Historically Australian Indigenous Art Is Often...

Historically Australian indigenous art is often politically or spiritually motivated. Historically Australian art is often politically or spiritually motivated. This statement is proved by a number of indigenous Australian artists including, Nellie Nakamarra Marks, who uses traditional techniques and motives to relay her spirituality, and Tony Albert, who recontextualises mainstream items, to create a postmodern collection, challenging the idea of stereotypical representations in mainstream culture. All spiritual beliefs in Aboriginal culture relate back to the idea of creation and dreaming. The dreaming is the ongoing cultural and spiritual progression that informs identity and knowledge, which is expressed through traditional†¦show more content†¦The dark shapes also look like leaves, which could represent the end of season and the coming of autumn, which is supported by the deep, vibrant colours in the painting. The colours also represent her region and place in Australia. The many different varieties of the same shapes could symbolise diversity within their own tribe, as well as the different shapes and movements of the land. The purpose of this artwork is to educate and pass on a particular story to younger generations. Postmodern art challenges mainstream ideas, which usually creates a political or social statement about modern society. Contemporary indigenous art in particular would be classified as postmodern because the artists are communicating their feelings and thoughts about certain aspects of society in modern Australia, which in turn, challenges some pre conceived notions about indigenous Australians in today’s society. These particular works by Tony Albert are postmodern, because he recontextualises items from recent history, that were used to create an unrealistic connection between White Australia and indigenous Australia in the 50’s and 60’s, to challenge history, both politically and socially. Tony Albert’s collection recycles kitsch black velvet paintings produced in Australia in the 1950’s and 1960’s. These velvet paintings were very popular in the last

