A Tip to Improve Your Mood and Self-Esteem?

The Triumphant Christ Forgiving Repentant Sinners

Aaron Douglass

Don't Talk About Racism

Picture by Vectorportal
     There are times when I will ask my mother’s opinion on the way an outfit may look if I am feeling uncertain about whether or not I like it or if looks nice. Or sometimes I will seek for her advice on a particular issue like an argument that I may be experiencing amongst my friends; but if her sentiments don’t agree with mine, I will sometimes dismiss them. Similarly, when Fortune Magazine and Edith Halpert commissioned Jacob Lawrence to generate paintings pertaining to the South, they edited the expletive pieces that were demonstrative of the evident racial segregation in the South. They silenced his artistic voice and interpretation of the conditions he witnessed in his visits to the southern states. For example, of the several paintings that Lawrence produced in New Orleans, “Halpert [merely] included The Green Table and Catholic New Orleans in her show [and] she showed Rampart Street in a group exhibition of watercolors in January 1942. She did not include Bar and Grill, with its scene of racial segregation.” In In the Heart of the Black Belt: Jacob Lawrence’s Commission From Fortune to Paint the South, Patricia Hill argues that as Lawrence’s awareness of the predicament of blacks in the South increased and he produced art that epitomized their struggle, his sponsors were more apprehensive about publishing his work.
     Foremost, the greatest appreciation for Jacob Lawrence’s work occurred when his series of paintings on The Great Migration of that era were published. When Lawrence commenced painting these works, though they were to be a depiction of black’s emigration from the South, Lawrence had not visited the South to formulate an informed and respective interpretation of the subject. He merely “relied instead on stories told by relatives and neighbors and on his own library research on the migration of African Americans from the South to the North in search of job opportunities and better living conditions during and following World War 1. His Harlem perspective drove the narrative; many of the scenes focused on the collective experiences of African Americans recently arrived in northern cities.” Ironically, however, the Migration series is what launched his career, almost as if people preferred the ignorant bliss with which he painted rather than delving into the horrors that initially prompted the migration. Consequently, Fortune Magazine reproduced 26 of the paintings in color in its November issue in 1941, and Halpert put this entire display on exhibit in December of 1941. Also, half of the paintings were purchased for the Museum of Modern Art and the other half for the Phillips Memorial Gallery in D.C, all of which culminated in a national tour.
     However, it was after his sojourns to South that Lawrence’s work acquired a more provocative nature, exposing what he saw to be the truths of the South, which curators began to censor. For example, before being commissioned by Fortune to generate another series of paintings that would become a picture essay depicting the South post World War II, Lawrence had already made three trips to the South: Louisiana, Virginia, and North Carolina. Of the ten paintings that he produced, Fortune only used three because their virulent racism countered their agenda to present the South as a place where industry could flourish. Likewise, when Halpert summoned Lawrence to create paintings for her exhibition American Negro Art: Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries, as previously mentioned, she neglected to incorporate Bar and Grill. This painting displays the distinction between the furnishings in a “separate but equal” bar, but in the bar set aside for blacks, there is no ceiling fans, bartender, plates, or even straws in contrast to the lively “white” bar. There are many other paintings that Lawrence produced that endured similar treatment due to their relentless honestly and realism that opposed popular thought like Starvation, Bus, and Killing the Incurable and Aged, all of which Hill includes in her article. “Instead, the venues for Lawrence's imagery that comment on racial issues were the left liberal magazines of the late 1940s, such as New Republic and Masses and Mainstream, as well as Langston Hughes's book of poetry One-Way Ticket (1948), and those published images were invariably drawings, not paintings.” One might argue that maybe those paintings were just not where the patron’s interests lied, but even when they did publish some of his more controversial works, they would amend the titles/captions to be more befitting for business purposes.
     In the Heart of the Black Belt: Jacob Lawrence’s Commission From Fortune to Paint the South, like a historian, presents Lawrence’s paintings and drawings as progressively forthcoming of the predicament in the South. “The more compelling of [Jacob Lawrence’s] southern images were more than on-the- spot views of southern scenes; they expressed the shock and moral outrage that he - a northern African American - felt as a personal witness to southern racism.” However, during his time, a time characterized by discrimination, and prejudice, his candid paintings were not as valued as they are today. Rather than capturing the raw essence and nature of the South, institutions like Fortune Magazine and persons like Edith Halpert, wanted to skate over the moral dilemma of segregation in the South. Nevertheless, “he perceived the problems clearly, even if his patrons suppressed them,” and would continue to do so throughout his career.

