Benevolence Lost

    Defining humanity would require volumes. A good portion of the description of humanity is accomplished through the writings of History and Literature. These two subjects offer a great explanation for the depths and questions that we tend to ask about ourselves, especially concerning the make up of man, which consists of; attitude, personality and biological make up. These two specific books in Literature offer views into those questions and help lead the reader to a deeper understanding of the inner workings of man. Although written one hundred twenty eight years apart both Frankenstein by Mary Shelly, and Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes, display the dichotomy of human morality. These books provoke our thoughts and make us question how far science should explore in the field of human experimentation.
     In Flowers for Algernon, Charlie Gordon, the main character who is mentally impaired struggles with how to acquire intelligence, social acceptance and love. He wanted an identity and was willing to sell himself to science in order to gain the things he felt he lacked. As the story progresses Professor Nemur, the scientist conducting the experiment, encourages Charlie that he is doing the right thing because it will help better mankind and quite possibly make him famous. Charlie replies "I don't care so much about being famous. I just want to be smart like the other people so I can have lots of friends who like me."- Page 97. The monster in Frankenstein observes a family living in a cottage and how they interact with each other. This caused him to seek human contact in order to change the situation he was in. The monster states his needs by saying, "The more I saw of them, the greater became my desire to claim their protection and kindness; my heart yearned to be known and loved by these amiable creatures."- Page 126
     In both books, the problem of intellectual validity becomes a topic of contention. Both characters were searching for meaning through the power of the intellect. Philosophically, we state that, what makes us human is intelligence. While this view may be socially accepted it is not entirely correct. Take someone who is mentally disabled for example, they may not have the same mental capacity as the average person but that does not make them any less human. We value intelligence because we know it can progress human kind in the fields of science, economy and industry. We tend to forget that there are many forms of intelligence that may not necessarily be able to be measured. For instance, the sense of humor of one individual may impact another to the point of shaping that person while the same sense of humor may have no effect on someone else.
       Regardless of levels of intelligence we all want human connection, friendship and the ability to relate. In Flowers for Algernon, as Charlie grew smarter he found it hard to relate to his colleagues due to his expanding knowledge. His experience with alienation from the acceptance and love he sought before the experiment ironically had the same result in the remedy. Charlie realizes this truth when he surpasses his experimenters in intellect and writes, "I've got to guard against the natural tendency to look down on them...but still it's frightening to realize my fate is in the hands of men who are not the giants I once thought them to be, men who don't know all the answers."  Page 107. In Frankenstein, the monster took desperate measures to make a meaningful connection with Dr. Frankenstein by forcing him to listen to his story. Even though he was met with abhorrence and hatred the monster persisted, "Be calm! I entreat you to hear me before you vent your hatred on my devoted head..." - Page 95. "Let your compassion be moved, and do not disdain me, listen to my tale; when you have heard that, abandon or commiserate me as you shall judge that I deserve. But hear me..." - Page 97.
         In the world of ethics, science falls into using manipulation in order to justify the reasoning of moving forward in the experimental aspects of science. In both books no one benefited from the experiments. Both scientists failed to properly handle the outcome of their creations. Upon the completion of these experiments both scientists were surrounded with guilt and were forced to explain their selfish reasons for their ambitions.  