Thursday, March 26, 2020

The Growth Of A Nation Canada Essay free essay sample

The Growth Of A State: Canada Essay, Research Paper Canada evolved into a state during the 18th and 19th centuries. Many factors were accountable to this alteration which includes the Loyalists migration North and of class the Constitutional Acts of 1791and 1867. There were cardinal people and countenances during this development, the Crown, the American Revolution, the Loyalists of Upper Canada, the francophones of Lower Canada and the Radicals responsible for the 1837 rebellions were the most influential. The Crown made many territorial and political alterations during the 18th and 19th centuries because of the of all time changing and turning population in Canada, everyone from Loyalists to the First Nations were affected. Loyalists and the alterations that were made because of their inflow to British North America: Loyalists are defined as American settlers of varied cultural backgrounds that supported the British cause during the American Revolution1. Because of the Revolution, many British Loyalists from the former 13 Colonies in the United States moved up to present twenty-four hours Canada to keep their British manner of life. We will write a custom essay sample on The Growth Of A Nation Canada Essay or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The chief moving ridges of Loyalists moved north instantly following the American Revolution in 1783 and 1784. Over 30 000 of these people settled the Maritime Provinces. The Loyalists swamped the old population of 20 000 Americans and French, and in 1784 New Brunswick and Cape Breton were created to cover with the inflow. About 2000 moved into present twenty-four hours Quebec and 7500 settled Ontario. The flock of Loyalists gave the part its first significant population and led to the creative activity of a separate state, Upper Canada, in 1791. Loyalists were instrumental in set uping educational, spiritual, societal and governmental establishments. The impact made by the Loyalists has made a permanent feeling on modern Canada. Inheriting certain conservativism, we Canadians seem to prefer # 8220 ; development # 8221 ; to # 8220 ; revolution # 8221 ; when it comes to authorities alterations and in today # 8217 ; s society in general. The rebellions held in Canada in 1837 neer had about every bit large of an impact as the Revolution did in the United States. An illustration of a specific Loyalist who made an of import impact in Canadian history is Egerton Ryerson. Ryerson was a prima figure in 19th century Ontario instruction and political relations. He was born into a well-respected Anglican, Loyalist household, but was converted and ordained in 1827 in the Methodist Episcopal Church. Ryerson first became known in Upper Canadian political relations in 1826 when he led an onslaught on the premises and freedoms of the Church of England. The Church of England claimed to be the official church of the settlement, and sole donee of the clergy militias. Ryerson emerged as the taking Methodist spokesman and a major figure in the Reform cause.2 During the Rebellions of 1837, Ryerson was in England but used his influence to oppose Mackenzie # 8217 ; s extremist doctrine and violent methods. During the 1840s he continued his active function in political relations but turned in a different way. He began to back up Govoner Charles Metcalf against Robert Baldwin and Lafontaine in 1844. He appeared to hold joined the Tories, the people he had opposed for about 20 old ages. Besides in 1844 he was appointed overseer of instruction for Canada West, go oning in this office until retiring in 1876. Ryerson reached a new degree of importance in the School Act of 1871, Ontario gained a ace primary and secondary school system based on this act. Throughout the class of his calling, he wrote many booklets and texts, every bit good as several plants on the history of the state an of import autobiography. This is merely one illustration of an impact Thursday at a Loyalist had on modern and pre-Constitutional Canada. The Constitutional Act of 1791 was the individual largest event that took topographic point because of the Loyalists motion. The Bill was prepared by William Wyndham Grenville to guarantee the development of British parliamentary establishments in the district governed by the Quebec Act of 1774. Harmonizing to Grenville, the Bill # 8217 ; s general intent was to absorb each settlement # 8217 ; s fundamental law to that of Britain. The Constitutional Act had four chief intents: # 8220 ; to vouch the same rights and privileges as were enjoyed by loyal topics elsewhere in North America ; to ease the load on the imperial exchequer by allowing colonial assemblies the right to impose revenue enhancements with which to pay for local civil and legal disposals ; to warrant the territorial division of the state of Quebec and the creative activity of separate provincial legislative assembly ; and to keep and beef up the bonds of political dependence by rectifying acknowledged constitutional failings of old colonial governments. # 8221 ; 3 Although this act temporarily improved life in the settlements, and made a batch of Loyalists happy, many Historians have considered the Act # 8217 ; s failure to make responsible authorities and its distribution of fiscal powers in favor of the appointed councils as the roots of the political jobs in the early nineteenth century. Executive, Legislative Council and appointed Governors of the Canadas: The Constitutional Act of 1791 was a clear response by London to the American Revolution. The Act replaced Quebec by two states of Upper and Lower Canada. The western state of Upper Canada was English-speaking and received English jurisprudence and establishments. It would go the modern state of Ontario. The eastern and chiefly French-speaking state of Lower Canada, the present Quebec, kept seigneurial term of office, Gallic jurisprudence, and the privileges of the Catholic Church granted by the Quebec Act. A lieutenant governor was established in each of the states, with an executive council to move as an upper house, and a representative assembly. The nominative executive council was appointed by the governor, whose duty was to the British Colonial Office instead than to the people or their elective representatives. Therefore, there was representative authorities, but without the executive council being responsible to the assembly. The Church of England was to bind the settlements more steadfastly to Britain. Equally good the Seigneurial System was for good eradicated in Canada East.4 In all these political alterations, ( i.e. the Legislative Council ) , that were brought on by the Constitutional Act were non straight accountable to the citizens of the Canadas or to the elected assembly, but to the Crown. This was all done by the Crown, in the Crown # 8217 ; s best involvement. It took over a hundred old ages of paperss, policies and Acts of the Apostless to do Canada an independent state. There was no revolution interrupting our ties to Britain, in fact we are still portion of the Commonwealth. Our diverse state all began to come together over 200 old ages ago with Reformers, Radicals and Loyalists each desiring Canada shaped in a different manner. Because of what the Crown wanted and because of what the independent heads in Canada desired is how we got where we are today. We are a state of development, we are the strongest state in the universe because of the people and events that began painting our states colourss so long ago. 1. Canadian Encyclopedia, The, McClelland and Stewart Inc. , Toronto, 2000. 2. Careless, J.M.S. , Canada, A Story of Challenge, T.H. Best, Toronto, 1970. 3. Reid, J.H. Stewart, A Source-book of Canadian History, Longmans Canada Ltd. , Toronto, 1967.

