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Wendy's #8286 (2,809 square feet)
1572 Mill Dam Road, Virginia Beach, VA
Opened in 2000; originally Boston Market (December 7th, 1996-October 1998)
For the duration of time I was in this Wendy's I couldn't help but feel like something was off. It's a boxy building built horizontally so the kitchen's on the left, seating's on the right, which isn't a setup that I associate with the chain at all. Yet something seemed so familiar about this specific layout. It wasn't until after I visited that I discovered that it used to be a Boston Market! It all made sense now: this was the same layout I had just seen a few days prior at the Hampton Boston Market, including the small glass vestibule at the front of the restaurant. This was a cool find, especially since it isn't very often that Wendy's opens up in a reused building!
Located a specific space in an assigned area of bachelor forest. The site must inform a sculpture. The installation of the work was temporary.
As a group project, my partner and I used nylon flagging tape to drape from a "wind blown" tree. We used 2 sets of complementary neon colors at varying lengths and hung from different branches. Conceptually, our idea represents materialism taking over our nature. Although sometimes beautiful, materialism is at the same time covering up our nature's beauty. Our choice of neon colors represent the boldness of this concept. Also, we believe our piece serves as two sculptures in one. For example, when at a stand still the piece shows the different vertical layer of ribbon, however when the wind is blowing, the colors interact with each other.
Materials: 4colors of nylon neon flagging tape, rubber bands, scissors, and a ladder.
Site specific theatre theater performance perform performance art
site-specific theatricality installation site specific create process San Francisco bay area
Poland Prague Cargo Ship Art ship Theatrical
Theatrically devised collaborate collaborative
collaboratively thetre thatre theter theatr theate
teatr divadlo predstaveni predstavani ensemble work
artwork scultpture installation umeni compose composed
composer hudba react reaction place site room
performed Boston New York Los Angeles experimental
avant garde experiment performative installation
instalation install sculpt puppet puppeteer oakland
company scrap and salvage James Mulligan Rafal
Klopotowski Emiko Lewis Frank Lee Erin Blendu Eric
ANdler Molly Rhodes Emily Rosenthal Allison Wyper
bluespace 1000 van ness 1k this end up #3 hold piwnica
marchewy lorca project
In monotheism, God is conceived of as the Supreme Being and principal object of faith.[3] The concept of God as described by most theologians includes the attributes of omniscience (infinite knowledge), omnipotence (unlimited power), omnipresence (present everywhere), divine simplicity, and as having an eternal and necessary existence. Many theologians also describe God as being omnibenevolent (perfectly good), and all loving.
God is most often held to be non-corporeal,[3] and to be without any human biological sex,[4][5] yet the concept of God actively creating the universe (as opposed to passively)[6] has caused many religions to describe God using masculine terminology, using such terms as "Him" or "Father". Furthermore, some religions (such as Judaism) attribute only a purely grammatical "gender" to God.[7]
In theism, God is the creator and sustainer of the universe, while in deism, God is the creator, but not the sustainer, of the universe. In pantheism, God is the universe itself. In atheism, God is not believed to exist, while God is deemed unknown or unknowable within the context of agnosticism. God has also been conceived as being incorporeal (immaterial), a personal being, the source of all moral obligation, and the "greatest conceivable existent".[3] Many notable philosophers have developed arguments for and against the existence of God.[8]
There are many names for God, and different names are attached to different cultural ideas about God's identity and attributes. In the ancient Egyptian era of Atenism, possibly the earliest recorded monotheistic religion, this deity was called Aten,[9] premised on being the one "true" Supreme Being and Creator of the Universe.[10] In the Hebrew Bible and Judaism, "He Who Is", "I Am that I Am", and the tetragrammaton YHWH (Hebrew: יהוה, which means: "I am who I am"; "He Who Exists") are used as names of God, while Yahweh and Jehovah are sometimes used in Christianity as vocalizations of YHWH. In the Christian doctrine of the Trinity, God, consubstantial in three persons, is called the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. In Judaism, it is common to refer to God by the titular names Elohim or Adonai, the latter of which is believed by some scholars to descend from the Egyptian Aten.[11][12][13][14][15] In Islam, the name Allah, "Al-El", or "Al-Elah" ("the God") is used, while Muslims also have a multitude of titular names for God. In Hinduism, Brahman is often considered a monistic deity.[16] Other religions have names for God, for instance, Baha in the Bahá'í Faith,[17] Waheguru in Sikhism,[18] and Ahura Mazda in Zoroastrianism.[19]
The many different conceptions of God, and competing claims as to God's characteristics, aims, and actions, have led to the development of ideas of omnitheism, pandeism,[20][21] or a perennial philosophy, which postulates that there is one underlying theological truth, of which all religions express a partial understanding, and as to which "the devout in the various great world religions are in fact worshipping that one God, but through different, overlapping concepts or mental images of Him."[22]
Contents [hide]
1Etymology and usage
2General conceptions
2.1Oneness
2.2Theism, deism and pantheism
2.3Other concepts
3Non-theistic views
3.1Agnosticism and atheism
3.2Anthropomorphism
4Existence
5Specific attributes
5.1Names
5.2Gender
5.3Relationship with creation
6Depiction
6.1Zoroastrianism
6.2Islam
6.3Judaism
6.4Christianity
7Theological approaches
8Distribution of belief
9See also
9.1In specific religions
10References
11Further reading
12External links
Etymology and usage
The Mesha Stele bears the earliest known reference (840 BCE) to the Israelite God Yahweh.
Main article: God (word)
The earliest written form of the Germanic word God (always, in this usage, capitalized[23]) comes from the 6th-century Christian Codex Argenteus. The English word itself is derived from the Proto-Germanic * ǥuđan. The reconstructed Proto-Indo-European form * ǵhu-tó-m was likely based on the root * ǵhau(ə)-, which meant either "to call" or "to invoke".[24] The Germanic words for God were originally neuter—applying to both genders—but during the process of the Christianization of the Germanic peoples from their indigenous Germanic paganism, the words became a masculine syntactic form.[25]
The word 'Allah' in Arabic calligraphy
In the English language, the capitalized form of God continues to represent a distinction between monotheistic "God" and "gods" in polytheism.[26][27] The English word God and its counterparts in other languages are normally used for any and all conceptions and, in spite of significant differences between religions, the term remains an English translation common to all. The same holds for Hebrew El, but in Judaism, God is also given a proper name, the tetragrammaton YHWH, in origin possibly the name of an Edomite or Midianite deity, Yahweh. In many translations of the Bible, when the word LORD is in all capitals, it signifies that the word represents the tetragrammaton.[28]
Allāh (Arabic: الله) is the Arabic term with no plural used by Muslims and Arabic speaking Christians and Jews meaning "The God" (with a capital G), while "ʾilāh" (Arabic: إله) is the term used for a deity or a god in general.[29][30][31] God may also be given a proper name in monotheistic currents of Hinduism which emphasize the personal nature of God, with early references to his name as Krishna-Vasudeva in Bhagavata or later Vishnu and Hari.[32]
Ahura Mazda is the name for God used in Zoroastrianism. "Mazda", or rather the Avestan stem-form Mazdā-, nominative Mazdå, reflects Proto-Iranian *Mazdāh (female). It is generally taken to be the proper name of the spirit, and like its Sanskrit cognate medhā, means "intelligence" or "wisdom". Both the Avestan and Sanskrit words reflect Proto-Indo-Iranian *mazdhā-, from Proto-Indo-European mn̩sdʰeh1, literally meaning "placing (dʰeh1) one's mind (*mn̩-s)", hence "wise".[33]
Waheguru (Punjabi: vāhigurū) is a term most often used in Sikhism to refer to God. It means "Wonderful Teacher" in the Punjabi language. Vāhi (a Middle Persian borrowing) means "wonderful" and guru (Sanskrit: guru) is a term denoting "teacher". Waheguru is also described by some as an experience of ecstasy which is beyond all descriptions. The most common usage of the word "Waheguru" is in the greeting Sikhs use with each other:
Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa, Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh
Wonderful Lord's Khalsa, Victory is to the Wonderful Lord.
Baha, the "greatest" name for God in the Baha'i faith, is Arabic for "All-Glorious".
General conceptions
Main article: Conceptions of God
There is no clear consensus on the nature or even the existence of God.[34] The Abrahamic conceptions of God include the monotheistic definition of God in Judaism, the trinitarian view of Christians, and the Islamic concept of God. The dharmic religions differ in their view of the divine: views of God in Hinduism vary by region, sect, and caste, ranging from monotheistic to polytheistic. Divinity was recognized by the historical Buddha, particularly Śakra and Brahma. However, other sentient beings, including gods, can at best only play a supportive role in one's personal path to salvation. Conceptions of God in the latter developments of the Mahayana tradition give a more prominent place to notions of the divine.[citation needed]
Oneness
Main articles: Monotheism and Henotheism
The Trinity is the belief that God is composed of The Father, The Son (embodied metaphysically in the physical realm by Jesus), and The Holy Spirit.
Monotheists hold that there is only one god, and may claim that the one true god is worshiped in different religions under different names. The view that all theists actually worship the same god, whether they know it or not, is especially emphasized in Hinduism[35] and Sikhism.[36] In Christianity, the doctrine of the Trinity describes God as one God in three persons. The Trinity comprises The Father, The Son (embodied metaphysically by Jesus), and The Holy Spirit.[37] Islam's most fundamental concept is tawhid (meaning "oneness" or "uniqueness"). God is described in the Quran as: "Say: He is Allah, the One and Only; Allah, the Eternal, Absolute; He begetteth not, nor is He begotten; And there is none like unto Him."[38][39] Muslims repudiate the Christian doctrine of the Trinity and the divinity of Jesus, comparing it to polytheism. In Islam, God is beyond all comprehension or equal and does not resemble any of his creations in any way. Thus, Muslims are not iconodules, and are not expected to visualize God.[40]
Henotheism is the belief and worship of a single god while accepting the existence or possible existence of other deities.[41]
Theism, deism and pantheism
Main articles: Theism, Deism, and Pantheism
Theism generally holds that God exists realistically, objectively, and independently of human thought; that God created and sustains everything; that God is omnipotent and eternal; and that God is personal and interacting with the universe through, for example, religious experience and the prayers of humans.[42] Theism holds that God is both transcendent and immanent; thus, God is simultaneously infinite and in some way present in the affairs of the world.[43] Not all theists subscribe to all of these propositions, but each usually subscribes to some of them (see, by way of comparison, family resemblance).[42] Catholic theology holds that God is infinitely simple and is not involuntarily subject to time. Most theists hold that God is omnipotent, omniscient, and benevolent, although this belief raises questions about God's responsibility for evil and suffering in the world. Some theists ascribe to God a self-conscious or purposeful limiting of omnipotence, omniscience, or benevolence. Open Theism, by contrast, asserts that, due to the nature of time, God's omniscience does not mean the deity can predict the future. Theism is sometimes used to refer in general to any belief in a god or gods, i.e., monotheism or polytheism.[44][45]
"God blessing the seventh day", a watercolor painting depicting God, by William Blake (1757 – 1827)
Deism holds that God is wholly transcendent: God exists, but does not intervene in the world beyond what was necessary to create it.[43] In this view, God is not anthropomorphic, and neither answers prayers nor produces miracles. Common in Deism is a belief that God has no interest in humanity and may not even be aware of humanity. Pandeism and Panendeism, respectively, combine Deism with the Pantheistic or Panentheistic beliefs.[21][46][47] Pandeism is proposed to explain as to Deism why God would create a universe and then abandon it,[48] and as to Pantheism, the origin and purpose of the universe.[48][49]
Pantheism holds that God is the universe and the universe is God, whereas Panentheism holds that God contains, but is not identical to, the Universe.[50] It is also the view of the Liberal Catholic Church; Theosophy; some views of Hinduism except Vaishnavism, which believes in panentheism; Sikhism; some divisions of Neopaganism and Taoism, along with many varying denominations and individuals within denominations. Kabbalah, Jewish mysticism, paints a pantheistic/panentheistic view of God—which has wide acceptance in Hasidic Judaism, particularly from their founder The Baal Shem Tov—but only as an addition to the Jewish view of a personal god, not in the original pantheistic sense that denies or limits persona to God.[citation needed]
Other concepts
Dystheism, which is related to theodicy, is a form of theism which holds that God is either not wholly good or is fully malevolent as a consequence of the problem of evil. One such example comes from Dostoevsky's The Brothers Karamazov, in which Ivan Karamazov rejects God on the grounds that he allows children to suffer.[51]
In modern times, some more abstract concepts have been developed, such as process theology and open theism. The contemporaneous French philosopher Michel Henry has however proposed a phenomenological approach and definition of God as phenomenological essence of Life.[52]
God has also been conceived as being incorporeal (immaterial), a personal being, the source of all moral obligation, and the "greatest conceivable existent".[3] These attributes were all supported to varying degrees by the early Jewish, Christian and Muslim theologian philosophers, including Maimonides,[53] Augustine of Hippo,[53] and Al-Ghazali,[8] respectively.
Non-theistic views
See also: Evolutionary origin of religions and Evolutionary psychology of religion
Non-theist views about God also vary. Some non-theists avoid the concept of God, whilst accepting that it is significant to many; other non-theists understand God as a symbol of human values and aspirations. The nineteenth-century English atheist Charles Bradlaugh declared that he refused to say "There is no God", because "the word 'God' is to me a sound conveying no clear or distinct affirmation";[54] he said more specifically that he disbelieved in the Christian god. Stephen Jay Gould proposed an approach dividing the world of philosophy into what he called "non-overlapping magisteria" (NOMA). In this view, questions of the supernatural, such as those relating to the existence and nature of God, are non-empirical and are the proper domain of theology. The methods of science should then be used to answer any empirical question about the natural world, and theology should be used to answer questions about ultimate meaning and moral value. In this view, the perceived lack of any empirical footprint from the magisterium of the supernatural onto natural events makes science the sole player in the natural world.[55]
Another view, advanced by Richard Dawkins, is that the existence of God is an empirical question, on the grounds that "a universe with a god would be a completely different kind of universe from one without, and it would be a scientific difference."[56] Carl Sagan argued that the doctrine of a Creator of the Universe was difficult to prove or disprove and that the only conceivable scientific discovery that could disprove the existence of a Creator (not necessarily a God) would be the discovery that the universe is infinitely old.[57]
Stephen Hawking and co-author Leonard Mlodinow state in their book, The Grand Design, that it is reasonable to ask who or what created the universe, but if the answer is God, then the question has merely been deflected to that of who created God. Both authors claim however, that it is possible to answer these questions purely within the realm of science, and without invoking any divine beings.[58] Neuroscientist Michael Nikoletseas has proposed that questions of the existence of God are no different from questions of natural sciences. Following a biological comparative approach, he concludes that it is highly probable that God exists, and, although not visible, it is possible that we know some of his attributes.[59]
Agnosticism and atheism
Agnosticism is the view that, the truth values of certain claims – especially metaphysical and religious claims such as whether God, the divine or the supernatural exist – are unknown and perhaps unknowable.[60][61][62]
Atheism is, in a broad sense, the rejection of belief in the existence of deities, or a God.[63][64] In a narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there are no deities.[65]
Anthropomorphism
Main article: Anthropomorphism
Pascal Boyer argues that while there is a wide array of supernatural concepts found around the world, in general, supernatural beings tend to behave much like people. The construction of gods and spirits like persons is one of the best known traits of religion. He cites examples from Greek mythology, which is, in his opinion, more like a modern soap opera than other religious systems.[66] Bertrand du Castel and Timothy Jurgensen demonstrate through formalization that Boyer's explanatory model matches physics' epistemology in positing not directly observable entities as intermediaries.[67] Anthropologist Stewart Guthrie contends that people project human features onto non-human aspects of the world because it makes those aspects more familiar. Sigmund Freud also suggested that god concepts are projections of one's father.[68]
Likewise, Émile Durkheim was one of the earliest to suggest that gods represent an extension of human social life to include supernatural beings. In line with this reasoning, psychologist Matt Rossano contends that when humans began living in larger groups, they may have created gods as a means of enforcing morality. In small groups, morality can be enforced by social forces such as gossip or reputation. However, it is much harder to enforce morality using social forces in much larger groups. Rossano indicates that by including ever-watchful gods and spirits, humans discovered an effective strategy for restraining selfishness and building more cooperative groups.[69]
Existence
Main article: Existence of God
St. Thomas Aquinas summed up five main arguments as proofs for God's existence.
Isaac Newton saw the existence of a Creator necessary in the movement of astronomical objects.