In Flowers For Algernon, Professor Nemur placates Charlie with a sense of altruism and with accolades of human betterment and fame but the outcome was adulterated. Charlie later retorted with, "I've discovered that nobody really cares about Charlie Gordon, whether he's a moron or a genius." Professor Nemur replied, "You're feeling sorry for yourself. What did you expect? This experiment was calculated to raise your intelligence, not to make you popular. We had no control over what happened to your personality, and you've developed from a likable, retarded young man into an arrogant, self centered, antisocial bastard." Professor Nemur may have succeeded in his intellectual experiment but ended up detached from Charlie. The human equation was annihilated for the sake of science. Charlie resented professor Nemur due do his clinical attitude towards him. He felt like a guinea pig and Professor Nemur's references to, 'making him what he was' or coldly stating, 'someday there will be others like him who will become real human beings' sums up Charlie's point when he states, "How can I make him understand that he did not create me? He doesn't realize I was a person before I came here." Page 101. The same ramifications can be seen with Dr. Frankenstein's reaction to his own creation and the fact he failed to create something beautiful. His mind was completely focused and entangled with the processes of creating a functional human body to the point he ignored warnings about his ideas from his family and colleagues and proceeded under a cloak of secrecy. His father warned him early of the danger of his imaginative pursuits in the ancient philosophies and tried to direct him to return to his former modern system of scientific studies by stating, "Ah, Cornelius Agrippa! My dear Victor, do not waste your time upon this; it is sad trash." Page 38. Dr. Frankenstein encompasses the spiritual consequences for creation without due authority in the following statement, "I doubted at first whether I should attempt the creation of a being like myself... but my imagination was too much exalted" - page 52. His reaction to his creation was of disgust, horror, rejection and abandonment which lead to the destruction of himself, his creation and those he loved. Trying to take the authority of God into your own hands is problematic and leads to dysfunction because we were not meant to have such power.
       Humans are curious and continue to push forward in experimental sciences which may contain beneficial outcomes for mankind but also have the same moral questions Algernon and Frankenstein encounter.  Two modern equivalents that encompass these questions are found in computer science; specifically artificial intelligence and biology, in the field of genetic engineering. Artificial intelligence promotes the idea that this system will make life easier and connect science, economy and industry. AI is the 'well oiled machine' that connects society but we should question if this is a good thing. Are we giving too much control to a machine? What are the ramifications for a thinking people when a machine dictates and controls knowledge. In biology, genetic modification can help find and fight disease, it can also dictate gender, intelligence and even the eye color of a baby.  This field can be extremely helpful but also lead to a 'god complex'.
      As humans we are fated to question and yearn for answers. Our failure to correctly evaluate the moral consequences and set proper boundaries results in destruction instead of what is intended; the betterment of humanity. Reading these books will make you question if knowing is really worth the consequences. The experiment performed on Charlie resulted in feelings of ridicule and he explains this with Plato's allegory of the cave when he quoted, "...the men of the cave would say of him that up he went and down he came without his eyes." The regression of Charlie and his awareness of losing what he sacrificed himself for was littered with sorrow, pain and irreversible loss. Victor Frankensteins personal decent into madness and despair due to not being able to rectify himself to his mistake caused enormous pain within his soul and the world around him. " Thus spoke my prophetic soul, as torn by remorse, horror and despair, I beheld those I loved spend vain sorrow upon the graves of William and Justine, the first hapless victims of my unhallowed arts."  Page 85.
     In conclusion, both books refer to John Milton's, Paradise Lost to describe the main theme found throughout the pages. The souls of all characters were scarred in some manner by the decision to forgo natural set boundaries. The scientists and subjects lived within a newly distorted reality which took precedence in their minds. The scientists actions were captivated by their thinking which had residual results with their fellow man. Those associated with the experiments were effected with loss of life or loss of quality of life. In effect, all lost their innocence and were unable to re-coup their former selves. The lesson of the frailty of human nature and the limits we should live within is best stated by Milton, "The mind is its own place, and in itself can make a heaven of hell or a hell of heaven."

