Rendering №4

The editorial published on February, 4 is headlined “Solar Flair: An Artistic Lamp, Powered by the Sun.” It carries a lot of comment on Olafur Eliasson and Frederik Ottesen create an object that provides light in places off the electrical grid.

There is every likelihood that Stealing what’s ours to give to the poor, who also own it, seems to be part of the concept behind Olafur Eliasson and Frederik Ottesen’s light-emitting device Little Sun.  Analyzing the situation, it’s necessary to point out that the material in question is sunlight. But what to do with it, how to use it, and where to put it is the real gift.  Speaking of the situation, we may note that eliasson (the Danish-Icelandic artist who, in 2003, made a very big sun sculpture for Tate Modern’s Turbine Hall in London) introduced the portable solar-powered LED lamp at the Venice Architecture Biennale last year. Little Sun sells for $25 at museum shops and online

Besides, there is every reason to believe that Proceeds from those purchases enable the lights to be sold for much less in impoverished areas. Across the globe today, some 1.6 billion people have scant access to electricity, and the designers hope to make the lamp available to 50 million of them within ten years. In this connection it is worth while mentioning that The art of it all derives from the international group of filmmakers and artists whom Eliasson and Ottesen asked to demonstrate uses for the gadget.  The reporter also gives some details to the fact that eighteen artists from Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and South America were invited to “collaborate” on 16 short films, available online, about life, light, energy, and Little Sun, Eliasson writes in a blog post for Tate Modern, where a Little Sun exhibition was held last year. In resolute terns the author if the article makes it clear that film director Dominga Sotomayor, from Chile, put the lamp through many tricks in her contribution, People, which is at once an installation, a poem, and a mini-movie. Little Sun is reflected in a mirror in a garden, illuminates a toilet posed nobly on a hillside, and sits like an eye on a window frame.

As the evidence of usage of this creation the correspondent writes that you can stick it on a wall, put it on your breasts, illuminate your vehicles, or plant it in trees, as Hawa Essuman of Kenya does in his video. Or you can use it to perform as a hybrid creature (part man, part animal, part sun-bearer) prowling and dancing in woods and city streets and dank tunnels, joints all aglow.

The reporter concludes the article with the following quotation by Elisson, “This question of energy access is not just about climate issues, green economy, and so on; it is also a more fundamental question: do we understand that all humans have the same basic desires and needs? We all want to be happy, and we are also fundamentally social beings.

As for me, I like such unusual and creative solution to such serious problem. I think that probably it is not very useful and profitable way to solute it and it is considered as a funny useless stuff by the majority of people, but it really makes pleasant atmosphere and has very interesting design and as a result it has at least one advantage.

My Pleasure Reading. Pride and Prejudice. Chapters I - VI

When Elizabeth and the Gardiner arrive at the Pemberly, they are impressed by the great and beauty of the mention and nearby area. Soon they visit the mansion and its housekeeper, Mrs. Reynolds, tells about its owner only in a positive way, considering him as a very decent and generous person. She also adds that Mr. Darcy is going to arrive the following day and this news please Elizabeth as she doesn’t want to meet him after their latest unpleasant conversation, feeling guilty. However, to her surprise, Mr. Darcy arrives this day to settle some affairs within the house before arriving of his guests – Mr and Miss Bingley as well as his sister Georgiana. Mr. Darcy joins Elizabeth and the Gardiners in their walk and turns out to be more polite and less arrogant, thus surprising Elizabeth. He also tells her that his sister is looking for their acquaintance and Elizabeth realizes that she was highly recommended by him to Georgiana. The Gardiner like him as he deals with them as with the equals without haughtiness and this circumstance makes Elizabeth’s mind to think of some changes in Mr. Darcy’s character.

The next day, Mr. Darcy visits the Gardiner’s inn with his sister who is beautiful but very shy. Elizabeth likes her, realizing that Georgiana’s shyness is very often considered to be arrogance by many people, including Wickham who describes her as very spoiled girl. Mr. Bingley also visits them and Elizabeth sees in all his manners that his love for her sister doesn’t end. The Gardiner and Elizabeth are invited to Mr. Darcy’s mansion, however, not everyone is pleased to see their there. Miss Bingley who has very serious expectances (even marriage) with Mr. Darcy, displays her aversion in every possible way to Elizabeth and after their departure, she seriously criticizes her manners, gown and appearance thus trying to attract Mr. Darcy’s attention. However his only answer is that Elizabeth is very good.

Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy meet some times more, feeling growing liking for each other. However, the letter from Jane interrupts this pleasant time. Lydia elopes with Wickham and now, there are all signs that the latter is not going to marry her. Mr. Bennet leaves home for London in attempt to find her and prevent all unpleasant things from her rash act. He asks Mr. Gardiner to help him and arrive to London as soon as possible. While Elizabeth is reading the letter, Mr. Darcy visits her and she, being unable to bear all these, bursts into tears in front of him, telling him about Lydia, realizing that it is the last straw, destroying any hopes for their marriage as well as his respect to her family. About two hours later, Elizabeth and the Gardiners leave the Pemberly.

Film Review № 1. Girl with a Pearl Earring

Directed by Peter Webber

Produced by Andy Paterson  Anand Tucker
Screenplay by Olivia Hetreed
Based on Girl with a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier

Starring

Colin Firth
Scarlett Johansson
Tom Wilkinson
Cillian Murphy
Judy Parfitt

Music by Alexandre Desplat

Cinematography Eduardo Serra

Editing by Kate Evans

Plot

Griet (Scarlett Johanson) has to find job because her father has become unable to provide for his family. She is sent to be servant in a house of  an artist -  Johannes Vermeer (Colin Firth). Gradually she attracts his attention by the elegance and refinement which are uncommon for the girl of her low social status. However Vermeer finds out her wonderful abilities to work with colors and light and decides to show her the world of art and beauty by giving her lessons. Vermeer's mother-in-law, Maria Thins (Judy Parfitt) sees closeness between them as well as quick development of relationships which is far from relations between employer and employee, but doesn’t prevent it and even encourages in some way, seeing the young housemaid as the source of his inspiration. Her aim is very merchant as she is used to live at the expense of income of Vermeer’s work.  Meanwhile Vermeer's rich patron Van Ruijven is attached by Griet and asks the artist to paint her. Vermeer agrees but the situation is getting worse and worse as Vermeer’s wife Catherina feels jealousy and Van Ruijven makes an attempt to rape the young girl. While painting, Gariet wears Catherina’s pearl earnings as they would make Griet’s appearance as well as the painting on the whole complete. When Catherina finds out it, her jealousy of Griet becomes apparent and she, after unsuccessful attempt to destroy the painting, banishes her. The film ends with Griet receives the gift – a headscarf she was wearing during the painting and Catherina’s pearl earnings.

Direction

I think that the director of the film has made great work. He has proved to be the real professional in directing such kind of movies. Peter Webber’s particular style and specific way to tell the story has made the film is worthy of  96 minutes of your time.  I think that even if the less known actors played in it, the movie would still have become a hit and so highly appreciated thanks to director’s job Peter Webber & his team.

Writing

Concerning the plot of the film, I’d like to mention that fact that it is psychologically tense due to its writing and ,of course, brilliant actors’ performance. Absence of long and bored dialogs also pleased me as I had possibilities to enjoy actors’ playing. The writing is breathtaking and makes you feel you a part of the film, transferring you to absolutely different epoch. There is the type of movies which tend to be seen when I am doing 100 hundred other things at the same time. Undoubtedly, this film is out of this group. Not anyone like this writing, but it doesn’t mean that something wrong with it. The writing gives you wonderful possibilities to learn more about so mystical and beautiful world of art/

Editing

The film is considered to be a classical drama with some element of biography, thus the computer-generated graphics with numerous explosions, inconceivable shootings and pursuits are not supposed to be used. In fact, I like it because this circumstance makes the film worth watching as it attracts your attention due to real people and their talent to perform and tell the story of their characters. “Girl with a pearl earring” is the example of the film with breath-taking episode made only thanks for the brilliant performing skills of the actors. The quality of the editing is out of the question because almost every episode, whether it is about pursuits or just conversation makes you think and come to your own conclusion.

Costume design

I think that costume design perfectly conveys the atmosphere of that time, thus showing us fashion of that epoch. The beauty and elegance is found not only on the paintings, but the way how the women from the upper class behave and dress. All dresses are gorgeous, and I ,as a girl and fashion-lover, was pleased to see such a wide range of women’s attire which vary from luxurious evening dresses to grim gown worn by the representatives of the lower levels of society.

