INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC GROWTH PAPER Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC GROWTH PAPER - Essay Example Free trade was also established and its target was to prevent currency competition. For the next 30 years, it managed to be successful for the attainment of common goals but collapsed in 1971. United Kingdom's economy is currently the fourth largest in the world. Over the first half of the twentieth century, it had a peace making and policing role in the world economy. The world wars had brought about a contraction in the world international trade and investment and UK held a prominent position. But over the years, as globalization occurred, the prominence of UK saw a decline as the foothold of US in the world economy grew stronger after the world wars. In the years of 1920 and 1930s, UK maintained a fluctuating exchange rate regime but it created economic instability and created friction between countries. So at the end of the first half of the twentieth century, a fixed exchange rate system was followed to resolve balance of trade problems. However, in the agreement between US and UK in 1942, UK played a key role assisting US attain the aims of free trade and payments. In 1950, however, other European countries became stronger than the UK economy through economic integr ation. The Breton Woods agreement was also made on the outline plan proposed by the UK and US. In 1945, the world economy faced a challenge when a shortage for the American currency occurred. The US gave loan to the UK in exchange for the lifting of exchange rate controls from sterling. However, this did not turn out well as others started to save UK's currency and cashed it in US dollars. 8. Critically examine the view that the years 1948-73 represented a 'golden age' for the international economy. In 1948, Ludwig Erhard, a German politician, eliminated price fixing and controls on productions that had been enacted by the military rulers and advocated trade liberalization which recovered Germany from the after effects of the Second World War. The International Trade Charter was also agreed in the UN Conference but was not approved in the US. In 1951, the European Coal and Steel Community attempted to establish free trade for certain materials in European countries. In 1960, European Free Trade Association was formed and it also aimed at the liberalization of trade between member countries. In 1973, OPEC, an oil cartel restricted the supply of oil to the world market and raised the crude oil price. As a result of this restriction, exporters in Saudi Arab became rich overnight. The years of 1948-73 were certainly the Golden Age for international economy as the years were characterized by increased trading, due to reduced barriers and abandonment of protectionist policies. This be ttered the relationships between countries, increased the emphasis on specialization, raised productivity and thus, brought about economic growth in many countries 9. Why did the Asian 'Tigers' achieve such

Investment banking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Investment banking - Essay Example They reflect the earnings that the target will generate in future (Rosenbaum & Pearl, 2013: 389).   Fourthly, there are synergies. These are the resulting combined effect which is often greater than the sum of the organization’s individual effects. It is the increased effectiveness resulting when the two organization work together. Sizeable synergies usually help in offsetting the financial convention thereby resulting in accretive acquisitions. The fifth key driver is form of financing that is adopted and most notably, it entails the debt and equity mix (Rosenbaum & Pearl, 2013: 389). It represents the proportion of debt and equity. And finally, there is cost of debt which is normally the cost of borrowing funds by the organization. The LBO analysis often has a number of primary functions. First it for the most part gives a floor or benchmark valuation for the organization, and is helpful in figuring out what a financial sponsor is able to afford to pay for the target and still stand a chance of realizing a satisfactory or adequate profit for its venture or investment. The second primary function of LBO (leveraged buyouts) analysis is to give companies an opportunity of making large acquisition of other ventures without necessarily having to commit a substantial amount of capital. This helps companies to easily acquire the target (Rosenbaum & Pearl, 2013).   The other primary function of LBO analysis is the determination of financing structure for the target. LBO analysis help organization is determining the amount of capital, the type of capital as well as the terms of debt or equity for the target. This therefore facilitates the process of acquisition of the target. On the other hand, LBO analysis assists in mergers and acquisition (M&A) advisory. This primary function aids in determining an implied range of valuation for any given target in the acquisition process. The LBO analysis is used to determine valuation with the help of key value drivers

Observations Of A Landscape Photographer And Architecture

Observations Of A Landscape Photographer And Architecture The objective of this thesis is to see how the ob ­servations of the landscape photographer can fur ­ther inform the relationship of architecture and the landscape. Observing how landscape photogra ­phers perceive their subject and define the issues that influence their personal perspectives becomes the tool for better understanding issues shared by architecture. For example, framing, the role of the horizon, natural and artificial light, texture, mood, scale, geography and the juxtaposition of man-made and natural elements are issues shared by both disciplines. In addition how landscape pho ­tographers observe and interpret the landscape in its many moods challenges architects to under ­stand realizing how similar transformations occur in works of architecture over time. To demonstrate such findings, relevant examples of photography and architecture will be juxtaposed, discussed and supported by explanatory diagrams. In this man ­ner, an analysis of landscape photography will hopefully clarify and inspire alternative ways of defining the interface between the building and the landscape. TYPES OF LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHY Figure 3: Man in water Abstraction Barcelona, Spain Abstract photo by Rouzbeh Mokhtari Types of Landscape photography: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Representational à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Impressionistic à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Abstract 3 TYPES OF LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHY Photographers usually use three different styles in landscape photography, which are representa ­tional, impressionistic and abstract(1). Represen ­tational style results in