Friday, March 6, 2020

4 Ways to Improve Your Resume

4 Ways to Improve Your Resume No matter how good your resume or C.V., it can always be better. Try the following four strategies to bump yours up into the category of greatness, and see if you can’t land that dream job. 1. Make it skim-ableEase of reading is key. Organize your document so that the hiring manager can find the information they need without effort or strain of any kind. Work hardest on the headers, eliminate unnecessary verbiage, and concentrate on putting the most important and relevant information in the first five words of each description. The faster they can get the gist of how great you are, the better.2. Tailor to the jobYes, tailoring each resume you send to the particular position is a pain- and requires a ton of extra work, but it’s a great habit to get into. It’s more important to do this than to have one resume that is formatted beautifully and fits perfectly on to one page. Figure out what the hiring manager wants from a candidate, and do your best to present yourse lf specifically in that light.3. Make it mobileWe never used to have to think about how our perfectly formatted resume would read on a smart phone or a PDA. This is, however, the world we live in now. Double check how your files open on these mobile devices and alter accordingly to make sure you’re not shortchanging yourself if a hiring manager reads your application on the run.4. Go liveMake a website for yourself for job search purposes. It doesn’t need to include much more than your resume, but it’s always useful to have a direct link in case a file is unreadable on one device or computer or the other. It’s also a very useful way to encourage people to look at your portfolio- without being asked for it directly.Endless tinkering of your resume is not the idea here. Just make sure you’re firing on all cylinders, then update it, and let it go. Get out there and get the job!

Wednesday, February 19, 2020

Ben's Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Ben's - Case Study Example This is because high neutrophil count can be due to several factors such as stress due to sudden bacterial infection or damage of tissues among others. C. Respiratory acidosis-Respiratory acidosis is caused by alveolar hypoventilation, which leads to increased hypercapnia. The tests results help determine whether respiratory acidosis is acute or chronic. 12. CFC is usually clear, colorless, and sterile and contains similar constituents to those present in blood, but in lower amounts. Thus, the physician was relived because sterile CSF proved that there was no bacterial infection in the CSF. She was considering the possibility of bacterial meningitis infection. 13. Antibiotics can change the normal microbial flora, which may result in toxicities where the drug is unable to differentiate between the host physiology and the pathogen physiology; hence, destroying both the normal bacteria and harmful bacteria. Thus, Ben’s condition deteriorated due destruction of the normal bacteria in his body, which promoted the growth of drug-resistant microorganisms (Bauman, 2011). 14. Hospitalized patients are quite vulnerable to staphylococci and gram-negative bacteria, which are highly dangerous for already ill patients. Thus, this could have contributed to Ben’s condition and placed him at a high risk of

Tuesday, February 4, 2020

Forensic Psychology and Serial Murders Term Paper

Forensic Psychology and Serial Murders - Term Paper Example Whether it is fiction or truth, the serial killer has always found a place in modern society. Eventually serial killers are caught and it is often forensic evidence that puts them in prison. Once they are captured, they give the police who capture them important information to use into how to find others who commit these crimes. The purpose of this research is to examine the forensic psychology that may go into gaining a conviction of some of the most famous serial killers. The challenge is that this information is not always available and the researcher must examine what they can find and see how forensic psychology fits into it. In the cases of most of the famous serial killers, they did something that put the police on their trail. As an example, John Wayne Gacy and Jeffrey Dahmer had police come to their homes after someone escaped from their grasp. When the police entered their living quarters, they found evidence out in the open (though Gacy's was buried in his crawl space) tha t eventually led to their conviction. In this paper, I will examine some of the most famous serial killers: John Wayne Gacy, Ted Bundy, Stephanie Wernick, Jeffrey Dahmer and David Berkowitz. Each of these killers hunted other humans and they were subsequently hunted by the police, the FBI and forensic teams. Each was eventually found through something that they did, but forensic psychology had a hand in establishing their guilt and finally putting them in prison where they belonged. 1. Defining Forensic Psychology Although many people may think that forensic psychology is only about profiling criminals, there is more to it than profiling. In reality, forensic psychology blends several areas. It combines the civil and criminal sides of the justice system with the clinical and experimental aspect of psychology (Roesch, Zapf and Hart 3). Because of this blending, it has been difficult for experts to find an exact definition of this science. Instead, different organizations have created their own definitions. According to the American Board for Forensic Psychology, the definition for this science "is the application of the science and profession of psychology to questions and issues relating to law and the legal system" (as qtd. in Roesch, Zapf and Hart 4). This is a very vague definition and there are none that are more specific. In this paper, this definition will be used. 1.1 The Beginnings of Defining Serial Killers The term serial killer is not as old as people may think. It was actually coined during the David Berkowitz ("Son of Sam") hunt by an FBI Agent, Robert K. Ressler, who was an expert on serial murders (Simon 252). According to the FBI there are only about 200-500 people who are committing serial murders and they kill approximately 3500 people a year (Simon 19). The most heinous seem to be the ones that most people hear about in the news. There are many categories of serial killers. Some kill for sexual pleasure, some are mentally ill, and others are considered psychopaths. To convict serial killers, forensic evidence must be used to attach information that the police have found to the individual charged with the crime. 2. The Common Characteristics of Serial Killers All serial killers have similarities especially when they are categorized into the type of serial killing they do. According to Forensic Psychiatrist Robert Simon, serial

