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The Merchant of Venice Act 1 Summary
'The Merchant of Venice' Act 1 Summary Shakespeares The Merchant of Venice is an awesome play and flaunts one of Shakespeares mos...
Friday, October 18, 2019
Thread Rolling Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words
Thread Rolling - Research Paper Example From this paper it is clear that the outcome of transferring the material molecules into thread shape instead of weakening through material removal is the thickening of the molecules at the threads critical parts, mostly in the roots and at the pitch diameter flank. The result of this all is an improvement of the quality of the thread form. Furthermore, the burnishing act that takes place at the steel dies results into a production of a magnificent micro-finish. The internal and external threads assembly is improved by the superior finish. It as well minimizes the wear between mating components thus a life extension results. A smooth finish as well results to an advantage of having rolled threaded components over the threaded components.As the discussion stresses the process involved in the thread rolling is known as the infeed roll threading. The thread types involved are pipe threads/ 600 thread type, machine screw type threads. The forms involved in the process are UNR, UNJ, AND U NC, for classes 1A, 2A, and 3A. The metric forms in the process of roll threading are DIN and ISO. The minimum size for the thread is 2mm, and maximum diameter is 63mm. The pitches in roll threading are fine, coarse and extra fine. The material hardness is cold rolling on depending material size and type. Roll threading results to flight safety threads and left and right hand while the volume that results is 1 to 100,000 pieces.
Thursday, October 17, 2019
Student Learning from Preparing and Discussing Two Briefing Papers Essay
Student Learning from Preparing and Discussing Two Briefing Papers - Essay Example The products involved the power generation, transmission, distribution, industrial and building systems, and transportation, while the regions consisted of Asia Pacific, Europe and America (Haberberg and Rieple, 2008). For this reason, Bernavik was recognized for creating a fundamentally different model that could be used to organize and manage a large company. Before Bernavik handed over to Goran Lindahl, in 1997, ABB had continued to achieve spectacular results in which its profits had increased nearly four times, its turnover had doubled, and its return and capital employed had also increased from 12% to 20%, from 1988. However, five years later, after Goran took over the management, ABB started experiencing loses. According to Haberberg and Rieple (2008), the company had a debt of more than $4billion and had suffered a loss of about $691 million within five years: its survival was hanging in the balance. When Bernavik was the CEO, the company purchased about 200 companies, which were successful and formed the basis of global leadership positions. However, the main problem arose after the company decided to purchase an American Industrial boiler manufacture called the Combustion Engineering. As stated by Haberberg and Rieple (2008), after ABB had purchased the company, it was declared that Combustion Engineering insulated its product using asbestos. ... According to Haberberg and Rieple (2008), minimal administration led to lack of standardization of products. The company had four headquarters and about six hundred spreadsheets were being used around the ABB, which made it difficult to share files. In addition, independence of the companies was extremely high. For instance, one factory decided to export transformers to Africa, which was not in its Charter. Moreover, CEO Lindahl contributed highly to the problems ABB was facing. First, he simplified the innovation structure to eight product based divisions, which dissolved the regional dimensions from the matrix. According to Haberberg and Rieple (2008), this caused unnecessary political debate and compromised solutions because the managers concentrated on reconciling the demands of the products and regional bosses. Additionally, Lindahl made a decision to exit the transportation and power generation businesses and closed eleven factories in Europe, which led to loss of about 10,000 jobs. Although this helped the company to make a profit, it affected the expansion and productivity of the company. In addition, other CEOââ¬â¢s who came after Lindahl did not do much to promote the growth of the ABB. For instance, Jurgen Dormann did not know much about the company and the problems it was experiencing by the time he was appointed the CEO. He set up pension funds for the former CEOââ¬â¢s Bernavik and Lindahl of $51 and $81 respectively, which affected the financial status of the company. According to Douglas and Wind (2010:568), success can only be obtained by developing marketing strategies and products that match the specific characteristics of the international markets. Adopting a uniform