pictures that show us the most realistic and natural look of the scene without any artifices. It is straight forward, that is what you see is what you get. Although the photographer does not add any props or foreign components to the scene, the best result is not a simple snapshot, rather far from it. The best attention is paid to com ­position, and details of texture, light, foliage, tim ­ing and weather are critical. For the architect who chooses to incorporate this style of photography in his or her work, paying attention to all the details mentioned above is mandatory. Then a personal interpretation of the work can manifest itself in the related architectural subject(Figure 4,5). The second style of photography is impression ­istic. Photographic techniques result in images with elusive or vague quality. These pictures are less touchable and more unreal, while they still retain their values that make them landscape pic ­tures. Studying the works of this second group has helped me to have a better understanding of texture in design(Figure 6,7). One example is when I used the unclear glass in the building, and the onlooker could not tell what or how the inside looked. He or she could have their own imagination about the subject. The last style of photography is called abstract, which deals with shape, form, contrast and color in a particular scene, of which often nothing may be recognizable. One part of the landscape may be combined with another in order to bring out the beauty or danger, water or desert, or red and blue of the scene. Abstract landscape photography isnt really intended to depict a particular scene at all, rather to create a piece of art that is only loosely based on a real scene in the real world( Figure 3,8). One good architectural example is the work of ar ­chitect Luis Barragan. His works deal with texture, light, shadow and repetition, which he applies to his creation. His works for me represent the transi ­tion of abstract landscape photography to architec ­ture. Figure 4: San Sebastion, Spain Representational photo by Rouzbeh Mokhtari Figure 5: Sidi bou said, Tunisia, Representational, photo by Rouzbeh Mokhtari Figure 6: Musse Historie Naturelle, Paris, France Impressionistic photo by Rouzbeh Mokhtari Figure 7: Chateau de Chenon ­ceau, Tour, France Impressionistic photo by Rouzbeh Mokhtari Figure 8: Anger Abstract Maryland, USA Abstract photo by Rouzbeh Mokhtari 1-Landcape photogrophy. http://www.photographyicon.com/landscape/index.html. -Sontag, Susan. On photogrophy. New York: farrar straus and girouxn.d. 4 ISSUES FOUND IN LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHY Geography: Landscape photography consists of three important sub-sections. First, it is about geography of the site and the contrast of sky vs. earth, cliff vs. plateau, sea vs. land and the rule of horizon. Architects deal with the same issues in their work, for instance the Cliffside house by Michael Rotondi ,which explores the concept of sky vs. earth; Salk institute by Louis Kahn for the concept of rule of horizon; Casa Malaparte by Adalberto Libera in the concept of cliff vs. plateau; and Gilardi house by Louis Barragan in the concept of sea vs. land. I do assume that each of the aforementioned examples were somehow influenced by landscape photogra ­phy. An architect should have a good grasp of the effect of the terrain and climate on his design and in achieving that the work of the landscape photographer can be beneficial. Landscape photography Architecture Sky vs. Earth Figure 9(Left): Marmata, Tunisia photo by Rouzbeh Mokhtari Figure 10(Right): Cliffside house by Michael Rotondi Rule of Horizon Figure 11(left): Ocean City, Maryland photo by Rouzbeh Mokhtari Figure 12(Right): Salk institute by Louis Kahn Cliff vs. Plateau Figure 13(Left): Gozo, Malta photo by Rouzbeh Mokhtari Figure 14(Right): Casa Malaparte Sea vs. Land Figure 15(left): Gozzo, Malta Figure 16(Right): Gilardi House by Luis Barragan photo by Rouzbeh Mokhtari 5 ISSUES FOUND IN LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHY Scale: These second section deals with the question of scale, whether grand, pieces and part, close up, or micro. From the beginning of architecture, architects, such as Andrea Palladio, used the ratio founded in nature to create the harmony with the building. In addition there are some buildings that are designed based on humans body. It means that there is a proportional correlation between humans body and buildings elements such as doors and windows size. Sometimes, building are scaled more to their environment or purpose that its the building elements landed their self to present the grand, over powering or even transcended appear ­ance. Regardless of these approaches, the way architect chooses to manipulate scale affect the users by making the building feels, comfortable, divine or even unreal. In short, the scale of architecture is not only the system of size in various levels (physical, visual, technological, economical, etc.), but also the all relations between the proportions, wh ich exist in similar forms of different size each other. Landscape photography can help him acquire a better sense of detail in his design, one thing which can be of utmost importance. Landscape photography Architecture Grand Figure 17(Left): Naples, Italy photo by Rouzbeh Mokhtari Figure 18(Right): Casa Malaparte, Capri, Italy Pieces and parts Figure 19(left): Paris, France photo by Rouzbeh Mokhtari Figure 20(Right): Beyeler Foundation by Renzo Piano Close up Figure 21(Left): Paris, France photo by Rouzbeh Mokhtari Figure 22(Right): Beyeler Foundation by Renzo Piano Micro Figure 23(left): Paris, France photo by Rouzbeh Mokhtari Figure 24(Right): San Carlo alle Quattro Fontance Chapel, Rome, Italy Jenkins, Eric. To Scale. New York: Simultaneously, 2008. 6 ISSUES FOUND IN LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHY Light: Both of paramount importance in the work of a landscape photographer and an architect is lighting, which encompasses bright vs. dull, clear vs. mist, sun vs. rain and day vs. night. The photographer and architect both have to consider the light and shadow and their different qualities in their work. The photographer consid ­ers which light applies best to his object and the architect does the same in his design process. Light is a necessity for the sight and a utility in architecture, but also a powerful, though ephemeral, vehicle of expression. Since light moves back and forth from its source, it changes character and has the power to convey many of the quality of nature to the inert mass of architecture. An architect may not be able to control the light, but can predict its behavior well enough to catch it mean ­ingfully in his work, he channels it through the openings into his space and then molds it into masses, and brings the site to life by contrasting it with the shadows. Architecture Landscape photography Bright vs. Dull Figure 25,26(Left): Ocean