"EVILLLLLLLL EEEEVILLLL" -Mermaid Man

(Question 1)
Its a mystifying phenomena when a decent person makes an unexpected transition to a darker side of thinking or acting. One can wonder how or why this could happen to a person previously viewed as a good-hearted individual. The root of evil intentions cannot be pinpointed to a specific cause, because it differs among individuals. Macbeth was a war hero, and beloved king, with all he needed, and nothing to really complain about. He was the definition of a good man. In Macbeth's case, the seed of evil was planted with the prophecy of the witches. "Hail Thane of Cawdor..." The idea blossomed and grew within Macbeth's heart and mind, it caused him great internal trouble as he become bombarded with the idea of murdering his cousin, his own blood, for what? Power. For one to make the transition, there has to be a reason. This is referred to as the "Lucifer Effect". "The Lucifer effect describes the point in time when an ordinary, normal person first crosses the boundary between good and evil to engage in an evil action. It represents a transformation of human character that is significant in its consequences. According to Christian legend, Lucifer was once God's favorite angel until he challenged God's authority and was cast into Hell with all the other fallen angels" (http://www.quora.com/What-is-the-Lucifer-Effect) IN other words, when a person commits a small evil act, it can have a exponentially downward cascading effect to the individual's ethical and moral values. Obviously the initial resulting mental effects of becoming evil are quite negative (unless you are a psychopath...)  as expressed by Macbeth, who was subject to paranoia, denial, kill-your-bestfriend syndrome, and proceed-to-decimate-an-entire-family disease. Now I am being comical with reference to Macbeth, however, in the real world, evil people one sees in mugshots, on tv screens, and in everyday life, could have very well been a good person prior to making their transition for their own case specific reason. It is important to resist evil temptations because you could be one act away from turning to an evil life. (that part kinda sounded a little religious, no offense to anyone, <3 u guys)

#IBlooking @contemporaryArt

In late October, the IB class was given an opportunity to adventure to downtown Raleigh and explore the Contemporary Art Museum. This field trip originated in English, yet aligned perfectly with the Theory of Knowledge art unit. Upon reading the Curator's Statement, I was both intrigued and somewhat confused on what I should expect. However after viewing the pieces, some of which I felt frustrated with, I began to understand their underlying meanings, and their true beauty blossomed in front of my eyes.


Visual Analysis
           One particular piece caught my attention almost immediately. As one walks in, they turn and see a huge display of many glass bells hanging from the ceiling. Without even knowing the story behind the piece, the first thought was "wow..."

In a very, very, extremely, crude and rough representation, I present the "Temple of One Thousand Bells"

vs.

Title: Temple of One Thousand Bells

Artist: Laura Belem

Date: 2010

Medium: 1000 glass bells, which are attached by string to the platform above, with a recorded story told over speakers which tells of the origin and inspiration for this piece.

Size: approximately 14 feet long, and 8 feet wide

Stylistic Period/Culture/Context

The "Temple of One Thousand Bells" is an old sailors tale that originates from Latin America. The actual art piece was created by Laura Belem and the actual year which the piece was completed was 2010. However each glass bell was created by a different artist over a period of time.

Subject/Iconography 
Laura Belem creates this representational piece that symbolizes the bells from an Old Sailors folklore that originated from Latin America. The story tells of a long lost island that held a temple with bells that when struck by wind would release a melody with unmatched beauty. However this island sank to the depths of the ocean, and the sounds were lost, or so people thought. Some said that if one were to listen hard enough, they could still here the bells sweet melody. A sailor had set out to attempt to listen to these bells. Upon his first attempts, he was met only with the sounds of the ocean, followed by the song of a mermaid, which entranced him. He barely escaped. Frustrated with his inability to hear the bells, he made a final effort. He surrendered himself to the sounds of the ocean, and listened effortlessly to whatever came to him. As he was becoming absorbed into the sounds surrounding him, he began to hear the melody of the bells.

Style/Technique
Laura Belem uses simple techniques that create a sophisticated beautiful piece. The entire color scheme consisted of either white, or clear (disregarding the black speakers) and allowed for the refraction of light to create an almost mystical type of setting as one sat in silence looking at the swaying bells. The piece was not organized in anyway. The different lengths of string and different sizes/shapes of bells added to this disorganization, yet beauty emerged regardless. An interesting feature to the bells was the fact that not a single one contained the actual hammer needed to strike the bell and create noise.

Significance/Function/Purpose
The purpose of Laura Belem's piece is to capture the beauty and mystery of an old sailors tale from Latin America. The story also reveals an interpretive lesson that shows the idea that one cannot expect great things so readily, but through determination and a humbled attitude, great things can be attainable. The function of the piece is to readily inform and introduce a larger audience the style and significance of Latin American stories and art.

Thank you for this opportunity!!!!