Arguments about the existence of God typically include empirical, deductive, and inductive types. Different views include that: "God does not exist" (strong atheism); "God almost certainly does not exist" (de facto atheism); "no one knows whether God exists" (agnosticism[70]);"God exists, but this cannot be proven or disproven" (de facto theism); and that "God exists and this can be proven" (strong theism).[55]
Countless arguments have been proposed to prove the existence of God.[71] Some of the most notable arguments are the Five Ways of Aquinas, the Argument from Desire proposed by C.S. Lewis, and the Ontological Argument formulated both by St. Anselm and René Descartes.[72]
St. Anselm's approach was to define God as, "that than which nothing greater can be conceived". Famed pantheist philosopher Baruch Spinoza would later carry this idea to its extreme: "By God I understand a being absolutely infinite, i.e., a substance consisting of infinite attributes, of which each one expresses an eternal and infinite essence." For Spinoza, the whole of the natural universe is made of one substance, God, or its equivalent, Nature.[73] His proof for the existence of God was a variation of the Ontological argument.[74]
Scientist Isaac Newton saw God as the masterful creator whose existence could not be denied in the face of the grandeur of all creation.[75] Nevertheless, he rejected polymath Leibniz' thesis that God would necessarily make a perfect world which requires no intervention from the creator. In Query 31 of the Opticks, Newton simultaneously made an argument from design and for the necessity of intervention:
For while comets move in very eccentric orbs in all manner of positions, blind fate could never make all the planets move one and the same way in orbs concentric, some inconsiderable irregularities excepted which may have arisen from the mutual actions of comets and planets on one another, and which will be apt to increase, till this system wants a reformation.[76]
St. Thomas believed that the existence of God is self-evident in itself, but not to us. "Therefore I say that this proposition, "God exists", of itself is self-evident, for the predicate is the same as the subject.... Now because we do not know the essence of God, the proposition is not self-evident to us; but needs to be demonstrated by things that are more known to us, though less known in their nature—namely, by effects."[77] St. Thomas believed that the existence of God can be demonstrated. Briefly in the Summa theologiae and more extensively in the Summa contra Gentiles, he considered in great detail five arguments for the existence of God, widely known as the quinque viae (Five Ways).
For the original text of the five proofs, see quinque viae
Motion: Some things undoubtedly move, though cannot cause their own motion. Since there can be no infinite chain of causes of motion, there must be a First Mover not moved by anything else, and this is what everyone understands by God.
Causation: As in the case of motion, nothing can cause itself, and an infinite chain of causation is impossible, so there must be a First Cause, called God.
Existence of necessary and the unnecessary: Our experience includes things certainly existing but apparently unnecessary. Not everything can be unnecessary, for then once there was nothing and there would still be nothing. Therefore, we are compelled to suppose something that exists necessarily, having this necessity only from itself; in fact itself the cause for other things to exist.
Gradation: If we can notice a gradation in things in the sense that some things are more hot, good, etc., there must be a superlative that is the truest and noblest thing, and so most fully existing. This then, we call God (Note: Thomas does not ascribe actual qualities to God Himself).
Ordered tendencies of nature: A direction of actions to an end is noticed in all bodies following natural laws. Anything without awareness tends to a goal under the guidance of one who is aware. This we call God (Note that even when we guide objects, in Thomas's view, the source of all our knowledge comes from God as well).[78]
Alister McGrath, a formerly atheistic scientist and theologian who has been highly critical of Richard Dawkins' version of atheism
Some theologians, such as the scientist and theologian A.E. McGrath, argue that the existence of God is not a question that can be answered using the scientific method.[79][80] Agnostic Stephen Jay Gould argues that science and religion are not in conflict and do not overlap.[81]
Some findings in the fields of cosmology, evolutionary biology and neuroscience are interpreted by some atheists (including Lawrence M. Krauss and Sam Harris) as evidence that God is an imaginary entity only, with no basis in reality.[82][83][84] These atheists claim that a single, omniscient God who is imagined to have created the universe and is particularly attentive to the lives of humans has been imagined, embellished and promulgated in a trans-generational manner.[85] Richard Dawkins interprets such findings not only as a lack of evidence for the material existence of such a God, but as extensive evidence to the contrary.[55] However, his views are opposed by some theologians and scientists including Alister McGrath, who argues that existence of God is compatible with science.[86]
Neuroscientist Michael Nikoletseas has proposed that questions of the existence of God are no different from questions of natural sciences. Following a biological comparative approach, he concludes that it is highly probable that God exists, and, although not visible, it is possible that we know some of his attributes.[59]
Specific attributes
Different religious traditions assign differing (though often similar) attributes and characteristics to God, including expansive powers and abilities, psychological characteristics, gender characteristics, and preferred nomenclature. The assignment of these attributes often differs according to the conceptions of God in the culture from which they arise. For example, attributes of God in Christianity, attributes of God in Islam, and the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy in Judaism share certain similarities arising from their common roots.
Names
Main article: Names of God
99 names of Allah, in Chinese Sini (script)
The word God is "one of the most complex and difficult in the English language." In the Judeo-Christian tradition, "the Bible has been the principal source of the conceptions of God". That the Bible "includes many different images, concepts, and ways of thinking about" God has resulted in perpetual "disagreements about how God is to be conceived and understood".[87]
Throughout the Hebrew and Christian Bibles there are many names for God. One of them is Elohim. Another one is El Shaddai, meaning "God Almighty".[88] A third notable name is El Elyon, which means "The Most High God".[89]
God is described and referred in the Quran and hadith by certain names or attributes, the most common being Al-Rahman, meaning "Most Compassionate" and Al-Rahim, meaning "Most Merciful" (See Names of God in Islam).[90]
Supreme soul
The Brahma Kumaris use the term "Supreme Soul" to refer to God. They see God as incorporeal and eternal, and regard him as a point of living light like human souls, but without a physical body, as he does not enter the cycle of birth, death and rebirth. God is seen as the perfect and constant embodiment of all virtues, powers and values and that He is the unconditionally loving Father of all souls, irrespective of their religion, gender, or culture.[91]
Vaishnavism, a tradition in Hinduism, has list of titles and names of Krishna.
Gender
Main article: Gender of God
The gender of God may be viewed as either a literal or an allegorical aspect of a deity who, in classical western philosophy, transcends bodily form.[92][93] Polytheistic religions commonly attribute to each of the gods a gender, allowing each to interact with any of the others, and perhaps with humans, sexually. In most monotheistic religions, God has no counterpart with which to relate sexually. Thus, in classical western philosophy the gender of this one-and-only deity is most likely to be an analogical statement of how humans and God address, and relate to, each other. Namely, God is seen as begetter of the world and revelation which corresponds to the active (as opposed to the receptive) role in sexual intercourse.[6]
Biblical sources usually refer to God using male words, except Genesis 1:26-27,[94][95] Psalm 123:2-3, and Luke 15:8-10 (female); Hosea 11:3-4, Deuteronomy 32:18, Isaiah 66:13, Isaiah 49:15, Isaiah 42:14, Psalm 131:2 (a mother); Deuteronomy 32:11-12 (a mother eagle); and Matthew 23:37 and Luke 13:34 (a mother hen).
Relationship with creation
See also: Creator deity, Prayer, and Worship
And Elohim Created Adam by William Blake, c.1795
Prayer plays a significant role among many believers. Muslims believe that the purpose of existence is to worship God.[96][97] He is viewed as a personal God and there are no intermediaries, such as clergy, to contact God. Prayer often also includes supplication and asking forgiveness. God is often believed to be forgiving. For example, a hadith states God would replace a sinless people with one who sinned but still asked repentance.[98] Christian theologian Alister McGrath writes that there are good reasons to suggest that a "personal god" is integral to the Christian outlook, but that one has to understand it is an analogy. "To say that God is like a person is to affirm the divine ability and willingness to relate to others. This does not imply that God is human, or located at a specific point in the universe."[99]
Adherents of different religions generally disagree as to how to best worship God and what is God's plan for mankind, if there is one. There are different approaches to reconciling the contradictory claims of monotheistic religions. One view is taken by exclusivists, who believe they are the chosen people or have exclusive access to absolute truth, generally through revelation or encounter with the Divine, which adherents of other religions do not. Another view is religious pluralism. A pluralist typically believes that his religion is the right one, but does not deny the partial truth of other religions. An example of a pluralist view in Christianity is supersessionism, i.e., the belief that one's religion is the fulfillment of previous religions. A third approach is relativistic inclusivism, where everybody is seen as equally right; an example being universalism: the doctrine that salvation is eventually available for everyone. A fourth approach is syncretism, mixing different elements from different religions. An example of syncretism is the New Age movement.
Jews and Christians believe that humans are created in the likeness of God, and are the center, crown and key to God's creation, stewards for God, supreme over everything else God had made (Gen 1:26); for this reason, humans are in Christianity called the "Children of God".[100]
Depiction
God is defined as incorporeal,[3] and invisible from direct sight, and thus cannot be portrayed in a literal visual image.
The respective principles of religions may or may not permit them to use images (which are entirely symbolic) to represent God in art or in worship .
Zoroastrianism
Ahura Mazda (depiction is on the right, with high crown) presents Ardashir I (left) with the ring of kingship. (Relief at Naqsh-e Rustam, 3rd century CE)
During the early Parthian Empire, Ahura Mazda was visually represented for worship. This practice ended during the beginning of the Sassanid empire. Zoroastrian iconoclasm, which can be traced to the end of the Parthian period and the beginning of the Sassanid, eventually put an end to the use of all images of Ahura Mazda in worship. However, Ahura Mazda continued to be symbolized by a dignified male figure, standing or on horseback which is found in Sassanian investiture.[101]
Islam
Further information: God in Islam
Muslims believe that God (Allah) is beyond all comprehension or equal and does not resemble any of His creations in any way. Thus, Muslims are not iconodules, are not expected to visualize God.[40]
Judaism
At least some Jews do not use any image for God, since God is the unimageable Being who cannot be represented in material forms.[102] In some samples of Jewish Art, however, sometimes God, or at least His Intervention, is indicated by a Hand Of God symbol, which represents the bath Kol (literally "daughter of a voice") or Voice of God;[103] this use of the Hand Of God is carried over to Christian Art.
Christianity
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Early Christians believed that the words of the Gospel of John 1:18: "No man has seen God at any time" and numerous other statements were meant to apply not only to God, but to all attempts at the depiction of God.[104]
Use of the symbolic Hand of God in the Ascension from the Drogo Sacramentary, c. 850
However, later on the Hand of God symbol is found several times in the only ancient synagogue with a large surviving decorative scheme, the Dura Europos Synagogue of the mid-3rd century, and was probably adopted into Early Christian art from Jewish art. It was common in Late Antique art in both East and West, and remained the main way of symbolizing the actions or approval of God the Father in the West until about the end of the Romanesque period. It also represents the bath Kol (literally "daughter of a voice") or voice of God,[103] just like in Jewish Art.
In situations, such as the Baptism of Christ, where a specific representation of God the Father was indicated, the Hand of God was used, with increasing freedom from the Carolingian period until the end of the Romanesque. This motif now, since the discovery of the 3rd century Dura Europos synagogue, seems to have been borrowed from Jewish art, and is found in Christian art almost from its beginnings.
The use of religious images in general continued to increase up to the end of the 7th century, to the point that in 695, upon assuming the throne, Byzantine emperor Justinian II put an image of Christ on the obverse side of his gold coins, resulting in a rift which ended the use of Byzantine coin types in the Islamic world.[105] However, the increase in religious imagery did not include depictions of God the Father. For instance, while the eighty second canon of the Council of Trullo in 692 did not specifically condemn images of The Father, it suggested that icons of Christ were preferred over Old Testament shadows and figures.[106]
The beginning of the 8th century witnessed the suppression and destruction of religious icons as the period of Byzantine iconoclasm (literally image-breaking) started. Emperor Leo III (717–741), suppressed the use of icons by imperial edict of the Byzantine Empire, presumably due to a military loss which he attributed to the undue veneration of icons.[107] The edict (which was issued without consulting the Church) forbade the veneration of religious images but did not apply to other forms of art, including the image of the emperor, or religious symbols such as the cross.[108] Theological arguments against icons then began to appear with iconoclasts arguing that icons could not represent both the divine and the human natures of Jesus at the same time. In this atmosphere, no public depictions of God the Father were even attempted and such depictions only began to appear two centuries later.
The Second Council of Nicaea in 787 effectively ended the first period of Byzantine iconoclasm and restored the honouring of icons and holy images in general.[109] However, this did not immediately translate into large scale depictions of God the Father. Even supporters of the use of icons in the 8th century, such as Saint John of Damascus, drew a distinction between images of God the Father and those of Christ.
In his treatise On the Divine Images John of Damascus wrote: "In former times, God who is without form or body, could never be depicted. But now when God is seen in the flesh conversing with men, I make an image of the God whom I see".[110] The implication here is that insofar as God the Father or the Spirit did not become man, visible and tangible, images and portrait icons can not be depicted. So what was true for the whole Trinity before Christ remains true for the Father and the Spirit but not for the Word. John of Damascus wrote:[111]
"If we attempt to make an image of the invisible God, this would be sinful indeed. It is impossible to portray one who is without body:invisible, uncircumscribed and without form."
Around 790 Charlemagne ordered a set of four books that became known as the Libri Carolini (i.e. "Charles' books") to refute what his court mistakenly understood to be the iconoclast decrees of the Byzantine Second Council of Nicaea regarding sacred images. Although not well known during the Middle Ages, these books describe the key elements of the Catholic theological position on sacred images. To the Western Church, images were just objects made by craftsmen, to be utilized for stimulating the senses of the faithful, and to be respected for the sake of the subject represented, not in themselves. The Council of Constantinople (869) (considered ecumenical by the Western Church, but not the Eastern Church) reaffirmed the decisions of the Second Council of Nicaea and helped stamp out any remaining coals of iconoclasm. Specifically, its third canon required the image of Christ to have veneration equal with that of a Gospel book:[112]
We decree that the sacred image of our Lord Jesus Christ, the liberator and Savior of all people, must be venerated with the same honor as is given the book of the holy Gospels. For as through the language of the words contained in this book all can reach salvation, so, due to the action which these images exercise by their colors, all wise and simple alike, can derive profit from them.
But images of God the Father were not directly addressed in Constantinople in 869. A list of permitted icons was enumerated at this Council, but symbols of God the Father were not among them.[113] However, the general acceptance of icons and holy images began to create an atmosphere in which God the Father could be symbolized.
Prior to the 10th century no attempt was made to use a human to symbolize God the Father in Western art.[104] Yet, Western art eventually required some way to illustrate the presence of the Father, so through successive representations a set of artistic styles for symbolizing the Father using a man gradually emerged around the 10th century AD. A rationale for the use of a human is the belief that God created the soul of Man in the image of His own (thus allowing Human to transcend the other animals).
It appears that when early artists designed to represent God the Father, fear and awe restrained them from a usage of the whole human figure. Typically only a small part would be used as the image, usually the hand, or sometimes the face, but rarely a whole human. In many images, the figure of the Son supplants the Father, so a smaller portion of the person of the Father is depicted.[114]
By the 12th century depictions of God the Father had started to appear in French illuminated manuscripts, which as a less public form could often be more adventurous in their iconography, and in stained glass church windows in England. Initially the head or bust was usually shown in some form of frame of clouds in the top of the picture space, where the Hand of God had formerly appeared; the Baptism of Christ on the famous baptismal font in Liège of Rainer of Huy is an example from 1118 (a Hand of God is used in another scene). Gradually the amount of the human symbol shown can increase to a half-length figure, then a full-length, usually enthroned, as in Giotto's fresco of c. 1305 in Padua.[115] In the 14th century the Naples Bible carried a depiction of God the Father in the Burning bush. By the early 15th century, the Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry has a considerable number of symbols, including an elderly but tall and elegant full-length figure walking in the Garden of Eden, which show a considerable diversity of apparent ages and dress. The "Gates of Paradise" of the Florence Baptistry by Lorenzo Ghiberti, begun in 1425 use a similar tall full-length symbol for the Father. The Rohan Book of Hours of about 1430 also included depictions of God the Father in half-length human form, which were now becoming standard, and the Hand of God becoming rarer. At the same period other works, like the large Genesis altarpiece by the Hamburg painter Meister Bertram, continued to use the old depiction of Christ as Logos in Genesis scenes. In the 15th century there was a brief fashion for depicting all three persons of the Trinity as similar or identical figures with the usual appearance of Christ.