Monday, January 27, 2020

Landscape Character Assessment for Heritage Management

Landscape Character Assessment for Heritage Management In 200 words or less describe why landscape characterisation has over the past decade provided a significant new dimension to heritage management practice Landscape Characterisation has been described by English Heritage as ‘a powerful tool that provides a framework for broadening our understanding of the whole landscape and contributes to decisions affecting tomorrows landscape.’[1] Landscape characterisation enables archaeologists, landscape specialists, and conservationists to work together to manage change within landscapes, using a common source that compiles often disparate research into the character of landscapes into a unified and accessible ‘map’ of the area. For heritage management this development is particularly useful because it allows for a more comprehensive study of the area under management – such as the identifying, mapping and assessing of habitats. This allows for more careful consideration of development planning especially in semi-rural areas where land is sought for residential use. To better understand the character of a landscape is to learn how to best protect it and this of fers the potential for a better ‘case’ for preserving important and/ or historic features of landscapes. The process is unique as it helps to facilitate the compilation of data from a great variety of specific historical, archaeological, and paleontological sites onto internationally accessible databases – this information is then used to help professionals manage change within landscapes on a national scale. This information can be put to good use in heritage management, particularly in terms of resources for education and visitor information. Landscape characterisation also helps the cohesion and implementation of management action plans and facilitates the strategic conservation of heritage. It does this by providing a historical context for already existing descriptions and research on landscapes, thus developing the understanding of how to manage landscapes especially on a local and regional level. Issues that interact through the process of landscape chara cterisation include local development and its control, environmental issues, and government proposals. Its use has also widened the scope for heritage management practice as it provides valuable data for existing heritage programmes and assists in future proposals involving historic field systems. Using at least three examples describe the benefits and uses of characterisation for managing landscape change. Your examples can be either urban (eg. from the EUS and UAD programmes), rural (eg. HLC) or thematic, or a combination. Historic Landscape Characterization was first developed in Cornwall in 1994 and now runs as a well-established and major programme that has redefined work with spatial historic analyses (Clark et al, 2004). It has altered perceptions of how the historic environment should be managed and encourages professionals to take into consideration the greater historical timeframe of the landscape where development has been slow, rather than more recent changes which have tended to be more rapid and unsustainable. The approach does not attempt to set precedents – rather it aims to open up discussion of land-use and make accessible information that could influence contemporary decisions. The rural impact of landscape characterization work has much to do with methods of maintaining, conserving, and managing heritage – both geological, archaeological, and architectural heritage. As expressed by Clark et al in their publication for English Heritage: â€Å"The drawing of ‘red lines’ around parts of the historic landscape was seen to risk devaluing the areas outside of the line; most importantly, it was not clear what would  be achieved other than a flagging up of interest, an objective that can be reached more directly and clearly by other methods.†[2] In both Hampshire and Lancashire the programme is reshaping the approach towards heritage management by producing interactive GIS-based descriptions of the ‘historic dimension the time-depth that characterises [the] rural landscape.’[3] It benefits from being approved by and working in accordance with the European Landscape Convention; this shows that the approach is not only applicable to projects outside the UK but has been welcomed by foreign professionals and its value recognised. As much as the UK, Europe is experiencing the squeeze of development, especially in its rural areas, and HLC is useful as it specifically focuses on how to protect and manage these changing rural landscapes. It distinguishes itself from other methods as it has been identified as being more direct and clear than other methods.[4] Perhaps one of the greatest potential selling points of the programme is that it addresses a loophole in the system, whereby common rural land can become overlook ed – falling in a ‘gap’ between the safety of having visible buildings of obvious archaeological importance and being of special scientific importance or exceptional natural beauty. In many cases the historical importance gets overlooked. English Heritage prides itself on the useful amalgamation of ‘Historic Landscape Characterisation (HLC), run in partnership with County Council Sites and Monuments Records.’[5] Landscape characterisation is developing into one of the most useful and valuable resources in a society that promotes development and change, and which does so in response to the increasing demands being placed upon Britain’s landscape by the country’s economy and burgeoning population. As noted by Ucko and Layton[6] landscape character research is primarily driven by research objectives that require more in depth and comprehensive information about the landscape. For example, English Heritage need conservation-oriented information, while the planning system needs guidance, and land management decisions can rely upon the mapping of information to create landscapes of the future. A good example of how HLC is being used in the rural landscape can be seen in Suffolk, where a local Heritage Initiative has been overseeing a survey of the landscape that incorporates landscape mapping and photography. The objective of the initiative is to follow up a similar survey that was c onducted in 1999, and involves a partnership between the Womens Institute federations of East and West Suffolk, the local planning authorities in Suffolk and the Suffolk Coasts and Heaths Project Partnership.