. While the devastation of a historical sight today is viewed as reckless, the ransack of the capital by Alexander was a symbol of his control and dominance. This developed fear and obedience in his new subjects and ensured he was ruler not Darius I.

While in a museum, it is very easy to disregard the importance of the exhibits and fail to remember that they were once a part of life not merely a piece of the past. This is comparable to the advertisements which are viewed everyday. John Berger comments "We are now so accustomed to being addressed by these images that we scarcely notice their total impact." Both advertisements and artifacts are constantly being shown to the public in various settings yet they rarely inspire action. While most people do not understand their significance, this does not mean they do not deserve to be displayed. This is a concept understood by the art curators who help form museums. While there is a massive amount of money required to fill a museum with artifacts, the cost is free to the public. This emphasizes the importance of access to learning.

As I exit the museum through the Great Court, I see it differently. The combination of cream and white tones are no longer boring but fitting for the space. The modern design which leaves the room rather empty makes the simple embellishments intentional. There is value in examining the seemingly ordinary and exploring the rooms which no tourist wants to enter.

REVENGE

Let me start by talking about how I became interested in the feminist movement. For me, all I ever did growing up was play sports. I was taught how to be tough, how to set aside your emotions, and how to become a machine. Through my graduate work, something that became a topic of interest to me was Title IX. Initially, I just thought it was a good way to stay involved with sports. But actually now I am so thankful that I indulged my work with Title IX, because it has taught me all about the feminist movement and how important the sexual harrassment aspect of Title IX really is. Title IX has taught me how important emotions and feelings are, but more importantly it re-defined my definition of strength and power.

Amidst me learning more in depth about sexual harassment and Title IX, the MeToo movement started and showed me how important feminism, strength and power really are. To see female writers in film such as Shonda Rhimes and Coralie Fargeat try to defeat odds and break through the glass ceiling, and use film as a mechanism of symbolism to reach large audiences, is breathtaking. Coralie Fargeat’s film, Revenge, absolutely blew my mind for so many different reasons.

First, the symbolism embedded throughout the film made a clear connection to societies hegemonic ideals and customs. The characterization of the male figures to animals and the representation of feminism was woven throughout each scene. The location of the film, was actually quite boring as the desert stretched for miles and there seemed to be nothing but dirt and rocks. But, that emphasized the ability to succeed with little resources, for the making of the film and for the characters.

There is no better of a way to make a message clear, then by using a minimum amount of words... right? This film only had 14 minutes of dialogue, yet I never felt the silence. The eye of the audience was always drawn to a message, a symbol, or an event. The lack of dialogue allowed the audience to interpret what each character was thinking and feeling. In addition, there was only four characters the whole time. Only noting four characters adds to the simplicity of the film, but also emphasizes the complexity at the same time. There is no room for confusion or misunderstandings, and it adds to Jens ruthless revenge on every single character. The way Fargeat portrayed the main character, Jen resembled a superhero. Her character resembles all the other girls who have been sexually assaulted and have been hushed as a result.

The symbolism within the film is principle to the plot of curiousity. As London is all about the “eye”, eyes actually became an important interpretation of this film. While Stan was raping Jen, Dimitri had watched what was going to happen. He could have stepped in, but decided to ignore it. This lead Jen to gouge his eyeballs out in revenge. The relationship this has to modern society yet again successfully emphasizes the importance of speaking up when seeing something of this nature. While our eyes only seem like a systematic part of our body that helps us see, it also helps us tell stories.

My one critique/question of this empowering and gory film, is the way Jen’s body is portrayed. Why must all female badass characters be hot? Most female superheroes are represented as very attractive, thin, and curvy. I would have liked to see something that goes against the stereotypical female badass. I realize her body heavily plays into the interpretation of the film, so I challenge to ask what it would have been like if her body was not emphasized as much. Would it have had the same impact on the audience?

This movie was nothing like I’d ever seen before, and yet I have a profound appreciation for it and want to watch it all over again. Beyond the blood, guts, and gore of it all, the message embedded in throughout the film was explored through the simplicity of the environment, context, and characters. But the complexity comes from the topic of the issue of sexual harassment and how it has become a normalized part of society. Fargeat nailed an important mix of the two and challenges the audiences boundaries.

