Art

We live in a world were physical appearance is the measurement of our self-worth. Media advertisements more often than not show how people can improve their appearance and why it is important. From job interviews to social events, how people look and dress determine other peoples impression. In this age of increased self-consciousness, fashion and appearance play a crucial role in establishing the social identity of a person.

Fashion, as defined by many books and other resources, can be defined as the prevalent style and custom at a certain point in time and the word may also mean the study of this certain fashion trends. Even though there are many things that can be considered prevalent at a certain time, fashion more often than not points more to clothing or clothing style. Different periods of time have different fashion. There is no other applied art which affects the everyday lives of the people other than fashion. Fashion design is responsible for the clothing that we wear since the ancient times. Clothing does not only help us keep warm but it also shapes us in the psychological and social aspect. Basically, clothing forms a basis of a persons social identity.

Fashion has become a part of the culture since the early times. Different ethnic groups have different clothes which reflect their culture. Fashion based on some researches done by cultural scientists played a role in social and cultural structure, social differentiation and social integration (Davis, 1994, p. 16).

Social identity is the way people are categorized or label themselves. This can be in forms of their race or ethnicity. This can also be defined as how people associate or identify themselves into certain groups which serve to heighten their self esteem because they have the same social identities. Since people are social animals, sociologists deemed that social identity is an important aspect of a person. People want to be assured that they belong to one group or they positively compare with other group of people.

When talking about social identity in terms of fashion, it is more than how majority of sociologist in the world restrict the concept as mere social class or status. Social identity includes how people communicate with others through symbolic means such as the way they dress or through clothing. It is also the configuration of attributes and attitudes which people seek to attain and discuss about themselves.

Fashion contributes to the redefinition and reconstruction of a certain social identity by continually adding something new to cultural artifacts. Everything undergoes evolution and perhaps fashion is one thing that changes fast it is fashion. People change the way they dress when the weather changes. People change the way they carry their clothes when something in their environment shifts.

Studies and researchers which were geared towards understanding the culture of a certain society more often than not focus on artifacts which are evidences of the past and present culture of a place. The woven pieces of clothing are often considered as indicators of social customs and social hierarchies. Anthropologists consider clothing as less prone to changes done by the capitalist market and are therefore richer or more stable indicators of sociological and cultural truths. Because of this, anthropologists invested far more energy and resources in investigating and examining the significance of the structure, form, and pattern of clothing than other cultural artifacts. For an instance, the way American Indians wear their clothes which were originally made from animal skin is still the same as before. Emergence of new ways of clothing did not change their original culture (Breward, 2003, p.64).

Fashion and its effect on nineteenth century
Attempts to reform the way people dress first appeared during the nineteenth century. The people were starting to get tired of the constricting features of clothing and the too elaborate features of dresses. Women who were fighting for their rights such as Elizabeth Stanton, Elizabeth Miller and Amelia Bloomer were the women who designed the then very famous bloomer dress which was consisted of an uncorseted mid-calf dress which was set over pantaloons (Stearns, 1994, p.212).

Many improvements were made since then to peoples clothing. Different eras reflected different styles of clothing and are more often than not also reflective of the prevalent social identity. For example, during the Victorian era it can be said that the clothing of the people were like straitjackets which aimed to constrict the movements and manners of people. Women during the Victorian era were expected by the society to move and behave only when instructed by their male counterpart.

Another example of how clothing or fashion plays a role in the construction of social identity is the wearing of uniforms of the military, police or religious personas. The wearing of uniforms based on social researches done impose an aura of confidence and authority so that they can make the people around them follow their orders either willingly or unwillingly (Crane, 2001, p.3).

Clothing also affected the way people measure their social status or whether they were rich or poor during the early nineteenth century. Clothes were generally considered as one of the most valuable possessions during this time. During the Industrial Revolution, clothes were started to be manufactured by machines or in factories and these clothes cost more than average. Newly made clothes were not available to the poor because of the cost and they were left to use hand-me-downs or used clothing. Clothes were very expensive that it was even considered a form of currency by the rich and often replaced gold as means of payment.

Fashion and clothing are also means in which people differentiate themselves from others. Rare fashion finds such as antique clothes are used by people who want to express their uniqueness from others. They may wear it as everyday clothing or on special occasion. Regardless of when they will wear it, these kinds of clothing are worn by people to establish an identity which is different from others (Barnard, 2002, p.61).

Another example of how clothing constructs social identities was when large immigrants arrived in the United States during the second half of the nineteenth century. The immigrants who arrived immediately disposed their new clothing and used the new clothes available in the country. Through this method, anthropologists were able to deduce that the people wanted to start a new social identity so they immediately dropped their old ways of clothing.

Hats were also famous article of clothing during the nineteenth century and it played the most important role in distinguishing the social status of a person. The bowler hat which was designed in England in 1850 was originally made as an occupational hat but was soon adopted by the people from the upper class for sports. It was not too long until people from all social strata adopted the bowler hat for everyday use. Another example, the cap with visor which was mainly used by military officers, was also adopted by the working class by the middle of the nineteenth century. The visor cap, then known as the peaked cap was considered to be the most common head covering for the working man.

Fashion and its effect on the twenty-first century
In the recent years, especially the twenty-first century, clothes were not deemed with the same economic importance unlike in the previous centuries. Because of the cheap ready-made clothes that were made available to all social classes, clothes were not used as replacement for gold unlike before. Even though the economic value of clothes was not as significant as before, their symbolic value remained as important as before. The availability of clothes to all social classes made it possible for those who are not so very affluent to still express their individualities and own cultures.

Another example of how clothes changed the way people perceive their social identities is if before women were not allowed to wear tight clothes or those which confine their body. Today women can wear tight clothes such as leotards and spandex whenever they like because of their liberalization. Women of today are not expected to conform much to how the society expects them to behave or to act. They are also not forced to stay at home anymore but women are now doing what the men do. Indeed, the gender equality experienced in this century is reflected in the way women dress.

Cross-dressing or the wearing of clothing that is associated with a different gender, is also another way of how fashion reconstructed the social identity of people (Bullough, 1993, p.3). Homosexuals before were forced to follow the prescribed way of dressing for their gender. Unlike today where in homosexuals are free to dress the way they want, without being afraid of other people and punishments. They can wear womens clothing and express their identities freely unlike before.
Teenagers or adolescents also use fashion to set their own social identity from their parents or those from an older generation. If we turn on the television or visit a high school, we can see teenagers strutting outrageous clothes such as those with bright colors or elaborate designs. If people from an older generation prefer simpler designs of clothes, teenagers prefer those with dramatic effects to highlight the generation difference (Sloan, 2009). Perhaps this is how the youth of todays generation set their social identity. If ever we see an old person dressing up the way the teenagers do, these persons are often considered out of the ordinary. This social identity is somehow embedded in the minds of the people and teenagers are now remembered this way.

