The Black Market for a Kidney in the 20th century: An Ethical Problem or Simply an Economic Supply and Demand Issue?

With the rise of diabetes, high blood pressure and saturated fat consumed daily on an average, it is no wonder that kidney failure or otherwise known as renal failure is a silent killer among humans today. “The Congressional Kidney caucus estimates that 80,000 people die each year, making it the ninth cause of death in the country” (Sietzen Jr.). All humans are born with two kidneys, the size of a fist and are located on either side of the spine at the lowest level of the rib cage. The kidneys’ function is extremely important as it removes waste products and excess fluid from the body through the urine. If complications arise in the kidneys ( acute renal failure), one has to either manage its function with two options- dialysis or a kidney transplant. Hemodialysis is a painstaking process of being hooked up to a machine from anywhere from 2 to 4 hours at a time with 15 gauge needles and countless insertions over time to filter and cleanse the blood. “The probability of survival one year after beginning dialysis, according to the NIDDKD is 78.3 percent. After five years, that rate drops to 32.1 percent. After a decade of dialysis the survival rate is 10 percent, according to a study of patients from 1995 to 2005” (Sietzen Jr.). A kidney transplant is the more desired option but requires a very complicated process. First there is the task of finding a donor- either from a cadaver or living donor that matches the patients needs, then the attainability of getting a kidney- either from a national waitlist or from the black market, and the expense that could easily cost anywhere from $45,000 to $200,000. Then there are the complications that arise post transplant that need to be considered as well. “Transplant operations are complicated and recipients need to be closely matched to donors to reduce the risk of rejection. After receiving an organ, patients initially require intensive care and long- term treatment with powerful anti-rejection drugs” (Lakshmi). In order to understand how serious the demand for kidney transplants are, one must examine this problem on a global scale, affecting many poverty stricken individuals willing to part with their own kidneys in exchange for a monetary amount. Even though there is an extreme shortage of available kidneys for transplants, the selling of body organs is illegal in ALL countries. There is an extreme shortage globally and according to the United Network for Organ Sharings’ website as of July 27, 2008, there are currently 99,386 people in America alone on a waitlist to receive a new kidney. There have only been 9,029 transplants from January to April this year and only 4,579 donors recorded on databases which mean there are 4,450 kidneys that have been obtained either through a personal donor such as a relative/friend or most likely obtained illegally from the black market. Out of the 9,029 transplants this year, 7,115 are from cadavers and 1,914 are from living donors (OPTN: Organ Procurement and Transplant Network). The numbers are staggering with an estimated 26 million American adults living with kidney disease and more than 341,000 Americans undergo regular dialysis treatments and the estimated cost to Medicare, private insurers and patients for dialysis, transplants and treatment is $32 billion a year (Sietzen Jr.).


The Laws in Existence for Kidney Sales and their cases In Brazil, a 1997 law makes it illegal to sell or solicited body organs and if caught could serve three to eight years in prison. Ten years ago, a law was passed that every Brazilian adult, except in special cases, was to be an organ donor. In Israel, It is also a felony to buy or sell organs and a proposal that would make it legal to reimburse a kidney donor for the costs incurred. A Brazilian man from Recife who was unemployed with a wife to support and two children was interviewed by Professor Nancy Scheper- Hughes, a medical anthropologist from University of Berkley for the medical ethics forum at Harvard Medical School entitled: “Organs for Sale? The Economics of Altruism”. He tells Hughes, “I will sell my organ of which I have two and which the removal of will not cause my immediate death”. The Human Tissue Act of 1983 in South Africa has however a loophole that grants a hospital’s medical director and pathologist the right to remove tissues and organs when a diseased body is unidentified or unclaimed by relatives. But the fine is minimal compared to the rest of the world, with a maximum fine of $300 or imprisonment of no more than a year if caught receiving payment for an organ/tissue or transfers/trafficking. In India, one of the most concentrated areas of illegal trade has a 1994 law that criminalizes organ sales but allows for “unrelated kidney sales”, a loop hole that has clearly led to corruption. It is not uncommon for people to wake up with stitches on their stomachs because of a kidney removed without any consent at all. Mohammad Saleem is one of those victims. Lured to the city of Gurgaon ( near New Delhi, India) with promises of a better construction job, he was held before work was supposedly begin and was then “forcibly anesthetized by two masked men” (Lakshmi). He woke up hours later sitting on a metal cot in a city hospital ward with fresh stitches and one kidney. The police investigation led to a kidney bazaar run by a group posing as doctors and was led by a man by the name of Amit Kumar who has been running this racket for 15 years“. He used to charge $37,500 from rich patients around the world and pay $1,270 to the laborer after forcibly removing the kidney” says Manjit Singh Ahlawat, Gurgaon’s joint commissioner of police in the Washington Post article dated earlier this year. Kumar is still on the run today and has yet to be caught for the organ trafficking charges that he faces. In a National Geographic documentary hosted by Lisa Ling shows the story of a middleman ( although he vehemently denies it) by the name of “Reji” who promises a woman by the name of “Malika” that she will be paid $3,500 for her kidney yet falls short of the agreed bargain and pays her only $700 (Woman Sells her Body Parts). In the Philippines, reports of a concentrated slum area in Baseco, Manila Bay has as many as 3,000 impoverished people who have parted with their kidneys, according to the Harvard Gazette. Last April of 2008, Health Secretary of the Philippines, Francisco Duque signed an order to create a government regulatory board to oversee kidney donations and transplants that gives priority to Filipino patients over foreigners in the allocation of locally available kidneys. Duque also temporarily banned kidney transplants involving foreigners. The fines for selling or buying of organs are stiff fines and a 20 year prison term which rarely gets sentenced due to the heavily corrupt government system. Earlier this year, Angel Lagdameo deemed the sale of body organs as “morally unacceptable” (Mogato). The Philippines has been heralded as one of the top 5 “hotspots” for human organ trafficking according to WHO .

