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Analysis of Kozain's "Family Portrait" |
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A certain power is granted to this poem due to the wide use of unpleasant,
paradoxical images. Each verse is a separate sentence, the rhyme scheme is
absent.
Focusing on the title, one can immediately see the basic subject of the poem. It
takes a similar format to a family portrait; different characters in the same
setting, held together as a family and bound by circumstance. There is perhaps a
hint of bitterness in the title as a family portrait is likely to be idealized
and sentimental. The poem contradicts this notion by present a harsh reality,
with the focus on the darker elements of life, using references to crime, drugs
and so forth to emphasize this point.
There is use of South African terms and ideas, evident in the use of language
such as “braaivleis”. The reference to mandrax is also more localized since it
was particularly popular in South Africa amongst the poorer “classes”. This
emphasis on the setting stresses the particular relevance of the subject to
South Africa, sending its message to those who populate the country, and evoking
the atmosphere which is so unique to the poverty-stricken underbelly of South
African life.
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Have you felt there was something missing from your home? That it was nice
but that it lacked that extra unique touch to set it apart from all the other
homes you'd been in? So many homes now are cookie cutter affairs. They look the
same, feel the same and are almost identical inside.
How can you get around this problem? Well about using a form of interior
painting called faux painting? Also known as trompe l’ oeil (which means fool
the eye in French) this style of painting can allow you to achieve effects such
as a window at the end of any hall or the creation of an interesting
architectural element against a plain wall. No matter how bland the room is
trompe l’ oeil can add new depth to any room at a relatively low cost |
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Nonrepresentational or nonobjective art is not an invention of the twentieth
century. A number of cultures, like the Islamic and Jewish, have developed over
the centuries a high standard of decorative or non-figurative art forms. Today,
abstract art is generally understood to be the form of art that does not depict
objects in the natural world, but instead uses shapes and colors in a
nonrepresentational or subjective way. |
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Running a Business and Being an Artist |
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So this past weekend my mom, sister, and I went to get tattooed. For my mom
and sister it was their 5th tattoo, but only the second for me. We almost ended
up not doing it at all. The problem was how the tattoo shops were run. It was
“first come first serve” for small tattoos and by appointment only for custom
tattoos. This sounds fine unless the shop has no system in place to determine
who got there first and the person at the front desk doesn’t know what the
artists schedule is.
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Dog Artists David Hockney |
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Although contemporary art has moved beyond the Pop art of yesteryear, the
most influential artists of the latter twentieth century have taken bold steps
to include dog art as a central theme in their artistic endeavors. David Hockney,
William Wegman, and George Rodrique, all still alive today, have not arbitrarily
juxtaposed canines in their works but have put their furry friends on center
stage – to soak up the limelight, offering the art world new glimpse of man’s
best friend.
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