This past Friday, I was lucky enough to visit the Ringling Museum, a complex built by the circus mogul John Ringling and his wife, Mabel. Besides housing a stunning collection of Renaissance, Baroque, and Neoclassical art, the surrounding grounds include a rose garden, circus museum, and Cà d'Zan, the Mediterranean Revival mansion that overlooks Sarasota Bay and was designed by Dwight James Baum. Cà d'Zan (literally “House of John”) is based on the Doge’s Palace in Venice, Italy, and has pink stucco, quatrefoils, pointed arches, and stained glass. The rustic style, Mediterranean Revival, developed during the 1920s and was intended to bring European architecture, ideals, and the classical ambiance to Florida. A cheaper option than actually sailing to Europe, Florida became a hotspot destination. Cà d'Zan has a stunning view of Sarasota Bay, and the day that I visited, the water was gleaming in the hot sun and teeming with dolphin activity. The grounds also include the graves of John and Mable in a small alcove; the tranquil mood and lush vegetation in the courtyard reminded me of the Baroque grottos in France. The rose garden is also worth noting; with some rose bushes from the 1800s still growing and intact, I felt like I was walking in a time capsule of the Florida before industrialization, commercialization, and tourism. With names like “Innocence,” “Popcorn,” and “Laughter,” the circular garden was an enchanting and charming space complete with a wrought iron canopy in the middle.

       The Ringling Museum is famous for its numerous Rubens, Rembrandt’s, El Greco’s, and other famous (and obscure) Baroque painters. The first gallery is actually five large Rubens that were intended to be cartoons for woven tapestries. Commissioned by Infanta Clara Eugenia, this “Triumph of the Eucharist” cycle glorified the Catholic church and sought to counteract the powerful Protestant movement of the 1600s (the Counter Reformation). Besides being monumental, impressive, and breath-taking, these large canvases are the archetype of a Baroque painting: swirling drapery, diagonal compositions, split second imagery, and rich jewel tones. Rubens also liked to paint large, fleshy subjects with ample mass. One of my favorite paintings in the elaborate cycle is "Abraham and Melchizedeck", in which a priest,Melchizedeck, offers the Eucharist to Abraham (who has just returned from battle). Their eyes lock, indicating their spiritual understanding while other characters lurk in the background. The contrast of dark war imagery and the light colors of the priests’ side are particularly striking. Moving on from the Rubens gallery, other rooms contain Dutch still lifes, Annunciations, Arcimboldo’s, Canaletto’s, and even a portrait of Philip IV by the Spanish painter Diego Velázquez (my all time favorite artist). John Ringling was an avid art collector and represented the "business" side of the circus.

Abbey of San Galgano, Tuscany, Italy http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abbazia_di_San_Galgano

       So many people talk about the thinning of the ozone layer, but what does that really mean? In this new series, “Global Climate Change Wednesdays,” I will explain some basic environmental concepts that seem to confuse and mystify people.

       To begin, CFC’s (Chlorofluorocarbons) are synthetic compounds that contain chlorine, fluorine, and bromine. These compounds are commonly found in industrial solvents, refrigerator coolants, hairsprays, and other consumer spray items. Although these compounds are not particularly dangerous to human health, they are detrimental to the environment. However, one aspect needs to be straightened out: the thinning of the ozone layer and global warming are two separate entities. Ozone depletion does not result in significantly higher temperatures.

       First, when CFC’s are released into the atmosphere, ultraviolet rays in the atmosphere break off chlorine atoms. These trace atoms travel through the troposphere (the lowest layer of the atmosphere where weather occurs) and migrate to the stratosphere (where the ozone layer is). This layer blocks most of the harmful UV rays that cause cancer and sunburns in humans and other organisms (i.e. amphibians). Ozone (which is a criteria pollutant in the troposphere and is an element of photochemical smog) has a chemical formula of O3 (three oxygen atoms bound together). The chlorine atoms that were released from CFC’s attack the ozone (especially in the Polar Regions) and split it into oxygen (O2) and chlorine monoxide (ClO). This process is a positive feedback loop, meaning chlorine atoms from chlorine monoxide and other chlorine-containing compounds break free and attack new ozone molecules over and over again. This splitting of ozone compounds continually “thins” this layer which protects all life on Earth.
       What are some of the effects of the thinning ozone layers? It results in increased sunburns, skin cancer, and a decrease in amphibians. Also, primary productivity (the energy produced by autotrophs) decreases because the UV rays damage cells. Although this was short, this is the crash course in Chlorofluorocarbons. They were banned in the Montreal Protocol of 1987; this agreement has had more success than the Kyoto Protocol (which tried to reduce greenhouse gas emissions).