Works Cited-
Hill, Patricia. "In the Heart of the Black Belt: Jacob Lawrence’s Commission From Fortune to Paint
     the South." Internation Review of African American Art 19.1 (2003): 29-36. Print.

Ungoing Words Unspoken - Ashley Florence

The Life of Frida Kahlo

 http://www.flickr.com/photos/baggis/2249422753/

Some people might recognize this talented dynamic artist by her bold unibrown and mustache but for most people it is her ability to portray her direct transcription of life into her artwork. Frida Kahlo has always being considered a controversial artist throughout her whole career. However it was her ability to reinvent herself in the public’s eye that made her memorable even after her death. Throughout her whole life she has had to deal with many obstacles such as polio diagnosis at a young child that had an effect on the way she conducted herself as  well as her art pieces. This led her to become a familiar face in real life as well as fictional life.

Frida Kahlo was born on July 6, 1907 in Coyocoan Mexico. Growing up, she lived with her father Wilhem, a German immigrant and artist, her mother and two older sisters. At the age of six years old, she contracted polio, which left her bedridden for a period of nine months. Although she fully recovered from this illness, the polio permanently damaged her right leg and foot causing her to limp. At the age of 18, she suffered a fractured spine and pelvis due to a terrible bus accident. This caused her to suffer chronic pain throughout the rest of her life.  However, in the mist of her pain, her love of painting flourished. She married famed muralist Diego Rivera in 1929 and together they traveled to the United States, staying in Detroit and New York City in the early 1930s. She showcased her paintings in major cities such as New York City and Paris. During the 1940s, she became more of an international artist and recognition of her colorful at times gruesome paintings rose. In 1954, Frida Kahlo passed away at the age of 47 due to her lifelong struggle with her health. (Frida Kahlo biography)

Frida Kahlo legacy still lived on long after her death. Her life was dramatized in seven works of fiction that appeared between 2000 and 2003. In these portrayals of Kahlo the emotional nature of the female artist is intensified even further by the conjoining of physical suffering with other forms of emotional excess, most notably an intense love of, and engagement with life (Lent). It all started with Hayden Herrera’s depiction of Frida’s life titled "Frida: A Biography of Frida Kahlo". This became the most influential fiction work of Frida’s life because it determined the narrative structure, dominant thematic, and factual information about Frida’s life for all future work to follow (Lent). Herrera’s piece of work portrays Frida’s life in flashbacks from her physical decline to her death. This established Frida’s personal suffering as the motivating force behind her presentation of self in her real life and paintings.

Herrera biography work on Frida takes on an art historical monograph approach. The monograph posits that an artist's life and art explain each other, creating a feedback loop where the artwork can be explained only through biography, which simultaneously provides evidence for the veracity of that narrative (Lent). Monographs for women artists like Frida conform to a generic pattern of interpreting artwork through life events. A creative female artist is exceptional among woman but deficient among men. However, in order to become a famous artist, she must have a compelling life story and/or an attachment to a male artist or genius. If one were to judge Frida’s success solely on those criteria listed, then she would be considered a famous artist because she lived a fascinating life and was very attached to her husband and father who were both artist.

Frida became a popular contemporary choice for fictionalized biography because she combines multicultural background with celebrity credential that can be embedded onto an established monographic literature that already merged her art and her suffering (Lent). She follows a traditional male artist stereotype because of interpretations that portray her as self-taught, intuitive, rebellious and exceptional. However, she also follows a traditional female artist stereotype because of interpretations that portray her art career being significantly influenced by older male mentor such as her father and husband. Her life story is inspiring due to all the suffering caused by her marriage, divorce, and remarriage to Rivera and on the physical suffering caused by polio, a trolley accident, and numerous surgeries (including abortions) throughout her life (Lent).

