The Museum of Contemporary Art currently has two exhibitions on view; one is called “Dirge: Reflections on [Life and] Death,” and the other is “Sara VanDerBeek.” One work of art that stood out the most to me was Epitaph from 2011 by Pedro Reyes. Reyes works are often meant to physically engage his viewers in order to shift their social and emotional expectations. The Epitaph invites his viewers to imagine a future in which they no longer exist, and then create a short message that conveys the life that the viewer has led or hopes to lead. Reyes points out a benefit to this type of therapy, which is that the patients who are participating in this work or art must embrace a certain degree of mortality. In today’s world we are constantly surrounded by death, but we never stop to question that, if it was our last day, would we be truly happy with the life we led?
When entering the “Dirge: Reflections on [Life and] Death” exhibition I was instantly drawn to Epitaph. This installation was created in 2011, which represents one of Reyes’s larger interactive projects, Sanatorium. The major things this piece consists of are wires and pieces of paper that are clipped onto them and placed differently throughout each row. When I first viewed this work I completely overlooked it because the appearance didn’t look like any other works of art in the exhibition. I decided to go back and examine it, and I realized it is so simple yet so profound. When viewing this from further away it appears to be disorganized and cluttered, but as I examined it closer I began to realize what is really taking place. The detail wasn’t found in the overall appearance of the work, but it was found within the pieces of paper that have been displayed by previous p...
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...erse works of art. One of those works is Epitaph; it is simple, but has a lot of thought put into it. Many people will never get to know what epitaph will be written on their tombstones, but when you participate in this installation you are able to choose the words that will tell people about you and the life you have led. The point Reyes makes is that the patients who participate in this work or art must embrace their own mortality. Death is constantly surrounding us, but we never stop to think that it could happen to any of us at any given time, and, if it did, how we might feel about the life we left behind.
Works Cited
"Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland." MOCA. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Apr. 2014. .
"Epitaph." Pedro Reyes. N.p., 2011. Web. 07 Apr. 2014. .
In May Miller’s Poem “Death is not Master” the persona explains that death is not the master that will increase the desperation but it is a way to become eternally calm. Many poems on the topic of death explain it as powerful thing that fears the existence of human beings, but Miller’s persona death is a way to achieve eternal serenity. She explains death as something that can end all the worldly tears, desires and tension and transform the human memory into a sculpture which is unaware of tensions. Miller’s persona believes that blocking death will be unfair as it will be a barrier to the everlasting happiness and calmness that lies inside the grave. Miller’s persona is an elaboration of Christian beliefs that death ends all worldly problems
Death is a controversial and sensitive subject. When discussing death, several questions come to mind about what happens in our afterlife, such as: where do you go and what do you see? Emily Dickinson is a poet who explores her curiosity of death and the afterlife through her creative writing ability. She displays different views on death by writing two contrasting poems: one of a softer side and another of a more ridged and scary side. When looking at dissimilar observations of death it can be seen how private and special it is; it is also understood that death is inevitable so coping with it can be taken in different ways. Emily Dickinson’s poems “Because I Could Not Stop for Death” and “I Heard A Fly Buzz When I Died” show both parallel and opposing views on death.
Death has been widely portrayed in Art throughout the centuries, the most depicted death scene possibly being the death of Christ. Every death scene is not created equal, despite the fact that the works of Art focus on death. The feelings, symbolism, and themes that are conveyed by the scene are diverse. To see how varied the effect can be from different death scenes we can look at The Sortie made by the Garrison of Gibraltar by John Trumbull in 1789 and The Death of General Wolfe by Benjamin West in 1770. It’s interesting to see how these artists depicts their own view on death in these specific works, since in fact West acted as a teacher to Trumbull yet their styles differ dramatically.1, 2 Although both works of art put death at the center of the scene and take place during a War; with the aid of the Artists’ unique styles and directions, completely different interpretations are invoked in the viewers.
...hnestock Hubbard, in memory of her father. It belongs to the Bashfored Dead Memorial Collection.
In Emily Dickinson’s “Because I Could Not Stop for Death,” she uses the structure of her poem and rhetoric as concrete representation of her abstract beliefs about death to comfort and encourage readers into accepting Death when He comes. The underlying theme that can be extracted from this poem is that death is just a new beginning. Dickinson deftly reassures her readers of this with innovative organization and management, life-like rhyme and rhythm, subtle but meaningful use of symbolism, and ironic metaphors.