City, Maryland photo by Rouzbeh Mokhtari Figure 27,28(Right): Citroen Park, Paris, France Arab Ins., Paris, France Clear vs. Mist Figure 29,30(left): Viaduc Des Artes Park, Paris,FR Luxembourg Park, Paris, France Photo by Rouzbeh Mokhtari Figure 31,32(Right): Arab Ins., Paris, France Sun vs. Rain Figure 33,34(Left): Capri, Italy Paris, France photo by Rouzbeh Mokhtari Figure 35,36(Right): Dominus Winery, California Day vs. Night Figure 37,38(left): Capri, Italy Figure 39,40(Right): Effie Tower, Paris, France photo by Rouzbeh Mokhtari 7 ISSUES FOUND IN LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHY Texture : The last section deals with texture and the comparisons smooth vs. rough, foliage vs. dying, spring vs. fall and fertile vs. barren. Texture lends a dimensional qual ­ity to photos and enable the photographer to break up large areas of tone to create special effects. It has long been used by architects too in order to breath life into buildings as well create a unique experience visually for the visitor. To express the true quality of materials, to shape an interior space or simply to articulate a pat ­tern, texture is a fundamental tool in all of the above. It can also be used to create a more complex language for architects to express themselves. The juxtaposition between both digital and natural materials will certainly emphasize texture via patterns and rhythms. In addition, texture between the two will call for varying degrees of occupant touch. Architecture Landscape photography Smooth vs. Rough Figure 41,42(Left): Capri, Italy photo by Rouzbeh Mokhtari Figure 43,44(Right): France Foliage vs. Dying Figure 45,46(left): Paris, France photo by Stanley Hallet Figure 47,48(Right): Quai Branly Museum Dominus Winery, California Fall vs. Spring Figure 49,50(Left): France photo by Rouzbeh Mokhtari Figure 51(Right): Egerstrom House by Luis Barragan Fertile Figure 50(left): Washington, DC photo by Rouzbeh Mokhtari Figure 51(Right): Paris, France 8 SPECIFIC LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHERS Figure 52: Natural Frame Capri, Italy Photo by Rouzbeh Mokhtari à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ How are they explaining these issues? à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ What kind of the issues that photographers interested? à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Shows different issues on each one: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Rule of reflection à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Rule of Sky à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Rule of extend à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ How does he set up the camera to do this? à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Where the sun will be? Or moon? à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Deconstruct photos o Analyzing each photograph: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Foreground à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Background à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Color shot à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Black and white shot à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ What do I learn from each one à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ What kind of lenses are they using 9 ANSEL ADAMS One of the most famous landscape photographers is Ansel Adams, who has influenced many people in different field. He likes black and white because there is no distraction for him and is really inter ­ested in the grand panorama and in how much de ­tail can be shown in the large context. Most of Ad ­ams work is about the relationship between the sky and earth. He is aware of the suns position at any given point of the day and knows how to use it. He also pioneered the idea of visualization(2) (which he often called previsualization) of the finished print, based upon the measured light values in the scene being photographed. One of the best known and most sought after photographs in the field of fine-art photography is called Moonrise. Ad ­ams took this photo in Hernandez, New Mexico in 1941(Figure 53). He used a technique called rules of thirds, which many artists think of it as boring , that is looking at symmetrical images , divided in three parts. This type of photograph ha s three layers and each a different tone: the black sky, the white cloud and the gray landscape(figure 54). Ad ­ams made an interesting composition that became very popular. Adam said Moonrise combined serendipity and immediate technical recall(3). Serendipity means lucky chance. He felt at the time it was an exceptional image(3) and when he took it, he felt an almost prophetic sense of satis ­faction(3). Ironically, Adams happened upon this shot by chance while driving along a roadside head ­ing towards Santa Fe, New Mexico, after an unpro ­ductive day of photography. The conditions were perfect, but he was basically unprepared because he didnt have access to his light meter. Adams used his knowledge of the luminance of the moon and was able to get this precious shot. He said it is a romantic / emotional moment in time. Another example is called the Winter Sunrise(Figure 56). Adams never intentionally included a human or an animal in his creative landscape, but in this pic  ­ture, horses have added an earthy touch to the un earthly beauty of the scene. Control, as absolute as possible, was at the heart of Adams photography.For him, the critical variable was light and he used light, reflection, rule of thirds, layers and different tones in his work. Each of these techniques can be used in architecture as well. Studying this process can help me as a designer to improve my work and have a better understanding of the correlation at work. Figure 53: Moonrise Photo by Ansel Adams Figure 54: Deconstruct Moonrise Figure 55: Winter Sunrise Photo by Ansel Adams Figure 56: Deconstruct Winter Sunrise 2-Adams, Ansel. The camera. New York: little brown, 1972. 3-Adams, Ansel. The making of 40 photography. New York: little brown, 1980. -Adams, Ansel. Auto biagraphy. New York: little brown, 1987. 