Wednesday, March 18, 2020

When a Comma Means And

When a Comma Means And When a Comma Means â€Å"And† When a Comma Means â€Å"And† By Maeve Maddox Although â€Å"blessed† by Fowler and the Chicago Manual of Style, the serial comma is readily dropped by a growing number of writers who prefer the advice given in the AP Style Guide: Use commas to separate elements in a series, but do not put a comma before the conjunction in a simple series: The flag is red, white and blue. Put a comma before the concluding conjunction in a series, however, if an integral element of the series requires a conjunction: I had orange juice, toast, and ham and egg for breakfast. In the Penguin Guide to Punctuation, R.L Trask likewise recommends omitting a comma before and. As does the AP guide, he says the only excuse for placing a comma before the and is to avoid ambiguity. Trask points out another use of what he calls the â€Å"listing comma.† In a list of adjectives all describing the same noun, a comma may be used to separate them: My dog’s long, dense, rough fur requires frequent brushing. A frequent error is to place commas between adjectives that are not all describing the same noun: My first pet was a purebred, Alaskan Husky. By remembering that the listing comma is a substitute for the word and, writers can avoid error by mentally replacing each comma in a list of adjectives with the word and. Compare the following examples: My dog’s long and dense and rough fur needs frequent brushing. My first pet was a purebred and Alaskan Husky In the the first example, replacing the commas with the word and makes the expression cumbersome, but it does not alter the sense. All three adjectives describe the same noun, â€Å"fur.† In the second example, replacing the comma with and makes no sense because â€Å"purebred† does not describe â€Å"Husky†; it describes â€Å"Alaskan Husky.† It’s sufficient to write, â€Å"My first pet was a purebred Alaskan Husky.† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Punctuation category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:10 Grammar Mistakes You Should Avoid50 Nautical Terms in General UseLetter Writing 101

