Inidividualism in the Early Modern Period Free Essays

â€Å"Individualism and the Early Modern Period† For much of the world, the Early Modern period (from about 1500-1700) was a revolutionary time, marked by political, scientific and literary transitions. Politically, nations began to resist outside rule and establish their own national languages. Scientifically, the idea of a heliocentric universe (rather than a geocentric one) began to gain favor as Polish astronomer Nicolas Copernicus challenged tradition and church doctrine. We will write a custom essay sample on Inidividualism in the Early Modern Period or any similar topic only for you Order Now In Europe, the invention of printing brought about a literary explosion. Books and texts could be mass-produced, making them much more affordable. Suddenly, one did not have to be of a certain socioeconomic status to have access to books. Writers saw the incredible potential of printing and ran with it, incorporating newly-available vernacular languages into their writing. The printing press opened up a world of seemingly endless possibility. The Early Modern period was marked by a resistance to (and sometimes rejection of) the status quo. Traditions were challenged, questioned, and sometimes abandoned. It was this heady atmosphere that gave rise to individualism. Individualism The American Heritage Dictionary defines individualism as â€Å"a social theory advocating the liberty, rights, or independent action of the individual. † The Early Modern period represents a shift in emphasis from the group dynamic (most notably the church) to the worth of the individual person. The thoughts, desires, goals and value of the individual gained significantly in importance, and one of the areas in which this shift is most readily apparent is in the world of literature. Niccolo Machiavelli was not necessarily revered as a writer during his lifetime, but from a literary standpoint, he was definitely a man of his time, and he illustrates this in his 1513 work, The Prince. Machiavelli and The Prince Machiavelli grew up during the peaceful Italian Renaissance, as Florence was becoming one of the leading cities in the areas of art and philosophy rather than placing an emphasis on military might and political savvy. Consequently, when King Charles VIII of France invaded Italy, the Florentines offered little resistance. Machiavelli, who became an employee of the Florentine Republic in 1498, helped his fellow citizens form a militia to avoid a similar defeat. It didn’t help; Spain invaded in 1512, and the Florentines again failed to offer much resistance. Machiavelli began writing his book, The Prince, the year after the Spanish invasion. The book, which is still reviled in some circles, is a treatment of the use of power to create, control, and protect a principality. It illustrates Machiavelli’s belief that Florence needed a strong ruler to avoid any more humiliating defeats. The Prince and Individualism The author’s approach to individualism is quite straightforward. In The Prince, Machiavelli writes of the need for a ruler who is unafraid to use his power to advance his own causes. The ruler, according to Machiavelli, was to be cruel when necessary, deceitful when warranted, and willing to use terror to keep people in line (including his own). The author uses historical examples to illustrate his belief that a ruler establishes his strength by first establishing ironclad control over his own people — by force, if necessary. Had Moses, Cyrus, Theseus and Romulus been unarmed,† he writes, â€Å"they would not have had their institutions respected by the people for very long. † (Machiavelli, p. 1505) Machiavelli’s view on individualism is hard and fast; the individual – that is, the prince – comes first, above all others. Machiavelli also uses tone to great effect in The Prince. The author did not seem to con sider his book to be a piece of literature. Rather, he intended for it to be a how-to guide for an effective ruler. His formal tone is apparent right away in his opening â€Å"Dedicatory Letter,† in which he states his qualifications for writing such a treatise (Machiavelli knew Pope Alexander VI, King Louis XII, and Girolamo Savonarola among others, and considered himself eminently qualified to speak to the proper uses of power): â€Å"I have not found among my possessions anything I cherish more or value so much as my knowledge of the accomplishments of great men, which I learned through long experience in contemporary affairs and continuous study of antiquity. (p. 1503) Here, too, does Machiavelli’s approach to individualism show through; he is telling the new prince that his thoughts and ideas matter, and that they should be taken seriously if not heeded outright. Machiavelli vs. Other Early Individualist Authors Although Machiavelli probably would not be considered on the same literary plane as William Shakespeare or Petrarch, it is instructive to compare their differing approa ches to individualism. Shakespeare, though known primarily as a playwright, was also the author or