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..."
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| In a very, very, extremely, crude and rough representation, I present the "Temple of One Thousand Bells" |
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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
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!!!!
I do wonder if the bells were placed at random- they don't need to make noise, but I would think that the artist would want them to be pleasing spatially...who knows?
ReplyDeleteI like how you pointed out that none of the bells contained the hammer required to ring them, and I think that this adds to the significance of the art as a whole. I took away the message that sometimes we cannot be in control and that our need to be in control is what holds us back from our goals. I got this from the story, where it explained how the man did not hear the bells until he stopped trying to hear them, as well as from the missing hammers- you could not ring the bells on your own, but had to wait to hear the story to understand the art. I agree with your point that sometimes you need a humble attitude to reach great things.
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