Monday, March 2, 2020

Life and Art of Anni Albers, Modernist Weaver

Life and Art of Anni Albers, Modernist Weaver Born Anneliese Fleischmann in 1899 to an affluent German family, Anni Albers was expected to live the tranquil life of a housewife. Yet Anni was determined to become an artist. Known for her masterful textile work and influential ideas about design, Albers went on to establish weaving as a new medium for modern art. Fast Facts: Anni Albers Full Name: Anneliese Fleischmann AlbersBorn: June 12, 1899 in Berlin, German EmpireEducation: BauhausDied: May 9, 1994 in Orange, Connecticut, U.S.Spouses Name: Josef Albers (m. 1925)Key Accomplishments: First textile designer to receive a solo show at the Museum of Modern Art. Early Life As a teenager, Anni knocked on famed Expressionist painter Oskar Kokoschka’s door and asked him if she could apprentice under him. In response to the young woman and the paintings she had brought with her, Kokoschka scoffed, barely giving  her the time of day. Undiscouraged, Anni turned to the newly founded Bauhaus in Weimar, Germany where, under the guidance of architect Walter Gropius, a new philosophy of design was being developed. Bauhaus Years Anni met her future husband Josef Albers, eleven years her senior, in 1922. According to Anni, she asked to be placed as a student in the Bauhaus glassmaking studio because she had seen a handsome-looking man at work there, and she hoped he could be her teacher. Though she was denied placement in the glass workshop, she nevertheless found a lifelong partner in the man: Josef Albers. They married in 1925 and would remain married  for more than 50 years, until Josef’s death in 1976. Though the Bauhaus preached inclusivity, women were  allowed entrance only into the bookmaking studio and the weaving workshop. And as the bookmaking workshop shuttered soon after the Bauhaus’ founding, women found that their only option was to enter as weavers. (Ironically, it was the commercial sale of the fabrics they produced that kept the Bauhaus financially secure.) Albers excelled in the program and eventually became head of the workshop.  Ã‚   At the Bauhaus, Albers exhibited a remarkable ability to innovate with a variety of materials. For her diploma project, she was charged with creating fabric to line the walls of an auditorium. Using cellophane and cotton, she made a material which could reflect light and absorb sound, and could not be stained. Black Mountain College In 1933, the Nazi Party came to power in Germany. The Bauhaus project came to an end under pressure from the regime. As Anni had Jewish roots (though her family had converted to Christianity in her youth), she and Josef believed it best to flee Germany. Rather serendipitously, Josef was offered a job at Black Mountain College in North Carolina, by way of a recommendation of Philip Johnson, a trustee at the Museum of Modern Art. Black Mountain College was an experiment in education, inspired by the writings and teachings of John Dewey. Dewey’s philosophy preached of an artistic education as the means to educating democratic citizens capable of exercising individual judgment. Josef’s pedagogical skill was soon an invaluable part of the curriculum of Black Mountain, where he taught the importance of understanding material, color, and line through the pure act of seeing. Anni Albers was an assistant instructor at Black Mountain, where she taught students in the weaving studio. Her own philosophy was derived from the importance of understanding of material. We touch things to put ourselves in close contact with reality, to remind ourselves we are in the world, not above it, she wrote.   Annie Albers, Knot (1947). Courtesy of David Zwirner As her husband spoke little English upon arrival to the United States (and in fact would never speak it fluently despite forty years in America), Anni acted as his translator, having learned English from the Irish governess with whom she grew up in Berlin. Her command of the language was remarkable, as is apparent when reading any of her extensive writings, either in numerous publications for the Black Mountain newsletter, or in her own published works. Peru, Mexico, and Yale From Black Mountain, Anni and Josef would drive to Mexico, sometimes with friends, where they would study the ancient culture through sculpture, architecture, and craft. Both had much to learn and began collecting figurines and examples of ancient cloths and ceramics. They would also bring home the memory of South America’s color and light, which both would incorporate into their practices. Josef would seek to capture the pure desert oranges and reds, while Anni would mimic the monolithic forms she discovered in the ruins of ancient civilizations, incorporating them into works like  Ancient Writing  (1936)  and  La Luz  (1958). In 1949, due to disagreements with the administration of Black Mountain, Josef and Anni Albers left Black Mountain College for New York City, and then went on to Connecticut, where Josef was offered a position at the Yale School of Art. In the same year, Albers was given the first solo show dedicated to a textile artist at the Museum of Modern Art.   Writings Anni Albers was a prolific writer, often publishing in crafts journals about weaving. She was also the author of the  Encyclopedia Brittanica’s entry on hand weaving, with which she begins her seminal text,  On Weaving, first published in 1965. (An updated, color version of this work was reissued by Princeton University Press in 2017.)  On Weaving  was only in part an instruction manual, but is more accurately described as an homage to a medium. In it, Albers extols the pleasures of the process of weaving, revels in the importance of its materiality, and explores its lengthy history. She dedicates the work to the ancient weavers of Peru, whom she calls her â€Å"teachers,† as she believed the medium reached its highest heights in that civilization. Anni Albers, Open Letter (1958). Courtesy David Zwirner Albers sold her loom by 1968 after producing her last weaving, appropriately titled  Epitaph. When accompanying her husband to a residency at a college in California, she refused to be the wife who sat idly by, so she found a means to be productive. She used the school’s art studios to produce silkscreens, which would soon dominate her practice and often mimicked the geometries she developed in her woven works. Death and Legacy Before Anni Albers’ death May 9, 1994, the German government paid Mrs. Albers reparations for the confiscation of her parents’ successful furniture business in the 1930s, which was shut down due to the family’s Jewish roots. Albers put the resulting sum into a foundation, which manages the Albers estate today. It includes the couple’s archive, as well as the papers relating to  a few of their students from Black Mountain, among them wire sculptor  Ruth Asawa. Sources Albers, A. (1965).  On Weaving.  Middletown, CT: Wesleyan University Press.Danilowitz, B.  and  Liesbrock, H. (eds.). (2007).  Anni and Josef Albers: Latin AmericanJourneys. Berlin: Hatje Cantz.Fox  Weber, N.  and  Ã‚  Tabatabai Asbaghi, P. (1999).  Anni Albers.  Venice: Guggenheim Museum.​Smith, T. (21014).  Bauhaus Weaving Theory: From Feminine Craft to Mode of DesignBauhaus. Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota Press.