Other fictional works inspired by Frida include fashion spreads such as the “Frida-look” in Elle, and billboard advertisements for a Metropolitan Museum of Art blockbuster exhibition that mainly feature Frida’s face. In addition, two main films were produced based on Frida’s life. One, titled “Fridamania”, which starred Madonna as the lead role made Frida a familiar face. The other film titled “Frida” by Taymor also increased Frida’s popularity as well as raised awareness of her life story.



Work Cited

"Biography.com." Frida Kahlo biography. N.p., 14 May 2008. Web. 25 Apr 2012. <http://www.biography.com/people/frida-kahlo-9359496?page=3>.

Lent, Tina. Life as Art/Art as Life Dramatizing the Life and Work of Frida Kahlo. N.p., 23 March 2007. Web. 23 Apr 2012. <http://ehis.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?vid=3&hid=103&sid=65aeebcb-05a3- 48ac-979a- eaa37db4ce70@sessionmgr112&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZSZzY29wZ T1zaXRl

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Jeunesse by Palmer Hayden - A look into the Harlem Renaissance Culture

The Great Depression, Reality, and Thomas Hart Benton

Dali and Surrealism Go Hand in Hand

Dali Actually Loved Music

              http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dali_6.jpg

                Salvador Dali was a very unique artist in the early 1900s.  He was known as a surrealist because he painted many dreamlike pieces of art such as his famous painting of melting clocks called “The Persistence of Memory.”  Dali was extremely influential in the realm of surrealism and his paintings are extremely unique as well as different in many ways.  Dali inspired others to paint in similar ways as well as giving light to a new type of art due to his prominence in surrealism.  Although Dali was very passionate about his paintings, surprisingly, he was known to publicly hate music; however, after summarizing as well as analyzing Antoni Piza’s article, “New York: Dali’s Musical Roundabouts,” it is clearly evident that this is not the case.

                Primarily, in Piza’s article, he states that although Dali was very contradictory, he was good at masking his thoughts. According to those who witnessed Salvador Dali, he was known to be “quite musical and, time and again, he could be caught off guard singing or humming Catalan folk songs, sardanas, zarzuelas, and cuples – all folksy, kitschy, and, by most accounts, tacky popular songs” (Piza 256).  Piza’s thesis in the article seems to be that although Dali masked his love for music, he was actually quite engaged in this form of art and enjoyed music substantially more than what is perceived.

                Throughout the article, Piza gives readers a vast amount of information about Dali’s early years as well as his connections he had with music.  According to the article, Dali and some other famous artists of the time formed a group known as the Associacio d’Amics de l’Art Nou.  This organization was created to promote new art as well as music.  Furthermore, Dali was known to attend events with many musicians and members of different choral organizations.  Piza states that “one of the earliest musical influences on Dali was the Pitxot (or Pichot) family;” since in Cadaques they held many musical events such as “they would set a grand piano on a boat from which music was performed” (Piza 256).  Dali also had many friends who played musical instruments, and he would frequently attend concerts as well as marching bands to indulge in the music.  An interesting fact stated by Piza since Dali was thought to despise music is that “Dali would sing on television a song from one of the most popular zarzuelas, the campy La corte del Faraon” (Piza 256).  As far as the type of music that Dali liked, he became a huge jazz fan and collected various records of jazz music.  Dali is known greatly for his surreal art pieces; however, “as soon as Dali moved to Paris, many composers, writers, and stage directors requested his collaboration in the design of sets and costumes for theater, ballet, and opera production” (Piza 257).  Furthermore, Dali is even credited for his various plans for plays, musical projects, and singing of folk songs.

                After learning a great deal of Dali’s musical origins and contributions, it is somewhat difficult to say that Dali despised music or was not influenced by it in some form.  Piza offered a great amount of information concerning Dali’s musical appearances as well as the musical facet that he contained within himself.  After analyzing the article, one can see that the clear controversy is whether Dali disliked music as he publicized or if he actually enjoyed it but tried to cover it up due to his contradictory nature.  Piza takes a stance throughout her article that suggests Dali was in fact passionate about music alongside his art, but simply would not publicize it.  Due to the various historical accounts that Piza lists throughout “New York: Dali’s Musical Roundabouts,” it is hard to disagree with her side of the controversy.  Piza obviously has researched deeply into Dali’s life and provides numerous examples that expose Dali’s true nature regarding music.  By providing so many examples and occurrences, Piza provides a strong argument that definitely would sway readers’ opinions to agree with him.

