sophieclipson

[sophieclipson]

week 14, question #4

1

When peonies were placed in a glass vase on the windowsill,

And the full moon rose to its sitting place in the night sky at dusk,

I mourned, and yet shall mourn with every bloom of Spring flowers.

 Every bloom of Spring flowers, trinity sure to me you bring,

Fresh-cut peonies and full moon rising at dusk,

And the warm though of her I love.

 2

O bright, looming moon!

O dusk-laden night – O dark, sorrowful night!

O cruel world that rendered me powerless – O feeble being of me!

O suffocating rain that will not let my tears dry.

 3

In the garden surrounding the well-loved bird bath near the rust’d iron gate,

Sits the peony-bush flourishing with strong leaves of Kelly green,

With rounded petals of soft pink growing gently, with the aroma robust that I so adore,

With every bloom an honor – and from this bush in the garden,

With soft-color’d petals and strong leaves of Kelly green,

A twig with its flower I take.

 4

Through the showers and blossoms of the spring, the fields, amid towns,

Amid paths and through rugged valleys, where the dandelions

Arose from the soil, adding color to the unending green,

Amid the tall grass in the meadows each side of the path, passing the endless tall grass,

Passing the peeking yellow of the newly harvest’d corn,

Passing the pear-tree bursts of pale green and muted red in the orchards,

Cradling a corpse to where it shall sleep in the grave,

Night and day travels a coffin.

 5

(Nor for you, for one alone,

Blooms of soft pink and leaves of Kelly green to the coffin all I bring,

For calm as the dawn, thus would I hum a sweet song for you O

Peaceful and pure death.

 All over bouquets of daisies,

O death, I blanket you with daisies and bloom’d tulips,

But mostly and forever the peony that spurs first,

Profuse I snap, I snap the twigs from the bushes,

With overflowing arms I come, flooding for you,

For you and the coffins all of you O death.)

 6

Passing the fields, passing the towns,

Passing the valleys, passing the meadows,

Passing, grasping the comfort of my mother’s hands,

Passing the song of the sparrow and the harmonizing song of my soul,

Triumphant song, death’s escape song, yet ever-changing song,

As small and weeping, yet loud the notes, rising and falling, seeping through the night,

Mournfully crashing and whimpering, as warning and warning, and yet, rises full of sweetness,

Spreading through the land and reaching the hands of heaven,

As that hallowed hymn in the dusk I heard,

I leave thee the peony of soft-pink blooms and Kelly green leaves,

I leave thee there, in the vase, in the windowsill, ever-blooming,

Returning with every spring,

Your memory ever to keep,

Of the gentlest, warmest soul of all my days and lands – and this for her dear sake,

Peony and moon and sparrow entangled with the melody of my soul,

There in the orchards and meadows and dusk and dawn

She lies.

[sophieclipson]

week 14, visual prompt

In the foreground of this photograph is a grassy field, and based on the location tagged in the subtext, we known this photograph was taken in Germantown, Tennessee. In the middle third of this photograph is where the content of this frame is: in the middle, sitting in front of a tent under a makeshift shelter of branches and fauna is three men, all looking at the camera and dressed in semi-formal attire; two of the men are standing, leaning on the supports of the shelter, hands behind their back and at their sides, and the other man, in the middle, is sitting on a haystack with arms folded and legs crossed. Above them is a banner that reads “United States Christian Commission.” It appears that in the tent there are a variety of supplies, and you can barely make out materials packaged in white boxes. To the right, half in the picture, is a covered wagon, also labeled “U.S. Christian Commission,” and leaning against it is another man, also looking at the camera, although he is dressed considerably more casually and looks dirtier than the other men. To the left, and slightly behind the commission men is another tent with two men sitting inside. The men in this tent look younger than the men associated with the commission, and, again, dressed more casually and look more worn than those three men; one of them appears to be smoking a cigar. In the background, on the other side of the shelter structure are the silhouettes of two other figures standing or walking, but the bright lighting, and perhaps overexposure of the exposure obscures them. I am not completely sure what the image wants. At first pass, the image appears to just want to be seen, and almost to be a descriptor of the events of the war, particularly this facet or the non-combat aspect. I think it also seeks to show a non-partisan aspect of the war, as most images from the Civil War are either taken of and attempt to highlight the Union or Confederate cause whereas this is foregrounding an aspect that could almost unify the two opposing sides. Further, it could also be wanting the viewer to see some of the tension within the war: the juxtaposition of Christian morals and the violence of the war create a predicament for the country.