In an early Venetian school Coronation of the Virgin by Giovanni d'Alemagna and Antonio Vivarini, (c. 1443) The Father is depicted using the symbol consistently used by other artists later, namely a patriarch, with benign, yet powerful countenance and with long white hair and a beard, a depiction largely derived from, and justified by, the near-physical, but still figurative, description of the Ancient of Days.[116]
. ...the Ancient of Days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire. (Daniel 7:9)
Usage of two Hands of God"(relatively unusual) and the Holy Spirit as a dove in Baptism of Christ, by Verrocchio, 1472
In the Annunciation by Benvenuto di Giovanni in 1470, God the Father is portrayed in the red robe and a hat that resembles that of a Cardinal. However, even in the later part of the 15th century, the symbolic representation of the Father and the Holy Spirit as "hands and dove" continued, e.g. in Verrocchio's Baptism of Christ in 1472.[117]
God the Father with His Right Hand Raised in Blessing, with a triangular halo representing the Trinity, Girolamo dai Libri c. 1555
In Renaissance paintings of the adoration of the Trinity, God may be depicted in two ways, either with emphasis on The Father, or the three elements of the Trinity. The most usual depiction of the Trinity in Renaissance art depicts God the Father using an old man, usually with a long beard and patriarchal in appearance, sometimes with a triangular halo (as a reference to the Trinity), or with a papal crown, specially in Northern Renaissance painting. In these depictions The Father may hold a globe or book (to symbolize God's knowledge and as a reference to how knowledge is deemed divine). He is behind and above Christ on the Cross in the Throne of Mercy iconography. A dove, the symbol of the Holy Spirit may hover above. Various people from different classes of society, e.g. kings, popes or martyrs may be present in the picture. In a Trinitarian Pietà, God the Father is often symbolized using a man wearing a papal dress and a papal crown, supporting the dead Christ in his arms. They are depicted as floating in heaven with angels who carry the instruments of the Passion.[118]
Representations of God the Father and the Trinity were attacked both by Protestants and within Catholicism, by the Jansenist and Baianist movements as well as more orthodox theologians. As with other attacks on Catholic imagery, this had the effect both of reducing Church support for the less central depictions, and strengthening it for the core ones. In the Western Church, the pressure to restrain religious imagery resulted in the highly influential decrees of the final session of the Council of Trent in 1563. The Council of Trent decrees confirmed the traditional Catholic doctrine that images only represented the person depicted, and that veneration to them was paid to the person, not the image.[119]
Artistic depictions of God the Father were uncontroversial in Catholic art thereafter, but less common depictions of the Trinity were condemned. In 1745 Pope Benedict XIV explicitly supported the Throne of Mercy depiction, referring to the "Ancient of Days", but in 1786 it was still necessary for Pope Pius VI to issue a papal bull condemning the decision of an Italian church council to remove all images of the Trinity from churches.[120]
The famous The Creation of Adam by Michelangelo, c.1512
God the Father is symbolized in several Genesis scenes in Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel ceiling, most famously The Creation of Adam (whose image of near touching hands of God and Adam is iconic of humanity, being a reminder that Man is created in the Image and Likeness of God (Gen 1:26)).God the Father is depicted as a powerful figure, floating in the clouds in Titian's Assumption of the Virgin in the Frari of Venice, long admired as a masterpiece of High Renaissance art.[121] The Church of the Gesù in Rome includes a number of 16th century depictions of God the Father. In some of these paintings the Trinity is still alluded to in terms of three angels, but Giovanni Battista Fiammeri also depicted God the Father as a man riding on a cloud, above the scenes.[122]
In both the Last Judgment and the Coronation of the Virgin paintings by Rubens he depicted God the Father using the image that by then had become widely accepted, a bearded patriarchal figure above the fray. In the 17th century, the two Spanish artists Velázquez (whose father-in-law Francisco Pacheco was in charge of the approval of new images for the Inquisition) and Murillo both depicted God the Father using a patriarchal figure with a white beard in a purple robe.
The Ancient of Days (1794) Watercolor etching by William Blake
While representations of God the Father were growing in Italy, Spain, Germany and the Low Countries, there was resistance elsewhere in Europe, even during the 17th century. In 1632 most members of the Star Chamber court in England (except the Archbishop of York) condemned the use of the images of the Trinity in church windows, and some considered them illegal.[123] Later in the 17th century Sir Thomas Browne wrote that he considered the representation of God the Father using an old man "a dangerous act" that might lead to Egyptian symbolism.[124] In 1847, Charles Winston was still critical of such images as a "Romish trend" (a term used to refer to Roman Catholics) that he considered best avoided in England.[125]
In 1667 the 43rd chapter of the Great Moscow Council specifically included a ban on a number of symbolic depictions of God the Father and the Holy Spirit, which then also resulted in a whole range of other icons being placed on the forbidden list,[126][127] mostly affecting Western-style depictions which had been gaining ground in Orthodox icons. The Council also declared that the person of the Trinity who was the "Ancient of Days" was Christ, as Logos, not God the Father. However some icons continued to be produced in Russia, as well as Greece, Romania, and other Orthodox countries.
Theological approaches
Theologians and philosophers have attributed to God such characteristics as omniscience, omnipotence, omnipresence, perfect goodness, divine simplicity, and eternal and necessary existence. God has been described as incorporeal, a personal being, the source of all moral obligation, and the greatest conceivable being existent.[3] These attributes were all claimed to varying degrees by the early Jewish, Christian and Muslim scholars, including Maimonides,[53] St Augustine,[53] and Al-Ghazali.[128]
Many philosophers developed arguments for the existence of God,[8] while attempting to comprehend the precise implications of God's attributes. Reconciling some of those attributes generated important philosophical problems and debates. For example, God's omniscience may seem to imply that God knows how free agents will choose to act. If God does know this, their ostensible free will might be illusory, or foreknowledge does not imply predestination, and if God does not know it, God may not be omniscient.[129]
However, if by its essential nature, free will is not predetermined, then the effect of its will can never be perfectly predicted by anyone, regardless of intelligence and knowledge. Although knowledge of the options presented to that will, combined with perfectly infinite intelligence, could be said to provide God with omniscience if omniscience is defined as knowledge or understanding of all that is.
The last centuries of philosophy have seen vigorous questions regarding the arguments for God's existence raised by such philosophers as Immanuel Kant, David Hume and Antony Flew, although Kant held that the argument from morality was valid. The theist response has been either to contend, as does Alvin Plantinga, that faith is "properly basic", or to take, as does Richard Swinburne, the evidentialist position.[130] Some theists agree that only some of the arguments for God's existence are compelling, but argue that faith is not a product of reason, but requires risk. There would be no risk, they say, if the arguments for God's existence were as solid as the laws of logic, a position summed up by Pascal as "the heart has reasons of which reason does not know."[131] A recent theory using concepts from physics and neurophysiology proposes that God can be conceptualized within the theory of integrative level.[132]
Many religious believers allow for the existence of other, less powerful spiritual beings such as angels, saints, jinn, demons, and devas.[133][134][135][136][137]
Distribution of belief
Site specific theatre theater performance perform performance art
site-specific theatricality installation site specific create process San Francisco bay area
Poland Prague Cargo Ship Art ship Theatrical
Theatrically devised collaborate collaborative
collaboratively thetre thatre theter theatr theate
teatr divadlo predstaveni predstavani ensemble work
artwork scultpture installation umeni compose composed
composer hudba react reaction place site room
performed Boston New York Los Angeles experimental
avant garde experiment performative installation
instalation install sculpt puppet puppeteer oakland
company scrap and salvage James Mulligan Rafal
Klopotowski Emiko Lewis Frank Lee Erin Blendu Eric
ANdler Molly Rhodes Emily Rosenthal Allison Wyper
bluespace 1000 van ness 1k this end up #3 hold piwnica
marchewy lorca project
site-specific gecomponeerde totaalcollage
Nest heeft Wineke Gartz gevraagd een presentatie te maken binnen de Nestarchyserie die de afgelopen jaren is ontstaan en waarbinnen kunstenaars de complete tentoonstellingsruimte van Nest ter beschikking krijgen om mee aan de slag te gaan. Sinds Wineke Gartz in 1998 afstudeerde aan de Rijksakademie heeft ze een consistente carrière opgebouwd met installaties vol overlappende beelden, architectonische ingrepen, materialen en projecties.
Wineke Gartz heeft voor de kust van Scheveningen videomateriaal geschoten. Dat materiaal zal vermengd worden met materiaal van de kust van China waar ze enige tijd verbleef, en met filmfoto’s van Hollywoodsterren (de HotFreaks uit de titel), daklozen, bezinningscursussen, zelfportretten en performances uit Los Angeles. Het valt te verwachten dat het geheel een grote bewegende collage zal worden waarin alle oorspronkelijke ingrediënten hun oorsprong grotendeels verliezen en verworden tot een typische Wineke Gartz hallucinatie die de bezoeker een totaalervaring biedt en kan leiden tot een staat van trance. Tegelijkertijd worden esoterische clichés vermeden en doet het hedendaagse dagelijks leven volop mee.
Wineke Gartz exhibits in the Netherlands and in various countries worldwide. Her site-specific installations consist of complex overlays of imagery and media, often with the use of music and multiple video and slides projections and with the integral use of the architectural space. Her parallel realities include mixing the ordinary with the heroic, creating an almost hallucinatory experience. Her subjects relate to psychology, beauty, death, illusions and perception, nature versus urban life, art and mass media. Gartz is interested in the combination of spirituality, art and science. Currently she is developing video lectures about her work and started to collaborate with musicians.
A set that transports the audience to another era - but no specific era, just that of the "generic past." But, in lieu of actual people moving about in the corridor upstairs, we have fleeting images that look as if from a multimedia projector - tying past to present.
Want Gory Details? Check out Director's Notes @
The SL Shakespeare Company Twelfth Night Blog
Posted by Second Life Resident Ina Centaur. Visit Shakespeare.
Assignment: pca332 – Specific Element: Something You Find in a Hardware Store
Deadline: June 28, 2015
Image tag: pca332
Your assignment, should you choose to accept it is to take a photo of something you would find in an old fashioned hardware store. Stuff like hammers, nails, screws, drills, lumber, etc.
Administrata:
Your photograph must be taken between June 14 and June 28, 2015.
Please tag your image exactly as written: pca332
Click "Send to Group" above your photo to submit it to the Group Pool.
WIT (What It Took): In the description of your photo, tell us a little bit about what went into making it. That could be anything from your thought process, to the technical details of exposure or how you may have set up lighting.
As with the previous assignments, critiques will be done through using the Group Pool. Click on each photo in the pool and offer your critique. If you make a submission, please make an effort to critique all the other submissions.
In addition to the assignment announcement, this thread is for ongoing general discussion related to pca332.
Situated amidst the calming greenery, a village steeped in ancient animism and rituals, is the home of about 250 artisans carrying forward the tradition of ecstatic wooden mask making for generations. The craft of Gomira dance masks is practiced in a specific area in North Dinajpur district of West Bengal state, India, in and around the village of Mahisbathan (Khunia Danga, Kushmandi Block) located approximately 50km south-east of Raiganj, the district headquarter.
The mask dance (or Mukha Khel) is usually organized in between mid-April to mid-July though there are no fixed dates, but each village in the area organizes at least one Gomira dance during this period according to their convenience, at a central location. The Gomira dances have distinct forms. The Gomira format is the predominant one, which has characters with strong links to the animist tradition. It is performed to propitiate Gram-Chandi, the female deity, usher in the 'good forces' and drive out the 'evil forces'.
The craft of Gomira mask-making, in its pristine form, catered to the needs of the dancers (and any villager wishing to give a mask as an offering to the village deity). The masks make part of the costume of the traditional Gomira dance. Themes of the masks are usually spiritual, historic and religious.
Originally, the Gomira masks are crafted from neem wood, as per Hindu mythology. Later locally available cheaper wood such as gamhar, pakur, kadam, mango, and teak came to be used. The village craftsmen are very conscious of the environment and always plant one tree for trees cut down, usually of the same species.
The mask making begins with cutting the log and then immersed in water for seasoning. Once the basic shape has emerged, they use the broad chisel and heaviest hammer to bring out the final shape. The reverse side of the mask is scooped out very carefully. For finer finishing, narrower chisels, sand papers of various grades are being used and a coat or two of varnish, which provides smoothness to the mask and ensures durability. Formerly, the masks were hand-painted with natural dyes. Slowly the use of chemical dyes and even enamel paints have gained acceptance mainly because of ready availability and permanence.
The Gomira craftsmen are from Rajbongshi community and do not belong to any particular caste. The women folk have never been a part of mask-making. For most of the artisans, mask making is a supplementary source of income.
In association with UNESCO, Government of West Bengal's Department of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises & Textiles has developed a Rural Craft Hub at Mahisbathan to resurrect this art form, by giving the craftsmen a place to work. The Mahisbathan Gramin Hasta Shilpa Samabay Samiti Limited (a cooperative of craftsmen and artisans who live in the nearby villages) runs the centre; ensures payments for work done and promotes the sale of masks and other wooden artefacts. The Samiti delivers more than 100 masks per month, where the selling price varies from Rs. 700 (USD $10) to Rs. 3500 (USD $50), depending on the complexity.
The Samity also runs a Folk Art Centre which is also equipped with accommodation facility for guests. One can participate in workshops, learn about the history of the community and craft, nuances of the mask making and the fascinating associated stories.
More, Gomira Dance Mask by Tulip Sinha - The Chitrolekha Journal on Art and Design
Beautiful Bengal, India
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Max-living.co.uk
The pictures I'm attaching now are those from early this morning. I wanted to take pictures in morning light so I set the alarm for 7. I crept out into the world of working venetians. It was lovely beyond words. Venice is filled with streets that are barely passageways. I can reach out to touch both walls at once in the majority of these. Look up and you see balconies lush with flowers and, remarkably, weeds growing out of some of the cracks.
These run at every crazy angle and meet up with wider roads that you could actually drive a car on (if Venice allowed cars). Eventually a bunch come together in piazzas, small piazza's (campinos) and almost room sized squares (can't remember the name). If you are trying to get anywhere specific with a deadline, good luck. This morning I started walking and got utterly, wonderfully lost in about 8 minutes. I carried a map but many streets have no names painted on the walls (Venetian street signs) or named on the map. Really, it was only good to remind me of where the apartment was.
I wandered past beautiful old churches. Every 50 meters is another tiny bridge over a canal and a beautiful view. The houses really face the water, the real working roads.
“Future Sound of […]” is a site specific interactive installation which explores the audiovisual landscape of a specific city.
The inhabitants of [insert city] are invited to enter in a dark room where the characteristic sounds of their city life. Through the exploration of the space, they may find changes in the space-time continuum that will modify these sounds, transforming them [or not] in hypothetic sounds of the future of [insert city]. Could these [new] sounds draw their future?
This installation has been presented at :
Festival Som Riscado 2016 / Future Sound of (Loulé);
Centro de Artes Águeda 2017 / Future Sound of (Águeda).
Palácio Landal, Santarém 2019 / Future Sound of (Santarém).
Created by Boris Chimp 504: Miguel Neto (Sound) and Rodrigo Carvalho (Visuals).
Beware of pickpockets, targeting old age pensioners, using big breasted fairies as a distraction. It happens.
In a site-specific installation, Artistic Bokeh presents a collaboration with Georgios Papadopoulos (GR) and Société Réaliste (FR) thematizing the symbolic value of artistic production and its subordination by the valuation of markets.
"There is never enough money, especially for cultural production; but also too much since money and market tend to impose their interpretation of artistic and cultural value. The system of prices organizes an order of meaning, where taste, subjectivity and community are reconfigured according to the mandates and the geopolitics of the market. In this hostile environment, the artist needs to create new possibilities of independence at the same time as she has to survive and thrive, despite the exploitative conditions of employment that more often than not define artistic work. Too Much Money is not the solution. but a tiny a reminder of the poverty of the artist in a system that celebrates (and profits from) the value of art."
(Text: G.Papadopoulos)
A lecture-performance of C.Lisecki / G.Papadopoulos will mark the opening on Thursday, February 27, accompanied by the film screening of "Art Accounts Deutsche Bank (2013)" by Carsten Lisecki.
A Leopard C2 MBT with camouflage netting covering the barrel is waiting to be deployed while on Exercise Maple Resolve in Wainwright, AB from 3 Oct -25 Oct 2011.
Exercise Maple Resolve is one of the largest training events conducted in many years that is not directly linked to a specific mission. This training will expose the soldiers of 2 CMBG to common scenarios which are applicable to a multitude of missions, whether international or domestic.
Photo credit; Cpl Stuart MacNe
beat.wave - a site-specific entrance
J. MAYER H. Architects
project team: Juergen Mayer H., Jonathan Busse
Project: 5th - 9th December 2007
Client: PULSE Contemporary Art Fair, Miami
Location: Soho Studios in the Wynwood District, 2136 NW 1st Ave, Miami
Courtesy of PULSE, magnus müller and the artist
beat.wave, is an entry gate to PULSE Miami with an undulating arch that is
about 11 feet high. Cantilevering, split and sliced, this ambivalent
structure offers seating areas as a meeting point and a place for
contemplation.
