...understanding and interpreting the different themes within Franz Kafka’s “A Hunger Artist”. In this story, the act of fasting is a symbol for spirituality. The “hunger” mentioned throughout the story can be interpreted as a thirst for spiritual enlightenment. The first instance in which fasting can be perceived as a symbol for spirituality lies within the very first line of the story. “During the last decade the interest in professional fasting has markedly diminished” (Kafka 507) just as the interest in professional spirituality i.e. structured religious beliefs has diminished within modern society. Therefore, the hunger artist, in his quest to achieve the ultimate fast, is symbolic of the monk, in his vocation to achieve the ultimate insight into the world beyond. In continuing this motif, there exist skeptics to the concept of spiritual enlightenment just as “suspicions…[are a] necessary accompaniment to the profession of fasting.” (509) Just as we hold only ourselves accountable for our own spiritual growth, “only the artist himself…[is] bound to be the sole completely satisfied spectator of his own fast.” (509) Also the fact that Kafka made “the longest period of fasting [as] fixed by the impresario at forty days” (509) furthers fasting as a symbol for spirituality since it alludes to Jesus, a central figure of Christian beliefs, literally fasting for forty days and nights. This allusion to the hunger artist as a Christ-like figure advances the symbolism of spirituality through fasting...
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...The story “ A Hunger Artist” written by Franz Kafka presents a prophet like main character in a fictional manner exploring a world that isn’t so different from ours and yet very dissimilar in certain concepts that highlight the theme and moral of the story. Kafka seems to explore a misunderstood artist’s view of the world he struggles with and his battle with dissatisfaction. The story portrays a messenger like attribute to the artist, a sense of selflessness and desperation, as well as a clear sense of imprisonment both internally and externally. In “A Hunger Artist” Kafka explores how imprisonment could be on an internal, external, and social level using his symbolic depiction of the cage in the story. Kafka begins describing the artist’s sense of emptiness and misery by stating “His inner dissatisfaction always rankled, and never yet, after any term of fasting –this must be granted to his credit-had he left the cage of his own free will” (Kafka 82-83). This passage describes his pride and his need to stay physically imprisoned as if to prove something to the society, something they still didn’t understand. The cage had been a point of interest in the town for most of the story, but when public interest died down it was merely present in the town but not cared for. This part of the story emphasizes the span of a certain entertaining act and art’s quickly changing trends. This contrast symbolizes the same format of a religious story, the people are interested in the prophet...
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...of Franz Kafka’s writing, the reader can see how his personal experiences and viewpoints are clearly worked into his many stories. One of which stands out is his story A Hunger Artist. In this story Kafka speaks through the hunger artist of the alienation and isolation he feels in his own body, as well as the emptiness he feels as a result of the disconnected relationship he and his father share. Ironically this emptiness manifests itself quite literally at the end of Kafka’s life, when he dies as a result of tuberculosis of the larynx, which causes him to literally starve to death, just as the hunger artist in the story. It was said about his writing “the early manifestations of authentic originality were nurtured in solitary confinement, with his readiness to see the world through his own eyes.” (Pawel 160) This comes across clearly in A Hunger Artist as someone who is in a self-imposed solitary confinement seeking meaning to his life, much like the hunger artist being locked in his cage. Thus, Kafka uses A Hunger Artist to speak of himself and his experiences. A Hunger Artist is a short story about a once popular spectacle staged for the entertainment of a pleasure-seeking public: the exhibition of a professional “hunger-artist” performing in a cage of straw, his stunt of fasting. The hunger artist spends his fasting performances, and therefore most of his life, in a cage, on display before a crowd of people. His spectators see him as a trickster and common circus-freak and...