References:

Keyes, Daniel. Flowers For Algernon, Bantam edition, July 1975.

Shelley, Mary. Frankenstien, Signet Classic. Penguin Books, 1963.


Written with the help of my mom.

Confessions of a Regretful Husband

This writing exercise was in the form of a diary reply made by the husband in the short story, The Necklace, by Guy de Maupassant.

       Women! Can't live with em, can't live without em, but lately I wish for a break from these confusing creatures. It started as a lovely evening, I was eagerly headed home to present my beautiful wife a lavish invitation to a ball that we had been requested to attend. I soon arrived at my residence and flung open the door and said with the most pleasing tone, "Look dear, I have something for you," and placed the lacy letter in her dainty hand. With a look of pleasure she snatched the envelope out of my hands and hastily tore it open to reveal the contents of the paper, her eyes skimmed the page, she turned to me with tears of joy in her eyes and threw her arms around me and exclaimed, "Oh darling, how wonderful! We're going to a ball!"
      At least, that's what I expected, instead half way down the page she paused and blandly looked up to me and said in the most degrading tone, "What am I supposed to do with this?"
     Shocked and wide eyed I asked her, "What seems to be the problem dear?"
     She burst into tears and whined, "I don't have any opulent dresses to show off! Oh, how the other women will laugh at me."
     I couldn't believe that this petty worry was the cause of her distress! I should've left her writhing on the floor to stew in her complaints but I found myself at her side trying to console her. My mind raced to find a solution to this trivial issue. Finally, I had come up with a solution. It would include a great sacrifice on my part but it was a sacrifice I had to make in order to silence the constant complaints. I took my wife by her hand and said, "I have some money saved up that should cover a new dress."
     She immediately snapped out of her trance, "Oh dear husband thank you to the ends of the earth!"                 How dramatic I thought to myself, I should be the one throwing fits! I had saved that money for months now to buy a gun to try at the shooting range. The money was now in her possession she used it the next day to buy an extravagant dress. She came back and tried it on for the night of the ball. She stood before the mirror with a pleasant smile. I smiled to myself, I'm relieved that the insanity was over. I looked back up to tell my spouse it was near time to depart for the ball but her blissful expression had changed! She now glared at her reflection sourly. Bracing for the worst, I asked "What seems to be the problem?"
     "I have no jewelry to join my dress, I will surely be scoffed at," she replied, as her fingers ran over a phantom necklace.
    This woman cannot be pleased! What more could she want? Suddenly a bright idea popped into my head, I waltzed over to her and suggested that she adorn herself with flowers but she sneered at the idea, even though it was a current trend. She then suggested that she ask one of her wealthy friends to lend her some jewels.
     "If that will make this nonsense stop!" I thought to myself.
     I told her that it wasn't a bad idea and she headed off at once. Not too long after she came back with a very opulent piece. It was a silver chain encrusted with diamonds, of course she had selected the most expensive looking one!
     "Look dear, isn't it marvelous!" She said, beaming at the necklace.
     Now when you look at her you may see a beautiful young lady but all I see is a jewel pecking magpie.
     We both dressed ourselves for the party and accompanied our cab. Shortly, we arrived at the extravagant ball. As we stepped out of the cab we were greeted by several dapperly dressed party guests. We chattered with our peers and tasted a few hors' de oeuvres. My wife received many comments and compliments on her dashing dress and sparkling necklace. Her face lit up with joy.
     "Maybe this wasn't so bad," I smiled to myself.
     It came time to depart our friends, we said our goodbyes and then exited the grand ball. We entered our cab and headed home. My wife grinned most of the way, we both made our own comments on the party as we approached our house. We got out of the cab and paid the driver, we headed inside to get undressed.  I turned to smile at my wife but her smile had retrogressed into a appalling horror.
     "What in the name of all things holy could she possibly be displeased with!?" I screamed inside my mind and then calmed myself down, "STAY CALM,"  I assured myself.
     I cleared my throat "W-what seems to be the matter dear?"
     "The Necklace is gone!" she replied with panic in her tone.
     She cant be serious...
     "Oh, no it's not!" I almost shouted, "Not for long!"
     I grabbed my coat and my wife's and and lead her out the door.
     We once more arrived at the place of the ball, We ran through the courtyard and through the foyer We searched high and low, in every nook and cranny. We asked the managers, the maids and a few stray party guests, none of which had seen the necklace. My spouse dramatically collapsed on the ballroom floor and sobbed into her hands. "Oh, when my dear friend finds that I have lost her precious jewels she will surely never forgive me!"
Suddenly she sprang to her feet, her tears had ceased as if nothing had happened.
     "But, she doesn't have to know!" She announced
     "Now dear-" I tried to snap her out of it.
     "We can buy one just like it!" She laughed hysterically "She wont know the difference!" This woman was clearly insane.
     "Honey, you must be joking."
     She suddenly grabbed me by the hand and led me back out to the cab. "To the nearest jewelry store!" She told the driver. Before I could protest we took off. We arrived at the high end store my wife described the necklace to one of the employees and they showed her to a clear glass case which the replica was held. It looked exactly like the lost necklace. "Yes, that's the one!" She told the attendant. Glancing back at the case she saw the price tag and shrank back, It was far beyond the money we had.
     "See dear," I stepped in, "lets just go."
     Her sad, puppy dog eyes begged me to help her out of this mess, so I agreed to put up our assets as collateral for a loan to buy the necklace for replacement. This decision was the nail in my coffin, our lives changed forever after that.
     The next day she took the replaced necklace to its owner and the toil of repayment began. We
had worked for years to pay back our loan. We ended up losing our house and other niceties. We lived in the attic of a close friend. My once beautiful wife had lost her soft demeanor due to the years of work and turmoil. We revisited the owner of the necklace today and came clean with the whole situation. She cried in despair over the condition of her beloved friends and said "My dears your confession is many years too late, the necklace was but a fake and could've been replaced with only a pile of cash from your wallet!"
     Needless to say, this truthful bit of information made our souls sink even deeper. Our lives had been wasted away for a fake necklace.

