John Constable - A Picture as a Status Symbol to Impress Smart Society

By John Constable - The Yorck Project:
10.000 Meisterwerke der Malerei.  DVD-ROM, 2002. ISBN 3936122202.
Distributed by DIRECTMEDIA Publishing GmbH., Public Domain,

In this fine painting, Constable brings the countryside under control in a cultivated estate suggesting the wealth and status of the owners of Wivenhoe Park.

John Constable (1776-1837) imparted to the beautiful Stour Valley in Suffolk, the enduring legend, "Constable Country." His beautiful and fairly objective paintings of nature eschewed the idealised approaches to landscape paintings of his time. 

Constable left mythology and history to his contemporaries and, instead, he painted nature more or less as it was, painstakingly recording every detail of the glorious English countryside, animals, agriculture and labour, although, as discussed below, certain techniques he used may be considered a little contrived.

Wivenhoe Park, Essex

Wivenhoe Park, Essex, is painted in greenish, cool tones and its size, 55 x 100cm, suited it well for hanging on the wall of a large, impressive house, which was, in fact, its destiny, since it was commissioned as a country house portrait.  This might seem strange, since the house in the painting - although it is set at the important, central point of the picture - is actually indistinct through distance. Horizontally, it takes up less than 1/23 of the canvass. Only the careful composition of the painting leads the eye, via the fence, to the reflection across the lake, which guides it through the trees to the house itself. However, it should be borne in mind that the park is as important for advertising the status of the owners as the house itself.

E.H. Gombrich quotes in Art and Illusion, a well-known anecdote about Constable: "The story goes that a friend remonstrated with him for not giving his foreground the requisite mellow brown of an old violin and that Constable, thereupon, took a violin and put it before him on the grass to show the friend the difference between the fresh grass as we see it and the warm tones demanded by convention." 

In this painting of Wivenhoe Park, Constable is certainly making his point, and succeeds in achieving the feeling of depth required without resorting to the conventional process of using muted tones in the foreground, as had formerly been the practice, although it would be true to say the foreground does contain some brown tones. In most other respects, he observes carefully the conventions of the day in attempting to reproduce an impression that is close to nature. Constable carefully copied from a drawing book of Alexander Cozens his schemata for clouds and the sky in Wivenhoe Park is clearly of the style adopted by the artist.

Touches of Colour and Contrast 

Constable's painterly style suits his subject, bringing out the softness of the scene before him. Small touches of colour and contrast relieve the uniformity of the green and yellows, for instance, the dark and white hues of the cattle. The bright, red clothing of one of the figures in the boat echoes the warm reflection of the sun on the lake. The white swans also give some relief, carrying the eye across from the group of cattle to the small boat and figures. The smallness of the animals and human figures helps to make the painting tranquil and uncrowded; they are just incidental parts of nature's whole.

This is a true-to-life representation, although, maybe, slightly contrived. For example, pastures are not normally, quite so perfectly, uniformly, green and sunlit yellow. There would be, somewhere, a small scruffy patch of scrub wherever there are cattle grazing. 

The lighting and colours indicate that this may be a morning scene, with the sunlit patch across the middle of the lake and the clouds shown against the blue backdrop of the sky. With the horizon line about half-way up the painting, it is as though the viewer is standing directly in front of the scene.

This painting is exactly what it seems to be, a self-contained, comfortable, grand, but nonetheless, domestic scene, representing nature as it is, yet somehow, under the control of powerful human influences.

Sources:

• Grombrich, E.H. Art and Illusion, Phaidon Press Ltd, 1993 (First Published 1960)

• www.metmuseum.com

Must We Understand Before We Believe or Disbelieve in a Work of Art?

An actress representing the philosopher Hypatia
Public Domain

The "No Truth" theory asserts that to question the truth of a work of art is to cease to engage with its aesthetic qualities. The moment we question the truth of the artwork, the moment of disengagement with reality, essential to experience, is lost.

In her essay "Truth and Representation", Rosalind Hursthouse explains the argument of the "No Truth" theorists: "When one reads a poem or a novel, and thinks about it as a poem or novel, all one's beliefs about the real world should be held in abeyance." Hursthouse explains that the "no truth" theorists believe that the inclusion of language which interferes with this detachment, reduces the impact and quality of the experience.


Our Beliefs are Essential to a Full Aesthetic Experience


Hursthouse continues by disputing this claim, citing several examples, one of which is as follows: [T]he upholders of the "no truth" theory have reached the conclusion that none of one's beliefs should play a part in one's engagement with a work of art." She shows this conclusion to be absurd, by quoting two lines of a poem: 

"Their meeting made December June, 
Their every parting was to die."