People who prefer work than leisure or vice versa can also be determined by the way they dress. During they first years of the twentieth century, the three-piece business suit was considered by many to be the epitome of the high social class and are often worn during important events. Though some wear the business suit as everyday apparel, others still consider it as a social class distinction. There were also strict regulations as to how a business should be worn and made. There were exact measurements for the lapels, collars and sleeves. The strict regulations about business suits were deemed as a factor in how people will achieve success.

The use of the popular T-Shirt was associated with leisure. Because of its availability and cheap cost, majority of the public during the early twentieth century prefer shirts over the business suits. As time passed, t-shirts were used by people to set off political agendas such as imprinting political statements on t-shirts or other humorous statements. No matter what social class people belong in, rich or poor, t-shirts are favored by these people.

Fashion transmitted by popular culture or music come and go very rapidly. Clothes designed because of the effect of the popular culture and the entertainment media are often highly androgynous. There are people who call themselves gothic and they are identified socially by their gloomy appearance and wearing of black colored clothes. Established rock groups also affect the fashion scene by popularizing leather clothes. Rap musicians like rock groups popularized the baggy clothes worn by some teenagers today. Indeed fashion drew a line between different genres of music and avid fans of the different music genres also follow this fashion therefore setting a social identity for them.

Fashion undoubtedly constructs and affects the social identity of a person in more ways than one. Fashion and all the attributes it entails are a vast reservoir of meanings and culture of a certain society. From fashion magazines to television advertisements, fashion is a way of introducing something new to the public. Because of what they see in these popular advertisements, the peoples way of thinking is affected. People also depend on clothes and trend of fashion to express themselves and their uniqueness. Without this part of our culture, people will have lesser chances of expressing themselves and their individuality.

Paul Gauguin was a French painter and at the same time a sculptor, who used to look for exotic environments for his work. He could go as far as France and Tahiti to look for this kind of environment. Mostly, he used objects and people in his art work especially the painting one, bringing out a mysterious world into the mind (Gates and Galls, 2010). He always wanted to express spirituality and states of emotion in his work. He has been associated with post-impressionist, symbolist and synthetist periods of art (AE Television Networks, 2010). This essay seeks to explore the life of this artist right from his childhood to his work and how he has influenced the modern art.

His family back ground
His family had a history of violence, especially the sexual one, and a lot of cruelty. It may be said that he could have inherited some of these character traits which had so much impact in his life. He had so many Peruvian characteristics and it was estimated that he was 18 Peruvian. The great grandfather, Don Mariano de Tristan Moscoso, belonged to an old Spanish family as a scion and they lived in Lima from 1600s (Mathews, 2001). He later married a woman who had a French descent called Ann-Pierre Laisnay and they had two children. Don did not live for long because he met pre mature death in the year 1807. Their daughter and Gauguins grand mother, Flora Celestine, became of age and brought up her own daughter, Aline, who later became Gauguins mother. However, Gauguin always claimed to be coming from the Incas bloodline but this cannot be substantiated (Mathews, 2001).

It does not matter whether he was an Inca or not but one thing for sure is that, his Peruvian descent had so much effect on his artwork. Since his grand father was an artist, he really shaped the views of Gauguin in respect to art and this drew him closer to the career. His personality traits are said to have come from his artistic grand father. His grandparents had so many problems in their marriage which culminated in a divorce after only four years of marriage (Mathews, 2001). They fought for the custody of the children but the grandfather succeeded in taking two children only including Gauguins mother, ending up abusing her sexually. The grandmother took back her children but the hostility never subsided between them and at the end, the grandfather shot the grand mother. She survived but the former was sentenced to life imprisonment. This nature of violence in Gauguins family also shaped his marital status in future. This did not mean he tried to kill his wife but he often abused her with so much hostility. It is quite unfortunate that, just like his grandfather, he was so much attracted to young girls and the probability of him being attracted to his own daughter was high (Mathews, 2001).

His childhood life
He was born on June 7 in the year 1848, in Paris, France. His father was a journalist coming from Orleans and a Spanish Mum of Peruvian descent. After Louis Napoleons victory, his parents decided to sail to go to Lima, Peru and at this time he was only three years old but unfortunately, the father died during this trip. The two, that is Paul and his mother, continued to stay in Lima for the next four years. As young as he was, he had no problems because he led a comfortable life but later he went back to New Orleans (AE television networks, 2010). Here, he did not stay for long for he found his way to Paris. He got a chance to go to school and thus he joined a seminary for religious studies. When he clocked the age of seventeen, he decided to join other workers on ships involved in commercial activities. In 1867, his mother past away, leaving him under the guardianship of Gustave Arosa. This is the man who introduced Paul to stock broking as a career. Rosa was so significant to his artistic life in that, he is the one who aroused the interest of art in him (AE television networks, 2010).

When Gauguin recounted his memories of his childhood especially between the ages 6-17, the stories on Lima were more colorful. He was always frustrating teachers with his indifference and he always made remarks that did not go down well with them. For him, he was a typical French student and no one could tell of his inclination to art for he never showed any potential of becoming one of the greatest artists who ever lived (Mathews, 2001).

Around 1870, Paul became a stock broker, a career which lasted for 12 years. He later married a lady Mette Sophia Gad, who was Danish and he seemed comfortable with his middle class life (Gates and Galls, 2010).

How did he begin his artistic work
Arosa had so many collections of art from famous artists for example, Camille Corot, and from one of the stock brokers who was also an artist. The latter was called Emile Schuffenecker with whom Gauguin started to paint with. Gauguin began getting instructions concerning art and he mostly frequented the studio where he was able to draw using a model. In the year 1876, his painting, called Landscape at Viroflay was recognized in an annual exhibition which took place in France. He started to develop an interest in an impressionist movement called avant-garde movement and around the year 1881, he had come up with his personal painting collection (AE Television Networks, 2010).
Gauguin always loved painting and for him, it was a hobby. In the year 1875, he found Pissaro, an artist also and since he was older, Gauguin decided to work under him. At this time, he was trying to get acquainted to the painting and drawing techniques. So far, his struggles paid, for in the year1880, his paintings found their way into the fifth exhibition of the impressionist movement and the same happened in the subsequent years of 1881 and 1882. Most of his holidays, he used to paint with his mentors Pissaro and Cezanne and from this point, little progress could be observed (A E Television Networks, 2010).

The impressionist movement is mainly concerned with  paying  attention to the impression produced generally in  a piece of work .They used mostly the primary colors in their work and these colors were not to be mixed. They also emphasized on the use of small strokes in painting. When he clocked the age of 35, this was in the year 1883, he made up his mind to leave the business world and focus on his painting career. When this happened, his wife decided to leave with Gauguins five children to go to stay with her parents in Denmark, Copenhagen. However, he decided to go after her but he only managed to return with their eldest son, Clovis. After all these happened, he could support himself and the son by pasting adverts on walls (Gates and Galls, 2010).