In our lives, we go through stages of mindset and maturity that naturally coincide with aging. One thing that remains the same, though, through all of these stages, is that eventually, we die; we are completely aware of that as humans. Whether because it’s due to the painful reality that is mortality, our ever-diminishing ability to be wistful and imaginative, or merely the impending coming of the Grim Reaper, our entire lives are, ironic as it is, surrounded by and flooded with death. However, as we grow older, our perception of death changes. It goes from taboo in our young ages to something that begins to surround and eventually consume us as we grow older. Between the poems “For the Anniversary of my Death” by
The Museum Of Modern Art “MOMA” was firmly established on 53rd street in 1939 in Midtown Manhattan New York, after a decade of moving due to its growth in modern art pieces. Originally Patrons Miss Lillie P. Bliss, Mrs. Cornelius J. Sullivan, and Mrs. John D. Rockefeller Jr. wanted to establish a program dedicated to modern art in the late 1920s. A. Conger Goodyear, Paul Sachs, Frank Crowninshield and Josephine Boardman Crane, whom later became trustees, created the Museum Of Modern Art in 1929. It’s founding Director, Alfred H. Barr, Jr. wanted the MOMA to be "the greatest museum of modern art in the world." Its intent was to provide ordinary blue collar individuals with a better understanding and acknowledgment of art in its era.
One pleasant afternoon, my classmates and I decided to visit the Houston Museum of Fine Arts to begin on our museum assignment in world literature class. According to Houston Museum of Fine Art’s staff, MFAH considers as one of the largest museums in the nation and it contains many variety forms of art with more than several thousand years of unique history. Also, I have never been in a museum in a very long time especially as big as MFAH, and my experience about the museum was unique and pleasant. Although I have observed many great types and forms of art in the museum, there were few that interested me the most.
Death is one of the only true constants in the universe and is the only guarantee in life. Everyone knows of death and everyone will experience it, but to the living death is still one of life's greatest mysteries. In some cultures death is celebrated and embraced, while in others it is feared. However it is perceived, death holds different meanings for different people. Through the art of poetry a writer can give a reader many different outlooks and maybe a better understanding of life and death.
The most unfortunate fact about death is sometimes arrives unexpected and the quick action seizes years of work, plans, irreplaceable feelings and definetly damages the surroundings. Death collects away the energy from our closest friends and loved ones, while our few companions have to make adjustments moving and sustaining into the future discovering divergent paths to lay a hold of and experience while leaving the old ways behind. People are abandoned to bare the vicarious feelings from such a tragic event and become survivors, often abscond into different lifestyles or professions. “ Who will
experiences are reflected in their writing. Both of these writers present the reader with the concept of human mortality in such a way that not only is the fear of death prevalent in their work, but also the love of life.
Death is a reality that can be interpreted in many ways. Some people fear the possibility of no longer living and others welcome the opportunity for a new life in the afterlife. Many poets have been inspired by death, be it by the approaching death of loved ones or a battle for immortality. Just as each poet is inspired differently, each poem casts a different hue of light on the topic of death giving readers a unique way to look at death.
The dying process is often seen as a grueling one, full of pain and anguish. But De Hennezel shows us, that when supported and surrounded by love it can be an amazing experience. The effect one person can have is amazing and can be quite invigorating. Some would say one’s passion for life is incomparable to that of someone who is dying. Murphy shows us how, when faced with death, one can choose to continue living with passion as he did through his work. Their value of life as well as death is inconceivable and can teach those of us who are alive and healthy, a thing or two about life.
Emily Dickinson is one of the most important American poets of the 1800s. Dickinson, who was known to be quite the recluse, lived and died in the town of Amherst, Massachusetts, spending the majority of her days alone in her room writing poetry. What few friends she did have would testify that Dickinson was a rather introverted and melancholy person, which shows in a number of her poems where regular themes include death and mortality. One such poem that exemplifies her “dark side” is, “Because I Could Not Stop for Death”. In this piece, Dickinson tells the story of a soul’s transition into the afterlife showing that time and death have outright power over our lives and can make what was once significant become meaningless.
Emily Dickinson is an American poet who encourages individuals to embrace the idea of death rather than fearing it. Having grown up in a city with a very high mortality rate Dickinson accepts how common death is in the natural life cycle and depicts this in her poetry. Although a very isolated individual, Dickinson is able to describe her acceptance and comfort with the idea of death in her poems and convey them to her readers. Dickinson’s poems encourage readers to live every moment as it were their last because it is unknown when death will come. Have courage when facing death, rather than fearing it. Dickinson illustrates that death is not something to be feared or desired but something that is natural.