Sneha Sharon
1024117
CIA 2
MEL 132
Western Aesthetics
July 15th, 2010.
______________________
A Map of Timothy J. Clark’s “Preliminaries to a Possible Treatment of ‘Olympia’ in 1865”
Paragraph 1: Olympia’s unfortunate plight of being stranded for display almost for two years- A resubmission by the artist, Manet in 1865- Initial good will and enthusiasm among art critics- The Salon review and Manet’s anxiety.
Paragraph 2: Salon affirmed negative critical response- Four supporters among sixty. Written records/ criticism and analysis of the work on Olympia in 1865 by Jean Ravenel- sole record available.
Paragraph 3: Perplexing title and the ‘outlandish’ verses of introduction- sexual connotations hence judgemental. Relation of a text to the spectator- Olympia limits
forced vocabulary.
Paragraph 4: Complete study as deviating therefore focus on the painting on ‘determinate’, ‘materialistic’ grounds.
Paragraph 5: Discourses routed:1) Clark uses the term ‘Discourse on woman in the 1860’s- combination of the otherwise tripartite version of the woman/ nude/ prostitute. 2) Second Empire: Aesthetic judgement- historic categories- absence of the same make it difficult topic of concern.
Paragraph 6: Olympia –signified unequivocal picture of a prostitute- Several ways of references- 1) ‘woman coutisane, 2) ‘some red head from the quartier breda 3) une manolo du bas etage. 4) Ravenel’s ‘a girl of the night from Paul Niquet’s.- Olympia- representative of sexuality laid out for inspection- Discourse on Woman, realm of art accepts this category of the saleable sex. Alain Corbin- 19th century pin points the prostitute as an important realm while converging on the discourse on woman- seen as a unity- the constituent of feminity. Feminine- 1) fille publique 2) femme honnete, the former articulates relations between sexual identity/ power and social class. Basically founding signification of woman.
Paragraph 7: Transgressive elements plus verbal violence in the painting. Difficult understanding of courtesean and woman held together. Disentangling femininity and prostitution is like going away from normal relations.
Paragraph 8: Nudity as one of the notions of the discourse on woman- marks its artificiality too. Nude- term of art/art criticism- intersection of the sexual and the artistic paving way for 1) representation, 2)knowledge and 3)decorum. Mid way term- pronouncing revealing, unrevealed sexuality/ displayed, masked form. Olympia failed to propound that a woman can be known in her nakedness.
Paragraph 9: Unanswered questions- what sex was Olympia / did it have a sex at all/ could it be included in the discourse on woman at all/ constituting artistic tradition?/modern example of the nude?/ nude and fille publique mapping?/ Instability of the term prostitute- invading myth of the vacation of the edge of city by the prostitute to build a new city with only edges and no single demarcations.
Paragraph 10: Tracking normal forms of discourse in writings on Olympia, figures of death and decay- Olympia’s hand covering her pubic hair as unconventional of the nude- Olympia’s entire posture is ‘disobedient’/ ‘unyielding’/ ‘unfeminine’ Bertall’s caricature stands as a critique of Manet’s original version.
Paragraph 11: Unstable meaning of the picture yields further criticism. Attempts to instate previous forms of representation- Research proves contrary.
Paragraph 12: Olympia and Titian’s Venus of Urbino parallel Baudelaire. Comparison between the former calls in for twentieth century criticism yet again. Titian’s- ‘hollow and hackneyed’ example of the nude. Therefore, should Manet’s work be seen as a referred work/ greater tradition of European art?
Paragraph 13: Amedee Cantalobe’s Le Grand Journal feels Bertell’s is ‘sort of female gorilla..’ Pierrot too comments on the grotesque figure.
Paragraph 14: Reference back to tradition was apparently invisible to most. Titian’s alignment of the nude- travesty/ aping and denying the body both humanity and femininity.
Paragraph 15: Clark likes Pierrot’s comment. Silence of the text- interprets crudity and meaningless picturisation of Titian’s work.
Paragraph 16: Ravenel-complex-L’Epoque –paper of the ‘far left opposition’ -aware of its own uncertainity.
Paragraph 17: Olympia treated as a product of Spanish ‘madness’- disregarded and contempt for the same- vicious weirdness of the character according to some- physical grossness multiplied in reviews.
Paragraph 18: Effective criticism. However, Ravenel breaks the codes of Olympia. His is being pictured down to Baudelaire and Goya- anti bourgeois. Gives Olympia a sort of temporal class identity too- petite faubourienne. Perplexing amounts of signifiers and signifieds. School of Baudelaire leads/ Self conscious satanic Baudelaire’s propositions and assumptions.
Paragraph 19: Even Baudelaire does not stabilize meaning- multiple and refractory. Only the text can be taken up as the central theme of reference- guarantee of its own perplexity- ‘Priveleged system of signs’ apparently fails.
Paragraph 20: The above stands true for the recognition/attribution of class. Ravenel’s petite fabourienne. System of meanings- nothing concrete-shifts directed clearly- but the directions are unclear. Rapid moves- fail to assimilate the other- various metaphors do assist however.
Paragraph 21: Identification of class as a ‘trigger’- fail to circle on themselves. Illusory quality as against ‘free play of the signifier’. To have matter and the text and to work against.
Paragraph 22: Clark’s as an objective analysis?- within historical materialism- mapping the silence and uncertainty involved in the image. Answer hinges on to the convention of the nude and handling of sexuality.
Paragraph 23: Picture- sexual identity- critics of 1865 disagree- instead propose that Olympia failed to inhabit the arena of the discourse on woman- thereby not nude, nor prostitute- neither a modification of the nude- plain sexuality heading for a narrow escape from societal decorum-scandalous yet not although charged to have. Odd duet of disgrace and decorum. Three aspects dealt : 1) Access and address that is the body to be presented rather precisely-neither too mall nor too great. Courbet’s The Bathers unclothed opposite and opponent of male proletarian nakedness.
Paragraph 24: The Bathers too broke codes of the nude- tried establishing the nude in opposition to the spectator- resistance to vision.
Paragraph 25: Olympia neither canonically nude nor borrowed Realism’s refutations. Spectator not given any space for view and identification- nor exclusion and resistance. The gaze and importance for interpretation.
Paragraph 26: 2) ‘Incorrectness’ in the drawing of the figure’s body- dislocation and deformity.
Paragraph 27: 3) Manipulations- hair and hairlessness/ decorum- sexuality strong permissible signs. Olympia breaking the signs.
Paragraph 28: Reversal of terms- framed face. Physical attributes.
Paragraph 29: Taxonomy of the woman- 0lympia very much in the cannon. ‘Disidentifactory practices of art’
Paragraph 30: Is there a difference with tactical implications? Arbitrary play of signifiers versus a sort of play which disrupts. Class struggle-define and dismantle the body. Else, its acts are insignificant like Manet’s.
Paragraph 31: Olympia refuses to signify- not in the conventional realm of the nude and neither the imaginary. However, may be in terms of classes. Could we give her a place in the world which ‘manufactures’ the Imaginary and produces the binaries of the dominator/dominated, fantasizer/ fantasized?
Paragraph 32: Necessarily then, a complex and elliptical position- but readable- conflicts- shifting margins of the petite faubourienne and courtisane/ prostitute and the proletarian. Endless exchange of social and sexual meanings (Second Empire).
Paragraph 33: Olympia- dance of ideology- erodes normal recognitions- she is constantly re engaged made to collude in her ‘double role’.
Paragraph 34: Relevant other meaning in the social space/ counter meaning/clash of classes. Critique of the dominant systems of meaning also the repressed.