                Dali was a major influence to the surrealism form of art as well as art itself.  Although he may have tried to cover his passion in music for whatever reason, it is clearly evident that he enjoyed some part of it.  After a summarization and analysis of “New York: Dali’s Musical Roundabouts,” Piza provides a strong argument to refute that Dali distasted music; however, this does not alter the fact that Salvador Dali was an excellent artist.  By exposing Dali’s musical side, he may be deemed more influential than popular belief.  Dali’s art was famous during his time, our time, and should be famous for future years to come.

Piza, Antoni. "New York: Dali's Musical Roundabouts." Music in Art 28.1/2 (2003): 256-57. Art Full Text. Web. 12      Apr. 2012. <http://ehis.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?vid=4&hid=101&sid=c9889bf3-4a51-4448-9605-           1aaae4f730c0%40sessionmgr104&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#db=aft&AN=5050               64227>.

Chimps chump humans?

 

Picture by ellenm1

      As a child, I remember reading Judy Blume’s series of Junie B. Jones books about a curious girl growing up in the world and learning the nature of life by the accidents she has and the mistakes she makes. In one particular book, Junie B. Jones and a Little Monkey Business, Junie acts out when she discovers that she is getting a baby brother, and her resulting antics are considered to be “monkeying around.” Though, in principle, this book is elementary, it provokes questioning: exactly how similar are monkeys to humans? It is the intent of science to attempt to make sense of concepts and occurrences that would seemingly supersede common knowledge. So through the concept of evolution, the gradual development of something, especially from a simple to a more complex form, scientist have attempted to answer this perplexing question. However, contrary to the general misconception, humans did not derive from monkeys and other primates but do seem to share a common ancestor (cite lecture). Also, according to the study Comparing children’s Homo sapiens and chimpanzees’ Pan troglodytes quantity judgments of sequentially presented sets of items, involving the quantifying abilities of both chimpanzees and preschool and young children, parallels likewise exist between cognitive processing in humans and in chimpanzees.
       In order to establish relevance and purpose for the experiment, the researchers disclosed their aim for implementing such a study. Aside from comparing the cognitional skills shared between chimpanzees and children, they hoped “to examine the relation between the counting skills of children at various ages and performance during this type of quantity comparison.” It is a misplaced idea that the ability to utilize a formal counting mechanism is mandatory in order to quantify objects. However, this ideology has been generally disproven because preschoolers and non-humans perform well before they have the ability to count, and this study seeks to confirm that disapproval as well as reaffirm studies that demonstrate the interconnectedness of the human and primate mind. The hypothesis for this experiment predicted that there would be a greater accuracy when counting smaller sets of materials and as the children increase in age.

      After establishing a proposed hypothesis and possible outcome for the question/problem, the researchers proceeded with the conduction of the experiment. Foremost, they acquired a group of younger students, 4 of which were males and 5 females ranging in age from 41-47 months. Then there was a class of older students: 5 males and 6 females varying in age from 49-59 months and 3 chimps varying in age. During a trial, the participant and Experimenter 1 sat across from each other at a small table. Two opaque containers were placed on the table a sufficient distance away from the child to prevent the child from viewing of the containers’ contents. A clear plastic bag holding a quantity of identically colored beads was accessible to Experimenter 1. Experimenter 1 reached into the plastic bag and removed a quantity of beads while keeping them hidden in his or her hand. The quantity was more than the number of items to be deposited into cups, thereby eliminating any possible visual cues of the number of items in hand that might inadvertently occur.

