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On a Boat...

On March 31st, 2010 there was a party in New York City. Well, there must have been many parties that night. One in particular was aboard the Jeanne d'Arc at Pier 90, hosted by none other than the French Navy. Built in the 1960's for the Cold War, the ship has been sailing the world on missions for the past fifty years. The helicopter carrier was making its last journey as a naval ship. At each port along the way until it reaches Quebec in four months, the ship will host an exclusive party.

French speakers and non-French speakers alike, there was something at this party for anyone who enjoys French food, champagne, hors d'oeuvres, music, or military uniforms. I was able to practice my French which was definitely one of the night's highlights. All men aboard the ship were in military uniform (for the most part, with the exception of a few men who donned suits). The female guests all donned dresses of all kinds, some representing American styles and some representing French styles. Members of the crew also led tours of as many guests as were interested around the ship's command center and defense center. Many of the controls are electronic, which differs vastly from a tall sailing ship, for example.

The views from the ship of the Manhattan skyline at midtown were stunning. The party started while the sun was still up, so guests were able to observe sunset while aboard, cocktail in hand. There was a French band that featured French marines singing, and there was never a shortage of delicious appetizers. After the main party was over, an after party ensued that featured exquisite desserts of all kinds and more champagne.

If you are inclined to try to secure an invitation to one of the port parties, the ship's only remaining destinations are St. Pierre, Quebec, and its home port, Brest. For marveling purposes only, the ship's previous stops included Rio de Janeiro, Montevido, Ushuaia, Valparaiso, Callao, Balbo, Pointe-a Pitre, and New York.

A great video profiling the ship's last journey can be found at the Daily Motion: http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xc4cvf_navy-the-jeanne-d-arc-s-last-trip_news

NYC midtown from the Jeanne before sunset.

The extended tour of the ship's upper decks.

Night view from the command room.

April 15, 2010: Take Back The Night

Morningside heights was taken by storm last night (April 15, 2010) by more than one thousand members of the community in an annual march to end sexual violence called "Take Back the Night." It was not unusual to see Barnard and Columbia students take to the street for a cause they believed in -- social and political protests are ubiquitous on the university's upper west side campus in NYC. Led by Barnard College and Columbia University students, the two hour march circumambulated the main Barnard and Columbia campuses and ultimately cut across College Walk to return to the Barnard Gates where a safe-space speakout would ensue.

A march with this many people could only mean one thing for the Columbia community -- that there were lots of CU Security and NYPD present. NYPD cars essentially led the march -- one car at the forefront, several cars around the periphery of the marchers, and several cars in the back. As the march pervaded main streets and was not confined to any sidewalks, NYPD were also required to block off entire streets. New York traffic, especially city cabbies, must have been irritated. During the march, student leaders held megaphones and led chants such as "Hey, hey, ho, ho, sexual violence has got to go," "University silence perpetuates the violence," "Rape is a felony, even with CUID" and "What do we want? Safe Streets! When do we want them? Now." The community had a good turnout at the event from all kinds of student clubs and organizations, including the sororities on campus like Kappa Alpha Theta. Several organizations also displayed painted banners hanging on their brownstones with messages such as "IRC supports Take Back The Night" (Intercultural Resource Center) and "SigEp (hearts) TBTN" (Sigma Phi Epsilon).

At the end of the march, students could enjoy hot tea and bagles at Barnard and then enter a dark gym that was covered with blankets to evoke a supportive campfire scene; in the dark safe space, students could anonymously speak out about their own experience with sexual abuse. After someone would speak, the rest of the students were encouraged to say things like "we support you."

People in the streets who were not marching and cheering were either extra security guards or media; the event had ample media coverage. "Take Back The Night" tee shirts are available for five dollars and "Break the Silence: Report Sexual Violence 854-HELP" rape wistles were also given out to all participators.

The march cuts across Columbia's College Walk.

Sig Ep (hearts) TBTN.

Intercultural Resource Center Supports Take Back The Night.