[7] This is a good example of what the process of landscape characterisation can bring to a community; it can promote the integration of otherwise separate governing bodies and social groups, and thus facilitates a more comprehensive understanding of the area. Different local Women’s Institute groups throughout Suffolk (about 75% of the total) surveyed the landscape and received training through events, a handbook, a leaflet and a video. The results of the study have been used to identify, rate, and type sources changes in the landscape between 1999 and 2004. The results were said to be assessed and analysed to ‘test the effectiveness of planning policies in protecting and enhancing landscape character.’[8] To aid community cohesion and promote the findings a n exhibition of the WI groups’ findings was created, as well as local exhibitions within each community that took part. At Creswell Crags near the Peak District a Management Action Plan has made use of landscape characterisation work within an ecological potentiality study that: Identifies, maps and assesses the management of existing areas of high quality habitat characteristic of the Heritage Area Identifies, maps and assesses the potential for linking and extending these areas of high quality habitat Identifies landscape characterisation work and its relationship to identification of potential for wildlife corridor links or extensions to major biodiversity nodes.[9] Again, this example shows the potential for working on an interdisciplinary basis where landscape character can help professionals from different academic backgrounds to work together in better understanding of the forces which shape and change our historic landscapes. English Heritage has also been researching extensively into historic fields and settlements in their project titled ‘Turning the Plough’ that culminated in a publication documenting the dramatic loss of mediaeval fields systems in the east Midlands. Using landscape character research the project results established that ‘the loss of these ridge and furrow landscapes is extreme’[10] and that English Heritage, DEFRA and other agencies have the ’urgent’ task of sustaining a future for what remains. These examples qualify the study of landscape character as a crucial development in the archaeology profession but also one that links archaeology to a number of other important areas, s uch as planning, community work, heritage management, and geology. It is important to recognise that landscape change occurs as a result of many different influences that the activities of mankind within the landscape reflect, embody, and destroy formations which owe their existence to much older geological processes. It is our choice whether we choose to preserve the record of human endeavour as shown by the mediaeval field system project ‘Turning the Plough’ and the extent to which we maintain and preserve the heritage of rural landscapes depends on the availability of funds, resources, and the efforts of professionals. Perhaps of more apparent concern is whether we do actually have a choice, or whether landscape change is accelerating beyond our control. These are some of the issues that projects involving landscape characterisation seek to address. Bibliography Clark, J, Darlington, J, and Fairclough, G, ‘Using Historic Land Characterization.’ (2002), English Heritage [online]. Available from:  http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/upload/pdf/a4report.pdf Countryside Agency, 2006 [online]. Available from:  http://www.lhi.org.uk/projects_directory/projects_by_region/east_of_england/suffolk/suffolk_changing_landscape/index.html  [Accessed 24/08/08] English Heritage, ‘Landscape Character.’ [online]. Available from:  http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/server/show/nav.1293  [Accessed 23/08/08] English Heritage. ‘Cresswell Crags Limestone Heritage Area’ [online]. Available from:  http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/server/show/conWebDoc.4112  [Accessed 24/08/08] Hall, D. (2001), Turning the Plough. Northamptonshire County Council [online]. Available from:  http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/upload/pdf/turning_plough.pdf. Full version available from:  http://www.northamptonshire.gov.uk/goto/openfields  [Accessed 24/08/08] Ucko, P.J, and Layton, R. (1999) The Archaeology and Anthropology of Landscape: Shaping Your Landscape. London: Routledge  1 [1] English Heritage, ‘Landscape Character.’ [online]. Available from:http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/server/show/nav.1293[Accessed 23/08/08] [2] Clark, J, Darlington, J, and Fairclough, G, ‘Using Historic Land Characterization.’ (2002), English Heritage, p.4. [3] English Heritage [online]: http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/server/show/nav.1293 [4] Clark et al, 2002: 2. [5] English Heritage [online]: http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/server/show/nav.1293 [6] Ucko, P.J, and Layton, R. (1999) The Archaeology and Anthropology of Landscape: Shaping Your Landscape. London: Routledge. [7] Countryside Agency, 2006 [online]. Available from:http://www.lhi.org.uk/projects_directory/projects_by_region/east_of_england/suffolk/suffolk_changing_landscape/index.html[Accessed 24/08/08] [8] Ibid. [9] ‘Cresswell Crags Limestone Heritage Area’ [online]. Available from:http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/server/show/conWebDoc.4112[Accessed 24/08/08] [10] Hall, D. (2001), Turning the Plough. Northamptonshire County Council [online]. Available from:http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/upload/pdf/turning_plough.pdf. Full version available from:http://www.northamptonshire.gov.uk/goto/openfields [Accessed 24/08/08]

