Class Response 9/2/14

Why was Sigmund Freud important?

Sigmund Freud was important for quite a few reasons. So many that I will boil it down to how he was important for the world of art. Art has, since its first days, developed alongside society. As the dominant people's tastes and interests change, so does the artwork that is produced.That being said, with the emergence of Sigmund Freud and his theories, society began to think differently about sexuality. In the past, it would have been forbidden to even hint at sexuality the way that people were now beginning to do. Freud also opened the floodgates for the exploration of taboo subjects. After Freud introduced theories about psychology and sexuality that explored incest, the subconscious, and even more bizarre subjects, we began to see such concepts appear in the opera houses. Two very prime examples of this would be Elektra and Salome. In both operas, the characters develop an unusual and disturbing sexual relationship with their father, something that is the result of Freud's Oedipus theory. Suddenly, audiences became intrigued by these disturbing subjects. Even more so, I think the scene from Salome with St John the Baptist's head can be related to Freud's work, though I cannot even begin to analyze it specifically.

Watch the Madame Butterfly video and post comments.

Visually, I really liked this video. I've always been a fan of stop motion filmmaking and I thought the use of a hodgepodge of materials and gothic emotion made this a very interesting piece of art. I particularly liked the use of background and lighting to make it seem as if it took place in a hell-like realm. However, I was completely lost on the point. The plot and character relationships were pretty clear, but I found it difficult to see exactly what the artist was trying to say.

However, after a quick visit to the wikipedia page, I found that this video condenses the entirety of the original opera with a slightly different ending. Knowing this, I found it to be much more interesting and even had to watch it again to get the full effect. I really like the addition of the butterfly and the choice to have her dismantle herself rather than commit suicide with a sword. I think its a far more beautiful and artistic choice that really tied the video together.