Around 1886, the son was admitted in a school which was a boarding one and Gauguin managed to stay in the Pont Aven village for only a few months. This village was found in the North West of France. Later, he arrived on the Martinique Island to work as a laborer. In 1888, he went back to the village and here, he managed to bring together a group of artists (Gates and Galls, 2010). He started to teach about a particular style of art called synthetics. This style entails using patterns of pure colors on flat surfaces with expressive outlines. Some characteristics in the village used to attract painters so much. For example, the people there used to lead simple lives and had strong religious faith. For the artists, these manifested a quality of truth found in the human nature which could not be found in Paris because of its sophistication (Gates and Galls, 2010).

Later, Vincent Van Gogh had a heart to call Gauguin so that they could always be together at Arles but since the latter was so proud, arrogant, and full of sarcasm and to some extent sophisticated, he could not cope with the former because Vincent was somehow laid back and who desperately needed a human figure as a companion. At the end of the day, both of them could not tolerate each other and thus they had to part. They could not part well and as a result, Vincent ended up threatening Gauguin using a razor and the latter could not take the threats and he quickly vacated to Paris. While there, he continued with his bohemian life style upto1891 when his life in France came to an end (Encyclopedia of World Biography, 2006).

Before all these, his style had improved so much to the point of developing what then came to be known as his trade mark style. This entailed using bold colors that were unrealistic on flat areas which were large with mystic subjects. The yellow Christ is a painting that is typical of this style. It can also be seen in this style that there is a Japanese influence of two- dimensional art which was mostly identified with the Japanese (Wanczura, 2009)

Pre-Tahitian paintings
Two of the masterpieces of this period are called Vision after the sermon and The yellow Christ which he painted in the year 1889. He used Peasants of Brittany as strong features in the paintings. In both paintings, he has used colors which are bright and flat silhouettes from shapes that were simplified. Another style that emerges in both paintings is his use of symbolisms where one thing is used to signify another (Gates and Galls, 2010).

In the painting, vision after the sermon, it can be observed that, there are some Briton women who are looking at a fight between Jacob and a stranger who later appears to be an angel. This story is found in the book of Genesis in the Bible. Here, Gauguin is talking about faith. He said that, their faith made it possible for them to see clearly miraculous events which took place in the past, in a way as if they were taking place at that time. The painting The yellow Christ, was characterized by a yellow statue that was made of wood and this he borrowed from a church just close to the village of Pont-Aven. He tries to show through the painting that the Breton women were actually at the scene of crucifixion (Gates and Galls, 2010).

Life in Tahiti
In the year 1891, he was at a position to sell 30 of his paintings and one of his clients was called Edgar Degas. The money that he got enabled him to leave for Tahiti (Wanczura, 2009).
The first time Paul arrived in Tahiti, he decided not to stay inside the capital which went by the name Papeete. This capital was inhabited by Europeans who resided with the natives. Gauguin married a girl who was a native in the place and they had one son. Since he was still poor, he decided to go back to France in 1893 only to find that, an uncle of his had left a small fortune for him. While in Paris, he was always accompanied by a girl who went by the name Annah. She was a Javanese. One day Annah, decided to run away but not empty handed. She carried with her some things from the studio and this was a blow to Gauguin. In November the same year, the artist tried to hold an exhibition in Tahiti but it was not to his expectation due to some financial constraints. In the following year, he decided to go to Denmark and later to Brittany (Encyclopedia of World Biography, 2006).

In the year 1895, an auction was held of his paintings much to his dismay. He made up his mind to go back to Tahiti the same spring and settle once more among the natives but this time, he started deteriorating health wise. While in Brittany, he had broken an ankle but even after going to Tahiti, it did not heal well. This was coupled with syphilis infection and stroke. Problems did not end there. He also had problems with the authority because he found himself flouting rules all the time but despite of this, he continued to rely on them for manual jobs (Encyclopedia of World Biography, 2006). His financial situation was going from bad to worse pushing him to try to commit suicide in 1897 though he did not succeed (Wanczura, 2009)

While still in Tahiti, he decided to give a friend a word of knowledge that he should choose the Persian, a little of Egyptian and some Cambodians styles in his art and to verily avoid the Greek. He however achieved so much when he made up his mind to leave the culture of the West (Encyclopedia of World Biography, 2006). His art appeared to be running away from Western civilization and in search of a new life which was primitive and more sincere. His choice of leaving the world of the middle class, leaving behind his jobs, wife and children, not allowing glory and gain to come that easily, were some of the positive characteristics of his personality (Pioch, 2002).

Tahitian paintings
These paintings were characterized by beauty and lushness of the Tahitian environment but they did not reflect the exact Tahitian life. The persons and the objects which were used were taken out and placed in a setting which was not the normal one. One of the Tahitian paintings called La Orana Maria was about a woman in Tahiti in the company of her young son and two other women posed just near them, depicting the picture of Mary the mother of Jesus, with the son, that is Christ and some angels attending them while worshipping. Other paintings during this time are the ones that read, where do we come from Where are we going And what are we All these he painted in the year1898.Gauguin used natives in the paintings being portrayed in meditative poses (Gates and Galls, 2010).

Another such Tahitian painting is the one of two women on the beach. This reflected his like for the primitive life. The use of flat forms and colors which were some how violent reflected untamed nature in his primitive art he later moved them into canvas (Pioch, 2002).

For Gauguins paints, they somehow reflected the 20th century style of modernism such that, he used juxtapositions and anachronisms. His style ,life and art work were instrumental in shaping the world of art and it made people to have positive attitude towards objects of primitive art and be accepted especially by expressionists from German  and the artists in the 1900s (Encyclopedia of world Biography, 2006).

He is regarded as one of the most high-ranking artists in the world and the modern art owes so much to him. He used to pay so much attention to line and color which did magic in his work. His style of mixing both objects and human beings in his work at the same was unusual thing and this can be said that it inspired surrealist movement where they emphasized the use of fantastic imagery. This movement was active in the years 1920s and above (Gates  Galls, 2010).

During his life time, he found out that woodcuts can be used as printmaking technique. He really wanted to release a book called Noa Noa which talked about his life and experience in Tahiti unfortunately, he could not publish it. This did not deter him, for he went ahead to make woodcuts, ten color ones for that matter, for illustrations. After all these, he came up with a very huge  wood block which he gave the name Manao Tupapau , and while still in Tahiti, he continued to make the wood cuts until they reached 30  (Wanczura,2009).