Paradise Lost Themes - 1501 Words

John Milton’s Paradise Lost is, perhaps, one of the greatest works of poetry in the Anglophonic literary canon. One of the reasons that the epic poem is so great is Milton’s uncompromisingly energetic approach in dealing with ideas and images. Milton writes about ideas and images by contrasting them with their opposites; showing Heaven through Hell, the sacrosanct through the somatic, and the obedient through the belligerent. This magnetic style allows the reader to attain a deeper level of understanding about the theological and philosophical claims that Milton makes by offering a counterpoint to each argument. In Paradise Lost, Milton creates an electric tension between different images and ideas, showing the reader each as it relates†¦show more content†¦The fallen angels, in being free from God, enter into a self-imposed servitude because they no longer have the option to follow the best choice, which is God. They are forever doomed, by their own choice, to following something inferior. One could argue that the demons’ deterministic and subordinate perception of reality is not their own imposition, but one imposed on them by God. However, this interpretation would be wrong because the fallen angels themselves choose to go to Hell. In the battle with God, we see how the demons cast themselves out of Hell. Milton writes, â€Å"the monstrous sight / Strook them with horror backward, but far worse / Urged them behind; headlong themselves they threw / Down from the verge of heaven, eternal wrath / Burnt after them to the bottomless pit (6. 862-866). The primary action in this passage consists of the rebel angels throwing themselves from Heaven. This is no action of God. God does not force the angels down, they go of their own accord, emphasizing their free choice to do so. But, in choosing to go to Hell rather than stay in Heaven, they separate themselves eternally from God, forcing themselves into a perceived deterministic subserv ience. Unlike the subservience of the demons, Adam and Eve have freedom because they have free will because they are faithful to God. The free will of the newly created human race is so strong and so present that it can be used to deny itself inShow MoreRelatedBeating At The Heart Of Paradise Lost Lies A Common Theme1106 Words   |  5 PagesBeating at the heart of Paradise Lost lies a common theme that Milton’s God controls all. He makes the best choices for man and his legion of angels due to His omniscient presence. Stemming from this capacity to create life with an overarching lens, He creates the most favorable outcome for his creations. Contrary to Milton’s God’s all-knowing perspective when creating Adam, in Frankenstein, Mary Shelley estranges Victor Frankenstein from his humanity during his creation of his monster. This validatesRead MoreLord Of The Flies, By John Milton Essay1639 Words   |  7 PagesWhile reading the epic, Paradise Lost, by John Mil ton, something came to my mind: Lord of the Flies. There were similarities between these two readings, almost like Lord of the Flies is a biblical allegory to Paradise Lost. I was discovering biblical allusions in the novel Lord of the Flies, something I didn’t discover when I read the novel three years ago, Many debates between critics have been made about Lord of the Flies being a biblical allegory due to its substantial amount of allusions to Judeo-ChristianRead More Comparison of Odyssey, Divine Comedy, and Paradise Lost Essay1089 Words   |  5 PagesA Comparison of Odyssey, Divine Comedy, and Paradise Lost      Ã‚   Epics by definition are long narrative poems, that are grand in both theme and style (Webster 417).   They usually involve actions of great glory and are typically centered around historical or legendary events of universal significance.   Most epics deal with the deeds of a single individual, however, it is not uncommon to have more than one main character.   Epics embody several main features including: supernaturalRead MoreFrankenstein: Allusions1112 Words   |  5 Pagesconnects the story of â€Å"Prometheus†, Coleridge s Rime of the Ancient Mariner, and Milton s Paradise Lost to her own novel to convey the critical points of the meaning behind the story. Not only does Mary Shelley make use of the mythological symbolism, but includes biblical allusions of the creation of Adam and Eve as well. The connections to various works leave clues that will allow readers to identify the many themes of the novel, as well as gaining a better understanding of the primary ideas. The storyRead MoreParadise Lost By John Milton853 Words   |  4 PagesAt first glance, Paradise Lost by John Milton can easily give the impression that this classic piece of literature is a cut copy of the Book of Genesis. Contrary to that notion, Milton’s retelling of the story of the fall of man differs from the western idealized Old Testament in many ways. Throughout the 10,000 lines of the poem, Milton characterizes Adam, Eve, and Satan [Lucifer] with vivid, well thought out dialogue. Overall, Milton’s reimplementation of the archetypal text of the Book of GenesisRead More Mary Shelleys Frankenstein and John Miltons Paradise Lost Essay1685 Words   |  7 PagesJohn Miltons Paradise Lost â€Å"Forth reaching to the Fruit, She pluck’d, she eat:/ Earth felt the wound, and Nature from her seat/ Sighing through all her Works gave signs of woe,/ That all was lost [†¦]† (PL 8. 781-784) In the gothic novel Frankenstein, Mary Shelley weaves an intricate web of allusions through her characters’ expedient desires for knowledge. Both the actions of Frankenstein, as well as his monster allude to John Milton’s Paradise Lost. Book eightRead MoreThe Value of Genesis1059 Words   |  5 Pagesand published thousands of years ago, the stories, themes, and modern-day allusions contained within it can still apply to everyday life- even to those who feel as if they are detached from it. To begin with, many of the stories chronicled in Genesis relate closely to books that exist today. In fact, some are more accurately described as creative recounts of certain events in Genesis and Genesis itself. For example, John Milton’s Paradise Lost is a classic epic that has a strong basis in the storyRead MoreThe Female Character in the Epic Stories Paradise Lost and the Ramayana1555 Words   |  7 PagesTHE FEMALE CHARACTER IN THE EPIC STORIES PARADISE LOST AND THE RAMAYANA [Name of the Student] [Name of the Instructor] [Subject] [Date] The Ramayana and Paradise Lost hold stories of ancient times that tend to explain the existence of two different cultures in the present world. Milton, the author of ‘Paradise Lost,’ concerns himself with the Christian story of the ‘Fall of man’ while Valmiki, the author of The Ramayana, tries to bring out an explanation to the goalsRead MoreHeroic in Paradise Lost by John Lost Essay1637 Words   |  7 PagesThe theme of the heroic in John Miltons Paradise Lost is one that has often been the focus of critical debate, namely in the debate surrounding which character is the true hero of the poem. Most critics of the subject have, however, noted that the difficultly in defining the hero of Miltons work is mainly due to our â€Å"vague understanding of what constitutes heroism†1 and the fact that â€Å"the term itself is equivocal†2. The vague terming of what heroism can be defined as it what draws criticsRead MoreFrankenstein essay 2 672 Words   |  3 Pagesï » ¿ Frankensteins Monster and Miltons Satan An Essay on Paradise Lost and Frankenstein By Chris Davidson Almost all great works of literature contain allusions to other great works of literature that enhance the meaning of the work. Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein is an excellent example of a major literary work that contains a sustained allusion to another major work. Frankenstein contains many references to Milton’s Paradise Lost, and the two stories are parallel in many aspects. In Shelly’s

