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Analysis of Carnival of Venice, 1946, Oil on Canvas by Enrico Donati and Bombardment, 1937-38, Oil on Masonite paintings
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Analysis of Carnival of Venice, 1946, Oil on Canvas by Enrico Donati and Bombardment, 1937-38, Oil on Masonite paintings
Introduction
Often, people purchase paintings and other pieces of art without knowing how to analyze these artistic pieces of work. Most people purchase paintings for their decorative purposes, as opposed to, the artistic elements that these paintings bear, as well as, their artistic significance. Analyzing art is important for providing a response to the piece of art, as well as, interpreting the hidden meaning of a specific piece of art. Such an analysis allows the audience to comprehend the message that the artist is trying to pass with the specific piece of art.
For this critical analysis, two paintings, both created after 1900, will be analyzed. Specifically, the pieces of art to be analyzed include the Carnival of Venice, 1946, Oil on Canvas by Enrico Donati and Bombardment, 1937-38, Oil on Masonite, by Philip Guston. Specifically, the analysis will include a comparison of the two pieces of art in terms of a visual analyses and cultural analyses.
Visual Analysis
As previously mentioned, two pieces of art will be analyzed including Carnival of Venice, 1946, Oil on Canvas by Enrico Donati and Bombardment, 1937-38, Oil on Masonite, by Philip Guston. The Carnival of Venice, 1946, Oil on Canvas is Enrico Donati’s depiction the Italian annual festival. In appearance, the painting looks like three contorted ships in a mystic sea that are slowly dissolving into the void firmament above. The first two ships are placed in the front most part of the painting, whereas the third ship is in the far background of the painting. Additionally, as the ships slowly loose shape, they take the form of various grotesque animalistic shapes, which all seem to be attracted to the sky, and give a sense of impatience as they reach for the sky. In essence, the painting appears as symbolically, and naturalistically biomorphic with the images providing an abstract of the feelings and thoughts of the artist.
The predominant colors in the painting are the subtle blue and the fiery reds and yellows. The color blue, as well as, its different shades saturate the painting, whereas the reds and yellows give the painting the artistic intensity it requires. In terms of dynamics, the painting appears as a subconsciously, vehement image. However, a closer examination gives the painting a frenetic feel, especially when observing the top half of the painting. The painting inspires an eerie and irrational mood, as the images in the painting appear peculiar and unusual and for that reason, the painting cannot be understood at the first look. The surface of the painting provides a tactile impression that gives the audience the sense that the painting is rough in texture. This is because the placement of the images in the painting is somewhat asymmetrical thus, suggesting a quantity of lumpiness in the painting. The most striking thing about Donati’s painting is the bottom half of the painting symbolizing a reflection of the top part of the painting. This is because the presumed reflection does not convey the same frantic mood as the top part of the painting, and it reveals a sense of calm and composure. Arguably, the reflection provides a sense of balance for the painting, and it does not provide an actual reflection of the top part of the painting.
The second painting for analysis is the artistic piece, Bombardment, 1937-38, Oil on Masonite, by Philip Guston. Unlike the previous painting, this painting is much more intense and hysterical, thus catching the attention of the audience instantly. Guston uses a curvilinear technique in the creation of the painting, which is observable in the fact that the painting is within a circle. As explained in the museum label, the painting represents the events that took place during the Spanish war, and is an aerial depiction of the bombardment of civilians by warplanes. The painting embodies a seemingly circular façade of a number of different people being sucked in to what looks like a portal people-suctioning portal or hole.
Observably, this portal seems to be created by the persnickety weaponry being dropped from by the dark, sinister warplanes that inundate the sky at the top of the painting. In terms of color, the most predominant color in the picture is black, and the artist uses shades and hues of black in many parts of the painting. Another color that stands out in this painting is the radiant orange that is used to accolade the black colors in the painting. Dynamically, the painting appears pulsating and frenetic and it gives the impression of a chaotic world. This, in turn, inspires a dark and apprehensive mood, as the audience gets the feeling that something bad is occurring in the painting. The most striking thing about this painting is the caricature of a man in a mask being dressed in a brilliant orange gown, with his hand at the nozzle of the mask, as if he struggles to breathe in some air.