Hursthouse points out that she grew up in New Zealand, where the seasons are reversed, and if she had not understood that in Europe the summer was in June, she could not have understood those lines. Therefore, our beliefs must be engaged when we are experiencing any work of art.


We must Understand Before we Believe or Disbelieve


All the same, we need to address the question of whether our conscious judgement about the truth of a statement in a work of art or literature is relevant to our evaluation from an aesthetic viewpoint. The "no truth" theory draws a distinction between understanding a statement, and decided whether or not we believe it to be true. Arnold Isenberg believes that understanding is "a priori" to believing. "When something is said to us, we understand before we can assent, and to accept or reject must take further steps in search of evidence."

Isenberg presents this example: "If I say to you, "Tout est pour le mieux dans le meilleur des mondes possibles," you cannot begin to ask yourself: "Do I believe that?" if you do not understand French... And if I say to you, "My dog is remarkably intelligent," you will understand me perfectly well, but, quite possibly, pending my producing some evidence, neither believe nor disbelieve what I say." 

Therefore, Isenberg decides it is possible to understand without considering truth or falsity, which leads to his conclusion:

"[T]he understanding of a poem is something independent of any belief..." and that verification has no part in poetry criticism, only meaning.


The Case for Truth and the Leap of the Imagination


R.K. Elliott claims that truth, elegantly put, is, indeed, aesthetically pleasing. He says, "[W]hat we can imagine vividly is not always unconnected with what we know to be the case or what we are able to believe." It is a mistake to assert that because accurate description is not always aesthetic, that it can never be aesthetic. Elliott refers to the "leap of the imagination" required by aesthetic evaluation: 

"The better the poetry, the more spontaneous the leap will be and the greater the "revelatory" character of the passage."


Sources:"Truth and Representation" by Rosalind Hursthouse, Philsophical Aesthetics, The Open University, Oxford UK, Cambridge, USA, 1992."The Problem of Belief" by Arnold Isenberg, Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism, vol. xiii, 1954."Poetry and Truth" by R.K. Elliott, Theories of Art and Beauty, The Open University, UK,

Lucky Dube – Tragic African Icon

South Africa Flag - Public Domain

Lucky Dube, pronounced “Doobay,” South African reggae singer, was born on 3 August, 1964 in Eastern Transvaal. He was named Lucky by his mother, Sarah, after she had suffered several miscarriages. Lucky Dube worked as a gardener and a security guard before he began to achieve his phenomenal success as a mbaqanga (Zulu pop) and reggae singer. He started his first band while still at school, known as “The Skyway Band.”

He was an arresting presence on stage, with his wild Rastafarian hairstyle, as he sang in three languages, Zulu, Afrikaans and English. He composed many of the soul-searching, politically arousing lyrics that inspired, and still inspire, people across the whole of the continent of Africa and globally.

The Outrage at Rosettenville

He died suddenly and unexpectedly on 23 October 2007, at the hands of car-hijackers, who wanted to steal his Chrysler 300C. The attack happened as he was dropping off two of his children at a relative's house in Rosettenville, Johannesburg. Lucky Dube was shot and fatally wounded, dying almost instantly.

This was a devastating blow for all people who knew and loved this man, universally acknowledged both as a truly charming and delightful man as well as a fine musician. Dube had just secured a deal with Warner Music International for his album, " Respect ."

According to BBC News on 31 October, 2007, police in South Africa who were hunting his killers, said that they had arrested five suspects. Two unlicensed guns and four cars had been seized, including the VW Polo believed to be the one used in the crime. Lucky Dube was only 43 years old. It was an ironic death, since it was “… of a musician who sang about his country’s crime problem,” said BBC News.

AYahoo News report on 31 March 2009 confirmed that five men had been arrested as suspects. Two were eventually released and the remaining three were found guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment.

Artist, Father, Husband and Friend

The press release on Lucky Dube's memorial site quotes his close friend, Ivor J. Haarburger, CEO of Gallo Music Group, (formerly Teal Records.) Mr. Haarburger says: “Lucky was not just an extraordinary artist, he was a personal friend. We go back over twenty years and had both a business and personal relationship. It’s so sad to lose such a great friend and so tragically, why?”

Lucky Dube left a wife, Zanele and seven children Bongi, Nonkululeko, Thokozani, Laura, Siyanda, Philani and baby Melokuhle.

The Songs that made Lucky Dube an Icon

Woman from "Together as One": A few people have assumed Dube is saying that women should be submissive. On the contrary, this is a message, delivered in Dube’s ironic voice, representing the stance of masculine dominance adopted by many of his countrymen, juxtaposed, as it is, with the female chorus that is crying out for freedom and equality.

