Francis Bacon

If a History Channel documentary spawned a love child with blogger.com you would have the exact style that this documentary is framed in. Informational at all times while still keeping an abstract tone this biography of Francis Bacon both entertains the viewer while still educating them on the topic. While watching this documentary I cannot help but feel that I am reading a blog entry with every intrusion of a clip being the click of a hyper link. The clip being that of moving cars, animals, trains or even people wrestling. These clips seem to have almost nothing to do with the story that is being told but they do invoke a certain subconscious emotional response, for example, during the painting segment when clips of the hawk and cheetah where both thrown in to evoke an idea of urgency. At the sudden site of those predatorial animals it causes the viewer to become a bit startled which causes adrenalin to be released then causing the viewer to yearn for what comes next. From this point on the frame of the biography changes, we then see Francis Bacon enter the gallery to be interviewed. The interviewer however seems to focus more on what Bacon’s opinion on other artists are which is a bit of an odd twist considering the biography is about Bacon himself. While odd the interview flows smoothly and continues to frame the story well.



In this segment we see a lot less of the “random hyperlinked” segments of the program that we saw before in the first segment. However in this portion I took more notice to the lighting of the first interview. The shadowing that was just an effect from the projector really made me pay more attention to that of the actual slides because when they weren’t shown the screen was more subdued and softer, primarily using shades of black and blue. But when the projection was shown I had more to take at and look in, I even felt that I was listening harder and really soaking in what they where saying about that particular piece. During the seg-way to the next interview they cleverly made the door seem as if it where one of his paintings even though in a way it is. He said himself that he uses the space around him to create art and he must live in chaos to do so. He even said that it was an “abstract picture.” When Bacon stops discussing his work studio and why he likes to keep it chaotic during the time passage of 5:03-5:14 we hear the faint sounds of the forest playing. This I believe is used to evoke a pathos charged response from the viewer, we hear these calming soothing sounds that completely juxtapose the images that are being displayed, this could either be to calm to viewer or to possibly give the air of birth of creativity which is often associated with sounds of nature.



At this point I just realized that the large paintings of his that where displayed where purposefully superimposed into his workshop this was probably done to show the piece of work in its natural habitat. During this segment a photographer comes into the studio and seems to surprise Bacon and the interviewer with several snaps of his camera. This brilliantly segways into several photographs some of them in color but most in black and white, among the photographs pictured one is of Bacon, perhaps this is done to have the viewer correlate the artist as a piece of the art. Later during another montage the documenter begins correlating black and white photographs with their painted counterparts in most cases striking similarities arise. But the documentary doesn’t give us any time to actually examine the photograph that is shown. It only gives us a brief image to take in the shape of the subject because that is what Bacon uses when looking at these photographs not the subject but the shape.



During the beginning of this segment Bacon begins discussing blood and the “horror images” seen in his paintings and I noticed that in his actual interview in the café, whether or not this was on purpose there was a lot of red in the frame, in the back ground there where two red cars and a red van, in the foreground they where both drinking red wine, there was a reddish purple flower sitting in a vase on the table and even Bacons face is gaining more red tones (probably due to the wine he has been drinking.) During this interview the normal style of framing that the documentary has established up until this point has been changed again, the segways are no longer as smooth as they once were; they are simple black-outs then fade-ins. Even the handling of the camera has become jerkier this could be due to Bacon’s BAC though. At the end of that interview the scene suddenly changes to a drinking club that Bacon frequents and the many shots pictured are all of different areas around the bar but they all have deep rich tones of red or gold, the colors that Bacon himself seems to prefer.



In the beginning of this segment there are many shots of the bar goers but none are as pictured as much as the rather flamboyant man in the begging. This could be because of the many lines and shadows that seem to dance and play across his face. Or possibly because he is the most animated individual in the bar which is quite a feet considering he seems to be completely stationary during all of the shots he is pictured in. Among most of the chatter that we hear as the scene plays most of the only distinguishable noise comes from either him or Bacon. When the scene changes from the crowded and sociable bar scene to the more somber and subdued one on one discussion the color of the scene even subtly changes. Many of the rich vibrant colors such as the reds, brasses and golds leave and are replaced by more somber Greens, blacks and just a few golds. In addition to the lack of color in the interview, we see that the backgrounds of the paintings pictured are completely black. We then cut to shots from Bacon’s favorite casino which is rich with both life and vibrant color such as many rich greens, reds and golds. Then in the last few seconds of the segment an interview with Bacon starts up again, this is when we see a definite contrast with colors. The entire background is red except for the lamps which are a shade of gold, which has a routed color of red. But Bacon is dressed in a blue scarf and blue suit the complete and polar opposite of red.




In the beginning of this final segment the interviewer begins discussing with Bacon why he gambles and his opinions on that matter and as he answers they space out his responses with that of fast paced shuffling around the roulette table, which in turn creates a sort of sense of urgency or haste that is often associated with the fast paced world of gambling. I have already discussed the use of red within this scene earlier but I believe that it ties in with Bacon’s discussion of violence and animalistic urges within his paintings that people often see. Within this entire documentary Bacon’s main focus and what he enjoys talking about most is his use of shadow, shape and color. These methods are used through out the film in order to convey his particular school of thought and artistic style and they are very effective in making the audience think.