Night Out in NYC: Babbo

It's not hard to spend two hours and drop $200 at Celeb-chef Mario Batali's hip downtown restaurant Babbo. On trendy Wavery Place, walking into Babbo is like walking into a little corner of Italy. You had better make a reservation early though -- the restaurant fills up weeks in advance. The late-night walk ins can score a seat at the fun bar, but seating is limited and timing is critical. Securing two seats at the bar may be ruthless, but it is well worth it to be within an arm's reach of the Prosecco. While seated at the bar there is also a good chance (if you are the only one in sight drinking said Prosecco) that the bartender will keep you topped off constantly and may not charge you for every single drink it adds up to...).

The menu is so superb that you really could not possibly go wrong -- unless you only order one course, however. Be prepared for a serious dinner. This is the business of Italian cuisine, might you remember. A short list of Antipasti not to be missed include the grilled octopus, the finocchiona and lamb prosciutto, and the wild baby arugula. All of the pastas are fabulous as listed under the first course, especially the fettuccine with house-made pancetta and asparagus and linguine with clams, pancetta and hot chiles. For the adventurous eater the squab and the quail are must-haves. The rabbit and barbecued skirt-steak are also incredible. To clean the palate after such an incredible meal the best dessert option is the assortment of gelati and sorbetti.

Babbo is located at 110 Waverly Place in Greenwich Village.

April 8, 2010: Sunny NY weather permits more time outside

New Yorkers enjoyed a high of 78 degrees today. What is the biggest effect this warm sunny weather had on the students of Columbia? Besides an epidemic of gladiator sandals and summer dresses (think Resort wear), classes flock to sit on the newly opened lawns to have class outside. Is there a better place to discuss American history than outside of Hamilton Hall? I suppose the only conceivable distractions might be the other activities also taking place on these lawns -- young children climbing trees, boys playing frisbee, and girls tanning.

March 2010: Tempe Beach Park

Take a late-night walk along the river at Tempe Beach Park and you would almost forget you are in Tempe, Arizona. The weather is warm, the air is fresh, and the lights from the bridges create bright reflections in the water, evoking a very European experience for the duration of the walk. Lots of couples can be spotted making the leisurely stroll by the light of the reflections, as well as ASU students doing photo or video projects for coursework. Not a spot to miss!

March 29, 2010: President Sarkozy of France speaks at Columbia!

The exclusive event, made available to French majors before the rest of the student body, govered admittance by the typical Columbia lottery system. The lottery opened at 8am the Monday prior to the arrival of Monsieur le President Sarkozy. Due to its first-come, first-served nature, the all seats had been taken within ten minutes. Having woken up at 7:55 am to try and secure a spot before the lottery site crashed due to over-activity (which was inevitable when thousands of students are trying to access the site at once), I was lucky enough to

secure a spot at the lecture.

Besides the thrill of hearing him speak in French, I was really excited when he mentioned some themes that directly related to the themes of my International and Global History Since WWII course this semester. He talked about how important participation is from every country in the world economy, and that it is important that members from countries from every single area of the world are permanent members of the National Security Council. It was really powerful when he questioned how could we possibly have a successful, thriving, world economy if the National Security Council lacks permanent representation from Latin America and Africa, for example. I also found the general tone of the importance of global solidarity to be refreshing and inspiring. Sarkozy's energy and the conviction with which he spoke was exhilerating. I also spotted Carla Bruni, which was a spectacle in itself!

Another highlight during the address was when Sarkozy gave President Obama the metaphorical thumbs up, telling the audience that he supports the new healthcare plan. Sarkozy came close to making a joke about how France would never leave citizens on the street without giving them health care -- and is glad to see the US's adoption of the reformed healthcare plan.

The closest Sarkozy came to making a joke was while discussing relations between France and other countries. After naming a few countries and classifying each country's relation with France throughout history, he came to Italy, motioned over to the side of the lecture hall where Carla Bruni was seated among the delegates, and said cooly that things have always been good between France and Italy.

4/7/10: White Tights?