The beautiful song, " Prisoner " has evoked a number of responses, including this posting by "poteetang" which seems to sum up the very essence of this fine musician:

"Lucky Dube’s music had a message. But most people don’t realise it. Africa is where civilisation began. That is home to all the human beings in the world.”

Sources:

Lucky Dube Memorial Website.

BBC News, 31 October, 2007.

Yahoo News, 31 March, 2009 and 2 April, 2009.

Youtube.com

Gambia’s Sacred Nile Crocodiles – A Site of Supernatural Power

Fortunately, the crocodiles are well-fed. Image Copyright Janet Cameron

The Kachikally Sacred Crocodile Pool and Museum is just ten miles from the capital of The Gambia, Banjul. The pool is used as a site for fertility rituals and believed to have supernatural powers. Infertile Gambian women travel from far distances to wash in its holy waters. Some women take away a bottle of the water to bathe their bodies every night and morning. There are many other sacred pools in the country but not all are crocodile breeding areas.

Ancient Connections with the Sacred Pool

The pool is said to have been discovered by a Bojang wine palm tapper about one hundred years ago. Another claim is that the Bojang have had connections with the pool for about 500 years. Because the pool is sacred, Bonjang people are not permitted to exploit the site or make any financial profit, otherwise it might lose its sacred status. Visitors are expected to make a cash donation, while some Gambians offer a gift, from which elderly Gambians benefit.

Petting the Crocodiles

The crocodiles mostly prefer to eat fish to meat and are amazingly tame. The guide said they had no need to attack, as they were so well-fed and lazy, and many visitors were brave enough to pet the animals, although most jumped back in alarm if an animal moved even a little. One guide, in a mischievous mood, crept up behind a young woman and pinched the back of her leg. She spun around in alarm, but he just laughed at her. No doubt scaring the female visitors was his special party trick.

Tourism and Conservation

At the time of visiting, it was September, just before the start of the rainy season the following month. The crocodiles had been breeding and it was wonderful to see many tiny baby crocodiles at various stages of their development at the side of the pool. The pool is set in around six acres of a forested nature trail and is claimed to be the nearest jungle-type environment to the Atlantic. Sites like this are important, not just for the animals, the reptiles, tropical birds and mammals, but also for the future of the Gambian people. Tourism is a major contributor to the Gambian economy and environmental conservation and development is now a key issue in the country.

Gambian Beliefs and Fertility Rituals

The site's museum is fairly small but contains some fascinating window displays and information about The Gambia and its traditions.. The guides love to talk to visitors about this very special project, and, of course, it's customary to give them an additional small fee for this service. You can also buy a little paper book about the crocodiles from the souvenir shop. Visit the Kachikally website if you would like to see more images.

Tolstoy on Art, Morality, Sincerity and the Counterfeit

 

Tolstoy in 1908 at almost 80. Wikimedia Public Domain

Tolstoy’s position on what gives value to works of art rests on the theory that universal feeling is a necessary condition of genuine art. Art that does not satisfy this condition is counterfeit: “It is not a work of art if it does not invoke that feeling of joy and spiritualism with another.”

Definitions of Necessary and Sufficient Conditions

A “necessary condition” is a quality without which the work would not meet the requirement of being judged as art. It is applied, in common, to all works described as art, for example: X is a necessary condition of Y (if, and only if) Y cannot be without X.  (A “sufficient condition” specifies a quality that may be present in a work of art and is sufficient in itself to justify the label of art. If not sufficient, this could be because it occurs in other artifacts or works of nature that are not art.)

Although Tolstoy believes, unlike Plato, that art can improve us morally, he asserts that most art is bad and has a negative moral effect. In addition, some professed works of art are trivial and perform no moral function.

A United Brotherhood of Man

Tolstoy’s philosophy strives for a brotherhood of man united in moral values, he deplores the elitism of much art. This abuse he blames on the upper classes, from whom

“…a conviction arose that art may be art and yet be incomprehensible to the masses.”

However, most people understand: “…

"...the very best art; the epic of Genesis, the Gospel parables, folk-legends.”

From this, it follows that all can gain morally from such art because, “

"…every man’s relation to God is one and the same”.

Tolstoy stresses the value of art as a means of universal morality through communication.

“Art, like speech, is a means of communication and, therefore, of progress, that is, of the movement of humanity forward towards perfection.”

The counterfeit art of the upper classes inhibits this ideal concept.

“Universal art arises only when some one of the people, having experienced a strong emotion, feels the necessity of transmitting it to others.”

Sincerity, Tolstoy believes, is another necessary condition of artwork that is morally valuable; it must transmit feeling, clearly, so that the recipient can experience for him/herself.

