First Autumn Day of 2012. I'm so happy!

Why is it so warm?

Si controlase el mundo,

cada día sería el primer día de primavera,

cada corazón tendría una nueva canción que cantar,

y cantaríamos a la alegría que nos traería cada amanecer.

Si controlase el mundo,

cada hombre sería libre como los pájaros

cada voz podría escucharse

te lo prometo, agradeceríamos cada día que pasase.

Mi mundo sería un lugar maravilloso

donde tejeríamos sueños tan fantásticos...

Mi mundo llevaría una sonrisa en la cara

al igual que el hombre y la luna cuando ella brilla.

Si controlase el mundo,

cada persona sentiría al mundo como su amigo

habría una felicidad que nadie podría destruir,

no amigo mío, no si yo contralase el mundo.

Se sostendría alto cada mano,

en el cielo habría sol para todos,

si ese día amanece

controlaré el mundo.

Se sostendría alto cada mano

cada estrella brillaría para todos

si ese día amanece

controlaré el mundo

One Man Band

Now I will talk about a short film by Disney and Pixar Animated Studios.

I love animated films. Since I was a child I watched Disney movies and later I followed Pixar animations. Beyond the stories of princesses and adventures I like the spirit of these companies.

In this case, Pixar was created in 1986 by Steve Jobs and his team. They started making shorts films working with, in those times, advanced digital technology (including 3D), and their first movie was “Toy Story” in 1995.

“One Man Band” is about a peasant girl how encounters two competing street performers who want her coin, a coin to make a wish at the fountain in the square. She is caught in the middle of a musical duel between the “one man bands”.

The first musician is playing boring without audience, and then, a sophisticated newcomer takes advantage on girl care, how is the only person in the square. They both try desperately to win the girl coin. At the end the coin is lost and the girl takes a violin of one of one musicians and start to play for some coins that surprisingly she receives, and in a very fun way she takes revenge throwing two coins to the fountain.

I love this short film, I think it have a special strategy to express without words, only music.

My green experience

I like green culture. When I was a child I wanted to be part of Greenpeace, because I always watched on TV what they did for help the environment. Someday, I read a critic about Greenpeace’s media control… I think that I was a little disappointed, but then I Thought that in any case they helped to nature and I respected that, nevertheless I wasn’t going to participate in the ONG.

I've never had bad habits, but recently I figured out that I never had an ecological education. So, I think I have to learn by myself how to contribute to the environment. I know it isn’t complicated, in fact, things as “turn off the light” or “don’t waste water”, I practice them everyday. But the way to recycle things or plant trees, etc., I would rather learn to apply them. As I said, it isn’t difficult, I just have to spend time to do it. But my problem is when?...

• • 
    

Anyway, I don’t ride on bike often but I like it and I will try to use it more. What I really love is walk and run! If university wasn’t too far of my house, I would be glad to go everyday on bike or walking.

I think that Santiago doen’t have ecologic culture, and it could be an amazing green capital, but all depends on people. People could be even more happy and relax.

In the future I would like live in a place plenty of nature… I love green!

¨A Darwinian Theory of Beauty?¨by Denis Duton

Denis Duton (1944 - 2010), philosopher of art, talks about an interesting theory of beauty. He confers about a new perspective of how to think beauty in culture.

He starts saying that we have to explain our tastes and what we think about “beauty” taking a look to the past, against the general thinking that explains beauty as cultural heritage which we learn since we born or the typical sentence “beauty is in the eye of the beholder”.

He says beauty is an experience useful for evolution to make decisions to survival based on our interest, affinity and attraction. It’s a kind of radar looking for what gives us pleasure and what is good for us.

About beauty on art works he refers to prehistory to explains that the stone tools made fourteen million years ago whose could have been used to hunt, it was actually aesthetics objects valued by its craftsmanship, sign of intelligence and skills, aspects which raised their social and reproductive status. This technique was used to create art works (paintings, music, movies, dance) and to express emotions , this establish that we have found as beauty since beginning of human times was work well done, capacity and tates for that.