Change and Continuity in Contemporary Business Essay - 1
Change and Continuity in Contemporary Business - Essay Example A smart enterprise would keep a close eye on the changes in competitive advantages of the organization and realign their strategies & policies such that the business revenues and market share can be sustained. Such enterprises grow globally by carefully choosing their countries/regions of expansion after analysis of the external & internal factors that can drive the competitive advantages of the company in those geographies. Ford Motors is one such smart enterprise that has been changing their strategies & policies to sustain the challenges posed by the local factors in a country by not only globalizing rapidly but also changing their strategies pertaining to their regions of operations. This report presents the internal and external factors and the corresponding responses by Ford Motors to sustain as well as grow their business globally. Balanced Score Card System developed by Kaplan and Norton via their book "Balanced Score-Card - Translating Strategy into Action" published in 1996 (Source: http://www.balancedscorecard.org/BSCResources/AbouttheBalancedScorecard/tabid/55/Default.aspx) Ford Motors was incorporated by Henry Ford in 1903 in Dearborn, Michigan, USA. Henry Ford is known to have adapted practices that were not popular in those days - like, doubling per day wages and reducing the shifts from 9 hours to 8 hours. It was the worker friendly policies that boosted productivity of Ford much ahead of their competition. Ford is known for their methods of large scale car manufacturing and management of huge workforces globally. In 1911, Henry Ford established the first production unit outside USA in the UK by converting a tram works at Trafford Park that is in south of Manchester. In 1920, after the Second World War, the famous Dagenham facility was established that formed the base for launch of Ford Motor Company Limited (UK) in 1929 that was the hub of the European Ford organization (till the time Ford Motor Company Europe was established much later in 1967). In 1971 Ford combined the US, Canadian and Mexican operations together and established the North Ameri can Automotive Operations. The Dagenham facility was one of the most productive in assembly plant in entire Europe which, however, was closed in 2001 amidst some local factors that reduced the economy advantages of Ford manufacturing in Britain while the manufacturing in Germany and other parts of Europe was much more economical. The primary reasons for Ford manufacturing closure in Dagenham was the insurgence of shop-floor militants that developed a powerbase disrupting production by launching almost continuous Guerrilla warfare while Germany offered much more peaceful and strike free industrialization proposition. Moreover, Ford Motor Company
Wednesday, October 16, 2019
Student Learning from Preparing and Discussing Two Briefing Papers Essay
Student Learning from Preparing and Discussing Two Briefing Papers - Essay Example The products involved the power generation, transmission, distribution, industrial and building systems, and transportation, while the regions consisted of Asia Pacific, Europe and America (Haberberg and Rieple, 2008). For this reason, Bernavik was recognized for creating a fundamentally different model that could be used to organize and manage a large company. Before Bernavik handed over to Goran Lindahl, in 1997, ABB had continued to achieve spectacular results in which its profits had increased nearly four times, its turnover had doubled, and its return and capital employed had also increased from 12% to 20%, from 1988. However, five years later, after Goran took over the management, ABB started experiencing loses. According to Haberberg and Rieple (2008), the company had a debt of more than $4billion and had suffered a loss of about $691 million within five years: its survival was hanging in the balance. When Bernavik was the CEO, the company purchased about 200 companies, which were successful and formed the basis of global leadership positions. However, the main problem arose after the company decided to purchase an American Industrial boiler manufacture called the Combustion Engineering. As stated by Haberberg and Rieple (2008), after ABB had purchased the company, it was declared that Combustion Engineering insulated its product using asbestos. ... According to Haberberg and Rieple (2008), minimal administration led to lack of standardization of products. The company had four headquarters and about six hundred spreadsheets were being used around the ABB, which made it difficult to share files. In addition, independence of the companies was extremely