Tolstoy’s Necessary Conditions and the Upper Classes

The upper classes fail to meet these necessary conditions; their art does not derive from sincerity.

“The upper classes demand amusement and pay well for it.”

This counterfeit art may be borrowed from former works, thus excluding his necessary condition of sincerity. Secondly, it may be produced through imitation, using fine detail:

“…disconnectedly, and with interruptions and omissions.”

Thirdly, it may be produced through “striking,” which means the bringing together of contrasts, for example, “pornographic details” and the “presentation of the horrible.”

The fourth method is that of occupying the mind, for example through plot or by showing a different way of life that the reader

“…mistakes for artistic impression.”

These methods do not transmit feeling, and, therefore, lack universal moral values, by not showing us how people should live. They can be reproduced easily through learning techniques, contrary to sincere art, which furthers the cause of brotherhood through moral improvement. For a man to produce a morally-improving artwork, “… he should stand on the level of the highest life-conception of his time.”

The Hypocrites of Art and the Counterfeit

Tolstoy’s conviction that much of art is bad, elitist and difficult to understand, leads him to dismiss formal art training and professional critics.

If a real artist has transmitted his feelings: “What is there then to explain?” asks Tolstoy. “Every false work extolled by the critics serves as a door through which the hypocrites of art at once crowd in.”

The lack of genuine religious perception and, therefore, a morality available to all, cannot occur in these counterfeit works of art. Only sincerity can convey the moral message in a society that is undivided. Beethoven, on becoming deaf, was unable to perfect his work.

“But criticism, having acknowledged him to be a great composer, seizes on just these abnormal works with special gusto.”

Tolstoy says that this has the effect of “perverting the meaning of musical art.” Beethoven’s work is counterfeit, says Tolstoy, unlike the real art of the song of a peasant woman. This comparison shows “…infection with another’s feeling, compelling us to rejoice in another’s gladness, to sorrow at another’s grief.”

Christianity

Good art, for Tolstroy, is Christian art: “…religion is a superstition humanity has outgrown.” People “…intentionally or unintentionally confuse the notion of a religious cult with the notion of religious perception.” His point is that religion serves as a guide to the progress of humanity:

“Its… widest and most practical application is to the consciousness that our well-being lies in the growth of brotherhood – in their loving harmony with one another.”

Even the Pickwick Papers fail Tolstoy’s criteria for moral improvement: “These feelings are not common to all men.” Tolstoy says that Dickens compensates with an abundance of detail that makes the stories difficult to comprehend.

The Dismissal of Interpretation

In conclusion, Tolstoy states that art is the communication of sincere, clear and individual emotion, and that good art must involve either: (a) Christian emotion, or (b) universal emotions of a unifying, non-divisive kind. This is where the moral emphasis enters the argument.

However, Tolstoy’s dismissal of interpretation is problematic. Apart from the fact he himself criticises and interprets, interpretation helps to truly involve the receiver of the work of art. If, for example, formal unity, design and originality of style are excluded from aesthetic evaluation, this narrows the theory of the evaluation of art. Tolstoy’s theory could not easily be applied to an abstract sculpture, for how would this improve us morally?

Subtlety and depth are not valued in Tolstoy’s theory. In addition, Tolstoy’s narrow framework of Christian art contains an anomaly. Bible stories can be understood on more than one level. Besides their simple stories, they contain non-literal, allegorical truths recognised by sophisticated adults, as well as passages of poetic brilliance.

Sources:
“Art,Society and Morality,” Tom Sorrell, Philosophical Aesthetics, Ed: Oswald Hanfling, Blackwell, The Open University, 1992.
“What is Art?” Leo Tolstoy, Theories of Art and Beauty, Ed: Robert Wilksinson, The Open University (Set Book) 1991.
“The Problem of Definition,” Osward Hanfling, Philosophical Aesthetics, Ed: Oswald Hanfling, Blackwell, The Open University, 1992.

Comparisons in Art are Odious - Stuart Hampshire Explains Why

Copyright: Janet Cameron

Art is gratuitous, demands our attention and does not require us to theorise about it.

Are criticism and evaluation relevant to works of art in the same way that they are relevant to, for example, ethics or morality?  Stuart Hampshire, in his essay "Logic and Appreciation" believes that it is possible to be consistent with regard to ethics, which, he says: "...are needed to meet common human predicaments."

Art, on the other hand, he regards as individual and unrepeatable and from this, he concludes: "One does not need a formula or a recipe unless one needs repetitions." This seems fair comment. Why should there be a formula for evaluation if the object in questions is not in competition with any other similar object? As Hampshire asserts, art is about the particular, and there is no limit to the number of beautiful things that are specific and not in need of generalisation.