more than 150 sonnets. In them, Shakespeare approaches individualism in a much different way than Machiavelli, focusing on the importance of emotion. His â€Å"Sonnets† focuses on love, sexual desire, and finally, heartbreak. Petrarch’s â€Å"Canonziere† also places emphasis on the feelings of the individual. Canonziere† is a love poem in which the narrator sings praises of the love of his life, Laura, lamenting her death, and holds out hope for a reunion after he himself passes away. Machiavelli’s view on individualism is starkly different from Shakespeare, Petrarch, and other individualistic authors of his day, but in its own way, it is just as representative of the times. What can The Prince offer us? While few current world leaders would want to be referred to as Machiavellian (a term now used to describe ruthless, unscrupulous behavior), many leaders have followed some of the teachings of The Prince, whether knowingly or not. Even our own leaders seem to heed Machiavelli’s advice on promise keeping – the idea that it is acceptable to break a promise if keeping it places one at a disadvantage. Nearly five hundred years after The Prince was published, its approach to individualism still resonates today. How to cite Inidividualism in the Early Modern Period, Essay examples

Women in Ancient Rome free essay sample

â€Å"Our ancestors, in their wisdom, considered that all women, because of their innate weakness, should be under the control of guardians,† said Cicero (â€Å"Roman Empire†). Women in ancient Rome were oppressed by their society. The men in their lives felt that they needed to be under constant control. They believed that they were physically and mentally weaker than men, and for that, they were inferior. There is an example of this oppression in Sarah B. Pomeroy’s novel, The Murder of Regilla. This novel is about a girl growing up in the Roman society and her switch to the Greek society. While women in ancient Rome did not have much to any control over their own lives, they were gaining liberation compared to the Greeks. In the times of ancient Rome, many aspects of life were extremely different than they are today. The drastic gender division of this society is shocking to people studying this topic today. Boys were allowed to go to school, while women were educated at home by their brothers or husbands. They were not allowed to pursue studies because they were needed to help take care of the house (â€Å"Life of a Women in Ancient Greece and Rome†). Women were forced to marry. The parents of the bride and groom arranged the marriages (â€Å"Life of a Woman in Ancient Greece and Rome†). Men were not forced to marry. They’re permitted to remain single throughout their lives. There was also a double standard on adultery though. Adultery was only when a married women had sexual relations with a man other than her husband, not if a husband cheated on his wife. It was also acceptable for a lower class woman to cheat, but it was considered a serious crime for a high class women. If a high class woman is caught with another man, her husband is required to divorce her and in some cases she may be killed (â€Å"Women in the Ancient World†). Women were to be married between the ages of 14 and 18. Girls were taught to obey their husbands, who were typically much older. The husband’s family would not accept the new wife until a baby was born. However, this was better because if a women was not married, they were most likely a prosititute or entertainer (â€Å"Life of a Woman in Ancient Greece and Rome†). The actual job of a woman was to raise the children, tend to the house and the needs of her husband, and ensure that the slaves were doing their jobs. A woman is not permitted to participate in politics or own property. A wife rarely left her home. When she did, she was only allowed to converse with other women. Speaking to other men was strictly forbidden (â€Å"Life of a Woman in Ancient Greece and Rome†). Women in Rome and Greece had little to no legal status. Males own them from birth to death (â€Å"Life of a Woman in Ancient Greece and Rome†). First, their father owns them. After that, their husband owns them. This man is known as the pater familias. A pater familias has complete control and authority over the entire household. He can be any man, marital status doesn’t matter and neither to presence or absence of children, as long as he is not still under the control of another pater familias (â€Å"Women in the Ancient World†). Men believed that women should be seen, not heard and they were often treated the same as any ordinary household slave (â€Å"Life of a Woman in Ancient Greece and Rome†). These practices were also customary in Greece. However, during the invasion of the Carthaginians, attitudes towards women in Rome began to shift. While husband were off at war, women became responsible for managing the family estate and this new power gave them greater legal standing. While many were opposed to this, there was not anything they could do to stop the change (â€Å"Women in the Ancient World†). Beyond that, after