[sophieclipson]

week 13, question #3

Walking into the garret, you are affronted by a humid, stale air. With a roof covered with nothing but shingles, the hot Southern heat seeps in and sits inside the attic still with no air to circulate it even in the slightest. Confined into this tiny shed, walls feeling like they are closing in on you, the heat suffocates you and sweat begins to trickle down the back of you neck and arms. The sitting, stale heat has created a musky stench that seems to have burrowed itself into the cracks of the wood – not going anywhere. The combination of the narrow walls, humid Southern heat, and the musky mildew scent make it almost impossible to breathe. Your other senses are obscured too: there is not a sliver of light shining through the shed. Encapsulated by darkness, you can barely make out your surroundings: only inches above you is a steeply sloped roof of wood planks slightly dampened by the humidity of the summer. The roof slopes harshly until it reaches the rickety wood floor, a concealed trap door to one side, sprinkled with slightly loose nails, and cobwebs lurking in the corners. On this floor sits a sliver-thin mattress accompanied by a ratty, hand-woven blanket, After the terror and exhaustion you have experienced in the past years, this makeshift bed calls your name. As you crawl into bed and nighttime falls, you hear the scratching and squeals of the rats and mice that find shelter in this shed with you and pray that they let you be. Through the boards, cicadas chirp and the leaves rustle. You pull the woven blanket around you, and although slightly itchy and not cooling you down, provides a sense of comfort. On your first morning, you stir awake not by the admission of light into your shed – light failed to exist even in the day in your enclosed world – but by the sounds of birds and voices and movement outside. A few times during the day you get a quick glimpse and experience of reality, your various family members bringing you food and human interaction, but only fleetingly. In these moments, you experience a glimpse of light, and homely smells of the food attempt to cover up the musky scent of the attic. As you go about your day, time moving ever slowly without the knowledge of light to tell the time, you skin does not achieve a second’s break from the attacks of insects, your skin begging for the freedom from pinpricking and burning sensations. The nine by seven-foot wood box slowly makes your muscles cramp, your only movement being your cramped crawl around your floor, providing a bare minimum amount of movement. As you crawl hunched over, you discover nick knacks hidden in the corners. Of such objects you find, a gimlet offers you somewhat of a loophole towards improvement of your condition: with the gimlet, you use all of the energy you have saved, and all the strength you have left to puncture three holes into the wood blocking you from the outside world. Although not much, the three holes liven your senses by a small degree: as the sun sets, you feel the slightest breeze, allowing you to escape the deathly heat for a blissful moment. As the sun rises, the slightest trickle of light pokes through the three holes, and you press your face up against the rough wood to peer outside. From within this cramped, low lit, sickly hot, musk-entrenched coffin of a shed, you catch a sight of the one thing that brings you hope: your two children.

[sophieclipson]

week 13, visual prompt

In this photograph by Elliot Erwitt in 1956 called California, the photograph is taken through a window of the car. The photo content itself is framed or confined by the side mirrors of the car. Through both of these apertures – the back window and side mirror – the viewer can only see part of the man’s face, and only the neck up of both figures, as well as the side of the car and the landscape in front of the car. The apertures clearly limit the onlookers’ view of the figures, keeping us at a distance from the figures and the moment their sharing. I think this plays into the photograph’s vision as it is seeking to capture an intimate moment between the two figures, and the confining structure of the apertures works to limit the audience’s full view of the moment; in only capturing this moment through the framing of the rear window and side mirror, Erwitt maintains the intimacy of an already intimate and personal moment.

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week 11, visual prompt

In this image there are four women in the tapada limeña dress outside or in a breezeway of an ornately decorated building. The veils themselves are purely black, while the scarves or draped pieces of fabric and some of their skirts are patterned with stripes or floral patterns. Two of the women make no eye contact with the photographer and viewer, however, though it is a bit obscured, it appears that two of the women make slight eye contact; these two women only show and use one eye, and their heads are turned away, potentially to create the allusion that they are not looking. All of the women use one of their hands to pull the top covering over their mouths and sides of their faces. My eye is first drawn to the woman who is the farthest away, next to the second door – this woman, like the others, uses one of her hands to pull the tapada limeña over most of her face, and she leans against the door or wall. To me, this woman appeared to be the most secretive and mysterious, as her body language and the way she covers her face makes her appear the most drawn away and least interested in being recognized. Overall, the composition and content of this photograph create a very eery and mysterious atmosphere, only further cultivated by the black and white covering, one that unsettles me greatly.