Even more surprising than ever is China’s laws where all executed prisoners have their body organs harvested and sold to “visitors” from nearby countries such as Singapore, Taiwan and Hong Kong. In another youtube posting entitled : “China Exposed: Organ Trade and Execution”, Mr. Gao Pei Qi, a former member of China's Public Security Bureau who now lives in exile in London was interviewed and described a prison system so entwined with China's hospitals that executions are scheduled and sometimes ordered in concert with transplant demands. He continues to say “death row prisoners were made to kneel before being shot in the head or heart before their corpses were rushed into waiting vans where surgeons removed organs while the bodies were in transit to local crematories”. Harry Wu, a former political prisoner who now runs human rights foundation and is a research fellow at the Hoover Institute at Stanford University described one incident in which an ailing Chinese Air Force pilot was matched with a female prisoner on death row. "The female prisoner was already sentenced to death," said Mr. Wu. "But there was no timing for the execution. The pilot needs an organ, so they set up the execution. This is very normal” (OPTN: Organ Procurement and Transplant Network). After noticing several young Chinese people under his care, Dr. Thomas Diflo, M.D’s , noticed his returning from abroad with new functioning kidneys and when asked have admitted the donor of their new kidney is an executed prisoner from China’s government. He further testifies: The debate about the use of executed Prisoners’ organs for transplantation proceeds on several levels. The first level involves the entire concept of capital punishment…China classifies more that 68 offenses as capital, including under some circumstances car theft, embezzlement and discharging of a firearm. The Chinese government has denied these allegations and claim that the uncollected bodies of condemned criminals whose family members refuse to collect are used for their organs. Prisoners who have volunteered their organs to medical institutions and also upon the approval of the executed prisoner’s relatives are used for body organs. He further says before the House of Representatives: “The concept of “brain dead” has not been well defined or fully accepted in China and there is no requirement for certifying brain death prior to organ procurement can lead to the potential for procuring organs from prisoners who are not brain dead. There are numerous eyewitness accounts of continued movement and heart activity in some prison- donors, indicating that these people have been subject to the removal of their organs while they are, strictly speaking, still alive”. In Japan, despite a law passed over ten years ago permitting organ transplants from brain-dead donors, the number of donors are slim. Since most Japanese people believe in the afterlife, having a body incomplete of organs will not be able to live in the “other world”. For a traditional Japanese person, the self or soul is diffused throughout the body. Last June 2, 2008, a story broke on ABC that had lots of Americans riled up. Four members of a Yakuzza Japanese crime gang had kidney transplants at UCLA, buying into the waitlist and receiving kidneys from American’s organ pool. While there were estimates of 100 people who died here in Los Angeles who were severely in need of a new kidney, The Japanese crime lord and his group had very successful transplants. Many are questioning the foreign national’s right to acquire American’s “organs” for the right amount of money and are coming up with a figure of only 5 % to be allowed to non citizens to dip into the donor pool of American kidneys. Rumors of a $100,000 donation to the UCLA facility has also been mentioned coming from the gang lord and his men (Childs). Here in America there is much debate over the ethical issues of Kidney’s for sale. The National Organ Transplant Act of 1984 bans the buying and selling of organs and has set up taskforces such as OPTN & SRTR , organizations that research and track vital information on past and current transplants/ conditions. However, the Living Kidney Organ Donation Clarification Act has amended The National Organ Transplant Act to provide that a ‘paired donation’ of kidneys is not considered a human organ transfer for a value consideration. A paired donation is when: Person ‘A’ needs a kidney. Person ‘B’ has a kidney to spare but it is not compatible with Person ‘A’. Person ‘B’s kidney is, however, compatible with Person ‘C’ and Person ‘C’s kidney is compatible with Person ‘A’. So, Person ‘B’ donates a kidney to Person C who then donates a compatible kidney to Person A. This process has been proven successful in providing more kidney transplants when compatible kidneys are in short supply compared to demand. The bill essentially makes the swaps less expensive by considering it "not a transfer for value consideration”. President Bush has also signed The Organ Donation and Recovery Improvement Act which legally reimburses donors up to $12,000 for travel expenses, salary for time off e and miscellaneous expenses , etc. to encourage donations from Americans. But from what we can see, the poverty stricken countries are the targets for all the middlemen and illegal organ traffic trade. The shortage of kidneys from living donors has opened a black market where there is an enormous demand for kidneys. This organ trade clearly exploits the poor and for most who can afford a kidney from the black market, it is a palatable option to buy a kidney from a stranger instead of a family member, so as not to put their loved ones at risk of any future complications. Dr. Richard Rohrer claims that the survival rate of a functioning kidney from a cadaveric kidney could last a good decade; however, there is reasonable hope of a lifetime of kidney function from a living donor. Who wants a kidney from a person who’s much older and dead when there are young, strong and fresh kidneys available instead?