The architect, designer and artist Jürgen Mayer H. focuses on works at the
intersection of architecture, communication and new technology. From urban
planning schemes and buildings to installation work and objects with new
materials, the relationship between the human body,
technology and nature form the background for a new production of space. In
his art work, Mayer strategically chooses to bypass architecture and to use
art as an operative platform. In close interaction with our built
environment his work highlights the
relationship between the human body and the architectural space.
Riff, PD#18245, a land art monument celebrating 100 years of the Zuiderzee Act
A collaboration of artist Bob Gramsma and engineer WaltGalmarini AG
Riff, PD#18245 is a site-specific work, a Land Art monument. The tectonic work looks like it is emerging from the natural-cultural landscape and, at the same time, helps to frame it. A mound of soil was heaped up on a foundation of slanted pillars. Large cavities were dug into the mound and then cast in concrete, thus creating an inverted sculptural reproduction of the void in the mound. Afterwards, the mound was removed, and the concrete sculpture cleaned of loose soil and sand. The result is a large-scale work, supported by three stalactite-shaped concrete volumes and the pillars of the foundation, which are partially visible. The monument is in context with the horizon, the landscape and the sunset. A stairway leads up to the top of the structure, inviting visitors to overview its surface.
The process of digging uses the labour of construction to create traces of landscape – space without architecture. The sculpture re-interprets the material and historical conditions of the site. The slightly slanted volume echoes characteristics of the Polder, like dikes, ditches, canals, plots, embankment, drainage, extraction, renaturation and depilution (vertical segregation). At the same time, Riff, PD#18245 also appears foreign in this environment – a hull resting on slanted pillars, aligned with the dikes. It is reminiscent of other interventions in this particular landscape: water management, flood protections, the signs of the transition from fishing to agriculture, and the renaturation of the landscape. It literally emerges from, and melds into, the artificial topography, the geology, the IJsselmeer polder and the Zuiderzee bed.
At the same time, Riff, PD#18245 is a trace of the artistic and the production process, outlining an interstice between the present and the past. The trace as an index of the working process creates a nexus between time and spatiality. The monumental blueprint of an excavation, which has long since disappeared, turns into a poetic sculpture, a hollow resonant body with a natural patina growing over time. Riff, PD#18245 looks southwest westward across the renatured land in the direction of the sunset and the amusement parks, providing a visual link to the Veluwemeer and the Flevopolder, the largest man-made island and its physical vastness.
Riff, PD#18245 becomes a space for the audience to project, or to reanimate, their understanding of the site, its history and its present. The sculpture is at once a tool to reflect on history and an incitement for the viewer to dream those stories. It is a way of visualizing both absence and presence, a sculpted ghost, or spirit, that opens up a new space for rethinking the relationship between material and memory. It is a residue of memory, honouring the past, while serving the present. By means of the elemental exposure of the earth, the missing cast, and the past that it encapsulates, we are reminded that earth and its history — as well as the cosmic forces or energies shaping it — are beyond human intelligibility. But we can try to understand, or appreciate, their unfathomable presence in time as we access this exhumed vestige.
Production
After creating a foundation by driving piles deep into the ground, a huge mound (70 x 40 x 7 m, 15.000 m3) was heaped up on top of it, consisting of sand and clay from the agricultural land and from the bottom of the Zuiderzee on the site. A wide sinkhole, reaching 2 m under sea level, and two narrow deep pits, reaching down to the level of the pillars, were dug into the mound. Reinforcement structures were built, and concrete poured and pneumatically projected into the cavities to produce an inverted sculptural reproduction of the empty space. After the concrete had dried, the heaped-up soil was bulldozed away and returned to build the new environment for the New Nature Programme. An immersive sculpture, whose platform hovers above the ground, is revealed. A small staircase cuts into the platform. The piece is approx. 37,5 m long, 13 m wide and 7 m high.
Using the local soil as false work, as well as formwork, and reusing it after the production for the new reserve is a very ecological, as well as economical, casting technique. It allows to produce an intricate seamless hollow concrete cast in one piece. After the structure was cleaned, it is ready for the public and the winds to take over. Within time, an ecosystem will evolve on the inside of the hollow body, and the surface will be partly covered with moss, chalk, and salt efflorescence. Little gaps in the shell enable insects and animals to build viable habitats inside the hollow body. The whole production process was open to the public to provide an in-depth vision and understanding in the making of Riff, PD#18245. The sculpture itself thus starts to generate memories in the minds of the audience – a process that will continue well into the future as weather and nature gradually take over the sculpture, altering its shape and functions over time, while the wind is playing on its resonant body.
Text: Martin Jaeggi
===General information=== Robinia pseudoacacia, commonly known in its native territory as black locust, is a medium-sized deciduous tree native to the southeastern United States. It has been widely planted and naturalised elsewhere in temperate North America, Europe, Southern Africa and Asia and is considered an invasive species in some areas. Another common name is false acacia a literal translation of the specific name (pseudo meaning fake or false and acacia referring to the genus of plants with the same name.) It was introduced into Britain in 1636. The name 'locust' is said to have been given to Robinia by Jesuit missionaries, who fancied that this was the tree that supported St. John in the wilderness, but it is native only to North America. The locust tree of Spain (Ceratonia siliqua or carob tree), which is also native to Syria and the entire Mediterranean basin, is supposed to be the true locust of the New Testament. Robinia is now a North American genus, but traces of it are found in the Eocene and Miocene rocks of Europe. Black locust reaches a typical height of 40–100 feet (12–30 m) with a diameter of 2–4 feet (0.61–1.22 m).[12] Exceptionally, it may grow up to 52 metres (171 ft) tall[13] and 1.6 metres (5.2 ft) diameter in very old trees. It is a very upright tree with a straight trunk and narrow crown which grows scraggly with age.[5] The dark blue-green compound leaves with a contrasting lighter underside give this tree a beautiful appearance in the wind and contribute to its grace. Black locust is a shade intolerant species and therefore is typical of young woodlands and disturbed areas where sunlight is plentiful and the soil is dry. In this sense, black locust can often grow as a weed tree. It also often spreads by underground shoots or suckers which contribute to the weedy character of this species. Young trees are often spiny, however, mature trees often lack spines. In the early summer black locust flowers; the flowers are large and appear in large, intensely fragrant (reminiscent of orange blossoms), clusters. The leaflets fold together in wet weather and at night (nyctinasty) as some change of position at night is a habit of the entire leguminous family. Black locust produces both sexually via flowers, and asexually via root suckers. The flowers are pollinated by insects, primarily by Hymenopteran insects. The physical construction of the flower separates the male and female parts so that self-pollination will not typically occur. The seedlings grow rapidly but they have a thick seed coat which means that not all seeds will germinate. The seed coat can be weakened via hot water, sulfuric acid, or be mechanically scarified and this will allow a greater quantity of the seeds to grow. The seeds are produced in good crops every year or every-other year. Root suckers are an important method of local reproduction of this tree. The roots may grow suckers after damage (by being hit with a lawn mower or otherwise damaged) or after no damage at all. The suckers are stems which grow from the roots, directly into the air and may grow into full trees. The main trunk also has the capability to grow sprouts and will do so after being cut down. This makes removal of black locust difficult as the suckers need to be continually removed from both the trunk and roots or the tree will regrow. This is considered an asexual form or reproduction. The suckers allow black locust to grow into colonies which often exclude other species. These colonies may form dense thickets which shade out competition The bark, leaves, and wood are toxic to both humans and livestock. Important constituents of the plant are the toxalbumin robin, which loses its toxicity when heated, and robinin, a nontoxic glucoside Horses that consume the plant show signs of anorexia, depression, incontinence, colic, weakness, and cardiac arrhythmia. Symptoms usually occur about 1 hour following consumption, and immediate veterinary attention is required. In Romania the flowers are sometimes used to produce a sweet and perfumed jam. This means manual harvesting of flowers, eliminating the seeds and boiling the petals with sugar, in certain proportions, to obtain a light sweet and delicate perfume jam. ===Common names=== false acacia locust tree ===*Useful websites=== ift.tt/1XlSwFF ift.tt/2LN9TNR ift.tt/2JBYKCJ ift.tt/2HOIx7J ===Scientific classification=== Kingdom: Plantae (unranked): Angiosperms (unranked): Eudicots (unranked): Rosids Order: Fabales Family: Fabaceae Subfamily: Faboideae Tribe: Robinieae Genus: Robinia Species: R. pseudoacacia *Information sourced from the above websites
Mount Tomah Botanic Garden, Blue Mountains, New South Wales
The specific epithet is more widely seen with the spelling berteroniana but, as the rules on orthography have recently been clarified in the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature, that spelling is no longer permitted. Named after THIS botanist - es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlo_Luigi_Giuseppe_Bertero
[added Sept 2011] I uploaded this with the specific epithet spelt berteroana but, prompted by Karen Blix's query at www.flickr.com/photos/karenblixen/6110830307/ have had a closer look at the ICBN, and it's now clear that the original spelling berteroniana is permissible under the current Vienna Code of 2006. So I have changed back to that spelling.
[added May 2014] Seems that the name P. berteroniana is misapplied to this species after all. I just came across what seems to be the identical taxon photographed in the wild by Pato Novoa - www.flickr.com/search/?w=64933790@N00&q=puya%20zoellneri - and captioned Puya alpestris ssp. zoellneri. This prompted an internet search which turned up this 2013 article by Zitka, Schneider, Schulte & Novoa - researchonline.jcu.edu.au/31782/ - with abstract including the statement -
"A re-evaluation of the widely applied concept of P. berteroniana led us to the conclusion that the type of P. berteroniana is of hybrid origin and is maintained as Puya x berteroniana. Our studies revealed that the name P. berteroniana has been widely misapplied to what in fact is the northern metapopulation of P. alpestris, which is here described as a new subspecies, Puya alpestris ssp. zoellneri"
In specific, Holy Week is the week just before Easter that extends from Palm Sunday until Holy Saturday and marks the last week of Lent. It has earned the name 'Holy', according to the Orthodox Church, due to the significant events that take place for Christianity in regard to the sufferings of Jesus Christ.
Saturday evening is filled with the anticipation of celebrating Easter Sunday. In some areas, people begin to gather in the churches and squares in cities, towns and villages by 11pm for the Easter liturgies. A few minutes before midnight, all the lights are turned off and the priest exits the altar holding candles lit by the Holy Light, which is distributed to everyone inside and outside the church. At midnight, the priest exits the church and announces the resurrection of Jesus. Many people carry large white candles called lambada, and the church bells toll as the priests announce “Christ is Risen!” at midnight. Each person in the crowd replies with a similarly joyous response.
Bali is an island and province of Indonesia. The province includes the island of Bali and a few smaller neighbouring islands, notably Nusa Penida, Nusa Lembongan, and Nusa Ceningan. It is located at the westernmost end of the Lesser Sunda Islands, between Java to the west and Lombok to the east. Its capital of Denpasar is located at the southern part of the island.
With a population of 3,890,757 in the 2010 census, and 4,225,000 as of January 2014, the island is home to most of Indonesia's Hindu minority. According to the 2010 Census, 83.5% of Bali's population adhered to Balinese Hinduism, followed by 13.4% Muslim, Christianity at 2.5%, and Buddhism 0.5%.
Bali is a popular tourist destination, which has seen a significant rise in numbers since the 1980s. It is renowned for its highly developed arts, including traditional and modern dance, sculpture, painting, leather, metalworking, and music. The Indonesian International Film Festival is held every year in Bali.
Bali is part of the Coral Triangle, the area with the highest biodiversity of marine species. In this area alone over 500 reef building coral species can be found. For comparison, this is about 7 times as many as in the entire Caribbean. There is a wide range of dive sites with high quality reefs, all with their own specific attractions. Many sites can have strong currents and swell, so diving without a knowledgeable guide is inadvisable. Most recently, Bali was the host of the 2011 ASEAN Summit, 2013 APEC and Miss World 2013.
HISTORY
ANCIENT
Bali was inhabited around 2000 BC by Austronesian people who migrated originally from Southeast Asia and Oceania through Maritime Southeast Asia. Culturally and linguistically, the Balinese are closely related to the people of the Indonesian archipelago, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Oceania. Stone tools dating from this time have been found near the village of Cekik in the island's west.
In ancient Bali, nine Hindu sects existed, namely Pasupata, Bhairawa, Siwa Shidanta, Waisnawa, Bodha, Brahma, Resi, Sora and Ganapatya. Each sect revered a specific deity as its personal Godhead.
Inscriptions from 896 and 911 don't mention a king, until 914, when Sri Kesarivarma is mentioned. They also reveal an independent Bali, with a distinct dialect, where Buddhism and Sivaism were practiced simultaneously. Mpu Sindok's great granddaughter, Mahendradatta (Gunapriyadharmapatni), married the Bali king Udayana Warmadewa (Dharmodayanavarmadeva) around 989, giving birth to Airlangga around 1001. This marriage also brought more Hinduism and Javanese culture to Bali. Princess Sakalendukirana appeared in 1098. Suradhipa reigned from 1115 to 1119, and Jayasakti from 1146 until 1150. Jayapangus appears on inscriptions between 1178 and 1181, while Adikuntiketana and his son Paramesvara in 1204.
Balinese culture was strongly influenced by Indian, Chinese, and particularly Hindu culture, beginning around the 1st century AD. The name Bali dwipa ("Bali island") has been discovered from various inscriptions, including the Blanjong pillar inscription written by Sri Kesari Warmadewa in 914 AD and mentioning "Walidwipa". It was during this time that the people developed their complex irrigation system subak to grow rice in wet-field cultivation. Some religious and cultural traditions still practised today can be traced to this period.
The Hindu Majapahit Empire (1293–1520 AD) on eastern Java founded a Balinese colony in 1343. The uncle of Hayam Wuruk is mentioned in the charters of 1384-86. A mass Javanese emigration occurred in the next century.
PORTUGUESE CONTACTS
The first known European contact with Bali is thought to have been made in 1512, when a Portuguese expedition led by Antonio Abreu and Francisco Serrão sighted its northern shores. It was the first expedition of a series of bi-annual fleets to the Moluccas, that throughout the 16th century usually traveled along the coasts of the Sunda Islands. Bali was also mapped in 1512, in the chart of Francisco Rodrigues, aboard the expedition. In 1585, a ship foundered off the Bukit Peninsula and left a few Portuguese in the service of Dewa Agung.
DUTCH EAST INDIA
In 1597 the Dutch explorer Cornelis de Houtman arrived at Bali, and the Dutch East India Company was established in 1602. The Dutch government expanded its control across the Indonesian archipelago during the second half of the 19th century (see Dutch East Indies). Dutch political and economic control over Bali began in the 1840s on the island's north coast, when the Dutch pitted various competing Balinese realms against each other. In the late 1890s, struggles between Balinese kingdoms in the island's south were exploited by the Dutch to increase their control.
In June 1860 the famous Welsh naturalist, Alfred Russel Wallace, travelled to Bali from Singapore, landing at Buleleng on the northcoast of the island. Wallace's trip to Bali was instrumental in helping him devise his Wallace Line theory. The Wallace Line is a faunal boundary that runs through the strait between Bali and Lombok. It has been found to be a boundary between species of Asiatic origin in the east and a mixture of Australian and Asian species to the west. In his travel memoir The Malay Archipelago, Wallace wrote of his experience in Bali:
I was both astonished and delighted; for as my visit to Java was some years later, I had never beheld so beautiful and well-cultivated a district out of Europe. A slightly undulating plain extends from the seacoast about ten or twelve miles inland, where it is bounded by a fine range of wooded and cultivated hills. Houses and villages, marked out by dense clumps of coconut palms, tamarind and other fruit trees, are dotted about in every direction; while between them extend luxurious rice-grounds, watered by an elaborate system of irrigation that would be the pride of the best cultivated parts of Europe.
The Dutch mounted large naval and ground assaults at the Sanur region in 1906 and were met by the thousands of members of the royal family and their followers who fought against the superior Dutch force in a suicidal puputan defensive assault rather than face the humiliation of surrender. Despite Dutch demands for surrender, an estimated 200 Balinese marched to their death against the invaders. In the Dutch intervention in Bali, a similar massacre occurred in the face of a Dutch assault in Klungkung.
AFTERWARD THE DUTCH GOVERNORS
exercised administrative control over the island, but local control over religion and culture generally remained intact. Dutch rule over Bali came later and was never as well established as in other parts of Indonesia such as Java and Maluku.
n the 1930s, anthropologists Margaret Mead and Gregory Bateson, artists Miguel Covarrubias and Walter Spies, and musicologist Colin McPhee all spent time here. Their accounts of the island and its peoples created a western image of Bali as "an enchanted land of aesthetes at peace with themselves and nature." Western tourists began to visit the island.