CineTREK #3 -- Waiting for Guffman... in incredible comfortable chairs

We reached the British Film Institute in Southbank after crossing the bridge over the river Thames and getting a beautiful view of the city. The theater is located in Souhtbank, a very lively part of London. We walked past many restaurants and shops, and there were people roaming around all around us. There even was a small skate park where local skaters were hanging out. Bill wanted to grab a drink before the show right by the river at one of his favorite bars, but unfortunately, the area was undergoing renovations so we were forced to make our way directly to BFI.

As soon as we got there, the theater seemed completely different from those in the U.S.. For starters, it didn't quite look like a movie theater from outside. Granted, it is a theater from the Institute that isn't showing the current releases and it isn't meant to be a normal movie-going experience. Instead of walking into the usual lobby of a movie theater, with the box office at the front and the strong smell of popcorn in the air, we walked into what at first glance looked like a restaurant and bar. The box office was further back, and the front of the theater was filled with chairs and couches and areas to sit down and grab a bite to eat or something to drink before your showing, or even just to come hang out while spending time in Southbank.

So, thats exactly what we did, we grabbed a drink before our showing. We got a spot at a table right by the bar (talk about convenience) and we grabbed a quick glass of wine before watching Waiting for Guffman. The atmosphere was calm and had a bit of a fancy feel about it.  There were people enjoying dinner a couple tables over and others who seemed to just be hanging out and grabbing drinks with their colleagues. As I looked around me, I noticed there weren't very many young people and those around us looked older and seemed pretty serious. It seems like the seriousness just comes with being British, and nevertheless, it was a welcoming and fun atmosphere.

As we ordered out drinks we were asked if we wanted to drink it at the table or take it into the theater. Take my glass of wine into the theater? Now I know there are certain movie theaters somewhere in the U.S. that allow for their patrons to accompany their showings with drinks, but I personally have never been to one so this was very new to me. We enjoyed our drinks at the table and as the showtime approached, we took a couple minutes to head to the restrooms before entering.

We walked into a hall that definitely did not look like an american movie theater. It was a narrow hall, in comparison to the wide and big halls that lead you to your theater in America, and the showtimes weren't as clearly labeled above the doors. This, however, made it even more interesting. We had no idea where to go, and resorted to following the crowd who always somehow manages to know the way. They didn't check our tickets before entering the theater hall either, instead, they were waiting for us at the front of the theater door and quickly directed us in the direction of our seats.

The theater, as opposed to the small hall, was big and wide and was definitely a fancy one. The red chairs we sat on were as comfortable as my living room chairs and the experience was even more enhanced. If i had gotten my glass of wine and brought it with me to watch the movie, it almost would've felt like I was right at home.

Obviously having Sam Mendez speak before and after the movie was not what one would consider a usual movie-going experience, and it was exhilarating seeing the director American Beauty and hearing his commentary. Waiting for Guffman was a funny and heartwarming movie, and although the characters didn't get the big break they wanted I didn't leave the movie with anything but a positive feeling about it. It was also very interesting hearing why Sam chose this movie and why he liked it so much, and how it inspired him as a director.

I would definitely go back to this theater, specially since they usually show classic movies, such as The Sound of Music, which is now showing at the BFI. It was a wonderful experience, and the wine and comfortable chairs made it even better.

CineTrek # 3: Natural History Museum

 The commencement of a new CineTrek begins as we enter London's Natural History Museum. The museum contains roughly 80 million items in its possession. Throughout what I was able to examine there were pieces that intrigued me the most.

