….from the places we used to be [...] Oh my, there’s no place on earth I’d rather be.

Girl with a Pearl Earring (circa 1665)-Johannes Vermeer

In my life, three paintings have had a profound impact on me. This painting was the first of the three. It is hard to explain what impacted me so, but if I were to try, I would say that it is the strange combination of her knowing eyes and parted lips…

She is distant, yet she seems almost within reach. She teases the viewer into wanting more, all the while protecting herself by slightly thrusting her shoulder forward. She is aware of her power and uses it to her advantage. She even goes as far as admitting it with her eyes, thus rendering herself vulnerable. This vulnerability is even further pronounced by how much of her face she allows us to see. But make no mistake… This is a tango and she leads the dance.

She is a tease. Her head is covered, as if seeing her hair would be a sin… Yet she allows us a glimpse of her luxurious pearl earring and thus confirms her coquette nature…

Her lips are parted; she is waiting for a response… After all, it takes two to tango.

Do you remember your first love?… Do you remember your first kiss?… Do you remember?…

Having just read and reviewed the Count of Monte Cristo, the themes of prison, justice and vengeance were fresh on my mind and I could not help but compare both protagonists: albeit a fictional character, Edmond Dantés and Nelson Mandela have much in common. Both are, in essence, good men whose beliefs or good deeds are rewarded with lengthy imprisonment. However, Mandela differs in that he emerges from prison with virtually no hatred for those who imprisoned him. Hence, the mass deification and formation of the “Nelson Mandela” idol.

Be not fooled, Nelson Mandela is no god; he is a flawed human, just like the rest of us. It is his circumstances and his surprising lack of hate for those responsible for his 27 years of denied liberty (his only hate was reserved for the unjust and cruel system which gave birth to such racism) which turned him into a symbol of hope for millions of South Africans.

In his own words, Mandela recalls incredible incidents of times so trying, you cannot help but wonder what compelled him and his fellow freedom fighters to keep up the fight for so long. Hope and undying faith in the righteousness of one’s cause have the power to propel ordinary men to new heights; as one of those men, Madiba teaches us a thing or two about how to face such situations with valor.

“ The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.”

All I can say is… What a life.

“I regret now,” said he, “having helped you in your late inquiries, or having given you the information I did.”
“Why so?” inquired Dantès.
“Because it has instilled a new passion in your heart—that of vengeance.”

Where to begin my praise for the Count of Monte Cristo? Written in 1844 by Alexandre Dumas, it is often considered one of the best novels ever written and rightly so. Dumas examines in painstaking detail the extent to which an innocent man, unjustly imprisoned, will go to punish those responsible for his doom.

It is an intricate plot told in a straightforward and accessible way, which is the beauty of The Count of Monte Cristo: it is digestible literature. Alexandre Dumas’ masterpiece combines adventure, mystery, romance and the result is savory. It is not a novel to dwell upon, it is a novel to be enjoyed; stop reading this review and go read the book.

The Scream (1893) by Edvard Munch

Let us begin today’s theoretical post by defining a few key concepts: art, communication and the communication process.

Art can be defined as:

The expression or application of human creative skill and imagination, typically in a visual form such as painting or sculpture, producing works to be appreciated primarily for their beauty or emotional power.

Whereas Communication can be defined as:

The successful conveying or sharing of ideas and feelings.

Which inevitably brings us to an important question…

How do you successfully convey or share ideas and feelings?

This is where the communication process kicks in. The communication process is simple and basically states that every means of communication includes these seven elements:

• A transmitter: The person with the need or desire to communicate something.
• A message: The content of the communication.
• A code: The system of signs used to communicate, which must be known to the person to whom the message is destined.
• A means: The element that allows the physical transmission of the message.
• A Receptor: The person to whom the message is destined.
• A Context: Wherein the communication intervenes.
• A Function: The intended purpose of the communication.

Let us use Edvard Munch’s Scream as an example for this theory. The transmitter would be Edvard Munch, as he is the person desiring an emotional conveyance. He defines his message in his diary:

“I was walking along a path with two friends — the sun was setting — suddenly the sky turned blood red — I paused, feeling exhausted, and leaned on the fence — there was blood and tongues of fire above the blue-black fjord and the city — my friends walked on, and I stood there trembling with anxiety — and I sensed an infinite scream passing through nature.”