My impression

The film has made concentrate all my attention to it and even when subtitles appeared, I couldn’t force myself to turn the film off and spent next 5 minutes thinking about all I had seen for forming my personal opinion. While watching I was waiting for something between Griet and Vermeer although I don’t what exactly for. I am a person who is far from the world of art but the film has made me to become interested in Vermeer’s creative work. All in all, I may recommend this film for all people who like drama, biographical and simply good films because such a king of movies shows us the world in all its diversity.

Rendering №3

The editorial published on January, 29 is headlined “What She Did For Love: Tracey Emin Hearts Times Square". The article reports at length that British artist's first American public-art piece will inspire passersby to kiss—or cry."

The article discusses the situation of how Every night next month, at the stroke of 11:57, Tracey Emin will restore neon and romance to Times Square. On more than 40 screens large and small, for a span of three minutes, her six messages of love will spell themselves out, digitally animated to appear as if being written by a giant unseen hand. Analyzing the situation, it’s necessary to note that Urgent and plaintive, they’ll inject the Great White Way with the red glow of passion—not necessarily requited. “Love is what you want,” says one. “I can’t believe how much I loved you,” says another. As the evidence of it, the author of the article,  ROBIN CEMBALEST, posted different screens whoch displays declaration of love - Tracey Emin, still from I Can’t Believe How Much I Loved You ; Tracey Emin, still from When I Hold You I Hold Your Heart.
Besides, it’s interesting to emphasize that At precisely midnight, the screens return to their normal duties as space for clients of the Times Square Advertising Coalition, which last May began lending three minutes a day to the Times Square Alliance for late-night public-art projects. Curated by Times Square Arts, this “Midnight Moment” has featured works ranging from Yoko Ono’s Imagine Peace signs to video paintings by emerging artists Taxiplasm and Jonathan Henry. The article includes some general information - Though timed for Valentine’s Day, Emin’s love messages have been a staple of her art in recent years, including the More Passion sign that was installed at 10 Downing Street in 2011. Other love neons are currently on view at White Cube in São Paolo and at Lorcan O’Neill in Rome; others were shown by the artist’s New York gallery, Lehmann Maupin, at the last Art Basel Miami Beach. There is also sign that While the “neons” in Times Square tell the same tales as the real ones, there is no neon in them at all. The digital animations were created for s[edition], one of the platforms that have sprung up in recent years to offer multiples by big-name artists that the general public can afford.
There is every likelihood that The artist, who grew up surrounded by neon signs in Margate, likes the idea that her high-tech animations will instill a retro feeling in Times Square, evoking the neon lights of the past. The correspondent quote her, thus showing us her feelings and attitude towards all these “I wonder if people will stand underneath them and kiss and have their photos taken,” she says.
Giving general appraisal to the situatuin, it’s necessary to point out that Back at home, Emin is enjoying a growing public role as philanthropist and Royal Academician. Late last year the Queen appointed her Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (CBE) for her contributions in visual arts, an honor that sparked a small media frenzy.
The author draws a conclusion saying that Emin is curious how her comparatively low public profile in the U.S. will affect reaction to her public-art debut here. “If I was to do it in Piccadilly Circus it would cause a big fuss in the U.K.,” she comments. “I wonder how it will be in Times Square.”
As for me, I really like the article and this unusual way to make a declaration of love, give important promise or simply do something pleasant for your dearest and nearest.

My Pleasure Reading. Pride and Prejudice. Chapters XII - XIX (Volune II)

Elizabeth is unable to divert her attention from thoughts caused by the latest events and she decides to go for a walk. Accidently, she meets here Mr. Darcy who looks for her for giving a letter. When she gets the letter, he immediately goes away and she begins to read it. The letter shocks her as it includes both blaming on Elizabeth’s relatives and their tactlessness as well as his confession.  In the letter, Darcy does not renew his marriage proposal, but he confesses that probably he was the cause of breakup between Jane and Mr. Bingley as he makes his friend’s mind to leave Netherfield Park because Mr. Darcy was sure that Jane didn’t love Mr. Bingley. He also addresses his objection of his treatment of Wickham. In fact, Wickham turns to be very light-headed and wasteful and Mr. Darcy  states that Darcy did provide for him after his father’s death and his negative attitude towards this person has caused by the fact that Wickham  tries to elope with Mr. Darcy’s sister, having only mercenary aims.