 The first piece that definitely caught my eye was this interesting creature, the Mesonyx. The Mesonyx, (Mee-son-icks) which meant middle claw, was a wolf-like predator who lived during the Eocene-Age in the United States and in European-Asia. The Mesonyx was named by Edward Drinker Cope in 1872 and was classified under the Mesonychidae family. This beautiful animal was roughly 1.5 meters long and possessed a large jaw closing muscles which allowed it to quickly kill smaller prey as well as hold on to larger animals. This predator is similar in size of the modern wolf and its overall appearance. Just like wolves these pre-historic predators hunted in packs which suggested that they contained higher levels of brain power and intelligence that are important to carnivorous mammals today. Surprisingly, this creature is not directly related to modern day wolves. Fossil evidence suggests that this creature was the ancestral father to modern day whales. The fossils suggest that the Mesonyx is the whale's ancestor due to several similarities they share like dental, cranial, as well as hunting features.

Evolution is very interesting and such a vital concept for life to survive for generations. When you think of a whales ancestral background this is something you would not expect to see!

All of my information was found Here and Here for Mesonyx

 The next piece that was very interesting was about super-volcanos. Super-volcanos is a huge volcano with a magnitude of 8, which is the highest value in the volcanic explosivity index or VEI for short. Super-volcanos are capable of erupting with a radius greater than 1,000 cubic kilometers of magma. They are capable of erupting thousands f times larger than a typical volcano. When these volcanos erupt they create a circular collapse feature called a caldera (large volcanic crater). Fortunately, these super-eruptions occur rarely, and average once every 100,000 years. Super-eruptions occur when magma in the mantle rises into the crust but is unable to break through it, which causes pressure to build up until the crust wont be able to contain it, causing it to explode. When these eruptions do occur, they create devastating impact on Earth's climate. These eruptions produce enormous fields of ash in the atmosphere, enough to bury a large city. When a tremendous amount of ash enter the atmosphere this causes long-lasting climate changes. These quick changes can possibly trigger an ice age which will deteriorate the ecosystem due to animals and humans ability to adapt to these changes would not suffice. A magnitude of 8 in the VEI scale can possibly be create the extinction of life on Earth. The most recent super-eruption was located in New Zealand, the super-volcano was named Taupo Volcano which contained a VEI of eight. This incident was responsible for the shape of the modern caldera. The Yellowstone is one of the largest known super-volcano, its diameter is so vast that it can be seen from space. Its crater is roughly 72 kilometers, would this super-volcano be the destruction of the Earth's ecosystem?

All information was found here as well as here

British Museum- Project Library

The Ashurbanipal Library

Walking through the British Museum at first was extremely overwhelming.  With thousands of ancient artifacts and noise surrounding me, my eyes did not know what to focus on.  As the class was walking through the Mesopotamia exhibits to get to the infamous Harry Potter chess set, a wall of clay tablets stuck out to me.  Next to the clay tablet was a quote that said:

"The first library to contain all knowledge." 

Having a fascination with books and libraries, this instantly got my attention. So I read the didactic to enquire more information:

However, this did not satisfy me.  I wanted to know why it was created and how it was found, so I researched it and found the following:

This library was created around the 7th century BC by King Ashurbanipal of the Neo-Assyrian Empire (Ashurbanipal Library Phase 1).  The Neo-Assyrian empire is an ancient empire, located in modern-day middle east.  The oldest written piece of history is from the 30th century BC, 2,300 years before this library was created (Historic Writing).   One reason it might have taken so long for the first library to be created is because of the lack of books.  With writing being a new form of communication, it took a while for scholars to write everything down.  Also, it took a long time for someone to copy down each book because they had to do it by hand.

The British museum is trying to decode the books by using other pieces of history like the Rosetta Stone that help them understand how ancient language worked.  Austen Henry Layard, an archeologist, found the library in the 19th century at Nineveh, in modern-day Iraq.  Around 30,000 works of cuneiform-tablet literature, of multiple specialties, was unearthed.  The discovery of this library was vital to historians understanding of the ancient middle east (Ashurbanipal Library Phase 1).   

Why did King Ashurbanipal create this library? And why did no King try before him?
Although most kings were able to read, King Ashurbanipal was especially well-versed in literature because he was not originally meant to inherit the throne, his older brother was.  However, due to his brother's death, he ended up inheriting the throne, and therefore was King from 668 BC to 627 BC.  Since he had pursued education for years, he thoroughly appreciated literature, which is believed to be his reasoning to starting The Ashurbanipal Library (Dhwty).

