Happy holidays to all! I hope the season has been happy and cozy, full of food and family. And of course a premature happy new year! Next week's digest will be the first of 2017.
Today is the anniversary of the movie industry. Movies are such a part of our lives, that we don't think about how recent of a phenomenon film is, nor do we often realize how powerful a cultural communicator movies are. Art is not only an aesthetic outlet, it is the most important expression and representation of who we are as people.
As always, happy Wednesday and happy reading.
This Day in History
1895 - The first commercial movie is screened in Paris. And the world hasn't been the same since. The film industry is now a global economic and cultural titan spreading art, ideas, and money around the world.
Metamorphasis
We take it for granted that art changes: from cave paintings to Greek statues to Dali's melting clocks, the evolution of art is clear throughout history. Less obvious is the evolution of the artist. The individuals who create art are viewed as simultaneously creative, but static in their field. Of course this is not so, as the best artists evolve, taking their craft forward with them (from the NYTimes).
But without the artist there is no art, and so only with the artist does art evolve. Loving art is necessarily loving the creators, and to understand and appreciate art, we must understand and appreciate them.
The Precarious Nature of Art
Our world is so vibrant that it is easy to overlook how delicate preserving art is, but in fact some colors are so rare that they must be guarded in a special vault (from fastcodesigns). Not only that, but the storage facility also acts as a crime lab that analyzes the chemical composition of color palettes rather than DNA evidence from a crime scene. In this manner, the distinct composition of colors are catalogued so that they can be recreated chemically if the colors ultimately disappear from nature.
Art Drives Us
As the means by which we express ourselves, art also drives how we perceive the world around us, and how we act based on those perceptions. We produce art, and then art drives us (from Medium).
The emotions we infuse into art are shared and felt by many others, shaping our collective opinions and the actions that emanate from them. Art shows us who we were, and transforms us into who we are.
Muffin and Me
It's the holiday season which means I'm home in Mississippi, and spending time, with my furry favorite, Muffin! Muffin lives with her humans, my parents, in my hometown of Oxford. Though she's often better groomed, Muffin was expecting cold weather this holiday season, and so hasn't gotten a haircut recently, meaning she's quite the ball of fluff right now. Thanks, mom and dad, for sharing Muffin, and for my Christmas gifts!
Will's Weekly Trivia
Please be sure to share Willful Intent's new opt-in form with friends, and submit any thoughts and dog pics via the feedback form!
IF you choose to answer the question, respond to staton.will@gmail.com with your answer. Please note that by competing you are giving me permission to publish your first name in the trivia leader board each week.
Last Week:
1. How many people died in the Lockerbie bombing of PanAm Flight 103? ONE POINT
2. In 1983 a US Marine base was bombed in which Middle Eastern nation? ONE POINT
3. What year were athletes at the Munich Summer Olympics Attacked? ONE POINT
Answers:
1. 270 people were killed, all 259 aboard the plane, and 11 on the ground.
2. The marine base was in Lebanon.
3. The Munich Olympics were in 1972.
This Week:
1. Which ancient civilization developed the sculpting style "contrapasto" in which the sculpture's hips are cocked? ONE POINT
2. Who is the most well known Cubist painter? ONE POINT
3. What prestigious annual award is given to the best musical? ONE POINT LEADER BOARD Check out the new Leader Board!