Art is Gratuitous

On the other hand, art is gratuitous, demands our attention, and does not ask us to theorise about it This doesn't mean we may not prefer one work to another, admits Hampshire, but we do not need to grade artworks one against another. "The critic may reject the work done without being required to show what the artist ought to have done..."  However, moralists are expected to decide what should have been done in place of a condemned action.

The critic is not a judge, but a spectator of the object, "exactly as it is," and "precisely this unique object... individual and unrepeatable." Stuart Hampshire allows that the critic may be analytical, helping people to perceive certain features that lead them to appreciate what they are observing. The difficulty is when the spectator-critic observes certain features as good, and then tries to proclaim other works good for displaying the same features. "Then," says Hampshire," "one looks away from the particular qualities of the particular thing."

Moving from the Particular to the General

The originality discovered from an arrangement of elements "may bear little analogy to originality found elsewhere."  Yet, can this argument be a valid means of defending Hampshire's position? To say something is original is already to compare it to previous works, and further, to find that it contains something new and different.  To make choices and exclusions involves grading. This necessarily involves comparison and evaluation, even though the work remains as it is, with its own particular features.

Monroe Beardsley's Criteria for Evaluating Artworks

Monroe Beardsley, as quoted in Colin Lyas' essay "The Evaluation of Art" defines three general criteria of merit in evaluating an artwork. These are: "unity, complexity and intensity." If the hearer or reader of the work can be persuaded to agree that the work displays one or more of these qualities, then the claim is proved by a general rule that there is something good about the work. Other descriptions, such as "it is humorous," or "it is graceful," might be apt descriptions of the work, but they do not necessarily show that it is good, unless linked to the basic criteria set out above. If they cannot be linked, it may be that there is something wrong about the work.

Stuart Hampshire says, "The common vocabulary obstructs any disinterested perceptions of things."  Beardsley appears to demonstrate this failing. Colin Lyas points out that what is not art may still have unity, and art may have unity that is not necessarily aesthetic.  A painting that has a unity in pale colours may be seen as insipid and banal." The same argument can be made against intensity and complexity; they may show ugliness. Monroe Beardsley's attempt to form general principles upon which to base value judgments fails due to the inadequacy of his premises.

The Critic Should Help Us to See, Hear and Feel

In his essay, Colin Lyas says we cannot deduce an aesthetic description from a non-aesthetic quality. Discrimination and judgement in the arts is a matter of perception, which is a point also emphasised by Hampshire. As Lyas says, "If, in seeking an ability to discriminate aesthetically, we are seeking to see, hear and feel, then it is difficult to see how proof or demonstration... can be any part of what we want from criticism...all the critic can do is help us to see something she or he has seen by directing our attention..."

However, Hampshire is convinced that creative feeling that produces truly individual aesthetic experience with its particularities defies value judgements. He says, "Where the logician's framework of problem and conclusion does not apply, the notion of "reason" loses some of its meaning also; it is unnatural to ask: "Why is that picture or sonata good?"

Evaluation is Inevitable and Inescapable

Yet, we all evaluate films, books, music and plays that we experience. It is natural. A critic should evaluate particular works, for instance:

1. When a new novel appears, critics should try to say whether it is any good.
2. Evaluation is inevitable.  If a critic perceives and then discusses the aesthetic qualities of a work, some kind of evaluation is inescapable.
3. Surely the critic must use some ordinary language, for example: "Hamlet is indecisive" or "Lady Macbeth pressures Macbeth into killing the King."

I remember once, going to a private garden party. One of the band stood up and made an announcement. "I have to say," he said, "that comparisons are odious. Even so, I just want to say the young lady in the trouser suit stands out above all the others."  It was true. The rest of us were in our standard jeans and T-shirts and, there she was, stunning in contrast, in a flecked tweed trouser suit with a tailored jacket and sharp, creased pants.

Odious or not, comparisons are here to stay. It's our nature.

Sources:

Hampshire, Stuart, "Logic and Appreciation," Art, Context and Value, Ed: Stuart Sim, The Open University, 1992.

Lyas, Colin, "The Evaluation of Art," Philosophical Aesthetics, Blackwell Publishers in Association with The Open University, 1992.

Prague's Art Nouveau Municipal House

Municipal House at Night
Photo copyright Janet Cameron

Described in Prague's promotional literature as the pearl of Art Nouveau, The Municipal House is a national treasure both inside and out.

    

Venue for the arts, concert hall and home to the Czech National Symphony Orchestra, exhibition hall, and an essential cultural landmark for any visitor to Prague, this is one of the foremost historically important buildings in Czech Republic. The Municipal House is located in the centre of Prague in the Old Town, right next to the Powder Tower.

