THE SNAIL by HENRI MATISSE

THE SNAIL by HENRI MATISSE

(Gouache on paper, cut and pasted, mounted on canvas for support:

2864 x 2870 mm on paper, unique)

The Snail, also known as the L’escargot, by Henri Matisse was made in the year 1953, a year before he died. This work is very large, nearly three meters square. At first sight it appears to be an abstract arrangement of vibrant colored, geometric blocks on a white background. The blocks of color are arranged in a loose spiral suggesting the shape of a snail’s shell. Instead of being painted directly onto canvas, the blocks of color are made from pieces of paper that have been painted in a water based paint called gouache. The brightly painted paper has been torn and cut into uneven shapes and stuck onto a white paper background. The whole composition has then been stuck onto canvas.

It is a remarkably energetic work considering he was eighty four and suffering from poor health. Confined to either his bed or his wheelchair, Matisse was forced to develop an entirely new technique. He would cut and tear directly into colored sheets of paper without making any preliminary drawings. Matisse described this as like ‘drawing straight into color’. Rather than having to build up the color on the canvas as he had throughout his career, Matisse was now taking color as his starting point. He would carve into the colored paper with his scissors to reveal shapes, liberated by the simplicity and directness of his new technique.

Matisse’s art was always based on observation of the world around him. The spiral is an essential form in nature, found in such things as plant structures, sea shells and pine cones. Although the snail is a humble animal, its shell represents a pattern of universal movement. The spiral is described by the geometric shards of color that lie along its line of movement. The bright pinks, red, blue, greens, oranges and yellow bear no relation to the dusty earth colors of a living snail. Instead Matisse has selected and arranged colors solely to maximize their vibrancy and the overall decorative effect. He does this by boldly exploiting the basic principles of color theory. In color theory there are three types of color that are the basic building blocks; primary, secondary and complementary. The primary colors are red, yellow and blue. They are called primary because you cannot create these colors by mixing other colors. However, different combinations of the three primary colors will create every other color in the spectrum. Secondary colors are a mix of two primary colors and they are green, mauve and orange. Complementary colors are the pairing of a secondary color with the remaining primary, for instance green (a mix of blue and yellow) and red. When complementary colors are placed beside each other they appear stronger and more vibrant. Although color theory sounds simple, it is very complex because colors are infinitely varied. In the same way that the word ‘apple’ covers hundreds of different varieties of the fruit, all of which have slightly different tastes, smells and textures, the term ‘red’ describes a color that varies hugely in intensity, shade and hue. To complicate matters still further, our perception of each variation of red is also affected by the colors placed nearby. Matisse’s great skill was in achieving a perfect orchestration between colors so that they sing before our eyes. Like a conductor he also controls the rhythm and pace of the work, which is reflected in the alternative title he gave it ‘Chromatic Composition’.

The choice of colors in The Snail is not random or purely technical. In the same way that the spiral refers to a snail’s shell, the colors are a response to the landscape of the Mediterranean where Matisse lived and worked. The citrus oranges and yellow, brilliant blue, hot reds and pinks and lush greens, reflect the intense heat and light of the South of France, its sun, sea, sky and vibrant colors of the land. The Snail is therefore not an accurate representation of the natural world, but a meditation on the pleasure and harmony that can be found in nature.

In my opinion, Henri Matisse work is more than a representation of a snail, as it may obviously be seen at first. I like the way he used the colors, matched them perfectly with each other. But I love the idea and feeling and image of what these colors had given as an effect. It is not about the piece that speaks a lot about colors, but it is that the artist himself is being represented by the colors that he used. Matisse’s way of self-expression is as influential today as it was in his time. Many modernists like me, look up to him… and use his techniques, ideas and his artworks to inspire our own pieces. I agree to what Casey Klahn has said in her blog: “Matisse’s artistic direction was purely his own; unique and self-directed. A legacy worth more than gold, I’d say.” An ordinary person may dislike this work and say, “Even fourth-graders can do that!”, but of course, they would never understand (unless they are artists, themselves) that these kinds of artworks are genius, in which great artist had put together creativity, imagination, colors, shape, form, lines, self-expression, reality and authenticity of the world and nature—all in one piece.