[sophieclipson]

week 11, question #3

(This is on page 48, the first full paragraph)

In this scene, Captain Delano orders his crew to pull his boat, The Bachelor’s Delight away from its previous resting state in order to gain a better view of this incoming boat in apparent distress. Melville sets up the perceptions of Delano by first giving a heavily descriptive image of the waters on which it lies: he describes the waters as “leaden-hued,” not only conjuring the image dull gray-colored water, but also attaching heaviness, gloominesss, and listlessness to the mood of the scene (48). Melville also describes the San Dominick as on the “verge” of “swells,” a swell being a series of waves caused by weather systems, more specifically, winds, and are typically of longer wavelength. This adds to the dreariness and ominousness of the atmosphere of the scene, as readers can assume there has been some adverse weather condition that has forced this ship to be caught in a system of waves. He then describes that “shreds of fog,” again conjuring the image of dreary, and foreboding weather, coat and line the incoming ship in an irregular patter. The image of a ship coming into a harbor among dull waters and gloomy weather, shrouded in fog cultivates an extremely mysterious and foreboding image, allowing him to foreshadow to the peculiar events that will unfold. Moving to the ship the San Dominick itself, Melville describes it as like “a white-washed monastery” “perched upon some dun cliff among the Pyrenees.” Here, Melville attaches religious sentiment to the ship, as well as an element of isolation, secrecy, and silence, as from the nature of monasteries. He adds to this sense of isolation and extremeness as he places it on dull-earth colored cliff among the Pyrenees, a mountain range known to have high elevation, and areas that have a circular form of cliffs. The image of high altitude, rocky cliffs adds an air of eeriness and extremeness, again playing into mysteriousness of the scene. Melville interjects his descriptive account of the scene of the ship coming into the harbor with a note that this was not just a “fanciful resemblance,” but that it appeared to Captain Delano that there could indeed be a “ship-load of monks before him.” By giving this aside to the readers, Melville underscores the confusion that this mysterious boat is causing Captain Delano, believing his almost absurd perception that this boat is carrying a crowd of monks. Captain Delano’s confusion and lack of grounded perceptions about the ship play into the mystery of the scene. In his curiosity, Captain Delano peers over the bulwarks “in the hazy distance” to investigate the passengers on the ship, describing what he saw as a crowd of “dark cowls.” The haziness and the presence of the bulwarks, a defensive wall on the side of the ship above the level of the deck, further construct the mystery and ominousness of the arrival of the ship into the harbor, and foreshadow the hiding of the truth of the ship’s story. Captain Delano is adamant about the presence of monks on the ship, instead visualizing these persons by their dress dark, large, hooded cloaks. This focus on the clothing of various individuals is a theme throughout Melville’s short story, as he ascribes hidden meanings and invokes obscurity through these veiled symbolisms. Lastly, Melville describes that Captain Delano observes “dark moving figures” through the port holes, like those of “Black Friars pacing the cloisters.” These figures being below deck, and only their cloaked silhouettes being able to be made out, the mystery of the San Dominick is clear, holding a foreboding and secretive place both on the ocean and to Delano. Further, his re-insinuation that the passengers are of a monastic order, Black Friars referring to Dominican Order of friars, clearly establishes a religious connotation with the ship that Melville will continue to explore throughout the short story.

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Visual Analysis

This image is from a 2011 exhibition at the Huntington Museum in collaboration with Palmer Museum of Art at Pennsylvania State University called “Taxing Visions” which explores the economic depression during the 19th century. This was one of the piece of art included by James Henry Cafferty and Charles G. Rosenberg, called Wall Street, Half Past Two O'Clock, created in 1857. I first chose this image because I was drawn to the colors and activity in it. In the background the skyscrapers and office buildings are clearly visible, representing the quintessential atmosphere of Wall Street. The foreground of this painting is packed with people, all seemingly male, in full formal attire – slacks, long coats and top hats. Though it is hard to completely make out, most of the men seem to be concerned and busy, or on the move. What’s interesting about this painting is that I think it portrays both the formality and gentlemanliness of Wall Street, with the painting being fully of men in formal attire, but also the chaotic, busy and precarious nature of it as depicted by the crowd of people in a flurry.