10 Eliot Porter is a photographer much influenced by Ansel Adams, yet more interested on the effect of color and its distribution throughout the land ­scape; detail and texture in nature was his focus, so he expanded his attention in order to celebrate the sheer beauty of nature(4). Porters photogra ­phy was more about balance, layering and object vs. the field. To him, photography was a creative art and was the first to successfully bridge the gap between photography as a fine art and its roots in science and technology. Eliot porter is known to be the first nature photographer to artistically craft color images, in both the taking and developing processes, to a degree achieved by Ansel Adams in black and white photography. So delicate was Por ­ters processing technique that a leading photog ­raphy critic at the time, Weston Naef, wrote that Porter was captivated by colors that had not yet been named. In architecture also, an architect tries to breathe life into buildings by br inging different textures along thus creating a visual experience for the eyes to see. Texture is a fundamental tool in expressing the true quality of materials, shaping an interior space or simply to articulate a pattern. It is as I mentioned before, used by architects to create a more complex language of expression. Vi ­sual textures are produced by the patterns given to the lighting of the surface, both through the way materials are worked (e.g., vertical or horizontal chiseling of stone) and through the way they are employed in the building (e.g., vertical or horizon ­tal boarding, projection and recession of courses of brick). Like all patterns, visual textures create as ­sociation of movement, giving rhythm to the sur ­face. A single texture is rarely used in buildings. The variety of materials and treatments typically produces a complex of textures that must be com ­posed and harmonized like the forms and spaces of architecture, into a consistent expressive whole. S o understanding the perception of a photographer in relation to texture can give the designer a better outlook in choosing the right pattern and texture for his work. ELIOT PORTER 4- Porter, Eliot. The place no one knew. Utah: gibbs smith, 1991. 11 JERRY UELSMANN There is another photographer with a completely different technique, Jerry Uelsmann. In his work, he combines several negatives to create surreal landscapes that interweave images of trees, rocks, water and human figures in new and unexpected ways. He uses several enlargers, each of which have a different negative placed under the lamp. The photographic paper is sequentially moved from one enlarger to the next, burning in and dodging out the light wherever it needs to be ma ­nipulated. The paper is then processed to create a one of a kind (irreproducible) print. As an architect always has a concept behind his work, so did Uels ­mann. He believed that a picture should show your own familiar world, thats why his photog ­raphy wasnt about thinking; it was about surprise and discovery. Both in photography and architec ­ture, there exists a concept, vision, idea or inspira ­tion, which most likely emanates from ones own experiences. When one has worked arduously on a project, an d for a long time, his or her inspiration or rather light of inspiration, shines through. In photography, the subject or the concept behind it can be upside down and still be effective. The pho ­tographer can play with your mind and make you see things you wont normally see. In architecture also, the architect can create a compositional con ­cept and take you on a journey not expected. 5-Uelsmann, Jerry. Process and Perception. New York: university press of Florida, 1986. -Uelsmann, Jerry N. Photo Synthesis. New York: University Press of Florida, 1992. Ward, John. The Criticism of Photography As Art: The Photographs of Jerry Uelsmann. New York: University Press of Florida, 1988. 12 SPECIFIC EXAMPLE IN ARCHITECTURE Figure 65: Representational Vals, Switzerland Photo by Rouzbeh Mokhtari à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ How do these issues effect architecture à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Opening as a framing device: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The Doorway à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The window à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The Close porch à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The detail in the landscape à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Architecture holding the landscape(Court) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Architecture in the landscape(site) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Architecture viewing the landscape(widows) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The following are examples of how photography and architecture are correlated. The first example, talks about the effect of the frame and how it can make you focus on a certain point. Second one is the concept of nature and how it can be incorporated into a building. Third, talks about the pattern and how your eyes can lead to a certain impression. The last one, is about reflection and layering , which are both essential in architecture. 13 MARY MISS The artist Mary Miss has been redefining how art is integrated into the public realm since the early 1970s. For more than three decades, Mary Miss has reshaped the boundaries between sculpture, architecture, landscape design and installation art. She has articulated a vision of the public sphere where communal and private experiences co-ex ­ist.(6) Her work is grounded in the context of a place, from which she constructs situations where the visitor becomes aware of the sites history, its ecology, or aspects of the environment that have gone unnoticed. The individual viewer moving through the site, experiencing it in all of its con ­figurations, becomes the primary focus. One of the best examples is Battery Park City Landfill project in 1973 New York City. Its five rough wood panels with deascending circular cutouts were aligned as you walked up to the opening. The built and nat ­ural materials are both laid out for examination, consideration and potential redefinition of their re ­lationships. The visitors were engaged in the mak ­ing of the piece and movement was necessary for it to become visible. Also it is intended to relate the visual with the physicality of the objects and landscape. She is not the photographer nor the ar ­chitect. She is an artist who is following the rules of both in her work. She used rule of horizon, sky vs. earth, fore ground vs. background, layering, composition and object vs. the field. All the issues discussed above are also influential in architecture. For instance, one issue that the photographer deals with is framing, the same goes for the architect also. When the architect deals with the landscape, he may create a space called court or window, which can be directly associated with the way the photographer creates a frame. 6-Abramson, Daniel M. Mary Miss. New York: Princeton Architectural Press, 2003. 