Paragraph 35: Manet’s companion painting: The Mocking of Christ- unpopular picture in 1865 in the Salon- branded worse than Olympia. Also, deliberate caricature of religious art. However, definitely not an equation of Christ and Olympia. Bizarre versions of the nude and the altarpiece. Credibility of Manet’s work, his art ‘turns inwards on its own means and materials’. Whole range of contrary iconography. Aim of this work of art: to present the artifice of this familiar ‘repertoire of modern life’.
Work cited:
Clark, Timothy J. “Preliminaries to a Possible Treatment of ‘Olympia’ in 1865." Art in Modern Culture: An Anthology of Critical Texts. Eds. Francis Franscina, and Jonathan Harris. London/New York: Phaidon, 1992.Print.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Mapping of the essay by Pritha Biswas
PRITHA BISWAS
1024109
CIA II
WESTERN AESTHETICS
MEL132
JULY 15, 2010.
Map of Richard Shiff’s essay “Defining ‘Impressionism’ and the ‘Impression’ ”
Paragraph 1: Introduction
Defining Impressionism is next to impossible because the genre is an evolution of artistic processes.
Impressionism--terminology--obscurity of term--genuinely of artistic interpretation--classification of impressionists-- identity of impressionists--(1)social group--(2)artist’s subject matter--(3)style or technique--(4)purpose
Paragraph 2:
An artist must, in order to be impressionistic, associate with the group of artists who render similar thoughts.
Social group--voluntary association to impressionists--individual style--Degas works--claimed negative exclusion by critics--yet an impressionist--deviant Cezanne--claimed antithetical to impressionism--society of Salon--acknowledgement of Corot’s works--association imperative for artists--independence of style and subject matter--cannot be strictly adhered.
Paragraph 3:
It is in the subject matter of the art that art can be classified in genres.
Subject matter--impressionism defined by social affiliation of artists--”plein-air subjects”--Theodore Duret--stylistic criteria--classification of painters--impressionistic movement
Paragraph 4:
Art must never encourage identity of self in depiction but self identity in the style of depiction.
Style or technique--bright colour--sketch like finish of impressionist paintings--Charles Bigot and Henry Houssaye--profess elimination of effects of chiaroscuro--observed independently--style fails artist’s identity
Paragraph 5:
Impressionistic art is sense observation and self interpretation of the ultimate aesthetic goal.
Artistic goals or purpose--defining goals for purposeful distinctions among artists--critics vary in interpretation--Castagnary tags impressionist art technical innovation--warns of idiosyncrasy--natural imitation professed by Duret--lacks synchronous criticism and interpretation--impressionism is sensation of naturalism--critics miss vital aspects--unresolved quest--harmony of impressionism and symbolism
Paragraph 6:
It is in revolutionizing the medium of expression that art achieves evolution and development of newer techniques.
Approach to impressionism--means for ends--attributes of impressionism--mixed technique--deviation from formal drawing--exclusive and difficult effects--pattern less and unique
Paragraph 7:
The medium of aesthetic expression is in the command of the technicality that defines and artist’s work.
Technicality of Impressionism--specific technical devices--depiction of coagulated universal and individual truths--distinction of artists by manner--spontaneity in creation--brushwork and bright impressions
Paragraph 8:
Any form of art evolves out a mental imprint that gets shape and form around the content of its aesthetic message.
Impression signifies imprint--impressions of aesthetic vision--top layer of photo transparency--surface phenomenon--first layer of impression--inferential vision of artists
Paragraph 9:
It is in the ability to catch the primary idea of the flux that inspires the artist’s creativity that impressionistic art becomes successful.
Impressionism’s initial imprint--true nature of expression--natural disposition--concretization of innate qualities of expression--impressionistic attribute of character of artists--not imitation but invention--poetic nature
Paragraph 10:
The artist’s ability to infer from the facts that generate aesthetic thought gives art its ingenuity.
Impressionism--synthesis of nature and original sensation--innate expression on natural phenomenon--impressionistic effect of aesthetic vision--external and internal effects fused in unison--assumptive aesthetic cause--inferential effects imprints of mind--artistic psychology
Paragraph 11:
The self of the artist in any form of art cannot be denied because it forms the essence of all artistic interpretation.
Impressionism attains psychosis interpretation--nineteenth century--impressionism is perceptive physiology not metaphysical dogmatism--external objectivity expressed by impressionistic attributes--projection of self on nature--priority of self over technical depiction--impressionistic knowledge--unraveling of truth--impressionism perfect fusion of subjectivity and objectivity
Paragraph 12:
The distinction between the works of the great impressionists is in their treatment of their respective medium.
Impressionistic symbolism of modern art--emotional impression on visual realism--Manet’s works--reading of sensation--not sensory perception--not objective perception--sensations produced by objects in artistic depiction
Paragraph 13: Conclusion
It is in the projection of the self that art achieves its greatness.
Art is artistic self--artistic individuality--aesthetic license--artistic consciousness projecting individual realism of nature
Commentary:
There is no proper generic approach to defining Impressionism and the way Impressionistic style in art can be attributed to artists. Richard Shiff illustrates this idea by elucidating that it is difficult to define Impressionistic art, or for that matter, how artists can be classified according to the strictness of the genre. Shiff, throughout his essay, establishes the idea that an artistic theory, like Impressionism, cannot classify the modulus of art or bring into a strict pattern an artist’s intent and creation. Impressionism, as analyzed from the essay, is thus a style of depicting, creatively and instinctively, not professionally, creating the first impressions that comes to mind when a particular strain of thought gets depicted. It may be just depicting the shallow waters or the primary layer of thought that a particular event or an aesthetic consciousness generates in an artist. Shiff is commendably exemplary when he distinguishes photography and Art in the context of Impressionism, as defining it to be an “imprint”. The elementary difference between photography and art is in the medium of reproduction, which is the essence of all art. Photography is capturing the moment in time as an imprint but art is always contoured by artists ego, the creative psyche and personal interpretation of the flux from where the artists draws inspiration. Shiff also warns us about us misjudging Impressionism with Symbolism, where the latter depends more on hidden layers of meaning or interpretation. Shiff does this by drawing a clear distinction between Manet and Monet’s Artistic depiction of thought patterns. Where Manet’s depiction of impressions on the mind was objectively portrayed by solid brush strokes, Monet was subjective to his aesthetic rendering. The essay is conclusively remnant of the theory that Art is a projection of the artists self and this must be true to the nature of creation. Impressionism is thus the artists’ Impression on nature and not nature’s impression on the artist.
Works cited:
Shiff, Richard. “ Defining ‘Impressionism’ and the ‘Impression’. ” Art in Modern Culture: An Anthology of Critical texts. Eds. Francis Franscina, and Jonathan Harris. London/ New York: Phaidon, 1992. Printed.
1024109
CIA II
WESTERN AESTHETICS
MEL132
JULY 15, 2010.
Map of Richard Shiff’s essay “Defining ‘Impressionism’ and the ‘Impression’ ”
Paragraph 1: Introduction
Defining Impressionism is next to impossible because the genre is an evolution of artistic processes.
Impressionism--terminology--obscurity of term--genuinely of artistic interpretation--classification of impressionists-- identity of impressionists--(1)social group--(2)artist’s subject matter--(3)style or technique--(4)purpose
Paragraph 2:
An artist must, in order to be impressionistic, associate with the group of artists who render similar thoughts.
Social group--voluntary association to impressionists--individual style--Degas works--claimed negative exclusion by critics--yet an impressionist--deviant Cezanne--claimed antithetical to impressionism--society of Salon--acknowledgement of Corot’s works--association imperative for artists--independence of style and subject matter--cannot be strictly adhered.
Paragraph 3:
It is in the subject matter of the art that art can be classified in genres.
Subject matter--impressionism defined by social affiliation of artists--”plein-air subjects”--Theodore Duret--stylistic criteria--classification of painters--impressionistic movement
Paragraph 4:
Art must never encourage identity of self in depiction but self identity in the style of depiction.