Elizabeth’s anger and disgust for Mr. Darcy is disappearing gradually as she begins to weigh the pros and cons of what he has written, realizing that it was rather difficult for such closed person to open his heart to her. She thinks that perhaps she was wrong to trust the officer so much.  Disappointed and puzzled, she returns parsonage and gets know that Mr. Darcy and Colonel Fitzwilliam leaves his aunt’s residence.

Two weeks later Elizabeth returns home where she reveals all news to Jane, hiding any mention about Bingley for not hurting her sister. There is nothing special within the Bennet house more than a month, but then  Lydia is invited to spend the summer in Brighton with the wife of a Colonel Forster. Mr. Bennet allows her but feels some anxious, knowing about her flippancy and wish for flirtation with men.

At the same time, being unable to bear her mother’s whining about abandoned marriage between Jane and Mr. Bingley, Elizabeth agrees to travel with  the Gardiners to Darcy’s manor, Pemberley as she is sure that the owner of it is not in the neighborhood. 

My Pleasure Reading. Pride and Prejudice. Chapters V - XII (Volume II)

Elizabeth goes to the Collins with Charlotte’s father and sister and on their way they visit the Gardiner. Jane tells about her meeting with Miss Bingley and Elizabeth becomes convinced that there is no hope for the resumption of the relationships between Mr. Bingley and her sister. At the same time, she feels growing anger for Mr. Darcy, who, as she believes, is one of the initiator of rupture. Soon, the Lucas and Elizabeth arrive in Hunsford, the location of Mr. Collins’s parish. As they settle in, Miss De Bourgh visits them and everyone is impressed by it except Elizabeth who considers her as arrogant and rude. Soon, they all are invited to dine at Lady Catherine De Bourgh's residence. The latter doesn’t make good impression on Elizabeth because of her pride, narrow-mindness and tactlessness. A week ago, sir William Lucas returns home, while Elizabeth decides to stay here for some time longer, spending her time outdoors with Charlotte. Besides, she finds out that Mr. Darcy is lady Catherine’s nephew and he is going to visit her with his cousin Colonel Fitzwilliam. While visiting Rosings, Elizabeth meets Mr. Darcy and gets acquaintance with his cousin who impresses her pleasantly. About a week after Darcy and Fitzwilliam arrive at Rosings, the residents of the parsonage are again invited to dinner. Fitzwilliam seems to be interested in Elizabeth while Mr. Darcy feeling’s to her, against his own spiritual resistance, is growing rapidly and he tries to attract her attention but at the same time not to show his real emotions towards the girl. Elizabeth, in her turn, continues to feel annoyance towards him, considering him too proud as well as feeling sorry for Wickham who has been so deceived by Darcy. One day, as she is walking, she meets Fitzwilliam and their conversation turns about Darcy and Wickham and Mr. Darcy’s convinces her that he is not guilty and that Wickham is not so “goody-goody”.

Some days later, Mr. Darcy visits Elizabeth and being unable to hide his feelings no more, proposes marriage to her, at the same time, paying more attention on her not very outstanding genealogy and reminding about all disadvantages of her family. Being insulted by his words and convinced again in his pride, Elizabeth refuses his proposal rudely, blaming him on Wickham and Jane’s unhappiness.    