high. For instance, one factory decided to export transformers to Africa, which was not in its Charter. Moreover, CEO Lindahl contributed highly to the problems ABB was facing. First, he simplified the innovation structure to eight product based divisions, which dissolved the regional dimensions from the matrix. According to Haberberg and Rieple (2008), this caused unnecessary political debate and compromised solutions because the managers concentrated on reconciling the demands of the products and regional bosses. Additionally, Lindahl made a decision to exit the transportation and power generation businesses and closed eleven factories in Europe, which led to loss of about 10,000 jobs. Although this helped the company to make a profit, it affected the expansion and productivity of the company. In addition, other CEOââ¬â¢s who came after Lindahl did not do much to promote the growth of the ABB. For instance, Jurgen Dormann did not know much about the company and the problems it was experiencing by the time he was appointed the CEO. He set up pension funds for the former CEOââ¬â¢s Bernavik and Lindahl of $51 and $81 respectively, which affected the financial status of the company. According to Douglas and Wind (2010:568), success can only be obtained by developing marketing strategies and products that match the specific characteristics of the international markets. Adopting a uniform
Tuesday, October 15, 2019
The South was not in an economic position to wage a successful war Essay
The South was not in an economic position to wage a successful war. Thoroughly explain why they were not and judge if you think this had an impact on the overall course of the war - Essay Example Southerners even avoided participation in industrial revolution which was welcomed and accepted by the Northern regions. The industries and the economy of the North was quite diversified in nature as they were involved in the production of both finished as well as agricultural goods. Due to developed factories and industries, the North was able to develop arms and ammunition required to wage a war. The South was even dependant on the North for finished goods and when the war started, the south realized that they lacked the resources needed to fight the war and their current sources of earning wealth were not properly structured (Millett, 2012, p.18). South even experienced decrease in income as the importers of cotton such as the Great Britain started importing from other nations such as India in order to remain neutral to both the North and the South. This event clearly proves that the South did not have the money required to fight the
The classics, Antigone and A Dolls House Essay Example for Free
The classics, Antigone and A Dolls House Essay To understand the relationships and the differences between two stories, one must analyze the story from beginning to end, noting which direction each story heading from the beginning. The plot must be closely looked upon as well as the actors and their actions. Antigone and A dolls house are very similar stories as they both tragic stories of betrayal and mind games. In Antigone, King Creon makes a statewide decree stating that Polynices, the traitor is not to receive a formal burial and is left to rot in the open, but his sister, Antigone, defies his decree even after her sister, Ismenes, refusal to aid in his burial. She buries Polynices and is caught. Soon a Sentry (military officer) arrives at the throne to give news to the king of the violation of his strict decree. The king threatens to take the life of the messenger if he does not come back with news of who has buried this traitor of his kingdom. Later, she is sentenced to be buried alive by King Creon even though she is about to marry the kings son, Haemon. After hearing of the sentencing, Tiresias comes to the throne to speak with the king, along side him, a small boy as an escort. This old prophet is a blind man that in the end of the story, is proven to see better than most able-bodied men of 30 years younger than that of himself. Tiresias proves to the king that gods are not on his side and Creon changes his mind. His final decision is too late. He leaves the throne to personally bury Polynices and speak with Antigone in the cave he sentenced her to die in. He finds that Antigone had hung herself and his own beloved son is no charging at him in full fury but then his blood is spilt at the mercy of his own blade. Meanwhile, back at the throne of King Creon, Eurydice is walking by a room where she hears men speaking of her dead son. She enters the room, where the kings cabinet awaits. She is told the news of her sons death and later takes her own life. Now Creon is all alone. Creon is man that is put into a tight predicament when he issues his decree. Creon is king and all in his kingdom are to obey his laws but what if he were to issue a law that