This theory makes perfect sense to me, I had not heard it before and is nice to know about beauty studies ... it’s a never ends topic. Beyond that its right or wrong , indeed I like the idea that beauty is a remaining capacity into our minds, because it’s a opportunity to think about art.

The last exhibition I went.

I go to few exhibitions in did. I would like go to much galleries and museums but really I don’t make me the necessary time for it because I prefer do many other things. Maybe when I finish my career often I will go to exhibitions often.

The last exhibition I went it was on November, a day when I was near to the Centro Cultural Gabriela Mistral and I seized the opportunity to see what were on exhibition. It was entitled “INFORME PAIS”, where twelve visual artists, Chileans, Argentines, Peruvian and Bolivian, explored the concept “imagen-país”.

I found it very interesting because it’s a very contingent matter that has much to say since some years ago. It was attractive to see how the art works talks with different and international points of view.

I think that this art works were very ingenious, it was made for this exhibition specially, where it showed different techniques, photography, installations, paintings, audiovisual,; a kind of conceptual art that made a critic to the country, in geographical, cultural and social terms. It talked about the imaginary that we create about our country can be an unconscious fictional speech that we believe in, but in fact it’s very very fragile because in any moment an earthquake can snatch and destroy a big part of the geography, and protests or social demands can create crisis on social systems (as the general protest of students).

I think I enjoy it, specially because I didn’t went to some exhibition in looooooong time. I hope in the future go to more exhibitions :)

The Guardian talks about The 360 Project

In the culture section of The Guardian webpage, there is an article about “The 360 degree dance project” by Judith Mackrell (the Guardian dance critic). I chose this one because I knew about this project some time ago and I became interested for it very much. I like this kind of projects and creative ideas, where several disciplines can be mixed to get a innovative product which can be useful for many others ideas, to make them grow. For me there are great inspiration sources.

At first, this article relate Degas art of dancers and three-dimensional photography of Francois Willème with the work of Eadweard Muybridge, who capture the movement by stop-motion;all this as a kind of precedent for what Ryan Enn Hughes has been doing.

He put into practice technology of digital photography, audiovisual, editing, design, for make portraits in movement of ballet dancers and hip hop dancers with a 360 degree view.

The author is interested in how this project shows specific moments of the body which it get more intense and can express “a sense of intensity and immediacy” by the capture. It is like an explosion of energy that the movement of the body dancing can reflect. That’s because the author think that as Degas, this project managed the vivid expression of movement.

Read the article: " Flash moves: the 360 degree dance project "

BALLET 360 (The 360 Project) from Ryan Enn Hughes on Vimeo.

France, England, Scotland, New Zeland and South Korea

This post is similar to others that we have done before. I already tell that I love to travel and I want go to many places. I like France because have something in its history that enchanted me. I just know universal history ,some historic hitos and some prominent people. I studied a bit French and I like it very much. I want learn and speak it in good level.

I like England and Scotland, maybe for the same reason. Also I want to travel around the landscapes and knew the culture of this countries. Other country I want go is New Zeland, because its nature and ladscapes. I have a friend who lives there, and we both wants to visit her sometime in the future and go around New Zeland. Last time I have a particular interest for South Korea, specially Seoul. Because I knew its music and something of the culture. I like this city and its buildings.

I just want make much money and spend it traveling , meeting places and people who makes worth it.

About tatoos.

I like tattoos. I don’t have any, not for any special reason but I haven’t chance for done it until now. I like the idea of decorating the body, but like all in life, tattoo have to be handled delicately, I thing tattoo can make body as something really beautiful, but many people turn their bodies something grotesque.

Some people do it because think that it is cool or following trends, other people do it because it is a way for identify their with a sub-culture or with gangs. But others make it for some special reason related with their religion or personal experiences.

Anyway, I think tattoo is a way we choose to identify our self.