References:

http://www.tate.org.uk/imap/pages/animated/cutout/matisse/snail.htm. Date retrieved:

February 16, 2009. 2:40PM.

My Ironic COnflict Management Strategy

Conflict is a part of every interpersonal relationship, whether between parents and children, between brothers and sisters, or between friends, lovers or coworkers. If it isn’t, the relationship is dull, irrelevant, or insignificant. The major positive value of interpersonal conflict is that it forces you to closely examine a problem that you might otherwise avoid and to work toward a potential solution. If you both can use productive conflict strategies, a stronger, healthier, and more satisfying relationship may well emerge from the encounter. The very fact that you are trying to resolve a conflict means that you feel the relationship is worth the effort; otherwise, you would walk away from the problem. Through conflict you learn more about each other and with that knowledge comes understanding. (DeVito 148-149)
Although I do accept that this definition is true and inevitable in an interpersonal relationship, I approach conflict very differently. As much as possible, I avoid having the slightest constraint with my friends, coworkers, relatives and even strangers. It is not the conflict that makes me uncomfortable, but the process I would have to go through because of it.
In our family, communication is not a regular activity. We don’t feel obligated or have the need to tell our parents, siblings, cousins, or anyone in the house how we are feeling or how our day had been. We are all introverts in the family; we seldom talk because we feel there is not much to talk about and we value privacy like it’s the number one rule inside the house. So when it comes to having conflicts, we usually avoid confrontations, or simply walk away like nothing happened. And because of that, I resort to gunnysacking. Gunnysacking, as DeVito defines it, is the practice of storing up grievances for unloading at another time. (155) Conflict makes me uncomfortable, mainly because I do not know how to deal with it properly. I avoid confrontations at all costs, even if it means that I do not talk to the other person for months. I just don’t want to talk about it, even if it is my fault. But based on experience, gunnysacking proves to worsen the problem. When the time comes that I cannot hold it in anymore, I explode, which results to another round of conflict, only this time, confrontation is a must and both parties know that the process isn’t going to be pretty. I vent all the anger and blame to him/her. I have this not-so-good talent of turning the situation and the odds to my side during a conversation without the other person knowing. So I try to win the situation and I seldom give in to compromise. However, after all the bashing and cussing and venting it all out, I come to realize that the problem has not been resolved and more damage has been done because of my behavior. I usually take some time out (the time I spend depends on the gravity of the situation and the damage done) before I initiate another confrontation. A more peaceful confrontation, that is. We try to talk things over and I try to be vocal about it even if it is uncomfortable, because at some point I realize that I am tired of carrying a burden that I didn’t know I have before. It will occur to me that I was in denial, and of course, gunnysacking, the whole time which is ironic because I do not want to be involved in a conflict in the first place. It was me who made it a whole lot worse because of my rotten strategy. At this part, it is obvious that I do feel kind of guilty because of what I have done, so I cover it up by “proposing” a solution. I have said earlier that I do have this talent of manipulating the odds to my convenience, and that talent is what I use to persuade the other party to agree and think of it as the best solution there is. I always assume that when I do this, it means that the conflict is done. But there are times that it only creates another problem. I didn’t know why it happens; not until now. Julia T. Wood discusses one aspect of interactional theory which is called punctuation. It says that we punctuate interaction by designating the start and stop of episodes of interaction. Communication functions as long as all parties agree on punctuation. Both partners in marriage agree on when particular episodes begin and end, so they understand what is happening in interaction. But if partners differ in how they punctuate communication, misunderstanding and conflict may arise. (196) Knowing this gave me a new perspective on dealing with conflicts. Assuming that the conflict is done without confirming that the solution is favorable for both parties will only result to another misunderstanding.
I knew that no matter what I do, I would have to face and deal with conflicts in my relationships. I just didn’t know then how to do it properly when my mind is set to win the situation and not to make a progress in the relationship. Writing this essay helped me to evaluate, and thus gave me lessons, new perspective and of course, strategies on how to manage conflict properly. I would like to end this essay with a quote from Joseph Joubert which says, “The aim of an argument or discussion should not be victory, but progress.”