the rule of Augustus ended many of these practices no longer applied to women in Rome. Girls could now receive the same education as boys in early childhood. Anything further than that, only daughters of aristocrats could participate in and they mainly learned about Greek and Latin literature. A Roman wife was now considered her husband’s companion and accompanied him often. These practices were unacceptable to the Greeks still. Greek wives were remained socially isolated (â€Å"Roman Empire†). These social diversities caused many problems for Regilla. Regilla was born sometime near 125 A. D. with the name of Appia Annia Regilla Atilia Caucidia Tertulla. The name illustrates her aristocratic background. She was born into a high class Roman family that was close with the Imperial family. They supposedly have the â€Å"high social connections† (Pomeroy 13). She was taken care of mostly by nurses, as Roman women were much too busy to take care of an infant. She most likely had multiple wet nurses. In the Roman Society though, it was believed that a â€Å"nursing infant would imbibe personal characteristics of the nurse along with her milk,† (Pomeroy 16). For this reason, they made sure to pick wet nurses with the highest quality character traits, so their child would develop only the best. She received some education, but much less than that of her brothers. Most of her educated was learning how to be a good wife and bear children. However, not much else is known about Regilla’s childhood. Regilla is eventually married off to Herodes Atticus, a Greek. He was one of the richest private owners in the Empire, a tutor to the Imperial heirs, a Senator, and a magistrate. His wealth was thought to come from unorthodox methods though (Pomeroy). While it was unusual for a Roman to marry a Greek, Herodes was much better off economically than any man in Rome. Her marriage to Herodes was like a sacrifice made by her father to help his political game. Pomeroy states â€Å"For the elite, the chief reward for raising a daughter came at the time of her marriage, when her father used her as a pawn in his political games,† (Pomeroy 23). Herodes was at least twice her age, much more experienced in Greek, and was known to be a violent man. After their marriage, Herodes did something unusual; he moved them back to Athens in Greece, so she was distanced from her family. Herodes kept her socially isolated and kept her in the house, unless he needed her as a political or religious pawn. It was clear that he did not care for her, but he would give her lavish gifts to appease her. Any and all gifts still kept her pent up; all of these gifts had his stamp on them, including the land he gave her, which was in the middle of all of the land he owned. Later on, while Regilla was eight months into her fourth pregnancy, she was tragically murdered. Her death was due to an apparent blow to the abdomen during premature childbirth. Regilla’s family immediately accuses Herodes, knowing his violent demeanor. Her brother, Bradua, brought Herodes to court, but he was cleared with the help of a friend, Marcus Aurelius. After her death, he constructed monuments in her name, which could be taken as mourning or guilt. What actually happened to Regilla still remains unknown (Pomeroy). More than just give a depiction of Regilla’s life, Pomeroy provides insight on what the life of an aristocratic Roman woman would be like, a topic that has been relatively a mystery. She shows us that the Greek ways must have been an extreme culture shock for Regilla, as it would have been for any Roman woman. As a child, she probably expected to marry a Roman man and continue with the practices that she was accustomed to. Regilla’s resistance o Greek culture probably caused much tension between herself and Herodes and this could be the reason for her murder. This had to have been difficult for Regilla’s family, as abuse on an high class woman was not common. Pomeroy states that, â€Å"If Regilla had married a Roman, or at least if she had remained in Rome, her brother and other kinsman and friends†¦would have monitored her relationship with Herodes,† (Pomeroy 121). She lived an uncommon life for a Roman woman, but Pomeroy’s recount of her story shows a Roman woman’s life compared to a Greek woman’s life and how different they’d become in a short time. Women in ancient Rome were never completely subordinate to the men in their society like Greek women were, but they were oppressed. We see the differences in Pomeroy’s The Murder of Regilla. Roman women had a considerable amount of rights and liberties given to them. It’s hard for people now to see how any of those practices could be considered rights, so it helps to see the contrast of the Greek society. While there was never much research done on the life of Roman women, Pomeroy’s novel allows people to see into that time period. It provides deep insight on what the actual life of a Roman woman would be like and it shows that they were not completely subordinate to the men in their lives and were subtly gaining strength and power.