MORALS OF THE STORY:

Be honest
Don't be prideful
Be content with what you have
Proper communication is a key component for avoiding disasters
It's OK to admit your wrong and need help
Be thankful for any good thing that comes your way
Petty complaining steals joy
Your inner and outer beauty can be diminished by your vices
When you use manipulative ways, they tend to bite you back
When you allow yourself to be discontent, you drag others down with you whether you realize it or not.
Too much focus on the real or supposed opinions of others leads to strife

A Letter to Poe

October, 18, 2016

To: Edgar Allan Poe

From:  Eris Blythe

Dear Mr. Poe, 

I am writing you to review one of your works. I have read your short poem The Cask Of Amontillado

and I must say you have an intriguing style of composition. Although, I admit I was captivated, I found myself disturbed as well. I recognize that this work is critically acclaimed as 'The Best Short Story'  since you mastered the use of multiple types of literary irony. It is difficult to depict well written dramatic, situational and verbal ironies in a one shot story. Every line was ironic in some way.

An example of your genius is the name you chose for the victim in your story. You named him, Fortunado, which means fortunate one yet he is the one to perish in a malevolent scheme. Another ironic instance can be found in the title itself, The Cask Of Amontillado. A cask can mean a large barrel that can be filled with alchoholic beverages but it can also define a casket used for the burial of the deceased. The irony I found most titllating was when Montressor and Fortunado shared a toast between wine glasses and the unsuspecting victim was toasting to his own death.

Your irony goes beyond your books Mr.Poe, for I have found myself taking appreciation to your horrid tale. As a young reader I don't appreciate the tragic topics of revenge and malice but your skillful writing and way with words have earned my attention.

Sincerely,

Eris Blythe

Monster House

       My mom works as a stager for real estate, one day she invited me to come to work with her and I thought it would be a fun experience. The house was vacant and it was going to be an easy days work so why not capitalize on the opportunity to change the schedule up a bit. She enticed me with a pitch about enjoying the home school experience in the great outdoors since the house was a bit of a drive west into the hill country. "You can prop your feet up and hit the books, it'll be nice," she said, "and if there is time to spare you might be able to relax with your favorite book and afterward we can get ice cream."