     Next, Experimenter 1 dropped the predetermined number of beads into the container on his or her right, one at a time, using a quasi-randomized pace of placement in order to avoid the rate of bead-dropping as a cue (i.e., the larger quantity did not always fall at a faster rate). Experimenter 1 looked down while dropping the beads so that the child could not see the experimenter’s face, thereby eliminating potential facial cues. The same procedure was followed to deposit items into the second container. Whether the larger quantity was deposited into the right or left container varied randomly from trial to trial (i.e., the larger quantity was not always presented in the right cup). Experimenter 1’s right hand was always held over the right container for a longer length of time to control for temporal cues (i.e., the experimenter’s hand did not always remain longest over the cup with the larger amount). These temporal controls meant that a child could not just use the length of time the hand was over a container or the consistency in the rate of object dropping to determine the larger set.
     When finished, Experimenter 1 prompted the child and Experimenter 2 to proceed by stating, “Ready? Ok” while turning his or her gaze away from the test area. Experimenter 2, who was seated facing away from the child and Experimenter 1, did not know the number of beads in the containers. When hearing this oral signal, Experimenter 2 picked up the two containers, without viewing their contents, and presented them to the child while saying “Ok, you choose a cup.” The containers were held in front of the child, so that their contents were not visible. After the child selected a container by touching it, Experimenter 2 poured out its contents on the table and announced to the child, “Ok, you chose this container, and you get to keep these beads.” Next, Experimenter 2 poured out the contents of the container not chosen by the child. The participant was given the beads from the container he/she selected, while Experimenter 1 was given the beads from the remaining container. Although children did not receive any tangible reward until the end of the session, when their beads were returned in exchange for the chance to select a toy prize from among a number of alternatives, all children showed motivation to select containers. Resultantly, the experiment confirmed the proposed hypothesis and children, like chimpanzees, performed best when ratios between sets decreased, but performance was not affected by the total quantity of sets. Both subject groups were successful even when the absolute size of both sets combined was 20 items. 

      In conclusion, though primates are not necessarily our ancestors, there is a commonality that exists between humans and chimpanzees. The results of the featured experiment Comparing children’s Homo sapiens and chimpanzees’ Pan troglodytes quantity judgments of sequentially presented sets of items, demonstrate that both humans and chimps have similar instinctive thinking patterns. In a study known as the Lucy experiment in which a chimp was removed from her home at the age of two and raised as a human child. Eventually, through adaptation, she began to take on the characteristics of humans and could no longer interact with other chimpanzees (www.radiolab.org). In another instance on Youtube, if you type in “chimp beats human intelligence test,” there is also a video that showcases a chimp outsmarting a human in a memory test. So, though humans are generally considered to be superior, the top of the food chain and the most progressive intellectually, there are still certain traits and animalistic behaviors that connect us to other species, and chimpanzees in particular. There have been many studies conducted, reaffirming the findings in this experiment, especially the intellectual abilities of chimpanzees. Consequently, humans may not be as far removed from other species as we perceive ourselves to be.
 

Works Cited-
Beran, Michael J., Julie S. Johson-Pynn, and Christopher Ready. "Comparing Children's Homo    

     Sapiens and Chimpanzees' Pan Troglodytes Quantity Judgments of Sequentially Presented Sets 

     of Items." Current Zoology 57.4 (2011): 1-10. EBSCOhost. EBSCO Industries, 2011. Web. 21 

     Mar. 2012. <http://ehis.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?vid=3&hid=20&sid=9678fabd-

     841d-4932-8190-991ec74e848f%40sessionmgr10&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbG12ZSZzY29

     wZT1zaXRI#db=a9h&AN=65444634>.

Johnson, Corey. "Vertebrates." Wilson 107, Chapel Hill, NC. Jan. 2012. Lecture.
"Lucy - Radiolab." Radiolab. WNYC Radio. Web. 21 Mar. 2012. 

     <http://www.radiolab.org/2010/feb/19/lucy/>. 

The Toxic Truth About Sugar

Picture by AdamSelwood 
Effective as of October 1, 2011, Denmark imposed a tax on foods containing a percentage of saturated fat that exceeded 2.3%, and are now contemplating enacting a similar tax on sugar (Johnson). In an article published by the scientific journal Nature, “The Toxic Truth About Sugar,” the authors Robert A. Lustig, Laura A. Schmidt, and Claire D. Brindis propose that such a bill should likewise be passed in the United States to regulate the sale and consequently the intake of sugar. It is understandable that with more than one-third of adults (about 35.7%) and 17% children and adolescents in the United States obese, (www.cdc.gov) people feel as if the health of Americans has gotten to a crucial point where the government must step in. However, “all things that are lawful are not always expedient” (1 Corinthians 10:23), meaning that all things that may seem beneficial are not necessarily so, and even if the government felt compelled to take initiative on the issue, taxation is not the solution. Hence, it is both unfeasible and unpopular to attempt to regulate the sale and consumption of sugar within the United States. In addition, not only is sugar an essential part of our diets, but also placing a mandate on it in order to curtail consumption would constitute a violation of our free will.