I would like to make me a tattoo, want at least. I have been thinking about it a lot of time and I have some ideas but I don’t decide yet, because I want something really special for me. If I will mark my body it have to be important forever. I don’t worry too much about the pain, it will be just for a short time.

The BBC Learning English website

Well, today we have the class with Miss Beatriz, so the task on her blog is to visit and to explore the BBC Learning English website.

I have to say I had never visited this page before and now that I know it I like it very much. Is very interesting, entertaining an easy to use, I mean, there was no moment where I felt lost inside the website as others webs for learn English where I never know what or how to do something because I don’t understand the order or where are the options, etc., and it is very frustrating. I think is very comfortable for me know this web.

I surfed some sections of the web, I did some activities like “6 Minute English” within “General & Bussines English”, I hear and read a podcast of “The English we Speak”, where I knew new vocabulary and pronunciation (in fact this activity is within “Grammar, Vocabulary & Pronunciation” section), and I like it, was very funny. Also, I went to “Pronunciation tips” where I found many tools for improve my English.

I will recommend this website I thing I will enjoy it long time from now.

My warm last semester

When I figured out that I will finished my last semester of college in two months, I was surprised. I never thought I finish the universuty with pressure and so many things to do in a very short time!

I always thought I finish it with calm, planning my summer already graduate, traveling, and just thinking about my thesis. Now I have to organize all the rest of my activities (each one takes me many time) according to university.

This semester I have five courses with differents levels of demand. I don't like one of all them: aesthetics, as always. Well, I will do it the best I can.

Is not the first time that I'm studying at Christmas time, and no affect me for celebrate this festivities and share tie whit my family and friends.

But above all, the worst thing of studying at this time is the stifling heat of December.

The last post of the semmester

Well, this post is the last one of this curse. Finally we have to evaluate our blogging experience.

I love blogging. I always read many blogs about different topics. I try to read blogs in others languages, mainly in English, because it is a way to learn many things as vocabulary, expressions, others cultures and people. Sometimes I find information about topics that interest me only in another language.

My blogging experience was really fun. I could realize of many mistakes I made in grammar and writing and I made me aware of my writing in the process. I think it’s a way to exercising the language and above all maintain the English level. I could also share information about me and knew a little more about my teammates, because generally I don’t share much with them.

I think that this kind of activities can’t be enjoyable to all us because not all people like spend time blogging and sharing information, less in English. However, we can’t deny that is an enriching experience to practice English. I think it would be better if we do it at least twice a week, or maybe make elaborate texts about topics related with our career, we could develop skills for understand English and we would acquire more vocabulary.

I’m not sure whether to call it “disadvantage”, but for me the only think I disliked was write a text under pressure, I mean, in a given time. But this discomfort was offset by the pleasure of blogging and posting the topic of the week.

I know I’m still a beginner in English (I feel I am a beginner), therefore maybe I will make the same mistake several times writing or speaking... but I like English and I will continue trying to improve and learn more and more. Although we couldn’t finish this semester normally, I hope next semester I can enjoy blogging at English class again.

I love trips!

I love trips! Since I remember, my family and I have always travelled. We moved to many houses and we have lived in two contries, Ecuador and Chile.

As I say, I always have travelled with my family. Just once I went to Valparaiso with my best friend. In both cases I have been happy to share new experiences and one of my passions with people I love.

I know very little Chile but my trips experiences have been very nice, so I remember well all places where I have went. Mostly we travel in summer holidays for about a month, we go to differents beachs or country. Country is my favorite place.

We travelled to Ecuador last year, after ten years since we come to live in Chile. I enjoyed a lot that vacations, because I could find all things that I remembered, mostly smells and tastes. The most beautiful thing was meet again with my family and know almost all Guayaquil and other places as the coast and Quito.

I think I’ve become a person who quickly adapts to others places and environments, specially if I like it. I’ve developed the habit of changing the locations where I am every time to time, because monotony exasperate me, all things in same places bored me. I always need little changes for survive.