goes against the gods laws. As king, any man would look like a weak fool if someone defied a direct order that he gave to an entire kingdom but what if later on, Creon was to reach the realization that his decree is seen as unjust by the gods as well as the people of hisà kingdom. He is torn between looking weak to his entire kingdom by withholding his decree and having Polynices a proper burial service, or looking strong by going on with the death of his sons fiancà ¨e and be looked down upon by the people he serves. In A Dolls House, Nora Helmer runs into a very similar dilemma, which results in the odd twist at the end of the story. This story begins on Christmas Eve when Nora finds out that her husband Torvald has just received a promotion that will boost him to become bank manager. This excites Nora because some time back, her husband was very ill and was on the verge of death. Nora could not afford to keep her husband out of his deathbed so she forged her fathers signature on a contract that she and a man by the name of Krogstad had put together. Krogstad, an employee of Torvalds, has had a shady history and hasnt worked for Torvald long, but is willing to loan Nora the money to have her husband cured. Signing her fathers signature three days after his own death, Krogstad eventually finds out and is considering taking Nora to court because Krogstad has yet to be repaid for the loan. A woman, by the name of Mrs. Linde comes into town looking for employment and Nora recommended her to her husband. Torvald, considering getting rid of Krogstad because of his shady background, decided to replay Krogstad with Mrs. Linde and the rumor gets around the bank. Krogstad stops by and puts a letter in Torvalds box revealing to him the situation at hand. A doctor comes over later on and tells Nora that he is dying and Nora flirts with him trying to seduce him into maybe giving her the money but is interrupted when Krogstad is introduced to the scene. Krogstad meets Nora and tells her that she is going to be brought in front of a judge in a court of law if he looses his job. He would be loosing his only source of income and having children to feed, he would require Nora to pay him back so he intends to blackmail Nora for his job back. Torvald comes home and walks into his office and reads part of the letter. Enraged, Torvald comes out and finds Nora trying to leave. He stops her and goes off on a tantrum exclaiming how severely Nora has just ruined his lifeà but is interrupted by the maid who brings forth a letter from Krogstad that is addressed to Nora. Taking the letter, Torvald reads it and forgives her because Krogstad has had a change of heart. Previous to Krogsteads termination from the bank, Torvald promised his wife that he would take care of any repricutions from Krogsteads terminations but then falls back on his promise when he explains how Nora has ruined his life. She, in turn, sees what kind of person Torvald and hates what she finds. Nora then decides to leave her husband, family, and maid, to go out and educate herself about the world and her own personal character. Nora and Antigone both share some of the same character traits but they were revealed at opposite times in both of the stories. At the beginning of Antigone, Antigone makes a huge decision on how she is willing to die for her brothers burial procedure and at the end of A Dolls House, Nora makes her big decision about leaving everything she has ever known for her own sake, completely disregarding the needs of her family and prejudging that her husband will be able to take care of them alone, so she can go and have some time to herself to where she can find out who she really is. Creon is comparable to the character of Krogstad in A dolls house. In Antigone, Creon is the deciding factor of the outcome of the story and the same goes with Krogstad because all in all, he is the one that makes the decision whether he wants to bring his opposing character down or not. Creon made a decree stating that Polynices could not be buried and Krogstad made a decree saying that if he looses his job, he is taking Nora down with him. Together, they are both creating a fork in outcome of the stories. Mrs. Linde is like Ismene, Antigones sister, in the fact that they both offer their assistance in helping the main character of both stories towards the climax. Ismene is brought to the throne to speak of her sisters actions and she is truthful in what she says but she argues that Antigone should not be put to death. Mrs. Linde, being an old lover of Krogstad, is asked by Nora try and get Krogstad to not go through with his own decree. In summary, there are many things that bridge these two classic stories together. The stories are just told in reverse order. It can all be tracked from when the decree was made in each story. Antigone and A Dolls House are very much the same.