Of foremost importance are political and economical glitches in the proposition that generating taxes for sugar will promote healthier eating within the population. As previously mentioned, on March 5, 2012 Denmark’s current Minister of Health, Pia Olsen Dyhr, put into circulation a possible bill that would tax sugar in an effort to “encourage people to eat more healthily”  and provide financial backing for public health programs (Johnson). Similar initiatives are being considered here in America. “The Toxic Truth About Sugar,” presents a counterargument regarding how the use of sugar is so embedded within society, and particularly within the FDA, that it would be difficult to place restrictions on the production and the intake the sugar. The authors suggests that it would be a plausible solution to increase the prices of products such as soda from $1.00 to $2.00. However, the 100% increase would be ineffective because any given day, depending on the store or vending machine, a soda can cost $2.00. Also, in the Denmark article, Arne Astrup, an expert in nutrition from the University of Copenhagen, mentions, when people do not include sugar in their diet it increases the psychological need for food, thus people would eat more of the wrong foods in order to satisfy that hunger. Furthermore, taxing such items would merely augment the discrepancy between the rich and poor classes because for one, it could result in a loss of jobs. The poor would not be able to afford the healthier options and would result of a greater consumption in artificial sweeteners, which studies have shown increase the risk of strokes, thereby undermining the primary intention of the tax. (Johnson)

On the other hand, sugar has long been apart of American tradition since its introduction in the 1700s, and because it is such a commodity within American society, it will likely continue to exist. Sugar cane was initially a product of the Southeast Asian countries of New Guinea and India (West). Then, eventually, in conjunction with his voyage in 1492, Christopher Columbus brought sugar to the New World via the Dominican Republic. The European crave for sugar grew increasingly, as the product was presented into their culture. Thus, by taking some of the leaves and planting them in the Caribbean, Spanish explorers attempted to expand the market. Following the popular trend, the Portuguese, British, Dutch, and French brought the crop to their respective colonies, attempting to cash in on the heightened demand. Sugar became so widespread that settlers needed a different labor source to keep production aligned with the demand. So to alleviate the discrepancy, they implored slaves to work on plantations. The first slave ship arrived to the New World in 1505, and most of the slaves hence were from West Africa, where the Portuguese trading posts had previously been instituted. Resultantly, the Triangle Trade system encompassed slaves taken to the New World, sugar imported to Europe, and money used to purchase more slaves in Africa, an ongoing cycle. Sugar finally reached America in the 1700s (Whipps). Given the extensive history of sugar in America and in the world, it is highly unlikely that its presence would just dissipate. The demand for sugar has been stirring and brewing for centuries, thus, any attempt to remove or control the presence of sugar in America would render ineffective because it goes against popular desire.

           In addition, sugar is a substance required for the execution of bodily functions. Therefore, by decreasing its presence and possibly eliminating it, which it seems the author of “The Toxic Truth About Sugar” would favor, it would actually have an adverse effect on the body. Food is any substance that provides nutrients and energy for the body. Thus, the body extracts glucose, a form of sugar, from everything that people consume by way of mouth, including both food and drink. Glucose is a source of energy used to power bodily functions and provide fuel for various cells within the body. For example, in cellular respiration, a procedure that occurs in cells that converts energy processes into adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the body uses that energy to power all of its activities such as metabolism and digestion. The table sugar that people consume is sucrose, a disaccharide that encompasses monomers of fructose and glucose (Reece, Taylor, Simon, Dickey). Essentially, that means that glucose and fructose make up table sugar; thus, it does have some nutritional value, which the article fails to admit. It is merely hypothesized, not scientific theory, that some sugars can be detrimental in some instances to a person’s health, like artificial sweeteners and high fructose corn syrup, which the author is also negligent in noting. Also, generalizing all sugars as harmful substances, is like commenting that all drugs. Although they sometimes have undesirable side effects, that they are all bad and ineffective, and that does not keep people from consuming and using them. Similarly, the biological benefits of sugar outweigh the risks.