[sophieclipson]

2.

On page six of Bartleby, the Scrivener, there is a passage from the point of view of the narrator in which he describes Bartleby’s work ethic, and his personal qualms with such (the paragraph begins with “At first Bartleby did an extraordinary…”). The narrator explains that Bartleby appears as if he had been “long famishing,” and “gorged” himself on work (Melville 6). The use of consumptive, and hunger-related descriptors for Bartleby’s work habits points to the larger context of the consumption and production focused workspace of the nineteenth century: during this particular era industrial capitalism was on the rise, and there was a preoccupation with quick, copious production and perpetuating consumption by the public. Given this, I think Melville uses this consumptive diction to describe Bartleby’s work ethic in order to emphasize the nature of production and workplace dynamics during this time. Additionally, taken with the narrator’s observation that Bartleby gave himself “no pause for digestion,” I think the use of the word “gorged” speaks to the limitless and non-stop nature of both the supply and demand of nineteenth century society – it implies a lack of control or a ceaselessness (Melville 6). In the next line, the narrator describes that Bartleby “ran a day and night line,” using “sun-light” then “candle-light” to complete his copying” (Melville 6). The description of Bartleby running a “day and night line” expresses the amount of work Bartleby is investing, almost inferring that he is working a double shift as by the inherent separation of the “day and night” (Melville 6). Further, in stipulating that he must use “candle-light” to complete his copying, Melville is underscoring Bartleby’s devotion and insistence on his work, as he does not stop his work despite the end of the day, as the others do (Melville 6). Again, I think this contributes to Melville’s larger messaging on the repetitive, ceaseless work of a capitalist workplace. This message is once again emphasized as the narrator imparts that Bartleby “wrote on silently, palely, mechanically,” clearly commenting on the rote, monotonous, and almost lifeless actions workers must submit to (Melville 6). However, within this passage, Melville inserts an interesting note to his dialogue on the nineteenth century workplace, as the narrator asserts that he “should have been quite delighted with his application, had he been cheerfully industrious” (Melville 6). Despite Bartleby’s meticulous and hard work, far exceeding that of his co-workers, the boss is not satisfied as Bartleby does appear to be happy at his work. In this phrasing, Melville is highlighting another aspect of the workplace dynamic, that not only must workers complete mechanical, and copious amounts of work, but also must project a content, cheerful condition. I think it is through this delineation that Melville emphasizes the dangerous duplicity of the industrial workplace: that workers must complete ceaseless, almost dehumanizing work, but do so without complaint and with a good attitude – an imperative that is rather manipulative and cruel. Through the diction, phrasing and final innuendo of this paragraph, I think Herman Melville is seeking to underscore the ceaseless and toxic nature of the workplace in the nineteenth century, a period characterized by industrial capitalism, and a society pervaded by never-ending production and consumption, to a sickening extent.

[sophieclipson]

Emily,

Overall, I think you did a great job bringing into focus the erasure of black abolitionists in the women’s rights movement, and had a good balance of evidence and analysis. I particularly enjoyed your discussion in the last paragraph about what this erasure says about the attitudes of the women at the Seneca Falls Convention, as you provided insights not readily apparent at first read. I also thought the way you connected the erasure of black abolitionists from the women’s rights movement to the efficacy of the movement and broader discussions of equality and radicalism was very insightful. One thing that potentially could improve this analysis is a discussion about the way Davis excavates this history. This could mean looking at her tone, word choice, and structure and how she employs such to create a desired effect, and tell this part of history in a specific manner. Beyond analyzing the way in which Davis tells this part of history, I think you did a really thorough analysis, and provided a thoughtful discussion that prompts us to think more about the erasure of black abolitionists from the history of the women's rights movement.