     We pulled up the directions on Google to find that it was about a forty-five minute drive. We left our house with anticipation of the scenic byways and of a house set in bucolic beauty.  We had driven for the allotted Google drive time estimate but we couldn't find the road we were supposed to turn on to get to the house. We drove back and forth for what seemed like forever when finally we gave up and took what we thought was the right road.

     "Look!" I shouted. We had made it to the right road. The green road sign was placed where one wouldn't naturally install it. This area looked like a toddler paved out the road system with his Tonka truck set. It made sense only to the mind that mastered the illogical path. Relieved, we make a turn onto the street only to realize that the path is scattered with dirt and rocks.  We didn't have the right vehicle for four-wheeling. The car shook and grumbled as it slowly rolled over the gravel sending pebbles flying. Finally, we groaned to a stop and looked up to see that we had made our arrival.

     The house was built in a craftsman style facade and was two stories. The exterior looked decent from the road. We hopped out of the car and started for the door. As my mom fumbled with the lock I stared at the bare, flower beds riddled with weeds the place clearly needed some proper landscaping.  Overgrown, dead, field grass made up what should have been the lawn. The view next door wasn't much better, the footprint for a new house with exposed concrete walls and plumbing lines poured as close to the property line as possible made the lot feel encroached upon. "OK," I thought, "This is why my Mom was here, to help make the place look better," but nothing was going to prepare me for what was behind the front door.

'Monster House'
Photo By: chefrandon

     The lock clicked and the door opened. Mom stepped in and I followed. Upon my entrance I was struck with a tidal wave of stench that was beyond describing. The whole place reeked of sewage and everything was plastered with cat hair. I could tell by my Mom's expression that we both were thinking the same thing. I soon found the origins of the stench matted on the carpeted stairs. I looked the staircase up and down gaping at the moldy barf and old cat scat integrated within the fibers of the carpet. As we approached each new corner and room the horrifying terrors just got worse and worse. I cautiously opened the bathroom door, half expecting a rabid raccoon to pounce on me. I flipped on the light and stared into the bowl of a ferociously stained toilet. I staggered back out and tried to find a chair that was decent to sit on so I could regain my composure and attempt to do what I came on the journey for; to concentrate on my work but there was nothing to sit on, not a chair in the house. It was either sit in a pool of cat fur or sit on the front steps outside. I found myself queasy from the persistent, nauseating fetor so I decided the front steps would be my best option.

     My head was still spinning as I stepped outside I plopped down on the steps and opened my book to my current lesson only to find that I still couldn't concentrate! I was tired and hungry and that awful smell had seeped in and poisoned my brain. I asked my mom how much longer it was going to take and she told me with relief in her eyes that it was almost over and we could leave that rotten, putrid house. I sat on the steps patiently waiting for the moment to come when suddenly my mom announced that she was finished and we were free to go. I lit up and immediately grabbed my stuff and joyfully bolted for the car and my mom quickly followed.

     The wheels of our car slowly mowed over the rock- riddled road once more and then we were off.  Freedom from the house of horrors stretched far behind in the rear view mirror. Halfway home my mom gasped, I asked what was troubling her and she turned to me dramatically with a look of terror on her face and exclaimed "I forgot to look in the garage!" With dismay we had realized that in the rush of the moment we had skipped over the garage. The car made a hasty U-turn and we headed in the direction we came, once more the car stumbled down the unforgiving gravely road, and we were once again standing before the monstrous house. My mom gave me the option of staying in the car, I gratefully nodded and she shut the car door and disappeared into the garage. About ten minutes later she came back out and jumped in the car I looked at her with a straight face and said, "Please tell me you didn't forget anything else!" She assured me that she had everything covered.

      Completely spent, we headed down the road to home again. The experience was so traumatizing we knew we needed retail therapy to get over it. We decided to treat ourselves after our disastrous day at a small but lavish shopping center. We found that food therapy and retail therapy go hand in hand! A delicious pizza place supplied us with garlic knots to soothe our misfortune. After stuffing ourselves we popped into a few stores and boutiques to window shop. The beautifully arranged displays enchanted us and the monster house became a distant memory. Thankfully, the story of the worst house in my Mother's working career ended with a sold sign and new owners who would take tender loving care of the property.