There is much debate worldwide if kidney sales should be made legal with a reimbursement scheme to entice more people to donate but this is claimed to just prey on the poor. The cost of dialysis today can be an overwhelming amount of money to person of average means and in the long run, transplantation is becoming the more economic solution for insurance companies and individuals with a higher rate of survival. Gavin Carney was quoted in the Sydney Morning Herald saying that “world health authorities should direct their passion toward promoting a legal apparatus for trade and that the way to stop illicit transactions –and the depredatation of the underground market—is to sanction legal exchanges”. What is the difference when women are selling their eggs for substantial financial amounts? This issue of kidney sales can be comparable on a certain level to abortion because in a sense, decades ago, most world organizations had a zero policy with the termination of a pregnancy. Can people in poverty then claim it is their right to sell any organ that they wish because it is their body? The solutions seem bleak at this point as there is still much to negotiate and discuss on this current problem of the Organ Black Market. The United Nations has labeled this epidemic a form of organized crime and the Human Trafficking Division insists that international legal texts are needed to define the legal measures of this trade and that there be group monitoring mechanisms of all living donors, with post surgery check ups on a regular basis of up to ten years. Two recommendations of The UN that are important to control this situation on Organ Trade are 1. National legislation and implementation and 2. The need to successfully bring forth awareness to people of the current conditions of the organ trade. Yet the opposition to this debate has a very good point on the matter. Why then is the person losing the most( his/her kidney) have to do it for free when everyone else benefits such as the doctors, nurses, middlemen and most especially the recipient with a new kidney and prolonged life? Everyone profits except for the donor that is left with a scar and a gutful of bitterness. “A recent survey of 239 kidney vendors in Pakistan, for example, showed that 88% made no economic improvement, and (8% reported deterioration in general health status” (Kerstein Ph. D.). If the poor do sell their kidney, they is no long term financial assistance that the monetary exchange has helped them in any way move out of their low economic bracket. A small human rights NGO dedicated to the task of promoting a human rights agenda for dealing with the violations of the bodily integrity of vulnerable populations is Organs Watch headed by Dr. Nancy Scheper- Hughes . Taken from their website , Organs watch stands for: Social Justice, Human Rights, and Organ Transplantation This project brings together a team of anthropologists, human rights activists, physicians, and social medicine specialists to conduct a multi-year project on "Medicine, Markets, and Bodies." Together they will explore the social and economic context of organ transplantation, focusing on the human rights implications of the desperate, world-wide, search for organs. They will carry out original ethnographic and sociological research as well as human rights investigations, and the findings will be broadly disseminated. The project will also establish and promote a human rights agenda for dealing with violations of the bodily integrity of vulnerable populations.