Imperial Japan occupied Bali during World War II. It was not originally a target in their Netherlands East Indies Campaign, but as the airfields on Borneo were inoperative due to heavy rains, the Imperial Japanese Army decided to occupy Bali, which did not suffer from comparable weather. The island had no regular Royal Netherlands East Indies Army (KNIL) troops. There was only a Native Auxiliary Corps Prajoda (Korps Prajoda) consisting of about 600 native soldiers and several Dutch KNIL officers under command of KNIL Lieutenant Colonel W.P. Roodenburg. On 19 February 1942 the Japanese forces landed near the town of Senoer [Senur]. The island was quickly captured.
During the Japanese occupation, a Balinese military officer, Gusti Ngurah Rai, formed a Balinese 'freedom army'. The harshness of war requisitions made Japanese rule more resented than Dutch rule. Following Japan's Pacific surrender in August 1945, the Dutch returned to Indonesia, including Bali, to reinstate their pre-war colonial administration. This was resisted by the Balinese rebels, who now used recovered Japanese weapons. On 20 November 1946, the Battle of Marga was fought in Tabanan in central Bali. Colonel I Gusti Ngurah Rai, by then 29 years old, finally rallied his forces in east Bali at Marga Rana, where they made a suicide attack on the heavily armed Dutch. The Balinese battalion was entirely wiped out, breaking the last thread of Balinese military resistance.
INDIPENDENCE FROM THE DUTCH
In 1946, the Dutch constituted Bali as one of the 13 administrative districts of the newly proclaimed State of East Indonesia, a rival state to the Republic of Indonesia, which was proclaimed and headed by Sukarno and Hatta. Bali was included in the "Republic of the United States of Indonesia" when the Netherlands recognised Indonesian independence on 29 December 1949.
CONTEMPORARY
The 1963 eruption of Mount Agung killed thousands, created economic havoc and forced many displaced Balinese to be transmigrated to other parts of Indonesia. Mirroring the widening of social divisions across Indonesia in the 1950s and early 1960s, Bali saw conflict between supporters of the traditional caste system, and those rejecting this system. Politically, the opposition was represented by supporters of the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) and the Indonesian Nationalist Party (PNI), with tensions and ill-feeling further increased by the PKI's land reform programs. An attempted coup in Jakarta was put down by forces led by General Suharto.
The army became the dominant power as it instigated a violent anti-communist purge, in which the army blamed the PKI for the coup. Most estimates suggest that at least 500,000 people were killed across Indonesia, with an estimated 80,000 killed in Bali, equivalent to 5% of the island's population. With no Islamic forces involved as in Java and Sumatra, upper-caste PNI landlords led the extermination of PKI members.
As a result of the 1965/66 upheavals, Suharto was able to manoeuvre Sukarno out of the presidency. His "New Order" government reestablished relations with western countries. The pre-War Bali as "paradise" was revived in a modern form. The resulting large growth in tourism has led to a dramatic increase in Balinese standards of living and significant foreign exchange earned for the country. A bombing in 2002 by militant Islamists in the tourist area of Kuta killed 202 people, mostly foreigners. This attack, and another in 2005, severely reduced tourism, producing much economic hardship to the island.
GEOGRAPHY
The island of Bali lies 3.2 km east of Java, and is approximately 8 degrees south of the equator. Bali and Java are separated by the Bali Strait. East to west, the island is approximately 153 km wide and spans approximately 112 km north to south; administratively it covers 5,780 km2, or 5,577 km2 without Nusa Penida District, its population density is roughly 750 people/km2.
Bali's central mountains include several peaks over 3,000 metres in elevation. The highest is Mount Agung (3,031 m), known as the "mother mountain" which is an active volcano rated as one of the world's most likely sites for a massive eruption within the next 100 years. Mountains range from centre to the eastern side, with Mount Agung the easternmost peak. Bali's volcanic nature has contributed to its exceptional fertility and its tall mountain ranges provide the high rainfall that supports the highly productive agriculture sector. South of the mountains is a broad, steadily descending area where most of Bali's large rice crop is grown. The northern side of the mountains slopes more steeply to the sea and is the main coffee producing area of the island, along with rice, vegetables and cattle. The longest river, Ayung River, flows approximately 75 km.
The island is surrounded by coral reefs. Beaches in the south tend to have white sand while those in the north and west have black sand. Bali has no major waterways, although the Ho River is navigable by small sampan boats. Black sand beaches between Pasut and Klatingdukuh are being developed for tourism, but apart from the seaside temple of Tanah Lot, they are not yet used for significant tourism.
The largest city is the provincial capital, Denpasar, near the southern coast. Its population is around 491,500 (2002). Bali's second-largest city is the old colonial capital, Singaraja, which is located on the north coast and is home to around 100,000 people. Other important cities include the beach resort, Kuta, which is practically part of Denpasar's urban area, and Ubud, situated at the north of Denpasar, is the island's cultural centre.
Three small islands lie to the immediate south east and all are administratively part of the Klungkung regency of Bali: Nusa Penida, Nusa Lembongan and Nusa Ceningan. These islands are separated from Bali by the Badung Strait.
To the east, the Lombok Strait separates Bali from Lombok and marks the biogeographical division between the fauna of the Indomalayan ecozone and the distinctly different fauna of Australasia. The transition is known as the Wallace Line, named after Alfred Russel Wallace, who first proposed a transition zone between these two major biomes. When sea levels dropped during the Pleistocene ice age, Bali was connected to Java and Sumatra and to the mainland of Asia and shared the Asian fauna, but the deep water of the Lombok Strait continued to keep Lombok Island and the Lesser Sunda archipelago isolated.
CLIMATE
Being just 8 degrees south of the equator, Bali has a fairly even climate year round.
Day time temperatures at low elevations vary between 20-33⁰ C although it can be much cooler than that in the mountains. The west monsoon is in place from approximately October to April and this can bring significant rain, particularly from December to March. Outside of the monsoon period, humidity is relatively low and any rain unlikely in lowland areas.
ECOLOGY
Bali lies just to the west of the Wallace Line, and thus has a fauna that is Asian in character, with very little Australasian influence, and has more in common with Java than with Lombok. An exception is the yellow-crested cockatoo, a member of a primarily Australasian family. There are around 280 species of birds, including the critically endangered Bali myna, which is endemic. Others Include barn swallow, black-naped oriole, black racket-tailed treepie, crested serpent-eagle, crested treeswift, dollarbird, Java sparrow, lesser adjutant, long-tailed shrike, milky stork, Pacific swallow, red-rumped swallow, sacred kingfisher, sea eagle, woodswallow, savanna nightjar, stork-billed kingfisher, yellow-vented bulbul and great egret.
Until the early 20th century, Bali was home to several large mammals: the wild banteng, leopard and the endemic Bali tiger. The banteng still occurs in its domestic form, whereas leopards are found only in neighbouring Java, and the Bali tiger is extinct. The last definite record of a tiger on Bali dates from 1937, when one was shot, though the subspecies may have survived until the 1940s or 1950s. The relatively small size of the island, conflict with humans, poaching and habitat reduction drove the Bali tiger to extinction. This was the smallest and rarest of all tiger subspecies and was never caught on film or displayed in zoos, whereas few skins or bones remain in museums around the world. Today, the largest mammals are the Javan rusa deer and the wild boar. A second, smaller species of deer, the Indian muntjac, also occurs. Saltwater crocodiles were once present on the island, but became locally extinct sometime during the last century.
Squirrels are quite commonly encountered, less often is the Asian palm civet, which is also kept in coffee farms to produce Kopi Luwak. Bats are well represented, perhaps the most famous place to encounter them remaining the Goa Lawah (Temple of the Bats) where they are worshipped by the locals and also constitute a tourist attraction. They also occur in other cave temples, for instance at Gangga Beach. Two species of monkey occur. The crab-eating macaque, known locally as "kera", is quite common around human settlements and temples, where it becomes accustomed to being fed by humans, particularly in any of the three "monkey forest" temples, such as the popular one in the Ubud area. They are also quite often kept as pets by locals. The second monkey, endemic to Java and some surrounding islands such as Bali, is far rarer and more elusive is the Javan langur, locally known as "lutung". They occur in few places apart from the Bali Barat National Park. They are born an orange colour, though by their first year they would have already changed to a more blackish colouration. In Java however, there is more of a tendency for this species to retain its juvenile orange colour into adulthood, and so you can see a mixture of black and orange monkeys together as a family. Other rarer mammals include the leopard cat, Sunda pangolin and black giant squirrel.
Snakes include the king cobra and reticulated python. The water monitor can grow to at least 1.5 m in length and 50 kg and can move quickly.
The rich coral reefs around the coast, particularly around popular diving spots such as Tulamben, Amed, Menjangan or neighbouring Nusa Penida, host a wide range of marine life, for instance hawksbill turtle, giant sunfish, giant manta ray, giant moray eel, bumphead parrotfish, hammerhead shark, reef shark, barracuda, and sea snakes. Dolphins are commonly encountered on the north coast near Singaraja and Lovina.
A team of scientists conducted a survey from 29 April 2011 to 11 May 2011 at 33 sea sites around Bali. They discovered 952 species of reef fish of which 8 were new discoveries at Pemuteran, Gilimanuk, Nusa Dua, Tulamben and Candidasa, and 393 coral species, including two new ones at Padangbai and between Padangbai and Amed. The average coverage level of healthy coral was 36% (better than in Raja Ampat and Halmahera by 29% or in Fakfak and Kaimana by 25%) with the highest coverage found in Gili Selang and Gili Mimpang in Candidasa, Karangasem regency.
Many plants have been introduced by humans within the last centuries, particularly since the 20th century, making it sometimes hard to distinguish what plants are really native.[citation needed] Among the larger trees the most common are: banyan trees, jackfruit, coconuts, bamboo species, acacia trees and also endless rows of coconuts and banana species. Numerous flowers can be seen: hibiscus, frangipani, bougainvillea, poinsettia, oleander, jasmine, water lily, lotus, roses, begonias, orchids and hydrangeas exist. On higher grounds that receive more moisture, for instance around Kintamani, certain species of fern trees, mushrooms and even pine trees thrive well. Rice comes in many varieties. Other plants with agricultural value include: salak, mangosteen, corn, kintamani orange, coffee and water spinach.
ENVIRONMENT
Some of the worst erosion has occurred in Lebih Beach, where up to 7 metres of land is lost every year. Decades ago, this beach was used for holy pilgrimages with more than 10,000 people, but they have now moved to Masceti Beach.
From ranked third in previous review, in 2010 Bali got score 99.65 of Indonesia's environmental quality index and the highest of all the 33 provinces. The score measured 3 water quality parameters: the level of total suspended solids (TSS), dissolved oxygen (DO) and chemical oxygen demand (COD).
Because of over-exploitation by the tourist industry which covers a massive land area, 200 out of 400 rivers on the island have dried up and based on research, the southern part of Bali would face a water shortage up to 2,500 litres of clean water per second by 2015. To ease the shortage, the central government plans to build a water catchment and processing facility at Petanu River in Gianyar. The 300 litres capacity of water per second will be channelled to Denpasar, Badung and Gianyar in 2013.
ECONOMY
Three decades ago, the Balinese economy was largely agriculture-based in terms of both output and employment. Tourism is now the largest single industry in terms of income, and as a result, Bali is one of Indonesia's wealthiest regions. In 2003, around 80% of Bali's economy was tourism related. By end of June 2011, non-performing loan of all banks in Bali were 2.23%, lower than the average of Indonesian banking industry non-performing loan (about 5%). The economy, however, suffered significantly as a result of the terrorist bombings 2002 and 2005. The tourism industry has since recovered from these events.
AGRICULTURE
Although tourism produces the GDP's largest output, agriculture is still the island's biggest employer; most notably rice cultivation. Crops grown in smaller amounts include fruit, vegetables, Coffea arabica and other cash and subsistence crops. Fishing also provides a significant number of jobs. Bali is also famous for its artisans who produce a vast array of handicrafts, including batik and ikat cloth and clothing, wooden carvings, stone carvings, painted art and silverware. Notably, individual villages typically adopt a single product, such as wind chimes or wooden furniture.
The Arabica coffee production region is the highland region of Kintamani near Mount Batur. Generally, Balinese coffee is processed using the wet method. This results in a sweet, soft coffee with good consistency. Typical flavours include lemon and other citrus notes. Many coffee farmers in Kintamani are members of a traditional farming system called Subak Abian, which is based on the Hindu philosophy of "Tri Hita Karana". According to this philosophy, the three causes of happiness are good relations with God, other people and the environment. The Subak Abian system is ideally suited to the production of fair trade and organic coffee production. Arabica coffee from Kintamani is the first product in Indonesia to request a Geographical Indication.
TOURISM
The tourism industry is primarily focused in the south, while significant in the other parts of the island as well. The main tourist locations are the town of Kuta (with its beach), and its outer suburbs of Legian and Seminyak (which were once independent townships), the east coast town of Sanur (once the only tourist hub), in the center of the island Ubud, to the south of the Ngurah Rai International Airport, Jimbaran, and the newer development of Nusa Dua and Pecatu.
The American government lifted its travel warnings in 2008. The Australian government issued an advice on Friday, 4 May 2012. The overall level of the advice was lowered to 'Exercise a high degree of caution'. The Swedish government issued a new warning on Sunday, 10 June 2012 because of one more tourist who was killed by methanol poisoning. Australia last issued an advice on Monday, 5 January 2015 due to new terrorist threats.
An offshoot of tourism is the growing real estate industry. Bali real estate has been rapidly developing in the main tourist areas of Kuta, Legian, Seminyak and Oberoi. Most recently, high-end 5 star projects are under development on the Bukit peninsula, on the south side of the island. Million dollar villas are being developed along the cliff sides of south Bali, commanding panoramic ocean views. Foreign and domestic (many Jakarta individuals and companies are fairly active) investment into other areas of the island also continues to grow. Land prices, despite the worldwide economic crisis, have remained stable.
In the last half of 2008, Indonesia's currency had dropped approximately 30% against the US dollar, providing many overseas visitors value for their currencies. Visitor arrivals for 2009 were forecast to drop 8% (which would be higher than 2007 levels), due to the worldwide economic crisis which has also affected the global tourist industry, but not due to any travel warnings.
Bali's tourism economy survived the terrorist bombings of 2002 and 2005, and the tourism industry has in fact slowly recovered and surpassed its pre-terrorist bombing levels; the longterm trend has been a steady increase of visitor arrivals. In 2010, Bali received 2.57 million foreign tourists, which surpassed the target of 2.0–2.3 million tourists. The average occupancy of starred hotels achieved 65%, so the island is still able to accommodate tourists for some years without any addition of new rooms/hotels, although at the peak season some of them are fully booked.
Bali received the Best Island award from Travel and Leisure in 2010. The island of Bali won because of its attractive surroundings (both mountain and coastal areas), diverse tourist attractions, excellent international and local restaurants, and the friendliness of the local people. According to BBC Travel released in 2011, Bali is one of the World's Best Islands, ranking second after Santorini, Greece.
In August 2010, the film Eat Pray Love was released in theatres. The movie was based on Elizabeth Gilbert's best-selling memoir Eat, Pray, Love. It took place at Ubud and Padang-Padang Beach at Bali. The 2006 book, which spent 57 weeks at the No. 1 spot on the New York Times paperback nonfiction best-seller list, had already fuelled a boom in Eat, Pray, Love-related tourism in Ubud, the hill town and cultural and tourist center that was the focus of Gilbert's quest for balance through traditional spirituality and healing that leads to love.
In January 2016, after music icon David Bowie died, it was revealed that in his will, Bowie asked for his ashes to be scattered in Bali, conforming to Buddhist rituals. He had visited and performed in a number of Southest Asian cities early in his career, including Bangkok and Singapore.
Since 2011, China has displaced Japan as the second-largest supplier of tourists to Bali, while Australia still tops the list. Chinese tourists increased by 17% from last year due to the impact of ACFTA and new direct flights to Bali. In January 2012, Chinese tourists year on year (yoy) increased by 222.18% compared to January 2011, while Japanese tourists declined by 23.54% yoy.
Bali reported that it has 2.88 million foreign tourists and 5 million domestic tourists in 2012, marginally surpassing the expectations of 2.8 million foreign tourists. Forecasts for 2013 are at 3.1 million.
Based on Bank Indonesia survey in May 2013, 34.39 percent of tourists are upper-middle class with spending between $1,286 to $5,592 and dominated by Australia, France, China, Germany and the US with some China tourists move from low spending before to higher spending currently. While 30.26 percent are middle class with spending between $662 to $1,285.
