Witch-slapped: Macbeth's fall from grace

For this blog post, I am responding to prompt number 4. "How do the values of manhood differ in modern times? What do you think it takes to be a good man? Explain how your views are like or unlike those in the play, using examples from the text." 

I think that the modern day values for being a man are not that different than the ones from Shakespeare's era. Men are expected to be strong, successful, wealthy, handsome, polite, intelligent, charismatic, and kind. In Shakespeare's day, men were expected to take care of everything and to protect their woman and provide for her. These ideals are not so different from nowadays, but now women want to be able to choose if they want it. There are obviously differences in circumstances between men of today and the men of Macbeth, but there is a similar expected code to guide men's actions.
I think to be a good man, you just have to treat people well. I am a Meninist, I don't believe that there should be a difference in the world as to what makes a good man different from a good woman. Women are given many privileges that men are denied, and I think that if you want to set a good example in life, no one should be given unfair special treatment. There may be select cases where someone deserves special treatment but in the majority of situations everyone should be regarded the same.
My views are dissimilar to those from Macbeth, mainly because my life experiences and opportunities are wildly different from any of those in Macbeth. Lady Macbeth needing her husband to kill the king because she was a woman is less of an issue nowadays than in Shakespeare's period. In current times, Lady Macbeth would also not be denied opportunities due to her gender as she was in Macbeth. Equality was almost non existent in the time when the play was set, and this is shown by the main female character simply being a passive force for the most part, having her husband do actions while she enjoys the benefits. Lady Macbeth is rarely required to take part in the actual action, instead she must keep Macbeth from breaking under the pressure. I think that if someone wants something in life, then they should be the one to go out and get what they want, not convince someone else to do it for them because "that is the way it is supposed to work". 

#IBMakingart

Art Museum Reflection

This piece is called the "Temple of One Thousand Bells" by Laura Belém. The bells themselves are made from hand-blown glass by local artisans and hung on nylon strings. They were hung from the ceiling above a bench and had a surround sound system with an audio piece accompany the bells. The surround sound system played a story told about a temple filled with 1,000 bells. The story was inter cut with sounds of the ocean and calming music. This is the second time the artist created a piece like this, the first being at the Liverpool Biennial in 2010. The piece was made in Raleigh by many local artists who hand blew each individual bell. Laura Belém created the audio piece and arranged the bells in the museum. 

The initial focus of this piece is the bells that are hanging from the ceiling, which is what attracts the attention of people from a distance, but the main focus of the piece is the audio story that accompanied the bells. The story was about an island that sank into the sea, and on the island was a temple with one thousand bells. Then a sailor went in search of the island to try and hear the bells from deep in the ocean. The story is about loss, and focusing oneself to gain clarity. The whole focus of the art piece is on serenity and peace, and that is something that really resonates with me. 

The art is organized to be centered above a bench that visitors can sit on. The whole piece is very bright and has lots of light shining through it which creates a happier feeling in the viewer. The accompanying audio piece is played through surround sound speakers on each side of the bells. Since the story told through the speakers is interspersed with peaceful music and the sound of waves, the entire work has a calming vibe on the audience. 

The purpose of this piece of artwork is to show people inevitability. The island was doomed to sink into the sea, and there was nothing that anyone could do to save it. This is applicable to a lot of things in life that no one has control over, and people need to recognize that there are some things out of their control. At the same time, the piece has a reassuring effect on the audience due to the light, soft music and general white coloring of the art. The piece also has an encouraging effect on the viewer because of the sailor's persistence in attempting to hear the music of the one thousand bells from below the ocean. This makes the audience believe that they are able to overcome their problems if they work hard, and this gives the audience hope that their life will be successful.

Overall, I quite enjoyed the entire CAM exhibit. I did not understand a lot of the art that I observed, but I liked most of the pieces. I particularly enjoyed the Temple of One Thousand Bells, the Atlas that had been rubbed with sandpaper, the wall that had been ripped apart, and the video screen that reacted when someone moved in front of it. The feeling of the entire exhibit seemed to be that of melancholy, and regret for lost times. Several of the pieces dealt with American prejudices, such as homosexuality or immigration. I would like to go on more field trips like this one.