Walter Benjamin, "The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction" (HW 8)

Quote:

"The surgeon constitutes one pole of an arrangement in which the other is occupied by the magician. The stance of the magician healing an invalid by laying-on of hands differs from that of the surgeon performing an operation on that invalid. The magician maintains the natural distance between himself and the patient…the surgeon does the opposite: he reduces the distance to the patent a great deal (by actually going inside him)…Magician and surgeon behave like painter and cameraman. The painter, while working, observes a natural distance from the subject; the cameraman, on the other hand, penetrates deep into the subject’s tissue.”

Interpretation:

What Benjamin is describing is how film is surgical in that it is a series of chopped up fragments – camera edits, changes in zoom, differing levels of detail, etc. all the while remaining invisible. It moves in and out, can alter the duration of time, and alter space and points of view. The painter’s painting is by contrast synthetic and always about that particular view held by the painter regardless of whether it is a landscape or abstract work of art.

The camera is such a potent force that the aura of the actor has no chance of surviving, the way it still does on a theatre stage. Hence, “[f]ilm’s response to the shrivelling of aura is an artificial inflation of ‘personality’ outside the studio.” This is Benjamin in 1936 describing the cult of celebrity we now accept as natural.

http://youtu.be/-CM9W6pYSEo

 There are also interesting hints about the way film creates the possibility behind Warhol’s famous statement about everyone getting their ’15 minutes of fame’, that is, about the logic behind the appetite for reality TV shows (the lack of any shortage of people aspiring to claim their quarter-hour). There is also an interesting analysis of how film provides us with the idea that we are all experts of some sort when it comes to appraising what we’ve seen; the opposite of what most people feel in front of art, which is generally a sense of inadequacy.

Weimar Constitution (HW 7)

Following the end of World War I a German National Assembly gathered in the town of Weimar, in the state of Thuringia in January 1919 to write a constitution for the Reich nation was to be a democratic federal republic governed by a president and parliament.

The Constitution of the German Reich usually known as the Weimar Constitution was the constitution that governed Germany during the Weimar Republic (1919–1933). The constitution declared Germany to be a democratic parliamentary Republic. It technically remained in effect throughout the existence of the Third Reich from 1933 to 1945. Gerhard Anschutz (1867–1948), a noted German teacher of constitutional law, was the leading commentator of the Weimar Constitution.

The main features of the Weimar Constitution were that the president was to be elected every 7 years by the German public over the age of 20. The chancellor was appointed by the president and had to get a majority of support off the Reichstag or Parliament. The Reichstag was voted for by the German public by the technique of proportional representation.

First Part-Article 42

"The Reich President, when taking his office, swears the following oath:
I swear to devote my energy to the welfare of the German people, to increase its prosperity, to prevent damage, to hold up the Reich constitution and its laws, to consciously honour my duties and to exercise justice to every individual.
The addition of a religious formula is acceptable."

Interpretation:

This article is quite clear; it is definitively stating what the President must recite once he is in a position to rule. The oath is of the general tasks and duties in which are necessary in being carried out to have a successful presidency. Oaths are important because they are a solemn promise, often invoking a divine witness, regarding one's future action or behavior; but words  as we know it come easy, often uttered without any thought or sincerity behind them. Do we really mean those words? Promises are not made to be broken. They are meant to be kept, and if not, that translates as a sign of untrustworthy. When a President takes an oath (or affirmation) before giving testimony, he is assuming the role of an official, that of "witness under oath", for the duration of his testimony. That official position entails a special obligation to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, and in that capacity, one is punishable in a way he would not be as an ordinary person not under oath. Therefore, perjury is a high crime, which is "violation of an oath".

Example: President Clinton lied under oath in his civil case when he denied a sexual affair, a sexual relationship or sexual relations with Monica Lewinsky.


Second Part-Article 114

"The rights of the individual are inviolable. Limitation or deprivation of individual liberty is admissible only if based on laws.
Persons deprived of their liberty have to be notified, at the next day on the latest, by which authority and based on which reasons the deprivation of their liberty has been ordered; immediately they have to be given the opportunity to protest against the deprivation of liberty."

Interpretation:

This article declares that individuals in society are protected under law to maintain their freedom. It is only when violations have been made that one's liberty is compromised and even then the individual has to be made fully aware of such happenings in a timely fashion. Also, the individual has to be given the right to express their displeasure and opposing views for the given accusations made against them.