SEX TOURISM
In the twentieth century the incidence of tourism specifically for sex was regularly observed in the era of mass tourism in Indonesia In Bali, prostitution is conducted by both men and women. Bali in particular is notorious for its 'Kuta Cowboys', local gigolos targeting foreign female tourists.
Tens of thousands of single women throng the beaches of Bali in Indonesia every year. For decades, young Balinese men have taken advantage of the louche and laid-back atmosphere to find love and lucre from female tourists—Japanese, European and Australian for the most part—who by all accounts seem perfectly happy with the arrangement.
By 2013, Indonesia was reportedly the number one destination for Australian child sex tourists, mostly starting in Bali but also travelling to other parts of the country. The problem in Bali was highlighted by Luh Ketut Suryani, head of Psychiatry at Udayana University, as early as 2003. Surayani warned that a low level of awareness of paedophilia in Bali had made it the target of international paedophile organisations. On 19 February 2013, government officials announced measures to combat paedophilia in Bali.
TRANSPORTATION
The Ngurah Rai International Airport is located near Jimbaran, on the isthmus at the southernmost part of the island. Lt.Col. Wisnu Airfield is found in north-west Bali.
A coastal road circles the island, and three major two-lane arteries cross the central mountains at passes reaching to 1,750m in height (at Penelokan). The Ngurah Rai Bypass is a four-lane expressway that partly encircles Denpasar. Bali has no railway lines.
In December 2010 the Government of Indonesia invited investors to build a new Tanah Ampo Cruise Terminal at Karangasem, Bali with a projected worth of $30 million. On 17 July 2011 the first cruise ship (Sun Princess) anchored about 400 meters away from the wharf of Tanah Ampo harbour. The current pier is only 154 meters but will eventually be extended to 300–350 meters to accommodate international cruise ships. The harbour here is safer than the existing facility at Benoa and has a scenic backdrop of east Bali mountains and green rice fields. The tender for improvement was subject to delays, and as of July 2013 the situation remained unclear with cruise line operators complaining and even refusing to use the existing facility at Tanah Ampo.
A Memorandum of Understanding has been signed by two ministers, Bali's Governor and Indonesian Train Company to build 565 kilometres of railway along the coast around the island. As of July 2015, no details of this proposed railways have been released.
On 16 March 2011 (Tanjung) Benoa port received the "Best Port Welcome 2010" award from London's "Dream World Cruise Destination" magazine. Government plans to expand the role of Benoa port as export-import port to boost Bali's trade and industry sector. The Tourism and Creative Economy Ministry has confirmed that 306 cruise liners are heading for Indonesia in 2013 – an increase of 43 percent compared to the previous year.
In May 2011, an integrated Areal Traffic Control System (ATCS) was implemented to reduce traffic jams at four crossing points: Ngurah Rai statue, Dewa Ruci Kuta crossing, Jimbaran crossing and Sanur crossing. ATCS is an integrated system connecting all traffic lights, CCTVs and other traffic signals with a monitoring office at the police headquarters. It has successfully been implemented in other ASEAN countries and will be implemented at other crossings in Bali.
On 21 December 2011 construction started on the Nusa Dua-Benoa-Ngurah Rai International Airport toll road which will also provide a special lane for motorcycles. This has been done by seven state-owned enterprises led by PT Jasa Marga with 60% of shares. PT Jasa Marga Bali Tol will construct the 9.91 kilometres toll road (totally 12.7 kilometres with access road). The construction is estimated to cost Rp.2.49 trillion ($273.9 million). The project goes through 2 kilometres of mangrove forest and through 2.3 kilometres of beach, both within 5.4 hectares area. The elevated toll road is built over the mangrove forest on 18,000 concrete pillars which occupied 2 hectares of mangroves forest. It compensated by new planting of 300,000 mangrove trees along the road. On 21 December 2011 the Dewa Ruci 450 meters underpass has also started on the busy Dewa Ruci junction near Bali Kuta Galeria with an estimated cost of Rp136 billion ($14.9 million) from the state budget. On 23 September 2013, the Bali Mandara Toll Road is opened and the Dewa Ruci Junction (Simpang Siur) underpass is opened before. Both are ease the heavy traffic congestion.
To solve chronic traffic problems, the province will also build a toll road connecting Serangan with Tohpati, a toll road connecting Kuta, Denpasar and Tohpati and a flyover connecting Kuta and Ngurah Rai Airport.
DEMOGRAPHICS
The population of Bali was 3,890,757 as of the 2010 Census; the latest estimate (for January 2014) is 4,225,384. There are an estimated 30,000 expatriates living in Bali.
ETHNIC ORIGINS
A DNA study in 2005 by Karafet et al. found that 12% of Balinese Y-chromosomes are of likely Indian origin, while 84% are of likely Austronesian origin, and 2% of likely Melanesian origin. The study does not correlate the DNA samples to the Balinese caste system.
CASTE SYSTEM
Bali has a caste system based on the Indian Hindu model, with four castes:
- Sudra (Shudra) – peasants constituting close to 93% of Bali's population.
- Wesia (Vaishyas) – the caste of merchants and administrative officials
- Ksatrias (Kshatriyas) – the kingly and warrior caste
- Brahmana (Bramhin) – holy men and priests
RELIGION
Unlike most of Muslim-majority Indonesia, about 83.5% of Bali's population adheres to Balinese Hinduism, formed as a combination of existing local beliefs and Hindu influences from mainland Southeast Asia and South Asia. Minority religions include Islam (13.3%), Christianity (1.7%), and Buddhism (0.5%). These figures do not include immigrants from other parts of Indonesia.
Balinese Hinduism is an amalgam in which gods and demigods are worshipped together with Buddhist heroes, the spirits of ancestors, indigenous agricultural deities and sacred places. Religion as it is practised in Bali is a composite belief system that embraces not only theology, philosophy, and mythology, but ancestor worship, animism and magic. It pervades nearly every aspect of traditional life. Caste is observed, though less strictly than in India. With an estimated 20,000 puras (temples) and shrines, Bali is known as the "Island of a Thousand Puras", or "Island of the Gods". This is refer to Mahabarata story that behind Bali became island of god or "pulau dewata" in Indonesian language.
Balinese Hinduism has roots in Indian Hinduism and Buddhism, and adopted the animistic traditions of the indigenous people. This influence strengthened the belief that the gods and goddesses are present in all things. Every element of nature, therefore, possesses its own power, which reflects the power of the gods. A rock, tree, dagger, or woven cloth is a potential home for spirits whose energy can be directed for good or evil. Balinese Hinduism is deeply interwoven with art and ritual. Ritualizing states of self-control are a notable feature of religious expression among the people, who for this reason have become famous for their graceful and decorous behaviour.
Apart from the majority of Balinese Hindus, there also exist Chinese immigrants whose traditions have melded with that of the locals. As a result, these Sino-Balinese not only embrace their original religion, which is a mixture of Buddhism, Christianity, Taoism and Confucianism, but also find a way to harmonise it with the local traditions. Hence, it is not uncommon to find local Sino-Balinese during the local temple's odalan. Moreover, Balinese Hindu priests are invited to perform rites alongside a Chinese priest in the event of the death of a Sino-Balinese. Nevertheless, the Sino-Balinese claim to embrace Buddhism for administrative purposes, such as their Identity Cards.
LANGUAGE
Balinese and Indonesian are the most widely spoken languages in Bali, and the vast majority of Balinese people are bilingual or trilingual. The most common spoken language around the tourist areas is Indonesian, as many people in the tourist sector are not solely Balinese, but migrants from Java, Lombok, Sumatra, and other parts of Indonesia. There are several indigenous Balinese languages, but most Balinese can also use the most widely spoken option: modern common Balinese. The usage of different Balinese languages was traditionally determined by the Balinese caste system and by clan membership, but this tradition is diminishing. Kawi and Sanskrit are also commonly used by some Hindu priests in Bali, for Hinduism literature was mostly written in Sanskrit.
English and Chinese are the next most common languages (and the primary foreign languages) of many Balinese, owing to the requirements of the tourism industry, as well as the English-speaking community and huge Chinese-Indonesian population. Other foreign languages, such as Japanese, Korean, French, Russian or German are often used in multilingual signs for foreign tourists.
CULTURE
Bali is renowned for its diverse and sophisticated art forms, such as painting, sculpture, woodcarving, handcrafts, and performing arts. Balinese cuisine is also distinctive. Balinese percussion orchestra music, known as gamelan, is highly developed and varied. Balinese performing arts often portray stories from Hindu epics such as the Ramayana but with heavy Balinese influence. Famous Balinese dances include pendet, legong, baris, topeng, barong, gong keybar, and kecak (the monkey dance). Bali boasts one of the most diverse and innovative performing arts cultures in the world, with paid performances at thousands of temple festivals, private ceremonies, or public shows.
The Hindu New Year, Nyepi, is celebrated in the spring by a day of silence. On this day everyone stays at home and tourists are encouraged to remain in their hotels. On the day before New Year, large and colourful sculptures of ogoh-ogoh monsters are paraded and finally burned in the evening to drive away evil spirits. Other festivals throughout the year are specified by the Balinese pawukon calendrical system.
Celebrations are held for many occasions such as a tooth-filing (coming-of-age ritual), cremation or odalan (temple festival). One of the most important concepts that Balinese ceremonies have in common is that of désa kala patra, which refers to how ritual performances must be appropriate in both the specific and general social context. Many of the ceremonial art forms such as wayang kulit and topeng are highly improvisatory, providing flexibility for the performer to adapt the performance to the current situation. Many celebrations call for a loud, boisterous atmosphere with lots of activity and the resulting aesthetic, ramé, is distinctively Balinese. Often two or more gamelan ensembles will be performing well within earshot, and sometimes compete with each other to be heard. Likewise, the audience members talk amongst themselves, get up and walk around, or even cheer on the performance, which adds to the many layers of activity and the liveliness typical of ramé.
Kaja and kelod are the Balinese equivalents of North and South, which refer to ones orientation between the island's largest mountain Gunung Agung (kaja), and the sea (kelod). In addition to spatial orientation, kaja and kelod have the connotation of good and evil; gods and ancestors are believed to live on the mountain whereas demons live in the sea. Buildings such as temples and residential homes are spatially oriented by having the most sacred spaces closest to the mountain and the unclean places nearest to the sea.
Most temples have an inner courtyard and an outer courtyard which are arranged with the inner courtyard furthest kaja. These spaces serve as performance venues since most Balinese rituals are accompanied by any combination of music, dance and drama. The performances that take place in the inner courtyard are classified as wali, the most sacred rituals which are offerings exclusively for the gods, while the outer courtyard is where bebali ceremonies are held, which are intended for gods and people. Lastly, performances meant solely for the entertainment of humans take place outside the walls of the temple and are called bali-balihan. This three-tiered system of classification was standardised in 1971 by a committee of Balinese officials and artists to better protect the sanctity of the oldest and most sacred Balinese rituals from being performed for a paying audience.
Tourism, Bali's chief industry, has provided the island with a foreign audience that is eager to pay for entertainment, thus creating new performance opportunities and more demand for performers. The impact of tourism is controversial since before it became integrated into the economy, the Balinese performing arts did not exist as a capitalist venture, and were not performed for entertainment outside of their respective ritual context. Since the 1930s sacred rituals such as the barong dance have been performed both in their original contexts, as well as exclusively for paying tourists. This has led to new versions of many of these performances which have developed according to the preferences of foreign audiences; some villages have a barong mask specifically for non-ritual performances as well as an older mask which is only used for sacred performances.
Balinese society continues to revolve around each family's ancestral village, to which the cycle of life and religion is closely tied. Coercive aspects of traditional society, such as customary law sanctions imposed by traditional authorities such as village councils (including "kasepekang", or shunning) have risen in importance as a consequence of the democratisation and decentralisation of Indonesia since 1998.
WIKIPEDIA
in all of my favorite songs there is usually one specific lyric that will make me
*sigh* and say quietly to myself "one of the best sentences ever sang".
i'm not a huge fan of the Killers, although Hot Fuss was an amazingly listenable album
which gave us one of the most "iconic" modern day lyrics of all time. you heard
it and you didn't know whether to bask and bathe in the warm brillance of
"i've got soul, but i'm not a soldier" or to shield your brain cells from the
awful alliterative punnery.
the Killers are just about as good a band as any, but what sets them apart
is they have perfected the art of creating
hugeness inside a song without tipping the scales and flooding over into a bottomless
sea of inescapable epicness that practically drowns the listener (ahem...like Muse).
the other thing about the killers is that their music gives off colours. you can't hear a
killers song and not see it's colour. at least i can't.
"somebody told me" is a flashing red siren.
"jenny was a friend of mine" is a suffocating midnight blue
"human" is black sky littered with a billion little shooting sparks.
"spaceman" is an uldulating silver thread leading to a world in a far away galaxy.
"when you were young" is the colour of rows and rows of pink roses blooming and fading in unison
"smile like you mean it" is the primary colours of red, yellow, and blue darkened by an overhead thunderstorm.
"mr. brightside" is like staring into a strobelight at close range.
but my favorite killers song has always reminded me of autum.
soft yellows, reds, browns, oranges - dry and fragile,
but inescapably beautiful when layered.
the sound is the satisfying crunch (3:13-3:35) of stepping across
a resplendant carpeting of leaves and finding yourself in that
specific moment where you reach down and scoop up
a handful and toss them in the air
watching them swirl delicately around your head before
moving on.
(and the video agrees at 2:22.)
and the matching lryic is:
"i don't mind, if you don't mind
cause i don't shine if you don't shine."
(/it's funny how you just break down...
waiting on some sign...
i pull up to the front of your drive way...)
/having said all that,
there is absolutely no excuse for this.
if that had a colour, it would be: fifty shades of suck.
MAQUETTE FOR THE END OF TIME
Detail: Front view of the figure Not Even Death Attended
No specific event in the history of mankind has so
concerned Robert Cremean as that memorialized in
MAQUETTE FOR THE END OF TIME. It is not only a
continuing analysis of 8/6/45, the dropping of the bomb on
Hiroshima from which date he has declared “All the
metaphors have changed.” It is a summation of that event
previously portrayed and analyzed in numerous completed
sculptures, studio sections, books and lectures including:
STUDIO SECTION 1981-1983—Terminus; THE SEVENTH
LECTURE—Terminus: Notes to the Music of Johann Sebastian
Bach On His Birthday, 1985; THE PROCRUSTES TRILOGY,
1992-2002; THE TENTH ARCH—A SEQUEL TO VATICAN
CORRIDOR, A Non-Specific Autobiography, 1996; STUDIO
SECTION 1998-2002—Dialogues of the True Cross—A Polemic
in the Form of a Triptych and The Winter Notebooks; STUDIO
SECTION 2002-2005—Marsyas/Myself; STUDIO SECTION
2006-2007; and in STUDIO SECTION 2008-2009. All of these
are fully documented and the writings transcribed within
the photographic record both preceding and following this recording
on Flickr.com. But the event is most succinctly
described in the beginning of the Blue Triangle that descends
the jotting wall of Procrustes In Situ, the first part of THE
PROCRUSTES TRILOGY:
“We live in an age of miracles...August 6th, 1945. Born
in a searing flash of light, god himself signed his
magnificent demise with the most enormous phallic
plume the world had ever seen. Terminus.... Fifty years
have passed since the death of god...fifty years of the
most miraculous discoveries, inventions and
accomplishments—and fifty years of denial and deceit.
We live in an age of miracles and refuse to accept the
authorship of, hence responsibility for, the miracles
themselves. We persist in denying our resplendency
and responsibilities within the concept of a new
age—a new age with a new concept of time, finite and
creative. An Age of Miracles. Thousands upon thousands
of men, women and children were consumed in
this cataclysmic change of metaphors. God, like an
ancient ruler incarnate, adorned his death with
innocents, and their blood colors this new age. How
old he was! As old as human fear. And though fear still
holds us enthralled, we are no longer free to worship
it. God is dead and, with him, men in His image.
Patriarchy’s grave lies in the blood and rubble of
Hiroshima, beneath a poisoned cock of smoke.”
"Space Thang" by Jori Sackin and Pat Vamos is a site specific movie-going experience for an adult movie theater on Troost in Kansas City, MO. A wild success, their one-night-only event played to a sold out audience. On top of Vamos and Sackin's found footage and original animation collages, the show included "Mary Fortune" as the live opening band and MK12's "Follow the Sun" as a trailer.
I wrote more about this whole Kansas City trip on our blog...
Ever since I can remember, I've gone past this specific homestead and it's been abandoned, left to rot ever since. When I was little the house creeped me out, as if it was a haunted house or something. This is located a few km northwest of the French village Grande Clairière. I went out of my way so I could get a photo of this old homestead. With that, I got stuck 5 minutes afterwards as the roads weren't plowed yet - after a large snow storm.
With the addition of the hoarfrost, it's even better! Thoughts?
