Literature Analyis #1

Literature Analysis #1

BQ Intro.

BQ Intro

Big Question Intro.

                                                                               Seidenberg 1

Nathan Seidenberg

Dr. Preston

AP English P.4

28 January 2012

What are the Qualities of Non-Mainstream Art

That Fail to Resonate with a Wide Audience?

When I think of non-mainstream art, I think of graffiti, tattoos, and my favorite music Indie Rock and Underground Hip-Hop. I wonder if the quality of non-mainstream art that keeps it from becoming mainstream is lack of exposure or is it is too extreme in some respect. In the case of graffiti and tattoos, it is the canvas itself that is too extreme be mainstream. In the case of Indie and Underground Hip-Hop, it is to some degree exposure, but most importantly it is just too intense and real for the general public to appreciate.

Today, graffiti is thought of as unsolicited spraying of paint in a public place, it is considered an act of rebellion and not always art, but the origins of graffiti go back to the beginnings of human society. Graffiti has been found on ancient Egyptian monuments, and was preserved on walls in Pompeii. Graffiti is the plural form of the Italian word grafficar which means drawings, markings, patterns, scribbles, or messages that are painted, written, or carved on a wall or surface. Grafficar also signifies "to scratch" in reference to different wall writings such as "cave paintings".

In the 1960’s, graffiti resurfaced as “tagging” in the New York subways. It originated as a way to is simply reference ones name and address; it was not art. In the middle to late 1970's,

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artists started painting subway trains; thus the name, subway art. The high visibility of the train and the potential audience encouraged more artists to participate in this new form of art. Despite New York City's vigorous anti-graffiti efforts the style flourished and soon influenced artists in cities all over the world; but it could never be considered mainstream for the reasons discussed.

                        In the past, those that were tattooed were gang members, rock n' rollers, or others going through rough times perhaps feeling a need to fit in such as sailors or soldiers. This gave people with tattoos the image of being rough or rebellious. In the 1960’s body decorating with Japanese tattoos became popular but only in certain subcultures. Anyone who sees these intricate designs could not deny they were art but the canvas of the human body would always prevent them from being mainstream. Today the small inconspicuous tattoo is actually more common than you would think for both men and women, but it is hard to believe it would ever be a mainstream art form, inking ones body is too extreme.

So what about non-mainstream music as an art form? Two forms of related music come to mind as non-mainstream, Indie rock and Underground Hip-Hop. Indie (independent) rock is a genre that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include indie pop, grunge, jangle pop, C86, and lo-fi, among others. In the 2000s, as a result of changes in the music industry and the growing importance of the Internet, a number of Indie rock bands began to become more popular.

To become mainstream and appeal to a wider audience does Indie and underground Hip-Hop need to be “watered down” with a repetitive catchy verse? These musicians write with more passion than most do, influenced not by a label, but they pull everything from their lives. They write about their honest dreams and hopes, instead of writing about something a big label has

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told them to write about. They have a sense of respect for their music, and are not interested in financially capitalizing off it. They just want their music and lyrics to influence others the way that their life experiences have influenced them. Although it is not mainstream fame, Indie and underground musicians become famous not because a label had a deal with a radio station, but because their music is truly appreciated.

It is not unexpected to conclude that the qualities of non-mainstream art that fail to resonate with a wide audience are not their lack of exposure but their extremism. In the case of Indie and Underground Hip-Hop, it is that they are extremely honest and might be uncomfortable for mainstream listening.

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Works Cited

George, Nelson. Hip Hop America. London: Penguin Books, 1998.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Independent_music

Wickipedia, the free encyclopedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Underground_music

Enjoy Indie. 26 Jan. 2012 http://enjoyindie.com/?p=2834

Art Crimes. 28 Jan. 2012  http://www.graffiti.org/

Dictionary.com. 28 Jan. 2012 http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/Graffiti

Buzzle.com. 28 Jan. 2012 http://www.buzzle.com/articles/japanese-tattoos-and-their-meanings.html

Knocksteady.com. 28 Jan. 2012 http://www.knocksteady.com/

Underground Art. 28 Jan. 2012 http://makingmommaproud.com/

Copious Magazine. 28 Jan. 2012 http://copiousmagazine.com/08_summer/

Meaning of A Tale of Two Cities

The "Two Cities" being referred to are London and Paris. It is somewhat of a comparison between the two cities.

A Dream Within a Dream By Edgar Allan Poe

  Take this kiss upon the brow!
And, in parting from you now,
Thus much let me avow-
You are not wrong, who deem
That my days have been a dream;
Yet if hope has flown away
In a night, or in a day,
In a vision, or in none,
Is it therefore the less gone?
All that we see or seem
Is but a dream within a dream.

I stand amid the roar
Of a surf-tormented shore,
And I hold within my hand
Grains of the golden sand-
How few! yet how they creep
Through my fingers to the deep,
While I weep- while I weep!
O God! can I not grasp
Them with a tighter clasp?
O God! can I not save
One from the pitiless wave?
Is all that we see or seem
But a dream within a dream? 

I love this poem because it makes you think. Its a puzzle, but you can come up with your own way to put it together. Its just however you interpret it and I think that set it apart from other poems in my mind.

Abstract

I have a history with music and I've been interested in Hip-Hop since I was little. I know hundreds of Hip-Hop artists both Underground and Mainstream. I'm doing this study because I want to be knowledgable on the subject. This research is also so I can start winning my arguments. I'm going to keep organized and stay efficient.

The Open Question

Nathan Seidenberg

1/16/12

P. 3

The Open Question

Typically, I do not like the characters in Shakespeare’s plays. I cannot relate to them and they seem far too dramatic. Hamlet was different. I could see something in him that was different, I was genuinely interested. He had some bad qualities, he rambled and appeared dramatic, and he was even a murderer. What made me interested was no matter how insane Hamlet started to seem, I always felt like he had it together, like he knew what he was doing.

            Shakespeare has never interested me. Sure, I always respected what he did as an author, but his material just wasn’t for me. Hamlet was just the opposite. It was like William Shakespeare found a way to get in my head and whisper “Hamlet has it all under control.” It was like he was sending me subliminal messages. Shakespeare went from an author who I hated reading to one of my favorites just by the creation of Hamlet.

            Hamlet always seemed to be one step ahead. I liked the way he always came through when you thought he was done or he would get caught. He made it seem like he didn’t have it under control so once it was obvious that he did, it made it that much better. I turned into a fan of Hamlet. I wanted to see him prove people wrong and show that he was smarter than he appeared.

            Hamlet finally killed his step father and I felt like the Clippers had just won the championship. I was ecstatic and it felt like a win for me. Surprisingly, I wasn’t upset with Hamlet’s death. It was very predictable but I think that’s the only way it should have ended.