Sunday, January 19, 2020

Claude Monet

Art History 9 November 2012 Claude Monet: The Impressionist Claude Monet was a French Impressionist painter born on November 14th, 1840. Monet was born in Paris and was the second son to Claude Adolphe Monet and Louise Justine Aubree. On May 20th 1841, Claude Monet was baptized in the local parish church under the name of Oscar-Claude. Shortly after his birth and baptism, Claude Monet and his family moved to Le Havre in Normandy. The mid-forties brought with it a serious economic crisis and apparently a fall in trade for Monet’s father.Monet’s father was in the grocery business and he expected Monet to follow in his footsteps and carry out the family business. Monet grew up in a commercially-oriented household. Only his mother showed an interest in the arts. Her early death in 1857 was a severe blow to the seventeen year old Monet. He found sympathy for his artistic leanings with his aunt, Marie-Jeanne Lecadre. Madame Lecadre was not only in contact with the Parisian pa inter Armand Gautier, but had her own studio where she painted for pleasure and in which Monet was a welcome visitor.Monet’s relationship with his father deteriorated with time and was not improved when he decided to leave school in 1857; not to mention Monet left school shortly before his final exams. Not helping his case much. At school he received his first drawing lesson from Francois-Charles Ochard. These lessons appear to have had no profound influence on Monet, however. His memories of the period refer exclusively to the witty drawings and caricatures of his teachers and other things. Monet’s caricatures of the citizens of Le Havre, which rapidly earned him 2000 Francs, brought him a degree of local celebrity.In fig. 2, is an example of one of Monet’s caricature drawing, (Caricature of a Man with a Large Nose graphite on paper 25 x 15 cm. ) Monet was introduced to Boudin who praised Monet for his drawings. It was a turning point. Boudin took the young man with him on painting excursions into the surrounding countryside. He convinced Monet that objects painted directly in front of the motif possessed a greater vitality that those created in the studio. Monet later ascribed his decision to become a painter to his encounter with Boudin, with whom he remained in close contact with for the rest of his life. The fact that I’ve become a painter I owe to Boudin. In his infinite kindness, Boudin undertook my instruction. My eyes were slowly opened and I finally understood nature. I learned at the same time to love it. I analyzed its forms, I studied its colours. Six months later†¦I announced to my father that I wanted to become a painter and went off to Paris to study art. † So Monet wanted to become a painter. It was an idea his father eventually accepted but not without difficulty and after much persuasion from Monet’s aunt. Monet’s first oil painting was, â€Å"View of Rouelles† (seen in fig. 3. This painting was also known as, â€Å"Vue des bords de la Lezarde† because it showed a valley and streams either the Rouelles or the Lezarde, which the Rouelles flowed into. Presumed lost, the painting was discovered after hundred years and positively identified. He joined the studio of the Swiss-born painter Charles Gleyre in Paris, in 1862, where he had been for approximately two years. There he met Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Frederic Bazille and Alfred Sisley. All four of them had new approaches to art and they all painted the effects of light â€Å"en plain air† with broken color and rapid brushstrokes.That's exactly what became known as Impressionism. This period was very important; it was the culmination point of the movement Impressionism and some of Monet's best works had been painted in Argenteuil. One of the most famous Monet's paintings is â€Å"Impression: The Sunrise† (seen in fig. 4) painted in 1872 or 1873, from whose title the entire movement had got na me. It was art critic Louis Leroy, who coined the term Impressionism, and it had been derogatory, but, Impressionists had liked it and had found it very appropriate for them.The painting â€Å"Impression: The Sunrise† was exhibited 1874 at the first Impressionist exhibition in the studio of Nadar. Today, it is displayed in the Musee Marmottan-Monet in Paris. Monet continued to revise his craft until his death in 1926. With his eyesight deteriorating, one of his final and greatest feats included his creation of â€Å"The Water Lilies† paintings. (Seen in fig. 5) He worked on twelve large canvases and donated them to France. Monet is a household name that lives on in the hearts and minds of the artistic individuals and the lovers of art and its creators everywhere.When looking at Claude Monet’s life, I came to a realization, that he blazed a trail in the art world and he never looked back. Never took no for an answer. Inspired others to find their voice, and creat ed a movement that challenged the status quo in the painting world. The question shouldn’t be, â€Å"what did Monet contribute to the art world? No. In this case it should be â€Å"what didn’t Monet contribute to the art world? Monet's extraordinarily long life and large artistic output befit the enormity of his contemporary popularity.Impressionism, for which he is a pillar, continues to be one of the most reproduced styles of art for popular consumption in the form of calendars, postcards, and posters. Additionally, his paintings command top prices at auctions. Monet's work is in every major museum worldwide and continues to be sought after. While there have been major internationally touring retrospectives of his work, even the presence of one Monet painting can anchor an entire exhibition for the audience. The impact of his experiments with changing mood and light on static surfaces can be seen in most major artistic movements of the early twentieth century.When reading books about Monet’s life and his life work, I started to make a list of what made up the â€Å"Impressionist† style. Some elements I found talked about were, absence of light and shade and local tone, division of color and systematic use of complimentary colors