This library was not only important for modern-day historians' knowledge of ancient middle east, but it also inspired other Kings to create one for their people.  It is rumored that this Library inspired Alexander the Great's infamous library, The Library of Alexandria, that was unfortunately burned down by Julius Cesar in his attempts to gain control over Alexandria (Dhwty).

An excerpt from a book in this library:
"'Belch like a drunkard, snort like a baby gazelle, until your mother comes, strokes you and picks you up' -Magic spell to make a baby sleep"


Sources:
“Ashurbanipal Library Phase 1.” British Museum, www.britishmuseum.org/research/research_projects/all_current_projects/ashurbanipal_library_phase_1.aspx.

Dhwty. “Ashurbanipal: The Oldest Surviving Royal Library in the World with Over 30,000 Clay Tablets.” Ancient Origins, Ancient Origins, 3 Dec. 2016, www.ancient-origins.net/ancient-places-asia/ashurbanipal-oldest-surviving-royal-library-world-over-30000-clay-tablets-007127.

“Historic Writing.” British Museum, www.britishmuseum.org/explore/themes/writing/historic_writing.aspx.

Cinetrek #3: Revenge

Revenge, a 2018 film directed by Coralie Fargaet, starts as what seems to be a Wes Anderson-esque take on a romantic, passionate film of two secret lovers. Jen, a youthful and beautiful French girl, hops from a chopper, lollipop in hand, the picture of feminity and ease. She is accompanied by her lover, a married man named Richard. Her secret getaway weekend takes a turn for the worse when Richard's two friends, Stan and Dimi, arrive a day early, rifles in hand. The movie, previously full of only bright and saturated colors, suddenly becomes blemished with two dark and foreign characters. Both Stan and Dimi have a clear primal desire for Jen, yet it is clear her attraction lies only with Richard. The next morning, Richard leaves for a few hours, and Stan's predatory side, lying dormant the night before, begins to show itself.
Fargaet's use of symbolism and hints of Stan's predatorial instincts give a forlorn sense of trauma to the following triggering scene. His sense of entitlement in asking Jen "Why do you not find me attractive?" forced the audience to confront the disgusting reality of sexual abuse. In a scene of complete despair, there seemed for a second a beacon of hope when Dimi walked in--until he chose to walk away, turning up the volume on the television to drown out Jen's hopeless screams, raising a question of accountability--is Dimi just as guilty for being a bystander? The film's captivating nature was the result of Fargaet's ability to simultaneously evoke a feeling of deep unease while reminding the viewer of their accountability--to leave the movie would be to ignore the deep injustices ingrained in society and exposed in the film.
As Jen runs from the horrors of the house, a tonal shift occurs--believing the sexual assault scene to be the main source of antagonism in the film, the audience is lulled into a false sense of security. Barefoot, wearing only a t-shirt, a necklace, and a neon pink star-shaped earing, Jen travels into the unknown. The scene parallels her, running for her life, and Richard, running for her, raising a question of whether he is running to save their relationship or running after her as a predator. The film is filled with facades of safety, trust, and love--all three of which are progressively torn away to reveal the characters as raw, flawed beings on the hunt for revenge at the expense of survival. Richard at first seems to deeply care for Jen, until he calls his wife and pretends, with an alarming amount of false sincerity, to care about the trivial details of her life. Likewise, we realize that Richard's "love" for Jen is nothing more than a primal lust. The theme of primality becomes progressively more apparent, with Fargaet's use of animal metaphors and the tonal shift of bright and cheery to dark--visible in the colors of the background, color of Jen's hair, and progressive dimming of saturation.

The film's ripe use of symbolism and metaphors begins with an apple: at first wholesome and innocent, as Jen eats it she becomes tainted with a gruesome reality of life or death. After miraculously surviving the fall from the cliff, Jen turns from a beautiful damsel in distress to a strong, self-sufficient survivor. She plots the demise of the three men and successfully takes them out one by one. Her first target, Dimi, was least involved in her undoing, present only as a bystander and accomplice. Stabbed in the eyes by Jen, Dimi's death parallels his sins in life: he used only his eyes to watch what was happening, and in his death his eye gouged out.