14 CURZIO MALAPARTE Italian rationalist architect Albetto Libera, for Curzio Malaparte, conceived Casa Malaparte house around 1937. Malaparte actually reject ­ed Liberas design and built the house himself with the help of Adolfo Amitrano, a local stone mason. The conveyance of communication of values and beliefs through architecture, which best defines the intention of writer and political activist Curzio Malaparte in the design and con ­struction of his house on a bluff in Capri, Case Malaparte is a great example. All of the rules are going against established theories of architec ­ture, such as building should fit in with its natu ­ral surroundings. Malaparte was determined to construct a house that would be his house, con ­veying his values, beliefs and personality. The house is an object in the landscape and it stands alone. When you enter, each window is a snap ­shot and frameS the landscape, and this is due to the way the frame is made. Its according to the Le Corbusier theory, when exterior and interior of a building become one. When you are in the main hall, the walls are white and the floor is stone, you dont feel as if you are inside. When you are on the roof, the sail vs. horizontal line connects the nature to the building, or as Vittorio Savi and Adalberto Libera have said, one realizes then that there is an extreme contrast between looking from the inside or from the outside. They (windows) are empty like hollow eyes. From the inside these windows however are filled with the isolated worlds they frame; terrific worlds provoking a sublime anxiety through revealing the distance between subject and object, man and nature, and the impossibility of processing those worlds that they create(7). Photographers have their cam ­era and work with their lens to create a frame, where as architects construct the building and bring out their windows as their frames. 7-Talamona, Mardia. Casa Malaparte. New York: Princeton Architectural Press, 1992. 15 PETER ZUMTHOR A great example of framing the landscape is when you cannot say when the building starts and land ­scape stops; and it can be seen in the work of Peter Zumthor called Therme Vals. Zumthor uses images of quarries and water flowing spontaneously from the ground to describe the conception of the build ­ing, its geometric rigor reflects a huge rock embed ­ded in the hillside. When you are in the building and in front of the glass wall, the sun is moving from behind the mountain during the day and it is a great example of grasping the landscape through the building. When you are outside in the water, it is still framing the landscape. The building is made of local Valser quartzite and concrete. Water, light and to some extent steam and heat, add to the defi ­nition of areas within the ritual of the bath(8). The Therme Vals offers a seductive shift from the paradigm of the Bilbao effect, where architecture is a vehicle for economic health through spectacle and display. The space is used for the engagement of mind, body , soul and the whole community. This is a great example of how photography can play an important role in framing the landscape in architecture. 8-Zumthor, Peter. Therme Vals. New York: Annalisa Zumthor, 1991. 16 As I mentioned before, sometimes the architect holds part of the landscape and creates a court, such as Renzo Piano having the court yard in the middle of lobby of New York Times building. This cube of space, open to the sky, isnt acces ­sible , but its like finding a park in the middle of an office building. The sight of it alone has a calming effect. Retail tenants are required to keep their glass walls uncluttered in order to pre ­serve the view from either side of the court yard. On one side of the courtyard, there is a theater and has a view to the yard, which can be seen as a background or foreground in photography. This is a great example of how landscape pho ­tography, and framing it is useful to architecture prior to design. Another example of the importance of landscape in architecture can be Katsira detached palace in Japan. The palace includes a drawing room, teahouses, and a strolling garden. It provides an invaluable window into the villas of princes of the Edo period. The strolling garden takes wa ­ter from the Katsura River for the central pond, around which are the tea houses, hill, sand, bridge and lanterns. Its garden is a masterpiece of Japanese gardening. In this palace , the land ­scape is framed outside of the main building and the viewer catches it from outside, where as in the New York Times building, landscape was brought inside and one could experience it from a different angle. RENZO PIANO vs. KARSURA PALACE 17 Lius Barragam is a master at presenting nature in his work through large stucco or plain walls. Shadow is really important in his design and he uses texture, light, shadow and repetition to create architecture. In his work, one cannot tell when the building stops and the nature begins.Barragan said Beauty speaks like an oracle, and man has always heeded its message in an infi nite number of waysLife deprived of beau ­ty is not worthy of being called human. Ricardo Legorreta is a disciple of Luis Barragan and took his ideas to a wider realm. He used el ­ements of Barragans work , like bright colors, geometric shapes, light and shadow and created architecture with elements of nature. Legorreta said This world of Mexican spaces fi lled my life in such a natural way that light, walls, color, mystery, and water,with all their beauty, became part of me. I am not an exception, that is the way we Mexicans are. Legorreta achieves Mystery and Surprise, through the use of Mass, color, symbol , light and lighting , through holes, slots, squeezes and releases. His color is Red, deep blue, yellow, pink and Li ­lac. Pure color, as if it came out of a painters tube. His teacher in all this has been vernacu ­lar architecture which has been also teacher to many other good architects. RICARDO LEGORRETA LUIS BARRAGAN 9-Pauly, Daniele. Barragan space and shadow, wall and colour. New York: Birkhouser, 2004. Mutlow, John V. Ricardo Legorreta. New York: Rizzoli international publication, 1997. 18 POSSIBLE PROGRAM Figure 85: Beyond Being Photo by Unknown Meditation Center 1- Garden / Spread at multiple locations with connotations a. AID/ help in creating moods and set the scene. 2- Bathing / Purifying a. Cold water b. Hot water c. Jasmine water d. Waterfall in different locations 3- Healing: Travel with your mind by being exposed to inspiring images a. Color, light > Chromatography b. Smell > Aromatherapy c. Image/ Elements/ Shape > something inspiring d. Sound/ music 4- Tea house a. Garden 1- harmony -> Nature 2- purity -> drinking tea a. Created for aesthetic and intellectual fulfillment b. it is an interlude in which one leads oneself for the moment to the spirit of beauty, quietude, and politeness toward others. 5- Mediation a. Single/individual spaces b. Common spaces c. rest/ stretch 19 POSSIBLE PROGRAM The essence of nature, life, and the earth is wa ­ter. Water provides the means to exist and to live. There are several examples to imply this idea as water being a pure element. In my opinion, Nature eases the mind. Nature provides birth and death, such dervish dance of existence and non-existence creates a spatial environment to not only ease the mind but also to comfort the body. Another ex ­ample to indicate the importance of water is the human body, which is 60% water. This close rela ­tion between nature and water is the epic of ones calmness. According to Le Corbusiers theory a buildings interior and its exterior should be as one to create a comfortable place. Creating such a calm environ ­ment requires a neat correlation among each parti ­cle to its surrounding nature. Consequently build ­ing a Meditation Center, is a metaphorical bridge to transport a negligent mind to the realm of purity and to detach from the daily pressures of life in order to energize the spirit, and to reconnect with ones inner being. It is a space that is designed to create a feeling of being welcome, safe, and peace ­ful. I used three types of photography, representation ­al, impressionist, and abstract, to embody Le Cor ­busiers idea show itse