This article is important and necessary because it allows there to be equality and even ground between the individuals that may end up in a situation as such. No one should ever be denied the right to defend themselves when accused. If people were just stripped of their freedom without cause that would be highly unethical and unfair, and therefore creating an unjust and broken system. So the fact that this article supports personal justice is satisfactory, but within time things change…

Example: Six weeks after the 9/11 attacks, Congress enacted the USA PATRIOT Act, a sweeping new law that was passed in great haste and secrecy, and that many regard as riddled with flaws that seriously compromise our fundamental freedoms.

The Virginia Bill of Rights Coalition is a diverse ad hoc organization composed of individuals and organizations concerned with the diminished state of the nation's civil liberties. It is our position that the dangers we face today are not sufficiently addressed by this ill-considered new law. On the contrary, we feel that the Act may constitute a greater danger to America than the one it seeks to thwart. And we deplore what appears to be its fundamental assumption: that all of us are enemies of the state.

As presently defined the Act:
• Permits clandestine searches of the homes of American citizens suspected of no crimes;
• Authorizes searches of the private records of libraries, businesses, physicians, hospitals, banks, schools and other organizations without probable cause;
• Creates a vague new crime known as "domestic terrorism," applicable even to lawful protests;
• Authorizes arbitrary surveillance of religious services and political forums;
• Permits detention of American citizens without benefit of due process or counsel;

These activities are conducted in secret with little oversight or public accountability. Many members of Congress who initially favored the measure are now inclined to reject some of its more problematic provisions, but are encountering stiff pressure from the White House and its legislative allies. In response many grass-roots efforts have sprung up across the nation to encourage Congress to take action to protect our freedoms.

A passage from "The Junius Pamphlet," by Rosa Luxemburg: HW (6)

“Social democracy is simply the embodiment of the modern proletariat's class struggle, a struggle which is driven by a consciousness of its own historic consequences. The masses are in reality their own leaders, dialectically creating their own development process. The more that social democracy develops, grows, and becomes stronger, the more the enlightened masses of workers will take their own destinies, the leadership of their movement, and the determination of its direction into their own hands. And as the entire social democracy movement is only the conscious advance guard of the proletarian class movement, which in the words of the Communist Manifesto represent in every single moment of the struggle the permanent interests of liberation and the partial group interests of the workforce vis à vis the interests of the movement as whole, so within the social democracy its leaders are the more powerful, the more influential, the more clearly and consciously they make themselves merely the mouthpiece of the will and striving of the enlightened masses, merely the agents of the objective laws of the class movement.”

 (“The Political Leader of the German Working Classes, Collected Works 2, 280)

I think this passage is explaining the main concept of communism by emphasizing more on the first chapter of the communist Manifesto.

The first chapter of the Manifesto, which talks about the Bourgeois and Proletarians, examines the Marxist idea of history, with the preliminary idea asserting that the history of all up till the present society is the history of class struggles. It continue to say that in capitalism, the working class(proletariat) are fighting in the class struggle against the owners of the means of production( the bourgeois) and this past class struggle always ended either with revolution that restructured society, or the destruction of the competing classes.

Moreover, the Manifesto explains that the reason the bourgeois exist and exploit the proletariat with low wages is private property, "the accumulation of wealth in private hands, and the eventual formation and increase of capital. The passage is explaining the importance of the proletariat coming together to support the idea for liberation in the hands of the bourgeoisie, through revolution against the bourgeoisie such as riots or creation of unions. Luxemburg, however, is giving them the confidence of surmounting their ordeals and the eventual rise to power. It also explained that communism is the key to class equality amongst the citizens of Europe; hence the proletarians should stand for that as their destiny is in their own hands.

Personally I think this passage is all about advocacy for humanity and equal rights; because if people were treated equally despite of education, financial stability, etc.; these limitations could not categorize people, and this would eventually eliminate discrimination which further leads to crime and violence. Therefore this also means giving the opportunity for everyone to equally and amicably work together without having to step on each others feet.