Angela Davis’ Reframing of the Seneca Falls Convention

Prompt Four:

Angela Davis points to the erasure of the black abolitionist Charles Remond in her retelling of the birth of the Seneca Falls convention. In Elizabeth Cady Stanton’s history, Remond is left out. According to her, the only man that joined the women who had been physically removed from the same space as the other men in the convention was Nathaniel Rogers, a white man from New Hampshire. The inclusion of this detail by Davis questions the narrative of Stanton and Mott as bystanders looking out for themselves and moves them into a sphere of blame. They chose to leave out a black abolitionist from their story, they weren’t simply ignorant to the realities of black folks at the time. 

Davis also points out that women’s suffrage being taken seriously at all was largely due to the support of Frederick Douglass, who published a progressive piece in a newspaper expressing his support for the issue. Davis reveals this fact in a blunt manner, and includes a passage from Douglass’ writing. She goes on to detail how he supported the movement even when many people involved took their names off of the declaration and gave Stanton the “cold shoulder.” This support from Douglass was not unrecognized by Stanton; she discussed and wrote about it. However, it is true that in popular memory Douglass is removed from that particular part of history. Additionally, we must remember that Remond was erased from the narrative entirely. Davis makes a point to reframe the supporters and motivators behind the movement as being centered around the abolitionist movement. This restructuring of this history brings to light the absurdity of the lack of black and working class women from the physical space of Seneca Falls and having any real stake in the Declaration of Sentiments itself. 

The attitude and erasure within the historical archive points to a few realities about the women at the Seneca Falls convention. Firstly, it reveals a discriminatory undercurrent having to do with race and class. Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott did not see any intersectional potentiality. Now, it is important to note that the term intersectionality did not come into use until Crenshaw defined it in 1989, but the notion that class, race, and gender were intertwined in creating power structures seemed to be understood somewhat by Douglass and Remond at the time. Stanton and Mott were not strangers to abolitionist movement—Davis points out that the birth of the Seneca Falls convention (although somewhat mythologized) happened at the 1840 World Anti Slavery Convention. When put into this context, it becomes evident that the lack of women of color involved at Seneca Falls happened even though Mott and Stanton were knowledgeable and somewhat involved in the abolitionist movement. How could they separate the two? This erasure of working class and women of color indicates a faulty vision of the movement: these white upper class women saw the sexism they faced to be a blip in an otherwise okay system. They failed to radicalize on a deeper level. 

[sophieclipson]

Emily,

I thought this was beautifully written, and I think you did a great job noting all the details of this photograph and analyzing them. One line in particular that I thought was insightful and interesting was, “Sojourner Truth is poised and at ease in this image, although she is not idle.” I thought this discrepancy or complexity in her pose that you noted was a fascinating observation that I didn’t pick up on right away. I also think your claim about how she is fashioning herself in this image was strongly backed by the evidence and details your provided about the photograph. I think one thing you could add to your analysis is perhaps a small discussion about what the knitting or crocheting could say about how Truth is fashioning herself or adds to the perception of her in the photograph. Does it oppose or come into tension with other aspects of the photograph?

Sojourner Truth is poised and at ease in this image, although she is not idle. She is seated on an intricately carved chair and wearing a customary quaker headdress and shawl. Her gaze is sharply fixed towards the camera and the white-rimmed spectacles highlight her gaze further. The injury on her hand is concealed and she has yarn spilling down her lap as she knits or crochets. There are also two tassels on the right side of the frame that enhance the feeling of poise and financial comfort, although not upper class or showy. She appears to be fashioning herself as a  put-together woman with a strongly stoic demeanor. 

[sophieclipson]

Angela Davis's "Class and Race in the Early Women's Rights Campaign"