Television Commercials Designed for the Female Audience Essay -- Explo

Television Commercials Designed for the Female Audience The television commercial is perhaps the most effective means of product marketing and advertisement. Television is present in 99% of American households, and it stays turned on an average of seven hours per day. (http://www.envirolink.com/) The television audience is a varied, widespread audience, ensuring manufacturers that their products' advertisements are reaching all possible customers. Obviously, not all products are produced for all consumers. Market analysts and advertisers must find advertising techniques that can be used in commercials for certain target customers and use those commercials to directly affect the ideal customer for the product. Gender, social, and cultural ideologies are often used to influence the audience. The vast array of possible studies on commercials includes gender differences and influences on the development of children, demographic stereotypes and the effects on society, even the use of dialogue and its importance to the advertisement; however, I 've focused on a slightly more narrow path of research and observation. I have narrowed down the comparisons of gender differences to focus only on the female's place in the commercial world and how television advertisements change their approach for different age groups. By observing five basic parts of the commercial-- the camera work, the product advertised, the sound, the actors, and the action- I was able to focus on the advertiser's ideas of the female child, teenager, adult, and elder, and sort similarities, differences, and correlations between the commercials of the different age groups. The subject of my research was approximately 190 commercials, recorded over a period of one ... ... as energetic fun-seekers- are influential or not will be determined by the consumer and his or her pocketbook and the advertiser's continued ability to hit that target. RESOURCES TV Facts from http://www.envirolink.org/issues/system/media/tv_facts.html Paper format after Jacquelyn Bradway http://www.wcsu.ctstateu.edu/~mccarney/acad/bradway.html VCR Recordings from NBC, CBS, ABC, and FOX Other Ideas and Information from The Marketing Concept http://ctl.augie.edu/dept/coth/coth380/advert/WHEEL.HTML Gender Differences in Communication http://cpsr.org/cpsr/gender/mulvaney.txt TV Programs Have Underlying Economic Purposes http://www.widmeyer.com/tv/viewing/link11.htm Content Analysis of Gender Differences in Children's Advertising http://www.aber.ac.uk/~ednwww/Resdeg/merris07.html A Definition of Advertising http://www.wsu.edu/

Great Gatsby Essay Essay

This quarter I read The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald. The Great Gatsby is a fiction novel published in 1925. It takes place in New York, 1922 and follows the story of a great man named Gatsby. Although Gatsby is the main character, the book is in perspective and supposedly written by Nick Carraway, a friend of Gatsby. This novel has a very developing story line that hits all kinds of moods, happy, sad, and mysterious. The main character of this story is Jay Gatsby, whose real name is actually James Gatz. Gatsby is a very wealthy man, he has a huge mansion and hosts great parties that attract very famous and respected individuals. Gatsby’s fortune is a mystery to everyone; he tells different people different stories. Gatsby starts the story as a very smooth and intelligent man, who has seemed to have done great things in life. As the story ends, Gatsby starts to lose his suave behavior because he has lost the one he loves. Gatsby does the right thing towards the end of the story when he realizes that Daisy will not be in his life. Gatsby decides to take a swim in his pool, which he has never done before. I think this symbolizes him letting go of his dream to be with Daisy, which makes it okay for him to die. I can relate to Gatsby in the sense that he does everything he possibly can to win over one girl. I think that that shows true ambition, which I see a lot of in myself. Other characters in this novel include; Nick Carraway, Tom & Daisy Buchannan, Jordan Baker, and George & Myrtle Wilson. Nick Carraway is the narrator of the story, he is a wholesome young man who is fascinated by Gatsby, and becomes one of his greatest friends. Nick meets Jordan Baker, a famous golfer, and dates her for some time. Daisy Buchannan is the woman that Gatsby is in love with, but she is married to Tom Buchannan. Tom Buchannan is a successful man who is determined to not let Gatsby get in the way of his marriage, although Tom is seeing someone else: Myrtle Wilson. Myrtle is married to George; they own a car maintenance shop. Myrtle ends up dying at the hands of Daisy, but Gatsby takes the blame and is later killed by George Wilson. The setting of this story is in the heart of the roaring twenties. It takes place in New York City and Long Island, in the summer of 1922. The author really produces a visual scene when describing Gatsby’s parties, and his mansion. It has helped me to understand the glamour of this time period. On one particular day in the story, it is the hottest day of the summer; this is also the day that the climax of the story takes placing. I think that the author’s description of the heat added a very dramatic and relatable affect to the story and scene. It was very exciting to picture New York City and some of its residents in the time period. I think the author shows the reader a few different themes and meanings in his story. One of these themes is the spirit of the twenties. I think the author really wanted to show the reader the true glamour and style of the twenties. During this time period, everyone’s goal was to fulfill the â€Å"American Dream. † In this story, Gatsby both fulfills and doesn’t fulfill the American dream. Yes, Gatsby is popular and wealthy, and the talk of the town, but he doesn’t have the love of his life, and his fortune was created through scam and illegal distribution of alcohol, which doesn’t show to be impressive. I think that the main theme of this story is about the consequences of your past while aspiring for the future. Daisy is in love with Gatsby and his fortune but the fact that he is a bootlegger does not impress her enough to be with him. This story has encouraged me to strive towards