Between about 1910 and 1930, new artistic movements in European art were making themselves felt in the United States. American artists become acquainted with the new art on their trips to Paris and at the exhibitions in the famous New York gallery "291" of the photographer Alfred Stieglitz. But most important in the spread of the modern movements in the United States was the sensational Armory Show of 1912-1913 in New York, in which the works of a number of progressive American painters were shown.
Several of the American modernists who were influenced by the Armory Show found the urban landscapes, especially New York, an appealing subject. Compared with the works of the realist painters, the works of American modernists were much removed from the actual appearance of the city; they were more interested in the "feel" of the "Ash Can School" and the later realists were still tied to nineteenth-century or earlier styles, while the early modernists shared in the international breakthroughs of the art of the twentieth century.
The greatest of these breakthroughs was Cubism, developed most fully in France between 1907 and 1914, which brought about a major revolution in Western painting. It overturned the rational tradition that had been built upon since the Renaissance. In Cubism, natural forms were broken down analytically into geometric shapes. No longer was a clear differentiation made between the figure and the background of a painting: objects represented and the surface on which they were painted became one. The Cubism abandoned the conventional single vantage point of the viewer, and objects depicted from multiple viewpoints were shown at the same time.
Do you drink water that's been left sitting out overnight or even for another day? Have you noticed it tastes different?
Tap water that has been left to sit out slowly begins to acquire an off taste. Many people think that this is because of microorganisms(微生物)。But that's not what makes old water taste not fresh. For that we can thank carbon dioxide. After about 12 hours, tap water starts to go flat as carbon dioxide in the air starts to mix with the water in the glass, lowering its pH and giving it an off taste. But it's most likely safe to drink.
However, back to those microorganisms. If you use a dirty glass day after day, there is more of a chance of bacteria making themselves known; a risk that increases if you share the glass with another mouth as well. But assuming you use a fresh glass every few days, you probably won't have a problem unless the glass has been touched by dirty fingers, and especially if those dirty fingers went unwashed after using the bathroom.
As for plastic water bottles that have been left out in the sun or in the car, step away from the bottle, warns Dr. Kellogg Schwab, director of the Johns Hopkins University Water Institute. "A chemical called bisphenol-A, or BPA, along with other things used to make plastic can leach(过滤) into your water if the bottle heats up or sits in the sun. "He explains, BPA, as you probably know, has been linked to everything from heart disease to cancer. Schwab also adds that plastic used for commercial bottled water isn't meant to be washed or refilled, so use only one time and recycle. Or don't buy them at all; use refillable water bottles instead.
Art is for everyone and it exists everywhere. When it comes to appreciating an art painting, there is no right or wrong way.
●Know the artist. To know the artist is the first step toward appreciating an art painting. Once you get familiar with the paintings from a particular artist, you will start relating to his unique style.
● This is really tough. There are different styles and types of art mediums, realism, surrealism, and impressionism, to name but a few. So for beginners, it's advisable to keep things simple. Try to understand if the art you see is a watercolor, oil painting or acrylics(丙烯画) or sketch(速写) on paper. You also need to figure out the styles of the work—figurative(形象的)or abstract.
●Try and find a meaning. To read between lines and colors and understand what the artist means can be very difficult. So here's a simple guide. Figurative paintings are easy because they are an honest description of emotions on the canvas(画布). Still, it doesn't mean your understanding is the same as the artist's. Abstracts attempt to create magic with shapes, lines and colors and their meaning is difficult for everyone who sees it.
●Search for emotions. Not every work of art will catch your eyes or emotions at first sight. Explore the art work with your eyes.
Once you are aware of these things, you will be able to break the ice with art.
A. Discover your taste and styles.
B. Know the type of art and medium used.
C. Some of these art works will take time to reach you.
D. You just might find that art changes the way you see the world.
E. Learning something about the artist adds to the appreciation of art.
F. A simple art painting might be understood for different people.
G. The following ideas may help you join in the conversation between you and the artist.
I live in Hollywood. You may think people in such an attractive, fun-filled place are happier than others. If so, you have some mistaken ideas about the nature of happiness.
Many intelligent people still equate happiness with fun. The truth is that fun and happiness have little or nothing in common. Fun is what we experience during an act. Happiness is what we experience after an act. It is a deeper, more long-lasting emotion. Going to an amusement park or ball game, watching a movie or television, are fun activities that help us relax, temporarily forget our problems and maybe even laugh. But they do not bring happiness, because their positive effects end when the fun ends.
I have often thought that if Hollywood stars have a role to play, it is to teach us that happiness has nothing to do with fun. These rich, beautiful individuals have constant access to exciting parties, fancy cars, expensive homes, everything that spells "happiness". But in memoir(回忆录)after memoir, celebrities reveal the unhappiness hidden beneath all their fun: depression, alcoholism, drug addiction, broken marriages, troubled children, and long-time loneliness.
The way people hold on to the belief that a fun-filled, pain-free life equates happiness actually decreases their chances of ever attaining real happiness. If fun and pleasure are equated with happiness, then pain must be equated with unhappiness. But, in fact, the opposite is true: More times than not, things that lead to happiness involve some pain.
As a result, many people avoid the very efforts that are the source of true happiness. They fear the pain inevitably brought by such things as marriage, raising children, professional achievement, religious commitment, charitable work and self-improvement.
