“Those who do not want to imitate anything, produce nothing.” Salvador Dali₃
“Nature is not only all that is visible to the eye. It also includes the inner pictures of the soul.” Edvard Munch₂
It is 75F here in Titusville. The cold seems to have subsided with the disappearance of the low 50ies temps. Because, let’s be real here for a moment, here in Florida, we are cold when the needle hits the sixties. Anything thereunder makes us go through a traumatic search for warm clothing. Year-round, the thing you hear the most is “It’s sooooo hot,” “can’t wait till winter,” but when winter finally knocks on the door, the complaints will start rolling out. You’ll see people walking covered from head to toe, in down jackets and the likes. The only things missing here would be ski boots. The snow ski boots. 😊 What can I say, our blood is thin. We are cold. And we do not like the cold.
December is finally here and with it the start of the holiday season. Christmas, celebrating the birth of Jesus, Hannukah₄, better known as the festival of lights, Celebrated to commemorate the rededication of the Second Temple in 165 BC., Kwanzaa₅, less religious and more ideological, was created in 1966 by Maulana Karenga, a professor of African studies, activist, and author. Derived from the Swahili word meaning “first fruits of the harvest,” each day of Kwanzaa is dedicated to principles believed to represent the best within their communities; unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity, and faith. There are, of course, many more. Some of these include Bodhi Day: 8 December – Day of Enlightenment, celebrating the day that the historical Buddha (Shakyamuni or Siddhartha Gautama) experienced enlightenment (also known as Bodhi); Las Posadas: 16–24 December – procession to various family lodgings for celebration & prayer and to re-enact Mary & Joseph's journey to Bethlehem; Boxing Day, Winter Solstice, Human Rights Day (included here because of its importance in today’s world), ending the month, and the year with the St. Sylvestre celebration.
To each and every one of you, I wish you a season of joy and happiness. We are a world united by much more than what may separate us. Whether or not some of us may not like the idea, cultural globalization is upon us. And it need not be scary; it will not destroy who we are. Instead, it will, is opening a new door allowing us to see, to learn, and venture beyond the known scapes. We are entering an exciting time.
Some interpret Salvador Dali’s “Persistence of Memory”, depicting a bunch of melting clocks, as an attempt by the painter to show Einstein’s theory of relativity₁, but according to Dali himself, it is nothing less than inspiration by some Camembert cheese melting in the sun! With Catalonian influences (Dali’s childhood region) as the background for the painting.
Another, later painting “The Disintegration of the Persistence of Memory,” also features melting clocks in a fashion similar to the original, such that it can be labeled its sequel. Here, Dali uses his original composition as a starting point, then breaks it into pieces. And I cannot help but wonder if her too, a camembert played a role in the painting’s composition …. A decomposing one this time 😉.
A little known fact about Edvard Munch’s “The Scream” is that it is one of four works created in different media, of which two of them are paintings, and two of them are created in pastels. According to a couple of entries in his diary, he was walking and looking at a fjord (Munch is Norvegian) at the time of sunset when the clouds turned red, a color he took to be blood. He wrote in his diary that “I sensed a scream passing through nature; it seemed to me that I heard the scream” The thing is, he often described himself as going insane, just like his sister, who when it happened was committed to a mental health institution, and going through a very dark and challenging time in his life. All is open to interpretation. One thing is sure; mental illness seems to have run in his family. So, did he "see" the scream or .... ?
I was about to sign off when my eye caught an article in the New York Times (you know, the newspaper some call the Fake news) about a Russian student’s sentence for publishing videos criticizing the government. Now, that in itself is nothing new in Russia, but lately, it seems they have been cracking down more severely on dissidents. The kid, a political student, received a three-year suspended sentence on Friday and was barred from managing websites for two years. At least that is the headline. Read the article and note that further down it states that he won't be able to take part in elections for the six years. Considering he could have been sentenced to 5 years in prison, his sentence is not extremely harsh. The backing of the public, in this case, helped. Others have been punished more severely for lesser or equal offenses. My point is that even though some have a love/hate relationship with the press, it is of primordial importance to maintain a free and open press and to continue to believe in, support and advocate for freedom of speech. Because, when that goes, it will be the beginning of the end and soon democracy will only be a memory.
This one in there just for fun. Enjoy!!
I think it is quirky.
As I am contemplating finalizing (at last) this post, I'd like to wish you, peoples of the page, and Facebook, and of Instagram (Aaaah ... the joys of social media ....) a fantastic and happy weekend. Be kind to one another. Until next time. Namaste.
#Dali #Munch #Holidays #Thoughts
I am seeking; I am Thriving; I am in it with all my heart. Vincent Van Gogh₆
(Ps. I am too 😉 )
An excellent website to learn a bit more about this distinctive artist painter
https://emptyeasel.com/the-persistence-of-memory-famous-melting-clocks-painting-by-salvador-dali/
₁ https://www.insidermonkey.com/blog/12-famous-paintings-with-the-stories-behind-them-481128/3/
₂ http://www.artpromotivate.com/2012/09/famous-inspirational-art-quotes.html
₃ http://www.artpromotivate.com/2012/09/famous-inspirational-art-quotes.html
http://www.officialkwanzaawebsite.org/index.shtml
₄ https://www.thedailymeal.com/holidays/where-latkes-came-and-9-other-facts-about-hanukkah-foods
₅ https://americanheritageins.com/happy-holidays/
₆ https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/143955-i-am-seeking-i-am-striving-i-am-in-it
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As always, I am thankful for your patronage.
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Como siempre, estoy agradecido por su patrocinio.
