Playing with Image and Sequence

The assignment for this week gave me the inspiration to create words and images to express what makes me who I am!

The Blank Piece

Every morning,

there is always 

Something new to be painted.

Something new to be written.

The canvas and the paper

are always ready for new imagination.

Something new to be conveyed.

Always ready for a new creation!

I ca paint

a distinctive image.

I can express

a different story every day.

I can reveal the colorful story

of the loving mother,

of the caring friend,

of the joyful dancer,

of the happy singer,

of the proud Latina!

Every morning: 

A living canvas

ready for a new scene.

An ambling paper

ready for a new verse.

The Blank Piece!

by Rocio Diaz

I combined some verses and pictures to create a partial sequence of the poem:

The Blank Piece!

The canvas and the paper are always ready for . . . . a new Creation!

      

  

. . . reveal the colorful story

of the loving mother,

of the caring friend,

of the joyful dancer,

of the happy singer,

of the proud Latina!

EKPHRASTIC POEM: LIGHTS ON!

"COSMIC WANDERLUST"

 

By Michiko Itatani

The “Cosmic Wanderlust” is a 96" X 78" oil painting. It was painted by Michiko Itatani in 2010 as part of a series based on the “human desire to reach out into the mental and physical space beyond our grasp, inward and outward.” Itatani recently donated this painting to Goshen College. 

In this painting, I see what appears to be an elegant ballroom or a theater hall. In trying to write the poem assigned for this week’s homework, I struggled to decide which voice I wanted to be: 1) a person, an object, or the paint itself; 2) the painter; or 3) me, the poet, perceiving the art.

 

This painting transported me to a ballroom in a fairy-tale story, where I can be the main character. Simultaneously, it inspired me a sense of amusement and wanted to express that feeling as a viewer. At the same time, since we have been trying to interpret what the painter might want to express in the painting, I could be the artist and explain my piece of art in a poem. Well, this is what I came up with:

 

Lights On!

Turn the lights on,
Let’s give this room a sparkling twist,
All the beautiful and well-dressed ladies 
are about to come.

It is time for some fun!

A graceful night of dancing and romance is approaching, and

This ballroom needs to look at its best.

With our stylish bright chandeliers 

And all the other colorful blue,

red, orange, pink, yellow and

black lights hanging from the ceiling,

Before the festive spell sets in.

Their handsome partners will accompany them

dressed in black tuxedos,

ready to dance and say meaningful words to their ears.

We need to illuminate their happy faces.

We want to create an impressive and delicate atmosphere.

Where these elegant couples

will enchant each other all night,

While they dance to the music.

Our captive décor

of the beautiful long and bright purple-red

stairways throughout the ballroom,

The different shades of gray and white

of the stair rails and the walls, and

The lights around the black painted frames of the entryways

and around the staircases 

Will enhance the ambiance of this great place.

It will create a night of unstoppable dancing.

It will inspire the need for these lovers

to express their love for one another.

Let’s hurry and get ready.

This ballroom is about to witness

another night of dancing and romance!

By Rocío Díaz

Source: GC News Release

GOLDEN RULE

I visited the Midwest Museum of American Art  located on Main Street in Elkhart, Indiana. There were a lot of interesting and beautiful pieces of art at the museum which made it very hard for me to pick one for this assignment. One piece of art that caught my attention was a painting titled the “Golden Rule” by Norman Rockwell.  This piece was a gift from Dr. Richard D. Burns from Elkhart, Indiana to the museum. 

The “Golden Rule” is part of an extensive collection of hand signed lithographs and collotypes that can be found on the museum’s second floor where there is a gallery dedicated completely to this famous American artist. This piece of art is one of two paintings hanging on a single wall and it is displayed on a corner by one of the entrances to the room.  The gallery is of a large size and there is nothing in the middle of the room. All the paintings are hanging on the walls around the room and there are reflectors hanging from the ceiling providing additional light to each painting. 

  

The original painting, “Do Unto Others,” was first published in the Saturday Evening Post on March 6, 1954. Rockwell’s “Golden Rule” appeared on the Saturday Evening Post cover on April 1, 1961. The painting illustrates people from different ages, religions, genders, and races. Some of them are dressed in traditional costumes while others are dressed in “regular” clothes based on their profession or their social status in society. You can see a total of 28 people in this painting. There are 13 children (9 boys and 4 girls), 15 adults (10 men and 5 women). 5 children are in women’s arms. Some are holding what could be a religious item. Only 5 people are looking towards the viewer, all the others are either looking down, to one side or have their eyes closed. Some of them have a concerned expression and some seem to be thinking or praying. You can see all shades of colors in this painting: reds, blues, greens, etc. The phrase “Do Unto Others As You Would Have Them Do Unto You” is painted in gold upper-case lettering on the lower mid-section of the painting. 

In regards to this painting, a United Nations website states that, “Rockwell wanted to illustrate how the Golden Rule was a common theme of all the major religions of the world, and depicted people of every race, creed and color with dignity and respect.” This is exactly what I perceived when I looked at this picture. Living in this day and time and knowing how diversity, in all its aspects, always creates big debates in our society, this picture gave me the sense that there are many that have and still are, fighting to create acceptance and equality in the world.

POEM

“Do Unto Others

As You Would Have Them

Do Unto You.”

Why would I do for others

What I want them to do for me?

Why would others want

What I want for myself?

I don’t need what others have,

I want what I need.

