Roark vs. Rivera-Herrans

            While some of the decisions he made aren’t so characteristic of a good man, Howard Roark is nonetheless inspiring in his sheer unbreakable tenacity to do the thing he wants in the way he wants it: to make new, beautiful, modern buildings. I’m fascinated by the way he will not stand down and won’t allow his work to be changed or altered from his original view, no matter what the consequences. As a person who is writing a musical that will be produced by Notre Dame next spring, it is inspiring to see someone protect their work with their life.
            One of the ways I can relate to Howard Roark is the fact that we are both very passionate about our creations and we both like to honor them in their original forms. However, I do have a lot to learn still and I am more willing to receive the input from others because at the end of the day, I do want my work to be not only mine, but I want it to be good. I guess part of what makes Howard and I different is that while his work is solely for his pleasure (he doesn’t make buildings to please anyone but himself), my work is made to entertain me but to also make a statement and to entertain others as well. Yes, I enjoy writing music and creating fun, catchy songs and memorable characters, but I also care about my influence on those who see my work. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Thing 11, Foreign Aid, Paternalism, and Africa

In class yesterday something very interesting was stated by either Ashley, Manuel, or Professor Douthwaite Viglione on the topic of foreign aid and how it is actually harmful to some developing nations. Thing 11 (Africa is not destined for underdevelopment) piqued my interest because this topic comes up so much when discussing global development. The greatest issue with how the media portrays foreign aid and the "wonderful" picture that they paint of poverty is that it is not a complete depiction of what the issue actually is. The issue of poverty is far too complex to mark it as something clear-cut, or “black or white” that can be solved systematically with a “quick fix” such as volunteers coming in and heroically fixing every issue that plagues a country. Social problems are not "one-time" issues to be conquered and that's that, rather they are often cyclical and reoccuring. So when celebrities travel to these countries and show videos of the barren land and...
Read more

A tie in to my art talk and sending out hopeful messages

María Mendoza - Blog post 1 Last week during my art talk, I really wanted to emphasize the point that there is a lot of social commentary that can be made through various forms of art. In particular, we see contemporary art as a great medium for expressing ideas because it is so recent and relatable to most people. Difficult and uncomfortable topics can be discussed more readily through art, which I believe is essential to its existence. Besides appreciating the beauty of a work, one must also take into consideration the message the artist was trying to convey. Often, artists wish to tell the audience something through their masterpieces.          Art in itself is very powerful and important because of its power of persuasion and ability to send out hopeful messages (though not all art will portray the same message – that all depends on the artist). But to that point, I think all art will have some sort of purpose. Just thin...
Read more

Billet de 20 francs-- Debussy

Image
Billet de 20 francs Debussy Ashley Lo The bill I received was created by the Bank of France in 1980. It came into circulation in October 1981 and, as the Franc currency was replaced by Euros in 2002, it too went out of circulation.  Created by the painter Marcel Baschet, , this note depicts a portrait of Claude Debussy, famous French composer, with a turbulent scenery of the sea in the background that echos with Debussy’s “La Mer.” Debussy was one of the most prominent Impressionist composers. He was made “Chevalier of the Legion of Honor” in 1903 . Some of Debussy’s most famous works include “Clair De Lune,” “Reflets dans l’eau” and “Arabesque No.1.”   In reality, Debussy indulged in luxurious life and often spent more than he earned,   It’s quite interesting that, Debussy, who was at one point over 42,000 Francs in debt to Durand, his publisher, then becomes the face of money more than six decades after his life. I personally love...
Read more