The Blue Angel, Cabret Songs & Paragraph 175 (HW 5)

PART 1

INTERPRETATION OF FILM THEME:

Lola and Professor Immanuel Rath (played by silent film veteran Emil Jannings) represent the classic contradiction of the seductive female and the hapless male. The vampish woman (Lola) is a force of powerful sexuality, which is aligned with the deadly forces of nature (her animal print costumes and the exoticness of The Blue Angel club) and individuality. Professor Immanuel Rath is the lonely and sympathetic male aligned with civilization (he is a respected teacher) who falls prey to her untamed femininity.  Although by today’s standards the symbolism is inappropriate, the scene where Rath wakes up with a black doll represents the dark and mysterious foreignness of Lola that is alluring yet ultimately dangerous and unattainable. The key to the strange power manipulated by Lola is due to the extraordinary sexuality that Sternberg gives to Dietrich. Lola’s performances are a mixture of stylized seduction but are also highly camp. She embodies both masculine and feminine traits in the way she dresses, moves and speaks. She may sit on stage dressed in frilly underwear and gaze lovingly up at Rath, but also wears a top hat and crosses her legs like man. She moves seamlessly from being a passive object of desire to a sexually confident aggressor, and is sometimes both simultaneously. The first time the audience see’s Lola is on the postcard that Rath has confiscated from his students. Rath blows up a piece of cloth pasted onto the card to conceal her crotch and the moment is one of pure male objectification. However, this scene then cuts to Lola on stage where she is shot from a low angel, making her appear to tower over the audience. Hands defiantly on hips she sings through a sneer only pausing to take a beer off of another woman. She is completely in control of her domain and her body. Her sexuality is a weapon and she uses it against Rath to unsettle him. In a later scene when Rath is under the table looking for the dropped cigarettes, the audience may get a very unwholesome shot of Lola’s legs but Rath is the one looking flustered and embarrassed while Lola teases him.

PART 2

INTERPRETATION OF CABARET SONGS:

"Chuck Out the Men" (Raus mit den Männern), by Friedrich Hollaender (1926) Performed and recorded by Ute Lemper, Berlin Cabaret Songs (Decca 1996).

English Lyric Translation:

The battle for emancipation's been raging since history began

Yes, feminists of every nation want to chuck off the chains made by man

Hula girls and housemaids and wives in Maribou

hear all our voices thunder in protest

Anything that men do women can do too

and more that that we women do it best

German Lyric Translation:

(für Claire Waldoff)

Es geht durch die ganze Historie

ein Ruf nach Emanzipation

vom Menschen bis zur Infusorie

überall will das Weib auf den Thron.

Vin Hawai-Neger bis zur Berliner Range

braust ein Ruf wie Donnerhall daher:

Was die Männer können, können wir schon lange

und vielleicht ’ne ganze Ecke mehr.

"Chuck Out the Men" is clearly a German feminist national anthem; and conveys the way men in governmental positions and positions in power were running not only the country but the world. The original singer a lesbian herself (Claire Waldoff; October 21, 1884– January 22, 1957) wanted for all women to realize that they have the same ability to do what the men can and that as women they are able to do a better job than any man can. She believed that men were too focused on their reputation and did not recognize the choices they make in governing the people had been detrimental to humanity's growth and progress. I believe the lyrics relate to today's society and how men in powerful political positions are given power over things that affect specifically women and are too concerned with their own beliefs and morals to care how their decisions that directly affect women. For example the debates focused on abortions and birth control concern women's rights to choose; but it’s being disputed over by men who barely understand the female anatomy.

"It's All a Swindle" (Alles Schwindel), by Mischa Spoliansky and Marcellus Schiffer (1931). Performed and recorded by Ute Lemper, Berlin Cabaret Songs (Decca 1996).

English Lyric Translation:

Papa swindles

Mama swindles

Grandmama's a lying thief

We're perfectly shameless

but we're blameless

after all it's our belief

Nowadays the world is rotten

honesty has been forgotten

fall in love but after kissing --

check your purse to see what's missing

Everyone swindles some

my son's a mooch and so's the pooch

German Lyric Translation:

Alles Schwindel

Papa schwindelt,

Mama schwindelt,

tut sie auf blob ihren Mund!

Tante Otilie,

und die Familie

und sogar der kleine Hund!

Und besieht man’s aus der Nähe:

Jedes Band und jede Ehe

jeder Kub in dern Betriebe

und sogar die grobe Liebe!

Und die ganze heut’ge Zeit ja,

sogar die Ehrlichkeit!