One silence that Angela Davis excavates about the history of the women’s suffrage movement is the role of the working-class women. Preceding her chronicle of the role of working-class women in the movement, Davis emphasizes that the Seneca Falls Declaration, and the movement that sprung from it “disregarded the circumstances of women outside the social class of the document’s framers” (Davis 5). Davis purposefully foregrounds her narration of the work of working-class women by emphasizing the both the theoretical and practical absence of this demographic in the “founding” of the movement as asserted by the Seneca Falls Convention; this allows readers to see the gap in the history, providing a point of entry to discuss this crucial part of the suffrage movement. Throughout her recounting, Davis drives home the point that female laborers were fighting back against unequal treatment “long before the 1848 Seneca Falls Convention” and were the “pioneers of the women’s movement,” holding a “trailblazing role” (Davis 5). Both in making these statements, and the strong, staunch language she uses, it is evident that Davis seeks to drive home the injustice of the silence of the role of working-class women in the suffrage movement – she seeks, perhaps, to invoke frustration in her audience over the absence of this history. Further, Davis meticulously underscores the gravity of the work and the purpose for which these working-class women were doing as they staged “turn-outs and strikes,” an aspect she suggests the leaders of the Seneca Falls Convention were lacking (Davis 5). For female laborers, Davis writes, “when they resisted, they were fighting for their write to survive,” and “were more serious about women’s rights than about anything else in their lives” (Davis 5). Here, Davis insinuates that the working-class women in this movement had a stronger, and more personal passion and motivation for their resistance, almost calling into question those of the leaders of the Seneca Falls Convention. Davis also punctuates the success of this group of women before “the official launching of the women’s movement,” chronicling how the Lowell Female Labor Reform Association in both 1843 and 1844 brought petitions to the Massachusetts State Legislature, and eventually “acquired the distinction of winning the very first investigation of labor conditions by a government body in the history of the United States” (Davis 5). By highlighting these historical and palpable details of the work of working-class women, Davis seeks to stress to readers that these women played a significant role and made crucial contributions to the women’s rights movement. In doing such, she is able to emphasize why it is so critical that we assert these women in the history of the movement, not just those who lead the new movement. As Angela Davis excavates the history of working-class women in the women’s rights movement, she strikes a careful balance of articulating their actions, successes and the conditions that motivated them to resist, and also underscoring their virtual absence theoretically and practically from the discussion and praise of the work of the women’s rights movement. In the way she tells this story, coupled with her forceful language and prodding questions, Davis drives home the importance of their work and the unjustness of the silence of their role in the history of the movement.

[sophieclipson]

Sojourner Truth

In this portrait, Sojourner Truth is standing upright and almost commandingly while leaning on a cane. She is not looking directly at the camera, but rather ahead, into the distance with a neutral, leaning unamused expression. She is dressed in a somewhat voluminous skirt, long-sleeved blouse, a pin-striped vest, white collar and shawl, and her head is topped by a white bonnet. Truth is also adorned by a patterned book or travel bag on her left arm, though it is hard to make out what is in it. The image is devoid of any distinct background. Her formal and largely modest attire, reserved and rather stoic expression, and commanding, forward looking body language cultivate a serious mood and an err of purpose. With this, I think Sojourner Truth is fashioning herself as an individual who has a set agenda and is ready to take action to enact change in a social context she is frustrated with.

[sophieclipson]

Olivia,

I think you did a really good job of connecting elements of the painting you noticed - the muted colors, the cows grazing in the pasture, the illumination by white light - with what they convey and cultivate in the image - tranquility, the sublime, harmony. I think you tied in all these aspects really smoothly, and in a way that is easy to follow and has a balance of evidence and analysis. I think one thing you could have expanded on is how the artist cultivates the feeling of the sublime. You begin this analysis, but I think you could have lengthened your analysis of this, especially as it was a critical aspect and message for artists at this time.

Visual Analysis

This painting, by Asher Durand, depicts a peaceful landscape, with small cows grazing on the pasture. There are large dark green trees which tower over the lake. This body of water is perfectly still and reflects the trees in the background. The colors used are all muted greens, browns, blues and whites. The colors chosen to represent this landscape give a great tranquility and calmness to the painting. It is unclear where the light is coming from, but the whole painting is illuminated by a white light. There is a feeling of sublime and the divine which a viewer can detect from this image. There is a sunny area which illuminates the two cows in the foreground, this portion of the painting connotes a feeling of harmony and peace. This painting seems to hold tranquility which is associated with reaching a religious type of nirvana. Durand crafts a painting which communicates to the viewer an image of the sublime. While looking at this painting you can see the marvel and awe he felt while depicting this scene.