As seen by the glorious high of 68 today in NYC, the discussion of white tights may seem irrelevant. However, it may help you decide if you are just putting them away in your winter closet or if you are getting rid of them for good. Many fashionistas believe that white tights should strictly be for young children and look silly and inappropriate on anyone older the age of nine. By contrast, trend-setter Blair Waldorf on the CW's Gossip Girl proves that white tights can be done right -- if you're skating at Wollman Rink in The Park, that is (with your own skates of course!).

Little Dancer at 116th and Broadway

Blair Waldorf (picture from InStyle)

March 2010: Sixteenth Century Ode to Nature’s Sublimity

What will first catch your eye in the Japanese Painting gallery in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City is the iceberg blue silky background of Maejima Sôjû’s “Landscape.” Sôjû uses formal elements, such as color, size and scale to show how nature’s significance and power triumphs over man in a comparison executed through a contrast between large static cliffs and miniscule figures.

Sôjû’s use of ink varies to allow for an element of distance and depth in the painting, which makes the scene look life-like. While mountains closer in the foreground are outlined with a thick black contour line, mountains farther away in the background are outlined thinly, to show distance. The mountains look more real due to the illusion of distance, because the depth defies the flatness of the paper. The fact that the mountains look real makes them appear more sturdy and impressive.

The only humans in the painting are three figures shown in a small boat in the lower left region of the river. By way of contrast, the small size of the figures accentuates the grandeur of the prodigious cliffs in the background. Due to the sublimity with which the cliffs are depicted, specifically their thick contour lines that create sharp, steep edges and the trees that miraculously grow out at every imaginable angle from the escarpments render the humans insignificant compared to their majestic surroundings. Furthermore, the small boat and hut are overpowered by the steady, motionless cliffs.

Moreover, the power of nature is so evident that mist seems to be acting as the painting’s main protagonist. A grand total of four mountains emerge from the mist itself (two mountains in the distance and two prominently closer to the foreground). The fluidity of the mist evokes motion and movement, which is attributed to the soft calligraphic contour lines of the mist clouds. In addition to its use as a tool to enhance nature’s magnificent qualities, the mist is also used to create a sense of space and distance in the painting, as it separates mountains in the background and foreground.

Nature’s dominant significance in the painting is reinforced by the presence of a small hut that is diminutive in comparison to the large cliffs that tower above it. Sôjû’s attention to nature in the painting outweighs the attention to human life and civilization, as seen by the use of color and the amount of space devoted to each realm. The pine trees are painted with a deep green pigment that makes them stand out against the ink monochrome cliffs, while the figures in the river boat feature light colors that are pale compared to the vivid green of the pines. Additionally, in terms of space, the sheer majesty of nature is evoked by the size of the cliffs and the large number of pines, compared to the figures that are so small that they feature just enough detail to render them recognizable as humans.

Sôjû’s “Landscape” uses depth, color, scale, and mist to represent the sublimity of nature compared to the relative insignificance of man. The mountains are distinguished in the painting as seen by their grand size and the vivid green pigment on the trees that adorn them. Depth is used to make the scene look more real, therefore accentuating the grandeur of the cliffs. Mist contributes power to the iconography of nature through its impressive and active quality of movement. Finally, the greatness of the cliffs is undeniable because of their size in comparison to the tiny riverboat that almost blends into the river as one of the shallow, flat rocks of the same shape and with the same coloring. Sôjû uses this painting to represent nature as a more powerful and important entity compared to man.

February 2010: Human Installations at the Guggenheim

As most modern artists strive to create something that will provoke a new kind of interaction and experience between viewer and work, the role of the viewer becomes more involved because s/he is able to interact with the piece and take away a unique experience. For example, the Guggenheim’s Tino Sehgal exhibit (through February 2010) lets viewers observe a live couple kissing. This is one of the ultimate manifestations of installation artwork, that is always changing and the experience of which is created by the viewers themselves.

Visitors are then escorted through the spiraling ramps with several guides (first a child, then an adolescent, then an adult, and finally an elderly person) who engage them in profound discussions about progress. "What is progress?" each guide will ask you. This type of installation that demands physical participation transforms the modern museum from a place of observation to a place that facilitates a simultaneous intellectual and physical exchange. By allowing the viewer to play an ever-changing role with the work of art, the experience of art is always changing. (Photo credits to my sister who went to the exhibit with me.)