Friday, February 14, 2020

RIBA Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5250 words

RIBA - Essay Example The RIBA plan of work is prepared by the Royal Institute of British Architects in conjunction with other stakeholders to provide a regulatory framework for practitioners in the building and construction industry (Cross, 2013). The RIBA plan of work is widely used in the UK as the official guideline and directive indicating the best practices in the industry (Farrelly, 2014). The plan of work has been extremely efficient such that it has been benchmarked by numerous countries worldwide, modeling their building and construction industry regulatory framework on RIBA’s. RIBA has continued to update its plan of work since 1963 as times and circumstances change (Hopkirk, 2014). The latest plan of work was prepared in 2013 and represented a paradigm shift from the previous one prepared in 2007. The stages of work have essentially remained the same only that they have been categorised and labeled differently (Architecture.com, 2014). Instead of the eleven stages that were explicated b y the tasks to be conducted, the new plan of work has eight stages and eight task bars under each stage indicating the tasks to be conducted.

Sunday, February 2, 2020

Personal Bankruptcy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Personal Bankruptcy - Essay Example Section 316 of the Act requires the creditors to mention any additional income such as those from family is expected in the following year. A petitioner whose bankruptcy case had been previously adjudicated will have to wait for 8 years before filing another claim. The new act also allows conversions of liquidation into wage earner plans and liquidation cases in which the debtor’s income falls under a certain level will only be considered. Petitioner can use the exemptions allowed by the state only if they have resided in the state for at least 730 days. With regard to their houses, the creditors are allowed to exempt the first $125,000 of the value only if the home was purchased within a period of 1215 days. In case a tenant, who is using the home for illegal purposes, files a bankruptcy against the owner, section 311 of the Act would still allow the owner to evict the tenant. Credit card charges made for purchase of luxury goods for a minimum of $500 should be paid within 90 days of the credit and the limits for cash advances are $750 and student loans are dischargeable according to section 310 of the Act. However, the Act still protects the $1,000,000 of a debtor’s retirement benefits. The education savings account is also exempted if the funds have been placed into the account one or two years prior to filing for bankruptcy. In case of auto loans, if a debtor files for bankruptcy, he would be expected to pay only a secured portion of the auto loan in order to retain the vehicle with him. In case of liquidation fillings the petitioner will have to pay the alimony and child support required from him before payment of any other non-secured debt according to section 212. Section 314 of the new act has also ruled that many unnecessary types of debts which fall under chapter 13 will no longer be applicable. The credit system was the center of the federal bankruptcy reform passed in 2005 and these

Friday, January 24, 2020

Coleridge and the Relation in-between Poet and Critic Essay -- Theoris

Introduction Is it possible, fruitful, or confusing to view Coleridge's aesthetic ideas as fragments (parts) toward the composition of a kind of larger theoretical poem (whole)? In other words, can one use Coleridge's art criticism to comment upon his practice as a theorist? Are his aesthetic ideas applicable to his practice as a critic of the practice of poetic composition? Is it possible that some leverage could be obtained by torquing Coleridge's theoretical statements about poetry in particular and art in general to comment on his own compositional practice as a critic? Quite simply, is Coleridge's theory true to the ideals of his critical practice? The caveat here is that it is precisely my intention to answer these questions indirectly. The idea is to use these problems as the hub of a wheel of a widening set of questions whose fragmentary sections, like the spokes of the "old coach wheel," radiate outward from a central ambiguity (Genial 472). The method is guided by Adorno's thoughts on the subject of the essay itself, which he suggests "incorporates the anti-systematic impulse into its own way of proceeding and introduces concepts unceremoniously, 'immediately,' just as it receives them. They are made more precise only through their relationship to one another" (12). Though the argument appears to be circular it would be more accurate to say that it circulates, and thus reflects upon a process of reciprocal exchanges. One might say of Coleridge that his intuition unfolds over thinking, rather than under-standing. The presentational aspect of the work of art works form. Form is never static, it is always forming and being formed ("forma informans"-- shaping form). Imagination takes on, spreads out and ove... ... the problem between the poles of activity and passivity through the "intermediate" faculty of the imagination. Perhaps it is obvious to state that this nuances the distinction between immediate and mediate. Somehow the poem is then the aesthetic object of mediation in which immediate intuition is made manifest through the intermediate faculty of the imagination. Works cited Adorno, Notes to Literature. vol. I. New York: Columbia UP, 1991. Benjamin, Walter. The Origin of German Tragic Drama. London: New Left Books, 1977. Coleridge, Samuel Taylor. Biographia Literaria. London: Everyman, 1991. On the Principles of Genial Criticism. Critical Theory Since Plato. Ed. Hazard Adams. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1992. 471-76. The Statesman's Manual. Critical Theory Since Plato. Ed. Hazard Adams. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1992. 476.