His life was characterized with great poverty until his death in the year 1903.However, a show was held of his works three years after his death. This is when the people recognized his art works and importance of them in inspiring the modern art unfortunately, this was somehow late (Wanczura, 2009).

In conclusion, it is quite sad that his work was actually recognized in his death and that he could not enjoy the successes of his work. The legacy that he left will continue to inspire this period of art history and even the coming ones.

To most people, ancient Rome is remembered solely for the empire that controlled the lands bordering the  Mediterranean, much of Europe and Great Britain. This is understandable because of the great accomplishments of the empire and the contribution it has made to foundation of Western society. The five centuries before Rome became an empire goes too often unnoticed. Republican Rome was born with the overthrow of a monarch, King Tarquin the Great in 509 BC. From this beginning, the early Romans forged a system of government consisting of representative bodies that were elected every year, an aristocratic body that would evolve into the Senate, and the executive magistrates. Each of the three divisions of the Roman republic had limited and specific powers designed to prevent any single branch from becoming too powerful and this separation of power was kept in check by the rules of the republican constitution. The republic was relatively more democratic than the empire that was to succeed it. Art of republican Rome reflects the value they put on public service, family lineage and military accomplishments  The final quarter of the first century BC historically marks the end of the republic. The triumph of Gaius Octavius over his rivals, the senates acquiescence in granting him dictatorial powers and the title Augustus marks the beginning of the empire. Imperial Rome is aloof, decadent, ingenious, and magnificent all at the same time. The art of Republican Rome can be distinguished from the art of Imperial Rome by the scale of works, the intended purpose of art, and by its ultimate function.

Roman mythology tells us that Rome was founded by two brothers named Romulus and Remis between the eighth and tenth centuries, BC. Romulus killed Remis over a dispute about who would rule the city,  and so it is from Romulus the name of the city is derived. The period from around 509 BC to the Fifth century AD will be the focus of this brief summary of Roman history. Republican Rome historically begins with the overthrow of the last Etruscan king Tarquin and ends in the last half of the first century BC. The republic had a constitution, elected representative bodies, and a system of checks and balances to regulate the powers of the senate and two consuls by requiring them to work together on important issues of state. The time of the republic is strife with social conflict and war, both external and internal. The wealth made by a few from the expansion of roman territory drives the desire for more expansion. The steady corrosion of the republic by those with the power to realize their own selfish dreams leads to dictatorship, first by Julius Caesar, and then the reign of Augustus Rome is now an empire. Any remaining elected body from the time of Augustus onward is powerless and only for show. The emperors for the next four centuries have absolute authority over any and all aspects of Rome and her empire. There are periods notable by the rule of just, competent, and beneficent emperors. Some periods are concentrated with many emperors because assassinations were common and sometimes three emperors killed in a single year the norm. Overall, however, most emperors can be characterized as being corrupt and decadent from being infected with the scourge of absolute power. The transition from republic to empire and how it is reflected in the sculpture, painting, and architecture of the Romans is the focus of this paper.  

The scale of roman art grew in proportion to the size of the empire. With more lands under its control, Roman engineering and architecture had to provide the basic necessities newly incorporated urban areas by building greater civic works. This demonstrates that at least some monumental works were not done explicitly for the sake of doing it, but because they had a practical need for it. Aqueducts of the Roman Empire were and still are a miracle of engineering. The Roman aqueduct was constructed mostly underground to maintain the purity of the water and had to be built to very precise specifications so the water would flow at a precise rate from the source into the cities they served.

The remains of many aqueducts are still standing. These aqueduct bridges represent only a tiny part of the mostly hidden length of the aqueduct and were constructed to bridge gaps where the terrain would not allow the continuation of the underground channel.

In Segovia, Spain, the remains of the aqueduct bridge illustrate another Roman innovation that allowed them to build larger and do it gracefully at the same time the Roman arch. The arch is an engineering marvel with a visually artistic appeal. Building sand other structures could now be built on an unprecedented scale, worthy of  an empire. The aqueduct and arch embody the overall characteristics of the art and architecture of Rome simple, elegant, functional.

Roman concrete was invented at around the same time as the birth of the empire and was another crucial factor in allowing them to build the monumental structures that Rome is Famous for. The Pantheon was originally built in the early first century AD, destroyed by fires twice, and then rebuilt in its present form by the Emperor Hadrian in 126 AD. The Pantheon was the largest dome on earth for over 1800 years and remains the largest unreinforced concrete dome. More impressively, it is still in use today. It is the culmination of roman engineering innovations, architecture, and artistic elegance.    

The Pantheon may be seen as an example of Roman work whose purpose went beyond its practical function, if only slightly. The enormous 2.5 meter high head of Constantine the Great (306-337) that was once part of a statue 12 meters high is a good example of the scale that imperial art had grown to and whose construction was definitely beyond any practical purpose (other than unabashed propaganda). Another, even better example is the recently unearthed heads of  the Emperor Hadrian (r.117-138) and Emperor Marcus Aurelius (r.161 to 180) at an archaeological excavation of a public bath in Turkey. Each head is 5 meters tall and they each must have rested on bodies that were an astounding 24 meters high. Clearly, these monumental images of the emperors are evidence of the reverence given to and demanded by the emperors of the imperial age.

The eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD buried the towns of Pompeii and Herculaneum in hot mud and ash, perfectly preserving the towns and giving us an unprecedented glimpse into daily Roman life and art they surrounded themselves with, literally. Wall paintings, perfectly preserved when excavated, adorned many of the houses of ancient Pompeii and the smaller, neighboring town of Herculaneum and were made in the years between the second century BC up until close to the time of the eruption in 79AD. Because these years bridge the republican and imperial periods, we can document the differences in styles of the respective periods and draw some conclusions about the way societal forces influenced Roman art. The Pompeian murals,or frescoes, utilized a technique where paint is applied to wet plaster (or similar material) so the paint literally becomes part of the wall. The subjects of the paintings are varied. Imitation marble, scenes from classical mythology, still life, and paintings of windows displaying imaginary scenes designed to make a small room feel larger are only a few examples of some of the subject-matter, but certainly not a complete list. The murals are classified into four categories. The first two styles are of the republican period and reflect a reserved and modest character. The first style, also known as the architectural or encrustation style imitates the various building materials common for their day Marble, brick, and mortar. It is a modest style with an economical function that fits well with the character republican Rome. The second style uses simple perspective to the give the illusion of a larger space than it really was. One example is a painting of a window looking over a architectural scene that uses perspective to give the illusion of depth and distance.1 The second style appears at around 90 BC and demonstrates a mixture of the old republican values and imperial expansion that is quickly enlarging Romes holdings at this time. It is of the republics character in its resourceful use of art to perform the addition of a new window without all the noise and sawdust. This style of art is also is a manifestation of the periods tendency to acquire of and desire for new territory general some of the first hints of Roman expansion expressed through art. The next two styles are from the very early empire may be interpreted as more lavish and ornate. It is not a coincidence that the more elaborate styles become more prevalent during the early empire they are an expression of the greatness that Augustus has made of himself , the empire, and the people privileged to be under his rule. The use of illusion is gone in the third style.