I have many expectations of travel much in my life. To know many countries and cultures with differents riches, languages, customs, food (something important) and arts. I think we live at an amazing world and we can take advantage of all naturals resources and differents peoples with special habilities for care the planet and share it.

Already I'm planning a great trip with my sisters and some friends, so I’m saving money for that. We want go to Londres, Canada and South Korea. Each place have something special that we love and we want to know and enjoy. Also, I want go to New Zeland where live a very special friend. I will working hard to make all this come true.

Here I share a video that I like very much about Seoul night

I believe it is possible

In the international press has said a lot about national debate of policies that are being carried out to implement Hydroaysen and protest which express public disagreement with this project. I confess I had not been dedicated to inform me well about recent events relatinated with Hidroaysen, so, I will give my opinion with the things that I know.

I think if there are differents interests, the actions of political and of environmentalist community can reach an agreement with one or various solutions, able of no affect places and native communities close to the proyect.

This proyect has been prepared for a long time to determine its execution conditions, but aparently people in charge didn’t heed complaints of differents organizations interested in environmental impact, because they have given importance to the economical part.

In my opinion, it is similar in education. It have analyzed very much the educational situation and it have proposed many solutions for get better quality in all education sectors: teachers and students quality, administration of private and state schools, municipal management, teaching learning resources, etc. They show a great disparity. But the government isn’t efficent takingthese proposal and implementing it.

Students from all over Chile are organizing to protest and get government attention on these things. Through assemblies, marches and stopping the activities of the establishments intended produce reactions that respond student interests.

These cases represent the poor relations between the government and much of Chilean society. I think the recent social movements have been part of several interrelated phenomenon. I feel they are a sign of a great social crisis that is occurring in Chile (and around the world). There is much interest in making things better, but powerful people didn't have willingness to help make everything better. I always thought that changes happen with the will and conscience of all together for a better world. And I believe it is possible.

Spring

Actually, I can’t determine which artwork is my favorite. Maybe is most confortable to me talk my favourites painters - as I’ve done –, but is hard to say that you like above all things some artwork, because you have to identify with it at all.

Anyway, I’ll talk about “Allegory of Spring” or “Spring”, painted ca. 1482 by Sandro Botticelli. I don’t consider it my favorite masterpiece but I find it a beautiful painting. I think is an interesting picture created in an interesting context. Botticelli is one of the most famous painters of the Renaissance in Italy and he did this work for the powerful Italian Medici family.

“Spring” is a representation of the humanistic culture and, I think, is above all, one of the most brilliant artworks that represent the Neoplatonism phylosophy. Neoplatonism was a revival of clasics ideas, which based in teachings of Plato and Aristotle mainly and all antique culture believer in the Unit as the source of all things, the Intelligence and Knowledge as maximum aspiration and the Soul as universal principle.

"Sping" ended with traditional catholic representation of this station of the year and everything associated with it (love, enyoiment, blossom, harvest, daintiness, grace, beauty, fertility, sensuality, etc.), because Botticelli made it as a pagan ritual with a particular style and confronting the artistic thinking in his period (S. XV).

It has been said that the picture mainly is an allegory of love. Is a representation, with natural human size, of classics characters (as gods and nymphs) with complex philosophical symbolisms, requiring a deep knowledge of Botticelli sources of classic literature and mithology, humanistic and religious atmosphere of that time for interpret it.

I like a lot how Botticelli painted details of all particular things that integrate the picture with harmony, and the level of his brush when he represent perfectly the daintiness and grace with his colors and shapes.

My favourite artists

I’ve already talk about my favourite artist last year: Frida Kahlo, so I will refer to Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec and Egon Schiele now. They are the others artists who I like most because their paintings has a particular style.
They both lived at the same time, end of the ninety century and beginning of the twenty century. That was a time very special for all artists, because was when all the important changes in arts began.