Spring Day in NYC

April 6, 2010: Despite it's status as the "2nd Most Stressful College" according to the Daily Beast,* Columbia University students seem to be taking advantage of this spring day in NYC. Spread out across the campus's many lawns and steps, students bring books, homework, or even just a refreshment outside to enjoy the nice weather while it lasts, especially after such an unpredictable winter season. After the incessant rain storms of last week no one knows just how long these blue skies will last.

Students relax under a cherry blossom tree by the new Diana Center at Barnard.

Students enjoy the sun on Low Steps at Columbia.

*The Daily Beast: The 50 Most Stressful Colleges. #2, Columbia University. April 6, 2010. http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2010-04-04/the-50-most-stressful-colleges/#gallery=1470;page=2

Stuck In Time: An Analysis of Kandinsky’s “Couple Riding”

Kandinsky’s “Couple Riding,” painted in 1906 and currently on display at the Guggenheim Museum in New York City, features a man and a woman, both elegantly dressed, riding a horse in what appears to be a chivalrous scene from an ancient time. The painting combines two worlds in one picture: the old world in the foreground, and the development of the new world in the background, separated by a wide river. This duality of depiction in the painting contributes to the sense of its tension and fragmentation, whereby the painting depicts two worlds in opposition to each other.

The formal elements of the painting evoke its fragmentation as the painting is composed entirely of these small spots of pure color and slightly larger brush strokes of pure color, as opposed to contour lines. The only source of light in the otherwise dark painting is emitted from these luminous points of color within the distant city. The sky in the distance is bright with visible strokes of sea foam green and purple paint, representing light emitted from the city in the background. The small spots that make up the light in the background are also present in the foreground, where they resemble falling leaves, echoing the tapestry on the back of the horse. Even though these spots seem to unify the painting because they appear in both plains, there is still a sense of fragmentation in terms of the painting’s subject matter, because the painting depicts two opposing worlds.

These pure-color tendencies render the painting slightly abstract because there is a sense of ambiguity in the lack of precise details. For example, the two primary figures do not have facial details, except the slightest dab of paint for the woman’s mouth, eyes, and nose. The lack of details in depiction lends an aura of ambiguity to the painting, in the sense that the viewer is given just an idea of a couple; there is not enough detail that would allow one to actually recognize them. The ambiguity of the depiction of the figures also contributes to the painting’s fragmentation because they appear indistinct like an unclear memory.

The foreground of the painting consists mostly of dark colors, with the exception of some red dabs of paint making up the decoration in the horse’s cloak and decoration of a similar manner in the cloak of the man and woman. The dark scene represents the old world, away from mass culture and prior to the industrial revolution and the rise of the modern city. The darkness of the scene along with the lack of precise details in the figures invokes the idea of faded memories. The horse and its festive attire also endow the painting with a chivalrous motif and an old world feeling, as transportation by horse was archaic in 1906 when the painting was created.

The background of the painting depicts the emergence of a new world, the modern city, characterized by very bright dabs of color signifying bright lights. The spots of color representing lights emitted from the city seem to evoke a pressing, current feeling of energy. The light radiating from the city represents the growth and development of major urban centers, a symbol of modernity.

Kandinsky’s decision to display these two worlds — the old and the new — represents the old dream world in crisis. The struggle between the two worlds also attests to the painting’s sense of tension and fragmentation. The darkness of the old world is threatened by the bright lights and the modern culture (compared to the historic culture of horse riding) of the new world, which takes over the skyline of the picture. Kandinsky places the viewer in the sphere of the old dream world, but the viewer can see the city encroaching. The artist makes the viewer decide which realm he or she wants to enter, giving the viewer an active role in the painting.

Kandinsky’s depiction of the competing worlds of historic tradition and the emerging modern metropolis invokes the idea of fragmentation experienced during the early twentieth century. The transformation of the modern city, along with the spread of modernism, creates distance from the anachronistic old world scene, as symbolized by the river spanning the width of the painting. The struggle between the two worlds depicted in the painting represents the rise of the modern city in the twentieth century.

