While looking through Chapter 37, I came across a picture of shelves on page 140. I asked myself, "How can shelves be art?" Well, after reading the description of the piece Untitled, 1967 by Donald Judd, I understood why it was called art.
From the perfectly and mathematically rectangular "shelves," that are made out of green lacquer on galvanized iron, to the equally spaced spaces above or beneath the "shelves," Judd was able to give space a powerful meaning in this piece, rather than the actual elements that he made. Space has a meaning, just like in poems. Whether it be to add uncertainty to the poem, a signal to the reader to ponder on a line, or to attract readers who don't want to read a lot, to read that poem. Whatever the reason for space, one can be certain that space is a very powerful. In this piece of work, Judd uses the space to add contrast: from bold colors to flat colors, from a solid to air. The space creates a steady rhythm to the piece.
I don't know if you can see this or not, but in this piece, depth and shades are magnified by the space. The shadows from the shelves onto the empty space give the space a new shape and shade. Justing adding to the powerful quality of the space. Unlike Jackson Pollock, who just copiously dripped and splatted paint on a flat canvas, taking a chance on where the paint fell, Judd takes no chances. He speifically places things a certain way and there is no guessing on what the outcome is going to be. He has a blueprint and follows it. "Actual space is intrinsically more powerful and specific than paint on a flat surface."
After reading the first chapter of "The House of the Spirits," I was very confused about what time I was in: the past, present, or future. The first paragraph of the story opens with the arrival of Barabas, a little puppy that accompanies the dead body of Uncle Marcos, Nivea's brother. Then we skip to the past, before the arrival of Uncle Marcos, to the church service that the del Valle family attended (even though they are non-religious people) where the father is trying to attract voters because he wants to be elected into Parliament. Then the scene shifts even further into the past, decribing the birth of Nivea's eldest daughter Rosa (the title of the chapter). Apparently Rosa's striking features make her the most beautiful person. Her yellow eyes and green hair make her resemble a mermaid. Then we skip to the present where the family is at church, and then we foreshadow to the future where Nivea recalls that moment in church many years later.
All of the skipping from past, present, to future is a little confusing to me. But then I realized that Clara can tell the future, so the jumping from one time to another is subtly putting the reader inside of Clara's head. Maybe this is how she feels. For one moment she is in the past, another in the present, and another in the future. This could be why Clara cannot connect with anyone in the book. Because she is floating (literally and figuratively speaking) through time and space, adding to the story's deep theme of Magical Realism.