I'm starting to purchase some relatively expensive gemstones. I wanted to know how I could be sure of what I was purchasing when there are some misleading trade names and vendors that may not ask as many questions of their supplier as they should.
Calculating the specific gravity of your new sparklies is a good method and can be done fairly inexpensively.
blog.autochthonous-evolved.com/2013/04/making-sure-your-g...
Capitolo primo. L’astratta qualità del ricordo. (2016/2017) Chapter one. The abstract quality of remembrance. (2016/2017)
Site specific installation. Work in progress.
beat.wave - a site-specific entrance
J. MAYER H. Architects
project team: Juergen Mayer H., Jonathan Busse
Project: 5th - 9th December 2007
Client: PULSE Contemporary Art Fair, Miami
Location: Soho Studios in the Wynwood District, 2136 NW 1st Ave, Miami
Courtesy of PULSE, magnus müller and the artist
beat.wave, is an entry gate to PULSE Miami with an undulating arch that is
about 11 feet high. Cantilevering, split and sliced, this ambivalent
structure offers seating areas as a meeting point and a place for
contemplation.
The architect, designer and artist Jürgen Mayer H. focuses on works at the
intersection of architecture, communication and new technology. From urban
planning schemes and buildings to installation work and objects with new
materials, the relationship between the human body,
technology and nature form the background for a new production of space. In
his art work, Mayer strategically chooses to bypass architecture and to use
art as an operative platform. In close interaction with our built
environment his work highlights the
relationship between the human body and the architectural space.
Site Specific Series
Bird Feeder
-Mortise and tenon joinery
-Slopped roof
-Gravity fed
-Refillable
-Grate floor to allow light and food to fall for ground feeders
-Inner feeding room for protection from predators
-Made from FlatCor - 100% recycled and formaldehyde-free material
-Weatherproofed with non-toxic and non-hazardous sealant
Intended for:
Black-Capped Chickadee
Song Sparrow
White-Throated Sparrow
House Sparrow
American Golfinch
And many others...
I'm starting to purchase some relatively expensive gemstones. I wanted to know how I could be sure of what I was purchasing when there are some misleading trade names and vendors that may not ask as many questions of their supplier as they should.
Calculating the specific gravity of your new sparklies is a good method and can be done fairly inexpensively.
blog.autochthonous-evolved.com/2013/04/making-sure-your-g...
Europa: Pasajes de Invierno es una instalación site specific de Florentino Díaz comisariada por Carlota Álvarez Basso para el programa de intervenciones Abierto x Obras, en la antigua cámara frigorífica de lo que fue el matadero municipal. La pieza se inscribe además en la programación de PhotoEspaña 2015.
La pieza conformada a partir de materiales de derribo, representa un barracón sobre el que no cesa de caer la lluvia. En su interior, pantallas de video nos muestran las imágenes de vidas anónimas del siglo XX, recogidas de álbumes encontrados en mercadillos, con el Winterreise (Viaje de invierno) de Schubert sonando de fondo. Según la comisaria Carlota Álvarez Basso, son “historias que hablan de los momentos de felicidad ajena que han caído en el olvido, de la fragilidad de nuestra existencia y de la inconsistencia de la memoria, tanto de la individual como de la colectiva”.
“El espectador debe recorrer estos pasajes de invierno a través de estos videos en los que, paradójicamente, no cabe imaginar el trágico destino que aguarda a sus protagonistas, y que nos hacen pensar en el incierto destino que nos espera” señala Florentino Díaz. Respecto al título, Díaz se inspira en El Libro de los Pasajes, el gran proyecto inacabado de Walter Benjamin, fallecido en 1940, que “cuestiona el desarrollo de una historia que hasta ese momento no había cumplido las expectativas de liberación humana, y que en sus ruinas mostraba la imposibilidad de alcanzar sus metas últimas”, explica el artista.
Las obras de Florentino Díaz (Cáceres - 1954) se caracterizan, desde los años 1990, por el uso de materiales e imágenes recuperadas, elementos aparentemente sencillos pero cargados de sentido y de connotación emocional. Desde hace muchos años Florentino Díaz ha ido guardando pequeños tesoros encontrados en el Rastro de Madrid o de las ciudades que visitaba en sus viajes. Objetos, libros, fotografías que a veces nos desvelan y otras se guardan los secretos de vidas e historias de otro tiempo. El artista es además un referente cuyo trabajo ha girado siempre en torno al concepto de lo doméstico, de la casa, concebida como un espacio cada vez más difícil de habitar. Sus instalaciones se han expuesto en centros nacionales e internacionales, como el CAB DE Burgos, MEIAC de Badajoz, Museo Barjola de Gijón, Casal Solleriç Espai 4 de Mallorca, Museo de Cáceres, Salón de los 16, Kunstamt Kreuzberg-Bethanien de Berlín, y en ferias como Art Cologne, MACO-MEXICO, Liste The Young Art Fair de Basel, Art Chicago, Busan Bienal de Corea. Y forma parte de colecciones privadas, museos e instituciones como CGAC de A Coruña, Colección La Caixa, Fundación Coca-Cola España, Colección Banco de España, Museo de Cáceres, entre otras.
Abierto x Obras
Abierto x Obras, en Matadero Madrid, es un programa de intervenciones site specific que incentiva el carácter experimental de la creación contemporánea a través de planteamientos que exploran la relación entre el arte y el lugar que lo acoge, la antigua cámara frigorífica del Matadero. Desde 2007 Abierto x Obras ha acogido las intervenciones de artistas como Daniel Canogar, Jannis Kounnellis, Román Signer, Carlos Garaicoa, Fernando Sánchez Castillo, Jordi Colomer, Los Carpinteros, Cristina Lucas, o Eugenio Ampudia, entre otros. Próximamente se podrá disfrutar del trabajo del artista británico Haroon Mirza.
@algonquinoutfit : RT @OntarioParks: December is perfect for stargazing. Scan the north sky for Cassiopeia (look for an "M"-shaped constellation). t.co/cnTf5vK0Ae (via Twitter twitter.com/algonquinoutfit/status/944707977197621248)
The specific common values of pastoral systems include their importance for the conservation and sustainable use of animal breeds, the landscapes which co-evolved with pastoralists’ cultural practices, which e.g. provide critical habitats for wild biodiversity, deep reservoirs of local/indigenous knowledge on livestock rearing and health, as well as on ecological functioning. The Maasai pastoral system provides meat, milk, maize meal, beans, fur and hides; forage, water, and manure; forest based products (edible fruits, seeds, medicines, honey, poles); and an intimate understanding of ecological knowledge.
(c)FAO/David Boerma. Photo credit must be given.
ift.tt/1JDiEYr Hypnosis Facts - Sleep Hypnosis | Hypnotize | Hypnotized | Hypnotism | Hypnotist | How To Hypnotize youtu.be/3Ltotz3N-VU ------------------------------------ Hypnosis is a state of human consciousness involving focused attention and reduced peripheral awareness and an enhanced capacity for response to suggestion. Theories explaining what occurs during hypnosis fall into two groups. Altered state theories see hypnosis as an altered state of mind or trance, marked by a level of awareness different from the ordinary conscious state. In contrast, Non-state theories see hypnosis as a form of imaginative role-enactment. During hypnosis, a person is said to have heightened focus and concentration. The person can concentrate intensely on a specific thought or memory, while blocking out sources of distraction. Hypnotised subjects are said to show an increased response to suggestions. Hypnosis is usually induced by a procedure known as a hypnotic induction involving a series of preliminary instructions and suggestions. The use of hypnotism for therapeutic purposes is referred to as "hypnotherapy", while its use as a form of entertainment for an audience is known as "stage hypnosis". Stage hypnosis is often performed by Mentalists practicing the art form of Mentalism. Hypnosis is normally preceded by a "hypnotic induction" technique. Traditionally, this was interpreted as a method of putting the subject into a "hypnotic trance"; however, subsequent "nonstate" theorists have viewed it differently, seeing it as a means of heightening client expectation, defining their role, focusing attention, etc. There are several different induction techniques. One of the most influential methods was Braid's "eye-fixation" technique, also known as "Braidism". Many variations of the eye-fixation approach exist, including the induction used in the Stanford Hypnotic Susceptibility Scale, the most widely used research tool in the field of hypnotism. There are numerous applications for hypnosis across multiple fields of interest including medical/psychotherapeutic uses, military uses, self-improvement, and entertainment. Hypnotism has also been used in forensics, sports, education, physical therapy and rehabilitation. Hypnotic methods have been used to re-experience drug states and mystical experiences. The word hypnosis has the root hypnos which is actually a word for sleep in the original Greek. Hypnosis is said to have been used in the early 1800s as a form of anesthesia, known as hypnoanesthesia. Hypnotherapy seeks to create unconscious change in the patient, by putting them in a state that is highly suggestible. Statistically, the majority of individuals never reach deep hypnosis or somnambulism when undergoing an hypnotic induction. The use of hypnosis has been found as far back as 3000 years ago, where it was practiced by the Ancient Egyptians and the Ancient Greeks. Scientific literature suggests a wide variety of hypnotic interventions can be used to treat bulimia nervosa. Cognitive behavioral hypnotherapy (CBH) is an integrated psychological therapy employing clinical hypnosis and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Hypnotherapy has long been used in relation to childbirth. Anyone Who is Willing Can Be Hypnotized, But You Can’t Be Made to Do Anything Against Your Will While In Hypnosis. Fifteen Minutes of Hypnosis is Like Three Hours of Sleep. ◄Please Like, Share, Comment and SUBSCRIBE for more videos. youtu.be/3Ltotz3N-VU ift.tt/1JDiEYr www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLntYGLW91HcDRiQ73zMgoioYdy... www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLntYGLW91HcBqVFVXoj4wetwUD... www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLntYGLW91HcBCRZLbY0TcBNsIg... www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLntYGLW91HcArcUrxYx8Diie-R... www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLntYGLW91HcDTm3wshjyTC9Fx0... www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLntYGLW91HcBPyOOeVIgQhmRt9... www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLntYGLW91HcAbY1C-oMgkw9H2c... www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLntYGLW91HcA4lHvMkHpCdm3aD... www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLntYGLW91HcDSEanZ0bEs37zfj... www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLntYGLW91HcByNSCI8YIdMqnto... Hypnosis,Hypnotize,Hypnotized,Hypnotism,Self Hypnosis,Sleep Hypnosis,Hypnotize Lyrics,Hypnotist,How To Hypnotize Someone,How To Hypnotize,Weight Loss Hypnosis,System Of A Down Hypnotize,Hypnotized Girls,Hypnotize Biggie,Hypnotize Yourself,Hypnosis For Sleep,Hypnotize Album,Hypnosis For Anxiety,Hypnotize System Of A Down,Hypnotize Notorious Big,Deep Sleep Hypnosis,Slave Hypnosis,Hypnosis Weight Loss,Hypnosis Sleep,Hypnotize Me,RainbowTrip -------------------------
So, we're up to Round 3 of the Good Mail Day Swap. Thanks to Karen for organizing this one :)
I'm super busy right now, and trying to get ready for a trip for work tomorrow, but I wanted to get something up here. This is my info from the last swap. I'll update it with holiday-season specific stuff ... later.
Many of you probably know a lot of this stuff already.
********
Foods you like:
Ummm, almost all of them? Dark chocolate. Macaroni and cheese. Anything made from a potato. Cheese. Citrus flavors, though I hate peeling citrus fruits (the icky white stuff gets under my fingernails and drives me batty.) Love donuts. And vegetables. Probably not together, though.
Foods you despise:
Mussels and clams - it's a texture thing. Otherwise, there's nothing else that I really dislike. But I don't eat red meat. I became a vegetarian at age 13 -- I read Peter Singer's Animal Liberation. Who the hell reads that at the age of 13 anyways??? I added chicken and fish back in after I graduated from college. And pork a couple of years later. I got bored of my vegetarian diet. I never missed the red meat, though, so I figured there was no need to eat it.
Foods you can't eat (allergies, etc.)
None. But see the red meat disclaimer above.
Coffee vs. tea
I'm a coffee drinker. More specifically, Dunkin Donuts iced coffee, size medium, with milk and sugar. Yes, every day. Even in the winter. Luckily, we live really close to DD, because I don't like the way it tastes when you brew it at home. I used to drink it with cream, but switched to milk about a year ago, thanks to Accountability Wednesday. Now I find the cream too rich.
I would like to try more teas, too. I like Revolution Tea's White Tangerine Tea. I don't know anything about tea, and frankly, am overwhelmed when looking at the selections.
Where do you live?
I live 25 miles north of Boston. Four years ago, my husband and I bought a house in the same medium-sized town that I grew up in. My parents live 3.1 miles away. We bought the house here because we thought that it would be good to raise a family near family. We're still contemplating the whole kids thing. (That's a personality quirk that needs its own thread!)
Favorite yarn(s)?
I dunno. I'm not a fanatic about any one yarn. I do prefer wool over most other fibers, but I'm open to lots of wools. Cascade 220 is a lovely workhorse. I too like the wooly wools -- Bartlett, Peace Fleece, etc. But I also like a nice refined merino, like the Karabella yarns. I like most merino or merino blend sock yarns, with a preference for handdyed semisolids. I really love my Artyarns Ultramerino socks. Technically, that's not even a sock yarn (not superwash either!) but omg, so soft!!
Crafty pursuits - knit, crochet, spin, sew, quilt, any of these or others?
I knit, obvs. I spin. I didn't mean to learn to spin, but it sort of happened. My fiber peeps are big enablers. I have a Schacht Matchless. I am less of a perfectionist control-freak know-everything-under-the-sun about spinning than I am about other things. I also spin less than I knit, etc. Coincidence? I think not. You can see my fiber stash and my handspun yarns in my ravelry stash page.
I know how to crochet, but only the basics. I have a sewing machine. And a small fabric stash. You know, those two things ought to meet more often. I made a quilt top last year. I ought to get back to that. Oh, wait. I did. I joined the Twitter Bee.
I dabble a bit in bookbinding. (Search my stream for "bookbinding" to see some of the things I've made.)
Hobbies/pursuits/proclivities/passions (other than the aforementioned crafty ones, obvs)
I'm a wee bit hyper-focused on things. (Some would call it obsessive. I don't know WHAT they're talking about.) It's a pretty good bet that if I do something, then I really DO it.
I coach synchronized swimming. I am a former synchronized swimmer, from the age of 10 until 18, then again for a year when I was 22/23. I am a nationally ranked synchro judge as well. I coached an age group club (the one I swam on) from the age of 17 until last year. It was a very tough decision to leave, but I couldn't support the coaching approach of our new head coach. I really, really, really miss the girls I used to coach. Especially the ones I worked with for 4, 5, 8 years. Now I'm coaching a college club -- at my alma mater. I like it there, but it's different working with college girls. This group also happens to be at a lower skill level than my old team, and I miss the challenges of the higher level. But I'm enjoying the change of pace, and looking forward to getting to know these girls better.
I played water polo in college (ages 18-22). Swam competitively for a couple of years from age 23-26. Then, I got busy/lazy/hurt my back and gave it up.
A year and a half ago, I got back into swimming again. I train with a masters team in my town, and swim and race in the open water (ponds, lakes, rivers, ocean) in the summer. Swimming quiets my crazy mind. It's my meditation. I race indoors in the winter, but love the summer open water season. I swam a 10-mile race this summer. That's like the swim equivalent of a 30-mile road race.
At the end of last summer, I started running too. I've tried, on and off, to become a runner for many years. This time it stuck. I've run a handful of shorter races, and two half-marathons. I run once a week with a dear friend. She is an inspiration, a motivation, and because of her, I love running. I am not fast, but I am proud of what I have accomplished so far. And I am lucky to be able to share the ride with a friend.
What do you do in life? (job, career, school, family, etc.)
I work in higher ed development (a.k.a. fundraising). I love my profession. I get to talk to interesting people (donors and faculty) about cool work, and raise money for worthy causes. I've worked with everyone from graduate students to Nobel Prize winners. I learn something new every day.
I've been married to my husband, Thom, since 2004. We've been together for over 10 years. We met when I was in college and he was a park ranger. Hat and all.
Random favorites -- books, movies, tv, genres, ice cream flavors, time of day, etc.
I don't watch much TV. When I do, it tends to be of the crime drama genre (Law and Order, Criminal Minds, Numbers, White Collar). I loved The Wire. I'm working my way through Bones now, up to season 3 so far.
I used to read more than I do now (work + internet + knitting + long-ass commute + coaching + running + swimming = less free time than I would desire).
I rarely watch movies.
Ice cream: Vienna Mocha Chunk. Or really, anything with chocolate as a main component.
My favorite colors are red/pink/purple and green/bue/purple.
And, now for some random quirkiness for your amusement.
