Reflection #2

Johanna Cabrera

February 24, 2011

LEH 300

Reflection #2

For some people, life has always been based on getting the most out of everything; on searching peace and happiness and not finding it. And for all of us, identifying and finding our selves is the quest of a whole life. Humans spend a lifetime trying to find themselves and never do, the reality is that we never get to know ourselves or others around us. And everyone has a different vision for life and all the things around us. For Siddhartha, finding himself was more than just meditating and fasting as he was taught. As he experimented religions, Siddhartha felt that all the things he had done following the different beliefs were worthless as he was not finding his true self as he was long searching for it. We are told so many things and we observe so many people trying to reach their goals and trying to find happiness and always failing. But if we look around, we can see how wrong some people are, just focusing all their time and energy in what’s not essential for our lives such as material things. Sometimes human beings do not appreciate the beauty of nature even though it is beautiful and pure, or a simple smile that can definitely bring happiness and joy to our lives. Instead, we sometimes appreciate things that are just temporary just like the people around Siddhartha. The more we have, the more we want, not considering sometimes that everything we need, well, almost everything, is in spiritualism; in how we can help someone with a simple advice or a smile. Also, sometimes we lack ourselves from happiness thinking that it will come through the things that won’t last forever. And that can relate to finding ourselves too, the merchants in the reading spent their time just trying to get more money and power and though that that actually made them happy when that was not the case.

This reading has impacted me in a positive way because people focus on finding their inner self by attaching themselves to the things the world offer and Siddhartha found a path to happiness and his tru self on his own, when he was taught differently. the conviction  and the determination he had till the end led him to achieve his goal which is very impressive.  

Johanna Cabrera

February 15, 2011

LEH 300

Otto Dix

Otto Dix was a German Painter born in December 1891. He is believed to be one of the most important artist of the Neue sachlichkeit. He joined the Academy of Applied Arts in 1910 where Richard Guhr was one of his teachers. During WWI he volunteered for the German Army. He was very Affected by the war, to the point of having nightmares.He was one of the founders of the Dresden Secession group in 1919 ,during this time his work was going through a expressionist time. Some of his most famous painting are triptych metropolis 1928, Sylvia von Harden, 1926 among others.

Portrait of The Journalist Sylvia Von Harden (1926)

I found this portrait very interesting because beauty did not take important place in it. Sylvia Von Harden was impressed that Dix wanted to paint her despite of her physical appearance but in what he was really interested was in her psychological condition. This portrait reflects a very independent woman who might contrast with the majority of woman at that time. Her short hair reflects an independence from the social standards of how a woman should have look like at that time.

  The Skat Players 1920

This painting shows three mutilated veterans. Their injuries have deformed them in such a way that they have to use their arms and feet in order to play. I think that this painting shows that even if some soldier survived their lives would never be the same. I believe in this painting Dix wanted people to understand that the war could change you in a negatively way and that those changes may not be reversible.

Wounded Soldier 1916

In this drawing Dix wanted to show the real face of the war. Dix is showing a soldier in real pain with disturbing expressions in the face. This is a very vivid image which reflects the horrific experiences the author went through during the war. I think the message of this painting is very clear; wars only lead to destruction and death.