LYRIC INTERPRETATION:

"It's All a Swindle” suggests everyone including family such as parents, grandparents, children and even dog during these times were deceitful and out to cheat and steal for personal gain regardless of it being intentional or not. It was human nature to take whatever people wanted because of how selfishness and greed were molding society during that time.  Every one's shameless, but no one's to blame means that it isn't the people's fault for behaving this way, but rather the age of indulgences that caused social transformation stemming from mass production of goods and the influence of mass media. People's values during this time changed for the worst; and it was hard to trust anyone since everyone was out to take others monies and possessions. It is a cynical song that even emphasizes how the ones we love the most aren't worthy of trusting, and it even mentions how we all have someone or something taking things from us or “mooching” without even recognizing it , such as our children and or pets.

This verse makes us all of weary in today's society, especially to those we choose to surround ourselves with. It's a nice lesson in adapting to an ever changing social environment because we never know who to trust or put our faith into. Everything suggested in this song is true even today with the influence of mass media. Greed and selfishness harbor in people's minds today more prevalently because of the lack and abundance of money. Although, even if it's not money or possessions that people are looking for, it's always something people are getting from you; like the presence of good company, a laugh, or good times.

INTERPRETATION OF PARAGRAPH 175:

Paragraph 175 is a German law which condemned homosexuality and made it punishable as a crime. It was added to the Reich Penal Code in 1871. It declared that a man who engaged in sexual activity with another man or an animal will be punished by imprisonment, however If the party is under the age of 21 punishment can be withheld. This law was later modified into two sections 175a and 175b. The policy of what is an offense was changed and lengthened using different regulations for grounds of punishment. The offense was 10 years imprisonment or if one was under the age of 21 and engages in sexual relations with a male younger then himself he is open punishment from the law. However there are also other various circumstances that could condemn a homosexual man.

This goes hand and hand with the lecture to the point in where creating a law banning homosexuality and making it illegal; also goes hand in hand to how society viewed and treated women and wanted to control their social being and behavior(s) in Germany. In “Blue Angel” it illustrations us the type of control social structure had; hence the professor partaking in a relationship with Lola, which eventually causes his social statues to change.

Frankfurt School:Herbert Marcuse's_Eros and Civilization (1955)-The Cabinet of Dr. Calgari (HW 4)

Quote: "Make Love, Not War"
-Herbert Marcuse (Eros and Civilization) 

BIO SUMMARY:

It is not due to conservatism, and it is not due to liberalism that America has been duped by a planned societal virus that came to America in 1933 during World War II.  The terms ‘Cultural Marxism’ and ‘critical theory’ were concepts developed by a group of German intellectuals in 1923 in Germany. They founded the Institute of Social Research at Frankfurt University, which was modeled after the Marx-Engels Institute in Moscow, and later became known as the Frankfurt School.  In 1933, when the Nazis came to power in Germany, the members of the Frankfurt School fled to the United States.  They migrated to major U.S. universities including Columbia, Princeton, Brandeis, and California at Berkeley.  These intellectual Marxists included Herbert Marcuse (July 19, 1898 – July 29, 1979), who coined the phrase, "make love, not war," during the anti-Vietnam War demonstrations. Herbert Marcuse the last member of the original Frankfurt School, reached a broader audience in the 1960s with his critique of “consumer society” and the containment of opposition.

Marcuse's writings became very popular with the Counter-Cultural Movement of the 60s and early 70s. 'Eros and Civilization' was of special significance since Marcuse argued that Freud's pessimism about the prospects for happiness in civilization were derived from too rigid a notion of sexuality as the driving need for repression. Marcuse argued for a widened experience of sexuality through the embrace of eros, in general, within polymorphous sensuality, fantasy, and the arts. In this he was a leading inspiration to the "Flower Children," the theme of "Make Love, Not War," and a great portion of the Rock music and drug culture of the age. While much of this movement ventured far beyond the bounds of Marcuse's own North-German upbringing, he was obviously pleased by the attention and remained sympathetic to the movement.

Film Ideas:

In the climate of 1919, the aftermath of World War I weighed heavy on the globe’s conscious, no where more so than Germany where Kaiser Wilhelm’s power trip had cost them everything. Many lives had been lost, the economy was now a disaster and the social climate of the country was at it’s lowest point in decades as they had felt cheated by their government into getting involved in a war that should never have taken place.