Monday, October 14, 2019
Concept of Time Portrayed in Art
Concept of Time Portrayed in Art Time is a determinant concept in forms of art where motion is a key factor in order for a narrative to be explored as it occurs, such as in video art, performance, and theatre. The concept of time is also an important parameter for a two-dimensional artwork, which can comprise time through movement or as a snapshot. On the basis of the above syllogism, this essay will determine the nature of time, through the moment, as a still/snapshot in a static artwork and as a sequence in forms of art such as performance. The concept of capturing time in art comprised subjects for contemporary artists such as demonstrated by Christiane Baumgartner and Marina Abramovic, whose works will be explored through this essay: how do two antithetical mediums, namely; printmaking and performance, deal with this same theme and what are the results of the two visual languages that arise in depicting the sense of time? The antithesis of time itself is not only a parameter which is reflected in the mediums themseleves, but also in the content. In other words, the antithesis is also portrayed on a theoretical level. While Christiane Baumgartner uses the illusion of the motion continuity and thus the illusion of time by freezing it, Marina Abramovic deals with the actual and real aspect of time by extending the duration of an occurrence. Hence, there is a differentiated perspective in depicting and presenting the real time and the illusion of it, with time consisting of a weaving of reality and deception. Introduction The issue of time comprises a parameter which, beside the natural sciences was also the object of research by predominately philosophy and anthropology and thereby the extension the art itself, as art was considered to be an essential cultural characteristic. In this essay, the concept of time will be presented via the perspective of perceiving time through the antitheses outlined above. Initially, time should be divided into two categories; such as in the philosophical and sociological frameworks; namely in its real form and in its non-real form that is not quite so obvious. For instance, acquirable time the procedure of measuring time periods, is completely different from the procedure of perceiving time as a representative of or bearer of consciousness. The existence and at the same time the non-existence (lack of obviousness) of time is an object of research for the artists so as to define the sense of time passing via numerous optical dimensions. The model of perceiving time is formed every time by the aesthetic view of the artist. Philosophy and sociology in many cases are related to the artists point of view and thus an interactive relationship in shaping or reconstructing thoughts, which include the phenomenon of time is developed. The contrariety in the approach on the other hand does not create gaps between the aspects of time but they assist in developing depth and assiduous assortment in determining time. However, the contrariety approach comprises a method of analysis; thus, within such a framework regarding contrariety in the perspective of the concept of time, art presents a visual codex and visual symbols and hence the antithesis in approaching and perceiving time can be comprehended. One very good example is the concept of the time sense as it is understood by most people, specifically time or, the symbol that represents time; the clock is an invention that accommodates humans to divide or to plan their everyday lives. On the other hand, there is an application of the above syllogism which is not an invention of the human civilisation but underlies biological or natural laws which is the concept of human age that accompanies human beings during their entire lives. These two antithetical examples could be characterized as external and internal time. The first one is determined by the sound that is produced by the second-hand and the other by the heartbeat. The parameter of their antithesis, however, does not preclude their interaction, but rather it is a matter of visual perspective of their characteristics (Rudolf Arnheim, Art and visual perception: a psychology of the creative eye, University of California Press, 2004). Time has had a significant influence in the world of visual arts. Artists have depicted various symbols for time in order to express its impact as a philosophical question that is reflected in the human existence, or important events in history in order to represent the passing of time. The antithesis will be the main subject of interest in this research and stillness-movement, internal-external time, and fluidity-futility will be some of the main points for analysis. The expressions of time concepts differ from artist to artist due to the different perspective each of them uses. Salvador Dali (1904-1989), the Spanish surrealist painter of the 20th century, created in 1931 the work The persistence of memory. Time is the theme here, from the melting watches to the decay implied by the swarming ants. The title of the painting suggests memorys ability to remain intact as time decays around it. Dali painted this work with the most imperialist fury of precision and the only nod to the real are the distant landscape golden cliffs in Catalonia, where he lived. (Alkis Xaralampidis, Art in 20th century, volume II, 1993). Furthermore, Fransis Alys (born 1959), a Belgian artist who lives and works in Mexico City, in his documented video performance Paradox of praxis I (Sometimes doing something leads to nothing) deals with