DIY: Hanging Papasan Chair

Over the Summer break my friend re-did her bedroom, inspiring the idea to upgrade my own room.  I did some research for ideas and came across an article for re-purposing a papasan chair. I sold the idea of installing this style of chair to my parents but the tutorial was a bit vague.

Since I learned a few things during the process, I thought I'd share the details so others who want to accomplish the same goal can have a good resource and maybe cut down on a few mistakes that could happen along the way.

MEASURE

First,  make sure you have enough space in your room to fit a papasan chair. This means measuring the space and measuring the chair. I measured the papasan's diameter across and it was 45 inches, it would fit in my room but I knew it would take up a lot of visual space. Another thing to consider is the 'tilt' space. If you want to angle the papasan chair, the space in the room can be a bit smaller.
My mom also measured the trunk of her car to see if the papasan chair would fit for transport if you are purchasing it. We ended up asking a neighbor to borrow his truck.  Measuring is an important first step!

Other items you will need to measure is the amount of rope you will need. Always consider the extra amount needed for knots.

MATERIALS

Make a list of materials needed for the project.

• Papasan Chair Frame (sans stand)
• Papasan Cushion
• Rope - We used 25-30 feet of 700 lb rated, Nylon, 1/2 inch rope
• Box Cutter- for cutting the rope
• Lighter- to seal the ends of the rope after cutting
• Hitching Ring with 2 inch Screw Eye (we used 2)
• Joist/Stud finder
• Ladder
• Nail and Hammer (Nail to show the area on the ceiling where screw eye will be installed)
• Tape (Electric)- For rope management

KNOT KNOWLEDGE

If you happen to be a girl scout or boy scout, you may  have earned a patch for knot tying. This will come in handy. We used  two types of knots to give our structure stability, which is an important part of the installation process. The weight of a body needs to be supported by the proper balance of the structure.

Another reason to use the correct knot is because the material also has to withstand wear and tear.

We chose 3 evenly spaced points on the chair frame to tie the ropes. We used the Sailor's knot to give these areas the strongest support without damaging the frame. We also used the Blood knot at the base of the hitching ring.

We used 15 feet of rope and tied these 2 ends in at an obtuse angle to the chair frame, creating a triangle at the mid point. We then tied a 10 foot section to the chair frame and the mid point (Lariat Loop Knot) of the 18 foot length rope creating a pyramid. This 10 foot sections made the chair adjustable. We could angle or flatten the chair as we liked. The extra rope at the end of the 10 foot section was used to tie the chair to the hitching ring.

INSTALLATION

It is important to find a joist in the ceiling to secure the hanging system. A stud finder will dictate where this is. Hammer a small nail into the ceiling to mark the spot where the screw eye and hitching ring will be locate. 

Make sure there is enough room between the wall and the hanging chair before you decide to put a hole in the ceiling. Our joist was a little close so we used a pull system to help keep the chair away from the wall.  This pull system also helps with the stability of the structure by adding another stress point, a place for tension to displace and even out the load.

Secure the rope to the hitching ring with a blood knot and let the fun part begin, decorating your hanging chair.

DECORATING

I bought a neutral, cream colored, plush cushion to fill in the papasan chair for comfort.  I added blue throw pillows, a few stuffed animals and decorative fox tails to make it my own.

Photo Credits To: Chandra Brown

Thanks Dad and Mom for helping me!

Homeschooling From A Teens' Perspective

        I am thirteen years old and technically in seventh grade, I go to a homeschool campus called One Day Academy for advanced science and math classes. Every year is a bit different being homeschooled, it has its' ups and downs. In this essay I will be discussing the highlights of my year, being that Summer is almost here ( ha, I rhymed).