Harpers Ferry free essay sample

Gulp. I looked down the winding trail ahead of me and swallowed again. Two hundred and eighty miles ahead was my destination: home. I waved good-bye to my father (who had graciously driven Joe and me to Washington, D.C.), hopped on my camping gear-laden bike, and began pedaling. As we passed through Georgetown and then the outskirts of Washington, I watched civilization fade as city streets became dirt paths and shopping centers became country shops. We were following the old CO canal path back in history as we watched the canal become less and less modern. Joe and I had begun our adventure of exploring early America on our first big bike trip: Washington, D.C. to Pittsburgh in six days, just the two of us, with everything we needed packed on our bikes. As in any good story, someone upstairs decided it would be funny to dump a thunderstorm on us one hour into the trip, but the fun didnt end there. We will write a custom essay sample on Harpers Ferry or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Thirty miles later, we reached the first campsite and stretched our tired legs. I hit a mosquito on my neck and in an act of rage for their fallen friend, a swarm appeared, engulfing us in a cloud of blood-sucking fun. Scrambling for our insect-repellent (Off! Deep Woods is good stuff), we found temporary relief from the onslaught. Encouraging each other with the thought that things couldnt get worse, we set up our tents and retired for the night. I found out later that a heat wave had decided to strike that week, with the humidity hovering around 95%. I have a sleeping bag good to -20 degrees Fahrenheit. I was hot. On the worst night, we camped outside Cumberland, adjacent to an active train yard, across the river from an industrial irrigation center, and underneath an apparently popular flight path. As the days wore on, the camping gear felt heavier and heavier, and the canned tuna I thought I could eat for six days became less appetizing. But was I miserable? Although I cannot speak for Joe, I welcomed and actually enjoyed the challenge. Testing myself physically and mentally, I got to see what I could endure and overcome. Over the six days, we pedaled our way across the Blue Ridge of the Appalachian Mountains and through the Laurel Highlands toward home. In many essays, this next paragraph would be dedicated to proclaiming how the writer, upon arriving home, appreciated the luxuries of home: TV, a good bed, air-conditioning, etc. I didnt gain an appreciation for the luxuries, but rather for the hardships people in the past had to endure. I already knew how nice air-conditioning is. On this trip, I had the rare opportunity, even before taking American History, to travel the long path Abraham Lincoln took to Antietam to view the aftermath of the bloodiest battle of the Civil War. I had the chance to live the life of a canal-boat operator: sleeping in the wilderness, enduring heat and long stretches of nothingness. I know nothing more delightful than immersing myself in a learning experience. Seeing the human ingenuity needed to engineer a path through mountains, make aqueduct bridges for boats, and direct the flow of the mighty Potomac River, I felt as if I were inside a textbook and seeing for myself the obstacles people overcame to build our country. Months later, I find myself lying on my bed buried in an American History textbook. The words tell the story, but when I close my eyes, I can take myself back to Harpers Ferry, stand on the steps of Millers General Store, and watch as John Brown conducts his raid.

Olympic Games Essays - Sports, Ancient Olympic Games,

Olympic Games The first Olympic games took place in the ancient civilization Greece. Like today, they were brutal competitions of skill and athleticism. In Greece the Olympics were thought as the ultimate in. They were not looked at as being merely a sport, but life. Today however, we do not see them as such. The Olympics are still very important To be in the Olympics and succeed is still the life goal of many athletes. Today people compete in the Olympics for the honor of their country, on a team; whereas a long time ago people fought only for the purpose of bringing glory and success to themselves. The original Olympics included a mere six event categories: boxing, equestrian events, pankration, pentathlon, running, and wrestling. The fighting games of ancient Greece, boxing, and the pankration, and wrestling were violent sports. The original boxing had no rules. One could do whatever they wanted to beat their opponent, even biting was acceptable. They did not even have boxing gloves, instead the Greeks would protect their hands by wrapping them with leather strips called himantes. The way a man won was to have the other opponent admit that he lost, or beat his opponent until he could no longer get up. The pankration had more rules regarding the way one treated their partner, but was inherently more violent. This competition was a combination of wrestling and boxing. It was very dangerous and the fighters were not even permitted to use the himantes to protect their hands. In this competition biting, gouging of eyes, punching in the nose, or hitting mouth with fingernails were all against the rules. There were, however, still no rules against things like kicking in the stomach, or hitting your opponent when the y were already down. Wrestling had the most rules. It had most of the rules of today. A wrestler was required to throw his partner down correctly on either the back or hip and things like biting were not permitted. However, things like breaking fingers were considered entirely acceptable. The equestrian events, all of which no longer take place in the modern Olympic games, were broken up into the two subcategorizes of chariot racing and riding. Chariot racing had three competitions: the two horse race, the 4 horse race, and the two mule race. Held outside of the stadium, the all of the chariot races consisted of 12 laps each, or nine miles. The riding competition was very similar. Instead of taking place outside of the stadium, the riding (or jockeying) events were inside and took a total of six laps, 4.5 miles, to complete. There were two riding events, one for full grown horses, and one for foals. People also raced each other. There were four different racing events with laps measured in stadium lengths, or one stade. There was the short 1 stade (192 m) race, the 2 stade (384 m), and the long distance 24 stade (4,608 m) race. Even harder than the long distance race, was the 4 stade. Although this race as only 768 m it was extremely difficult because the competitors ran in full armor weighing up to 60 pounds. The pentathlon was a combination event made up of five different competitions designed to test an athlete's endurance. These competitions were discus and javelin throwing, jumping, and the aforementioned wrestling and running. The discus was usually made up by either stone, iron, bronze, or lead and differed in size between the men and boy's competitions since boys were not expected to carry as much. The javelin was a long stick the height of a man, with a sharp point on one end, and a leather strap in the middle for throwing. The jumping competition of the Greeks was exactly the same as that of the long jump competition of today. The only difference in the two was that the Greeks received large stones, called halters to hold so that they would travel farther forward.