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...A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man Context James Joyce was born on February 2, 1882, in the town of Rathgar, near Dublin, Ireland. He was the oldest of ten children born to a well-meaning but financially inept father and a solemn, pious mother. Joyce's parents managed to scrape together enough money to send their talented son to the Clongowes Wood College, a prestigious boarding school, and then to Belvedere College, where Joyce excelled as an actor and writer. Later, he attended University College in Dublin, where he became increasingly committed to language and literature as a champion of Modernism. In 1902, Joyce left the university and moved to Paris, but briefly returned to Ireland in 1903 upon the death of his mother. Shortly after his mother's death, Joyce began work on the story that would later become A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man. Published in serial form in 1914–1915, A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Mandraws on many details from Joyce's early life. The novel's protagonist, Stephen Dedalus, is in many ways Joyce's fictional double—Joyce had even published stories under the pseudonym "Stephen Daedalus" before writing the novel. Like Joyce himself, Stephen is the son of an impoverished father and a highly devout Catholic mother. Also like Joyce, he attends Clongowes Wood, Belvedere, and University Colleges, struggling with questions of faith and nationality before leaving Ireland to make his...
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...The Renaissance Artists: Self-Portraits Alvis Williams Professor Michael Briere HUM 111 12/02/12 Within the report of The Renaissance Artist I will explore the life of many artists who doing that period was known very well. I will attempt to convey the style of each artist as if I was the artist themselves by giving a first person view by depicting a self-portrait that will inform the readers of the composition that consist of color scheme, space , shapes and dimension of the piece. I will define in essence the self-portraits and what it means to me as an individual. So therefore from this point I am Don Julio and my style of painting is very similar to that of the renaissance era. Born in 1494 a young German artist living in Germany, I was trained originally by my father I was a natural born goldsmith after some years I migrated to Venice Where I improve my skills as a painter. My father while in Venice stayed eighteen months to enjoy the artistic delights of the city. He was impressed above all by the aged Bellini. A young man by the name of Albrecht Dürer, who later on became one of the most outstanding figures in Renaissance Germany during my time. However my achievements enhanced among the city and its originality in many differing fields of art. I very early in my artistic career was introduced to his extraordinary self-portrait at the age of twenty-two, in Louvre. So I begin to work on one of myself, as young man with dishevel blond hair...
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...Art and Culture The relationship between the artist and the audience is a crucial element to the success of the artwork in its historical era. Titian’s traditional Renaissance symbolism and style of painting made his work a masterpiece of his time. According to art critic Brand Hamlee Titian’s work met the “demands of an admiring public. As he was particularly famous for his portraits and mythological works” this created a positive relationship between “Venus of Urbino” and the intended Renaissance audience. The relationship between the artwork and the audience is also evident through the Renaissance symbolism throughout his artwork, Venus seductive glaze captured Renaissance viewers and the high quality of Venetian light and tone to perfection was a vital characteristic to the success of the artwork to its intended audience. In addition, using symbolism, which had significance to the Renaissance mythological style also strengthened the relationship between the artist and the artwork. The Spaniel represents a symbol of fidelity a strong theme in Renaissance art as well as the use of roses, myrtle tree and the Spaniel were traditionally associated with the goddess Venus. The Brush strokes and pale rosy and ochre colours luxuriously applied created the central tones of the Venus body is an essential symbol of Renaissance sensuality, beauty and desire that was praised by all audiences. Although the intended Renaissance audience understood the key symbolism, the relationship...
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...This landmark exhibition has exhibited some of the most compelling works by many a local artist. An important milestone was created when this very same event was replicated beyond the shores of the country, bringing Malaysian Art to Karachi, Pakistan. A show that demarcates the objectives of Wei-Ling Gallery to promote contemporary Malaysian Art, previous instalments provided a platform to two dimensional art works that vetted specific matters. The artists strived to create dialectic works with characteristic impulses. In concurrence with the 5th instalment of the 18@8 exhibition, the gallery posed a new challenge to the participating artists and itself. A turning point for Wei-Ling Gallery is its initiative to orchestrate and curate shows based on its own direction, heartening the artists to widen their tangential perspectives with conceptualized shows. As the gallery is taking the road less travelled in more experimental and cutting edge shows, so do the artists. This vehicle (18@8) presents the artists with an avenue to work beyond the boundaries of individualistic concerns, transgressing beyond the norm of what we expect. With an exploratory ardour, Wei-Ling Gallery conceptualized and challenged the artists to partake in thematic investigations that result in art works that move beyond the constraints of the canvas. The encouragement to deviate from the propensity of the artists in conventional formats ostensibly creates invigorating impulses to re-think and re-shape...