I am unique,

With different thoughts

Different feelings,

Different looks.

God made me this way,

Special,

Diverse,

One-off a kind,

Exceptional.

Don’t do unto me

What you want me

To do unto you.

Give me what I need:

Respect who I am,

Accept what I am,

Tolerate how I am

Understand what I am not,

Give me the freedom to just be me!

ONE TODAY

“One Today” is a poem by Richard Blanco. It was written and read as the inaugural poem for President Obama's second swearing in ceremony on January 21, 2013. I chose this poem because it takes me back to the dream I brought with me when I came as a sojourner many years ago and decided to stay in this country. Also, it reminded me of the struggles I have faced as well as the satisfactions I have experienced.
Click here to read and/or listen to "One Today" by Richard Blanco.

This poem's language is easy to understand. It is written in epic form and prose form, and is not too long. It has 69 lines that compose a total of 9 stanzas. The perfect use of punctuation gives this poem a touch of gracefulness and formality that makes the sentences flow from one to another, giving the reader clarity and an urgency to keep reading. 

The poet takes us to different sights in each stanza and the pause after each stanza allows us to transition into different scenes. For instance, in his first stanza, the writer references the sea, mountains, plain lands, lakes and hills of this beautiful country. The second and third stanzas describe hectic journeys and illustrate the different duties and responsibilities performed on daily routines in a busy city morning. The fourth and fifth stanzas refer to the sweaty, hard work of many in the fields, farms, and once again, cities. The sixth stanza illustrates a friendly and unified community.  In the seventh stanza, the poet describes a connection between one side of the country and the other. He also makes mention of the people in uniforms that ensure our freedom and well-being. The last two stanzas highlight the efforts and determination in accomplishing our daily journeys, in addition to praising those around us.  

 In “One Today,” Blanco's persona speaks to us. Through this poem, he makes an emotional connection to his readers by sharing his own experiences from his upbringing.  He highlights the hard work and teachings of his mother in stanzas 2 and 6: “Ring up groceries as my mother did for twenty years, so I could write this poem for all of us today,” and “Buenos días in the language my mother taught me,” respectively. He also mentions the sacrifice of his father in stanza 4: “Hands as worn as my father's cutting sugarcane so my brother and I could have books and shoes.” In addition, he intentionally addresses diversity by using multilingual versions of “Hello” to include the whole world in this piece.  By disclosing the struggles and background of his upbringing, Blanco helps readers from different backgrounds and social status to identify with him. I personally relate to this lyric-narrative poem. Like many others that come from abroad, I have worked hard to better myself and to help my daughters attain an education that will support them in accomplishing great success.

The voice of this poem helps us to easily create an image in our minds of happy and successful journey, since that many of us are living on a daily basis what the poet is illustrating in this lyric-narrative poem. The poem’s word pictures transport us to a land of prosperity and equality under a sunny sky that belongs to all.  The expression of light in some of the stanzas, like “One light, waking up rooftops" (1), and “The one light we move through, one light breathing color” (3), makes me feel faith and hope for the future because of the brightness and colorfulness it brings to my thoughts.

THE CREATION OF ADAM

The Creation of Adam  by Michelangelo Buonarroti  is one of the most famous paintings in the world.
This well-known fresco was painted on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City by Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni in 1511. It measures around 480 x 230 centimeters. The Creation of Adam is one of nine images that adorn the central axis of the ceiling that illustrates important scenes from the Book of Genesis.

As part of one of my assignments for this lab, I will provide a visual description of this piece of art.

In The Creation of Adam, we see two main characters on opposite sides of this fresco. Imagine a rectangular landscape layout. One nude man, who represents Adam, is on the lower left-hand corner lying on what appears to be the top of a hill, while the other man, who represents God, is on the upper right-hand side floating in the sky. This second one is dressed with a pale white tunic and is surrounded by secondary characters that appear to be angels. All the angels are naked. There is a red cloth behind God and the angels. A green scarf hangs beneath God. The background of the painting is white. Adam has short blond hair. God has long white hair and beard, and looks much older than Adam. The hill where Adam is positioned is also green and has a thick blue edge. God and all of the angels except for one are facing Adam, who is looking back at them.

We can see a symmetrical line from Adam’s left arm extending to God’s right hand.  Their hands are reaching towards each other, and God’s index finger is almost touching Adam’s. There is a triangular shape on the hill where Adam is laying. The cloth behind God and the angels has an oval shape. The focal point of this work of art is believed to be in the intentional contact between the fingers of God and those of Adam. God is hugging one of the angels next to him with his right arm. All the angels seem to be holding God. There is one supporting God from underneath.

Resources:

rome.info

artbible.info

Bienvenidos to my blog!

My name is Rocio Diaz; I was raised in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. I came to live in the United States about 23 years ago. I have lived in Goshen since August of 2004. In 2008, I became a Goshen College employee, and as one of my benefits I became a student as well. My exposure to visual and verbal arts has been very limited throughout my life. In taking this course, I anticipate learning how to appreciate art in all its forms.

 I have created this blog for my online Humanities: Literature and Art Lab as part of my assignment. Ann Hostetler, professor of English and chair department at Goshen College (GC) is our instructor. Professor Hostetler states on the syllabus that the Humanities: Literature and Art class/lab was designed as an interdisciplinary team-taught course that explores the arts as modes of inquiry into human experience. I look forward to sharing our thoughts and ideas about the literature and art pieces we will be appreciating and analyzing throughout this online class.