The fourth style is described as
Characterized as a  HYPERLINK httpen.wikipedia.orgwikiBaroquebaroque reaction to the Third Styles mannerism, the Fourth Style in   Roman wall painting (ca. 20 79) is generally less disciplined than its predecessor. It revives large-scale narrative painting and panoramic vistas, while retaining the architectural details of the Second Style. In the Julio-Claudian phase (ca. 20 54), a textile-like quality dominates and tendrils seem to connect all the elements on the wall. The colors warm up once again, and they are used to advantage in the depiction of scenes drawn from mythology.

These  scenes drawn from mythology  serve to emphasize and embellish Romes place in classical mythology. One fresco depicts Chiron teaching Achilles to play the lyre. Chiron was a gifted centaur who tutored many of the classical heroes. Achilles was the greatest warrior of the Trojan War. This scene also reminds us that Chiron tutored another great hero of the Trojan War and the founder of Rome Aeneas. The Aeneid, written by the poet Virgil during Augustus reign, tells the story of the hero Aeneas and some of his fellow Trojans adventures after the Trojan War and ultimately founding Rome.

The influence and character of Rome can be also seen in the the thematic styles of Pompeian interior decoration. A popular theme painted in the early period of Augustus rule is an Egyptian one. The conquest of Octavians rivals Marc Antony and Cleopatra in the battle of Actium, coupled with Egypts annexation as a province of Rome, inspired great interest in anything Egyptian. The people of Rome were exposed to numerous novel cultures and more worldly than ever thanks to the imperial acquisition -or subjugation- of new provinces directly influencing Roman art with an influx of foreign art as was the case with  Egypt-mania  in the art of Pompeii. As the Roman republic came to an end and the empire began, we can witness in the styles of Pompeian fresco a pattern of increasing lavishness the reflected the increasing decadence that grew in direct proportion to the power of the empire.

Sculpted portraits were popular in both republican and imperial Rome In republican times, the portrait bust was an important object that heralded the virtues of military and civic achievements of their ancestors.  The social position of the family was partially determined by the public service and military triumphs of its ancestry. These portraits were very lifelike and, although idealized, they included wrinkles and other imperfections that demonstrates a least a measure of modesty present in Romans of the republic that would be less common in imperial times. These portraits were used promote the specific family the portrait belonged to, celebrate republican roman virtues such as civic duty, and show veneration for the dead. These functions will change somewhat in the imperial period.

There is a new style and purpose for portraiture in the imperial period starting with Augustus. The image of Augustus in sculpture, on coins, and scenes depicted in relief display an idealized image of  the emperor in the Hellenistic tradition. His youth, beauty, and strength are emphasized and this model is distributed through out the empire as the model to be used by artists depicting Augustus. The friends and benefactors of the imperial family would create statues of themselves that looked remarkably similar to that of the idealized emperors and imperial family and served to associate and ingratiate themselves with the emperors. Succeeding emperors will recognize the power of propaganda these portraits can have, whether chiseled into stone or stamped onto a coin. The legitimacy of their rule, their beneficence, and the power they and their empire have over its subjects can all be conveyed through the imagery of the emperors. This is a departure from republican Rome and its disdain for unelected rulers.

The change in the character of Roman art as it changed from a republic to an empire is demonstrated by these few examples of sculpture, painting, and architecture outlined in this paper. The Romans have left us so much more in artistic glassware, mosaic, and literature. Their imaginative creations of art reflect the character of their society, their values, and the upheavals  the people endure can be traced through studying Roman art. This is true of any society, not just ancient Roman culture. Art is the expression of  a cultures, any and every cultures, core values, beliefs, and even their short comings as human beings. Studying art is a wonderful way to learn about ancient civilizations, our present world, and every time and place in between. Not only can will you learn historical facts by studying art, but you can come to understand the more abstract and intangible facets of a culture or society that cannot be quantified with a date or name. It is in this way that studying art can give you insight into the extra dimensions of a civilization only revealed through art.

Louis Joseph Watteaus The Storm is more of a romantic painting while Eugene Delacroixs The sea of Galilee is more of a neo-classical painting.

Let me begin with Watteaus The Storm. This painting is a romantic work of art because of the general effect that its appearance brings to its onlookers. The storm is not yet present it is only foreboding of its eventual coming. Half of the portions of the clouds are still filled with some sunny light but the other half was already covered with some dark clouds, signifying the threat of an upcoming storm.

Below the clouds, we see some people working, doing some farm work while the weather is still quite good and the storm is not yet pouring. They are maximizing the time doing what needs to be done as perhaps they cannot afford to put off the peasants work. Looking more closely at the painting, we will see that what unassumingly takes the center of the canvas is a tree that is slightly tilted and is seemingly bald with the verdure of luscious leaves. The fading light of the sun reflects itself on the awkwardly standing tree, emphasizing its lanky stems and its listless stature.

From what we can see on the surface, this painting by Watteau typifies the characteristics of a Romantic painting and the moods of the Romantic Movement in general. The Romantic Ideal frolics and jubilates on the meadows of individualism, emotions and nature. It also promotes the subjective moods of the individuals and the eschewal of reason in favor of intuition and imagination. The Romantic Movement, whether in literature or visual arts, is said to have three primary cults the cult of the individual, the cult of emotion and the cult of nature. It is a reaction towards the rapid rise of Science which espoused rational and utilitarian thinking. Specifically, it stemmed from the abrupt social change which was trail blazed by the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars. The movement called for a retreat towards nature to regain the loss substance of humanity which was caused by the arrival of machines and other technologies. The Romantic also looks into the human nature  the human tendencies and behaviors and his reactions towards his surroundings. While science tried hard to explain the origins of things and the rationale of their existence, the Romantics focused on mans experience and his engagement with the world where he resides. The Romantic also probes the folk culture, the national and ethnic origins, the exotic, the occult and the diseased  the areas which Science and rational thinking consciously chose to avoid.

In The storm, we can notice that the focus is not on the people but on the images of nature  the awkwardly standing tree and the clouds. There is an element of being diseased in the people, as they were toiling hard for their livelihood. However, this element was put into the background as we were more primarily led to notice the bleak image of nature. Despite the threats of an upcoming storm, as visualized in the appearance of the clouds, the people keep on working. The striving of the people only depicts the endless struggle between the intention to achieve perfection and the limitations of man. Even though the people know that a storm is forthcoming, they do not stop from working until it arrives.