Research
Born on February 19 1909, Enrico Donati was a Surrealist painter, who created a number of artistic pieces of work that had a philosophical connotation. As a painter, Donati was fascinated, if not obsessed by the unconventional techniques and works of art. Accordingly, Donati experimented with almost all of his paintings, using various artistic materials such as paint, turpentine, tar, and even sawdust. Most of his paintings drew attention from academic circles and he received plenty of awards through his artwork. Born in Italy, Donati allowed his cultural background to influence, as well as, be part of the pieces he created. More specifically, the painting, The Carnival of Venice, created in 1946, is a depiction of the famous event the carnival of Venice, which takes place annually in Italy. This work of art is meant to illustrate the different faces of people during the event. These faces signify the different masks that Italians wear during the festival.
Phillip Guston is the artist responsible for the creation of the second painting, The Bombardment, created in 1937-38. The artist was born in 1937, on June 27th and he is well known for his use of abstract expressionism in all his pieces of art. However, the artist soon transformed his artistic pieces of work into embracing neo-expressionism, as revealed in the painting, The Bombardment. In his explanation of the painting, Guston states that he aimed at expressing the atrocities that General Francisco Franco and Adolf Hitler were responsible for during the Spanish Civil War. Accordingly, Guston was determined to create awareness on decrying human hatred and destruction through this painting, and he aimed to change the events taking place in his society during the time.
Cultural Analysis
Based on the visual analysis, as well as, research on both paintings, it is evident that these two pieces of art evoke different cultural interest and taste. Additionally, both paintings communicate significant cultural events that may have taken place during the period when the paintings were created. Each of the paintings express different values and beliefs, in relation to culture. Specifically, Donati’s painting communicates the Carnival of Venice, one of Italy’s historical social conventions that regarding the different social classes in the state. Guston’s painting, on the other hand, expresses his political views regarding the Spanish war. An observation of the painting makes it clear to the audience that Guston considered the event as a disastrous and atrocious experience.
Both these pieces of art stand out as personal expressions of the artists’ views and perceptions regarding the society during their time. Both the events being depicted in the paintings were significant to the artists’ cultures, and for that reason, the two artists felt they needed to provide their individual perceptions regarding the events that took place during the time. Conclusively, these two paintings can be connected to the contemporary American audience, as they both hold an indirect denotation to the current affairs in the American society. Whereas one painting conveys an artist’s point of view regarding social classes, the other painting communicates the effects of war to the society. Both the expressions of the two paintings relate to what is happening in the state today, and for that reason, can be connected to the contemporary American audience. Both paintings are intellectually and visually appealing, as they draw immediate attention from the audience , as well as, stimulate rational thought from the audience.
Work Cited
Auping, Michael, Philip Guston: Retrospective (United Kingdom: Thames & Hudson, 2006),
1-271.
Kurtz, Wilhelm, Art Forgeries and How to Analyze Paintings Successfully. (United Kingdom:
Gloucester Art Press, 1990), 1-177.
Landau Ellen, “Double Consciousness in Mexico: How Philip Guston and Reuben Kadish
Painted a Morelian Mural” American Art 21, No. 1 (Spring 2007): 74-.97
Prial, Frank, “Enrico Donati, Surrealist Artist, Dies at 99”, New York Times,
<http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/26/arts/26donati.html> 15 November 2011.
Wolff, Theodore F., Enrico Donati: Surrealism and Beyond. (New York: Hudson Hills, 1996).
1-168.
analysis concerning the impact that the Oslo Peace Process had on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The Oslo Peace Process
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The Oslo Peace Process
Introduction
In the entire international political system, the Middle East has had many systems, which are extensively penetrated. The great powers in the region had been rivals ever since the year 1978, when Napoleon came to Egypt. It is a fact that the Far East and Europe viewed the Middle East as a vital gateway. Furthermore, the world became interested in the region after oil was discovered. The dispute that exists between the Arabs and Israelis is responsible for the instability, which exists in the region. In modern times, the conflict between the Israelis and the Arabs is known to be intractable, protracted, as well as bitter. In turn, there have been many peace negotiation processes in an attempt to resolve the situation. The Oslo peace process is one such attempt that failed to yield any positive results (Eran, 2002).
