"Would you just look at that!"
"Why, it's miraculous! It's so intricate! It symbolizes everything we know to be true!"
It's splatter paint.
It's literally a piece of cloth with splattered paint on it.
Splattered paint, really? That's miraculous? Do you mean to tell me that splatter paint, something I could honestly create at the next paintball tournament, is more impressive than "The Creation of Adam" by Michelangelo, the biblical painting of how man was created? I'm glad I understand our priorities here.
As we discuss paradigm shifts currently occurring and over the course of history, I plan to discuss the drastic changes in the art world that have ultimately led to the adoption of such abstract, contemporary pieces that audiences can barely interpret if at all. I hope to incorporate comparisons between artwork created up to the 1940's and artwork from the late 20th to 21st century.
To give a proposition for a thesis: In observing artwork before the 1940's and from the late 1900's to present day, an extreme paradigm shift is evident through the styles of art and artistic representation due to a common expressive ideology and artists' need to abruptly alter the artistic norms of society.
As we look in depth at this shift in the artistic realm, I plan to detail on the major contrasts between the visual perceptions and interpretations of art as well as some of the past themes expressed before the 1930's that could relate to the current artistic creations we see in modern day society such as abstract artwork, to give one example. I also plan to reference the historical connections paintings prior to the 1940's possess and express in contrast to some of the less interpretable stories behind the paintings of contemporary artwork.
The particular pieces of artwork chosen for this presentation and essay will range from different continents including our own to provide an overall melting pot of art, providing a wide variety of cultural artists and their works.
Below is a list of sources for supporting evidence in the upcoming presentation and essay.
Kurtz, Bruce D. Contemporary Art: 1965-1990. Prentice-Hall, 1992. Kuspit, Donald B. The End of Art. Cambridge University Press, 2004. Lambert, Rosemary. The Twentieth Century. Cambridge University Press, 1981. Lewis, Wyndham. The Demon of Progress in the Arts. H. Regnery Co., 1955. Lippard, Lucy R., et al. Pop Art. Thames and Hudson, 2004. McCurdy, Charles, editor. Modern Art: a Pictorial Anthology. MacMillan, 1985.
This is most certainly not going to be easy. All I will have to do is convince "my father to [give] me a small loan of a million dollars" and maybe sell a kidney, then I will definitely be able to do it. Loans? Oh, that's not such a big deal, I'll just spend half of my life paying off the debt and then spend the other half paying off my mortgage. But hey, at least I will have the biggest, greatest, most obnoxious and televised wedding the world has ever known!
What is our world coming to?
When did our society decide that spending half a fortune on one event that lasts only a few hours was a good idea?
Why did couples ever think that packing a church and reception with the closest members of your kin... and only 500 others that you barely know made a wedding personal?
When did weddings involve over-the-top dresses that have more than five digits on the price tag and brides sobbing their hearts out five minutes before what is supposed to be the happiest moment of their lives all because their hair was not perfect or their makeup was slightly off of stupendous?
What ever happened to happily ever after, folks?
The truth: the happily-ever-after only comes after the tornado known as bridezilla whirlwinds down the isle, the sheepish fiancé, too terrified to give one opinion about the wedding, finally says "I do," and the whole ceremony and aftermath goes exactly according to plan, with every "I" dotted and every "T" crossed. Then and only then is the happily-ever-after given permission to begin by the neurotic, half-starved, possibly deranged, new Mrs. whatever the name is.
Our society has made so many expectations that are blown way out of proportion when it comes to wedding ceremonies. Nowadays, celebrities are spending an unimaginable amount of money on a single day, inviting everyone they do not really know or care about, eating a cake that took weeks on end to bake but that will be shoved into a couples mouths for the best picture in the newspaper the following morning, and celebrating for a couple of hours an event that took months and months of endless planning to get practically perfect in every way.
I believe the reasoning for couples to overdo their wedding celebrations stems from a very real issue of our culture today: the need for attention. If you look at the popular media sites currently in use, sites such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter all revolve around the likes and comments of friends and family, and even complete strangers, that applaud or praise a post. These comments and "thumbs-up's" give attention to the post's author, releasing this sense of approval and assurance in regards to the post. In the same way, I find that some couples desire a grand, ostentatious wedding celebration because they believe they have something to prove to others. They think they need to "go big or go home" so as to gain approval of their marriage, making sure everything is absolutely perfect as if one single flower in the wrong position will doom their marital reputation for the rest of their days, or at least until the divorce papers are signed. This constant need for attention and assurance of life decisions is one that drives our culture but unfortunately can also drive us to the brink of bankruptcy.
Now let's switch gears to a better scene: an art museum. Imagine you are walking through an amazing hallway with high ceilings, crown molding, tile floors, numerous paintings by Monet, Manet, Renoir, and maybe even Van Gogh. These paintings are gorgeously completed with amazing brushwork, vibrant color schemes, thought-provoking tales that maybe make you wonder about the big questions of life or that make you simply say, "Wow. That is one awesome sunflower."