The 1920s were the decade that saw the rise of the Dada and Surrealist movements. The first rejected all pretense, all standards, all sincerity. It was a profound expression of hopelessness and alienation. It led to the rise of the related art movement Surrealism, which cut loose from order and propriety, rejected common values, scorned tradition and sought to overthrow society with anarchy. It's said such movements were a reaction to the horror of World War I, which upset decades of relative tranquility and order, threw the European nations into unstable new relationships and presented the inhuman spectacle of modern mechanized battle. After the brutality of trench warfare, it would be difficult to return to landscapes and still life.

It is remarkable that during this period of turmoil and strife these great film artists were able to tap into the popular zeitgeist and create works of such telling beauty. Their far reaching influence spanned the globe, most prominently in the approach to light and shadow play seen later in the American films. All the same, even if the German Expressionist films like The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari had not had such a meaningful and lasting cinematic power, what stands alone as simply the films of this Weimar epoch are extremely valuable as art and as statements of a culture. To varying degrees, the films of this time are a revealing window into the Germans’ minds, souls, fears, and anxieties.

Mass Culture Today:

Not many of us would argue the fact that Americans have become used to living in an atmosphere filled with disappointment, immorality, victimization, and distrust.  TV, Movies, Books, Plays, News, Public Education.  They have all been tainted.  As each new piece of entertainment becomes more outrageous than the last, our schools rewrite history attacking our heroes and mocking the old ideals.  The result is apathy.  We feel powerless to rise up and make real changes.  But, the real source of the apathy is our not knowing the true source of our predicament. We are living in a kind of social depression that affects every aspect of our lives. Political correctness has a history which, surprisingly, extends much further back than the 1960’s with its hippies and anti-war movement.  It goes back to the time of WWI. The people espousing economic Marxism were certain when war came to Europe, as it did in 1914, that the common people would rise up in their various countries and overthrow their governments. They figured the general public would feel they had much more in common with each other across national boundaries than with the rich and ruling class in their own country.  Well as we now know history, they were wrong!

Siddhartha Quote/Passage~Interpretation (HW3)

QUOTE: “Siddhartha had one single goal to become empty, to become empty of thirst, desire, dreams, pleasure and sorrow to let the Self die. No longer to be Self, to experience the peace of an emptied heart. When all the Self was conquered and dead, when all passions and desires were silent, then the last must awaken, the innermost of being that is no longer Self the great secret!” -Herman Hesse, Siddartha

INTERPRETATION:

Siddhartha and his dedication to his goal (spiritual enlightenment) is a moving story that inspires readers like me to push through life goals and success. Determination, no doubt leads to success, and throughout the story, Siddhartha shows his example of determination, "He lost his Self a thousand times and for days on end he dwelt in nonbeing"; and continues to work on obtaining his life goal. In life, a humans perseverance, and dedication is key, the saying: What you put in, you will get out, is a perfect example for Siddhartha’s story. One of the aspects of a classic novel is how the reader relates the story to their life. Relating Siddhartha to one’s life wouldn’t be a struggle, everyone has goals and dreams of being successful, and completing personal accomplishments, but depending on your morals on life, they will separate a person’s success, from failing. Siddhartha and modern day humans do, and always have struggled with personal goals, nothing comes easy, and frequently we face "roadblocks" which we must overcome. The morality of Siddhartha is pushing through those struggles until the personal goal is accomplished, hence "When all the Self was conquered and dead, when all passions and desires were silent, then the last must awaken, the innermost of Being that is no longer Self - the great secret", this quote is stating that when everything is lost, and you are presented with a sense of no value, that the real "you" comes out that presents your true morals, values, beliefs, and desires arise. Siddhartha, after attempting and succeeding to achieve spiritual enlightenment (Nirvana), he has nothing else to accomplish in the spiritual world. He then turns on finding his inner self, and who he is to be.

Hugo Ball "Dada Manifesto"- Quote Interpretation/ Artists, Movements and Styles in Modern Art- Francis Picabia (1879-1953) (HW2)

Part 1- Quote Interpretation

QUOTE: "How does one achieve eternal bliss? By saying dada. How does one become famous? By saying dada. With a noble gesture and delicate propriety. Till one goes crazy. Till one loses consciousness.”