[sophieclipson]

Olivia,

The first thing I loved about this reflection was your attention to detail, such as the color, size and textures of the objects you describe - “ bunny which is practically the same height as the bed,” and “a yellow and white egg with corduroy feet which is the same size as a true egg.” This attention to detail in your reflection truly gives us the perception of your room if we were indeed a “transparent eyeball” - taking in all the visual qualities of your surroundings. The second thing I really enjoyed was your transition phrases and words, such  as “Turning my eye to the other side of the room,” and  “ If I look down a little bit more,” because, again, it really does give the reader the impression that you, and they, are the transparent eyeball. One thing that you could have added in the second paragraph is potentially some more specific memories or emotional attachments. You mention that being a transparent eyeball and taking in the room as an objective viewer does not give the same meaning to the room, and how you need the background of certain memories and attachments in order to grasp the true sensation of this bedroom, so I think it could have been interesting if you could have thrown in little examples of such. Overall, I think this is really beautifully written!

3.

I am in my bedroom in New York City which I’ve lived in for the last eight years. Floating in this space, I see above me two large circular white lanterns. Down below I can see a bed with floral sheets, a big white comforter, and different colored pillows. On the top of the grey headboard, there are three needle-point pillows. One is composed of little purple and grey squares of color, the other is pink and has the name Olivia sewed into it, and the other is covered in multicolored squares. On top of the bed, there are assorted stuffed animals, ranging in size from a bunny which is practically the same height as the bed headboard to a yellow and white egg with corduroy feet which is the same size as a true egg. Turning my eye to the other side of the room, I see a wall filled with different framed photographs. One is a black and white image of a naked woman from the waist up in a dimly lit room, facing outwards towards a window. Another image is of people passing by each other on a busy metropolitan street. If I look down a little bit more, I can see a fireplace painted grey which has an array of snowglobes sitting atop it. There are about 15 snowglobes, one shows a small man at sea on a little yellow boat fighting a large wave. Another is porcelain and says Amsterdam on its base, within the globe there are a woman and man sitting together on a tandem bike and waving. If I turn a little bit more to the left I see a desk with little knick-knacks sitting on it. There’s a dark-green wind-up telephone on the corner of the desk, and next to it are three little gray stones. Each gray stone sits on top of the one that is slightly larger than the last. The tan wooden desk faces out to a window. Tucked neatly into the desk is a pink plastic curved chair. Spinning around as this giant eye, this bedroom gives a warm impression and displays a distinct hominess.

Being in my bedroom as an objective viewer, not as myself, I am not sure I would be able to have the same emotional attachment. I find great solace in this space as I have grown up there, spent many pivotal years there, and have formed major memories in that room. Being able to walk around and experience the room in a physical and sensory way is key to actually feeling my emotional attachment to it. Yet, there is also a way that as a transparent eyeball I would be able to appreciate certain aspects of it. Just observing this space for an extended time would allow me to notice and truly acknowledge the specialness of this space.  

[sophieclipson]

“transparent eyeball”

I am on Orcas Island on a small patch of lawn outside the Outlook Inn. Directly in front of me, I first see small shards of grass poking out of the ground, intermixed with dandelions, weeds and small pebbles, and a short cement bench casting shadows across a small portion of the lawn. After teen feet of this landscape, the hill drops down, and my view is taken up by a narrow-paved road, a mixture of pedestrians, bicycles, scooters and cars zooming past. On the other side of this road, there is a short white picket fence enclosing a ten yard by ten-yard patch of vibrant green grass, four white Adirondack chairs, two small white tables, and one miniature fire pit. Beyond the fence, the view opens up to the sound: sharp, jagged rocks line the beach, then give into the dark, crashing waters of Ship Bay. About one hundred feet into this narrow cove, your view is met with a small island. This island has an exterior of burnt sienna, clay and light brown gravel and sand, sprinkled with Madrona and Douglas Fir trees, and brambles. At low tide, you see a handful of groups make the tedious journey across the sandbar to the island, making the slow meander around the circumference, then following in their footsteps back. Beyond this island, you see peninsulas of Orcas Island enclosing the sound, almost completely consumed by the dark green, piney texture of Douglas Firs. Often times, there are small white sailboats bobbing up and down as the currents come in. You look up and see the vastness of the blue sky, threaded with whispy white clouds, and dotted with seagulls and eagles.