At The Blanton Photo by: My Mom

          I start my week by waking up Monday morning and getting ready for school then go to my local ODA campus where I sign in and go to science, after science I have a two hour time gap until math so I have time to chat with my friends. I have worksheets for both math and science that I complete every week to turn in next class and testing on Fridays. Both teachers say I'm great at turning in my  worksheets and I currently have the best grade in the math class.
        I have been going to an art class that is linked through O.D.A and I have to say I have immensely improved in my drawing and animation skills. My teachers are wonderful and I have plenty of class mates to talk to in my free time. It took me about two to three years to get used to the organization aspect of homeschooling but now I have a system. Now I know that I should do my math in the morning because that's when I'm most focused. Ive also become pretty good at keeping track of my homework, though my folders are messy I've never lost any worksheets.
        So far this year I've learned about the make up of an atom, radioactive decay, the speed of light and sound, color spectrums and much more! One thing that I learned was that there is a huge misunderstanding when it comes to radioactivity, The Fukushima disaster was not as terrible as we think, of course, the tsunami was still tragic but the meltdown was not that big of a deal. (this article will give you a more detailed explanation).  My physical science book helped me understand this interesting fact, "We are exposed to beta particles and gamma rays each time you get close to someone because people themselves are radioactive." Another interesting fact about radioactivity concerns a safety device we all have in our homes; smoke detectors. These devices expose us to alpha particles because the main component of a detector goes through alpha decay. (1) All this information supports the rules of the scientific method, which involves properly reading charts and measurements and following the laws of physics.
             After discussing the highlights of my seventh grade year, I would like to highly recommend homeschooling. As a reader of my blog, If you decide to consider homeschooling you might ask: "Well, what do you do all day?" I do school work just like any other student. "Do you ever make any friends?" Yes, of course! I get a chance to talk to a good handful of people every week. "Are you learning the same amount of  knowledge as the public school kids?" Yes, in fact I'm in some advanced courses which is a mix of seventh and eighth grade work. "Is your curriculum any good?" Well, it's far better than public school curriculum. See my earlier post to understand why. Overall, the experience has been the best Ive ever had regarding school. To be bluntly honest, public school couldn't have done better.

Resource:
Exploring Creation With Physical Science, Second Edition, May 2014. Dr. Jay L. Wile. Module 13, page 330.

Lucienne Day: Inspiring Artists

       Lucienne Day was an example of a great designer, her work was unique and is classic to this day.  Lucienne was born in 1917 in Coulsdon Surrey, U.K. She specialized in fabrics, prints and wallpapers. Lucienne claimed that she wanted to revitalize design after World War II by creating bold but simplistic patterns that took inspiration from nature and often displayed geometric shapes.The fabric, Rayon, was a new and uprising product at the time, and Lucienne discovered it appealed to the masses. Day started out working for a department store named Heals. Lucien's career started escalating when her designs became popular through this store. Day soon moved on to being a design consultant for British Airlines. Even though Lucienne worked for many different people she managed to keep her creative independence. Her color pallet was usually very simplistic yet vibrant. She occasionally made a print by hand but most of them were digitally printed in bulk.
        Lucienne was partially inspired by Paul Klee and Wassily Kandinsky. Both artists have geometric roots in their pieces. One such art piece, as the Zeichen in Gelb, 1937 by Paul Klee displays the geometric shapes beautifully. The simplistic but bold colors and distinct arrangement of lines can be compared to Day's work and displays a noticeable similarity. On the other hand  I feel Kandinsky offers more influence in color than in shape, a good example of this is found in his collection of The Color Study.
        When you look at Lucienne's work it has an upbeat, playful vibe to it. Her designs interpret nature in a bright colorful way yet is still simplistic. A few of her patterns remind me of Spring. The decades after WWII were a very bland age and Lucienne wanted to bring color and bold shapes back to the homes of the average family and revive modern fashion. Day was a little bit before her time, the geometric shapes and color pallets would fit perfectly in a modern home today. In fact, I would add some of her work to my very home.

Lucienne Day's Calyx Fabric