Style or technique--bright colour--sketch like finish of impressionist paintings--Charles Bigot and Henry Houssaye--profess elimination of effects of chiaroscuro--observed independently--style fails artist’s identity
Paragraph 5:
Impressionistic art is sense observation and self interpretation of the ultimate aesthetic goal.
Artistic goals or purpose--defining goals for purposeful distinctions among artists--critics vary in interpretation--Castagnary tags impressionist art technical innovation--warns of idiosyncrasy--natural imitation professed by Duret--lacks synchronous criticism and interpretation--impressionism is sensation of naturalism--critics miss vital aspects--unresolved quest--harmony of impressionism and symbolism
Paragraph 6:
It is in revolutionizing the medium of expression that art achieves evolution and development of newer techniques.
Approach to impressionism--means for ends--attributes of impressionism--mixed technique--deviation from formal drawing--exclusive and difficult effects--pattern less and unique
Paragraph 7:
The medium of aesthetic expression is in the command of the technicality that defines and artist’s work.
Technicality of Impressionism--specific technical devices--depiction of coagulated universal and individual truths--distinction of artists by manner--spontaneity in creation--brushwork and bright impressions
Paragraph 8:
Any form of art evolves out a mental imprint that gets shape and form around the content of its aesthetic message.
Impression signifies imprint--impressions of aesthetic vision--top layer of photo transparency--surface phenomenon--first layer of impression--inferential vision of artists
Paragraph 9:
It is in the ability to catch the primary idea of the flux that inspires the artist’s creativity that impressionistic art becomes successful.
Impressionism’s initial imprint--true nature of expression--natural disposition--concretization of innate qualities of expression--impressionistic attribute of character of artists--not imitation but invention--poetic nature
Paragraph 10:
The artist’s ability to infer from the facts that generate aesthetic thought gives art its ingenuity.
Impressionism--synthesis of nature and original sensation--innate expression on natural phenomenon--impressionistic effect of aesthetic vision--external and internal effects fused in unison--assumptive aesthetic cause--inferential effects imprints of mind--artistic psychology
Paragraph 11:
The self of the artist in any form of art cannot be denied because it forms the essence of all artistic interpretation.
Impressionism attains psychosis interpretation--nineteenth century--impressionism is perceptive physiology not metaphysical dogmatism--external objectivity expressed by impressionistic attributes--projection of self on nature--priority of self over technical depiction--impressionistic knowledge--unraveling of truth--impressionism perfect fusion of subjectivity and objectivity
Paragraph 12:
The distinction between the works of the great impressionists is in their treatment of their respective medium.
Impressionistic symbolism of modern art--emotional impression on visual realism--Manet’s works--reading of sensation--not sensory perception--not objective perception--sensations produced by objects in artistic depiction
Paragraph 13: Conclusion
It is in the projection of the self that art achieves its greatness.
Art is artistic self--artistic individuality--aesthetic license--artistic consciousness projecting individual realism of nature
Commentary:
There is no proper generic approach to defining Impressionism and the way Impressionistic style in art can be attributed to artists. Richard Shiff illustrates this idea by elucidating that it is difficult to define Impressionistic art, or for that matter, how artists can be classified according to the strictness of the genre. Shiff, throughout his essay, establishes the idea that an artistic theory, like Impressionism, cannot classify the modulus of art or bring into a strict pattern an artist’s intent and creation. Impressionism, as analyzed from the essay, is thus a style of depicting, creatively and instinctively, not professionally, creating the first impressions that comes to mind when a particular strain of thought gets depicted. It may be just depicting the shallow waters or the primary layer of thought that a particular event or an aesthetic consciousness generates in an artist. Shiff is commendably exemplary when he distinguishes photography and Art in the context of Impressionism, as defining it to be an “imprint”. The elementary difference between photography and art is in the medium of reproduction, which is the essence of all art. Photography is capturing the moment in time as an imprint but art is always contoured by artists ego, the creative psyche and personal interpretation of the flux from where the artists draws inspiration. Shiff also warns us about us misjudging Impressionism with Symbolism, where the latter depends more on hidden layers of meaning or interpretation. Shiff does this by drawing a clear distinction between Manet and Monet’s Artistic depiction of thought patterns. Where Manet’s depiction of impressions on the mind was objectively portrayed by solid brush strokes, Monet was subjective to his aesthetic rendering. The essay is conclusively remnant of the theory that Art is a projection of the artists self and this must be true to the nature of creation. Impressionism is thus the artists’ Impression on nature and not nature’s impression on the artist.
Works cited:
Shiff, Richard. “ Defining ‘Impressionism’ and the ‘Impression’. ” Art in Modern Culture: An Anthology of Critical texts. Eds. Francis Franscina, and Jonathan Harris. London/ New York: Phaidon, 1992. Printed.
Enlightenment Voices, Revolutionary Visions and Contested Boundaries, National Visions
Enlightenment Voices, Revolutionary Visions
There was a conflict as to what should be written and publicized more: Human Nature or Moral Instructions. Human nature became an important aspect which lead to national freedom. Human nature writers like Thomas Hobbes, author of Levation believed in exploration. Roussean gave the idea of Social concept theory which states that man is born free though he is always bound by chains/ limitations. Supporting him is John Loche, who believes that men are not born with a memory; they are a clean slate and he disagrees with the concept of Original Sin. “Humans by nature are harmonious”, was the main idea.
“In philosophical terms, the contradictory ideas expressed during the revolutionary era seem to have risen from conflicting opinions about human nature and the extend to which mankind could progress.”
Moral instructions have its roots in the 17th century; it talks about God’s desire. Paine said that, in struggle, America cannot be with England (moral instructions) but she has to break away from them (Human Nature). It talks about the struggle between science (progressive), which is supported by Thomas Jefferson and religion (limitations) which was supported by John Adams.
Enlightenment refers to the philosophical outlook of Europe in the 1700’s upto the 18th century. It states that men, not God is the center of everything. This concept has its base from the Roussean theory, which believed that men are the epicenter of action; there is shift from the ancient traditions which believed that God is above everything. It is romantic in nature, i.e it is about the ordinary people, the common man. Enlightenment believes that justice is not about punishing but listening to people, giving a fair chance to everyone.
Revolutionary visions also contain the same idea as that of Roussean. It began in 1700’s with the idea that all mankind should be given equal respect. Roussean believed that, “Social betterment might result from individual freedom, in both inquiry and action”. It is said that the American past was ‘great’, as there was equal representation of people irrespective of their caste, race, status and colour. That was enlightenment. The notion of believing that a king is a father figure, a representation of God was held during the revolution era.
“They considered that in ancient Brittany, the people freely choose to constitute themselves into one body for their own better protection and governance. The officials of the commonwealth represented the body of the people and determined the laws and enacted statues for the whole. Yet more recent kings, they instated took away the colonists rights as citizens, forcing them in subjection without offering a suitable of representation in the English common body.”
Contested Boundaries, National Visions
Contested boundaries refer to ‘challenging’ limitations. This dispute was rampant during late 1700’s when America talked about a free nation country. There was a lot of gender inequality going on at that period, and many writers challenged it. “In the new code of laws which I suppose it will be necessary for you to make I desire you would remember the ladies, and be more generous and favorable to them than your ancestors.”
Afro American and Native American women started to write from the period of 1776. They openly confronted the boundaries set for them by the white elite class of men whose visions of what they considered ‘just’ and ‘good.
One of the aAfro American women writer, Lameul Haynes said tha,t English men in America often complain that they are ill-treated by England, while they themselves ill-treat the negro’s (refers to slavery). Though the Afro American learned how to read and write, the white elite class people did not allow their writings (mostly which criticized the white’s) to go into print.