a life with meaning, and happiness within myself. The Great Gatsby starts with Nick Carraway, who has recently moved to New York and is neighbors with Gatsby. One night, Nick visits with his cousin Daisy, and her husband Tom Buchannan. There he meets Jordan Baker, whom which he later has a romance with. During his time spent with the three of them, Nick learns that Daisy is unhappy in her marriage and that Tom is seeing another woman. When Nick gets home that night, he sees Gatsby standing in his (Gatsby’s) yard, staring off a green light, which is the Buchannan home. This moment in the story is an example of symbolism, since Gatsby is not aware yet that that is where Daisy lives. Nick becomes good friends with Tom and later meets his girlfriend, Myrtle Wilson, and stays for a party at their apartment on night in New York City. Eventually, Nick gets invited for the first time to one of Gatsby’s parties. There he sees Jordan Baker and spends most of his night with her. He is later introduced to Gatsby who shows courtesy and charm to Nick, they become friends. One day when Nick meets with Jordan and Gatsby, he becomes aware of Gatsby’s love for Daisy. Nick agrees to have Daisy over for tea with Gatsby. When that day comes, it is clear that Gatsby and Daisy are still in love and they begin their affair. Gatsby gives up his parties and house servants because Daisy does not approve. I believe the climax of the story to be the very hot summer day where Gatsby makes his confrontation to Tom Buchannan. Nick, Jordan, Daisy, Tom, and Gatsby all rent a suite in a hotel in New York City, this is where Gatsby proclaims his love for Daisy and Daisy tells Tom she never loved him. Tom tries to sell Gatsby out by revealing his ways of obtaining his fortune. Daisy gets upset and admits to the lie she told Tom. Daisy and Gatsby drive home together and on their way, Daisy hits and kills Myrtle with Gatsby’s car. Tom and the others see the accident on their drive home but they are not aware that it was Daisy who killed Myrtle, because Gatsby takes the blame. Daisy decides to stay with Tom, and leave Gatsby be. Meanwhile, Tom tells Myrtle’s husband, George, that it was Gatsby who killed his wife. George finds Gatsby and shoots him while Gatsby is enjoying himself in his swimming pool. Nick, being Gatsby’s best friend, is left to deal with the funeral. He tries desperately to get people to come to Gatsby’s funeral, but no one will. Gatsby’s dad is the only one who shows and he shares memories of Gatsby with Nick. At the beginning of the story, Nick Carraway did not approve of Gatsby’s doings but as the ending resolves, Nick greatly admires Gatsby and the man he was. I enjoyed reading The Great Gatsby. The first time reading this book from cover to cover, it was just a story, but as I wrote this essay and evaluated the characters, I saw so much more meaning behind it. I liked that this book was not cheesy in any sense, and that it takes a talented reader to fully understand its concept. It was challenging at times, and I had to read it slowly, but it paid off. The story’s ending was great. It was sad that Gatsby died, but it was an inevitable event, considering the fact that Gatsby spent his life trying to impress the one girl he loved, who in turn, turned him down.

Inside Job

Where would we be today if the â€Å"decision makers† would have made more acceptable decisions that affected the economy prior to the market crashing? Millions of middle-class Americans have been left jobless, and even homeless, as a result of the major corporations getting bailed out, while certain individuals were benefiting millions of dollars in bonuses. Following the Great Depression, the United States did not have a single financial crisis. However, according to Charles Ferguson, who is the director of Inside Job, the progressive deregulation of the financial sector since the 1980s gave rise to an increasingly criminal industry. In fact, many executives and leaders that were involved in this meltdown refused to answer questions, and some refused to interview for the documentary all together. The financial crisis of 2008 left many of us with many unanswered questions wondering how the most powerful nation in the world ended up with a destructed economy. The documentary Inside Job hunts down the culprits of the major financial institutions that had the biggest effect on the nation’s economy. The film attempts to provide a comprehensive understanding of the most important subject we have yet to face as a country; which is the worst financial crisis since the Depression, as well as holding those accountable who destroyed our financial system. Inside Job exposes the shocking truth behind the economic crisis. Throughout the film, you feel yourself cringing more and more by each interview. This documentary not once uses the word ‘capitalism’, although it is implied throughout the entire duration. The underlying message about capitalism in the movie is that it mainly benefits the elite, and that it is a corrupt world of finance. The big banks and financial institutions molded the government policies in their favor. As the economy came crashing down, the owners and leaders of financial institutions walked away from the crisis with their personal accounts untouched, and in superb condition for what the entire global economy was going to face next. Joe Boustead, of Socialist. et, states â€Å"The truth is that in a capitalist mode of production anarchy rules, this in turn led to a massive crisis of overproduction, there were simply too many commodities being produced to be consumed as the individuals could either not afford them or simply had no need for them. † One by one, the big banks came crashing down, and more debt was being added to what would become the worst economic crisis in history. Out of the various philosophers, Friedrich Nietzsche would be inclined to agree with the behavior of the Wall Street moguls and the politicians who were responsible for the â€Å"Great Recession. Nietzsche is the philosopher of the will to power, seen as vital creation and fulfillment. He believed that humans and animals seek to live only to exert power and that each person should establish their own moral codes. As Nietzsche believed, â€Å"A living thing seeks above all to discharge its strength—life itself is will to power; self-preservation is only one of the indirect and most frequent. † As evidenced in the documentary, the government and executives sought to discharge their strength by partaking in self-preserving behaviors. While Inside Job exposed the criminal culture of Wall Street, a culture of lies, trickery, and corruption for power, it also exposed the widespread abuse of cocaine and prostitutes. Jonathan Alpert, a psychological counselor for Wall Street executives and professionals in the film, tells us that these practices â€Å"go right to the very top. † Nietzsche valued individualism above all else. He spoke negatively