Romanticism

Neo Classicism spawned in Europe and in the United States sometime during the late 18 and 19th centuries, and continues to be practiced in present time. During this period, the artist began to emulate those artists of 'Realism', harkening back to the Renaissance and the ancient Greeks.

While Expressionism and Impressionism began to predominate the art world at the end of the 18th century and well into the next, neo-classicism remains and, in most 'artistic circles' has been ridiculed for returning to an old form rather than moving forward.

Needless to say, however, the neo-classicist artist is well educated and quite familiar with the Canon; well versed... these artists have produced stunning work, and at the same time, can splash water colours across a white canvas and call it "art", i.e, Sidney Pollack, Andy Warhol's screens, etc. Original, perhaps, an advancement in Art?...but to my mind, haphazardly splashing paint on a canvas or screening photo's like Warhol's famous Marlyn Monroe with the swiftness of an assembly line, (Earning absurd amounts of money) makes me wonder if it really is 'Art'?

One of my favourite 'modern' artists is the Austrian, Gustave Klimt. Klimt began as a portrait painter, painting the rich, royalty, famous and infamous, to then branch off and start a new movement which eventually led to German Expressionism.

When one views his work, we can see he is informed of arts foundations, educated in Classicism. In fact he has created some of the most stunning paintings during and after the First World War.

The stunning painting above is the work of an American, Frederic Edwin Church (1826-1900) who was predominantly a Landscape artist. Church is regarded as a neo-classicist because of his aversion to all things 'modern'. But when viewing his many works can see that his innovation, during this time, was his use of colour, that seems and does draw you into the painting..bright, visceral, at times breath-taking.

Let's face it, I'm a 'tiny bit' biased, because I love most of the artist's of the Romantic period: Fredric Chopin, Beethoven, Wordsworth, Lord Byron. Keats, Blake, and The Pre - Raphaelite's.

In no uncertain terms, Church has joined the fray of my list of the GREAT Romantics...as is the foundational tenet of the Romantic View: the never-ending search for the Ideal in art.

If so inclined, google Fredric Edwin Church - and you'll be astonished...

Great Pop Songs for Our Time...PINK -a Beauty.

This album was introduced to me by a student through a lesson on poetry and lyrics.

The young, shy girl, Year 9, handed me the CD and said, "You should listen to # 6:

"Im Not Dead".

An exceptionally produced Rock piece, the lyrics, strangly related to my life at the time. (Lines out of order.)

"Im not dead just floating."

"Im not scared just changing."

"You will crack at the sun light."

"Right under the ink of your tatto you'll find me."

"Even if this journey's over, I'd go back if you'd want me too.'

"In the middle of the belly of the beast we turned into."

"Right behind the cigarettes the devil found our smiles ... in the crack of sun light, I'll will find you."

"Even if this journey's over, I'd come back to you."

"And I'll know you'll come back again."

A beautiful song and overall a great Pop album.

Pink's songs are mostly about lost Love and wanting that Love to come back.

Great songs and CD.

Thanks young lady,

Mr. Middleton

Creativity & Those who Envy

Humanity can be quite cold to those whose eyes see the world differently. Eric A. Burns, Gossamer Commons, 08-24-05

This entry is not intended to puff out my chest, brag or revel in conceit. It is to discuss a common attribute of the human being, that is to say, Envy.

What is envy?

Dictionary def: "feeling of discontent aroused by someone else's possessions, achievements, or qualities."

There is no doubt in my mind that most if not all humans have felt this emotion; wanting what someone else has ... For example, I've observed over many years the envy of women over the beauty of other women. One can be at a function, a black tie occassion, (the men have it easy, simply a tuxedo) and when a beautiful, well attired woman enters the room, one can almost "feel" the envy, at times an intense resentment. In Australia we call "it" the "Tall Poppy Syndrome": when a poppy rises higher than the rest, its time to cut it down to size.

Is it human nature to covet; to then feel resentment because someone else has what we so desire?

From my short time on the planet, the answer would have to be, yes.

I remember a few years ago self-publishing a collection of short stories to give to friends and family. Out of the fifty or so that were given away, only two people came back with a response: my old literature professor and, of course, my mother. The rest did not say a word . Let me just say that the stories were not badly written, a little macbre, but worth reading. Why no response?

Envy. Covet = Envy.

One of the Ten: "Do not covet thy neighbours wife." (Emphasis my own.)

We seem to always want what we do not have, to then see other's have it and feel envy, covet and flame with resentment. However dramatic, this does indeed occur everyday.

There is another saying in Australia that "seems" to concur with our values: "The Quiet Achiever."

The woman or man who moves along through life, calm, observant and creative, who creates, somehow avoiding covetness...rare but true. No bragards, no "Tall Poppies" but quietly moving onwards and upwards without anyone really noticing.

Let's face it, Mozart died a pauper, his body flung into a pit, the graves of the unknown...Potters Field? One of the greatest musical geniuses ever known...