March 2010: Learning & Memory Essay

I was sixteen when I learned how to sail. I was part of the crew of a 139-foot Brigantine tall sailing ship off the coast of Massachusetts, and there was a lot I needed to know. I needed to learn the names of thirty different knots and how to tie them with rope. I needed to know the names of all seven sails, and the names of each line attached to them. Though the shapes of the sails vary, each sail was composed of the same parts. The fact that I could learn the names of the parts and apply them to each sail made it easier to learn because the stimuli of the sails and their parts occurred at the same time: co-occurrence, when multiple stimuli are present at the same time, contributes to the stimuli being recognized together. As things that “fire together wire together,” the sail parts became associated with each other in an associative network.

Another element that facilitated my learning of the sail parts and knots was contingency: I quickly learned that the First, Second, and Third Mates would single out student sailors to quiz them on the name of a line or ask them to tie a not. I learned by operant conditioning that if I wanted to accomplish the task correctly in front of all the other 24 students, I had to study my lines and knots and be prepared. I was able to change my behavior to be a good sailor by studying my knots and lines. There was also an element of surprise that helped me commit the sailing terms and procedures to memory. Before we boarded the ship, we had to do small assignments and projects elaborating on the material we would be working with aboard. As it was a sailing research vessel, we would be studying salinity, depth, temperature, and cataloging the types of organisms we found at different longitudes and latitudes during the voyage. To prepare, we went to salt marshes to practice collecting data and it was surprising to enter a new environment and practice new techniques of data collection. Another element of surprise, which activated the amygdala and hippocampus, was when we would practice raising and lowering a mock sail. It was the first time we had to apply the information we learned in the classroom to a real sail, so having to interact with the physical lines was a new situation with an element of surprise.

The two types of learning are classical conditioning and operant conditioning. Classical conditioning describes a predictive relationship between the conditioned stimulus and the conditioned response. My bunk on the lower deck of the ship was very close to the galley, so I could always hear the din of the pots and pans clanking together. When the sound would awake me (serving as the conditioned stimulus), I would then have breakfast (food serving as the unconditioned stimulus) before I went on watch. I started to associate the sound of the loud noises coming from the galley with being fed, so after several days aboard the ship I started getting hungry when I heard the galley noises filling the lower deck. The fact that the sounds coming from the galley could cause me to be hungry is the result of classical conditioning, whereby the conditioned stimulus of the din would predict food by association, so I would be hungry in anticipation of the food (the conditioned response).

Operant conditioning helped me shape my behavior so that it was as beneficial as could be for the situation at sea. I quickly learned that when I was assigned a task aboard (either to be on lookout on the bowsprit, or steering the helm) the whole ship and crew were depending on me to perform my job accurately. There would be negative consequences if I made an error. If I steered the ship too far one way or another (which would be an example of an error or mistake, therefore bad behavior), the sails would not have the optimum amount of wind in them, which would be a negative reinforcer. If I was at the bowsprit on watch and I did not see a boat or piece of land in front of the ship (an example of an error), we could crash and that would be a negative reinforcer. If we had to change the sails and all hands were called to deck and I needed to go to a certain sail, I needed to know exactly which line to haul on, otherwise I would cause problems for every other member of the crew and I would have prevented a successful sail change. The embarrassment that would have resulted from this would have been a negative reinforcer as well. On the other hand, when I hauled on the correct lines and thoroughly executed my tasks, I was filled with a sense of accomplishment and pride. I was rewarded by the fact that I contributed to the wellbeing and safety of everyone aboard the Cowrith Cramer. The feeling of satisfaction and of doing my job properly for the safety of every person on board was a positive reinforcer.

