A visionary space : theosophy and an alternative modernism in Australia 1890-1934

In this thesis I argue that the Theosophical Society had a major influence on Australian visual artists during the early 20th century. The project is located within a larger wave of contemporary histories now focussing on the aberrant and discontinuous to rediscover actively forgotten pasts. The Theosophical Society supported those who were marginalised and disenchanted with the experience of modernity. It proved particularly attractive to women who as artists, activists and intellectuals drew on its conceptualisation of reality to engage with an uncertain present. The Society was especially productive for artists as it offered a radical alternative visuality in which women had a privileged role in an extended international network of like-minded individuals. Theosophical teachings proposed a reality which was more profound than that available to the physical eye. The clairvoyant leadership of the Society communicated their encyclopaedic knowledge of the invisible and this would have a significant impact on Australian artists. Equally important was the influence of Indian art, specifically an interpretation of an Indian art tradition which privileged visualisation over optical sensation. The tension between a perceived invisible reality and the visible world unites these Theosophically inspired artists who directed their practice at passing beyond appearancesbeyond the visible to truth. The practice of visualisation was deployed in combination with a variety of stylistic vocabularies. In this thesis a number of key case studies are proposed which together present a picture of Australian modernist artists as informed primary players in a movement which challenged Western reason and looked to the 'East' to revitalise its focus. Australian artists are reconceived as an active part of a larger international network in which women and their concerns are the primary point of focus

Bowdoin Orient v.109, no.1-25 (1979-1980)

https://digitalcommons.bowdoin.edu/bowdoinorient-1980s/1000/thumbnail.jp

American extreme: An ethnography of astronautical visions and ecologies

This dissertation is a coordinated ethnographic case study of environmental science, medicine, technology, and design in an American human spaceflight program. Its goal is to investigate how astronautics contributes to shaping "the environment" as an extensive contemporary category of knowledge, politics, and social action. Based on fieldwork conducted primarily at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)'s Johnson Space Center in Houston Texas from 2005 --- 2008, the study argues that, in practical and meaningful ways, ecology and cosmology are co-constituting in American astronautics. Using participant observation and archival data, the study evaluates how astronautics practitioners know and work with "the human environment" on a scope that includes vehicle habitats and the heliosphere and on scales ranging from the molecular to the cosmic. In this work, people shore up and break down unusual human/environment boundaries, making sense of what it means to do so in technoscientific as well as sociopolitical, symbolic, and transcendental terms. The four cases analyzed are: (1) how space analogue missions operate as simulations but also make arguments that extreme environments foster progress through confrontation with adversity, (2) how space biomedical subjecthood is fundamentally environmental rather than biological, (3) how "habitability" works as a key elaborating concept among space architects so that they can connect extraterrestrial and terrestrial habitation problems and solutions, and (4) how Near Earth comets and asteroids have moved from being obscure astronomical objects to objects of environmental policymaking that extends into the heliosphere and into the far future. The study's analysis brings social theory about the spatial politics of knowledge into dialogue with conceptual frameworks from the social studies of science, technology, and environment. As an ethnography of outer space as extreme environment rather than territorial frontier, the study highlights astronautics' connections to broader domains of environmental science and technology, and by discursive and practical extension, to a spectrum of American environmentalisms and engagements with extremity. In doing so, the study elaborates astronautics' role in making ecological knowledge, and attendant concepts like adaptation and evolution, cosmologically scalable

The Art of Movies

Movie is considered to be an important art form; films entertain, educate, enlighten and inspire audiences. Film is a term that encompasses motion pictures as individual projects, as well as — in metonymy — the field in general. The origin of the name comes from the fact that photographic film (also called filmstock) has historically been the primary medium for recording and displaying motion pictures. Many other terms exist — motion pictures (or just pictures or “picture”), the silver screen, photoplays, the cinema, picture shows, flicks — and commonly movies

Why Brilliant People Believe Nonsense: A Practical Text for Critical and Creative Thinking

The information explosion has made us information rich, but wisdom poor. Yet, to succeed in business and in life, we must distinguish accurate from bogus sources, and draw valid conclusions from mounds of data. This book, written for a general adult audience as well as students, takes a new look at critical thinking in the information age, helping readers to not only see through nonsense, but to create a better future with innovative thinking. Readers should see the practicality of enhancing skills that make them more innovative and employable, especially in a day when companies increasingly seek original thinkers, global visionaries, and thought leaders. Targeting high school seniors and college freshmen, but useful to all adult readers, the authors examine surprising and costly mental errors made by respected business leaders, entertainment moguls, musicians, civic leaders, generals and academics. Then, the authors draw practical applications to help readers avoid such mistakes and think more creatively in each field. Although written in an engaging and popular style, over 600 end notes provide authority to this content-rich document. Thus writers, researchers, teachers, and job seekers should find it a useful starting point for research into this important field. Home school teachers and public school educators will find an accompanying free website with lesson plans and teaching tips. It\u27s also a low-cost alternative to expensive texts. (The hard copy is priced reasonably and a pdf of the entire book will be offered free to students on their digital platforms.) Each chapter ends with thought questions and tips for further research.https://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/facbooks2015/1011/thumbnail.jp

Bowdoin Orient v.126, no.1-23 (1995-1996)

https://digitalcommons.bowdoin.edu/bowdoinorient-1990s/1007/thumbnail.jp

The Music Sound

A guide for music: compositions, events, forms, genres, groups, history, industry, instruments, language, live music, musicians, songs, musicology, techniques, terminology , theory, music video. Music is a human activity which involves structured and audible sounds, which is used for artistic or aesthetic, entertainment, or ceremonial purposes. The traditional or classical European aspects of music often listed are those elements given primacy in European-influenced classical music: melody, harmony, rhythm, tone color/timbre, and form. A more comprehensive list is given by stating the aspects of sound: pitch, timbre, loudness, and duration. Common terms used to discuss particular pieces include melody, which is a succession of notes heard as some sort of unit; chord, which is a simultaneity of notes heard as some sort of unit; chord progression, which is a succession of chords (simultaneity succession); harmony, which is the relationship between two or more pitches; counterpoint, which is the simultaneity and organization of different melodies; and rhythm, which is the organization of the durational aspects of music