The Whole of My Life is Worth More Than the Sum of its Parts

Little Boxes By Malvina Reynolds

Little Boxes by Malvina Reynolds was inspired by a Californian suburb that is completely indistinguishable from any other suburb in all of the United States, and because of this I find this song bears a great resemblance to the area in which I spent the majority of my teen years. The city of Bellevue has the honor of being the states third largest city at 50,000. However the city like all of the cities in the area shares a border with Omaha that is completely indistinguishable to the naked eye, so as everyone in the area of Omaha is concerned, it’s all really Omaha. But Bellevue does have its own distinguishable features that make its core identical to the clip. Like all suburbs, every house is the same; all of the neighbors seem perfect, white picket fences line the lawns which border the streets named after the trees that once stood there. The blood of the American dream never cease to course through the veins of every person living on one of those “ticky-tacky” blocks. However a key difference between these houses and my own is that I live in an apartment complex which sits near a neighborhood on a landlocked island apart from all of the other “ticky-tacky” places. Though I grew up outside the world of the “ticky-tacky” I was still surrounded by it and it has impacted the way I see my life.

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Megalomaniac by Incubus

This video opens with a surreal skyline of a city that is tangled with barbed wire and thorns; throughout the rest of the video we see several other images such as planes, troops, oil, the American eagle and “Jesus Saves” signs. This to me is a strong reminder of Omaha where I spend most of my time when I want to get away from the suburb of Bellevue and its inhabitants, which is all the time. Omaha is a large city with many towering sky scrapers that seem almost surreal, especially when they are compared to the rest of Nebraska. Among the many buildings and pretty scenery that much of Omaha wishes to cover up there are many underdeveloped sections of town that have been left to sit and no attention or money has been spent improving these rundown areas of town which within this video is represented by the harsh jagged thorns and wires that run through the city. Because Offutt Air Force Base is so close to the area Omaha is largely influenced by the military along with the Christian right so it isn’t uncommon to see several American flags and “Jesus Saves” stickers depending on the area of Omaha you are in.

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New Soul by Yael Naim

Through out this video we see several landscapes depicted the majority of which being marsh type lands which remind me of a place that is very dear to my soul. Louisiana, though these depictions are nothing like that of the Bayou state, it still reminds me of the place I call home. Especially the relaxed fun of just floating on the river with friends in inner tubes playing music it reminds me of several rainy day’s on the back porch over looking the Bayou when we would just lay back and make jokes or maybe even sing just to pass the time. Toward the end of the video we see what was Yael’s apartment become a floating raft on the river drifting to an unknown destination which is reminiscent of the many occasions in which I or someone else would drift by on a boat or something that floated with friends laughing and having a good time. This is what embodies the State of Louisiana for me.




Womanizer by Brittney Spears

Womanizer through the video and the song tells the story of a woman being treated as nothing more than a mere object by a man and how she is viewed by him and many of his colleges. Through the video Brittney dawns three different costumes and seduces this man until she ultimately destroys him in the end. There is a small clip in here that reminds me of my mother of all people, during the office scene when Brittney is walking down the isle as a sexy worker being completely eye raped by this man it reminds me of how difficult it is for a woman to make it in the corporate world. My mother just like most woman is overly scrutinized and seldom taken seriously just because of what lies in her swimsuit area. It seems that in the real world many men expect woman to just be there to carry out their fantasies much like many of the women in this video.



Everybody’s Free (to Wear Sun Screen) by Baz Luhrmann

Baz Luhrmann’s Everybody’s Free (to Wear Sun Screen) originally written by Mary Schmich and titled “Advice like youth, probably just wasted on the young” is my favorite essay of all time and it reminds me of my closest friend Bailey Vaughn simply because she is happy and content in her own skin. Within the video we see several people dancing around, kissing, hugging, laughing, smiling, moving and enjoying themselves. Through many of the inspirational talks I have had with this young woman together we reached a mutual epiphany that allows us to be comfortable in our own skins, there was no specific conversation that brought this on but a mixture of beliefs and thoughts that just swirled around until it finally changed my life for the better.



Masquerade from Phantom of the Opera (movie version)

Masquerade is a ball room scene within Phantom of the Opera in which all of the party goer’s dawn masks for a themed costume ball. The hosts of the party decided to get members of the Opera Company to perform at the ball to liven the party up and create a spectacle. That within itself reminds me of a great love in my life Theater, without it I don’t know what I would be doing but I know it couldn’t be nearly as fun or meaningful for me. It reminds me of theater simply because of the theatrical elements that are the costumes, lights, masks, music and dances. Within the clip we also see several mischievous characters stealing bottles of alcohol and smuggling them into the back where the “back stage people” are having a party of their own, which seems to be much more fun than the actual party itself. This is another element that is true to its real life counter part. All of my best memories within the theater are not the ones that happen on the stage before an audience but the ones that happen backstage with all of your friends within the department just goofing off and dancing around.

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I Don’t Feel Like Dancin’ by Scissor Sisters

This videos strange nature complete with; odd noises, floating body parts, odd blinking gizmos and few fires has all of these elements in common with my one prized possession, my 1993 award winning (numba one stunnah) Ford Tempo affectionately named Diego. The first thing that I noticed about this video was the many floating heads and other various body parts detached from their rightful place floating around yet still working, this reminded me of my heater that is strapped to my dashboard and hangs their only by hope and duct-tape. Or the hazardess box of wires that dangles just on the top of my left foot while driving which controls my turn signal, much like those floating body parts all of these items are unattached but by some anomaly still continue to work. Within the video there are several odd blinking gadgets that float through out the back ground this also seems to be the case in my “sweet ride” in between the two seats there are two small lights that say “emergency seat belt release” and when a lever is switched these lights begin to blink and “ding” however like the gadgets in the video this device also serves no purpose seeing as how the automatic seatbelts are no longer there and I am forced to suffer through the state of the art lap belt. Another unique feature this video has with my prized possession is they share the unique trait of having the whole of the object worth more than the sum of its parts.