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...names in art and music of their time, people still had a passion for the arts and had opportunities to experience them at smaller, less known, places. As society has progressed over the years, art slowly has become more and more accessible to the people- as it should be. In fact, I believe that without an audience, art cannot be truly considered art. “Art is a social label, a negotiation between the artist, object (or performance), and the viewer” (Best). Art should be made for the people and not be limited to certain audiences. An artist should create with the goal of connecting to as many people as possible through their work. As stated earlier, historically, art has been seen as something only the privileged could truly appreciate. This could not be farther from the truth! Art is something that everyone can enjoy, experience, and strive to understand. Art should not discriminate or exclude a certain audience, it should bring together all people to evoke a response, send a message, or to maybe just enjoy looking at. During class, we were given a presentation that featured an artist name Cindy Sherman. Sherman had a quote that exemplifies what and who art should really be made for. “When I was in school I was getting disgusted with the attitude of art being so religious or sacred, so I wanted to make something which people could relate to without having read a book about it first. So that anybody off the street could appreciate...
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...The last leaf - Art for Human Life (Literary criticism essay) After reading the story, perhapsmany readers can say that American artists’ life is so poor. It seems be totally true. Nothing their property is. Their residences are bad too, “north windows and eighteenth-century gables and Dutch attics and low rents”. Sue and Johnsy are those kind of artist. However, Old Buhrman is the best exemplary one. So is it true that “The last leaf” was written in order toaccuse the misery of American artists? It must be NO. The profound meaning of the story, as the main sound of a song, is the deep-felt love between poor artists. That love wins poverty, disease. That love is more valuable than art. It makes art become alive. The time when that love is revealed is “a cold, unseen stranger” appears and touches his cold fingers on little Johnsy whose blood is going dry by wind from the west. Sue, herfriend, does everything for her with a big heart. Sue draws many more illustrated paintings to earn money to buy soup, wine. She invites doctor to come to see her friend. Shecooks, comforts Johnsy to eat and drink medicine. With Sue, the biggest hope of her is to see Johnsy become happy with her desperation, drawing the Naples guff.So noble that love is. But it is not strong enough to drown Johnsy’s desperation. Reading these pages, readers seem to be nearly strangled by her bigger and bigger desperation: “I want to see the last one fall. I'm tired of waiting. I'm tired of thinking. I want to...
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...Of course, it will be nice to be like Arcade Fire or Nirvana, having a debut album that blows the market away. But despite the fact that only a few musicians have the potential and ability for such success, the prime goal of an entertainment company is to monetize art, not like the purpose of the artist, which is self satisfaction by making great art - but how could companies monetize that? It is crucial to find the tricky balance between art and commerce, and mediating the inevitable conflict between artistic passion and corporate profit artistic passion in order to let the company survive. Let's start with artists. Artists are often egocentric, sensitive, emotional creatures that are strange in different ways, but one thing they got in common is that they don't like anyone or anything to interfere with the creation process. It's understandable - every creation is like a artist's child to them, and as mothers and fathers, you would not like to be told what your child should look like. Shareholders on the other hand, do not think the same way as artists do. They became shareholders to make money, and it is, the profit margins that they care about. If the artist's creation is not well responded by the market, the shareholders will not gain profit, so they will take any action they could - sometimes interfering the company's business structure, and offending the art creation process as well. In the Sony case, George Clooney argues that people who understand that the business...
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...The Digital Arts movement have transformed they way we think of an art today. Computers have set a new stage for the artists, as they are able to create artwork from their laptops using digital codes. One of the controversial artists of this century is Yasumasa Morimura, who shed light on issues of sexual and gender identities, as well as ethnic background in the late twentieth century art world. Portrait (Futago) created in 1988 is a color photograph by Morimura. At first glance we see a close resemblance to a famous and traditional painting by Edouard Manet, Olympia (1863). In the original painting Manet portrayed a nude French prostitute with a black servant standing next to her. Over a century later, Morimura takes the setting of this painting and changes a few details. First, he replaces the French woman with a picture of himself. It is obvious that the nude body is of a...