the concept of time in a different way from surrealism. Alys in this work expresses the futility of time and effort. The artist pushes a large block of ice through the streets of Mexico City for six or seven hours until it melts. It is a film about transformation, but it is also about the futility of human endeavor. It is an epic kind of uselessness that turns his apparently meaningless effort into an almost heroic event; nothing to something. The subtitle of the work is ultimately an idea which speaks to the frustrated efforts of everyday Mexico City residents to improve their living conditions. (Mark Godfrey and Klaus Biensenbach, Fransis Alys: A story of deception, 2010). Performance too, which is very much related to the concept of time because of its nature, has presented a number of works which deal with the sense of time. As a time-based art primarily and by extension a media-based one owns its nature The work of Christiane Baumgartner Christiane Baumgartner was born in Leipzig, Germany in 1967. Her work deals mainly with specific aspects of time concepts; speed and standstill. The images are taken from her own video stills and the chosen format is that of monumental woodcut, mainly black and white. Her aim is to combine in a way two mediums; a traditional, printmaking, with a contemporary one, video art. As the artists herself states: Its about bringing together the different mediums of the video still and the woodcut, about combining the first and the latest reproduction techniques to produce an image (Catalogue Alan Cristea gallery, London 2011). What her subjects often deal with is the movement between figuration and abstraction and the space between with speed and the passage of time recurring themes throughout her work. What she is mostly interested in is the shifting within the woodcut and the way it changes the image and becomes a blurred, non-figurative image (Catalogue Alan Cristea gallery, London 2011). For instance, in 1 Sekunde (fig. 3) the image disappears at points and becomes blurred through the representation of speed. Other digital images are taken at a very low resolution, 3 dpi, and as a result the printmaking effect creates an abstract image, as occurs in Deutscher Wald (fig. 4). Speed, both in terms of subject matter and technique is something she has always been interested in. Many of her works are images taken from highways or tunnels because their inherent movement has been something that attracts her. Through this rationale are made works such as Lisbon II (fig. 5) or Solaris I (fig. 6). Technically, the final work is the result of a procedure that takes significant time. The first step is to film the subject in which she is interested in and afterwards, she selects an image from the film which she thinks is the appropriate for cutting. The main point is to figure out which image I will end up bringing into the world. I will devote so much time to making it and give it so much significance in terms of scale, that I have to choose it very carefully. The fact that I am using a technique in which it will be reproduced more than once further influence my decision. (Catalogue Alan Cristea gallery, London 2011) Her main subject of interest is urban development and how life is affected by the environment. This material world was produced for humans, but at the same time has made life become an aspect in which a main point is speed. Cars, computers, busy highways, and people running, are the common images that exist in big cities. That is why in her work bridges, tunnels, and roads appear so frequently. In a world which is governed by speed, Baumgartner tries to slow down the way information is processed, to better reflect the way people live nowadays. There is so much movement in our physical lives than 20 years ago. But also the time of information and communication has speed up in an extreme way. Because we are expecting such quick responses to our communications we miss the time for the thinking process and also to really prioritize. (philagrafika, blog, http://philagrafika.blogspot.com/2009/05/interview-christiane-baumgartner.html) By choosing woodcut as a medium of expression, she asserts that is it her way of representing the contemporary situation. Her prints, which take a long time to make, effectively slow down time by extending the moment of the constitution of the image from a brief second, which in this case is the video still, to entire months, until the final work is ready. Baumgartner has created a visual language which needs to be viewed from a certain distance from the work so the image can be revealed. This language is consisted of horizontal lines which cut the subject in pieces so as to produce the illusion of movement and speed. When the viewer stands close to the work what he or she observes is actually thick and thin linear forms that reflect the virtuosity of the printmaker at a technical level. However, when the viewer keeps a distance from the artwork, then the entire theme is revealed. Specifically, the motifs assist the observer to comprehend the utility of the medium in relation to the forms in presenting the illusion of movement and thus, time itself. The visual language that is used makes the work of Christiane Baumgartner representative of the contemporary point of view in depicting motion and time. This is a very common perspective not only in fine art but also in contemporary media and video art. The work of the artist is the result of the contemporary perspective in depicting issues and concepts of time, through a more simplified aesthetic. The simplicity in using