Smetana and Chamber Concert Halls

The Municipal House is famous for its beautiful Smetana Hall, and the Prague Experience website states that all concerts are performed there. Unfortunately, my attendance at a Beethoven and Mozart concert in June, 2012 was an exception to the rule and although the Smetana Hall was promised as the venue, it was changed at the last minute to take place in the Chamber Hall. As a result, I am unable to describe or to include a photo of the famous Smetana Hall, named after Czech's major composer. I can only quote the website, which describes it as: "...only rivalled in size by the Dvorák Hall at the Rudolfinum. The Smetana is an architectural masterpiece, a mix of carved white stone and gold, illuminated by hundreds of lights, and with frescos by Karel Spillar adorning the walls."

All the same, the enjoyment of drinking in all the beauty inside, descending the huge marble staircase to the American bar, known as the Americky Bar, admiring the frescoes and stonework, the trimmings and decorative glass, compensated to some extent for the let-down. The concert was excellent, although it seemed too short, lasting only just over an hour and a quarter. You can click here to find many beautiful images of The Municipal House and Smetana Hall.

There is also an excellent video you can watch on youtube, please click here.

Origins of The Municipal House

The Municipal House was built in 1911 on the site of the old Royal Court Palace. It is located next to the old Powder Tower, a 65m high building which was once a gateway to the city. This led through the Old Town and over the famous Charles Bridge to Prague Castle on the opposite side of the River Vltava. According to AViewonCities.com, "Until 1836, this route was used by the Bohemian Monarchs on the way to their coronation in the St. Vitus Cathedral at Prague Castle."

The Tower is connected to The Municipal House by a covered bridge.

On the original site, a palace was built for King Wenceslas IV in 1383. After an uprising in the year 1483, the current ruler decided it was dangerous to reside in the centre of Prague, and so moved to Prague Castle, at which point the palace became a seminary, and then a military establishment, until it was demolished in 1903. The Municipal House was then constructed and leading Czech artists of the day were called upon to create the stunningly decorated edifice we enjoy today.

The Municipal House became especially famous on 28 October 1918, by providing the venue for the former Czechoslovakia to be proclaimed to become an independent state.

Sources:

Pragueexperience.com. 

aViewonCities.com .

Senior Mental Health - The Importance of Control

Copyright Janet Cameron

Seniors who feel they are not effective or in control of their own destiny may struggle to maintain a positive outlook and achieve happiness in later life. In his book, The Needs of Strangers, Michael Ignatieff discusses the plight of poor or powerless people and our responsibility towards them. Although his arguments refer to the needs of strangers in general, they also throw some light on the everyday dilemmas faced by elderly people in our society who may not necessarily be poor, but are, frequently, denied the power and control over their lives that they deserve.

Ignatieff points out the contradiction within the welfare state between the respect we owe persons as individuals and as fellow human beings

• Respect for their specific qualities as individual human beings. 

• Respect because of their common humanity. 

Ignatieff says: “The administrative good conscience of our time seems to consist in respecting individual’s rights while demeaning them as persons.” He talks of the “silent contempt of authority in a glance or a gesture.” The Needs of Strangers was written way back in 1984 – but how much have things improved for the senior members of our society?There are many issues for seniors, and much seems to be centred around being in control of your life and instrumental in getting things done without – too much – obstruction, or even contempt.

Negative Experiences Related to Aging

"You know, it's a strange thing about age. It doesn't come to you gradually, but in surges," says Martin. "The trouble is that you suddenly realise you have no power. You have lost all that." 

Martin is actually a very active 82 year-old, who spent his life in a high-powered position in the beer industry, supporting his stay-at-home wife and family at a time when that was how families operated. The feeling of lack of power has started to get to him. 

"I must be off. I have to go to the bank to have a row," he says. 

No, Martin is not an awkward, aggressive type, prone to inciting confrontation. He just thinks if he doesn't start a row, then no one will take any notice and the problems with his account will not be resolved.

For older people, there is the double-bind of age and alone-ness (I am deliberately not saying “loneliness” as that has a different connotation.) 

Single and Invisible

“I decided to treat myself to lunch out,” says Barbara. “The restaurant was full and there were two couples before me waiting to be seated. I asked for a table and the man of the door said, “Well, you can see there are no tables available.” I quickly realised that this was because I was alone and he didn’t want to waste a table on a single person. I insisted I would wait. Sure enough when the next couple came in, after me, they were told that they would be seated within about fifteen minutes." Barbara remained firm and got her lunch, although her experience left her with a sick feeling. 

“I have never gone back to that restaurant,” she says.