(Excerpt from http://sunsite.berkeley.edu/biotech/organswatch/)

The founder of Organs Watch claims that the kidney is not a spare part, opposed to the general public’s perception on kidneys. She says that within one to five years of selling their organs, their health deteriorates. On occasion, doctors might even have to remove a rib to procure the kidney. She makes a valid argument that most of the people who are selling their kidneys are impoverished people who are manual laborers thus are not able to return to work and lift heavy objects for a month after the removal of their kidney so it excludes them from work and they tend to lose their niche. She points out a radical but very valid counter proposal to the organizations pushing for a legal organ market. A “donor’s bill of rights”, a national registry of living donors and a committee to oversee and authorize each “donation”. There should be an independent donor advocate- someone who has nothing to do with the medical or financial elements of the transplant…if you’re going to plunge into the bodies of the healthy, they need medical coverage for anything related to that kidney sale—and they need it for LIFE” (McLaughlin). Out of all the proposals that are currently being discussed, Scheper- Hughes’ work advocates that the organ trafficking should be universally recognized as a medical human rights abuse and “body tax on the poor”. Expect heavy politics and discussions about this dilemma in the many years to come till a fair and equal

Bibliography

Childs, Dan. Yakuza Transplants Spotlight Organ Network. News on Television. Los ANgeles: ABC, 2008.

China Exposed: Organ Trade & Execution. 2008 26 July .

Kerstein Ph. D., Samuel. "Letters to the editor." Wall Street Journal (Nov 20, 2007): A. 17.

Lakshmi, Rama. "India Uncovers Kidney Racket:Poor Laborers Were Victims Of Organ-Trafficking Network." The Washington Post Foreign Service 30 January 2008: A11.

McLaughlin, Abraham. "The Kidney is not a spare part." Christian Science Monitor 9 June 2004: 12.

Mogato, Manny. "Philippine bishops urge halt to organ trafficking." Reuters (January 28, 2008): http://www.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUSMAN101053.

OPTN: Organ Procurement and Transplant Network. 2003. 20 July 2008 .

Sietzen Jr., Frank. "Speaking Up About a Silent Killer." The Washington Post 22 July 2008: F.3.

Woman Sells her Body Parts. 2008 July 23 .

Its title- Sunset: Return of the Fishermen describes this work of art quite literally. The sun is going down and the it's time to call it a day. A large palm tree sways slightly on the far left of the canvas, with one branch of leaves browning from the dry heat. A small boat is docking by the shore and I see three figures of fishermen, although one figure has a skirt on. They are bringing in the days catch and are bathed in the orange amber glow that the horizon behind them gives off. The horizon in the far distance is a spectacular sunset, the ones that take your breath away. There is a shadow of a mountain that is hazily covered by a faint mist. The reflection of the clouds on the water is equally as majestic and the faint ripple of the water tells me it's been a rather calm and usual day. There are nipa huts to the right of the frame that are also reflected in the water and another boat that is unoccupied that is just beached by the shore. The earth that covers the bottom half of the painting is not what one usually expects which are white sandy beaches. It is muddy and damp, which is what soil really feels like. The reflection of the clouds and intense horizon on the water’s surface gives a sense of calmness and serenity.


Looking at Amorsolo's sunset for the first time is a visually delightful and serene experience. It makes me feel that going back to nature and to simplicity which is really what God has intended for us. When one sees a landscape that takes their breath away, it makes me wonder how people are atheists. Bold statement perhaps, but it is because of sunsets such as these that make me believe in a higher power, a higher being…