Thursday, January 16, 2020

An Analysis on Alfred Hitchcock and His Film Psycho Essay

In the â€Å"shower scene† in Alfred Hitchcock’s movie, the amount of blood that flowed can be considered in contemporary times as nothing short of artistry or a sense of tastefulness in the viewer’s understanding. However, during the 1960’s, the â€Å"shower scene† is considered unreasonable or gratuitous, giving the scene the impression that it depicts too much unsolicited violence. For those who look upon the â€Å"shower scene† as one of Hitchcock’s attempt of revolutionizing films, the scene can be treated as one that reflects the perception of the time in which the film was conceived. Apparently, the â€Å"shower scene† amongst the number of hair-raising scenes in the film further reflects the 1960s social upheaval that grew in the west, including the United States. Another violent scene in the movie is the one that showed Detective Milton Arbogast being slashed to a bloody death after he was pushed off from the height of the stairs. The murder of the private detective in the movie Psycho, as well as the â€Å"shower scene†, can be taken to mean as two of the social upheavals that burst in the 1960s American society, revolutionizing the way in which movie scenes are crafted especially the way in which they portray violence, sexuality, and language. Hitchcock generally worked and directed movies that fall under the thriller genre by imprinting upon formulaic movies his famed idiosyncratic touches. The manner in which Hitchcock worked as a crucial part of the filmmaking process largely contributed in â€Å"propelling him to the status of an auteur†. Hitchcock even â€Å"ordered and manipulated the shade of blonde he was looking for in Grace Kelly’s hair† in one of the films (Martin & Wikstrom, 2001, p. 20). What enabled Hitchcock to â€Å"cut in the camera† is his attitude of working out the details of the film in advance, which eventually corresponds to the unswervingly stumpy ratio of film really utilized in the finishing cut to the film shot during the entire shoot. Having worked out everything in advance, he worked quickly and economically. A minimal set of editing was the result of his working attitude, hence the term â€Å"cutting in the camera. † The fact that Hitchcock planned every detail in advance oftentimes led to bore him during the actual shooting of the film. To fend off languor in the course of the actual filming progression, he would customarily commence labor on the storyboards for his coming film project (Martin & Wikstrom, 2001, p. 21). â€Å"When all the interesting film-makers—those who were referred to as â€Å"auteurs† by the Cahiers du Cinema in 1955, before the term was distorted—concealed themselves behind various characters in their movies. Alfred Hitchcock achieved a real tour de force† that established his status further as an auteur (Ray, 2001, p. 38). Hitchcock’s most popular films include Vertigo, Psycho, Rear Window, and The Birds which reflected his story telling methods and skills which were renowned for their witty plots, intelligent dialogues and the fusion of mystery and murder. With this respect, Hitchcock’s name became commonly attributed to the thriller genre as he created revolutions in that aspect of filmmaking. Part of the reason to this, apart from the fact that it was the genre he centrally focused on, is his skill which he exhibits during the course of the film which can be observed in his treatment of the subject in line with the shots he utilizes and on how he is able to fuse them altogether (Truffaut & Scott, 2003, p. 346). One illustration to this is shown in one of his famed screen moments. The terrifying shower scene in the film Psycho featured 70 unique shots in just a matter of 1 minute. The numbers of shots were combined altogether in such a manner that one will find a difficult time seeking the distinction between the montage and the mise-en-scene (Nickens, 1995, p. 110). A considerable number of movies made by Hitchcock contained fleeting cameo appearances by the director himself such as a Hitchcock being