The two kinds of long-term memory are explicit and implicit. Explicit memory is a kind of memory that you are conscious of and can verbalize. Stored by the hippocampus, explicit memory is remembered vividly. The two kinds of explicit memory are declarative / semantic and episodic. Declarative memory is about facts and information. The names of the knots, sails, and parts of the ship would be categorized in my brain under declarative memory. These are also things that can be looked up, due to their factual nature. Episodic memory is personal and fragile: it encompasses experiences that have happened to you. When a memory that is stored as episodic is recalled, it must be reconstructed. These memories are also categorized, which is why when I think back to my time aboard the ship four years ago, even though I was at sea for two weeks, every day seems to blend together in my memory because they are categorized together. Each day there was a rotation between cleaning the deck, keeping watch, collecting data, or steering and managing the sails. Every day I worked with the same people and devices so that my brain categorizes all the experiences together. Furthermore, because the days all blend together, I must make many inferences when retelling stories from the ship. All the other memories blend together and I would have to infer based on the general episodic memory what a specific memory was.

Under implicit memory (nonverbal memories) are procedural and emotional. Procedural memory is tying the knots and knowing how to haul on a line to raise a sail. These skills are stored by the basal ganglia and the cerebellum. Emotional memory activates the amygdala and the cingulate gyrus. An example of an emotional memory is how scared I felt during the gale when I was absolutely freezing despite my many, many layers of clothing. I also retain an emotional memory that is difficult to pinpoint with a name, but was a result of being completely calm, serene, yet overwhelmed by the power of the massive ocean that extended for hundreds of miles in each direction. I remember feeling elated at being surrounded by nothing other than blue sky and blue water, feeling excited standing at the helm as the only person steering such a huge sailing vessel, and proud walking around the ship knowing the names of the lines and sails.

Sleep is a very important step in the process of learning and memory because when you learn something, the hippocampus holds information that you pay attention to and elaborate on. Then, the hippocampus makes a new firing pattern with the new information. However, this pattern needs to be refired for three nights so that the proper proteins can be synthesized and so that the pattern can be recognized and stored as something you have learned. The physical change that occurs in the brain during rapid eye movement sleep as well as non-rapid eye movement sleep is the growth of new dendrites, which is seen in the neo-cortex and cerebellum in the form of connections between new memories or new networks.

Summer 2008: The Buck Institute for Age Research

I had my first job this summer working as a paid intern at the Buck Institute for Age Research, where I worked alongside scientists from Nobel-winning labs around the world studying Alzheimer's disease.

Within this large research project, are smaller individual projects. My project was to find out what interactions with other proteins and peptides the lower section of the protein APP (Amyloid Precurser Protein), segment AICD, has when it breaks off from the protein APP.

In neuronal cells, the protein APP (Amyloid Precurser Protein) spans across the membrane, inside and outside of the cell. The protein is cleaved (separated) at two location just outside of the cell. I was studying the protein on the inside* of the cell.

* For a long time scientists believed the cleavage of the other segment of the protein, along with the collection of Aβ in the brain, was connected to Alzheimers. Buck scientists proved that the outside protein was not associated with Alzheimer’s, by creating a line of mice with a genetic mutation at the cleavage location. These mice with the mutation preventing the cleavage of AICD have better memories than normal mice, whereas normal mice who have cleavage at AICD and also above the membrane to produce Aβ have significant

Summer 2007: Before Going to Sea!

The Sea Education Association's Science at Sea program was divided into two components – the land component and the sea component. On land we had three classes every morning - Oceanography, Nautical Science, and Maritime Studies. We are were constantly hard at work - either on homework, assigned chores, or science research.

I learned many new things, including: how to tie knots, how to classify cloud types, how to steer and navigate a tall sailing ship in all different wind conditions, how to explain the chemistry of ocean water, how to explain how the sails work in terms of physics, the geography of the ocean floor, the differences between degrees (true, magnetic and compass degrees in terms of compass error), the anatomy of our ship and all its parts, how to talk like a sailor, and much, much more!

The group of 24 students was divided into three "Watches." These watches occurred on land and at sea. On land I was responsible for watches that included cooking, cleaning, and cleaning the head (the bathroom, in sailor talk). I was also occasionally "mate of the day" and helped with miscellaneous chores. I am well equipped to help clean my house and cook meals for my family! Aboard the ship, we helped navigate and steer the ship, took water samples to test for and collect data for salinity, temperature, fluorescence and studied the marine organisms on our course. We used various scientific instruments while we were hove to, or stopped, on the water: a hydrographic winch to lower the CTD (conductivity-temperature-depth recorder); the Secchi disk; the carousel water sampler; various plankton collecting nets (Neuston Net, Phytoplankton Net, and Meter Net).