Rendering №2

I’ve chosen to render the article which is published on ArtNews site and headlined “The Other Modernism: Rediscovering Iran’s Avant-Garde
”.  The author of the article pays heightened attention to the fact that Overshadowed by revolution, sanctions, and outdated notions of the Modern, Iran's vibrant postwar art scene is coming into focus at the Asia Society. Back in the 20th century, everyone was talking about how New York wrested the status of modern-art capital from Paris. Nowadays, curators in the U.S. and Europe are vying to share the spotlight.
Analyzing the situation, it’s necessary to point out that Shows this season at MoMA and the Guggenheim explore Japan’s postwar avant-garde. The Rubin is doing Indian Modernism, Part 3. In Madrid, the Reina Sofía has Latin American abstraction from the ’30s to the ’70s, part of a multifaceted collaboration with the Cisneros Foundation that launched with a conference on Latin American Modernisms. And this summer in London, Tate Modern will open a retrospective of Sudan-born painter Ibrahim El-Salahi; this too is part of a larger initiative to globalize art history.  It’s very interesting to emphasize that amidst these efforts, Iran has remained the Other Other Modernism.  Though Iran was very much part of the conversation in the postwar era, when its artists studied abroad, traveled freely, and gallery-hopped at home, the Islamic Revolution moved the conversation elsewhere.  The correspondent cites  Melissa Chiu, director of the Asia Society Museum in New York, who describes the era as transitional, influential, and overlooked: “There was this kind of blind spot”. The journalist also adds that in September the museum hopes to change the equation with “Iran Modern,” an international loan show uniting more than 100 objects from the ’50s to the ’70s. Curated by Fereshteh Daftari and Layla Diba, it’s the most ambitious survey of Iran’s pre-Revolutionary art to be staged outside Iran.
Besides, the article reports at length that Spread over two floors of the museum, the exhibition will explore the ways these lesser-known Middle Eastern modernists forged their own version of an international style, borrowing liberally from Western-art traditions as they inventively updated their own. The writer states that earlier European modernism was a strong influence on Houshang Pezeshknia, who depicted oil workers on the island of Khark in this 1958 portrait. As the evidence of it, we see examples of paintings of different authors, which were created under the influence of Iranian culture, Houshang Pezeshknia, Khark, 1958 for instance. As a comment to this, the writes says that With their multi-hyphenated addresses; habit of changing hats as artist, curator, and art impresario; and tendency to sample from across the style spectrum, the Irani modernists might have more in common with today’s global avant-garde than the fabled New York School did. He proves it by the following example - Marcos Grigorian, for example, a Russian-born artist (and actor), studied in Rome, ran several Tehran galleries in the late ’40s and early ’50s, organized the first Tehran Biennial in 1958, and opened the Universal Galleries in Minneapolis in the early ’60s. Like most of Iran’s artists he developed a practice at once global and local. Using humble materials like sand and enamel, in common with Europeans like the arte povera artists and Tàpies, he created textured abstractions that also read as renderings of the desert. The correspondent describes the painting Marcos Grigorian, Untitled, n.d. as that The techniques and iconography of Islamic, pre-Islamic, and folk art were all fodder for Iran’s modern artists. Mirror mosaics and reverse mirror painting have been inspirations for Monir Shahroudy Farmanfarmaian, who took classes at Cornell and Parsons, befriended the Abstract Expressionists, studied with Milton Avery, and collaborated with Warhol. Then, we see other examples of such kind of painting - Monir Shahroudy Farmanfarmaian, Untitled, c. 1975–1976 and  Faramarz Pilaram, Untitled, 1982.
Giving appraisal to the situation, it’s necessary to point out that using grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Dedalus Foundation, among others, the Asia Society has been organizing loans from public and private collections in Europe, the U.S., and the Middle East—except, of course, Iran. Daftari, who organized “Without Boundary: Seventeen Ways of Looking” when she was a MoMA curator says that “I find it highly disconcerting that sanctions should affect the representation of Iranian modern art,” she comments, stressing that the opinion is her own. “Sanctions are hurting badly the average people in Iran and now even the representation of a historical period in a museum show?” The author show us another picture - Ardeshir Mohassess, Untitled, 1978 after the quotation.
The reporter concludes the article with his own opinion that the careers of its artists, however, were not. Several figures in the Asia Society show, who had returned from abroad to live and work in Iran, continue to exhibit around the world–including at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where Farmanfarmaian and Tavoli were featured last year in a small contemporary-Iranian-art installation within the new Islamic-art galleries.
That was another sign that traditional boundaries are eroding. After “Iran Modern,” we might find that these Middle Eastern modernists–now so contemporary–will enjoy a sort of Renaissance in the West.
As for me, I am impressed by the examples of paintings given by the author. Such kind of art as well as art as a whole doesn’t belong to the particular nation and usually proves its international origin. I think that this fact makes it more fascinating as it may not only please but also make us think and learn something not about the artist’s character and thoughts but also about some national peculiarities which are represented on the picture.