The cult of nature is likewise evident. In this insular setting, we can see nature stripped off extravagant portrayals. This is nature at its barest form. There were not so many colors in fact the hues of brown and orange were the dominant hues in this picture. The painting limns nature as it is, without exaggerations and attempts to be swanky.

Meanwhile, Sea of Galilee is a Neoclassical painting as looking at it will likely bring into mind the paintings of the Classical times. It is reminiscent of the visual arts existent during the times of Ancient Greeks and Romans.

What we can see in this work of Delacroix is a dark background and a seemingly fragmented landscape. The group of people riding the ship was marked by a sense of defeat as the ship was faltering against the ravaging weather. The sails are beginning to get shattered as it travels below the dark clouds and above the dark grey ocean. The people in the ship are trying their best to save themselves and the ship they are riding. Obviously, they were facing a tough situation and in order to triumph, an earnest, concerted effort must be put.

The neoclassical painting goes back to the lost luminescence of the Classical paintings during the Ancient civilization. It incorporates every element that can be possibly used to recast the Classical. They reused the Classical styles, recalled the Classical themes and reinterpreted the Classical subjects. By doing that, they lead in pushing forth the resurgence of the loss tradition and rendering them in slightly new, and better forms. With the advances in techniques and artistic devices, the Neoclassical extends the Classical by attempting to render their arts and make their interpretations of their subjects in a more accurate manner. Majority of these subjects have references to history and mythology.

As we can see in this dominantly dark painting, there is much emphasis on the quality of lines that the elements of color and atmosphere were quite downplayed. It also has a tendency to appear as simplistic as possible. We can see the elements of the people, the straggling ship with its breaking sails and the dark sea. With just three elements incorporated in the painting, it was able to convey a strong idea  mans being caught in the thick of a wide adventure that is life and encountering tough challenges where a mettlesome character is needed to attain victory.

Introduction
Art fairs have become the new aggregator of the twenty-first century art world. In 2009, there were 275 art fairs scheduled around the world, compared to 55 in 2001. Art fairs have evolved their identity from venues where collectors buy artworks to cultural events where all art-world-players, such as artists, dealers, curators, critics, museum directors, collectors, and general audience gather for exchanging ideas and enjoying arts. This transformation is attributed to their marketing and communication practices designed to satisfy the needs and interests of the audience. In addition to the basic marketing strategy, branding, visual strategy, educational and public programs and sponsorship are used as tools enhancing the accessibility and visibility of art fairs. This article examines those practices that art fairs carry out currently and studies essential strategies in tomorrows world.

The new environment of art fair
In todays social and media environment, visual arts presenters have difficulties in attracting audiences and customers. Though the number of consumers of visual arts has soared due to education and affluence, expanded entertainment and leisure industries like cinema, sporting events, and the like are threatening the current picture. Besides, the client demography of art business has been rapidly changing because of globalized market and wealth growth from all parts of the world. It includes groups from the young and from the emerging market in Russia, Asia, and Middle East. Moreover, the advent of electronic media has altered the way people communicate and acquire information. The influence of existing media like TV and newspaper has decreased. In the flood of information in the mass media, Internet is viewed as the new platform for sharing cultures and opinions such as social networking, blogs, and UCC. In this new circumstance, art fairs have adopted their communication and marketing strategy to reach a sufficient of number consumers.

Art fairs communication and marketing
In examining marketing and communication strategies, it is required to review the mission of art fairs because cultural marketing begins with the mission of the cultural enterprise. Art fairs have been designed explicitly as trade shows with profit goals. However, art fairs managed to reinvent themselves as new types of cultural events with the combination of commercial and cultural goals. Now, an art fair has a mission of promoting art, expanding in importance and position. To achieve this mission, the adopted strategic measures are the four Ps of marketing, branding process, visual strategy, public and educational programs and sponsorship.

The Four Ps of Marketing Product, Price, Place and Promotion
As every marketing strategy is composed of the same components, which are price, product, price, and promotion, they are critical in examining art fairs marketing. The major product of art fairs as trade shows are artworks and dealers. To obtain product quality, competition is very important. The dealers presenting at Art Basel came through a competition of 3 to 1 to get their vendors. Art fairs selecting committees even drop a well-known gallery if it did not bring exciting works or works that are fresh. While dropping outdated dealers, art fairs are enthusiastic about including emerging and young galleries from all over the world to adjust to a globalized and fast-changing world. In 2010, the dealer base of Art Basel will be from 36 countries on six continents.

Pricing is an important strategy for managing successful art fairs, which can be considered in two ways. First, admission fees for an art fair are effective because of the willingness of people to pay based on a tiered-ticket pricing. For example, tickets to enter the Armory Show at 5 p.m. cost 1,000, entry at 530 p.m. costs 500, and 7 p.m. costs 250. Second, pricing can also arise from the price points of artworks that dealers sell in the fair. While the Armory Show and Art Basel showcase more high-profile galleries, fairs like Scope and Pulse provide platforms for emerging galleries and appeal to younger collectors aiming to purchase their first piece of art.

Place is a significant factor in positioning. The major art fairs are scheduled in different cities and times. They build their own market as far away from each other as possible. However, satellite fairs use different placing strategies. They shadow major art fairs to take advantage of the visitors, their promotional efforts, and status.

Promotion is the last components of the 4ps. Each art fair has a promotion campaign in major international art and lifestyle media. Some fairs build partnerships with media sponsors, such as the New York Times, the International Herald Tribune, The Art Newspaper, and Art Forum, that guarantee extensive and worldwide reach. To be featured by more media, art fairs publish their press releases months earlier and the media campaign emphasizes the participating star artists and dealers. Marketing alliance of promotion among art fairs can also be seen easily where special promotional materials indicating schedules and locations are created.  

Art Fair and Branding
Encounters with branded art fairs entail expectations of high product or service quality. Branding is the art of communicating. Brand tells a persons identity and mission and plays an endorser role conveying credibility. There is a name game of branding in art fairs industry. The Armory Show benefits from the reputation of its name and evokes the 1913 Armory Show. Similarly, Frieze art fair is the branch of Frieze brand which started its business as the leading magazine of contemporary art and culture. Art Basel deals with its name differently. With a powerful brand that it has established, it presented a sister brand, Art Basel Miami Beach, which brought about a synergy effect. Art Basel could reinforce its brand image due to higher visibility, and ABMB easily built its market with less efforts. Yet, balancing of branding on the global and local level was the key of success. ABMB has different features from Art Basel. To utilize geographical positioning, ABMB has received a large influx of exhibitors from Latin America.