Toulouse-Lautrec was a French painter, printmaker and illustrator who recorded the exciting modern life of Paris at ending of century. He is known as one of the famous painters of post-impressionist, along with Cézanne, Gauguin and Van Gogh.
His works, has a colorful expression with brushstroke an energetic and nervous brushstroke, characteristic of post-impressionist painters. His main works are works relating with the Montmartre neighborhood and with the cabaret Moulin Rouge, where always he painted the people who going to the place, who worked there and with whom he lived.

Egon Schiele was an Austrian painter, an apprentice of Gustav Klimt. He, with Klimt and Kokoschka are the greatest painters of austrian expressionism. More than anything, he painted self portraits and female bodies with a twisted form and expressive and very intense line, and he played with expressions of colors of subtle combinations. His works is associated with the sensuality and the human existential pain.
They both had a hard life, with many diseases and poverty, but maybe because how they lived, they could create these beautiful lines and forms.

Technology in my life

I think my life would become a disaster if I had no computer or pendrive. Currently my notebook is in bad conditions and I have to use the home computer, this has become rather complicated because I haven’t access to the files that I commonly use and matters to me. In same way my pendrive, that is mp3 player too. My father gave it to me and it is a great friend and partner unconditional for me.

With they both, I have and I manage all the information that I need every day, the music I heard all days, my works, my images, etc. Although it sound paradoxical, as I depend on them, they makes me not to depend on any other medium that isn't mine.

I remember that when I was a child, I didn’t need something like this things for live. Now, if i could get rid of something, I would choose my cell, because almost I don’t use it except for talk with my family most of the time.

Specially I like the Apple brand, and all the lines that develops, the Mac and I-pod design for example, also musical productos that associated brands have made, like beautiful headphones that would be a dream come true to have it.

Although Im not expert, I like technology, is interesant see what the man can do and where he can reach with his hands and mind.

Quentin Blake

Quentin Blake is an english illustrator borned in 1932. He has been one of the most british renowned illustrators, specially of child books, with an extensive work that exceedes 300 titles of himself and above 30 with others authors, like illustrator and about illustration. His books have been recognized and have won numerous prizes and awards around the world.

Quentin Blake - Selfportrait

He study arts and things relationated with literature in english universities and then he work in publications and teaching for over twenty years at the Royal College of Art, where he was head of the Illustration department. He is best known for his collaborations with writers like (the most famously) Roald Dahl. With Dahl he has done books such as Matilda, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The BFG, The Witches, among others.

And why i like him?

When I knew his work I recognized and remembered all the pictures I had seen in books I read in my childhood and made me feel very excited. I always drew and painted all that stories and characters. Also, I admire the way he has manage to express social criticism in his work while remaining sweet and innocent for childrens.

My favourite music

I love music. I love listen it, dance and sing (although i don't sing very well). Music give me energy and I consider it as a private space and moment for me.

I like several generes, like pop, classic rock, alternative rock, jazz, soul (R&B music) and some electronic music. And I really admire artist like Mickel Jackson, The Beatles, Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, The Cure. Current artist like Norah Jones, Michael Buble, Coldplay, The Killers, 30 Seconds to Mars and U2.

Specially U2. Is an ireland band that started in the eighties, but they are currently in force. I knew they when I was fourteen, a special time of my life because I knew many important things about everything. So, it's a band that marked an era of my life.

My favourite integrant of the band is David Howell, known as The Edge. He is the guitarist, keyboardist and backing vocalist. As guitarist is prominent for his style, sounds full of textures, tones and melodies. I love listening the strength and daintiness that he can give to a song through the guitar.

The last week I went to see they in the 360º tour. It was fantastic!!

Welcome!

Welcome again to my english blog. I'm Karla, student of the fourth year of History and Theory of Arts in the University of Chile. I have enjoyed write in my blog and read the blogs of my classmates. I think it's good for learn and practice the idiom, because we can share our opinions. Now, i love my template, because i love owls! and i hope you too. I hope learn many things this time during the course. See you!