Understanding Urban Landscapes Essay Essay Example

Understanding Urban Landscapes Essay Essay The outgrowth of modern urban planning is as a consequence of attempts that are directed at turn toing and work outing the societal jobs that result due to the increased rural to urban migration. The figure of persons traveling into urban countries in hunt for better work chances keeps increasing quickly by the twenty-four hours. It has hence become important for alterations to be made and implemented in the manner edifices are designed and planned so as to cover with this state of affairs. The postmodern bend in architecture and planning is nevertheless non equipped good plenty to get by with these societal issues as it merely focuses on peculiar demands. illusions and wants. Modernists’ thought of urban planning and development focal points on large-scale. technologically rational and metropolitan-wide urban programs that are efficient that are characterized by no-frills architecture ( Harvey. 1989 ) . Post modernism architecture alternatively displays a construct of urban planning as a mixture of past signifiers of design superimposed upon each and current utilizations most of which are passing. We will write a custom essay sample on Understanding Urban Landscapes Essay specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Understanding Urban Landscapes Essay specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Understanding Urban Landscapes Essay specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer The fact that city can merely be commanded in spots has made urban design ( postmodern bend in architecture ) to be merely sensitive to local histories. peculiar societal demands and wants and common traditions therefore bring forthing architectural signifiers that are specialized and extremely customized that scope from may run from confidant and infinites that are personalized through memorials that are traditional to spectacle merriment booming to give appealing and singular architectural manners. Post modern bend in architecture and planning has besides departed from modern be aftering constructs of how infinite is regarded. Modern be aftering perceives infinite as a thing to be shaped and created for societal intents hence ever subservient to societal undertaking building. Postmodern bend in architecture and planning nevertheless perceive infinite as an independent and independent thing that should be shaped in conformity to aesthetic purposes and values which do non needfully hold anything to make with accomplishing a societal nonsubjective except possibly for their timeless beauty ( Relph. 1987 ) . This paper seeks to find if this bend is better equipped to cover with the societal issues for which modern planning was implemented for. It can be comfortably argued that the London act of 1895 laid the foundation for modern planning that emerged on the content. This act regulated the tallness of edifices on specific sites. As old ages went by. alterations and developments were made on the Act which finally led to the geometric unadorned manners that characterize modernism that dominated urban landscapes content all over the universe ( Best A ; Kellner. 1997 ) . Modern planning was implemented to better the life conditions of urban countries. Initially urban planning aimed at work outing jobs that were present in urban countries by beautification of edifices and building of gardens. This did non work out and the aim was shifted to planing and creative activity of good residential houses and vicinities in urban countries. This displacement is really what founded the signifiers and forms of modern metropoliss. Modern urban be aftering emerged as a consequence of industrialisation which caused several people to travel to urban countries where the industries were based in hunt of occupations. Industrialization was blamed for working workers and doing inequalities in life conditions. Persons in urban countries lived in hapless conditions such that they had hapless lodging. exposed to bad air. unequal H2O and hapless wellness Urban planning hence aimed at bettering these conditions and turn toing the societal demands of those who resided in urban countries ( Relph. 1987 ) . This was done through enaction of municipal by-laws that governed and regaled the criterions of edifices. town layouts and mold of industrial towns. The by-laws besides ensured edifice patterns particularly those that concerned fire and general safety of occupants were observed. Minimal criterions were set for door and window sizes. Later. criterions that regulated the breadth of the street between edifices. size of the backyard and tallness of edifices were besides implemented ( Cohen. 