“In fact the whites were generally deaf to the subtle complexity of black oral expression permitted Afro American culture to maintain a resilience, integrity and subversive thrust that played an important role in the spiritual survival of the slaves”. That is, the white’s did not recognize the subtle interaction within the Afro American community though their writing, which helped them to fire up their spirit and keep the spiritual movement going.
Mark Weber once said, “Voice of the oppressor is minus the voice of the oppressed; while the voice of the oppressed has the voice of the oppressor.”
There was a conflict as to what should be written and publicized more: Human Nature or Moral Instructions. Human nature became an important aspect which lead to national freedom. Human nature writers like Thomas Hobbes, author of Levation believed in exploration. Roussean gave the idea of Social concept theory which states that man is born free though he is always bound by chains/ limitations. Supporting him is John Loche, who believes that men are not born with a memory; they are a clean slate and he disagrees with the concept of Original Sin. “Humans by nature are harmonious”, was the main idea.
“In philosophical terms, the contradictory ideas expressed during the revolutionary era seem to have risen from conflicting opinions about human nature and the extend to which mankind could progress.”
Moral instructions have its roots in the 17th century; it talks about God’s desire. Paine said that, in struggle, America cannot be with England (moral instructions) but she has to break away from them (Human Nature). It talks about the struggle between science (progressive), which is supported by Thomas Jefferson and religion (limitations) which was supported by John Adams.
Enlightenment refers to the philosophical outlook of Europe in the 1700’s upto the 18th century. It states that men, not God is the center of everything. This concept has its base from the Roussean theory, which believed that men are the epicenter of action; there is shift from the ancient traditions which believed that God is above everything. It is romantic in nature, i.e it is about the ordinary people, the common man. Enlightenment believes that justice is not about punishing but listening to people, giving a fair chance to everyone.
Revolutionary visions also contain the same idea as that of Roussean. It began in 1700’s with the idea that all mankind should be given equal respect. Roussean believed that, “Social betterment might result from individual freedom, in both inquiry and action”. It is said that the American past was ‘great’, as there was equal representation of people irrespective of their caste, race, status and colour. That was enlightenment. The notion of believing that a king is a father figure, a representation of God was held during the revolution era.
“They considered that in ancient Brittany, the people freely choose to constitute themselves into one body for their own better protection and governance. The officials of the commonwealth represented the body of the people and determined the laws and enacted statues for the whole. Yet more recent kings, they instated took away the colonists rights as citizens, forcing them in subjection without offering a suitable of representation in the English common body.”
Contested Boundaries, National Visions
Contested boundaries refer to ‘challenging’ limitations. This dispute was rampant during late 1700’s when America talked about a free nation country. There was a lot of gender inequality going on at that period, and many writers challenged it. “In the new code of laws which I suppose it will be necessary for you to make I desire you would remember the ladies, and be more generous and favorable to them than your ancestors.”
Afro American and Native American women started to write from the period of 1776. They openly confronted the boundaries set for them by the white elite class of men whose visions of what they considered ‘just’ and ‘good.
One of the aAfro American women writer, Lameul Haynes said tha,t English men in America often complain that they are ill-treated by England, while they themselves ill-treat the negro’s (refers to slavery). Though the Afro American learned how to read and write, the white elite class people did not allow their writings (mostly which criticized the white’s) to go into print.
“In fact the whites were generally deaf to the subtle complexity of black oral expression permitted Afro American culture to maintain a resilience, integrity and subversive thrust that played an important role in the spiritual survival of the slaves”. That is, the white’s did not recognize the subtle interaction within the Afro American community though their writing, which helped them to fire up their spirit and keep the spiritual movement going.
Mark Weber once said, “Voice of the oppressor is minus the voice of the oppressed; while the voice of the oppressed has the voice of the oppressor.”
Mapping of the essay by Sreetama Ghosh
SREETAMA GHOSH
1024118
CIA2
MEL 132
WESTERN AESTHETICS
JULY 15, 2010.
Map of Stephen F.Eisenman’s “The Intransigent Artist or How the Impressionists got their name”
Paragraph 1: Routes how the movement Impressionism got its name-exhibition in Paris studio on 15 April 1874-Claude Monet’s painting titled Impression-‘impression’, ‘effect of an impression’; used by press to refer to the paintings-‘Le Charivari’ by Louis Leroy, speaks of a school of Impressionists-Jules Castagnary explains Impressionism for readers of ‘Le siècle’- The Sociѐtѐ itself accepted the name, voting to title its third exhibition the ‘exhibition of Impressionists’.
Paragraph 2: Arguments concerning the origin of the name- accuracy of the account-popularity of the term Impressionism in period between April 1874 and February 1877-why did the Sociѐtѐ anonyme adopt a name that had been used in mockery?-the necessity to name the new art- why did the artists and their critics regard the term significant?-impressionism constitute a single moment of the ongoing debate over modernism itself.
Paragraph 3: Inclusion of the word Impression in the vocabulary of art criticism and what it implied-the term entered the vocabulary at about the same time that the French positivists were pursuing their studies of Perception- Charles Baudelaire described the “Impression produced by things on the spirit of M.G(uys)”-Studies of Richard Shiff and Charles Stuckey provide base for generalization of the meaning of the term- art based on impressions or sensory experience must resemble, what Ruskin had earlier called,’ innocence of the eye’-Theodore Duret said of Manet that his paintings reflects his impression of things ‘in a variant coloration’.
Paragraph 4: The dual nature of Impressionism-individuality and juxtaposition of colour ‘notes’ with their adjacent tone- Castagnary cites that “Impressionists leave reality and enter into full idealism”-idealism signifies the individualism of the artists, determined by the reflection of the macrocosmic world on his senses.
Paragraph 5: Connotations of the term Impressionism in 1874-technique of painting and an attitude of individualism shared by a group of artists unofficially led by Manet-political and radical connotations of the term-“does it constitute a revolution?” asked Castagnary of Impressionism- Impressionism deemed individualism as an necessary instrument for the freedom of citizens from political, economical and religious dogma-reconstructing France after disastrous Franco- Prussian war and commune.
Paragraph 6: Debate on the sanguinity about the political moderation of the new art and appearance of the word Intransigent-the word Intransigent popular until the Impressionists self-naming in1877.
Paragraph 7: Derivation and meaning of the word intransigent- derived from Spanish neologism los intransigentes-designation for the anarchist wing of the Spanish federalist party of 1872-the intransigents were opposed to the compromises offered by the Federalist benevolent-intransigents claimed for cantonal independence against benevolent Republicans-dispute resulted in war.
Paragraph 8: Political unrest in Spain due to the dispute between the intransigents and Benevolent Republic-attempted intransigent coup in July 1873 fuelled civil war-rebels routed-last Intransigent stronghold, Cartagena, submitted to the Republic-end of 1874,the Republic defeated and the Spanish bourbons restored to power.
Parahgraph9: Support of the assertion that Impressionists had joined hands with the Intransigents in politics-preface to the catalogue for an auction of Impressionist paintings, Philippe Burty described the paintings of the new group, “who are here called Impressionists, elsewhere the Intransigents.”-in the review of second Impressionist exhibition, Albert Wolff wrote, “The self- proclaimed artists call themselves the Intransigents, the Impressionists Intransigents in politics had alliance with Impressionists were further stated by Emile Blemont and Louis Eaul.
Paragraph 10: A critic for La Gazzette, Marius Chaumelin take on politics of Intransigent Art and the appropriateness of its name-Chaumelin claims that the fundamentals of the new art were derived from the principles of the political Intransigents- but little help offered to readers in determining as how political turned in to artistic intransigence.
Paragraph 11: Stѐphane Mallarmѐ clarifies the link between radical, or intransigent, art and politics-Mallarmѐ perceived the new art as an expression of working -class vision and ideology- argument justified in Mallarmѐ’s essay ‘The Art Monthly Review’.