and finally, plein-airism which is to try and recreate the outdoor light and air while painting in daylight. Monet was able to gather these elements and use them to help express his style in a unique way artistically, and allowed others to follow him. Through Impressionism, Monet was allowed freedom and a zest for life.Not staying in the lines or playing it safe. Monet shed some light on following your true calling and doing what you feel truly called to do. Monet runs the risk of shattering the traditional image of things as he pushes on towards his dream of the Impressionistic movement. For example, Monet isn’t afraid to give his canvases that chalky appearance which is indicated by the subject under contemplation. His craftsmanship is never systematic, whether he is showing fields of grass, or rocks and the sea. He has long strokes as well as fragmented ones.Then sometimes there’s a lot of what is called â€Å"brisk fluttering† which moves about the painting much like a butterfly would fly around. From far away his work can feel like a mash up of colors. But when you get closer you begin to see what he saw. What he was trying to portray through his works. I think what really stands out to me are the â€Å"Water Lilies† ( see figure 6) from a distance all you see is color and you don’t see the distinct shapes. But I guess that’s the thing, the shapes aren’t distinct. They are up for interpretation.That’s sort of the whole point of Impressionism, or that’s what I think anyways. Monet brought spontaneity to the art world. He brought rhythm and harmony but in an unconventional way. Monet brought freedom of expression bac k to art and took it to new heights. Monet breathed hope back into the arts, bringing â€Å"poetry back to science. † Monet taught us a new way to see the world, perceive it, and recreate it in a way we see fit. Growing up we had one of Monet’s infamous â€Å"Water Lilies† paintings hanging on our wall. It was called, â€Å"Bridge over a Pool of Water Lilies. † (See fig. ) I was young, but I remember it hanging around, literally, in our old house and for a while in the house we live in now. Truthfully, I thought it was a painting of turtles in water. The way the water lilies sat next to each other I could clearly make out eyes and the body of turtles. Oh how I laugh when I think of that. It’s funny. But that’s what I got out of Monet’s paintings when I was little. In fact when I glance at it now, that’s still what I see. I wonder what Monet would think if he were alive today and I told him that. Maybe he would laugh. Maybe he w ould say it was okay I got it wrong.But it was my own interpretation, so was it wrong? I appreciate Impressionistic art; a lot. I appreciate Monet and what he stood for and worked for. I appreciate the fact that it is an impression of what the world looks like but if they colors aren’t perfect or the lines are straight, it’s still okay. One picture that I really enjoyed was, â€Å"Woman with a Parasol – Madame Monet and Her Son. † (See fig. 8) When looking at this picture you can feel the wind on her face, in her hair, around her dress. All you have to do is look at this painting and you can really feel it.I can also see the chalky or abrupt strokes he used in the sky. The whites are not mixed in with the blues and its sticks out and I like that. It’s not formal. I love all the colors in the blades of grass. I don’t know about you but when I think of grass one color comes to mind, yep, green. But when Monet thinks of grass he sees greens, br owns, yellows, red, gray†¦I could keep going. But it all works so well together. All those stokes of color. One stroke, that’s all it takes. Monet doesn’t mix his colors together. They stand by themselves, proud and ready to be seen. I enjoy that.The mystery he conveys in the woman’s face is also intriguing. The picture makes you think, your mind doesn’t get bored quickly when you look at this painting. The details in the young boy’s hat are nice. The pop of red on the ribbon that goes around the hat, it stands out the eye and you catch it right away. It also helps bring out the reds in the blades of grass. Some other works that fascinated me while I was reading about Monet was his little series on boats. I enjoyed, â€Å"Boating on the Epte† and â€Å"In the Rowing Boat. † (See fig. 9 and 10). When looking at these paintings I was quickly reminded of the movie The Notebook.Specifically because in the movie the main characters ar e in a boat much like the ones in the pictures, and they have a sort of romance about them. They just look so romantic, the paintings. I don’t know if that was the intention behind these but its how I have interpreted them. It just amazes me, how Monet has such a loose stroke or a loose way of painting and yet it still turns out looking so good with great accuracy. He was a pretty good drawer before he started to paint so I’m sure that helps, but just looking at the details in these paintings I have grown such a respect for the Impressionists of the world.I respect them and their craft. I couldn’t do it, and they do it with what looks like ease. Monet makes me believe that if I put my mind to it, anything is possible. I know that sounds a bit cliche, but it’s true. Monet started a movement, and it opened a whole new way of thinking for artists. I think if I were to seriously pursue painting or something of that sort, Monet would definitely be role model. I’m really into fashion, and in a way, Monet’s style of painting could inspire a clothing line. The colors of his paintings surely would do the trick.His earthy tones would do great in the fall, and the whites and cool blues for winter. So I guess, Monet didn’t only have an impact on the art world, he kind of has an impact on the whole world. His styles could be used for more than painting. I’ve learned nothing is too big to chase. Monet is a classic get knocked down seven times, stand up eight kind of stories. Life changes every day. Nothing stays the same. It is always up for interpretation. I think Monet captured that idea and thought through a brush and paint. Monet is telling us we call all do the same, in our own way.

