When I think about the Art Institute of Portland I get a funny feeling in my stomach area. The same feeling I get when I walk into a dining room and set my eyes on the delicious glow of food after not being able to eat the whole day. Now I have no desire to eat the Art Institute literally. I only starve for the education and thirst for the opportunities that it has sitting on the table.
The earliest precursors to ballets were lavish entertainments given in the courts of Renaissance Italy. These elaborate spectacles, which united painting, poetry, music, and dancing, took place in large halls that were used also for banquets and balls. A dance performance given in 1489 actually was performed between the courses of a banquet, and the action was closely related to the menu: For instance, the story of Jason and the Golden Fleece preceded the roast lamb. The dancers based their performance on the social dances of the day.
The dance technique of the period, recorded by the French ballet master Raoul Feuillet in his book Chorography (1700), included many steps and positions recognizable today. A new theatrical form developed: the op‚ra-ballet, which placed equal emphasis on singing and dancing and generally consisted of a series of dances linked by a common theme. A famous opera-ballet, by the French composer Jean Philippe Rameau, was Les Indes galantes (The Gallant Indies, 1735), which depicted exotic lands and peoples.
During the second half of the 18th century the Paris Opera was dominated by male dancers such as the Italian-French virtuoso Gatan Vestris and his son Auguste Vestris, famed for his jumps and leaps. But women such as the German-born Anne Heinel, the first female dancer to do double pirouettes, also were gaining in technical proficiency.
“Contestant number seven, from Tampa, Florida; Under the direction of Joe Connelly… The Toast of Tampa Show Chorus!” These words will ring in my head for years to come. My most memorable hour in life happened in April of 2001 at regional competition in Orlando, Florida.
In order for people to understand my jargon, a little background is required. I sing in the Toast of Tampa Show Chorus, a one hundred thirty all-woman barbershop chorus. Our chorus and many choruses in Florida make up Region Nine. There are thirty three regions and choruses all over the world, including Canada, Australia, Germany, England, Japan, New Zealand, Scotland, the Netherlands, Sweden, Finland, and Wales. Every April, the regions compete. If a chorus wins regional competition, it goes to international competition.
In April 2001, I was at the regional competition with my chorus. We had just about ninety members that year. It was my second competition, and I was excited because the previous year we received third place and I thought we were much better now.
We went across the street to the Bob Carr Theater after practicing for a couple of hours and went backstage and into what performers call the “ready room.” This room was used for last second tweaks and a pep talk from our director, Joe. When all of our hearts were racing, we headed to just off stage right. There we waited for contestant number six to finish.
Introduction to Flight is a class that I have both learned and enjoyed a great deal. Before taking this class I knew very little about anything that had to do with planes and flying. Now after taking this class, I have learned the surface of flying a Cessna and the terminology of flying.
The relationship between photography and art is the result of photographers throughout history wanting to compose their work in new and unique ways (Teurhelm-Watts). Showing their work as more than a picture in a frame, they instead capture a moment as they see it and its symbolism is much more than any ordinary photograph.
In honor of these moments I will be discussing one of my favorite photographers, Tokihiro Sato (Please observe the top 2 photographs of Tokihiro on page 5). He demonstrates a mastery of the use of light in a unique way of lighting styles, practices, and presentation. The subject matter of his works are landscapes and it is very noticeable that he believes that there is a pictorial relationship between photography, sculpture and light and uses this to his advantage.
Born in Yamagata Japan in 1953, Tokihiro Sato is one of Japan’s best-known contemporary photographers. He graduated from Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music in 1981 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in sculpture (Lee). In 1993, Mercedes Benz awarded him a grant giving him the opportunity to live as an artist in residency in France. Then in 1994, the Agency for Cultural Affairs of Japan allowed him the opportunity to live as an artist in residency in England (Komatsuzaki).
Over the years fashion trends have been changing, especially between 1900-1950. Fashion changes a lot over time but it tends to over lap from century to century. New trends tend to cling to past eras, which can allow for new styles with old influences. Fashion is a huge part of everyday living and has had a great influence on many people. These such people for example is women. Women’s fashions began to change drastically when women’s rights started becoming available to them. The fashion and the industry itself has been a huge contribution to society for many years.
Art is all around us in this world. Most of the time, we don’t see it because we are so used to it in our everyday lives. We don’t examine it, or look deeply into it to see what the real meaning for it is. We just walk past it like it’s invisible. We aren’t able to see how it can be so beautiful and how little things can make it so meaningful.
One piece of art that I examined was in the Burchfield Penney Art Center at Buffalo State College and was called “Un Sabado por la tarde”/”Saturday Afternoon”.