After recovering with cleverly used Piote, a beer can, and sheer force of will, Jen transformed from a ditzy girl-next-door to a strong heroine, actively looking for revenge. Her homecoming scene standing atop a cliff face, binoculars in hand, solidifies her transformation to huntress rather than prey. Revenge is a film of twisted expectations. It presents an idea to the viewers, lulls them into believing it, and strips that idea away to reveal an entirely deeper level of storytelling. The characters are each introduced with a clear stereotype: Richard, successful and powerful, represents the alpha male of today's society, Jen represents the beta female, successful only because of the man she is with and not because of achievements of her own.

As the film progressed, Richard's facade was stripped away until he was no more than a man, naked and vulnerable, stripped of his power. Jen was his inverse--at first his beautiful but ornamental eye-candy, her character grew from the picture of vulnerability to emerge victorious--she was a strong eagle, known not only for their hunting prowess but for their regality, a testimony by Fargaet's consistent use of animal metaphors to her starting a new day as a new woman--a woman stopping at nothing for Revenge.

I am not a fan of gory films. I am not a fan of horror films. But I can say, without a doubt, that I am a fan of Revenge. My issue with these types of films usually lies in the lack of substance within the plot: most of the time killing and blood with no tangible storying, appreciated solely for the primal satisfaction of watching the action. Revenge, while magnificently gory and terrifyingly suspenseful, contains a complex plot ripe with betrayal and eventual conquest. In addition to this, Fargaet's captivating style of directing a dramatic film with so few lines and characters gave it a sense of individuality--capturing foreign cinematography in a universally understood way.

Bees Jive to the Bee Hive

Out of all the interesting artifacts in the Natural History Museum, the most appealing to me was the bee tree located outside in the Wildlife Garden. While walking around the garden dodging every insect that came my way, I noticed a tree stump with a door panel on it. My curiosity got the best of me, so I decided to approach this door to discover the mystery that lied inside. It came to my attention that there was a whole colony of bees living in the tree! I didn’t necessarily know that at first, but I was well informed after reading the didactic.

I contemplated whether or not to open the door due to the fact that the sign clearly stated there was a possibility of a bee flying up to me. I paced back and forth for about two-three minutes until I was able to summon up the courage to open the door. My paranoia reached an all-time high when I put my hand on the handle. Since I had already gotten this far, there was no way I was backing down. So I went for it, swung open the door, and witnessed an amazing sight.

Bee trees are modern day, manmade hives that help bees swarm more frequently to increase the amount of honey, beeswax, and eggs they produce. This particular bee hive consists of about 10,000-50,000 bees. The population of bees within the tree is dependent on “temperature and the seasonal patterns of flowers” (Bee Season). Bee trees are able to withstand extreme temperature changes more efficiently than the standard beehive.  

This particular bee tree has a colony of honey bees. Only a special kind of honey bee is able to live in a bee tree. Trees provide nectar and pollen that is essential for the survival of these little critters. With the nectar from the tree, they are able to produce honey. An individual bee can visit between 50-100 flowers in a single trip and are able to source nectar as far as five kilometers away. Once the bees find a good source of nectar, they tell the bees back at the hive by communicating with each other though “dances, vibrations, and body chemical signals” called a waggle dance (How Bees Communicate).

Bees pollenate while traveling from plant to plant. By transferring pollen, they are able to help plants reproduce and create a healthier habitat for both wildlife and themselves. There are more than 3,310 species in the Wildlife Garden at the Natural History Museum. The honey bees in the bee hive contribute to the health of these plants.

Overall, I found this bee tree vastly interesting to learn about. Although it took me quite some time to actually open the door to the bee tree hive, it was surely worth viewing. I not only overcame an obstacle of fear, but I was able to witness an extraordinary sight of bees at work.

http://www.beeculture.com/bees-in-trees/

http://www.capilanohoney.com/uploads/Hive%20to%20home/pdf/all-about-the-bees.pdf