Visual strategies Prints and Graphic Designs
To build distinctive image, art fairs use visual strategies such as brand logos and certain graphic design scheme. The recent design trend of fairs logo involves highlighting the name with its signature color and font, which helps in suggesting themes to be either elegant, modern, old-fashioned, and delicate. Also, repeated usage of the same visual image help increase recognition of art fairs. Once the visual identity is established, it is featured across many different media. For example, ABMBs dot printed graphic with a pink color Scheme is so distinctive that we know that it is ABMB even before seeing its logo.

The Experience Economy of Art Fair Educational and Public Program
Art fairs experimental marketing allows it to be connected to the customer in a memorable experience. Educational and public programs are effective ways for visitors to engage and integrate. For instance, lectures and forums can change audience from a mere visitor to a role player by offering first-hand information on important aspects of the international art world. The surprising success of ABMB can be understood in the context of experience economy. ABMB provides customer with experience surrounding a buying art pleasant weather, fun atmosphere of beach, non-stop parties, music concerts, artists discussion, and keynote lectures. Influenced by ABMB, the Armory Show launched its public program in 2010.

Sponsorship
Affiliated sponsors are carefully chosen in order to maintain the image of art fair. Association with well-established brand names attracts the public attention. When supported by corporations, art fairs arranged the numerous paybacks including publicizing a corporations name in promotional materials and offering invitation tickets. The strong relationship between UBS and Art Basel is a representative example of corporate sponsorship. They are a major platform for demonstrating our commitment to art, and they give us international exposure, says Anton Glogger of UBSs global-sponsoring department. In conjunction with sponsors, various VIP services can be offered by art fairs. The significant marketing effect generated competitions. Deutsche Bank has signed as a lead sponsor of art HK, already supporting Frieze Art Fair Cologne fairs. ING bank is sponsoring Art Brussels.

The evaluation
Through communication and marketing strategies, art fairs developed their services and experiences that increased attendance and popularity. Art fairs have become lively, vivid and interesting cultural events. However, expansion of roles and activities resulted to tradeoffs. The success of art fairs generated its proliferation. In the first week of March, there are a number of satellite fairs to coincide with the Armory show, including Scope, Pulse, Volta, Pool, Fountain, Red Dots, Independent, Verge, and Critical Design. This epidemic of fairs has created fair fatigue. An art consultant, Thea Westreich said, its virtually impossible to see everything.. A lot of the art will not be seen by a critical audience.

The growing size of art fairs also generated problems. The great number of booths in a limited space tends to make it look like a commercial space. They have been described as the best example of seeing art in the worst way. In 2010, The Armory Show expanded to include 285 dealers - 50 more than last year, which created a terrible viewing experience because of awkward floor plan, excessive bright lighting, bad acoustics, awkward floor plan, and dearth of food and drink. Improvement efforts from art fair management are only directed at the VIP-designated lounges.

The ineffective use of Internet is another weakness point in terms of communications. Web contents are scarce and designs are clumsy. There is a gap between how people wish to use the Web page and how it is actually designed. Most of them scanned any new pages they came across. In websites of art fair, there are just a few visual images, and lots of texts describing how excellent they are. Besides, the web page did not develop their channel to communicate with the audience.

How Art Fairs Reach Tomorrows Audience
Approaching tomorrows audience in changing world, art fairs should develop techniques with awareness for its economic, social, cultural and media environment. In the competitive market, with over 250 art fairs in the world, it should find its niche in the marketplace. The culture and commerce of the 21st century are about niches. There is no more monopoly of hits and the demand of niches market has been growing consistently. It is hard to enjoy fairs like Art Basel with 300 galleries to visit or when you form a part of the swarm of 210,000 visitors to ARCO. The small and clearly positioned fairs hosting 40 to 60 galleries will remain in the collectors mind.

 To complete fairs experience, art fairs need to enhance their physical environment. Spatial-architectural dimension can be developed with the help of architect designers and multidisciplinary staffs. Art fairs can generate more comfortable and fresh atmosphere. Otherwise, physical and visual manipulation such as color accents can help people find their ways in endless corridors full of booths and enjoy the artworks and to find their ways in endless corridors full of booths.

Art fairs should actively take advantage of new media digital implementations. More viewer friendly and communicative web sites should be built. This not only increases the visibility to younger generation who newly entered art market, but also enables art fairs to overcome the limited physical accessibility of short-term events. Also, art fairs should activate their blogs or social networking sites in order to be accessible to tomorrows audience. They already have Twitters or Facebook, but the usage remains relatively low. Posting a viral video, empowering directors or staffs to write blogs, and responding user-generated-contents can be effective strategies.

Conclusion
It is required for art fairs marketing and communication strategies to be developed in todays fast evolving world. The new media environment and the diversification of consumer base altered art fairs practices. They adopted diverse strategies such as the marketing mix, branding, visual strategy, public relations, and sponsorship. Yet, the art fairs strategies are still weak in that they showed complacent attitude to the new social, cultural, economical circumstances.

Parthenon is considered the most important surviving historical structure of modern Greece. Present Parthenon is a reconstruction of older Parthenon which was constructed in 438 BC and, was demolished during Persian Invasion in 480 BC. The Parthenon stood as a symbol of Greek liberty, culture, and honor. It saw the rise, fall and revival of Greece. Initially serving the purpose of both temple of goddess Athena and state treasury, Parthenon was turned into a Church and then a mosque following Ottoman-Turk invasion. During Turk rule, Parthenon confronted several adversities. A large part of it was blown while bombardment by Venetians. The attack was severed by the stored Turk ammunition inside the temple. Later, several parts from Parthenon were carved out and sold to British Empire by Lord Elgin. These unrecoverable pieces were loaded and transferred through ships to England. One of the ships sank while transporting these structures. Parthenon is an irreplaceable cultural heritage of Greece that has been abused since its inception. Recent Government initiatives provide a ray of hope for its restoration.

Parthenon was constructed by Pheidias, a famous Greek sculptor, to house the 38 feet tall gold and ivory statue of goddess Athena. Parthenon derives its name from Virgin Athena. Athena is the goddessof wisdom, arts and crafts, and war(MacKillop, 2004). Athena also represents civilization and virginity .Her replicated image is a symbol of Greek struggle through times and, its firm belief in justice. According to Greek mythology, Athena was the daughter of planet Mercury and Titan ruler Metis, the most knowing and, Zeus the overseer of the universe. Zeus become afraid of bearing a supremely powerful offspring from Metis and, therefore embodied Metis in himself. However, Metis kept bringing Athena secretively inside him and one day Athena came out from Zeus head. According to some psychologists, domineering Patriarchic systems suppressed Athenas feminine attributes. J.J. Bachofen advocated that Athena was originally a maternal figure stable in her security and poise but was caught up and perverted by a patriarchal society (Bachofen, n.d). The statue of Athena was completely destroyed during attack by Venetians. In both physical and psychological parameters, the statue faced assaults and contradictions.