Friday, January 10, 2020

Party Monster: The Twisted Story of New York’s Club Scene Essay

The mid-1990s was a time of wealth and recreation for the United States, with the combination of economic progress and social liberty producing a new generation of spoiled, unrestrained and often genuinely reckless young ‘celebutantes. ’ As many Americans were making their fortune on the Wall Street or in the Silicon Valley, a counterculture of hedonistic abandon emerged not necessarily in response or even contrast to these patterns, but rather oblivious to them. Centered on the club scene in New York City, the nightlife excesses of this era would closely mirror those of the disco era in the late 1970s. Just as the music, drugs, sex and glamour had come to define such hotspots as Paradise Garage and Studio 54 in the 1970s, so too would such locations as the Limelight and the Tunnel become notorious for the bacchanalian events which transpired inside during the 1990s. The early to mid-90s would in fact play witness to a peak in debauchery and mayhem with some of the scene’s most prominent self-made figures devolving from mere hedonists to perpetrators of serious and grotesque criminal extremity. The real-life narrative of Michael Alig and the Club Kid scene to which he was a self-proclaimed icon is at once a cautionary tale remarking upon the extent to which superficiality can breed outright evil and simultaneously projecting itself as a twisted tale of celebrity intrigue. In the novel by former scenester James St. James, Disco Bloodbath, as well as in the 1999 documentary and the 2003 film, both entitled Party Monster, the events surrounding the rise, peak and fall of the New York club scene are suggested as the hazy underside of a cultural mirror. The figures at the center take on mythic proportions for the hugeness of their appetites, their unwillingness to compromise hedonism even for ethical reflection and their suggested parallel to the most extreme impulses in the broader culture. The film, directed by Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato reached limited audiences and fairly consistent acclaim upon its 2003 release. However, in research of television footage, documentary material, newspaper articles and interviews, it becomes increasingly clear that the film does a compellingly accurate job at capturing the personas, ethos and destructiveness of its focal characters. In particular, Michael Alig, played by Macauley Culkin, and James St. James, portrayed by Seth Green, channel the impulsive stupidity that lay at the root of the scene. The New York club scene that is depicted in such vivid and aggressive color by the film at the center of this discussion is one which sprang from the decay of the disco scene. The sexual revolution of the seventies—which opened the door for an unprecedented freedom of expression in the urban gay communities that were so prominent to the club scene—gay way to a more cosmetic interest in gay fashion, gay aesthetics and gay lifestyle excesses during the plastic eighties. This transition gave birth to the new club archetype of the late decade, with figures such as Alig, St. James, DJ Keoki, Amanda Lepore, Sophia Lamar and Richie Rich rising to prominence. Most of these individuals shared the same background as wealthy trust fund children who determined to use college moneys provided by affluent parents in far off places to migrate to the heart of New York’s gay community to shop for clothes, drugs and party supplies. Generally, this is how the club scene would come to be, with the figures collectively creating a genuine and notable ‘happening,’ which centered on the core premises of indulgence in sexual immodesty, costuming, drug binging and non-stop, excessive partying. Most of these individuals would become connected by their shared interests, meeting in the same VIP lounges, after-parties, dance-floors and back-rooms. However, they would soon create their own shared agenda, which largely consisted of concocting the most decadent, elaborate and creative party and club events imaginable. Ingredients for the pursuit of this aim were universally related to the intake of heavy intoxicants such as ketamine, cocaine, heroin and ecstasy as well as the donning of making, costume and androgynous fixings. The connection between these individuals established something of a familial scene in which individuals engaged in free love and unabashed expression. Though there was an artistic oeuvre to the scene, particularly notable in the transgender excesses which distinguished the players, there was not necessarily any meaningful ideology or core intention other than to be, as Alig would so often demand, ‘fabulous. Those who were directly participatory in the club escapades, as would be shown in the film, were of minimal ideological grounding and came from errant and flimsy philosophical consideration. Interestingly though, these figures would with no small air of self-parody project various ideas about a mission or purpose in the proportion of their behaviors. In a very interesting broadcast which can be found on You Tube (http://www. youtube. com/watch? v=2h-JvWdPR0o), the Jane Whitney show would play host to a few members of this scene. In addition to demonstrating the notoriety to which these individuals had risen for essentially showing up to or planning elaborate party events, the talk show showed these to be a collective of very young individuals with a limited sense of purpose. In the sequence linked to above, it is clear that the notables featured on the show would come for a shared background generally distinguishable economic resource and few concerns beyond appearance and the pursuit of pleasurable activity. Richie Rich, Michael Alig, Walt Paper and others featured on the show struggle in coming to a common recognition of that which might be considered a central mission for the Club Kids. The Club Kids were a specific group of these scenestes who were noted for their role in defining said scene. Fixtures at the parties and discotheques, and even of the local gossip columns and celebrity reels, the Club Kids would become notorious for the extent to which they were willing to engage in excessive and what mainstream culture would consider downright dangerous behavior. In Party Monster the Club Kids are portrayed with some degree of sympathy, afforded by the source of most material concerning their activities, which tended to arise from the participants. Such is to say that many of those formerly involved in the scene would become successful as fashion designers, club promoters and performance artists. Indeed, referring back to the interview on Jane Whitney, the Club Kids cite Madonna and RuPaul as two individuals who had risen to genuine mainstream fame from the core of the club scene. In the discussion stimulated by Party Monster, we can see that the Club Kids were really a core of individuals who believed themselves to be engaged in some manner of social liberation. This much is hinted at and simultaneously contradicted in the Whitney interview. However, we can see a more palpable evidence that this is occurring in the alleged words of Michael Alig himself. As one who created his own image as the great party-promoter and chief merrymaker for his time and place, he had also come to play this part with a degree of individual excess that set him apart in a setting where this extremity was the norm. He would characterize his own social calling, according the film according to a personal impetus at how life should be pursued which is conspicuously hedonistic in the most genuine definition of the term. So would the Culkin-played character contend that â€Å"one day I realized I didn’t want to be like all the drearies and normals. I wanted to create a world full of color where everyone could play. One big party. . . that never ends. † (Bailey & Barbado, 1) To his perspective, there was a real mission and purpose in defying the gray habitations of mainstream society. As aspects of the