May 20, 2008: SF Legion of Honor

This morning I took a drive through San Francisco’s Presidio to the Legion of Honor. I couldn’t believe how crowded it was on a Tuesday morning. The grandeur of the museum is so welcoming and exciting, especially the soaring heights of the interior arches and exterior columns. One could easily mistake the mansion as one found in Paris.

The featured exhibit is the Annie Leibovitz photography exhibit, but I always like looking around the other collections as well. Walking into the front courtyard surrounded by the rows of giant columns, there are three sculptures. Rodin’s Thinker, a small glass pyramid, and a recently added, more temporary sculpture by Dale Chihuly, Sun, 1999, made of brightly colored blown glass.

Leibovitz was known for photographing many celebrities. I especially was interested in her chromogenic print of Nicole Kidman because of the way the photograph captures an immensity of light, the subject’s glamour and riches, and causes her to appear almost angelic. Many of Leibovitz’s black and white portraits, for example that of Richard Avedon, seem to capture the soul and character of the subject, as Da Vinci claimed was his own intention, as well. She also photographed Donald Trump with his wife, and Julianne Moore. Leibovitz captured a Biblical Cindy Crawford in a garden, nude, draped in a snake, suggesting an irrefutable representation of Eve. I was also interested in her photographs taken at Peter’s Pond Beach, Long Island, four photographs displayed together as a collection, showing a mother figure with a child at the beach. The shots were similar in location and background but the central figures displayed different gestures in each shot.

Some of Leibovitz’s most famous shots capture the movement of Olympic athletes. One photograph shows members of the US Olympic synchronized swimming team, showing the details of the splashes and the movement of the water. Another action photograph captures Charles Austin, US Olympic Athletics team. The black and white contrast in this photograph is stunning – Austin’s body appears as a shadow, a dark shade of black, compared to the purely white background of the sky.

I especially enjoyed two photographs of the Paris Opera House in 1994. The two photographs are taken at a high angle such that they focus on decorative sculptures on the Opera House, and in the background show the tops of buildings, distinct Napoleonic Parisian architecture.

Leibovitz also photographed Demi Moore’s wedding, and told Moore she was interested in taking photographs of a pregnant woman. When Moore was pregnant with her first child, she let Leibovitz photograph her. Leibovitz also photographed President Clinton in the Oval Office in 1993. There was a large display in the exhibit that featured hundreds of photographs that were assembled into the book “Annie Leibovitz: A Photographer’s Life, 1990-2005.” Leibovitz said each of these photographs were considered based on their “individual impact as well as its importance to the structure of the book.” These photographs included portraits, photographs of children, landscapes, scenes in Venice, San Francisco, babies, and other candid shots. Many of these photographs were on display in the rest of the gallery.

Leibovitz captured another artistically fascinating image of Susan Sontag in Jordan in 1994, a tiny person between the opening of two giant rocks, an opening that exposed a building with beautiful architecture. Some of her images were more gruesome – like the Fallen Bicycle (1994). Leibovitz also photographed Leonardo DiCaprio (1997), Brad Pitt (1994), and Johnny Depp (1994). DiCaprio’s photograph is on Tejon Ranch in Lebec, California, and shows DiCaprio (in black and white) with a swan around his neck. Pitt’s photograph, taken in Las Vegas, was taken in leopard pants, cowboy boots, a striped shirt, and the whole photograph is in reds and oranges. In her photograph of Depp, he is laying, clothed, on a nude Kate Moss. Leibovitz also photographed Bill, Chelsea, and Hillary Clinton on Election Night in 2000 in New York. This candid shot featured an embrace between Chelsea and Hillary, while Bill was reading over something, candidly. Leibovitz photographed Michael Moore in 2004 with his crew, and President Bush in 2001 with his cabinet, in a room whose gilded candleholders and frames stood out because of their lavishness. She photographed Jamie Foxx in 2004 in a shot that featured a diagonal composition, and Foxx sporting a modern and classy outfit, including what looked like Felini’s hat in 8 ½, a wool blazer, a pin stripe suit, golf shoes and intense eye contact. She also photographed Uma Thurman in 2003 and Scarlett Johansson in 2004, lying down in a very similar composition to Ingres’ Odalisque. I loved the photograph of the Quai des Grands Augustins in Paris (December 2003), which reminded me of the winters my family has spent in Paris. The photograph shows the winter sky, a blurry bridge in the background with a close up along the river, and I can make out the distinct trees and buildings on the side of the riverbank. There was also a wonderful photograph of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace in a cape that created a dramatic diagonal composition and extended throughout most of the photograph.