Out of the corner of your eye, you see a connecting hallway that leads to the modern art portion of the museum. At first, your mind goes into a tailspin. "Who let a child color scribbles all over these canvases?!" you think to yourself. "Where is the culprit who disgraced these masterpieces? Why is security not streaming through the museum right now?"
For a moment, steam seems to come out of your ears, your face is turning beet red, your heart rate is elevated. Then you look around the room. The security guards are present but have not a smudge of worry on their faces. All of the squirrelly children are being held in death grips by their parents, not running amuck with their art utensils joyfully reeking havoc in the modern art wing.
You look up at the paintings hanging in this room, and you take a closer gander.
"Oh no. This cannot be right. Where is the art? Where is the meaning? What is happening to us?"
In one last ditch effort to avoid reality, you take one second to think that maybe the artwork was stolen in an extravagant heist that not even Houdini could have ever pulled off.
You look at the paintings, heart-broken and defeated, only to realize that this piece of art is a plane canvas of white with some pencil markings and an attempt at writing the word "vengeance" in red crayon with the penmanship of an elementary schooler. Oh, and you can't forget to mention that there is a rhino horn-looking thing at the bottom, too. The rhino horn definitely makes the entire picture.
The only thought that comes to your head: "Man I picked the wrong career. I made something in my third grade art class that was a spitting image of this piece. Who would've ever thought that I was an art prodigy?"
Since when has our understanding of art included the scribblings of pencil and crayon on a blank canvas with words originally misspelled and letters squeezed between others to spell properly? Since when has our society excepted paintings of three clouds, each a different color with three names written in chicken scrawl above them?
Our world has seen gorgeous masterpieces of Jesus, the last supper, a woman that never smiles, and even a starry night. When exactly and why did our perceptions of art change so drastically? This sad adjustment in the art world could very reasonable be due to how the people of our society choose to express their originality. A common trend in today's world seems to be that individuals want to blaze their own trail, start a new fad, be the first person to ever do this or the first person to ever do that. What sometimes results from this uniqueness that everyone seems to strive for is a succession of "uniqueness" that diminishes the essence of previous trends and skills. Though this is pure speculation, as I have never met any of my favorite artists due to the slight issue that they are all currently diseased, I am sure painters such as Monet, Manet, Renoir, and Van Gogh thought their artwork was passion, something they enjoyed completing not particularly a chore to done to prove a point to society that their work is the newest and most individualistic art of the time. Our culture has emphasized the need for everyone to be their own person, their own version of themselves, and while this perspective is very inspirational in some aspects, I believe many also choose to use this encouragement as an excuse to hide behind a mask, one that makes them stand out in a crowd for who they are not instead of who they truly are.
The paradigm shift of weddings changing from humble and honest celebrations of true love to never ending bills and over-exaggeration and art changing from thought-provoking, jaw dropping interpretations of the real world to scribbles on a white canvas show immeasurable changes, for the worst in my opinion, in both the field of marriage and art. What will our world choose to turn upside-down next?
When is this lecture going to be over? I completely forgot what he is talking about. How obvious would it be if I slouched in my seat and took a quick nap before this speech is over?
Some of these questions might run through your head when you are responsible for being an audience member at a speech, talk, or even sometimes in a classroom. The reason you may be asking yourself these questions is because your speaker has lost your complete attention; your active listening capabilities have been thrown out the window, and all of a sudden, the fly dancing on the ceiling light is more interesting that anything else in the world.
There are many aspects of a speaker and their words that can lend to either an enthralling and captivating speech. Likewise, if these aspects are not fully grasped, the speech could very easily become a monotone lull that helps the audience doze off or daydream during the talk.
Some of the aspects that separate an average, good, and great talk can boil down to two basic points: the speaker and the content.
The speaker presenting the information to the audience needs to be engaging and insightful, providing a variety of tones for the audience to listen to instead of one, monotonous tone draining the life out of the speech. Mixing the vocal range with some exclamations here or some almost-whispers there can keep the audience awake and alert for the important information these vocal changes indicate. With every change in tone, the speaker is highlighting a specific point or piece of information that is key for the audience member to understand.
The speed at which a speaker is talking is also very important. For the majority of a speech, a speaker may choose to remain at a happy medium, so to say, with their voice sounding fluent and calm, not too quick and not glacially slow. Just like tone, the rate of speech can bring about a better understanding of a topic. If delivering a warning or very important notice to the audience, a quicker pace of speaking should be used to provide the element of urgency. If the speaker wants to portray a moment of emotion or provoke deep thought, the speed of their words may slow down a bit to allow the audience a chance to soak up each and every syllable and digest their meanings.
Other than tone, a speaker should also pay close attention to their body language. Depending on one's stance, position in the room, hand gestures, and simple posture, the speaker can send a complimenting or opposing message to the viewers.
For any speech or talk, formal or informal, body posture can be a speaker's lifeline. If the speaker maintains a composed, elegant posture that looks comfortably proper - shoulders back, standing up straight, head held high but not so much that you cannot see past the end of your nose - it may be easier for the speech to fall alongside of your stance, flowing naturally but purposefully.