Lastly, as the first amendment of United States Constitution allocates, people have the right to make their own decisions and attempting to force people to regulate their consumption of sugar would be a violation of their first amendment rights. It is not mandated by the government that people indulge in eating sugar, but it is a choice that people decide according to their own desires because its their right to do so. The government probably also recognizes that people have rebellious tendencies and are not going to do anything they do not want to do, as with any other law. So though they may try to impose restrictions, people will find a way to get what they truly desire. Even in considering sugar to be a negative substance, healthy food options are also made readily available for people to consume; it is all in what they condition themselves to eat. Also, if sugar is as addicting as the article claims, taxing the product will not prevent addicts from buying the product. There are countless stories about people who spend their last dollar, steal, go into debt, and attempt to attain drugs to support their habits by any means necessary. This could also prove true for hypothetical restrictions placed on sugar. Not only is the restriction of sugar not sensible historically or biologically, but it also calls into question the morality of of such an action and its omission of free will.

In conclusion, despite the claims made in the article “The Toxic Truth About Sugar,” it is not feasible to place constraints on the production of sugar. The effect of implementing such restrictions would be obsolete because historically there has always been and probably will always be such a demand for the product that it would be senseless to inhibit its profitability and to forego the desires of the people. In addition, the authors of the featured article only mention the possible negative outcomes of consuming too much sugar, but it does not admit the benefits and how it aids the body. Ultimately, it is best if people make healthier choices in regard to their eating habits rather than being taxed. It is acceptable to include sugar in the diet but not to overindulge as a precautionary measure. However, even if a person decides that all they will eat is sugar, it is and should remain their decision to make without the infringement of any governmental restrictions.

Works Cited-

"How Sugar Changed the World." LiveScience. 02 June 2008. Web. 21 Mar. 2012.

<http://www.livescience.com/4949-sugar-changed-world.html>.

Johnson, Constance. "Denmark: Tax on Sugar Proposed." Denmark: Tax on Sugar

Proposed. The Library of Congress, 13 Mar. 2012. Web. 21 Mar. 2012.

<http://www.loc.gov/lawweb/servlet/lloc_news?disp3_3023_text>.

Reece, Jane B. Campbell Biology: Concepts & Connections. 7th ed. San Francisco,

CA.: Benjamin Cummings, 2012. Print.

"U.S. Obesity Trends." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease

Control and Prevention, 27 Feb. 2012. Web. 21 Mar. 2012.

<http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/trends.html>.

West, Jean M. "Slavery in America." Slavery in America. Web. 21 Mar. 2012.

<http://www.slaveryinamerica.org/history/hs_es_sugar.htm>.

"Stigmatization of St. Francis" - Unit 3 Voice Thread

"A Problem We Live With" - Feeder 3.2 Voice Thread

Norman Rockwell: American Chronicler

Norman Rockwell was known for his 20th century depictions of life in America.  This photo was taken during this period in American history.  Photo courtesy of flickr.com (Smithsonian Institute)

Christmas cards, magazine covers and oil on canvas paintings were just a few of the mediums that American illustrator Norman Rockwell used throughout his artistic career.  Norman Rockwell was often referred to as the quintessential painter of American life, as his painting career was spent depicting the landscape of life in the United States in the 20^th century.  “American Chronicles: The Art of Norman Rockwell”, an article printed in the Arts & Activities journal, analyzes the significance of Rockwell’s work and captures the essence of his artistic works.  The journal article claims that Norman Rockwell’s “images reflect the history of America as told through the eyes of this idealistic and patriotic artist who sought to show America at its best, and to present the lives, hopes and dreams of the average American in the middle-20^th century,” (Johnson 1).  The “American Chronicles: The Art of Norman Rockwell” article argues that Norman Rockwell’s paintings captured the essence of 20^th century American life through his all-encompassing body of work and ability to chronicle America in a variety of different focuses. 