His code for transmitting anxiety anguish and nature’s agony are his loose strokes and violent colors. The means is his canvas, or in this case, his cardboard¹. The context of his message is Expressionist Germany, towards the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th. The function of his work is to sensitize his public.

All seven elements are present. Does this mean that Edvard Munch successfully conveyed his message? The answer depends upon the Receptor. As previously established, a message is transmitted through a system of codes which must be understood by the person to whom the message is destined.

In this particular case, the first intended receptors might be Munch’s two friends, those who did not pause at the sight of a blood red sky. However, as this particular piece of art has come to be considered a masterpiece, the Receptor is the entire world, as every human has the potential to view this piece². The successful conveyance is thus dependent upon the comprehension of whoever might be viewing the painting and his emotional baggage and/or own set of prejudices.

This theory of communication is but a model; a simplification of reality. The real case for Art as a means of Communication is best expressed through another simplication:

A picture is worth a thousand words.

¹Scream is a mixture of oil, tempora and pastel on cardboard

²With the advent of the internet, transmission of information is easier than ever. Nonetheless, the importance of books and printed information is not to be underestimated, as for centuries, it was the most effective and most important means of communication.

Self Portrait (1887) by Vincent van Gogh

Vincent Willem van Gogh (30 March 1853 – 29 July 1890) was a Dutch post-Impressionist  painter whose work had a far-reaching influence on 20th century art  for its vivid colors and emotional impact. He suffered from anxiety and increasingly frequent bouts of mental illness throughout his life, and died largely unknown, at the age of 37, from a self-inflicted gunshot wound*.

In the years since his early and tragic self-inflicted death in 1890, Vincent van Gogh has become synonymous with massively distributed art and commercial success. Many of his paintings are featured on the list of most expensive paintings. His art has even inspired an Yves St-Laurent collection. The 2003 Julia Roberts Movie, Mona Lisa Smile, features a storyline greatly dependent upon the irony of van Gogh’s success as an artist.

He is a mythological creature, famous for his ear incident, a romantic ideal of the starving artist. Vincent Van Gogh has come to symbolize passion, vivacity and dedication to one’s art. And dedicated he was: during his short 10 year career, Van Gogh produced nearly 1,000 paintings and quite as many drawings. His best work was produced in a three year period.

You would think that Vincent van Gogh would have been recognized in his time for the genius he truly was. Yet, History dictates otherwise: during his entire life, van Gogh sold exactly one painting.

The Red Vineyard At Arles (1888) by Vincent Van Gogh. This is the only painting van Gogh ever sold and it was purchased for the modern equivalent of 351$.

*wikipedia

How long would you be willing to wait for the person you love?

This is what appears to be the fundamental question asked by Gabriel García Márquez in his epic novel, Love in the Time of Cholera. Yet, dig beneath the layers and very different questions will surface.

What one would easily mistake for a love triangle between the three main characters is, in fact, a faithful representation of how stark the contrasts are between between illusions and reality. Streaming half a century, the novel is a whirlwind collision of illusions, dreams and the harshness of a society where expectations and traditions cast in stone. (Pay close attention to García Márquez’s views on Latin America, as they are still of great relevance today.)

The basis for this novel is straightforward: Florentino Ariza meets Fermina Daza and falls head over heels in love with her. She seems to share his love for a while but eventually comes to realize that it is a love based on illusions. To her father’s great joy, Fermina Daza marries Dr. Juvenal Urbino, the antithesis to Florentino’s boyish, lustful and aching love. A love triangle ensues where both men are dependent upon Fermina as the source of their happiness but where only one will physically suffer from his love.*

All in all, this novel is one of questions and reassessments. Nothing is exactly as it seems and appearances are treacherous. This is where the genius of Nobel Prize Winning Colombian Author Gabriel García Márquez truly lies: in forcing you to question all you have ever held as true.

*It should be known that “García Márquez’s main notion is that lovesickness is a literal illnes, a disease comparable to cholera” (wiki)