Bright sparks!: POLITICS

Showing posts with label POLITICS. Show all posts

Saturday, 23 May 2015

Shady art... By Ines Petit & Liz Gorsen

Light is the opposite of shadow, isn’t it? But Diet Wiegman, an artist from The Netherland, disagrees. This multidisciplinary visual artist uses light to create perfect shadows out of second-hand objects.

Wiegman was born on the 24^th January 1944 and grew up in an artistic environment as his father and grandfather were artists too. He studied at the Rotterdam Academy of Arts for four years.

Diet Wiegman in 2012

In his early twenties, he acquired fame as a progressive ceramist because of his truly realistic pieces that could not be distinguished from real objects.

A bulging bag (made of clay) which should go on a "diet"!

Diet Wiegman in 1984, Berlin

Because of his work in a multitude of disciplines, he's referred to as an "art omnivore" and launched an art movement which is named after him. His international breakthrough came about because of his ingenious shadow and light sculptures also known as shadow art.

The concept is about illuminating waste objects to create a contrasting image in the form of a highly detailed shadow.

Trashed!

Wiegman was a pioneer. By working with light and shadows for almost forty years, he has inspired a lot of artists through the years.

Deadly night shade...

When people ask him about his work, he simply replies: "I did not invent the phenomenon of shadow; I just make holes in the light!”

Moon(light)walk!

He loves to create art which goes against clichés, laughs at his own seriousness, and makes contradictions in his art. Sometimes it's physical: he destroys his own work to recreate new sculptures made out of the fragments.

Beastly beauty...

You don't need expensive materials to create a beautiful art project... Why not try doing a Wiegman-type work of art yourself?!

Firework displays are an art! By Claire Jourdet & Florine Charachon

People who create firework displays (spending many hours and much money in the process!) give huge performances to the delight of spectators. But, they are not considered artists. And why is a firework display not considered an art form in itself?

Fireworks are a class of explosive pyrotechnic devices used for aesthetic, cultural, and religious purposes. Fireworks competitions are regularly held everywhere. Fireworks take many forms to produce the four primary effects: noise, light, smoke and floating materials (confetti for example.) They may be designed to burn with flames and sparks of many colours, like red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, silver and gold.

The earliest documentation of fireworks is dated back to the 7^th century in China, where they were invented. They were used in many festivities. It is a part of the culture of China and many legends include fireworks. Important events and festivities such as the Spring Festival (Chinese New Year) and the Mid-Autumn Festival were and still are times when fireworks are at the heart of celebrations. China is the largest manufacturer and exporter of fireworks in the world.

Fireworks play a key role in the most popular events of our modern world: an obvious example is the Olympic Games. In the opening ceremonies, fireworks are set off across the stadium when an athlete declares the games open. In the closing ceremonies, fireworks appear once again when the Olympic flame is put out. Fireworks are an unforgettable part of the event for hundreds of millions of people. They are artistic masterpieces surely?

Art is a diverse range of human activities and the products of those activities, usually involving imaginative or technical skill. According to this definition, fireworks and firework displays can be described as a real art form, and their creators as artists!

Some critics say fireworks are a way to burn money... But the pyrotechnic display that took place in broad daylight in Doha, Qatar, recently impressed all art lovers: Black Ceremony is the work of Cai Guo-Qiang, a Chinese national based in New York City and the world’s foremost fireworks artist. It kicked off his exhibition at the Arab Museum of Modern Art in the Qatari capital. He showed off his undeniable talent even though a daytime fireworks display might be considered by sceptics as an odd choice. The use of pastel-colours and black smoke made it an original performance. Cai also impressed millions of people with his fireworks display at the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics, and with his magnificent 4^th of July fireworks in New York City. And, as the fastest growing economy in the world, spending money on a daytime fireworks exhibit was no gamble for Qatar. Mayassa Bint Hamad al Thani, from the museum, said: “I thought it was spectacular. We are talking about doing a second show!”

Fireworks are at the heart of so many shows, paintings, photographs, and songs (like Katy Perry’s ‘Fireworks’ music video), it is about time firework “entertainers” were recognized as genuine artists!

Saturday, 31 January 2015

Film noir

PBS documentary
Detour (full movie)

Tuesday, 20 January 2015

From darkness into light... By Salomé Niclot & Rodolphe Mettot

> What does the Bible say about darkness?

Martin Luther King said, in 1963: “Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that, hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that”. We wanted to know what MLK, a Christian preacher, meant by this, so we interviewed Father Pégourier, a Catholic priest.

Can you tell us what light represents in the Christian religion?

Light represents God. In his gospel, Saint John tells us: “In the beginning was the Word, the Word was with God and the Word was God. All the things were made by God. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines through the darkness, a light that darkness cannot overpower.”

Jesus represents good and therefore light. Darkness represents evil. There is an opposition between good and evil. When we talk about divine light, we talk about the light of God, which lightens the darkness and brings forth goodness.

When God spoke to Catherine of Siena (cf. the Dialog of Catherine of Siena), He describes light as emanating from His Divine nature, and light as being the light of grace.

Could you please explain what Martin Luther King meant when he said: “Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that.”

We cannot beat evil by using evil means; our action would be in vain. This is why we need light, the light of God, to chase away bad things. The light of God lightens our world and shows us the path we have to follow… Only love can drive out hate because, as it is written, we have to love each other including our enemies. Hate is the fruit of sin and only God can forgive all our sins. Jesus died for humanity and for the sake of the human race. Love is a conquering force; negative things give way to love…

Why do we associate light with good and evil with darkness?

Humans are afraid of the dark because they can’t see the potential dangers. Light is a natural thing that makes us see and therefore avoid the dangers. Light, contrasted with the dark, is associated in people’s mind with safety. Light becomes an obvious symbol we associate with the force for good that is God and darkness becomes synonymous of evil. Light is used to brighten the world, to guide us, to lead us on the path of righteousness, up towards heaven.

Is the meaning of light different from one religion to another?

Light is in fact a universal symbol; in all religions, it represents the divinity and is associated with righteousness and well-being.

Is there any way to escape darkness other than through light?

If escaping darkness (sin) means seeking the Truth, only our Lord Jesus can light our way, because only He is the True Light.

Philosophers have dedicated their lives to bringing us new ideas and trying to change the world. In your opinion, can their ideas be associated with the definition of light you have given us?

Many philosophers question God’s existence, saying the world must have a rational explanation. Faith, which enables us to understand that the True Light is divine, does not, by definition, need reason.