-Hugo Ball "Dada Manifesto"

INTERPRETATION:

How can one have everlasting happiness and satisfaction? “By saying dada.” Hugo Ball doesn’t mean to vocalize “dada,” but rather, to think “dada.”  Dada is a meaningless word. It’s associated with movement. Dadaism was a new form of art, and people were unfamiliar with it. It questioned established principles of art through morality. Ball says to say dada, “Till one goes crazy. Till one loses consciousness.” What he means is to say it all the time, till one detaches themselves as much from THIS man-made world; till one loses connection with this world, until one becomes his/her own boss. Detaching from THIS world will make one happy because he/she will realize all of the principles, laws and morals that are making a person unhappy are meaningless. Saying “dada” has a slight rebellious undertone because it says indirectly to go against the established rules and ideologies.

When reading this quote, meditation comes to my mind. People meditate to achieve an inner sense of enlightenment. Meditation "originated" in Buddhism in which it was used to find spiritual enlightenment and attaining moksha, or the stopping of reincarnation. Today many non-Buddhists meditate to simply relax and try to focus on the smaller questions of life, and temporarily ignore all that is happening in the world around them; simply to detach from this stressful, sometimes confusing, and demanding world. There are different types of meditation. One type of meditation is thoughtless meditation. A person sits quietly in a room and thinks of literally nothing (dada). The thoughts that cloud their mind are eventually silenced. A person detaches from this world and loses connection with their conscious mind. At this point a person is in his/her own refuge. The established principles and values mean nothing there. After meditation a person feels relaxed, at peace and empowered.

We live in an uncertain and shifting world. Modern beliefs, values and ideologies are currently being challenged every day. One example is gay marriage and its controversy of redefining the word marriage. Therefor if redefined, will it be considered a “traditional” marriage? In America, the word marriage is between a man and a woman, and same-sex marriage is a new definition. The public have rebelled, protested and now the word marriage means a union between two persons; but if we were to base our “traditions” on historical facts, we would know that the church did not get involved with marriages until after the collapse of the Roman Empire. It took several hundred years after, for marriage to become a sacrament because being single was considered holier than being married. Public weddings didn't come onto the scene until the 16th century. Therefor at what point do we start saying the marriage customs of a certain time and place are the "traditional" ones? Are marriages from the year 1000 "traditional"? Or are the ones from the B.C. years?  Or are the ones from 500 A.D. or 1800 A.D. or 1920 A.D.? Or are they are all different from each other?

Part 2- Artists, Movements and Styles in Modern Art- Francis Picabia (1879-1953)

Picabia-Villica-Caja-1929

Francis Picabia was a French painter, illustrator, designer, writer and editor, who was successively involved with the art movements Cubism, Dada, and Surrealism.

Cubism(1907-1915)

Cubism was invented around 1907 in Paris by Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque. It was the first abstract style of modern art. Cubist paintings ignore the traditions of perspective drawing and show you many views of a subject at one time. The Cubists believed that the traditions of Western art had become exhausted and to revitalize their work, they drew on the expressive energy of art from other cultures, particularly African art.

There are two distinct phases of the Cubist style: Analytical Cubism (pre 1912) and Synthetic Cubism (post 1912). Cubism influenced many other styles of modern art including Expressionism, Futurism, Orphism, Vorticism, Suprematism, Constructivism and De Stijl. Other notable artists associated with Cubism were Juan Gris, Fernand Leger, Robert Delaunay, Albert Gleizes, Jean Metzinger, Louis Marcoussis and Marie Laurencin.

Francis Picabia was the son of a Cuban diplomat father and a French mother. After studying at the École des Arts Décoratifs (1895-–97), he painted for nearly six years in an Impressionist mode akin to that of Alfred Sisley. In 1909 he adopted a Cubist style, and, along with Marcel Duchamp, he helped found in 1911 the Section d'Or, a group of Cubist artists. Picabia went on to combine the Cubist style with its more lyrical variation known as Orphism in such paintings as "I See Again in Memory My Dear Udnie" (1913-–14) and "Edtaonisl" (1913). In these early paintings he portrayed assemblages of closely fitted, metallic-looking abstract shapes. As Picabia moved away from Cubism to Orphism, his colors and shapes became softer.