Demolished statue of goddess Athena has been reconstructed by some through historical descriptions. Museum at Toronto displays one of the sculptures. Statue of Athena holds a winged icon in her right hand displaying victory over enemies. The helmet on her head is decorated with a sphinx figure and griffins. Athenas chest bears a crafted shield with a snake on the inside. This serpent represents religious origin of Athenians. Her footwear consist carvings of war between Gods, giants, Athenians and Amazons. It is said that a water pool was constructed in front of the statue that reflected the statue in indirect light.

Architecture of Parthenon is incomparable in its distinctive design and intricate detailing. Athenas temple, Parthenon was built by architects Iktinos and Kallikrates on a limestone foundation on Acropolis. Doric order reached its culmination in Parthenon. The building was constructed with extreme refinement where even the slight curvatures in stylobate, naos and entasis matched. Stylobate is the topmost step of crepidoma, the bottom stepped platform of Parthenon, Naos is the enclosed cell of the temple and, Entasis is the slight bulge in columns.

Fig 1 Plan of Parthenon
A procession path was made between internal and external column for worship of the deity. Many of Parthenons proportions are constructed in Golden ratio and the building is known for its corrected optical illusions. The Parthenons facade as well as elements of its facade and elsewhere can be circumscribed by HYPERLINK httpen.wikipedia.orgwikiGolden_rectangle o Golden rectangle golden rectangles(Mersbergen, 1998).It is an octostyle temple with Doric columns and Ionic features. The Octostyle temples are rare in Greek history. Frieze running continuously on top is finely carved depicting festivals, celebrations and sacrificial offerings to goddess Athena. There are 72 metopes in the temple which display mythical battles in their carvings. Upper triangular portion above the columns is pediment. Moldings are placed at the ends of pediments. Internal sculptured triangular area in pediment is called tympanum. It consists of Greek and Roman mythological figures and bright colors.

 INCLUDEPICTURE httpwww.shafe.co.ukcrystalimageslshafeParthenon_Longitudinal_Section.jpeg  MERGEFORMATINET
Fig 2 Sections of Parthenon

During Ottoman Turk Empire, Lord Elgin distributed elements from Parthenon to foreign countries. Nicholas says that about half of the surviving works are now in London, while museums in France, Germany, Austria and Denmark also own small fragments (Paphitis, 2008). Like Parthenon, Greece was attacked and destroyed several times that influenced its culture which now carries essence from many of its rulers, including Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman. During invasions most of the cultural heritage was lost or badly damaged. Parthenon in its injured yet firmly standing state depicts the culture and history of Greece.

The New York Times editor says that throughout the history, the Parthenon friezes have been hostages to Christianity, to Islam, to the diplomatic tensions between France and England during the Napoleonic era. But they have also become hostages of affection, of a profound love for their dynamism and grace, for the clarity of vision they embody. And, hostages they remain (Return the Parthenon marbles, 2002).

Government of Greece is supplementing several programs to restore Parthenon. Restoration process was initiated in year 1975. Under restoration, the Government planned to recover its distributed marbles and, reconstruct the damaged ones. One part was recovered from Italy but, its major components still remain with British museum. Talks between two countries are still on with no apparent resolution in near future. However, reconstruction has been successful. In the year 1999, the Government issued  5.7 billion dollars for the project. Its damaged columns were lowered and repaired Many of its parts that were damaged by acid rain have been treated. The restoration was completed in May this year.

Parthenon is an extremely important contribution not only to the Greek society but also to the world architecture therefore, adequate efforts at regional, national and international levels should be made to save this monument. It can be brought back to its previous grandeur with international cooperation and Government initiatives. Cultural heritage of nations represent their souls and it is very important to keep them intact.

In her article A Shark in the Mind of One Contemplating Wilderness, Terry Tempest Williams effectively defines what an art is and what is not. It goes beyond its traditional definition as a product of human creativity in which materials are outlined and selected to convey visually interesting forms. Williams reveals the ongoing battle within the biodiversity  human versus nature  and equates human life to the characters in the wild to create a vivid description of Art.

Like a shark suspended in formaldehyde and being viewed as a unique work of art, Williams sees the same scenario for human beings when nature is totally devastated.

Whos to blame The increased level of extinction that is likely to lead to the disappearance of
about two-thirds of all kinds of living organisms by the end of the next century is driven by only
(Your last name) 2one species human (Raven 4).

Human is inseparable from nature. His survival depends inextricably on other life forms. Life is the common force that connects man to animals. Williams recognizes this connection through an encounter with a shark in a tank, I press my hands on the glass, waiting for the shark to pass by again, and when it does I feel my own heart beating against the mind of this creature that kills. However, this bond is unfastened little by little by mans activities that are detrimental to the nature.

Civilization overwhelms man that he neglects the reality that his existence rests on the subsistence of the natural world. Rather than protecting his source of life, he becomes the author of its destruction. Logging and mining, whether legal or illegal, are two of the most common damaging human activities. For pharmaceutical companies, Wilderness is a cabinet of pharmaceuticals waiting to be discovered.

Taking her own experience where an open space once used by children to lie on their backs was now converted to a food court, Williams realized how fast people can transform something into another thing. Quoting her observation, What was never before seen as art, as dance, as a painting in motion, but imagined only through the calculations of biologists, their facts now metamorphosed into designs. Just imagine how man has gotten so much from the nature and exploited a very huge part of it. As Williams noted, The natural world is becoming invisible, appearing only as a backdrop for our own human dramas and catastrophes. Landslides, flashfloods, earthquakes, and tornadoes are signs that nature is too much burdened of mans destructive activities.

Wilderness is a work of art. People shape this natural wasteland just like how an artist
(Your last name) 3

makes a mosaic. The development of agricultural lands into subdivisions, the burning of forests to produce industrial materials, and even the changing color of water in the rivers from blue to black, reflect how an artist designs and colors his work. What is true for wilderness remains true for humans. Human society is the mosaic of field and forest, of city blocks, of subway tiles. It is to this mosaic that we should turn in order to understand what it really means to be human (Amato-Grill 5).
Like humans, other forms of life need a habitat where they can build their own community. We are animals, in search of a home, in relationship to Other, an expanding community with a mosaic of habitats, domestic and wild, Williams explained.

In the same way that we have seen performances on stage, we have set our eyes on how the leaves of the trees dance in the wind, how animals hide and catch their prey, how whales and fishes create waves in the oceans, and how flowers patiently wait for its bud to bloom. Wilderness, according to Williams, is a grand piece of performance art that can embody or inspire. To preserve them is to let the next generation witness the grand performance arts of nature.

The nature is a work of art itself creatively designed and created by its Artist. It is a spring of inspiration for the artists who are also masterpieces of the One who created the nature. Art, as implicitly described by Williams on her article, is the exploration yet preservation of these natural creations.