Notes, summaries, assignments, exams, and problems for Arts and Humanities

Fundamentals of Audiovisual Media and Communication

Audiovisual media involves storing and disseminating communication information. Social media broadcasts messages to a large number of people.

Characteristics of Mass Communication

• Propagation of unidirectional messages.
• By Channel: Print or electronic.
• For Reception: Visual, auditory, or audiovisual.

Media Combination and Influence

Media utilizes a combination of codes:

• Verbal Code: Words.
• Sound Code: Music and sound.
• Visual Code: Images.

These elements influence our conception of reality and our opinion.

Key Media Characteristics

• Simultaneity: Both in broadcasting and in reception.
• Representation of Reality: Subjectivity is inherent.

The press aims to inform and entertain.

Major Audiovisual Media Types

Radio,... Continue reading "Fundamentals of Communication, Media, and Grammar" »

Realism: Literary Movement and Characteristics

Realism is the expression of the dominant mentality of the liberal bourgeoisie era. It primarily adopted the novel form because the characteristics of this literary movement were best suited to it, although poetry and theater also saw significant growth.

In Spain, Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes is often cited as a precursor to the movement.

Key Features of Realism

• Observation of Reality: The mentality of the time prioritized the rational analysis of reality, excluding concepts inherited from Romanticism.
• Plausibility: The literary work must construct a narrative similar to the real world. The novel emphasizes the description of space, characters, and daily events.
• Tendency toward Objectivity: The

The Novecentismo Novel: Gabriel Miró and Ramón Pérez de Ayala

The novelists of the Generation of '14 can be split into two lines: those continuing narrative modes of earlier stages, such as Concha Espina and Ricardo León, and those seeking renewal, such as Miró and Pérez de Ayala. Other authors are Fernández Flórez, a master of the comic novel, and Benjamín Jarnés, who reduces the action to a minimum. These authors have in common the overcoming of narrative and stylistic patterns of Realism, though they follow different paths: one through lyricism; another through irony and humor; in other cases, through the intellectualism of the approach; and sometimes by means of dehumanization, which meant the "lack of interest in human vicissitude"... Continue reading "Novecentismo Novelists: Gabriel Miró and Ramón Pérez de Ayala" »

Renaissance: A Profound Cultural Transformation

The Renaissance was a profound and complex transformation of human culture that manifested itself in all areas of literary life. It marked a return to the artistic and philosophical ideals of the Greco-Latin world in Italy, flourishing during the 14th, 15th, and 16th centuries in Europe.

Origins and Context

• In the late Middle Ages, the bourgeoisie dedicated itself to business and economic prosperity.
• Intellectuals discovered and imitated Greek and Latin classics.
• Five powerful states acted as patrons.
• Key figures include Dante, Petrarch, and Boccaccio, who established a new heritage.

Humanism

Humanism: An intellectual and cultural movement in Italy and Spain during the 14th to 16th centuries.

Characteristics

Patriarchy

Patriarchy is the treatment of women throughout the ages. It dictates their future and success in life. It not only defines how society functions but also how it controls women. Patriarchy is best defined as control by men. Women fight for rights and to survive without the power and domination of men. It has roots in Christianity and the family.

Noble Savage

Noble Savage is a literary device that affirms the basic tenet of the goodness of mankind.

Pathetic Fallacy

Pathetic Fallacy is a term used to describe the attribution of animate or human characteristics and feelings to inanimate objects of nature. It is said that these are 'false' descriptions of nature. This term is now commonly used to describe any developed or impassioned personification.... Continue reading "Key Literary & Social Concepts: Patriarchy to Englishness" »

Jackson Pollock's Number 1 (1948)

Classification of the Work

• Title: Number 1
• Author: Jackson Pollock
• Timeline: 1948
• School or Country: USA
• Style: Abstract Expressionism

Theme

A path of fine lines overlaps and extends across the canvas, creating a composition that seems to have no limits.

Description

• Support: Canvas
• Technique: Oil and enamel painting (with aluminum paint)

Formal and Compositional Elements

• Form: Open pictorial
• Composition: Open or centrifugal
• Geometric Perspective
• Asymmetry
• Technique/Geometry: Dripping

Antecedents and Subsequent Influences

Pollock learned techniques from Native American (Navajo) sand painting. He also studied the works of Picasso and Miró. He created and utilized the dripping technique in several paintings.

Relations with Similar

Camera Shots, Angles, and Movements

Types of Camera Shots

• Major General Plan (Extreme Long Shot): The person appears reduced in size or is not visible. Establishes the scene.
• Outline (Long Shot): The person occupies approximately one-third of the frame. Focuses on the character.
• Plan Set (Medium Long Shot): Shows relationships between people, often used for Augmented Reality (AR) figures.
• Entire Plan (Full Shot): The person appears complete. Portrays the character fully.
• American Plan (Medium Shot): The person is shown from the knees up. Brings us closer to the character.
• Midplane (Medium Close-Up): Cuts the character at waist height. Highlights gestures.
• Foreground (Close-Up): Shows the character's face. Highlights emotions and feelings.
• Plan Detail

Semantic Meaning Relations

These relations define how the meanings of words interact:

• Antonymy: Words with opposite meanings.
• Synonymy: Words with equal or very similar meanings.
• Polysemy: A single word having multiple related meanings.
• Hyperonymy/Hyponymy: A hierarchical relationship (e.g., vehicle is the hyperonym of car).
• Homonymy: Words that share the same form (spelling or pronunciation) but have distinct, unrelated meanings (e.g., hard (adjective) and hard (adverb)).
• Homophony: Words that sound the same but are spelled differently (e.g., to, too, two).
• Homography: Words that are spelled the same but are pronounced differently (e.g., read (present) vs. read (past)).
• Paronymy: Words that are similar in sound and spelling but have different meanings

Gothic Art: Influences and Evolution

Gothic art underwent significant transformations influenced by several key factors:

• The evolution of theological and philosophical thinking.
• The awakening of humanism.
• The Cistercian Reform.
• New social structures.

Gothic Sculpture: Characteristics and Development

Gothic sculpture is characterized by:

• Naturalism.
• Humanism and expressiveness.
• Volume and movement.

Evolution of Gothic Sculpture Style

During its early stages, reliefs did not prioritize perspective. Over time, they gained more volume and naturalism, though full development wasn't achieved until the fifteenth century. Initially, figures were simple, presenting a clear style. In the fourteenth and early fifteenth centuries, figures became elongated, outlined... Continue reading "Gothic Art and Sculpture: Evolution, Forms, and Masterpieces" »

Picasso's Guernica: A Cry Against War

Guernica by Picasso is a huge cry against war and brutality. It is also one of the most crucial paintings in the history of twentieth-century painting.

Style and Influences

It gathers geometric forms from Cubism, haunting images from Surrealism, and the dramatic force of Expressionism.

Style: Cubism, Surrealism, Expressionism.

Theme and Context

Theme: It denounces the brutal bombing of Guernica suffered by the civilian population due to the fascist German aviation. This was the first indiscriminate attack of modern warfare on civilians.

The absence of color is related to the fact that Picasso learned of the killing from newspapers.

Composition and Structure

The painter used expressive resources so that illuminated... Continue reading "Picasso's Guernica: Analysis of a Masterpiece" »