Many elements of art are depicted in this work of Amorsolo’s. Line is used by the strokes of grass on the edge of the bottom left of the canvas and are complemented by the lines of the vertical coconut tree ( it is not a palm tree but a coconut tree, and I know this because of where this landscape takes place; more on this later) and these vertical lines are then repeated in the distance by the bamboo poles that are sticking out in the distance to the right of the canvas, by the nipa huts ( native Filipino houses made of straw). The overall shapes in the painting, such as the sunset, mist covered mountain in the background and the luminous airy clouds are all organic. The mountain has an implied depth and all we see is the outline of the shape in the distance. The three figures are not as defined which makes me believe that the main focal point of the painting is the sunset and its equally as stunning, if not more, reflection on the water. As mentioned earlier, time is defined as end of the day, a long and relaxed day out on the boat catching fish to feed the family. Light is masterfully used with the colors of the sunsets orange, yellow-red like quality. The Tone is warm and bright, but airy and serene. The rich colors of the sky and its voluminous clouds are used skillfully when blended with the surface of the water. The waters colors are a dark green on the edge of the shore, which lets me see the row of coconut trees it is reflecting, which is not painted but can be perceived as lining the shoreline. The rich greens of the grass and leaves have a faint touch of yellow as well, an effect of the glowing amber light that the sunset is emitting. The browns are also repeated, with a variety of shades from the soil to the fisherman’s boat to the nipa hut in the distance. The white clouds also are highlighted by the suns rays and can be seen through the light that it captures, which is also present in the reflection on the water. The mountain that looks blue gray is a color that stands out and makes me locate the focal point above it. The balance of the painting is achieved by the reflection of colors on the calm surface of the ocean. The greens and browns of the coconut tree, grass and reflection on the edge of the shore is a great contrast to the intense orange, yellow reds of the horizon. These elements of art and principles of design make me see the same qualities of that of an impressionist painting such as a Monet or Renoir. Light is captured by the ocean, waves and clouds in a harmonious way, which is repeated in the reflection of on the surface of the water.

This painting is a view of the Manila Bay, said to be a place to view spectacular sunsets such as these and Mount Samat was the mountain in the far distance, according to the artist from the Islands of the Philippines. The artist, Fernando Cuerto Amorsolo painted this in 1939 right before World War II, and this year is said to be the highlight of his painting career. The painter was born into a family of artists and was also named in 1972, the National Artist of the Philippines by then President Marcos, four days after his death at 79 years of age. He was schooled in Liceo de Manila Art School but was sent by Fernando Zobel de Ayala, his patron, who took a special interest in his talent, to study art in Madrid. Ayala was also an artist and a wealthy and powerful philanthropist (Ocampo).

Amorsolo, during his early years sold watercolor postcards for 10 centavos. He was a professor at the University of the Philippines from 1938- 1952 and became famous for painting pastoral images to sell to tourists. This was painted pre-World War II and was done mainly for American soldiers who were patrolling the country at the time. Amorsolo depicted the Islands of the Philippines as a place of calm stability where one could live a simple way of life.

In 1939, the year this was painted was a great time for the Philippines. The country had been through several dictatorships, firstly by the Spaniards and then the Americans but gained independence as a nation just 3 years earlier in 1935. For the first time in their history, they had rights- right to vote and be they’re own leaders even though they were still heralded as the Commonwealth of the Philippines. America’s presence was still very much felt with American soldiers patrolling and several large U.S naval bases in operation. This was also a time the Americans were expanding their globalization to various other countries. It is significant to understand the state of affairs during the time this was painted because it leaves us with what Amorsolo was trying to say to the rest of the world—Here are the Islands of the Philippines, a haven and a paradise where life was simple but none the less breathtakingly beautiful. Manila Bay, the exact location of the painting holds much history to the Philippines as this is where the battle of the Spanish –American War took place, a far cry from the scene depicted in Amorsolo’s art work. Two years after this painting was done, all hell broke lose when World War II was declared with the invasion of the Japanese in the Philippines. During and soon after the war, it was a time of great strife for the Filipino’s and not for a long time would that life of simplistic utopia be felt (Weir).

Today, Fishermen in the Philippines are using illegal ways to fish by using dynamite and cyanide to lure the fish to the surface, which is ecologically dangerous by destroying their habitat (GMA7). There are still many views such as these but they are amidst the hustle and bustle of a polluted metropolis with straw huts gone as a thing of the past being replaced by cardboard homes for the impoverished squatters.

The painting is an ideal representation of what life can be, in an ideal and untouched remote island somewhere in the Philippines. Unfortunately, with the advancement of technology and building infrastructure, this idea the artist imparts is only available to experience in works of art such as these. Amorsolo was said to have only painted one rainy day in his career and it is apparent why. His skill for the use of light and color gives me a warm glow of contentment on the inside. And if my pocket was heavy enough, I could actually experience this masterpiece for a mere $65,000 since it is available for sale!