the medium and by extension, the thematic development in a composition also reflects the will of the artist to establish a relationship between the steady artwork and the viewer. In other words, she is trying to make the visual ability of the viewer actively participate mentally in the world she reconstructs. Hence, the concept of time is a parameter that connects the artist and artwork with the visual and mental ability of the observer. This is a conceptual tool in order for the artwork to communicate the illusion of motion portrayed to real time. This kind of reality is a vital factor for human beings because it produces subconscious images and memories. Due to the fact that Christiane Baumgartners works deal with the conceptual aspect of time in unreal time, she contributes to perceiving this issue from a point of view that functions as an antithesis. In a two-dimensional space she creates the illusion of a three-dimensional theme and in the end she also adds a fourth dimension (time), so as to reveal both the theoretical background of the concept and the sociological extension of it as it is formed in the contemporary life. The social character of Christiane Baumgartners artwork reflects in a way the contemporary model of life. Although the real time remains the same, the contemporary life in the modern societies goes faster. The human itself has created the speed in order to compress life inside the urban environment. Time compresses a contemporary citizen like motion in art is displayed through compression of lines. If a viewer observes the rush hour in a city then he or she will realise how in a mental form, motion is similar or equal to time. Namely, a passing person is a parabolic symbol of passing time. This is why the immediacy of the medium is related to the complexity passing time. The steadiness or the immobility that the medium itself includes is altered by the motion that is depicted. In the same logic, the steadiness or the immobility of environment is altered by human motion itself. All these examples reflect the antithetical nature in perceiving time. In one print of Christiane Baumgartne r a close observation will be a starting point to perceive moving time in a still depiction while she underlines the fact that she uses a slow medium like woodcut to express a fast idea. The work of Marina Abramovic Performance art contrasts to the above perspective regarding time via a static or still medium. Performance is a branch of artistic expression whose basic elements that create its nature are time and space, the presence of which along with the active involvement of the artist and essentially, the audiences presence or interaction is vital. Performance as a visual art incorporates the characteristic of time as a dynamic aspect of its nature. Thus, the medium itself includes the reality of the duration of time as an important parameter which is used extensively by the performance artists. It is like a tool for the performer in depicting the issue or the concept of his interest by using his or her presence. Marina Abramovic, born in 1946 in Belgrade, Yugoslavia, has been a representative artist since the 1970s, the starting point for her career in performing arts. Her work of this type of expression indicates her perspectives of many aspects of her personal experiences but mainly her intellectual enquiries. In many of her performances there are references to the concept of time regardless of the fact that time itself is included in the medium. For instance, in the Relation in movement (1977) Abramovic and Ulay moved in a circle direction repeatedly by driving around a square in Paris for hours. They kept driving until it got dark. The only existing lights were those of the car. There was continuity and duration to this action until the next morning. The couple had different tasks to accomplish; Ulay followed the back wheel and Abramovic loudly stated the number of the accomplished rounds. Additionally, the next morning revealed the black marks that the wheels had created in the ground a nd they tried to follow those marks. Another significant point which is not a usual one was the lack of audience. Only passers-by witnessed the event. The main idea of the performance was to present the repeated movement in physical and mental level. Namely, they presented in a symbolic way the minds circles around an idea or thought. The concept of time enters this performance as an idea that is divided into two subcategories: the obvious time that comprises the duration of the night that the performance took place, and the time which was emphasised every time Abramovic shouted the number of laps completed. In the first case, the artists dealt with time as a frame to present their performance which was main aspect of the length of the performance. In the second case, time took the form of the space and the movement together. In other words the artists defined on the basis of both space and movement the nature of time. Each lap comprised the value of time according to their perspective. The symbolism is still the same, but the gravity of the importance in perceiving time is not solid and this was determined by the artists. Marina A bramovic and Ulay on the basis of relation in movement developed another performance of relevance to the present research, entitled Relation in Time (1977). In Relation in time a static situation is described. The couple Abramovic and Ulay are sitting facing back to each other with their hair tied together as a symbol of their connection. The duration of their performance lasted 16 hours in a gallery