seen for a brief period boarding a bus, standing in an apartment across the length of a courtyard, appearing in photographs in the scenes, or by simply crossing in front of an edifice. This seemingly playful act eventually became labeled as one of the Hitchcock signatures in films. Further, Hitchcock himself would carry a musical instrument in one of the scenes in the film as a recurring theme (Martin & Wikstrom, 2001, p. 23). The fact that these varied elements are included in the movies of Hitchcock signifies the fact that Hitchcock had a very huge role in the filmmaking process and that this monumental role extends his personality right into the theme of the movie. Since film producers have a significant trust on Hitchcock, he was able to freely include these elements either in a subtle or in an obvious manner. The constant inclusion of these personal elements in the many movies of Hitchcock eventually molded an image uniquely his own. Hence, it became inevitable that the movies highlighting these elements were immediately attributed to Hitchcock thereby creating the director-image of Hitchcock as an auteur (Sarris, 2002, p. 29). Considering all of the characteristics of Hitchcock, his crucial role in the movies he created, the inclusion of the elements in the movies which reflect his personality and lifestyle as well as the role of the scholars in carefully assessing his impact of his personal touches in the movies, it can be said that Hitchcock indeed is an auteur in the strictest sense of the word. Although arguments can be raised against the role of the director as an auteur in the filming of the movies, it remains a fact that Hitchcock had an immense weight of participation prior to, during , and even after the filmmaking process. Part of the arguments against it is the claim that several other factors must also be considered and the merit should not solely belong to the director. As with the case of the seemingly lesser roles in the movies, the collective efforts of all the participants excluding the participation of the director when combined altogether essentially posits a substantial bearing in the creation of the film. In conclusion, the factors which are attributed to the delegation of the status of an auteur to Hitchcock should not be looked upon as a means to ignore the relative importance of the role of the rest of the crew involved in film production. Rather, the role of Hitchcock as an auteur should be noted as a form of a proper authority in guiding the direction of the film. On the other hand, the distinction between an auteur and the other roles in the film production should be taken as an informal relationship which defines the structure of the outcome of the movie. This is the point where Hitchcock himself leads the way not only as a director but also as the auteur. Not surprisingly, Alfred Hitchcock techniques are indeed innovative during his life where a considerable number of his films manifested his ingenuity in the film industry. Especially in his film Psycho, Hitchcock’s style in directing the film is manifested through his fitting use of musical scores and backgrounds in the proper timing and scene. His approach in Psycho manifest the fact that Hitchcock is only one of the few who was able to reshape the film industry and contribute significantly to its quality and style. References Martin, G. , & Wikstrom, P. (2001). Alfred Hitchcock and the Golden Days of Radio. In The Alfred Hitchcock Presents Companion (1st ed. , pp. 20-23): O T R Pub. Nickens, C. (1995).Psycho: Behind the Scenes of the Classic Thriller (1st ed. ): Harmony. Ray, R. B. (2001). The Bordwell Regime and the Stakes of Knowledge. In How a Film Theory Got Lost and Other Mysteries in Cultural Studies (pp. 38-39). Indiana: Indiana University Press. Sarris, A. (2002). The Auteur Theory Revisited. In V. W. Wexman (Ed. ), Film and Authorship (pp. 27-29). New Jersey: Rutgers University Press. Truffaut, F. , & Scott, H. Hitchcock’s Final Years. In 2003 (Ed. ), The Definitive Study of Alfred Hitchcock (Revised ed. , pp. 346). New York: Gallimard.