My Pleasure Reading. Pride and Prejudice. Chapters XIX - XXIII. - V (Volume II)

The XIX chapter begins with shocking for some people and pleasant for other ones news. Mr. Collins proposes marriage to Elizabeth. Her mother sees it as the way to save their poor situation while Elizabeth, with support of Jane and the father, refuses to accept it by any means. However, Mr. Collins doesn’t seem to be very disappointed and soon makes another proposal to the Bennet’s neighbors -  Charlotte Lucas who accepts it with pleasure. Meanwhile Elizabeth’s relationships with Wickham are developing and they meet in Meryton where he apologises for his absence in the ball.  To Jane’s disappointment, which she hides studiously, Mr. Bingley and his company leave Netherfield Park  for London. Miss Bingley writes that there is no chance that they return thus showing that there is no point for Jane to hope for marriage with her brother. Trying to cheer up her dear sister, Jane tries to find disproof of it, but month after month result in the opposite. Mrs. Bennet’s brother, Mr. Gardiner, comes to stay with the family. Seeing Jane so upset, he supposes her to live with him and his wife in London for month, and she accepts it with pleasure, hoping for the meeting with Mr. Bingley. However, during her staying in London, she sees Miss Bingley only once and the latter shows her unwillingness to keep in touch. Meanwhile, Elizabeth finds out that Mr. Wickham is not so “honest” as he tries to establish reputation for himself. He begins to court another girl who becomes heiress of considerable amount of money. Elizabeth agrees to visit Mr. Collins and her friend Charlotte, in attempt to escape all these unpleasant thoughts and her mother’s reproach.

Rendering №1

The editorial published on January, 23 is headlined “Nearly 400-year-old secret painting in Rembrandt masterpiece revealed”. It begins with the author’s statement that scientists may be one step closer to revealing a hidden portrait behind a 380-year-old Rembrandt painting.

The article discusses the situation around the masterpiece, "Old Man in Military Costume" by Dutch painter Rembrant Harmenszoon van Rijn. It denounces the actions of scientists who had noticed the painting bears faint traces of another portrait beneath its surface. Analyzing the situation, it’s interesting to point out that Researchers had previously probed the painting with infrared, neutron and conventional X-ray methods, but could not see the behind the top coat, largely because Rembrandt used the same paint (with the same chemical composition) for the underpainting and the final version. It is also necessary to emphasize that new studies with more sophisticated X-ray techniques that can parse through the painting's layers give art historians hope that they may finally get to see who is depicted in the secret image. The reporter quotes Matthias Alfeld from the University of Antwerp: “Our experiments demonstrate a possibility of how to reveal much of the hidden picture. Compared to other techniques, the X-ray investigation we tested is currently the best method to look underneath the original painting.” There is a lot of comment on Alfeld and an international team used macro X-ray fluorescence analysis to examine a mock-up of Rembrandt's original, created by museum intern Andrea Sartorius, who used paints with the same chemical composition as those used by the Dutch master. Besides, there is general feeling to believe that the scientists targeted four elements of the paint to fluoresce, including calcium, iron, mercury and lead, and got much better impressions of the hidden painting in the mock-up than they were able to before. Giving appraisal to it, we should take into account Karen Trentelman’s statement, of the Getty Conservation Institute: “The successful completion of these preliminary investigations on the mock-up painting was an important first step. The results of these studies will enable us determine the best possible approach to employ in our planned upcoming study of the real Rembrandt painting.” The wtiter concludes the article with flash backs on this issue - This isn't the first time scientists have delved into Rembrandt's paintings. Previous research revealed why his art possesses such calming beauty, finding the artist may have pioneered a technique that guides the viewer's gaze around a portrait, creating a special narrative and "calmer" viewing experience. The correspondent comes to conclusion that the researchers found Rembrandt painted more detail in and around the eyes of his subjects, tapping into an innate human attraction to the face.

As for me, it was rather interesting to read this article and learn more about Rembrandt’s works and art on the whole. I don’t know much about those matters but I like the fact that the picture may have more than one meaning , thus becoming more attractive and worth seeing . Such kind of works, without doubt, makes us think and try to ligt the veil of secrecy and I am sure that such tendency will continue for the future generation, thus being not only the object of art but also food for thought.