1981 ) . As old ages went by and the population in urban countries increased. so were alterations made on the by-laws to suit the immense Numberss. Such alterations were chiefly made on highs of edifices increasing them so that a big figure of persons could be supported on a little country of land. Building patterns that concerned safety and wellness were nevertheless maintained. These programs aimed at keeping general cleanliness and wellness of town inhabitants. They besides went out of the vicinity and sought to guarantee that conveyance was equal and efficient in urban countries. The by-laws regulated how far from the railroad lines and roads the edifices were constructed. Streets and railroad lines were improved and illuming provided to heighten efficiency in going even at dark. These programs directed where stores. schools and other institutes would be located in urban countries. The constructs of these programs have had a great impact on modern urban landscape though non in the manner the early contrivers had hoped for ( full modern civilisation in all facets including societal ) . The impact can merely be seen in the in things such as traffic circles. u-loops. vicinity programs and the unintegrated orderly land-use zones. Their precious hopes and thoughts for Reconstruction of urban Centres and societal reforms have yielded really small. These thoughts have fundamentally either been simplified and turned to theoretical accounts that are either used in schoolrooms. adjusted to planning tools that are extremist for vicinity planning and urban Centre districting. bureaucratically modified. politically adapted for exigencies or eroded so that their application and disposal can be easy. Urban be aftering alternatively of concentrating at run intoing societal demands. it has turned to be a motion whose chief purpose is merely to do metropoliss function expeditiously more in the same as mills do. These alterations therefore resulted to what is now referred to as postmodern bend in architecture and planning. This bend is characterized by cost effectivity where the builders and interior decorators aim at salvaging cost of edifice and doing them low income undertakings. They are characterized by holding flats. stores. establishments such as categories and babe attention centres all in one edifice. This is unlike the thought the early urban contrivers had in head of a good metropolis where these installations were located in a comfy walking distance from residential countries. The job of this design where everything is housed under one roof is that growing through extension by breadth or length can non be achieved. Growth in these edifices is merely possible done generation as they no longer have the rectangular form that was required of all edifices ; they nevertheless are built in conformity with the owners’ desires who want the edifices to be distinctively different from others. This has resulted to the outgrowth of edifices that are of all kinds of forms. Postmodernist architecture and planning is considered non to hold any life as there is no clear differentiation between public environment and private belongings ( Cohen. 1981 ) . This is to connote that it has truly messed up with the environment as it is chiefly characterized by edifices and fencings and as nil is being done to continue the environment. Postmodernist architecture provides no healthy environment to the metropolis inhabitants as was intended by modern urban planning. This bend is really important as it has had a great impact on the lives of people who reside in the urban Centres Harvey. 1989 ) . The current architecture is said to typify poorness which is worse than the slums it is seeking to acquire off from. It is argued that the postmodern bend in architecture and planning does non supply nice lodging and societal proviso ( Best A ; Kellner. 1997 ) . The civilization and civic Centres presented provided by station modern architecture for illustration are argued non to hold all the needed installations such as book shops that are utile to the populace. The interior decorators in postmodern architecture and planning are besides accused of being insensitive to self variegation amongst the metropolis occupants and non doing any attempts towards supplying it as perceive it to be ugly and irrational and that it could do pandemonium. Urban occupants are besides comfy by the absence of self-diversification and seem non to trouble oneself about sing it as a demand. Switch and development in engineering has to a great extent contributed postmodern architecture and planning. It makes it possible for the interior decorators to pass on with clients and orient the designs so that they meet all the maps. cultural gustatory sensations and state of affairss. These interior decorators work to run into all the ends of their clients claiming to encompass democracy and freedom. But so they ignore the struggles that could originate between jurisprudence and democracy and the hits that exist between justness and freedom. The jobs faced by the minorities and those who are unprivileged are normally ignored ( Silver. 1996 ) . Development in communicating engineering and through the postmodern architecture has made it impossible for vicinities to turn to their ain jobs and state of affairss doing it difficult for them to develop. The modern planetary metropoliss have emerged as a consequence of alterations in cooperation. They are designed such that they serve as Centres for concern activities. Most concerns seek to do net incomes therefore will cut on costs in all ways including edifice building in footings of design and functionality. This is one of the grounds as to why most edifices are multi functional ( Johnson. 1970 ) . Postmodernist architecture is market orientated and is non in any equipt to cover with societal issues. It is chiefly focused to run into the desired of the proprietors who do non see the demands of the metropolis inhabitants. The demands of the hapless are non addressed the same manner those of the rich are. Diverse counter cultural elements have besides been ignored by postmodern architecture and planning ( Saskia. 