lifestyle tendencies in such individuals were largely rejected by mainstream society—in particular their sexual proclivities and dug consumption habits—this would seem an appropriate framing for an existence of sheer indulgence. Perhaps more succinctly phrased is the explanation supplied by St. James himself in a 2003 interview with Ogunnaike, where he reflects with a degree of assume removal from this belief system today, on the idea that there was some kind of meaning or accomplishment to what was being done. As reported, â€Å"‘while Mr. St. James admits that he and his merry band of misfits were †nightmares and brats’,† he argues that there was an ideology, a club-kid agenda, behind the false eyelashes. †We were going to do away with sexual roles,† he explained. †Ã¢â‚¬â„¢Drag was going to be the norm. Drugs were going to be this gateway into this utopian society. ‘’’ (Ogunnaike, 1) Naturally, as this examination and the film clearly must contend with, the horrific events constituting the end of this scene would sharply counter such ambitions. Still, and quite interestingly, as is noted in a New York Times article from the time of the film’s release, there is concocted by the sympathies of the filmmakers and the author a tendency to frame the events of this time as somehow being worthy of note beyond their implications to the pursuit of fun. To this extent, it is noted that, â€Å"as hard as it is to imagine now, nightclubs seemed somehow important then. Jean-Michel Basquiat and Keith Haring were doing installations, the outre 4 a. m. fashion was more interesting than anything on the runways, and people seemed to emerge from the disco as fully formed celebrities. Alig was the last of these self-created downtown freaks. † (Van Meter, 1) The Club Kids, Alig here included, would be remarkable for their aggressive pursuit of the things this implied. The characters that made up the inner circle of the Club Kids were those perhaps most rampantly committed to the extremity of the lifestyle, which consisted of sexual swinging and a consumption of drugs that, by all accounts, is even downplayed in the film in order to prevent audiences from falling into disbelief. Such is to say that reports and self admission as the level of drug abuse in the scene during the late 80s and into the early 90s for such figures as James St. James and Michael Alig demonstrate that it was nothing less than deadline. Ironically, both of these figures have survived to present date to tell this story, but the latter has done so largely from within a prison cell. The story of the Club Kids might seem essentially unremarkable for its representation of New York City during this time. Such is to say that the metropolitan city has already become a lightning rod for drug use, sexual excess, homosexual liberation and nightclubbing. That a subculture had developed around this would be no major revelation either. Just as had occurred in the disco heyday of the seventies, in-crowd celebrities and self-avowed leaders of the scene would become omnipresent in defining the existence of a cultural occurrence. What tends to set this story is its worthy representation of the horrors which can truly be created in such a cauldron of thoughtlessness. There is, without question, a prime directive guiding the actions of the Club Kids which utterly rejects the premise of consequences. The drug abuse, sexual indiscretion and refusal of responsibility will boil over in the events that compose the climax of Party Monster. When Alig and his roommate Freezes conspire in the chaotic murder of their drug-dealer, Angel Melendez, a lucid collapse would end the so-called Golden Age of the New York club scene. With its end would also come a host of philosophical questions relating the nature of the excess pursued and the form taken by this grisly endnote. Such is to say that there is a certain coldness and emotional detachment that is portrayed in the film and identifiable in the real-life Alig which causes us to view the murder as a direct and inevitable outcome to the abuses and the sheer materialist superficiality fostered by the club scene and its attendant lifestyle. In the Van Meter article, the journalist suggests that there was a clear pattern by which this process of decline had begun to occur, even before the events that killed Melendez. The particular spark that would ignite this incident would be merely symptomatic of a shadowy presence that had begun to rear its head. As the fun and airy ambitions of the Club Kids segued into hard drug dependencies and heartless sexual trysts, the pressure of ketamine and heroin had become dominant. As reported, â€Å"by the mid-nineties, the club scene had grown darker. At Alig’s Disco 2000, the Wednesday-night bacchanal at the Limelight, the warm, fuzzy bath of a roomful of people on ecstasy had turned into a torture chamber: people dressed like monsters stumbling around in their K-holes in a deconsecrated Gothic church while the menacing hardcore-techno music drove them literally out of their minds. † (Van Meter, 1) The impending ugliness of the scene could be scene in no one less than Michael Alig himself. He had been an inspirational party promoter and, in some respects one might have to admit, even a tireless worker in pursuit of extracting enjoyment for others. This is to say that there was some degree of his character which seemed to delight in bringing pleasure to others. And yet, there is a more apparent interest according to many of those who knew him, to delight in the pleasure that others recognized to have been extracted by his efforts. By all accounts, the evidence which the movie and the true events suggest that Alig was a consummate performer, both socially and emotionally. In the interview with Van Meter from his prison cell, which we will return to further on in this account, Alig explicitly claims that he works very hard to maintain a facade of uncaring coolness in deflection of the fact that he is extremely self-conscious about what others think of him. This admission, which is given well after the fact of his crime, lends us insight as we enter into a discussion on the murder itself. Indeed, extreme and reprehensible nature of the crime and causes us to question just exactly what lay beneath this facade. In building toward the event of the murder, the film comes to gradually show what type of figure Alig is. Though it does come after the fact of the murder and Alig’s incarceration, the film seems to leave no doubt that Alig is a man capable of deeply wrong acts. He is shown as one who is by his own nature and accord always attempting to engage of acts of great deviance, mischief and even wanton destruction. While many of the other Club Kids made their advances in the scene according to the utopian premises suggested by St. James, Alig took an altogether different tack to withdrawing from mainstream constraints. We can see as much even the relationship between he and St. James which is captured as the centerpiece of the film. As St. James is shown as marginally more thoughtful than his cohort, Alig is shown to be an almost unreal individual, whose shades of extremity could often infiltrate the territory of outright meanness. To this end, â€Å"the relationship between the two vacillates between tenderness and cruelty (as when Alig serves a glass of his urine to St. James, who takes it for Champagne), and it is the focus of this muddled, sometimes touching movie. (Scott, 1) That there is any type of emotion fostered between them we may say is a factor which actually conspires against such figures as St. James and, at another touching moment in the film, the jilted DJ Keoki (played by Wilmer Valderama). Because in truth, Alig is the figure who most accurately and ably captures the emptiness which is at the center of his scene. As a figure who inspires others to find ever more elaborate and incongruous ways to costume themselves, Alig is perpetually one who hides behind masks even as he aims to be a sweetheart of the spotlight.