without any audience and only during the 17th and hour were the audience allowed to watch the performance. The couple was still sitting motionless for this final hour. During all this time there were only few changes in their presence. According to Lilian Haberer their shared plait, their external connection, their umbilical cord, works loose as the hours pass. She continues in the same sense to explain that there is a contrast to the outward connectedness in their inward separateness, their different feelings (Lilian Haberer, Collection: Museum Ludwig, Cologne, Germany). Abramovic and Ulays approach is revealing because of the fact that time takes the form of destruction, ruination, spoilage and damage. As an example of this destructive operation of time, the couple presents the human relationship which is the main subject of their performance. The direct reference to the ugly face of time in the human life represents the inner fear of all human beings. This type of continuity causes the objects and the living creatures to age and become old. The relationships and the parameters that enrich them are also under the fear of spoilage. The old man as a symbol of the age of time has now given its place to the more conceptual ones. Like Abramovic and Ulay present, time is not an annoying feeling. The impact of time in living creatures as a natural procedure leads them to fall despite its ugliness. It is as natural as death itself in a symbolic or literal way. In the case of Abramovic, time no longer leads down a threatening path of aging, death and ending: it is reproducible (Klaus Biesenbach, Marina Abramovic: The artist is present) This approach concerning time also involves sociological and philosophical understandings. If we consider the philosophical nature of time as a route to death or a procedure that leads human beings to physical and mental decay, then it is a rational conclusion that it also affects human social unity. With sociological determination, this model of understanding time has a significant behavioral impact. This syllogism transforms the concept of time from an ordinary system of measuring into a system of interpreting life. The performance reveals these parameters and gives multiple dimensions in interpreting the inner intellectual process of social life as a diachronic phenomenon. The perspective that is created makes the viewer redefine his or her position in the society. Admittedly, this rationale is a main idea in many performances produced by Abramovic and the personal experiences make the philosophical inquires more obvious via art. In her latest performance at MoMA The artist is Present Abramovic performed the longest work in her performing career. She sat motionless for more than 700 hours in total, seven hours every day the museum was open, for more than 3 months. In this performance she was sitting silent and motionless at a table in the museums atrium inviting visitors to sit silently across from her for how long they chose to, making the performance interactive and becoming in this way participants in the artwork. She will not talk or respond to any of the participants, but their involvement in the process is essential and fundamental element for the work to be completed. The artist is present is one of her most representative time based works as it deals with the long duration and the passing time remaining motionless and speechless. Most of her works contain a kind of mystic energy from which she derives great power in order to concentrate and remain motionless. In Nightsea Crossing she describes staring into Ulays eyes and from a certain moment on seeing only a blue, blind, empty screen in front of her, like the length of her arm, to achieve an empty timeless stare. (Klaus Biesenbach, Marina Abramovic: The artist is present) The artist is present features, according to Biesenbach, as many of her works do, in the endless act of sitting, which is a central aspect to her art. Biesenbach continues: in contemporary times sitting has taken the form of political protest (Klaus Biesenbach, Marina Abramovic: The artist is present). Durational sitting is the principal of The artist is Present which finds Abramovic sitting at a table and waiting for the visitors to get involved in the occurrence. The table here has a symbolic and a parabolic meaning. It functions as a stage and at the same time refers to another motif in her work, which considers images from the ritual daily familial gathering during mealtimes and the routine of a motionless life as time passes and its marks become obvious. The main idea in this last performance is the impact of time in the contemporary life. How much time one disposes in order to participate in the artwork is a personal decision and it depends on the way people nowadays divide time. In a world that is governed by speed, every moment is important. Hence, how willing is each of us to let time pass by is a matter that Abramovics performance deals with. Abramovic says you have to give me your time in order to see the workà ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦ (Klaus Biesenbach, Marina Abramovic: The artist is present) and this is true in any aspect of contemporary life; we have to give time in order to do anything. Biesenbach underlines that while there is no empirical duration established for MoMAs visitors, the moment one sits in the chair, he or she participates in an unspoken agreement with the artist to enter into another perspective (Klaus Biesenbach, Marina Abramovic: The artist is present)
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