Weimar Republic + Interstellar + Dune
The art of the Weimar Republic, much like the society in which we find ourselves today, aims to glorify 'every day' common ideas and images. While this approach to art can be interpreted and defended as serving to reflect the age in which it is being created... it presents several ethical dilemmas.
Quote 1
Quote 2
I wanted to include this quote because it highlights the fact that eloquence and goodness can be gleaned from anyone or anywhere.
Quote 3
- To access this text, you can download or purchase the larger work Kitsch. An anthology of bad taste by Gillo Dorfles et al. This particular lecture can be found starting on page 49. The link above is for a free download on https://libgen.is/
My friend Jeremy Tingle, a music student at the University of Toronto, shared the above-mentioned quote with me. It was presented as part of a larger critique of Kitsch, the 'trash' art popular during the Weimar Republic.
I think that it is important to preface my thoughts by noting that I am not in any way an expert of the history of Germany in between the two World Wars. But I wanted to bring this period to your attention because it bears direct relevance to our current time.
I think that beauty should be celebrated. But what is beautiful? While I don't think that beauty falls entirely within the conforms of a definition, Jeremy notes that things which are beautiful do not draw attention to themselves, they do not self advertise. Additionally, that which is truly beautiful is simple to experience and does not try to conform. Beauty raises our minds to higher things, at least in traditional thought.
The art of the Weimar Republic, much like the society in which we find ourselves today, aims to glorify 'every day' common ideas and images. While this approach to art can be interpreted and defended as serving to reflect the age in which it is being created, almost as a tool of documentation, it presents several ethical dilemmas.
For one, by emphasizing human normal-ness, which comprises our base desires, art can serve to depict these ideas and images in the same light as things that are truly beautiful. And through this celebration, art can catalyze societal degeneration.
Secondly, by choosing to depict normal-ness, art raises a mirror to society. At most, by looking at such work we are forced to look at ourselves. By choosing not to look higher, art prevents us from assessing ourselves in relation to an ideal or at least another idea.
How the film Interstellar accurately depicted a black hole 5 years before the first image of one was captured
Read the following two articles to find out. This was brought to my knowledge by Erik Gillis, a physics student and friend at the University of Toronto.
Dune - another amazing soundtrack by Hans Zimmer
I really enjoy Hans' music due to his curiosity in instrumentation
As many of you know, I do have a penchant for movie soundtracks. One soundtrack that I have been listening to quite a bit today has been that of Dune, a 2021 sci-fi release (that you have probably already heard of) based on the novel of the same title by American author Frank Herbert (a book that is now on my 'Want to Read' Ā Goodreads list).
Below are some interesting videos on the making of the film and its soundtrack done by Vanity Fair.
If you haven't already, please follow Aurora - Hans Zimmer, my playlist on Spotify.
The Green Line stems from the vision of Anita Li a professor at the Ryerson School of Journalism. I heard about it through my friend Aloysius Wong who currently works at the publication.
Sign up on their website to get updates.