“Last time I went to a new dentist, she started talking to me very loudly and very slowly. I actually thought she had some sort of a speech impediment,” says Linda. “I guess she thought that because I was almost seventy, I was also unable to have a normal conversation. I know she thought she was being very clear, but I felt… well… patronised.”

Linda felt her dentist should have started by talking normally, and then adjusted her manner if it was actually necessary. This may seem trivial, but younger people make many assumptions about seniors and sometimes they miss the mark and leave the person feeling diminished and much older than they should.

Age and Personality

We often hear the phrases “Grumpy old man (or woman), silly old bat,” etc. According to A.T. Welford, although people assume that personality changes with age, tests prove this is not so, except in minor ways. Any changes that occur are due to altered circumstances not taken into account by the test. On the plus side, these might be:

• More leisure 

• More opportunities 

The minus side is not so encouraging:

• A restriction of activity possibly due to ill-health 
• 
  

Dependency

Welford says that people adjust to these changes in different ways. Some welcome the new opportunities and are accepting of the restrictions. Other are not interested in new hobbies and allow the restrictions to make them self-centred. Sometimes, this can be due to bereavement, but often reactions to these changed circumstances are due to personality traits. In other words, these reactions frequently have little to do with material circumstances, health problem or existing social outlets. 

“The changes in personality can, perhaps, be summed up by saying that old age is a revealing time, when the best and worst in us stand out in bold relief,” says Welford.

While Welford may have some valid points, the role of society as suggested by Ignatieff must surely play a part in helping seniors to feel acknowledged and valued and avoid the charge of grumpiness!

Strengthening the Neural Signals in Seniors

"Much, if not all, slowing with age can be explained by the fact that signals from the sense organs to the brain and from one part of the brain to another become weaker, while at the same time, random neural activity in the brain tends to increase. The latter blurs the former and leads to errors," says N. Charness in Aging and Human Performance. The good news is that if the person takes a longer time to complete a task, the blurring can be diminished, if not eradicated. If the data is allowed time to be registered then the signals become stronger and compensate for the random activity.

Maurice Chevalier once said: "Growing old is inevitable for all of us. The clever thing is to accept it and always plan your next move well in advance." But Maurice Chevalier had plenty of street-cred, unlike many ordinary seniors, who just want to be listened to and taken seriously. A sometimes impatient and dismissive experience does not help to achieve that end. Feeling you cannot be effective does not aid self-esteem at any age.

A happy and fulfilled senior population depends not only on the positive attitudes of its members, but also on the attitudes of society as a whole.

Sources:


The Needs of Strangers, Michael Ignatieff, Chatto & Windus, The Hogarth Press, London, (1984.)


The Oxford Companion to the Mind, Ed. Richard L. Gregory, Oxford University Press, 1987.


Ageing and Human Performance, ed. N. Charness, New York, (1985.)


Ageing and Human Skill, A.T. Welford, Oxford, (1958.)


Martin, Barbara and Linda (Case Studies.)

Preserving the Great Red British Telephone Box

In 1935, Sir Giles Gilbert Scott (1880-1960) won a competition for designing a telephone callbox. It wasn't quite how Scott had planned it though. He suggested the box should be made of mild steel and silver-coloured with a bluish-green interior. Instead it was made of cast iron and painted bright red.

Since the 1920s, most upper-class people in British cities owned a telephone. They had to pick up the earpiece which sent a signal to the exchange and the operator would say, "Number please?" Then the operator would make the connection using the plugs on the telephone switchboard. Long-distance calls were trickier as they had to be dealt with by a series of operators connecting with each other, and were often almost inaudible. By 1927, there were 56 lines to the Continent and a radio link to New York.

Private Telephones

Phoning cost a fortune. Yesterday's Britain quotes the words of Lydia Scalia, a young telephonist at the Ritz Hotel in London. "The first transatlantic call I did was for a famous singer," she said. "His bill ran to £75 - nearly a year's pay for me - and I was stunned. I ran outside into the cashier's office. He said it was all right."

At this time, 1927, there were 500,000 telephones in Britain but two years later, there were three times as many as automated exchanges took over from the old-fashioned plug switchboards. The first automated exchange in Britain was at Epsom in Surrey in 1912 and the first call box installed at Egham in Surrey in 1919, superseding the popular red boxes by sixteen years. In 1924, the British Post Office decided that 70 telephone exchanges inside a ten mile radius of Oxford Circus should be converted, but the system did not kick in fully until the modernisation of London's Holborn exchange in London in 1927.

Telephone Snobs

People liked to boast of their social contacts and they also liked to look good by complaining in very posh voices: "Oh, that wretched thing never stops ringing!" They put their phone numbers on their cards to show how important they were, and some people would not dream of accepting a phone call from someone who hadn't first presented their calling card.