Works Cited

GMA7. Quezon fisherman loses arm dynamite-fishing. Television News. Manila, Philippines: GMA Channel 7, September 2, 2008.

Ocampo, Ambeth. "Amorsolos brush with history." Lopez Museum. 19 October 2008 .

Weir, Frasier. "A Centennial History of Philippine Independence : 1898- 1998." University of Alberta, CA. 21 October 2008 .

John Pfahl- Triangle Bermuda

The lines that are used in this photograph are very straight forward and lead the focus to the center of the frame—an enormous rock that is sticking out of the inviting and cool blue water. The shapes of the waves are very organic and brings a sense of calm to the photo. The rock however can not be disregarded and constantly calls for my attention. Even though the rock has a naturalistic element to it, the shape is more geometrical and protrudes out of the water, like a shark’s fin almost, calling out to be noticed. This two dimensional photograph is equally balanced and the 2 points or angles rather in the sand that disappear into the shore give a feeling of implied depth. The white washed wave is caught in a moment before it crashes on the sandy yellow beach that can still be viewed from above the water in certain shallow pockets. It is a sunny day and the sand reflects the sun’s rays but doesn’t blindly overpower the bottom half of the photo. The white tips of the wave are repeated by the fluffy white clouds on the top of the photo that are clearly viewable amidst the blue sky. The graduation of blue gets deeper as we look to the inviting turquoise water. However the emphasis is a the area


There is absolute unity in this photo. The tension is brought about by the underlying meaning of the title: Triangle Bermuda is what really stirs my thoughts. There is an optical illusion that plays with our senses. The rope in reality is a box. But because of the slope of the shore and the focal point of the rock, there is the illusion of a triangle. Then all of a sudden th e rock conjures feelings of absence which emotionally is bothersome. The ocean is a place where I ceaselessly find solace and calmness and because Pfahl has stamped his artistic value on the landscape by adding a rope to give an illusion of a triangle that meets in the center focal point ( the rock) then my perception is heightened because of the triangle. As most of us know, the Bermuda Triangle is a place where ships and planes vanish and so the once calm and serene ocean landscape that it used to represent is a startling contrast to the feeling of being lost and in isolation. The artist is making me question my personal path in the present state because my perception is now fixated on the concept of what the Bermuda Triangle embodies—feelings of entrapment and sheer fear of being alone. Pretty heavy for a photograph that just looks like the beach with rope tied down to the sand huh? Wonderful and amazing work of art that I know will evoke my unconscious !

Monet Art Analysis

Etretat: la plage et la porte d'Amont

1883 ; 81.5 x 66 cm

oil on canvas

This painting of Monet can be viewed at the Musee d’ Orsay in Paris, France. This museum opened in 1986 and prior to its opening most of the impressionist paintings of the time were housed in Galerie nationale du Jeu de Paume. Many of Monet’s contemporaries also have their works displayed there such as Pissaro, Dega and Cezanne (Musee d' Orsay).

This painting is of the landscape of Etretat, located in the Northern part of France and best known for its spectacular cliffs. The Etretat has three well known natural arches that can be seen from the towns of Porte d'Aval, and the Porte d'Amont. The third arch is called Maneporte and can not be seen from the two towns mentioned earlier. This place has brought many artists to paint its beauty and besides Monet, Eugène Boudin and Gustave Courbet have depicted their own versions of Etretat from their own perspective. This location was also home to one of my favorite writers of all time, Guy De Maupassant. It is a seaside village/ resort town in Normandy France and continues to draw large crowds of tourists yearly (Etretat Tourist Office).
We see the cliffs in the top right of the frame and boats scattered by the shore. There are people on the shore too but they fade into the background. The crispness of the water breaking on the shore is clearly more depicted and even the boats in the water are hardly noticeable. Monet paints this painting from a higher point and we can suspect that he is looking down into the seaside cove. He perhaps has chosen this point of view to be able to capture the overall dramatic and grand effect that the landscape provided. It reminds me a little of Japanese landscape art and how the people are insignificant as compared to Nature and its powerful presence. Monet has been proclaimed the father of Impressionism and because this painting is an Impressionist painting, the detail of boats and people are foreshadowed by the massiveness of the ocean and cliff. It looks like a busy day, perhaps Sunday, where the French have started to enjoy their weekends and bask in the afterglow of the sunset. The colors of that Monet uses makes me feel that the sun has just gone down and the last few rays of light are about to vanish as well. He doesn’t use that much color in this painting compared to many of his other works like Sunset, the painting he was made famous for or his water lilies collection.