Wednesday, January 8, 2020

Employment Status Report - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 3 Words: 930 Downloads: 2 Date added: 2019/02/15 Category Career Essay Level High school Tags: Employment Essay Did you like this example? Goals and Philosophy There are a few short-term goals that can be completed within these last few months of the year. One of them is to keep my work schedule and school schedule in balance. So, time management is a very important goal for the next two months of the school semester. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Employment Status Report" essay for you Create order Another short-term goal is making sure to pass these two classes this semester with a C+ or above. However, working harder towards a much higher grade would be more satisfying this semester. Then one long-term goal is being professionally skilled in different art mediums like watercolor and paint, pastel, charcoal, oil paint, and so on. For the most apart using graphic pencils or mechanic pencils and different types of black ink pens are what you would call traditional old-school tools. Which is a good place to start with the old traditional ways to advance to different areas of media. Finally, another one is graduating from Academy of Art University in the next year or so. A lot of people have their own ideas of what art can be but to me, art is something that you can make with your own two hands. It is something that you can glance at for a long time and just be able to admire it for its own unique beauty and charm. Them being able to relate and visible feel something from that art is what makes art because you want people to be able to get something for it and understand what the artist was putting into it. One of the things to do to get inspired is just using whatever you see that draws you to it has a muse for an idea of your next art piece. A simple idea that can be inspired by a flower, book, character, tv show, and so on. Then turn it into a completed drawing which is very satisfying throughout the whole process. Marketplace There are several reasons for hiring an illustrator and that depends on what the person is asking for. For example, Marvel Studios is looking for a Senior Illustrator and the job description is of a small team of illustrators and designers working together to deliver high-quality concept art for the heroes, villains and key moments of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The competition is many individuals that meet the needed requirements and are unique candidates themselves. Moreover, the salary an illustrator can earn based on the year 2016 is from $21,279 to $92,861. There are a few things that can beat the competition which leads to earning a bachelors degree and gaining the advantage of mastering your drawing skills to place in your portfolio. Skills and Tools For one of them is to be skilled in different areas of mediums for an illustrator. Now the term for a medium is the equipment artist use to create their artwork. There are traditional tools used like chalk, charcoal, acrylic and oil paint, oil and soft pastel, pen and ink, and watercolor. The ones listed are the first to be mastered in and then once skilled in each category. There are more media than the ones listed, and each is unique to use in their own ways and usually takes time to be skilled at one to use in your own style. From before attending Academy of Art University, I have only ever used pen and ink. Even though there arent many experiences with having a job for illustration but there are experiences from having jobs that require you to have good communication skills, good work ethics, quick learner, multitasker, and the most important is being responsible for yourself. Has a developing illustrator there are a few things you would need to be an excellent illustrator and th at is good communication skills, good listener, problem solver, and obviously an artist. Networking The society of illustrations is a group that shares their designs and work to give back, so they can give back to the community. To join there is only a fee of $35 if you are a student and if not, there are other categories that will match you. The benefits of being a member is the following: Year-round free admission to the Museum (with up to 4 guests), 10% discount in Museum Shop and The 128 Bar Bistro, Discounts on lectures, workshops, film screenings, and special event tickets, Eligible to use the library (by appointment only, based on availability), Discount on The Illustrators Annual book, Invitations to exclusive Members-Only events, and Reciprocal membership with the Salmagundi Art Club and Mount Vernon Hotel Museum (SOI). Since the internet plays an important role in the illustrator industry, networking is now easier than ever now. There are great sites that can connect illustrators to many connections. They can showcase their work on multiple websites like Facebook, Instag ram, Twitter, and many others. The Future In the future working for Marvel Studios is a long-term goal. From a young age, people have grown up with these characters or read about them and then seen them come so far from that point. Being able to work with a team of people that have the same passion to be able to develop their character design is a great achievement to someone who has admired these characters their entire childhood. Has an illustrator you must make your work the best and strive for the best, so creating a strong, diverse portfolio is the right way to market your chosen audience. There are many things an illustrator must overcome themselves and its a journey that they must go for them to become the illustrator they want.