If a speaker is standing awkwardly with hunched shoulders, a slouched frame, and head parallel to the floor, the speaker will not only look incredibly uncomfortable and make the audience feel the same, the speaker will most likely feel less confident and present their information subconsciously. Poor posture can also result in a lack of credibility, or ethos, as posture is one of the very first things an audience sees and comprehends of the speaker before a single word is uttered.
As for one's stance and position in the room where the talk is being held, one should make sure to try to keep their nerves in check, avoiding some more obvious shakes in the hands or knees. If one is very nervous, certain stances may prove a wonderful mask to the every-so-rattling body tremors including holding one hand casually on the side of your body and another one slightly bent, standing so your feet are a little bit apart from each other - not smack together but also no more than should-width apart - keeping your knees slightly bent to avoid passing out cold in the middle of the presentation. Yes, if you lock your knees, you will most likely keel over during your speech - not a good experience for your audience or yourself.
Choosing a particular spot in the room at which to stand is an important decision to make before an audience is addressed. Generally, standing front and center in relation to the audience is a good start. If one chooses to begin a presentation to the left or right side of the audience, the viewers may experience a classic case of favoritism as the speaker is showing a particular preference to whom they are speaking. Starting in the center of the audience allows for an equal distribution of eye contact and gestures, and as the speech continues, movement to both sides of the audience can be more engaging.
Hand gestures are always a tricky topic. If a speaker is anything like myself, he may use hand gestures in every sentence spoken. My whole family is hilariously generous with their hand gestures, using them to emphasize, draw out a conversation, or simply flail the hands about for no apparent reason other than to fill in an invisible gap between the two people conversing.
Hand gestures are great for certain speeches, in moderation. For example, if someone is standing in front of an audience giving a speech with their hands tucked safely at their sides, immobile, and stiff, there is not real use for having hands at all. On the other hand, no pun intended, if the speaker is waving their arms about using extravagant hand gestures for every single detail they make, the audience may become concerned, view the speech as urgent or an emergency, and draw a different type of message all from simply observing some waves or emphases of the hands.
Make sure you do not look like Hope For Gorilla or his inflatable man when giving a speech.
In regards to the content of a speech, there are many aspects to consider.
Content should produce some purpose when all is said and done be it to inform the audience, to tap on their emotional heartstrings, to urge them to act, to persuade them to think differently, or to simply entertain them with a good laugh or fascinating story. With a particular purpose in mind, every detail of the content should envelop said purpose, always showing support and reason to the message.
The content should also be trustworthy, with accurate and defendable statistics and arguments.
Incorporating accurate facts and records are necessary to maintain credibility with an audience. If a speech makes reference to false data, an audience can easily justify ignoring the message, as they feel any additional data or facts may also be falsified.
One particular speech that I am in awe of is called "Point B" by Sarah Kay. This speech was given as a TED Talk, and after seeing this video once, I quickly rewound and replayed once more out of sheer fascination and admiration for the ability of the speaker to incorporate all of the aspects of an excellent speech that we discussed above.
The video above amounts to almost four minutes, so to highlight some of the major elements that I found effective in Kay's speech, I encourage you to take a look at these specific sections of the video.
Starting at 0:15 and continuing to 0:24, Sarah Kay uses a change in tone that expresses a juvenile, arrogant tone some children may use when they think they know all there is to know about life. This tone change allows the audience to hear the change in point of view from the mother's to the daughter's.
In these seconds, Kay also uses some very appropriate hand gestures that emphasize the child's attitude and natural instinct to wave off information they think they already know.
Another amazing example of well-used hand gestures can be seen from 2:50 to 2:56 by physically showing the audience the literal sense of a warrior and highlighting the daughter's "small hands and big eyes."
From 0:58 to 1:20, Kay uses an anecdote to paint a picture for the audience as to what she has done before and what her daughter will probably do in the future. Her voice takes on another change in tone to make evident the condoning and wise nature of her voice towards the daughter in an attempt to caution.
A great example of increased speed in this clip can be seen from 1:29 to 1:32 to emphasize the appositive phrase. The usage of increased speed shows the slight opposition to the prior statement made but does not discredit the statement entirely as there was truth to the original comment that "there are a few heartbreaks chocolate can't fix."
The effective use of pausing within 2:20 and 2:25 shows another appositive phrase that semi-contradicts the prior statement but furthers the message Sarah Kay is trying to send to the audience and her hypothetical daughter.
Notice how Sarah Kay stands in one position throughout the entire speech, but her stance is very natural with feet spread just slightly, standing straight, in a confident posture as she delivers her speech, making it evident that she is confident in her message and delivery.
To wrap all of this information up with one big bow, an average, good, and knock-your-socks-off kind of speech all depend on the speaker and the information they bring to the table. Whether the tone, posture, gestures, position in the room, reliability of data, and relevance of information, a speech can easily be slept through out of disinterest or receive a standing ovation based on what and how information is presented.