Self inflicted? Maybe, but I do not believe so...it was envy that killed him, ultimately destroyed this young man of only 33.

My point is that Envy and all that goes with it is terribly destructive...and almost sent me around the bend. (On the recieving end.)

Again my point is to not look outward for needs and wants but look into your heart and work towards that goal. Because it is yours and no one elses. Creative and successful people will never escape envy because it appears to be human nature.

Ignore the backstabbing, the gossip, sabotage and simply get on with it...quietly.

Justice & Forgiveness

The act of forgiving, in its true sense, is more that likely, one of our most difficult "tests" in life.

A family has lost their child to a rampaging psychopath, the man a raging lunatic, a serial killer and sadist, though over time is finally apprehended, moves through our Judicial system and is found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. This man tortured and killed this families little girl in the worst way possible. The killers sentence: 25 years without parole.

As a parent, my first reaction is to commit murder, make him "pay" for what he did to my little girl.

Is twenty-five years in a prison with Foxtell television in his cell, off time with his "girlfriend", and good meals everyday, true justice for such a horrible crime?

Well, not in the slightest.

We can all assume to be liberal minded and "justify" this behaviour as "insane", "bad childhood" or simply the pathological condition of psychopathy - not really his fault, but a product of nature and nurture combined to create a monster. He has No resposibility because he is merely a "product" of his environment.

Rubbish.

Justice is Blind.

The Laws an Ass.

The balance of right and wrong too often sways towards the weak - the liberal-minded Fence Sitter; "It's not his fault but our socioty and his disfunctional family who is in fact created this monster are really to blame."

This may be absolutely true, but the Monster is still a sadistic child killer, and should be delt with appopriately.

What is appropriate?

Certainly not Foxtell cable, internet access, monthly conjugal visits from his girl friend and a nice structured life where he is NOT permitted to take responsibility because the system is not geared that way.

THE LAW IS AN ASS?

More to the point, however, if subjected to such an appalling situation, after the dust settles, would you have the capacity within your heart to Forgive this Monster?

A father who has lost his child to a Freak; for a Just man, a Good father, this would be the hardest "test" in his entire life.

Part of the Lord's prayer: ..."and forgive our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us."

In this case, for the father of this poor little girl, this is a Big ask...but a necessary one.

Why?

Because without forgiveness, he will have no peace. It will haunt him to his last day.

Forgiving one's enemies has most often been seen as a sign of weakness.

True strength of character is the ability to forgive and not be a victim, at the same time.

I'll never forget this beautiful woman whose child had been murdered by this 'man'.

In court, rather than ranting and raving, she said that she forgave him and truly hoped, God would forgive him in the next life. This woman was sad yet spoke from her heart.

This reminds me of a quote from Jean-Paul Sartre:

"It is not what people do to you that matters but what you do to them that matters."

Our responses to life's hardships truly define our character.

Because Forgiveness is powerful and Right.

Technology of the Future (The Creation of the Computer Moron)

(Above you see the old though famous poet, Lord Byron, a true Luddite, meaning one of the orignal protesters of technology in our so-called modern age.)

The futurists and journalist hacks, large companies, (corporations) are telling us that technology is developing at an alarming rate. This is an absolute truth. The lecture I reluctantly attended today was essentially: “How will teachers’ deal with this change and, more importantly keep up, in order to teach effectively?

The obvious responses were, training, alot of training, etc, etc.

Sorry, what a load of rubbish!

As a teacher only a few years ago, we did not have to deal with cell phones and i-pods as distractions to learning in the class room. Neverthless, it has become a major obstacle to teaching and learning. Text messaging, headphones while teaching; to be fair, a teenagers “life” revolves around friends and their “groups”, it has always been that way and, well, always will. They simply have better ways of communicating.

Developing technology is not the problem. As educated professionals, as teachers, it is an absurdity to believe that we will be left behind because of technology advancing at lightning speed.

Technology is a TOOL to learning. It enables students to find the information much faster and easier.

It is possible that books, hard covers and paper, will become something from the past. Libraries in certain countries no longer have books but only row after row of computers; students “googling” for the answer to their research questions.

Sad thought but a possible future reality for us all.

This subject is not about teachers falling behind with advancing technology, but our students missing out on the fundemental tools that take time to learn, but once learned, will carry them through for the rest of their lives.

Example: John is an absolute wizard on the computer, but cannot write a full sentence; his spelling is flawed (Year 11 but Year 5, spelling wise) and he becomes very impatient when asked to find an answer in an actual book...too hard.

“Just tell me the answer Mr. Middleton, this is way too hard.”

However with tools like spell checks and Google, he can skate through, APPEARING as if he has learned something, though has not learned anything.

Technology has its good points, but has created, in some cases, technology dependent morons.

Basics are so important: spelling, punctuation, the knowledge of verbs, nouns, pro nouns, and even, conjuctions.