References:
DeVito, Joseph A. “Interpersonal Communication: Conversation and Conflict.” Essentials of Human Communication. Pearson Education, Inc. 2005. 148,155.
Wood, Julia T. “Theories of Communication Dynamics.” Communication Theories in Action:An Introduction. Wadsworth Publishing Co. 1999. 196.

(again, I wrote this for a job. Plagiarism is a crime.)

Classified: UBER CHEESY (My '7th HEaven essay)

7th Heaven
I consider “7th Heaven” as the ultimate, most powerful, most endearing and smartest creation in the field of television, and clearly, my all-time favorite among all TV series. My cousins and I used to watch 7th Heaven a lot. Right after doing our school assignments and chores, during weekends, during the Holy Week, every time there’s a marathon of 7th Heaven, you’ll find us doing nothing except eating whatever food there is and watching in front of the TV. This is the kind of show that makes us stop whatever it is that we are doing just by the mere mention of its title. 7th Heaven has influenced us, especially me, on how we view our family, how we value the people around us, and how to make the right decisions in life. Cheesy as it may sound, but yes, it does change your perspectives and priorities—the kind of show that makes you say “Wow, that’s something. I never thought of (it, him, her) that way.” What I like most about this show is that although its main theme is family, it doesn’t end there. It shows that family is the first and center of all our relationships, but it affects everything else. Add to this the perspective of a Christian family—a perspective that puts God as the root, the cause, the goal, the sole purpose, the guide, the focus of your existence as an individual, as a member of a family, of the society, of the world.
I remember the first time I saw 7th Heaven. I thought it was just one of those non-sense TV series, but when I started watching it—well, I just couldn’t stop. It keeps me waiting and wanting for the next episode (since they always have a new issue or topic, not the “to be continued” type) and every time I watch it, at the end of the show, I always have something to write about and share to my classmates. These lessons that they incorporate in the dialogues, in the scenes, in the issues in the show are what makes 7th Heaven worth the viewer’s time. The fun part about watching it with your family (and in my case, it’s just my cousins because I live with them) is that you learn from the Camdens. You learn how to love in spite of their flaws. You learn how to understand and accept your opposites in the family. You learn to appreciate your differences and make use of it to further improve your relationships. And most importantly, you learn how to communicate, and make use of the term “proper timing”.
My family is very different from that of the Camdens, but still, what 7th Heaven teaches us applies to any body. This show had influenced me to the point that I told myself that someday, when I have my own family, I would raise my kids like how Eric and Annie did with the little Camdens. My family and friends could testify that this show has caused a major change (and it was for the better) on my relationships. I learned (and I’m sure you will, too) that the most important thing to remember when it comes to your family is ‘love’. It is this four-letter word that can heal and forgive Mom or Dad or Brothers or Sisters when they’ve done you wrong. It is this word that makes Grandpa or Grandma smile at the beginning and end of the day. It will always be this word that will guide and tell you what to do, and it will always turn out to be the right thing. This word, ‘love’, is the one word—together with your family— that will allow you to stand up, move, and rise up above any challenge when the rest of the world pulls you down.

- I wrote this Feb. 9, 2009 5:30 to 5:58am for a job. Pardon me for the cheesiness… haha! They’re quite true, anyways.. =) -

Under Pressure Essay

I was asked to make a short essay.
Topic: My Hero
Time: 15 Minutes
And it doesn’t help that they have a countdown right there in the screen while you’re working. So when I need to think, I look down. Kinda stupid. haha. But well, here’s what I was able to produce. Presenting my hero: mom.

A hero for me is someone who is eager and forceful to create a change in the place or environment or even in a situation that he/she is in. I would consider my mother as my personal hero. She is cool,daring and very determined in everything that she does. She shows fearlessness and selflessness when placed in a situation that asks otherwise. She fights for the recognition of women and their power in the society. She knows that women can do what men can. They need not to be treated as seconds, but equals. When crisis hits her, it would never drag her down. She will always look for ways to rise above that crisis and would never, ever give up. I sometimes wonder how she does it. She makes tiring issues and problems seem untiring. She radiates and exudes a lot of strength. I look up to her as my inspiration and some kind of a "pressure or push" so that I could also rise above the challenges given to me.


ANd oh! the words in bold are the keywords. It is mandatory that I use them in the essay. phew!