1996 ) . Postmodernist architecture and planning has reduced environmental criterions as it has makes no attempt towards conserving the environment. It besides is private focussed and has no topographic point for the populace. It has made populating conditions in urban countries worse instead than bettering them. This goes particularly for the hapless and minorities whose demands are ever swept under the rug as those of the wealthy are addressed. It can hence be concluded that postmodern bend in architecture and planning is non good equipped to get by with the societal issues that modern urban planning was intended for. Word Count 1650. Mentions Best. S A ; Kellner. D. . ( 1997 ) . The Postmodern Turn. New York. NY Guilford Press. Cohen. R. ( 1981 ) â€Å"The New International Division of Labour. Mulitinational Corporations and Urban Hierarchy† . From M. Dear A ; A. J Scott ( explosive detection systems ) . Urbanization and Urban planning in Capitalist Societies ( 1981 ) . London. Taylor A ; Francis. Harvey. D. ( 1989 ) . Postmodernism in the City: Architecture and Urban Design† in conditions of postmodernity. Oxford. Basil Blackwell. Johnson. E. A ( 1970 ) . The Organization of Space in Developing Countries. Cambridge. Ma: Havard University Press Relph. E. ( 1987 ) . The Invention of Modern Town planning. London. Taylor A ; Francis. Saskia. S. ( 1996 ) . Cities and Communities in the Global Economy from American behavioral scientist. New York. New york: Routledge Silver. C. ( 1996 ) . Planing the Twentieth-century American City. Baltimore. Mendelevium: JHU Press. Global webs. linked metropoliss

Biography of Charles Sheeler, Precisionist Artist

Biography of Charles Sheeler, Precisionist Artist Charles Sheeler (July 16, 1883 - May 7, 1965) was an artist who received acclaim for both his photography and painting. He was a leader of the American Precisionist movement which focused on realistic depictions of strong geometric lines and forms. He also revolutionized commercial art blurring the lines between advertising and fine art. Fast Facts: Charles Sheeler Occupation: ArtistArtistic Movement: PrecisionismBorn: July 16, 1883, in Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaDied: May 7, 1965, in Dobbs Ferry, New YorkEducation: Pennsylvania Academy of Fine ArtsSelected Works: Crissed Crossed Conveyors (1927), American Landscape (1930), Golden Gate (1955)Notable Quote: â€Å"I favor a picture which arrives at its destination without the evidence of a trying journey rather than one which shows the marks of battle.† Early Life and Career Born and raised in a middle-class family in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Charles Sheeler received encouragement from his parents to pursue art from an early age. After graduating from high school, he attended the Pennsylvania School of Industrial Art to study industrial drawing and applied arts. At the academy, he met American impressionist painter William Merritt Chase  who became his mentor and modernist painter and photographer Morton Schamberg who became his best friend. During the first decade of the 20th century, Sheeler traveled to Europe with his parents and Schamberg. He studied painters from the Middle Ages in Italy and visited Michael and Sarah Stein, patrons of Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque, in Paris. The Cubist style of the latter two had a significant impact on Sheelers later work. When he returned to the U.S., Sheeler knew that he could not support himself with income from his painting alone, so he turned to photography. He taught himself to take photos with a $5 Kodak Brownie camera. Sheeler opened a photography studio in Doylestown, Pennsylvania in 1910 and earned money photographing construction projects of local architects and builders. The wood stove in Sheelers house in Doylestown, Pennsylvania was the subject of many of his early photographic works. In the 1910s, Charles Sheeler supplemented his income by photographing works of art for both galleries and collectors. In 1913, he participated in the landmark Armory Show in New York City that exhibited the works of the most noted American modernists of the time. Painting After the tragic death of his best friend Morton Schamberg in the influenza pandemic of 1918, Charles Sheeler moved to New York City. There, the streets and buildings of Manhattan became the focus of his work. He worked with fellow photographer Paul Strand on the 1921 short film Manhatta. Following its exploration of the urban landscape, Sheeler created paintings of some of the scenes. He followed his usual technique of taking photographs and drawing sketches before committing the image to paint. In New York, Sheeler became friends with poet William Carlos Williams. Precision with words was a hallmark of Williams writing, and it matched Sheelers attention to structure and forms in his painting and photography. They attended speakeasies together with their wives during the Prohibition years. Another important friendship developed with the French artist Marcel Duchamp. The pair shared an appreciation of the Dada movements break from concern about traditional notions of aesthetics. Alfred Eisenstaedt / LIFE Picture Collection / Getty Images Sheeler considered his 1929 painting Upper Deck a powerful representation of all that hed learned to that point about art. He based the work on a photograph of the German steamship S.S. Majestic. To Sheeler, it allowed him to use the structures of abstract