Deciphering Yoko Ono's Artworks Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Deciphering Yoko Ono's Artworks - Essay Example The essay "Deciphering Yoko Ono's Artworks" explains the artworks of Yoko Ono. One of Yoko Ono’s works that testifies to her use of conceptual art is that of the ceiling painting which is shown in Figure 1. The artwork consists of text on paper, glass, metal frame, metal chain, magnifying glass and painted ladder. In this well-known Ceiling Piece (1966), the seeker’s journey up a ladder is rewarded with a benevolent "yes." Yet the word can’t be easily read. A magnifying glass hanging nearby must be used, reminding the viewer that it is their desire to know and see that carried them to this moment of affirmation. There is not so much subtlety in the Line element besides from the fact that the words were written so as to produce the desired effect of curious thinking. The simplicity of the shape, a three dimensional ladder, induces the mind as it makes the viewer wander about where the ladder is leading to. Its effect is that it arouses curiosity and such is the wa y to make others view your work. When it comes to texture, the artwork seems to suggest of the smooth transition as the viewer climbs the stairs. We see that when it comes to space, there is that little space where the ladder is focused. There is no boundary for the negative space and it is this vastness that the viewer is attracted to the artwork. We see that the stairs were highlighted. The contrast between the ladder and its surrounding serves to further emphasize that this ladder is not just an ordinary ladder but something more. That placement of the common ladder makes it so conspicuous that someone passing by would be interested in taking a glance at the artwork. The lightness value of the way the ladder was emphasized somehow gave it a glint of mystery which made it more mysterious to behold. After having read the words yes with the magnifying glass, the whole work achieves harmony with the viewer as he now feels the aura of mysteriousness and the sense of fulfillment. Perha ps the movement in the artwork is the climbing of the stairs, usage of the magnifying glass and reading the words. Each movement leads the viewer more to the essence of the artwork and makes him internalize the meaning of what he has just experienced. I could not agree more with what Bowen (2003) tells us that Ono "Ceiling Piece encourages us to ponder where we're heading..emphasizing the visual nature of this quest by linking spiritual affirmation to the seeker's curious gaze. On the other hand, what is finally found is a word, not an image. This substitution makes the mental nature of vision apparent." Another work of art of Ono is the invitation to her exhibit This is Not Here (1971). The invitations were written on partially fixed then folded photographic paper. When the invitation was opened and exposed to the light, the image imprinted disappeared. Instead, what was left was Onos name and telephone number. The recipient was left with a blank sheet of paper and an afterimage of its contents. The feeling of being puzzled and awe was for Ono what art should be and that is "wonderment". This use of photographs, as she called it, is "a tool with which to picture our world, mediate our desires, fulfill our goals, and yet it too exists in flux, perpetually afloat and ridden with life". The question that now faces us is how to delineate the elements of art in this work. Can we consider the lines that gave semblance to the imprints as having some artistic

Clifford thinks Pascal and James are wrong Essay

Clifford thinks Pascal and James are wrong - Essay Example This needs explanations: if we believe in God and God exists, we remain innocent; if we believe in God and God does not exists, we still remain innocent; if we do not believe in God and God does not exist, we can’t be sure that we remain innocent as we can’t know for sure if God exists; if we do not believe in God and God exists, we are guilty. Thus, it is better to believe in God, than not to believe and therefore, according to Blaise Pascal, everybody should believe in God. The William James has a similar point of view. He also states that we should believe in God and waiting for evidence is not right for humans. Waiting for any evidence to decide if to believe or not may lead us to much losses. According to the philosopher, if a man hesitates to propose to a woman waiting for evidence that she is his ideal, he risks to lose her as she may accept the proposition of someone else. The same is with religion and belief. James states that those people who believe may enjoy the life of religious people and those who do not may lose this chance. Blaize Pascal and William James are sure that people should believe in God. William Clifford can’t agree with them. It does not mean that this philosopher states that we should not believe in God, but he call us to involve some doubt and states that it is necessary as it is our duty. He provides an example to explain why: a ship-owner had an old ship. He knew that it was old and he also knew that some people were going to have a voyage on its board. He did not have any time or facilities to repair his ship and he preferred to pin his hopes on Providence that would not have allowed people to die. As a result these people died as the ship was broken. This testifies that blind belief in Providence may lead to disaster. â€Å"If a man, holding a belief which he was taught in childhood or persuaded of afterwards, keeps down and pushes away any