The “American Chronicles” article showed that, to understand Norman Rockwell’s historical chronicling of American life, it is necessary to trace his roots to gain a full view of the meaning of his work.  Norman Rockwell grew up with an astounding artistic ability, entering the prestigious National Academy of Design and Art Students League as a student.  At the age of 15, Rockwell began his first nationally-exposed work with Boy’s Life, the official magazine of the Boy Scouts of America, by painting magazine covers for their monthly magazines (Johnson 1).  Just 7 years later, Rockwell had already started work with several other nationally-distributed magazines, including the famous Saturday Evening Post (Johnson 1).  Now, almost 120 years later, Rockwell’s work is still circulated and shown in various historical art and magazine circles throughout the world.  Rockwell is still considered one of the most famous artists in the world, and one key reason for his popularity and ability to serve as the chronicler of American life stands in his realistic and all-encompassing body of work.

Norman Rockwell painted a large number of paintings over his career, but each painting had its own unique focus.  Much of Rockwell’s popularity stemmed from his ability to capture the everyday life, hopes, conflicts, and joys associated with America.  The “American Chronicles: The Art of Norman Rockwell” article focuses on three specific examples of Rockwell’s work that illustrate different focuses of the United States in the 1900s.  The three paintings, Going and Coming, Uneasy Christmas in the Birthplace of Christ, and Murder in Mississippi capture three completely different aspects of life in the United States. 

Rockwell’s Going and Coming painting is a depiction of the typical American family in a car on the way to, and on the way back from a family trip.  Paintings like Going and Coming were the most common works that Rockwell published, illustrating what everyday life of the American family was like during the 1900s.  This painting served as the cover of the Saturday Evening Post, and the “American Chronicles” article points out the positivity and joyfulness that many associate with Rockwell’s celebration with American life is present in this piece.  The “American Chronicles” article uses this piece as a clear example of Norman Rockwell’s work that shows real-life, joyful experiences in 20^th century America. 

The “American Chronicles” article’s next selected Rockwell piece, Uneasy Christmas in the Birthplace of Christ, shows a pair of American soldiers and some small children sitting in the darkness of night, overlooking what appears to be a large gathering or riot of people in Jerusalem.  The painting focuses on the patriotic camaraderie between the two American soldiers, and it is attempting to remind the nation that while they may be safe and protected at home on Christmas, there are other Americans fighting and stationed abroad.  The essence of military sacrifice is the central theme of this painting, and it shows Rockwell’s ability to delve into critical topics like thankfulness and nationalism.  “American Chronicles” argues that this portrait was yet another piece that personified Rockwell’s versatility in illustrating the different sides of life for Americans.

The final, and most controversial of the three paintings, Murder in Mississippi, is a “haunting depiction of a civil-rights tragedy in the South,” (Johnson 3).  The image shows three men, two white, and one black, in the streets of an American urban city.  One white man is face down, appearing to be unresponsive, and the other is standing up with a gleaming face of realization as he holds a slipping and bloody black man that is falling to the ground.  In what appears to be the aftermath of a civil-rights activist protest, the painting portrays the standing white man as the heroic figure, as he looks up to the sky as if realizing the true sin of racism as he tries to comfort the dying African-American.  Murder in Mississippi is not a typical Rockwell painting, as it focuses on evil and conflict that existed in America, which was not the trend for the majority of his art.  “American Chronicles” claims that Rockwell took the initiative to admit the true problems and wrong-doings of segregation in the United States, and he shared his message with the nation.  Murder in Mississippi, along with Uneasy Christmas in the Birthplace of Christ and Going and Coming exemplify Norman Rockwell’s ability to create an all-encompassing mixture of American life that helped him capture the essence of 20th century American life from various unique angles.

The work of Norman Rockwell in different forms and mediums helps exhibit his true role as the true 20^th century American chronicler.  Norman Rockwell “painted America as it was supposed to look, as many wanted it to look,” and “as a ‘semi-official’ chronicler of American life, Rockwell most often focused on the joys of childhood, the clumsiness of adolescence, the responsibility of adulthood, and the virtue of family and country,” (Johnson 3).  “American Chronicles: The Art of Norman Rockwell” showed that with an entire career dedicated to showing, telling, and celebrating the heart of America in every focus, Norman Rockwell became the quintessential chronicler for depicting American life throughout the extent of the 20^th century.

Works Cited

Johnson, Mark M. "American Chronicles: The Art of Norman Rockwell." Arts & Activities 143.3

(2009): 23-25. EBSCO Host. Web. 12 Apr. 2012. <http://ehis.ebscohost.com>.