I am fascinated with the advancement of technology in all areas, particularly, medicine.

Although wonderful, all things on this planet has its negatives, and focusing the teacher on “advancing technology” when she is working with a class of 25, teaching verbs and nouns, when most eight year olds prefer to “google it” has lost someting.

Because machines will never replace a true, dedicated, caring teacher...the connection of a thoughtful human being, real learning will never occur.

Troubled...but Never Give Up.

Human emotion is a mystery.

Why?

Because our so-called scientific idicators and their "triggers", in human beings, continue to baffle the real scientists; those who have remained in a fixed idea, (a fashionable paradigm) like "brain synapsis" or biological determinism. Psychologists since William James and even Freud, have attempted to raise psychology from a speculative "science" to one of measurment, empirical data beginning with an hypothesis, testing, testing, testing, to then "prove" their particicular hypothesis."

This discussion is not about whether psychology is a true science, but to reveal that emotions and certain behaviours continue to be baffling, strange manifestations resulting in unusual and sometimes "evil" behaviour.

The great psychologists and psychatrists of the last century have studied certain behaviours, and have deemed certain behaviours as"anti-social" or "abnormal" with a variaty of names: psychopath, sociopath, Narcissistic personality disorder, Histrionic personality disorder. Antisocial personality disorder (APD), ADHD, and really, the list goes on and on.

In my work as a Secondary school teacher working in a middle to low class area, there was a time when more children were on psyche drugs that, at the time, was humanly impossible; (was there something in the water?) unless of course, suddenly we were faced with some unknown plague. (Some of the classroom horror stories from those children that "forgot to take their meds, to then raise pure havoc in the classroom would curl the hairs on your neck.)

But was or is the condition valid (ADHD etc.,) or a pharmacutical marketing plan to make serious money to keep naturally hyperactive children, well asleep?

I don't want to go all conspiratorial about the trillion dollar pharmacutical industry, pushing drugs like anyone's business, however, it could well be a research project to consider.

My point is human behaviour, despite truly intelligent men and women investigating the subject, in the end, continue to be baffled by certain responses by individuals in certain situations that simply do not make sense.

How do you make sense of insanity?

As a working teacher, there are two actions that work, for me, more often than not, despite a child's prescribed "condition", and that is treating children with respect like human beings and showing a genuine care for their welfare. I know, it sounds cliched, but it works with the hardest most cynical child.

I truly believe that some teenagers are beyond help: attempting to appeal to the better angels of their natures, never works.

But we never give up.

Beauty...

A student asked or subtly hinted at the question:

What is real Beauty Mr. Middleton?

In a classroom filled with curious though seemingly uninterested children, the tone of her voice stopped everything and the mass of young adults, listened.

‘Beauty is Love. And this brings up another question, what is Love?’

All the boys winced and the young women blushed.

“When you see, hear, or feel Beauty there is no denying its reality because it has now become a part of you."

“Let me give you an example, as a child my mother would provide piano lessons for all her children, including the neighbourhood children. As a boy of nine it was pure torture. I hated it; too much like math, too mechanical, however, once picking up the guitar everything changed. I felt the notes, the vibrations, and tones, the Beauty of the music. Though to hear one of her students play Chopin or Bach sent my mind to other places, true places of Beauty, and it was then I truly knew Beauty.

The class appeared confused, their faces frowning and sad.

One very shy student, who had been shy all semester, raised his hand.

He stood up. “Mr. Middleton, is not Beauty in the heart rather than the head?”

“Yes, of course,...and your name?”

“Thomas, Sir.”

“My purpose here today in this short time is to show you the similarities and differences of Beauty and Love...and if there is a real difference.”

Then a little man in the corner shouted out:, ...one can only really love and know Beauty through suffering and pain.”

“Now I knew I was in big trouble.”

Teacher mode: “Example, please. Mr...?

He was a handsome boy, sure of himself, waiting for an opportunity.

“Pain and Pleasure, sir, are interlinked. You know it when you see it.”

‘Mr. (...) pain and pleasure in the physical sense has nothing to do with Beauty...it is not about pain or pleasure, it is simply Beauty as an Ideal...something we can see , hear, taste and know their is Beauty in our space of possibilities."

“So we can’t Feel Beauty but only through some abstract bullshit!”

It was close to the end of the session, the fu..ing bell was about to sound...

It was time, I had less than than sixty seconds to make my point.

“Let us go back to the image that I showed at the start...”

Love, adoration, awe and worship... these things are a part of love, but the Beautiful are the one’s who, and you are right, experience great pain and Love.. anyway...

This image my be a bad example of Beauty...or Love, though it strikes at the heart and will not let go. Your task is to find an object of Beauty and tell us why a person, object or ideal is beautiful to you.

Please give good reasons and your mark will be better.

Due at the end of term.

The bell rang and they sat there like deers looking into head lights...