Soon Giles Gilbert Scott's coin-operated telephone boxes were everywhere, in railway stations, post offices and other public places. -and eventually they became a familiar sight on British streets, along with the matching brick-red pillar boxes.

Sadly, this wonderful icon of Britain's heritage has now become obsolete.

Adopt a Red Telephone Box for a Pound

According Brighton's Argus newspaper, the neighbouring councils of Adur and Worthing had rescued three red phone boxes from being destroyed by adopting them from British Telecom for £1 each. The boxes, at East Street, Shoreham, The Steyne, Worthing and Coombes in Lancing will be repainted by council workers within the next few weeks. The council's cultural project officer, Pamela Driscoll said, "The red phone box is as famous as the red London bus when it comes to symbols of British Heritage."
Now people are talking about finding new uses for this much-loved British artefact and are councils are appealing to the public to come up with some new ideas for their use. Some people have turned them into temporary art exhibitions, information centres and book exchanges.
Not bad for just a quid each!

Sources:
Yesterday's Britain, Edited, designed and publised by The Readers' Digest Association, Multiple Unspecified Feature Writers. 1998.
Great Events of the 20th Century, Multiple Unspecified Contributors, The Automobile Association, 1989.
The Argus, Staff Writer (unnamed) Brighton & Hove, 18 March 2011.

Mozart (1756-1791) - The Magic Flute: an Allegory of Austrian Optimism

Mozart 1780 by Johann Nepomuk della Croce Public Domain

Through the darkness of ignorance, we struggle against the evil of falsehead. Only the transforming light, leading to wisdom, will bring us happiness.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's two-act opera, The Magic Flute, composed in the late eighteenth century, was intended as an allegory related to Austrian Freemasonry, with the Queen of the Night representing Maria Theresa, who became the first Empress of Austria. Despite this, there is little doubt that its fairy-tale aspects are the result of Enlightenment optimism. The word "magic", which appears in the title, is a word that conjures hope and happiness, and the flute is a fairy-tale instrument.

How cunning of Mozart, I feel, to set such a strong piece of irony, using allegory, against an escapist background. Perhaps Mozart intended that the message could be delivered, most fittingly, by first misleading the audience, and by trading on its appetite for a hopeful, magical escape into light and joy. Maybe, the great composer simply traded on the mood of the time, in order to achieve recognition, although I accept this may be a fanciful suggestion.

Mozart Engages with the Mystical Ideas of the French Philosophes

Mozart was drawn to the "Illuminati", a radical, masonic group whose founder, Adam Weishaupt, believed in the writings of the French philosophes. Mozart was mainly attracted to its mysticism, and to its emphasis on tolerance and brotherhood. For example, Tamino speaks of the "Temple of Wisdom"... "these columns prove that wisdom, industry and art reside here." Also, the Temple of Wisdom is sub-divided into Temples of Reason and Nature. Sarastro speaks of Tamino, who... "wishes to tear from himself the veil of night and look into the sanctuary of supreme light." He entreats Isis and Osiris to grant that spirit of wisdom to the pair.

Therefore, we have a simple tale of two royal lovers who manage to overcome awful complications and evil, in order to achieve the precious goals of self-knowledge and true love.

Darkness is Ignorant and Light is Joy

In line with other Enlightenment works, the music in The Magic Flute uses high pitch and loudness to depict light and joy, but a lower, solemn, minor pitch to show how darkness equates with ignorance. The portrayal of darkness and light, and wisdom and ignorance, in The Magic Flute, does not, of course, encounter the problems of a symphony, or an oratorio, such as Haydn's The Creation. The visual stage effects which accompany the music and intensify and enhance the musical description, help the transition from darkness to light, from ignorance to wisdom, and can show us the intense drama of the journey.

The upward leaps in the music in Tamino's aria, which are meant to convey yearning or searching, are also symbolic of the Enlightenment; The search for love is an analogy of the Enlightenment search for truth. The flute itself is another symbol: "Oh, such a flute is worth more than gold or crowns, for by its power, human joy and contentment will be increased." This shows a turning away from materialism and into spiritual matters like love and human, spiritual happiness.

The essence of the Enlightenment is summed up in Sarastro's lines in the Finale. "The rays of the sun drive out the night and destroy the hypocrite's false power." In these powerful words, we have the concept, yet again, of light over darkness and the destruction of the power of falsehood, which lies at the centre of evil.

Sources:

• Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus, The Magic Flute, First Performed in December, 1791.
• The Enlightenment - An Anthology, The Open University, Milton Keynes, 1990.