painting to represent something entirely realistic. In the 1930s, Sheeler painted celebrated scenes of the Ford Motor Company River Rouge plant based on his own photographs. At first glance, his 1930 painting American Landscape appears peaceful like a traditional pastoral landscape painting. However, all of the subject matter is the result of American technological might. It is an example of what was called the industrial sublime. By the 1950s, Sheelers painting turned toward abstraction as he created works that featured parts of larger structures like his bright-colored Golden Gate showing a close-up portion of San Franciscos iconic Golden Gate Bridge. Photography Charles Sheeler worked for corporate photography clients throughout his career. He joined the staff of the Conde Nast magazine publishing firm in 1926 and worked regularly on articles in Vogue and Vanity Fair until 1931 when he was offered regular gallery representation in Manhattan. In late 1927 and early 1928, Sheeler spent six weeks photographing Ford Motor Companys River Rouge production plant. His images received strong positive acclaim. Among the most memorable was Crissed Crossed Conveyors. By the late 1930s, Sheeler was so prominent that Life magazine ran a story on him as their first featured American artist in 1938. The next year New Yorks Museum of Modern Art conducted the first Charles Sheeler museum retrospective including over one hundred paintings and drawings and seventy-three photographs. William Carlos Williams wrote the exhibition catalog. Alfred Eisenstaedt / LIFE Picture Collection / Getty Images In the 1940s and 1950s, Sheeler worked with additional corporations such as General Motors, U.S. Steel, and Kodak. He also worked for the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York in the 1940s photographing items from their collections. Sheeler cultivated friendships with other renowned photographers including Edward Weston and Ansel Adams. Precisionism By his own definition, Charle Sheeler was part of the distinctly American movement in the arts called Precisionism. It is one of the earliest modernist styles. It is most often characterized by a precise depiction of the strong geometric lines and forms found in realistic subject matter. The works of precisionist artists celebrated the new industrial American landscape of skyscrapers, factories, and bridges. Influenced by Cubism and presaging Pop Art, Precisionism avoided social and political commentary while the artists rendered their image in an exact, almost rigid style. Among the key figures were Charles Demuth, Joseph Stella, and Charles Sheeler himself. Georgia OKeefes husband, photographer, and art dealer Alfred Stieglitz was a strong supporter of the movement. By the 1950s, many observers considered the style outdated. Later Years Sheelers style in his later years remained distinctive. He abstracted subjects into an almost flat plane of lines and angles. In 1959, Charles Sheeler suffered a debilitating stroke which ended his active career. He died in 1965. Legacy Charles Sheelers focus on industry and cityscapes as subjects for his art influenced the Beat movement of the 1950s. Author Allen Ginsberg, in particular, taught himself photography skills to emulate Sheelers groundbreaking work. Sheelers photography blurred the boundaries between commercial and fine art when he eagerly embraced industrial corporations and artistic depictions of their production plants and products. Source Brock, Charles. Charles Sheeler: Across Media. University of California Press, 2006.

Enterprise Resource Planning Systems Assignment

Enterprise Resource Planning Systems - Assignment Example Enterprise resource planning systems envisioned to facilitate sharing of information, business planning, as well as decision making upon an establishment -wide basis (Somers & Nelson, 2003). For instance, companies that have adopted Enterprise Resource Planning systems can use them to forecast the demand for a product, track inventory, order the needed raw materials, allocate costs, and devise production schedules. Enterprise permits firms to replace intricate computer-applications with a lone, integrated system. Enterprise Resource Planning system shares data with other business software systems in a company. Enterprise Resource Planning system is a planning backbone for a firm’s core business operations. ERP system is a complex and cosmic system that undertakes years and a lot of cash to implement. In implementing an ERP system, there is a need to pay attention to the commitment of the top management. For the implementation to be successful, the top managers must support the project through funding and undertake an active responsibility in fostering the change. The other aspect to pay attention to is the re-engineering of existing business procedures while implementing ERP system. One key benefit of enterprising resource planning is derived from re-engineering a firm’s existing business operations (Gunson & Blasis, 2002). Enterprise resource planning systems bring integration into a company; hence, a company should understand the kind of integration as well as its effect towards the whole business. Experts with technical, functional and interpersonal skills should be obtained to implement ERP; therefore, there is a need to pay attention to enterprise resource planning systems’ consultants while implementing ERP systems. Another point to keep in is the implementation time.  

