Berlin, Week 4: Artistic Expression

Like manyother European capitals, Berlin is a city full ofincredible art. The art in Berlin is not limited to museum walls and national monuments, though. I have found that after being inundated with often breathtaking pieces, from graffiti murals to groundbreaking architecture, I have been craving artistic expression. Having been fascinated by architecture for as long as I can remember, all the class discussions and readings have brought me back to a time when I would let my mind wander off at times to dream up building designs andnew urban layouts. When listening to music recently I have felt far more "moved" by it, feeling it really flow through me. I have also had urges I have not had before to go out and get some canvas and try my hand at painting after ideas pop into my head.

I do not think that my new desire for artistic expression and my inundation with it in Berlin is a coincidence. It is amazing to me how living in such an atmosphere can affect a person. It also hints to me that it is not just a result, but also a contributing factor for the amount, and varying genres of art born in Berlin, seeing how contagious it can be. While my resources are low, I have found some expression in writing, but also have recently been photographing Berlin in a more artistic fashion as well as playing with photo editing as a way of bringing out the true

feeling of an image better, a way of coping with how the photos I take never really capture how the actual scene made me feel (an example is seen in the first photo, where I have tweaked the contrast, sharpened the image, making it more harsh, and increased the shadows and reflections seen through the S-Bahn window).

Having heard Weimar described as the "cultural center of Germany" had me very excited to visit it, along with the other home of the Bauhaus movement, Dessau. In Weimar, I had an incredible experience, mainly with the overall beauty of the town itself. The quant cobble stone streets and low-rise ornamental buildings had me day dreaming about designing American small-towns (now often just Wal-Marts and gas stations and grocery chains connected by wide, unwalkable streets) in a more community and pedestrian oriented way, such as Weimar. I also was able to learn more about Franz Liszt at an exhibit, and experience the physical beauty and enchanting sounds of the piano at Weimar's Shlossmuseum. In Dessau, I was able to be reminded of many of the founding elements of the Bauhaus (Bauhaus School seen in second photo) that are still echoed in architects' works that I have been in awe of for years, such Mies Van Der Rohe, Skidmore Owings and Merrill, and NBBJ who use large amounts of steel and glass in straight lines with virtual

ly no ornamentation.

Though the greatest amount of artistic expression I was able to release was playing an oversized piano outside the museum in Weimar (seen in picture 3), my desire for the creation of art helped me appreciate it and its history even more.