This paper seeks to give a critical analysis concerning the impact that the Oslo Peace Process had on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Analysis of the Oslo Peace Process during the Isreali-Palestinian Conflict
The conflict and tension, which have existed between the Palestinians and Israelis, has attracted a lot of attention. In turn, various parties saw the need to solve the problem, which threatened the life of many people. This is after the USSR broke up, American pressure, as well as after the Gulf War ended. In turn, the international world provided a conducive environment that sort to solve the problem, which the Israelis had. Between the years 1993 to the year 1995, the PLO and Israel signed the Oslo Interim Agreement, and the Oslo Declaration of Principles. The documents sort to ensure that a Palestinian National Authority existed for a specific purpose. The agency would ensure that it negotiated with Israel as it had a temporary entity on matters concerning Gaza and the West Bank. Fortunately, it yielded excellent results, and in the year 1994, the peace treaty was signed (Slater, 2001).
Later on in the year 1996, Israeli troops withdrew from the Gaza Strip and other areas in the West Bank. The Fatah faction, a controlled legislature, was formed by Palestinians who had control over the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. The members of the faction elected Yasser Arafat as Chairman, and he had the authority to govern the said areas. In turn, the Palestinians took over the lands, which they Israelis had occupied. Moreover, the Israelis introduced a settlement program for its people, in order to ensure that they had shelter. Therefore, by the year 2004, many housing units were built for the many homeless Israelis. According to the principles of the Oslo Declaration, the PLO would not engage in any violent acts, especially to the new settlers (Slater, 2001).
The Israelis were not in favor of the peace process and it even led to the assassination of Yitzhak Rabin an Israeli Prime Minister. The new Israeli prime minister known as Shimon Peres made sure that the Oslo Interim Agreement was signed when he came into power. During his tenure, there were countless suicide bombings by the Hamas, and Benjamin Netanyahu took over leadership. Netanyahu did not support the peace process, and he created a lot of controversy concerning this matter (Pappe, 2004). There were extreme numbers of causalities, as a result of rioting, after Netanyahu was accused by the Arabs for trying to threaten Al-Aqsa mosques security. The PNA and Israel, despite Netanyahu’s opposition, signed the Hebron interim agreement in the year 1997. Around 500 settlers were left to live in the Arab city after the withdrawal of the IDF. In the following year, Palestinians became even more committed towards preventing incitement and terror; also, the Israelis withdrew its troops. Even, after Netanyahu left his leadership position, Barak the new Prime Minister continued with the peace process. However, he failed in his mission, as extreme violence took place in the year 2000.
Conclusion
It is quite evident that the Oslo Peace Process did not solve the problem as it broke down instead. It seems that it would face eminent disaster from the time that it began as it had many shot comings. It failed to address the key reason why Palestinians and Israelis were at conflict with each other. There is also evidence to suggest that, under Likud’s leadership, the deal did not materialize. Moreover, political progress could not be achieved as long as trust did not exist. In a bid to expand its territory, the Isreali came up with policies, which lead to loss of momentum and mistrust. It is due to this policy that the conflict does not seem to come to an end. In conclusion, the Oslo Peace Process is a notable event, which took place in the Middle East. Though it did not yield any rewarding results, it is regarded as a path towards achieving peace. There is a need to ensure that more is done by the International world to ensure that peace will one day prevail in the Middle East.
References
Pappe, I. (2004). A History of Modern Palestine: One Land, Two Peoples, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press.
Slater, J. (2001). What Went Wrong? The Collapse of the Israeli-Palestinian Peace Process, Political Science, 116, 2, 171-199.
Eran, Oded. (2002). Arab-Israel Peacemaking.” The Continuum Political Encyclopedia of the Middle East. Ed. New York: Continuum.