Early Civilizations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Early Civilizations - Essay Example The example of China and Mesopotamia vividly portray that geographical location and climate in different parts of the world 'caused' similar traditions, economic, social and political development. Geographical location and environment determined the nature of both societies and their activities. In China (during the Shang and Han Dynasties) and Mesopotamia (Sumerian period) agriculture was the main activity and the core of economy. This issue remained a central one in both civilizations: for some, it remained crucial to the maintenance of an 'enduring' national home: and for others, it represented a fundamental obstacle to the creation of more accommodating and cosmopolitan cultural order. China and the Mesopotamia had similar climate and soil conditions, but lacked water resources and irrigation systems. Irrigation was also associated with urbanization, which, in its turn, led to development of crafts and trade (Ebrey 34). Both civilizations developed unique rural culture and values, traditions and art based on the cults of Sun and farming. For instance, the remarkable features of the Shang Dynasty (began about 1600 BC- 1046 BC) and the Sumerian period (5th to 3rd millennia BC), were cultural identity, self-centeredness, unique philosophy and literary traditions explained by the fact that both civilizations were separated from the rest of the world. The civilizations competed effectively against the culture and values of outside world as an organizing principle in the unique identity. During the Han Dynasty and the Hammurabi period, both civilizations culturally and mythically were also deeply centered (Oppenheim and Reiner 34). The historical continuities which composed the culture of the Han Dynasty were pronounced, especially compared to their European states. Not only has the Han Dynasty (within its own borders) largely escaped the worst catastrophes of modernity, at the same time relations between the Asian nations and the overarching state have been relatively stable. Similar processes were typical for the Hammurabi period (Ebrey 27; (Oppenheim and Reiner 38). It is possible to say that environment influenced the development of similar laws and regulations accepted by these civilizations (the Code of Hammurabi and the Code of the Han dynasty which gained the recognition of Confucianism). During the Hammurabi period and the Han Dynasty these civilization expanded their geographical territories with military campaigns. The Han Dynasty established the Silk Road while Hammurabi established trade relations with neighboring states. Environment influenced the quality of life and city developments, architecture and art; they built sophisticated buildings and established written forms of communication (Oppenheim and Reiner 39). In China and the Mesopotamia people had similar views about the world and nature, state organization and philosophy. As the most important, a religion had a highly complex subject which had an impact on culture in three different ways: socialization, influences which shape behavior in a particular social setting and individu al orientations to life (Ebrey 87). In sum, environment had a crucial impact on the development of early civilizations and caused the development of similar economic activities and world views. Unique views and art were nothing more than a response to the environment and climate. Religion played an important role in lives of

Mortality Data Paper Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Mortality Data Paper - Assignment Example Arrangement of data may take place in any way that the researcher may desire. If the data is in the form of percentages then they may be arranged in an ascending or descending order. The same goes for any data in a numerical form; whether it is the arrangement according to position of something or its quantity, the data is arranged in a fine order in this step. In the second step the illustration or representation of the collected data takes place. There are several ways in which a data can be represented. A graph can be used to demonstrate the percentage or amount of something. Apart from graphs, bar charts of many kinds are used as well; stem and leaf diagrams, tables, pie charts, histograms and such are used as well. This step only includes the choice of way one might desire to represent their data in. The last step of Descriptive Statistics includes mentioning a summary of the collected data. In here an attempt of explaining what the research was conducted on, what methods were used for it, what was the targeted population, the results obtained from the research and a theory that the researchers might have deduced from the obtained results. â€Å"The highest death toll of a population from strokes or cerebrovascular diseases is the population belonging to the middle-income countries while the lowest is the population from low income countries.† A diseases cluster is known as the occurrence of a disease which targets a larger number of people instead of the expected number of populations in a certain area, group of people or time period (California Department of Public Health). An epidemic is known as an outbreak of a biological or viral disorder which spreads into the population of the world. The area for an epidemic is not a certain one and it may spread in many locations at a period of time. The targeted area is not restricted to any kind, any population may become a target and the patients are not isolated to a certain community. Epidemics