Tikal Plaza, Guatemala http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Tikal-Plaza-And-North-Acropolis.jpg

First Impressions:

       This book was well put together; Andy Warhol’s life was so complex and convoluted that it’s hard to separate reality from the variety of colorful lies. The information was presented in a cogent way, and I felt like I was living vicariously through the lives of the glamorous “Factory” entourage of Warhol. It was simply exciting to devour this book. The descriptions of glitzy New York City and of the superficial art created by Warhol throughout his life were captivating and enchanting, despite the shallow subjects. The images chosen by Isabel Kuhl were bright, engaging, and at times, strange. I was not confused at any point in the book, and the author presented Warhol’s legacy and life in an upbeat way, rather than in a morose, dark fashion. Although Andy’s fascination with death was disturbing, his images of dollar signs, Marilyn Monroe, and mundane Campbell Soup Cans negate that pessimistic view. Some of the images in the book were…interesting to say the least, and I recommend this book for ages 15 and up.

Sentence that Summarizes the Book:

       Andy Warhol was superficial and shallow on the surface, but he had a much more complex and undecipherable personality; he wanted people to perceive him as a mirror image of his art, but that simply wasn’t the case.

Important Events and Quick Summary:

       Did anyone else know that Andy Warhol’s real name was Andrew Warhola (a Slovakian name)? Neither did I, but interestingly, this book did not begin by listing the dull facts of Warhol’s place and date of birth. Rather, the book fast-forwarded to New York City, the place of unrealized dreams and plate-glass buildings, in the 1950s. It was in this fast-paced and increasingly unconventional setting that Warhol created some of his most provocative art. From describing the Beat Generation to the changes in architecture after WWII, this book delved right into the seedy life of the Factory, the place where Warhol and his followers convened/partied. The book next talked about the early success of Warhol as a commercial artist and his first gallery appearance (the Hugo Gallery in 1952). From there, his artistic career was meteoric, and he had works (i.e. the Brillo Boxes and Flowers) exhibited in the Leo Castelli Gallery and the Musee d’Art Moderne in Paris. His love for film and photography was also covered extensively; Warhol is famous for his longwinded and often sexual films/photographs of himself and his elitist friends. Because he was obsessed with fame and stardom, Warhol often had celebrities featured in his films (i.e. Jane Holzer); he believed they were beautiful whereas he was obviously not. He was commissioned by movie stars to complete the typical “Warhol” portrait, which was usually a silkscreen image with garish colors and broad outlines. The turning point in Warhol’s life and this book was when he was shot by Valeria Solanas, a radical feminist, in 1968. From there, his art turned cold, morbid, and chilling (i.e. his skulls and electric chair series). The book finished by exploring the seedy lives of the Factory phantoms and the enduring artistic legacy of Warhol (i.e. his 15 minutes of fame).

Overall Message:

       The life of Andy Warhol was so unrealistic and unreachable to the everyday American of the 1960s and 70s. His world, that of glamorous stars, New York City shindigs, and vitality tinged with death, was unbelievable and not experienced by many. Besides his film legacy, Warhol broke the boundaries in art and really defined the adage “it’s art because I say it’s art.” Although his works were more “artistic” in the conventional sense than a work by Duchamp, his canvases were still unorthodox, mass produced, and commercialized. Perhaps Warhol was the genius in all of this; his art reflected the shallow American society that burst onto the scene after WWII.

Verdict:

       This book was an easy read and more than just the perfect coffee table adornment. The author tore apart the world of Warhol and constructed it again in a way that was relatable and digestible to everyday Americans. The color images were fantastic (although some were profane), and the “quotes” pages were always an interesting read. Out of 10, I would rate this book an 8.

Other Book by Isabel Kuhl?

       She has written 50 Buildings You Should Know, Impressionism: A Celebration of Light , and many others found here. She lives in Cologne, Germany, although I was not able to find a website, twitter, or email address.

Artificial Archipelagos, Dubai, United Arab Emirates http://tinyurl.com/o3vm4uw