Paragraph 12: Mallarmѐ argues that new Impressionist art marked a significant new stage in social evolution-Impressionism was a movement with a radical co-operative programme.
Paragraph 13:Set of homologies offered by Mallarmѐ between Impressionist art and working class, or radical vision-he suggested that this radical erasure was positive, akin to the popular art usually indigenous to the working class-key term in his dialectic was ‘the theory of the open air’.
Paragraph 14: The function of the open-air painting; what makes Impressionist painting appealing to the rising class of workers and petit bourgeois and Mallarmѐ’s view of the ideal Impressionist painter-Open-air painting justifies for the discarding of academic traditions or individualist whim-Impressionists’ stripping away results in a pictorial clarity and flatness that imitates the look of the simple- thus favored by the rising class of workers and petit bourgeois.
Paragraph 15: The essence of the new art, that emerged between 1874 and 1877, occupies the position between the polarities Impressionist/Intransigent- new art as an single instance of Modernist dialectics-works exploring their own physical origins are Intransigent rebukes to a society-on the other hand, the apolitical self-regard of Modernist art creates an environment suitable to industrial appropriation of the works-‘free space desired by Modernism significant to culture industry.
Paragraph 16: Intransigent the alter ego of Impressionism-opposition between Impressionist and Intransigent art unresolved in the criticism of Claretie, Chesneau, Burty, Wolff, Enault, Chaumelin, and Mallarmѐ.
Paragraph 17: Ambiguities of the new art-assumption that it was deliberate steps by the artists to create a zone of aesthetic freedom that could remain autonomous from political polarizations-new art embodied a ‘theory of open air’, so did its criticism based on ideological unease-critics on the left no more confident than those on the right-Renoir’s rejection of the name further fuelled critical uncertainty over the new art- prolonged ideological antinomies to prevent painting absorbed into ‘cheap tinsel.’
Paragraph 18: Success of the new art apparently owing to the manner of style adopted by Manet and refusal of a proper name by Renoir-Manet chose to expose the Enlightment fissure between subject and object or word and thing through an art that called attention to its status as fiction-he refused Romantic symbolism and Jacobian tradition.
Paragraph 19: Impressionist followers of Manet succeeded in eliding ideological oppositions still offering scope for knowledge-evidence of knowledge in pictures-Manet’s art rhetoric of binaries-new art provides free space between Impressionist and Intransigent.
Work cited:
Eisenmam, Stephen F. “The Intransigent Artist or How the Impressionists Got their Name.”
Art in Modern Culture: An Anthology of Critical texts. Eds. Francis Franscina, and
Jonathan Harris. London/New York: Phaidon, 1992.Print.
1024118
CIA2
MEL 132
WESTERN AESTHETICS
JULY 15, 2010.
Map of Stephen F.Eisenman’s “The Intransigent Artist or How the Impressionists got their name”
Paragraph 1: Routes how the movement Impressionism got its name-exhibition in Paris studio on 15 April 1874-Claude Monet’s painting titled Impression-‘impression’, ‘effect of an impression’; used by press to refer to the paintings-‘Le Charivari’ by Louis Leroy, speaks of a school of Impressionists-Jules Castagnary explains Impressionism for readers of ‘Le siècle’- The Sociѐtѐ itself accepted the name, voting to title its third exhibition the ‘exhibition of Impressionists’.
Paragraph 2: Arguments concerning the origin of the name- accuracy of the account-popularity of the term Impressionism in period between April 1874 and February 1877-why did the Sociѐtѐ anonyme adopt a name that had been used in mockery?-the necessity to name the new art- why did the artists and their critics regard the term significant?-impressionism constitute a single moment of the ongoing debate over modernism itself.
Paragraph 3: Inclusion of the word Impression in the vocabulary of art criticism and what it implied-the term entered the vocabulary at about the same time that the French positivists were pursuing their studies of Perception- Charles Baudelaire described the “Impression produced by things on the spirit of M.G(uys)”-Studies of Richard Shiff and Charles Stuckey provide base for generalization of the meaning of the term- art based on impressions or sensory experience must resemble, what Ruskin had earlier called,’ innocence of the eye’-Theodore Duret said of Manet that his paintings reflects his impression of things ‘in a variant coloration’.
Paragraph 4: The dual nature of Impressionism-individuality and juxtaposition of colour ‘notes’ with their adjacent tone- Castagnary cites that “Impressionists leave reality and enter into full idealism”-idealism signifies the individualism of the artists, determined by the reflection of the macrocosmic world on his senses.
Paragraph 5: Connotations of the term Impressionism in 1874-technique of painting and an attitude of individualism shared by a group of artists unofficially led by Manet-political and radical connotations of the term-“does it constitute a revolution?” asked Castagnary of Impressionism- Impressionism deemed individualism as an necessary instrument for the freedom of citizens from political, economical and religious dogma-reconstructing France after disastrous Franco- Prussian war and commune.
Paragraph 6: Debate on the sanguinity about the political moderation of the new art and appearance of the word Intransigent-the word Intransigent popular until the Impressionists self-naming in1877.
Paragraph 7: Derivation and meaning of the word intransigent- derived from Spanish neologism los intransigentes-designation for the anarchist wing of the Spanish federalist party of 1872-the intransigents were opposed to the compromises offered by the Federalist benevolent-intransigents claimed for cantonal independence against benevolent Republicans-dispute resulted in war.
Paragraph 8: Political unrest in Spain due to the dispute between the intransigents and Benevolent Republic-attempted intransigent coup in July 1873 fuelled civil war-rebels routed-last Intransigent stronghold, Cartagena, submitted to the Republic-end of 1874,the Republic defeated and the Spanish bourbons restored to power.
Parahgraph9: Support of the assertion that Impressionists had joined hands with the Intransigents in politics-preface to the catalogue for an auction of Impressionist paintings, Philippe Burty described the paintings of the new group, “who are here called Impressionists, elsewhere the Intransigents.”-in the review of second Impressionist exhibition, Albert Wolff wrote, “The self- proclaimed artists call themselves the Intransigents, the Impressionists Intransigents in politics had alliance with Impressionists were further stated by Emile Blemont and Louis Eaul.
Paragraph 10: A critic for La Gazzette, Marius Chaumelin take on politics of Intransigent Art and the appropriateness of its name-Chaumelin claims that the fundamentals of the new art were derived from the principles of the political Intransigents- but little help offered to readers in determining as how political turned in to artistic intransigence.
Paragraph 11: Stѐphane Mallarmѐ clarifies the link between radical, or intransigent, art and politics-Mallarmѐ perceived the new art as an expression of working -class vision and ideology- argument justified in Mallarmѐ’s essay ‘The Art Monthly Review’.
Paragraph 12: Mallarmѐ argues that new Impressionist art marked a significant new stage in social evolution-Impressionism was a movement with a radical co-operative programme.
Paragraph 13:Set of homologies offered by Mallarmѐ between Impressionist art and working class, or radical vision-he suggested that this radical erasure was positive, akin to the popular art usually indigenous to the working class-key term in his dialectic was ‘the theory of the open air’.
Paragraph 14: The function of the open-air painting; what makes Impressionist painting appealing to the rising class of workers and petit bourgeois and Mallarmѐ’s view of the ideal Impressionist painter-Open-air painting justifies for the discarding of academic traditions or individualist whim-Impressionists’ stripping away results in a pictorial clarity and flatness that imitates the look of the simple- thus favored by the rising class of workers and petit bourgeois.
Paragraph 15: The essence of the new art, that emerged between 1874 and 1877, occupies the position between the polarities Impressionist/Intransigent- new art as an single instance of Modernist dialectics-works exploring their own physical origins are Intransigent rebukes to a society-on the other hand, the apolitical self-regard of Modernist art creates an environment suitable to industrial appropriation of the works-‘free space desired by Modernism significant to culture industry.