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...already become an integrated component of modern society.Appreciating musics,paintings and other forms of art could relax mind and body, bring joy and peace,provide energy and courage to carry on the battle of daily life. Moreover, art could transcends individual difference and national boundaries, bring people with common interest and taste together, which in turn creates a peaceful and harmonious society. Furthermore, the economic value brought about by artistic works is no less significant. To begin with, they are often treated as commodities. For instance, masterpiece by talented artists could be sold at astronomical price.Some are even national intangible assets which are worshiped by millions of visitors from all over the world.Secondly,art is the soul of today's thriving creative industries,such as advertisement, entertainment, design, architecture,etc. Lack of support to talented artists and art education could...
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...The last leaf - Art for Human Life (Literary criticism essay) 08/06/2009 08:17 | 1,819 lượt xem After reading the story, perhapsmany readers can say that American artists’ life is so poor. It seems be totally true. Nothing their property is. Their residences are bad too, “north windows and eighteenth-century gables and Dutch attics and low rents”. Sue and Johnsy are those kind of artist. However, Old Buhrman is the best exemplary one. So is it true that “The last leaf” was written in order toaccuse the misery of American artists? It must be NO. The profound meaning of the story, as the main sound of a song, is the deep-felt love between poor artists. That love wins poverty, disease. That love is more valuable than art. It makes art become alive. The time when that love is revealed is “a cold, unseen stranger” appears and touches his cold fingers on little Johnsy whose blood is going dry by wind from the west. Sue, herfriend, does everything for her with a big heart. Sue draws many more illustrated paintings to earn money to buy soup, wine. She invites doctor to come to see her friend. Shecooks, comforts Johnsy to eat and drink medicine. With Sue, the biggest hope of her is to see Johnsy become happy with her desperation, drawing the Naples guff.So noble that love is. But it is not strong enough to drown Johnsy’s desperation. Reading these pages, readers seem to be nearly strangled by her bigger and bigger desperation: “I want to see the last one fall. I'm tired of waiting...
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...application of the word. Self –taken pictures were specifically common on MySpace before Facebook became popular online social network in the beginning of the year 2000. Nevertheless, writer Kate Losse depicts that between 2006 and 2009 (when Facebook became well-known than MySpace) the “MySpace pic” (mainly “an incompetent, flash-blinded self-portrait, regularly taken in front of a bathroom mirror”) became a hint of a bad taste for users of the newer Instagram and Facebook social network. A “self-portrait” is a description of an artist, drawn, painted, photographed, or sculpted by the artist. Even though self-portraits have been built by artists since the earliest times, it is not before the Early Renaissance in the mid-15th century that artists can be commonly recognized representing themselves as either the primary subject or as important characters in their work with greater and cheaper mirrors and the approach of panel portrait, many painters, sculptors, and printmakers attempt some form of self-portraiture. The earliest known panel self-portrait was the “Portrait of a Man in a Turban” by Jan Van Eych of 1433. He painted a separate portrait of his wife,...
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...- On Ethics, Is Art Market Worse Than Stock Market? The debate ensues as to whether the art market is more unethical than the stock market. Those that have the opinion that the art market is indeed less ethical believe it is caused by the lack of regulation, the lack of transparency and the lack of barriers to enter. They feel that the art market is a financial market and believe this because galleries and dealers advertise it. Therefore, it is a business. Artists enter the market for different reasons than dealers do. Its uniqueness makes it difficult to regulate. They also point out that “rings” are created to promote an artist with the intent to drive up the price for a particular artists’ work. Those with the opposite opinion believe that art market is not a business; it is the making of art. The value and reward is much more than monetary. The value is emotional and intellectual as well. They believe that an artist is not in it for monetary reward. They also point out that art is not a peer commodity. Each side expressed their claim and stance on the issue. I do not feel that one side was more convincing than the other was. I am a numbers person and may have been persuaded if either side had presented more statistical evidence. Managers can use argumentation strategy on a daily basis in order to persuade a co-worker, direct report, or boss to his point of...
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