           This perspective of being the “transparent eyeball” forced me to fully account for and focus on the visual aspects of the landscape. This exercise did cause me to think a lot harder about the scenery of Orcas Island, something I often don’t do because I go there every year; it honestly made me think that I take a lot of the natural beauty of this landscape for granted. This perspective allowed me to take account of all the small aspects of this location that make it the beautiful landscape that it is. I think this reflection is especially interesting to think about in terms of accessibility and power. As this location is on an island, it can be an expensive location to visit, as businesses can control and increase prices more easily, and the mere time and means it takes to get to Orcas Island adds up to be more costly that one would first think. This taken into account, it is a privileged place for me to hold to not often take in the full visual experience of the island. On the other hand, I think it is comforting and inspiring to think about how everyone on the island, from all walks of life, can take in this visual experience together, as once on the island, there are very few barriers to viewing the landscape in its entirety. Although I enjoyed the process of solely taking in the visual aspects of this place, I think it limits the overall experience of the landscape. For me, the sounds and smells of the island, and the memories and nostalgia attached to it are just as crucial to the environment. The sounds of kids laughing, bike bells ringing, waves crashing, Church bells ringing and seagulls crooning, the smell of sea salt, ice cream, fires, and fir, and the memories from my first camping trip, breakfasts at Brown Bear Bakery, and 4th of July on the bay all are integral to my sensation and perception of Orcas Island. The feelings and experience of this landscape are not complete without these other elements – seeing all does not capture the whole scene of this little patch of lawn on Orcas Island.

[sophieclipson]

A Storm in the Rocky Mountains, Mt. Rosalie by Albert Bierstadt

The first thing that pulled my attention in this 1866 Albert Bierstadt painting A Storm in the Rocky Mountains, Mt. Rosalie was the diagonal line of light beginning in the clouds down to the cluster of trees in the center of the painting. This first caught my attention because it is the brightest section of the painting. As a whole, this painting is full of dark earth tones: muted browns, greens, blues and chromatic grays, with the only light in the image coming out of the top right area within the clouds. The texture and elements of the painting are dominated by those of the natural world. Bierstadt has painted extremely detailed depictions of this landscape, and especially luminated by light source, one can see the grooves and rockiness of the mountains, the uneven texture of the ground, and the individual needles and leaves of the trees. Further, both the stream of light and the lines of the mountains draw the viewer’s eye to the center of the painting, which, again, depicts a small hill with trees. What I overwhelmingly find striking in this painting is this feeling of the grandiose and the sublime, “a greatness beyond all calculation.” The dark, muted colors contrasted by the sweeping light from the sky, coupled with sheer greatness and vastness of the natural landscape that Bierstadt creates in this painting instill in the viewer an almost emotional and overcoming experience, one in which you feel like you are letting the scene completely come over you. This painting by Bierstadt has many similar features to those by artists of the Hudson River School whom were devoted to creating this sense of the sublime – the use of dark, muted colors, usually a singular source of light with a specific directional output, and a detailed depicture of a grand scene of nature. Although these elements could come across as formulaic, this combination of components cultivates an all-encompassing and almost awe-inspiring experience for the viewer.

[sophieclipson]

For this week's assignment, emulate the opening paragraph of Shawn Michelle Smith's essay, "Unredeemed Realities." Describe the sitter. Consider pose, gestural language, expression, and/or the mood conveyed. Include information about attire, accessory, and other objects that may inhabit the photographic frame. What does the portrait convey?

The woman’s eyes look hauntingly and solemnly at the onlooker. Her soft eyes are framed by her drooped eyebrows, a tender and melancholic expression matched by the slight parting of her lips. Her hair is gently and loosely pulled back from her forehead, giving way to a glimpse of the gold earrings adorning her ears. She sits slightly slumped, but in a delicate manner, fully covered in a dark dress with lace details, and white long sleeves. She holds an obscured object, and with her somber and drawing gaze, it’s almost as if she is trying to pull the viewer in and demand their attention; her demure posture only makes this more pertinent, making it feel as though she is begging you to enter into a dialogue with you. The woman’s eyes look hauntingly and solemnly at the onlooker. Her soft eyes are framed by her drooped eyebrows, a tender and melancholic expression matched by the slight parting of her lips. Her hair is gently and loosely pulled back from her forehead, giving way to a glimpse of the gold earrings adorning her ears. She sits slightly slumped, but in a delicate manner, fully covered in a dark dress with lace details, and white long sleeves. The darkness of the photograph, and the woman’s body language and facial expression culminate to create a serious and solemn mood, and convey a sense of mystery. These elements lead the viewer to ask and wonder what the woman is feeling and what her current reality is, as her body language and gaze remain closed off and melancholic.