of anarchists, but he believed that only certain individuals should attempt to break away from the â€Å"herd. † That is the main reason I believe he would agree with the behaviors shown in this film. He would be inclined to believe that only certain individuals would be intelligent enough to take advantage of certain laws implemented by government, and somehow twist them into their own benefit, which is exactly what these Wall Street moguls did. If I were to propose legislation to address the problems and issues presented in the documentary, I would use John Stuart Mill’s philosophical view as a basis for the legislation. Mills believed in utilitarianism, which claimed that â€Å"one should assess persons, actions, and institutions by how well they promote human happiness. James Mill claimed: The desire, therefore, of that power which is necessary to render the persons and properties of human beings subservient to our pleasures, is the grand governing law of human nature [Essay IV; cf. Essay V]. I would use utilitarianism as a standard of conduct. Mills believed in the common good for the greatest number. This legislation would not have allowed the senseless, selfish acts that were committed which resulted in a recession that the entire nation had to deal with. Utilitarianism would have avoided the issues that were addressed in the documentary. It would maximize happiness and reduce the suffering of millions of people. I would also implement Sartre’s â€Å"bad faith†, or better known as his existentialism philosophy. Existentialism is a concept where a human would be under pressure from society and acts authentically. These CEOs and leaders knew what they were getting not only their institutions in, but also the economy. Instead of acting authentically and making decisions that would later on benefit the greater amount of people in the world, they chose to act unconsciously. It is a fact that the recession could have been avoided. The wrong decisions were purposely implemented in order to cover certain individuals and maintain power, and of course wealth. Jean-Paul Sartre believed that one should be held responsible for his own actions, and that all individuals should act authentically. From Sartre’s view, we are all â€Å"conscious† when we make decisions. He focused on three modes of being: being-for-itself, being-in-itself, and being-for-others. The â€Å"being-for-itself† would be better described as the being of consciousness. All of these problems that we are facing today, would not be occurring if the decision makers would have acted with consciousness, rather than cruelty, and greed. The people who purposely made calls to somehow sabotage the economy for their own interest should be held accountable, and prosecuted, just as any criminal. Inside Job does an amazing job of informing the audience of what happened behind closed doors to end up where our economy is today. It goes back in history far enough to explain where this economic downfall started, and who there is to blame. The economic crisis could have been avoided if the correct course of action were taken, but instead the middle-class ended up in a situation that was never thought of. Due to greed, this country has to work harder to clean up the mess of the power and money-hungry executives that allowed the economy to get to this state. Inside Job is an informing documentary that leaves us disgusted, but yet informed of the unethical moves people are willing to make in order to stay in power and wealthy. At the end of this documentary, we are left wondering, where would we be today if greed didn’t partake in people’s every move? What is next to come to America, what was once the most powerful country in the world? These moguls are roaming free enjoying their millions of dollars, rather than behind bars for leaving the nation in the worst state we have ever been in as a nation. While the less-powerful, and innocent, are figuring out where the next meal is coming from, or finding a way to get their children to college, the rich are feeding off of every dollar that was benefited and controlled. The truth always comes to light, and in this case, regardless of how hard these folks tried to hide it, the research was conducted to find out what exactly happened. Inside Job Inside Job Summary Inside Job is a documentary by Charles Ferguson, about the causes of the global financial crisis and revealed what was going on inside the U. S. financial industry during the first decade of the 21st century. The movie highlights the effects of a series of causes beginning in the Regan Administration. These causes most prominently include deregulation that allowed excessive and reckless actions in finance, fraud, and conflicts of interest. Deregulation allowed the financial sector more freedom and less discipline, which provided more opportunity for profit and risk.Reflecting the profit growth resulting from deregulation, investment banks went from small, private firms to public companies. The movie illustrates the growth of the financial sector beginning in the 1970s and continuing into the early 2000s, considering that from 1978-2008 the average salary in the United States in every profession other than investment banking rose by 25% and the average salary in inv estment banking rose by 150%. In early 2000 another method mortgage lending was developed that allowed for excessive risk and allowed for incentives to bet against the system for personal gain.The system was called the Securitization food chain and loans were mixed with other types of debt, such as car loans and credit card debt, given a rating, and investors would include these mixes in their funds depending to their rating. Since each party was removed from risk by selling the debt, lenders could extend absurd loans that were highly unlikely to be repaid, rating agencies could grade the absurd debts highly without consequence and the result was the opportunity for virtually anyone in the US to receive a home loan and purchase a home.Which sent home prices incredibly high and since the financial sector was profiting from this procedure through the Securitization Food Chain no one cared about who was holding the bag. The rest is history. The financial industry knew that the meltdown was going to occur. Records show that internally they were betting AGAINST their own offerings. The bubble bursts resulting in people losing their illusory homes and their previously tangible jobs. The financial sector lost their businesses.An incredible, sweeping wildfire of foreclosures and bankruptcies. The US government claimed that if these major financial institutions that caused the crisis were allowed to fail, the effect on the global financial system would be catastrophic. The US government said these firms were ‘too big to fail' and paid out several hundred billions of taxpayer money to save these firms. The unemployment and inflation from these rescues is still accumulating today.