I See Again in Memory My Dear Udnie (1913-–14)

Edtaonisl , 1913. Art Institute of Chicago

In 1915 Picabia traveled to New York, where he, Duchamp, and Man Ray began to develop what became known as an American version of Dada. Here Picabia exhibited at Alfred Stieglitz's gallery, 291, and contributed to the proto-Dadaist review 291. About 1916 he gave up the Cubist style completely and began to produce the images of satiric, machine like contrivances that are his chief contribution to Dadaism. The drawing "Universal Prostitution" (1916-–19) and the painting "Amorous Procession" (1917) are typical of his Dadaist phase; their association of mechanistic forms with sexual allusions were successfully shocking satires of bourgeois values.

Universal Prostitution (1916-–19)

Amorous Procession (1917)

In 1916 Picabia returned to Europe. He settled in Barcelona, where he published the first issues of his own satiric journal 391 (named in reference to the New York review). He subsequently joined Dadaist movements in Paris and Zürich. In 1921 he renounced Dada on the grounds that it was no longer vital and had lost its capacity to shock. In 1925 he left Paris to settle in the south of France, where he experimented with painting in various styles. He returned to live in Paris in 1945, and he spent the final years of his life painting in a mostly abstract mode. Picabia was notable for his inventiveness, adaptability, absurd humor, and disconcerting changes of style.

Nietzsche - Quote Interpretation/Summary (HW1)

Part 1-Quote Interpretation

QUOTE: Destiny of Christianity.--"Christianity came into existence in order to lighten the heart; but now it has first to burden the heart so as afterwards to be able to lighten it. Consequently it shall perish."

                    

from Nietzsche's Human, all too Human, s.119, R.J. Hollingdale transl.

This quote dissects the thought of Christianity as a religion that suppresses and condemns natural human nature. Like most religions, faith is instilled into us to have a sense of peace, guidance, value, and purpose in life. It is sought out for many because of the bigger phenomena that is unknown, most prevalent is death. To lighten the heart is to rid someone of all worries and achieve tranquility within you and in life yet, Christianity, as well as other religions have become less popular because of their views on many social and political issues. Abortion, gay marriage, and birth control are all issues that have changed the minds of many and continue to become a cultural norm. Many times religion can seem as if it disapproves of people’s lifestyles and the "sins" that they make, so it could weigh on one's heart as a burden rather than keep them on a lightened path. People don't want to feel the guilt of having to uphold any rules or provisions that may constrain them. Eventually, people will stop believing or following the regulations of religions which will lead to its perish.

PART 2 - Summary of German Economics

Currently, The European Union is suffering from a strong recession. Many countries like Greece, Italy, and Spain are struggling to pull out of their financial crisis. The country that is still sustaining their economy and upholding EU is Germany. The Confederacy of the EU is relying on Germany to bail them out of deficit.  It is a decision that Germany, after months of consideration and resilience, has agreed to finance.

Germany is able to do this because they have become the strongest and one of the most developed economies is the world. They have the fifth largest economy in the world with the fourth largest nominal Gross Domestic Product (GDP).  This is because of decades of government regulations, privatization of state owned companies, and a tremendous effort in education and vocational training.

Germany’s labor force has also lead to an increase in their market supplies. They are one of the top 5 countries in the world to have one of the highest export rates. They have and export driven economy, specializing in auto parts and automobiles as well as machinery, metals, and chemical goods. If not for China surpassing them in 2008 they would still be the nation’s largest exporter. Currently, the government owns 35% of the operation ships worldwide. They are the home to many headquarters for large retail and luxury goods companies such as Adidas and Puma, DHL Logistics, T-Mobile, and of course, Mercedes, BMW, Volkswagen, Audi, and Porsche.

Germany is also the world’s leader in mechanical engineering systems analysis and design, holding about 20% of this global market.  This precision engineering expertise gives Germany a competitive advantage in producing machine tools (the tools that make tools and equipment). They encourage many of these companies not to export out of Germany by not taxing on exports but putting heavy tariffs in place on exports to sustain the companies that are actual German companies.

Their unemployment rate was the lowest in years after the 2008 crisis they were at a low of six percent and stayed steady in the range until 2011 were the rate increased due to the strains on the government from outside pressures of the dwindling European economy. One problem that Germany does have in their economy is the lack of solar energy is still a very ambitious and independent resource because

many nations including the U.S. are still heavily dependent on oil for power. The government is giving subsidies to national companies that continue to buy German made solar products as another way to increase their GDP.

Today, Germany is the number one outsourcing and exporting country of solar panels and solar power energy. Countries like Japan, United States, and even China trade with Germany for solar power products. They hope to be completely reliant on solar power within the next 50 years.