Paragraph 16: Intransigent the alter ego of Impressionism-opposition between Impressionist and Intransigent art unresolved in the criticism of Claretie, Chesneau, Burty, Wolff, Enault, Chaumelin, and Mallarmѐ.
Paragraph 17: Ambiguities of the new art-assumption that it was deliberate steps by the artists to create a zone of aesthetic freedom that could remain autonomous from political polarizations-new art embodied a ‘theory of open air’, so did its criticism based on ideological unease-critics on the left no more confident than those on the right-Renoir’s rejection of the name further fuelled critical uncertainty over the new art- prolonged ideological antinomies to prevent painting absorbed into ‘cheap tinsel.’
Paragraph 18: Success of the new art apparently owing to the manner of style adopted by Manet and refusal of a proper name by Renoir-Manet chose to expose the Enlightment fissure between subject and object or word and thing through an art that called attention to its status as fiction-he refused Romantic symbolism and Jacobian tradition.
Paragraph 19: Impressionist followers of Manet succeeded in eliding ideological oppositions still offering scope for knowledge-evidence of knowledge in pictures-Manet’s art rhetoric of binaries-new art provides free space between Impressionist and Intransigent.
Work cited:
Eisenmam, Stephen F. “The Intransigent Artist or How the Impressionists Got their Name.”
Art in Modern Culture: An Anthology of Critical texts. Eds. Francis Franscina, and
Jonathan Harris. London/New York: Phaidon, 1992.Print.
Thormas Paine : American Crises
American Literature has its beginning in the 18th century. The American literatures were pamphlets and writings extolling the benefits of the colonies to both a European and colonist audience. The religious disputes that prompted settlement in America, the revolutionary period containing political writings were also the topics of writing. The strength of America lies in its culture.
Literature and not philosophy became the topic of discussion for the elite class. “Colonization is about capturing minds and not capturing terrorist”, was the idea. During the emergence of World War I, England stopped imparting education to the Germans as they were their enemies; in reply to this, Dental science started emerging in the Germen camps.
In 1492, Columbus reached America, and by 1600’s Native Americans, Red Indians started to settle there. It is said that Aryans ‘came’ from central Asia, Mughals ‘invaded’ and Britishers ‘colonized’ America. Evidence of this can found in the linguists of America as it is similar to Sanskrit, Greek and Latin. The Mughals came from Mangolia with their army and settled down there. Genetically, Native Americans are Magnolian.
Thomas Paine (1737-1809)
Thomas Paine was a renowned pro American writer, who used ‘plain’ language in an attempt to engage even those people who never read. His works promoted the struggle for American independence and for the rejection of government based on hereditary monarchy. He rejected hierarchies in church and state.
During that period local aristocracies were being challenged by the rising artisan class. He used his rhetorical powers to argue for American independence. On January 9, 1776, he published Common Sense which argued for American independence from Great Britain and for a republican form of government as superior to heredity monarchy. Common Sense helped in spreading a national spirit and led to the creation of the Declaration of Independence.
His writings showcased how emerging state uses the vocabulary of religion to sanctify their cause. Religion is used to defend states, although religion and state are completely different entities. Religion becomes a tool to justify their cause for a national state. Religion in turn relates to Puritanism which is based largely on Old Testament and it also has its roots in the Jewish history.
From The American Crisis
In the introductory paragraph itself, Paine represents the current state of affairs in America. America was undergoing both domestic and outer (external) crises. He aims to attain a free nation, free from the tyranny of British. He wishes to break free from the bindings, he believed that binding is slavery.
He also points out the faults, the mistakes made in the past and he counters how to redress it. Lack of preparation becomes one of the main reasons for their folly, for the downfall of America. Paine also justifies their goal of FREE AMERICA, as he feels that it is a just claim which has been sanctioned by God himself. “God Almighty will not give up a people to military destruction, or leave them unsupported to perish”. Nation state action is sanctioned by religion. Political struggle kept alive though divine invocation.
He also talks about the panic which has gripped America. He gives examples of the previous situations in France and England, where panic became a downfall and a cause of misery. He believed that now it was the right time to attack; he wanted all the people to fire up their spirits and fight together, unite and gain independence. He gives a detailed account about the experiences of the troops at Fort Lee. He talks about the fragile and temporary army and the mistakes committed by both armies.
The essay has a Biblical tone to it. Paine’s language is similar to that of Bible (Old Testament); especially the text relating to Jewish struggle; there is also the use of imagination from the Jewish: the journey towards the Promised Land (Israel). The notion of “All nations”, is taken from the Bible.
There is also the imagery of Joan of Arc, wherein there is divine intervention where someone will be blessed to lead America towards her independence. Also there are references to enlightened visions and contested boundaries.
Literature and not philosophy became the topic of discussion for the elite class. “Colonization is about capturing minds and not capturing terrorist”, was the idea. During the emergence of World War I, England stopped imparting education to the Germans as they were their enemies; in reply to this, Dental science started emerging in the Germen camps.
In 1492, Columbus reached America, and by 1600’s Native Americans, Red Indians started to settle there. It is said that Aryans ‘came’ from central Asia, Mughals ‘invaded’ and Britishers ‘colonized’ America. Evidence of this can found in the linguists of America as it is similar to Sanskrit, Greek and Latin. The Mughals came from Mangolia with their army and settled down there. Genetically, Native Americans are Magnolian.
Thomas Paine (1737-1809)
Thomas Paine was a renowned pro American writer, who used ‘plain’ language in an attempt to engage even those people who never read. His works promoted the struggle for American independence and for the rejection of government based on hereditary monarchy. He rejected hierarchies in church and state.
During that period local aristocracies were being challenged by the rising artisan class. He used his rhetorical powers to argue for American independence. On January 9, 1776, he published Common Sense which argued for American independence from Great Britain and for a republican form of government as superior to heredity monarchy. Common Sense helped in spreading a national spirit and led to the creation of the Declaration of Independence.
His writings showcased how emerging state uses the vocabulary of religion to sanctify their cause. Religion is used to defend states, although religion and state are completely different entities. Religion becomes a tool to justify their cause for a national state. Religion in turn relates to Puritanism which is based largely on Old Testament and it also has its roots in the Jewish history.
From The American Crisis
In the introductory paragraph itself, Paine represents the current state of affairs in America. America was undergoing both domestic and outer (external) crises. He aims to attain a free nation, free from the tyranny of British. He wishes to break free from the bindings, he believed that binding is slavery.
He also points out the faults, the mistakes made in the past and he counters how to redress it. Lack of preparation becomes one of the main reasons for their folly, for the downfall of America. Paine also justifies their goal of FREE AMERICA, as he feels that it is a just claim which has been sanctioned by God himself. “God Almighty will not give up a people to military destruction, or leave them unsupported to perish”. Nation state action is sanctioned by religion. Political struggle kept alive though divine invocation.
He also talks about the panic which has gripped America. He gives examples of the previous situations in France and England, where panic became a downfall and a cause of misery. He believed that now it was the right time to attack; he wanted all the people to fire up their spirits and fight together, unite and gain independence. He gives a detailed account about the experiences of the troops at Fort Lee. He talks about the fragile and temporary army and the mistakes committed by both armies.
The essay has a Biblical tone to it. Paine’s language is similar to that of Bible (Old Testament); especially the text relating to Jewish struggle; there is also the use of imagination from the Jewish: the journey towards the Promised Land (Israel). The notion of “All nations”, is taken from the Bible.
There is also the imagery of Joan of Arc, wherein there is divine intervention where someone will be blessed to lead America towards her independence. Also there are references to enlightened visions and contested boundaries.