* I have a relatively rare neurological condition called superior oblique myokymia. It's benign, but annoying as hell. Basically, my right eyeball has weird tremors. They get worse when I'm stressed or fatigued.
* I like things to match and be symmetrical. If I want to knit a hat for myself, I had better be prepared to make matching scarf/mitts. I pretty much won't wear anything asymmetrical (off the shoulder on one side only, etc.).
* I have bursitis in my hips. Yeah, you thought only old ladies got that? I've had it since I was 15.
* I was really good at math and science in high school. I majored in history and french in college. What can I say? I like to challenge myself.
* My favorite drink is a gin and tonic. Bombay Blue Sapphire. I like sidecars too. And pinot grigio. Not a beer drinker.
* My middle name is Elizabeth. So is my mom's. Someday, if I have a girl, I want her middle name to be Elizabeth.
* I have never lived outside of Massachusetts. Except for the summer I spent in Nigeria (1998).
* I rarely wear clothes with patterns. Except for jackets (i.e. work jackets/blazers). But I love them on other people. I've been trying to branch out and work more interesting patterned clothes into my wardrobe. First purchase? A subtly patterned blouse in beige and grey. (Interestingness FAIL!)
* I love shoe shopping. But don't buy many pairs. I am super picky about fit. I'm sure this surprises nobody. I'm also kind of cheap. I'm happy to enable OTHER people's shoe purchases though.
* I'm a total night owl. I get up early. Conflicted, I know. And also, frequently over-tired.
* Apparently, my laundry quirks are amusing to others.
Sara Schnadt
Network, Domestic Intervention
July 31st – August 21st, 2010
Opening reception Sat July 31st, 3pm – 8pm
Exhibition continues thru Sat Aug 21st by appointment
Sara Schnadt is a Chicago-based performance/installation artist. Raised on an international commune in Scotland, an ‘alternative’ context which considered itself as a social experiment outside of conventional culture, she spent formative years understanding herself as an outsider, an observer. Since moving to the United States in 1986, Sara has become fascinated with the unifying rituals and values that are common threads in contemporary western culture, and has made work that frames and resonates with those common threads.
Formally, Sara makes performance and installations that use task, found objects, interactivity, projection, and movement derived from common gestures. Her work creates environments that shift the audience regularly from spectator to participant as the performer constantly moves between pedestrian and more stylized or evocative activity and the viewer negotiates spacial immersion in the work.
Works often take shape as installations and live activities that translate data visualizations of large quantities of socially-resonant information into material, gestural and poetic form.
Network, Domestic Intervention
Since November 2009, site-specific versions of Network have been created in Chicago for an unused store front downtown and a gallery space at Hyde Park Art Center. For What it is, a version of Network will be created to inhabit the entire house that is the project space and artists’ live-work space and extend out into the garden.
Visualizing the idea that we simultaneously live in a real and virtual world, and that the virtual is infinitely expansive, Network uses large quantities of electric yellow twine (tied in patterns based on both social network structures and Internet network infrastructure) to suggest a virtual network landscape cutting through an otherwise ordinary space.
Artists/curators/residents Tom Burtonwood and Holly Holmes will also live with the work in their home for a month, negotiating their routines around it. A series of photographs will document their activity for the project catalog.
Sara Schnadt is a Chicago-based artist working in new media, installation and performance art. She has shown her in work in Chicago at Hyde Park Art Center, Pop-Up Art Loop temporary gallery series, 12×12: New Artists New Work at the MCA Chicago, Looptopia, the Site Unseen Performance Festival, Balloon Contemporary, and at Antena Gallery. National and international shows include Exchange Rate public projection series in LA and New York, Upgrade! – Chain Reaction in Skopje, Macedonia, CINEA Paris, FreeManifesta in Frankfurt, and the Busan Biennale in Busan, South Korea.
Sneakers Unboxed: Studio to Street
(May - September 2021)
From trainers originally designed for specific athletic activities like the Converse Chuck Taylor All Star, the Puma Disc, and Nike Air Zoom Alphafly Next%, discover how sneakers such as the Reebok InstaPump Fury, the Vans Half Cab and the Asics Gel Lyte III have become cultural symbols of our times.
Take a journey through the design process behind some of the most technically inventive shoes of today with the Adidas FutureCraft.Strung shoe-making robot designed by Kram/Weisshaar, Satoshi, a brand using blockchain certification and the world’s first biologically active shoes developed by MIT Design Lab and Biorealize for Puma.
Then delve into the lucrative resale market that is currently valued at $10 billion in data visualisations from Stock X, before reliving the streetwear staple's high-fashion reinvention including sneakers by Balenciaga, Comme des Garçons and Y-3 and runway looks from A-COLD-WALL* and CRAIG GREEN.
Uncover the icons and collaborations that have shaped the sneaker scene over the years from Michael Jordan and Run-DMC to Kanye West, experience visuals and graphic work from Jamel Shabazz, Grace Ladoja, Simon Wheatley and Reuben Dangoor, and meet the designers working to make the industry more sustainable, Stella McCartney, Helen Kirkum and Alexander Taylor.
[Design Museum]
Taken in the Design Museum
Site specific theatre theater performance perform performance art
site-specific theatricality installation site specific create process San Francisco bay area
Poland Prague Cargo Ship Art ship Theatrical
Theatrically devised collaborate collaborative
collaboratively thetre thatre theter theatr theate
teatr divadlo predstaveni predstavani ensemble work
artwork scultpture installation umeni compose composed
composer hudba react reaction place site room
performed Boston New York Los Angeles experimental
avant garde experiment performative installation
instalation install sculpt puppet puppeteer oakland
company scrap and salvage James Mulligan Rafal
Klopotowski Emiko Lewis Frank Lee Erin Blendu Eric
ANdler Molly Rhodes Emily Rosenthal Allison Wyper
bluespace 1000 van ness 1k this end up #3 hold piwnica
marchewy lorca project
Sanctuary Park Cemetery Toronto Ontario Canada.
OES - Order of Eastern Star:
Members of the Order are aged 18 and older; men must be Master Masons and women must have specific relationships with Masons. Originally, a woman would have to be the daughter, widow, wife, sister, or mother of a master Mason, but the Order now allows other relatives[2] as well as allowing Job's Daughters, Rainbow Girls, Members of the Organization of Triangles (NY only) and members of the Constellation of Junior Stars (NY only) to become members when of age.
The Order was created by Rob Morris in 1850 when he was teaching at the Eureka Masonic College in Richland, Mississippi. While confined by illness, he set down the principles of the order in his Rosary of the Eastern Star. By 1855, he had organized a "Supreme Constellation" in New York, which chartered chapters throughout the United States.
In 1866, Dr. Morris started working with Robert Macoy, and handed the Order over to him while Morris was traveling in the Holy Land. Macoy organized the current system of Chapters, and modified Dr. Morris' Rosary into a Ritual.
On December 1, 1874, Queen Esther Chapter No. 1 became the first Prince Hall Affiliate chapter of the Order of the Eastern Star when it was established in Washington, D.C. by Thornton Andrew Jackson.[3]
The "General Grand Chapter" was formed in Indianapolis, Indiana on November 6, 1876. Committees formed at that time created the Ritual of the Order of the Eastern Star in more or less its current form.[4]
The emblem of the Order is a five-pointed star with the white ray of the star pointing downwards towards the manger. In the Chapter room, the downward-pointing white ray points to the West. The character-building lessons taught in the Order are stories inspired by Biblical figures:
Adah (Jephthah's daughter, from the Book of Judges)
Ruth, the widow from the Book of Ruth
Esther, the wife from the Book of Esther
Martha, sister of Mary and Lazarus, from the Gospel of Luke and the Gospel of John
Electa (the "elect lady" from II John), the mother
Order of the Eastern Star:
General Grand Chapter logo:
The Order of the Eastern Star is a Freemasonicappendant body open to both men and women. It was established in 1850 by lawyer and educator Rob Morris, a noted Freemason. The order is based on teachings from the Bible,[1] but is open to people of all religious beliefs. It has approximately 10,000 chapters in twenty countries and approximately 500,000 members under its General Grand Chapter.
Members of the Order are aged 18 and older; men must be Master Masons and women must have specific relationships with Masons. Originally, a woman would have to be the daughter, widow, wife, sister, or mother of a master Mason, but the Order now allows other relatives[2] as well as allowing Job's Daughters, Rainbow Girls, Members of the Organization of Triangles (NY only) and members of the Constellation of Junior Stars (NY only) to become members when of age.
History:
The Order was created by Rob Morris in 1850 when he was teaching at the Eureka Masonic College in Richland, Mississippi. While confined by illness, he set down the principles of the order in his Rosary of the Eastern Star. By 1855, he had organized a "Supreme Constellation" in New York, which chartered chapters throughout the United States.
In 1866, Dr. Morris started working with Robert Macoy, and handed the Order over to him while Morris was traveling in the Holy Land. Macoy organized the current system of Chapters, and modified Dr. Morris' Rosary into a Ritual.
On December 1, 1874, Queen Esther Chapter No. 1 became the first Prince Hall Affiliatechapter of the Order of the Eastern Star when it was established in Washington, D.C. by Thornton Andrew Jackson.[3]
The "General Grand Chapter" was formed in Indianapolis, Indiana on November 6, 1876. Committees formed at that time created the Ritual of the Order of the Eastern Star in more or less its current form.[4]
Emblem and heroines:
The emblem of the Order is a five-pointed star with the white ray of the star pointing downwards towards the manger. In the Chapter room, the downward-pointing white ray points to the West. The character-building lessons taught in the Order are stories inspired by Biblical figures:
Adah (Jephthah's daughter, from the Book of Judges)
Ruth, the widow from the Book of Ruth
Esther, the wife from the Book of Esther
Martha, sister of Mary and Lazarus, from the Gospel of Luke and the Gospel of John
Electa (the "elect lady" from II John), the mother
Officers
Officers representing the heroines of the order sit around the altar in the center of the chapter room.
Eastern Star meeting room:
There are 18 main officers in a full chapter:
Worthy Matron – presiding officer
Worthy Patron – a Master Mason who provides general supervision
Associate Matron – assumes the duties of the Worthy Matron in the absence of that officer
Associate Patron – assumes the duties of the Worthy Patron in the absence of that officer
Secretary – takes care of all correspondence and minutes
Treasurer – takes care of monies of the Chapter
Conductress – Leads visitors and initiations.
Associate Conductress – Prepares candidates for initiation, assists the conductress with introductions and handles the ballot box.
Chaplain – leads the Chapter in prayer
Marshal – presents the Flag and leads in all ceremonies
Organist – provides music for the meetings
Adah – Shares the lesson of Duty of Obedience to the will of God
Ruth – Shares the lesson of Honor and Justice
Esther – Shares the lesson of Loyalty to Family and Friends
Martha – Shares the lesson of Faith and Trust in God and Everlasting Life
Electa – Shares the lesson of Charity and Hospitality
Warder – Sits next to the door inside the meeting room, to make sure those that enter the chapter room are members of the Order.
Sentinel – Sits next to the door outside the chapter room, to make sure those that wish to enter are members of the Order.
Traditionally, a woman who is elected Associate Conductress will be elected to Conductress the following year, then the next year Associate Matron, and then next year as Worthy Matron. A man elected Associate Patron will usually be elected Worthy Patron the following year. Usually the woman who is elected to become Associate Matron will let it be known who she wishes to be her Associate Patron, so the next year they will both go to the East together as Worthy Matron and Worthy Patron. There is no male counterpart to the Conductress and Associate Conductress. Only women are allowed to be Matrons, Conductresses, and the Star Points (Adah, Ruth, etc.) and only men can be Patrons.
Once a member has served a term as Worthy Matron or Worthy Patron, they may use the post-nominal letters, PM or PP respectively.
Headquarters:
The International Temple in Washington, D.C.
Main article: International Temple
The General Grand Chapter headquarters, the International Temple, is located in the Dupont Circleneighborhood of Washington, D.C., in the former Perry Belmont Mansion. The mansion was built in 1909 for the purpose of entertaining the guests of Perry Belmont. This included Britain's Prince of Wales in 1919. General Grand Chapter purchased the building in 1935. The secretary of General Grand Chapter lives there while serving his or her term of office. The mansion features works of art from around the world, most of which were given as gifts from various international Eastern Star chapters.
Charities:
The Order has a charitable foundation[5] and from 1986-2001 contributed $513,147 to Alzheimer's disease research, juvenile diabetes research, and juvenile asthma research. It also provides bursaries to students of theology and religious music, as well as other scholarships that differ by jurisdiction. In 2000 over $83,000 was donated. Many jurisdictions support a Masonic and/or Eastern Star retirement center or nursing home for older members; some homes are also open to the public. The Elizabeth Bentley OES Scholarship Fund was started in 1947.[6][7]
Eureka Masonic College, also known as The Little Red Schoolhouse, birthplace of the Order of the Eastern Star
Signage at the Order of the Eastern Star birthplace, the Little Red Schoolhouse
Notable members
Clara Barton[8]
J. Howell Flournoy[9]
Eva McGown[10]
James Peyton Smith[11]
Lee Emmett Thomas[12]
Laura Ingalls Wilder[13]
H. L. Willis[14]
See also:
Achoth
Omega Epsilon Sigma
References:
^ "Installation Ceremony". Ritual of the Order of the Eastern Star. Washington, DC: General Grand Chapter, Order of the Eastern Star. 1995 [1889]. pp. 120–121.
^ "Eastern Star Membership". General Grand Chapter. Retrieved 2010-06-03. These affiliations include: * Affiliated Master Masons in good standing, * the wives * daughters * legally adopted daughters * mothers * widows * sisters * half sisters * granddaughters * stepmothers * stepdaughters * stepsisters * daughters-in-law * grandmothers * great granddaughters * nieces * great nieces * mothers-in-law * sisters-in-law and daughters of sisters or brothers of affiliated Master Masons in good standing, or if deceased were in good standing at the time of their death
^ Ayers, Jessie Mae (1992). "Origin and History of the Adoptive Rite Among Black Women". Prince Hall Masonic Directory. Conference of Grand Masters, Prince Hall Masons. Retrieved 2007-10-25.
^ "Rob Morris". Grand Chapter of California. Archived from the original on 2007-09-28. Retrieved 2007-10-01.
^ "OES Charities". Retrieved 2016-04-15.
^ "Elizabeth Bentley Order Of The Eastern Star Scholarship Award". Yukon, Canada. Retrieved 2009-11-05.
^ "Eastern Star has enjoyed long history". Black Press. Retrieved 2009-11-05. The Eastern Star Bursary, later named the Elizabeth Bentley OES Scholarship Fund, was started in 1947.[dead link]
^ Clara Barton, U.S. Nurse Masonic First Day Cover
^ "Sheriff 26 Years – J. H. Flournoy Dies," Shreveport Journal, December 14, 1966, p. 1
^ by Helen L. Atkinson at ALASKA INTERNET PUBLISHERS, INC
^ "James P. Smith". The Bernice Banner, Bernice, Louisiana. Retrieved September 13,2013.
^ "Thomas, Lee Emmett". Louisiana Historical Association, A Directory of Louisiana Biography (lahistory.org). Retrieved December 29, 2010.
^ Big Muddy online publications
^ "Horace Luther Willis". The Alexandria Daily Town Talk on findagrave.com. Retrieved July 25, 2015.
Official website:
Eastern Star Organizations at DMOZ
Pride of the North Chapter Number 61, Order of the Eastern Star Archival Collection, located at Shorefront Legacy Center, Evanston, Illinois, USA.
Commissioned by Dancing in the Streets and Casita Maria Center for Arts & Education as part of The South Bronx Culture Trail, PASEO is a roving site-specific performance by choreographer/director Joanna Haigood and music director Bobby Sanabria that celebrates the Hunts Point and Longwood sections of the South Bronx and their astounding contribution to Latin music. With performances by over 80 dancers, musicians, poets, actors, and community members, fire escapes, stoops, and sidewalks will come alive with Latin music and dance, stickball games, and street scenes evoking the neighborhoods’ vibrant street life and cultural vitality during the 1940s-‘60s.
Over 80 dancers, musicians, poets, and actors, including dancers Ramon Ramos Alayo and Franck Muhel, members of Los Pleneros de la 21, and stellar Bronx-based artists, including Arthur Aviles, La Bruja, percussionist and poet Angel Rodriguez, the Puerto Rican folklorico ensemble Danza Fiesta, the Los Monstritospercussion ensemble, Bobby Sanabria’s nine-piece ensemble, Ascension, and guest musicians who came of age in the neighborhood, including the legendary Alegre All Star timbalero Orlando Marin, The Last Mambo King.
Photo citation: Ted Auch, FracTracker Alliance, 2019. Aerial support provided by LightHawk.
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