Existence of Cannibalism
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Existence of Cannibalism
Sagan defines cannibalism as the consumption of whole or part of human flesh by fellow human beings. Although very controversial and associated with non western countries according to Barker, Hulme and Iversen , its history dates a long time back . However, from research, it is evident that it has been a popular part of the American culture evidenced from “Cannibal Jokes” where it’s used to tell jokes as in the case of the humorous story “Cannibalism in the cars” by Mark Twain where prominent train travelers are forced to engage in cannibalism when stranded due to a snowstorm (Ngo 132). Testimonies in form of diaries and interviews from the survivors of the snow in the Sierra Nevada Mountains which took five months as revealed by Hart are also an indication of cannibalism in the history of America (133).
The variation in beliefs and traditions among the numerous cultural communities in the world, make a common practice among certain groups of people in order to obtain particular benefits. The human flesh is normally consumed from dead bodies. At times it is applied for survival, diet and religious or ritualistic performance by some communities based on tradition. The existence of cannibalism today will be discussed s well as the various forms with which it is exhibited.
As Poole portrays, cannibalism is still a current practice. Human beings can be trapped and bought for food in some cultures like in the Miyanmin society in west Sepik Papua in New Guinea where the villagers value the life of pigs and marsupials over humans who form part of their normal diet. Without differences in gender, ritual status, kinship or bodily substance, anyone even their dead are eaten. In order to get a continuous supply of human flesh they raid and drag neighboring villages to their village to be eaten. This occurred following a onetime shortage of wild animals where human beings became more hence appropriate for food acquiring dietary cannibalism (Ngo 133).
Leopard people and the alligator societies of South America also eat human flesh as their traditional culture. They practice dietary exocannibalism in hunting groups with a member concealing the face with Leopard skin while as MacCormarick describes, the alligator people uses alligator-like submarines (134).
This is different from religious or ritual cannibalism practiced for ceremonial purpose and not nourishment. One or more victims may be sacrificed at a time to honor the dead during funeral rituals. For example, a chief or leader in the Bangala tribe around Congo River in Central Africa is honored by the number of slaves sacrificed for feasting (134). In South America however, it is performed as a revenge for the highly honored dead while Indians sacrifice a single victim per ritual .For instance, a victim is forced to take the part of a killed warrior, marry his wife then later killed. The children soak their hands in the victim’s blood to symbolize avenge for the dead warrior while elderly women drink his blood, roast and eat his body.
Among the Bimin-Kuskusmin tribe in Africa, the capacity of a woman to bear children is highly value. Only a small part especially from the genitals is used for ritual with the supervision of elders. Poole expresses how a widow eats raw flesh obtained from the penis of her dead husband, to increase her future capacity of fertility and reproduction. Moreover, a widower in the hope to make the fertility of his deceased wife’s daughters enhanced may eat the flesh from a piece of her vagina and a piece of bone marrow to represent his honor for her capacity to reproduce. Other women who hope to benefit from the reproductive power of a dead elderly woman who possessed a great capacity in reproduction eat her uterus along her inner vaginal parts (135).
Besides cultural influence, some people who under normal circumstances do not practice cannibalism may do it when compelled by circumstances. These include extreme hunger or starvation due to either drought or being in locations without any source of food as in the case of the fifty-five refugees from Vietnam who were escaping to Malaysia. According to Ngo, they were forced to eat the flesh of their relatives and companions due to desperation and the need to keep alive therefore survive (132). This is in turn known as survival cannibalism .Another form is evidenced by Tuzin in the case where Japanese troops sacrificed the Arapesh people in northeastern Guinea as food so as to survive. As shipman describes, it is possible to divide cannibalism into two major categories based on the above illustrations. These are exocannibalism which refers to outsiders or foreigners being eaten and endocannibalism members of the same social group are eaten (133).
With the possibility of survival cannibalism human beings are cannibals in nature since we are all descendants of the same ancestors as the Miyanmin, Alligator as well as the Leorpard people. In addition, it is evident that our ancestors were cannibals; a practice that has changed over the ages. It can therefore be concluded that cannibalism is still widely practiced in the world by particular communities as well as individuals depending on their traditions and beliefs.
Works Cited
Ngo, L. “Cannibalism: It Still Exists.” Axelford, B.R. and C. R. Cooper. The St. Martin’s Guide
to Writing. Boston: Bedford, 2010: pp. 132-135.