Sunday, July 11, 2010
V Semester Literary theory class notes 4
18 June 2010
The topic that were to be discussed in today’s and the next class are
1. Saussure’s idea of language- the sign system
2. The arbitrary nature of language
3. Signifier exists in time
4. Thought and language
5. Question of language/ parole
6. Signification
7. Value
8. Difference
9. Syntagm and paradigm
SAUSSURE’S IDEA OF LANGUAGE
Saussure says that word represented thing. For example the term ‘duster’ represents a something that a teacher or lecturer uses to clean the blackboard. All words have certain objects to represent.
This means that any word has two properties,
· The word itself
· What it suggests
·
For example when the word auditorium is used in a classroom, there is no auditorium in the class, yet when the term is mentioned everyone gets the picture of, or understand what is being implied by it. It is the idea of the word that exists in the classroom. And this is what happens
most of the time. What we have is the sound through which we get the picture of things. Be it buildings, objects, even feelings.
So we have the word and what it suggests.
Then Saussure labels the word and says that the word is actually a sign,
And the sign has two parts- signifier and the signified.
Here the signifier is the word, the sound or the combination of sounds. And there is a sound image. The sound controls the imagery of mind
The example given by Saussure is that of a tree. When the word ‘tree’ is pronounced, the image of a tree comes in your mind.
Here Saussure is talking only about the spoken language.
So when you make the sound tr-ee or /tri:/, the image created in the mind is the sound image or a visual image.
ARBITRARY NATURE OF LANGUAGE
Saussure says that relationship between signifier and signified, sound and image is at any point of time arbitrary. He said there is no natural relationship between the sound and the image.
This is because when you say, vriksha (hindi), paed (hindi) or mara (kannada) you are creating the same image as tree. Therefore there is no natural relationship. We can decide and create new words or a language if the community agrees to it.
For example if the entire college agrees to calling the tree “taro”, and gives the ‘swaying of tree’ the term “taroying”, the same image will be created in the dead as tree or swaying of tree when I say “taro” or “taroying” respectively.
Thus the relationship is arbitrary and not natural.
If it was natural, when I say 'Tree' everybody all around the world must get the same image in their head, but this is not the case. A person who does not know English, this image with not be created. Also, there would have been only one language in the world, which is not the case.
Now the question arises is what about Pantomime and Onomatopoeic expressions.
Pantomimes are movements or certain gestures that are acted out to create a meaning. If through an action you are able to create the same meaning, and everybody in the world understands that meaning then this theory of this arbitrary relationship is wrong.
But this is not true. Take the example of road signs, only a person who drives/rides or travels much by road will recognize the road signs. A particular tribe from an area where these signs are these signs will not make sense to them.
If this example seems to extreme, you can take the example of clapping. Clapping can have many different significations. Clapping can be for example, an applaud, or simply to tell a speaker that he/she has exceeded time or is boring. A clap can be to call someone also. So is also the case with laughter. This ambiguity of significations explains the arbitrary relationship of signifier and signified.
Coming to Onomatopoeic words. Consider an example of your hand getting caught in the door, now if you’re an Indian you would scream “Aaaa!” or “Aiyo!”, although if you are a British you might say “Ouch!”
Also the words we use to term the sounds of animals like Dogs. In India it is “Bhow-Bhow” whereas in Europe it will be “Woof-Woof”
SIGNIFIER EXISTS IN TIME
Saussure says that signifier exists in time, which means that nobody in this world can produce or say two words simultaneously.
When we speak, we speak one word plus another word plus another word and so on. It is impossible to say two words at once, one will always be after another.
THOUGHT AND LANGUAGE
For Saussure thought and language are inseparable. He says that without language there can be no thought and thought gets order, expression and meaning only because of language. If there is no language there can be no thought and thought is only in language.
Question by Anusha: “Can thought not be in images?”
LANGUE AND PAROLE
Saussure says what we have is langue. What we learn as children is a structure that is there. There is a basic structure in every language this structure never changes.
For example the SVO (subject-verb-object) structure of sentence in English and the SOV (subject-object –verb) structure in Indian languages.
What we speak is parole and parole will have different combinations all the time.
So every language has a langue, which is a basic structure from where people pick up thousands of combinations. They are so numerous that no two piece of writing or speech are exactly similar.
The proof of this can be seen in a software which detects whether what you have written is original or copied from some other work. Therefore no two assignment or essay or any piece of writing can ever be same.
And if you are given any sentence in the language you know well, you can tell whether it is grammatically correct or wrong. Therefore there is a universal rule to that, which Saussure terms as langue.
SIGNIFICATION
Saussure does not use the word meaning. He uses the word signification. When signifier and signified come together or when you relate them, what you have is signification.
Consider a modern art gallery, if you have no background on modern art, art pieces will just seem as some colourful designs without any meaning. But if someone comes and explains to you what the strokes and colours signify you begin to understand the significations that the artist uses.
Pinto, Anil. Class Lecture. Introduction to Literary Theory. Christ University. Bangalore, India. 18 June 2010
Friday, July 09, 2010
Thursday, July 08, 2010
Dewey Decimal Classification System
For the pdf versions of the matter below click here
Dewey Decimal Classification System followed at Christ University Library
Hand out for Humanities/Social Sciences Students
By Anil Joseph Pinto, Dept of Media Studies
General
000 Generalities
100 Philosophy & psychology
200 Religion
300 Social sciences
400 Language
500 Natural sciences & mathematics
600 Technology (Applied sciences)
700 The arts
800 Literature & rhetoric
900 Geography & history
070 News media, journalism, publishing
071 News media, journalism, publishing In North America
072 News media, journalism, publishing In British Isles In England
073 News media, journalism, publishing In central Europe In Germany
074 News media, journalism, publishing In France Monaco
075 News media, journalism, publishing In Italy
076 News media, journalism, publishing In Iberian Peninsula & adjacent islands
077 News media, journalism, publishing In eastern Europe In Soviet Union
078 News media, journalism, publishing In Scandinavia
079 News media, journalism, publishing In other languages
300 Social sciences
320 Political science
330 Economics
340 Law
320 Political science
330 Economics
340 Law
400 Language
401 Philosophy & theory
401 Philosophy & theory
410 Linguistics
414 Phonology
415 Structural systems (Grammar)
415 Structural systems (Grammar)
701 Philosophy & theory
707 Education, research, related topics
729 Design & decoration
770 Photography & photographs
778 Fields & kinds of photography
779 Photographs
780 Music
781 General principles & musical forms
782 Vocal music
783 Music for single voices The voice
784 Instruments & Instrumental ensembles
785 Chamber music
786 Keyboard & other instruments
787 Stringed instruments (Chordophones)
788 Wind instruments
789 Not assigned or no longer used
790 Recreational & performing arts
791 Public performances
792 Stage presentations
800 Literature & rhetoric
801 Philosophy & theory
808 Rhetoric & collections of literature
809 Literary history & criticism
810 American literature in English
811 Poetry
812 Drama
813 Fiction
814 Essays
815 Speeches
816 Letters
817 Satire & humour
820 English & Old English literatures
821 English poetry
822 English drama
823 English fiction
824 English essays
825 English speeches
826 English letters
827 English satire & humour
828 English miscellaneous writings
829 Old English (Anglo-Saxon)
801 Philosophy & theory
808 Rhetoric & collections of literature
809 Literary history & criticism
810 American literature in English
811 Poetry
812 Drama
813 Fiction
814 Essays
815 Speeches
816 Letters
817 Satire & humour
820 English & Old English literatures
821 English poetry
822 English drama
823 English fiction
824 English essays
825 English speeches
826 English letters
827 English satire & humour
828 English miscellaneous writings
829 Old English (Anglo-Saxon)
881 Classical Greek poetry
882 Classical Greek drama
883 Classical Greek epic poetry & fiction
884 Classical Greek lyric poetry
887 Classical Greek satire & humour
888 Classical Greek miscellaneous writings
890 Literatures of other languages
882 Classical Greek drama
883 Classical Greek epic poetry & fiction
884 Classical Greek lyric poetry
887 Classical Greek satire & humour
888 Classical Greek miscellaneous writings
890 Literatures of other languages
891 East Indo-European & Celtic
892 Afro-Asiatic literatures Semitic
893 Non-Semitic Afro-Asiatic literatures
894 Ural-Altaic, Paleosiberian, Dravidian
895 Literatures of East & Southeast Asia
896 African literatures
897 North American native literatures
898 South American native literatures
899 Other literatures
892 Afro-Asiatic literatures Semitic
893 Non-Semitic Afro-Asiatic literatures
894 Ural-Altaic, Paleosiberian, Dravidian
895 Literatures of East & Southeast Asia
896 African literatures
897 North American native literatures
898 South American native literatures
899 Other literatures
For further details check:
Wednesday, July 07, 2010
understanding viewpoints/ MA Eng Previous
Class notes by Sneha
Common notions of Art and Literature are derived, as most of us would like to believe dwelling in the utmost theoretical derivations of the canonical texts and in those famous images of a Plato, Aristotle or a Kant. What we forget to do is question these ideas and their ideologies. Common human error is that they they read for reading sake and therefore believe in art being' the mirror of the society', 'art for art sake' and the 'social responsibility' that art/poetry/poets have to take into consideration. This is what primarily what surface reading does to us. We tend as such to miss out on the 'in between' meanings.