In the museum’s more permanent collection, I found many sculptures by Auguste Rodin (1840-1917). One of my favorites was of a Brother and Sister’s embrace (1890, in plaster). This sculpture evokes the figures’ natural emotions of love for one another. Rodin also created many small figures, like Mother and Child, who were also connected in an embrace, and many sculptures of hands. The gestures of Rodin’s sculptures were very moving because of the emotion that was apparent, which also contributed a sense of movement as the single sculpture shows the two figures in an embrace.

May 6, 2008: San Francisco Ballet

San Francisco is fortunate to have one of the best ballet companies in the world. The San Francisco Ballet “New Works Festival” definitely makes a great evening out. Who doesn’t like getting dressed up and going downtown to the lavishly decorated Opera House? It is hard not to be effected by the contagious energy that consumes the Opera House after an amazing show, when every single member of the audience gives applause after sharing a performance. There is so much energy at the end of a performance and the enthusiasm is certainly contagious, as it spreads among each audience member.

The first piece was titled “Thread.” The backdrop showed images of trees – springtime at first, but then the trees took on a spooky quality and eventually became the image of two large eyes. My first impression was one that the dancers seemed possessed. Their movements seemed to be slow and not under their own control. Some movements were geometric and reminded me of our discussion in Art History about geometric shapes inferring abstraction. The backdrop also changed color periodically, reflecting the mood of the dancing and the tone of the music. I loved the energy that the trumpet added. Between periods of shaky movements, the dancers displayed delicate grace and more traditional form. There was also a door that separated the stage into two parts (also separated by a screen). The screen invited questions and thoughts about separation between the dancers – how are the dancers on each side of the screen different? At first, the dancers began moving by themselves independently, but later in the performance, men danced in pairs with women, and the dancers began to seem more interconnected. (There was something captivating about how the dancers began separately, individually carrying out the same movements together in sync with each other.) There was also the idea of control present – sometimes between the dancers and other times as if the dancers were being controlled by something else – almost evoking the power of the music as a vehicle to exert control over the dancers. The first performance was interesting, intriguing, and beautiful.

By contrast, the third performance, “Double Evil” was interesting for very different reasons. “Double Evil” was captivating because of the irresistible energy of the music and movements. This piece featured more traditional costumes of short puffy tutus in bright colors. This piece received a standing ovation from much of the entire Opera House. Standing among such enthusiastic audience members is an incredible experience. This excited, contagious phenomenon does not end with ballet. In fact, it was the same excitement that consumes the crowd at an ice hockey game after your team has just scored – everyone in the venue is consumed by the energy of the performance. The excitement does not even stop there, with ice hockey, but seems to persist through all kinds of activities that are shared by a large number of people. Such an experience is easy to find, when the crowd is as excited as they are at the midnight showing of a Harry Potter film on opening night, where every theatre at the Metreon is full at least an hour before the starting time of the movie, with screaming, enthusiastic fans dressed head to toe in costume, who, during the movie premiere, share applause and cheering (and the occasional booing at Malfoy). This phenomenon hardly stops there. Since I’ve already mentioned Harry Potter I might as well add that I felt the same way devouring the seventh book the day it was released, and knowing that millions of fans around the world were turning the same pages and reading over the same words, making the experience incredibly powerful.