People seem to pinpoint Plato for having accused poets and to have them banned from...where? Essentially from the 'Republic' ( the model polis) and not the Greek society which he inhabited. So can we say at this point that this was what he considered ideal. His differentiations between the realms and the forms is well known to all by now and his problems with the natural world could be seen in the light of its inconsistency, the fluid world therefore. What Plato chose to do was to present the ideal. For instance take 'justice' and not just define it but picturize it in a way that multiple interpretations do not probe in. Hence the philosopher king stayed an ideal for the ideal polis he thought of in his 'Republic'. Again, Plato is comfortable with the idea if the natural actually represents the ideal.
Aristotle, disciple of Plato affirmed the constancy of the natural world what the latter rejected on grounds of instability. For the disciple, the idea of the ideal can be achieved only through the acquaintance with the natural. That is to say, only multiple encounters with the 'real' chairs can give me an impression of the ideal. (To talk about an Indian, one basically needs to interact with a few Indians from various places.) And Aristotle believes that the representation is a complement and not a copy.
Renaissance and post, Aristotle was not buried. The Arabs supposedly preserved Aristotle from the 6th to the 9th century and then with the onset of science, empiricism and likewise wherein to be scientific one needed to affirm reality and engage in it, Aristotle's idea was re affirmed.
Drawing back now, as aforementioned, one needs to read between the lines. Its basically to figure what the writer argues about if indeed he does argue and to read it in that light alone. It only then that one gets these arguments right.
Common notions of Art and Literature are derived, as most of us would like to believe dwelling in the utmost theoretical derivations of the canonical texts and in those famous images of a Plato, Aristotle or a Kant. What we forget to do is question these ideas and their ideologies. Common human error is that they they read for reading sake and therefore believe in art being' the mirror of the society', 'art for art sake' and the 'social responsibility' that art/poetry/poets have to take into consideration. This is what primarily what surface reading does to us. We tend as such to miss out on the 'in between' meanings.
People seem to pinpoint Plato for having accused poets and to have them banned from...where? Essentially from the 'Republic' ( the model polis) and not the Greek society which he inhabited. So can we say at this point that this was what he considered ideal. His differentiations between the realms and the forms is well known to all by now and his problems with the natural world could be seen in the light of its inconsistency, the fluid world therefore. What Plato chose to do was to present the ideal. For instance take 'justice' and not just define it but picturize it in a way that multiple interpretations do not probe in. Hence the philosopher king stayed an ideal for the ideal polis he thought of in his 'Republic'. Again, Plato is comfortable with the idea if the natural actually represents the ideal.
Aristotle, disciple of Plato affirmed the constancy of the natural world what the latter rejected on grounds of instability. For the disciple, the idea of the ideal can be achieved only through the acquaintance with the natural. That is to say, only multiple encounters with the 'real' chairs can give me an impression of the ideal. (To talk about an Indian, one basically needs to interact with a few Indians from various places.) And Aristotle believes that the representation is a complement and not a copy.
Renaissance and post, Aristotle was not buried. The Arabs supposedly preserved Aristotle from the 6th to the 9th century and then with the onset of science, empiricism and likewise wherein to be scientific one needed to affirm reality and engage in it, Aristotle's idea was re affirmed.
Drawing back now, as aforementioned, one needs to read between the lines. Its basically to figure what the writer argues about if indeed he does argue and to read it in that light alone. It only then that one gets these arguments right.
Tuesday, July 06, 2010
Certificate course in citizen journalism
- Those interested in practicing citizen journalism in India are invited to
participate in a two-month citizen journalism course in Mumbai. Classes
begin August 1. Deadline: July 15.
The program will be conducted every Saturday morning at the Journalism
Mentor Center at Andheri East. It is being held by the Journalism Mentor
Foundation for Excellence in Journalism. There is a registration fee of Rs.
3000 (US$64).
For more information visit
http://www.journalism.org.in/
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Humanist theory and Platonic legacies in literature
HUMANIST THEORY
Humanism refers to the idea that we can understand or explain our world through rational enquiry. It rejects explanations based on the supernatural or divine forces. This idea became the basis for the development of science on the Western world.
Humanism inaugurates rational enquiry and rejects the supernatural or the realm of emotions. It was a response to the Dark Ages when people believed in religion unquestioningly. The hold of the Church was so strong that even the king had to bow down to its decisions. Gradually, people started questioning the teachings. Martin Luther King insisted on reading the Bible rather than following the interpretations of the priest. He argued that we must follow religion rationally. Many people started questioning the rigid ritualistic aspects of religion too. Even scientists like Galileo argue that one must read the book of nature.
Such ideas promote the growth of science and reinforce the belief in observation and rational analysis. It is in such a context that humanism emerges. With this, we also see a revival in the study of Classical Greek and Roman texts. We see the emergence of faith in human rather than divine.
Plato's ideas too, are rooted in the belief that reason or rational thought must be employed to make sense of the world. This assumption influences how he looks at art or representation (since the terms 'art' or 'literature' did not exist when Plato formulated his theories). Since, art or literature appeals to the audience's emotions rather than their reason, Plato considered it to be inferior method for understanding the 'truth'.
Nature / Physical World (copy)
Representation / Art (copy of the copy, so, twice removed from the original)
Plato further argues that art or the world of representation tries to copy 'nature' and therefore it is twice removed for the Ideal or reality. Art was therefore, a copy of the copy. Plato also argues that no artist has access to the ideal world. He explains this through his famous allegory of the cave.
ARISTOTLE'S RESPONSE
To understand Aristotle's views, we must begin by looking at how he looks at reality. Aristotle believes that reality resides in the changeable world of sense perceptions or, the physical, material world. He argues that the 'form' of Ideal can only exist in tangible examples of that form. So, it is only through individual examples of table, that we can understand the essence of a table, or 'table-ness'.
Thus, while Plato is concerned with content of representation, Aristotle is concerned with the form. Plato's approach lead to the development of moral criticism while Aristotle's approach lead to the birth of genre criticism.
Pinto, Anil. Class Lecture. Introduction to Literary Theory. Christ University. Bangalore, India. 11 June - 21 June 2010.
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