The elements of art that are present in this work can be identified by his use of muted colors with hints of bright bursts of red and white on some of the boats and the edge of the water. His use of line can be most seen from the structures of the boats on the shore. The cliffs and sea are more massively portrayed than the boats or the people by them. My sense of time as indicated earlier is right after sunset where the sky is not longer orange but soon to be turning gray. It could be also that today out of all days may just be overcast too. Motion is seen by the froth of the water that Monet starts from the bottom left of the canvas all the way towards where the cliffs meet, at the far center of the frame where there is implied depth. The boats seem crisper than the background so I can only see this as my focal point when looking at the overall scene. The rich and colorful tones he uses for the boats are emphasized more than the many tones of yellow and brown used for the cliffs. The directional forces of his brushstrokes are more evident in the sky and the sea and there is a flow to the painting that gives an aesthetically pleasant effect. It gives me the feeling that this day is special because it is family day and these people have been out on the sea the whole day and are returning to their quiet seaside home.

The term Impressionism was coined by a photographer after seeing Impression: Sunrise of Monet’s at the exhibit Monet had put together with his artist friends in 1874. At the time, Impressionism was not recognized as what we accept Impressionism to be today, which has snowballed into its own art movement. Its methods were completely unlike anything seen in the art world of that day and therefore was frowned upon and scorned by many academics of art and critics alike. People went to laugh at their work and ridicule them. “Although Impressionist art is now largely seen as a pleasing, benign and almost universally beloved school of art, in the nineteenth century it completely contradicted popular concepts about art’s purpose and ideals” (Royal Academy of Art).

After researching about Etretat, I was able to discover that Monet was very aware of the fact that these cliffs had already been painted by two other artists prior to his attempt. It did not stop him and in fact he owned a Delacroix watercolor of the famous vacation spot. Monet was quoted to say this, ‘I reckon on doing a big canvas on the cliff of Etretat, although it’s terribly audacious of me to do that after Courbet who did it so well, but I’ll try to do it differently’ (Royal Academy of Art). I had to look for myself how differently his vision was from the former paintings and Monet’s is indeed not only different but far more enriched with color and his use of tones of the same color are used in a repetitiveness that is seen in the sea, sky and cliffs, but different muted variations of browns and yellows. He really let the natural light orchestrate his choice of hues. Corbet comes close to an Impressionistic work when viewed very close but the structure and use of lines are so defined. What is fascinating about Corbet’s version and Monet’s is that they both incorporate texture from the way they use paint. But other then texture, Monet’s perspective is clearly his own style. It must take an artist a lot of confidence to create something on a canvas that has already been put out by a prior artist though. It takes a lot of confidence in their skill and sheer guts. Then the question of originality comes to mind. If landscape artists paint the exact same view, whose to say that the later just sort of ripped off the former artist.

Now I am intrigued. As we know today, art has been regurgitated time and again. Just recently while at the LACMA I was able to view the Vanity Fair exhibit and as soon as I walk into the main hall, directly to my right is Julianne Moore, a red headed actress famous for her X-Files role in a pose that clearly resembles the Odalisque. Okay I said to myself, this is now cliché. With further probing into Monet’s artistic vision by looking at his work, I discover that even Eduardo Manet had a significant influence on him as he also tries to make his own version of Luncheon on the Grass that unfortunately was never completed. The Royal Academy of Art’s website says: “Monet, who had a competitive streak, embarked on his own Déjeuner sur l’herbe in the spring of 1865….The experience did, however, contribute to Monet’s realisation that to capture the fleeting moment in time, he would have to work on a smaller scale.” And because of this trial and error of Monet’s, he was able to make Impressionism’s key quality, which is to capture that fleeting moment when the light hits a surface or landscape.

So like artists then and today, they all get inspiration from one another and yet what separate the masters are the ones that are willing to experiment and are innovative with their work. Monet sure had vision and most importantly guts. This explains why Monet has several different versions of one landscape or place. One of the most famously known works where he paints the exact same scene but at a different time is the Rouen Cathedral. I have been able to experience Morning, White Harmony when it was at the Getty some years back and was literally awestruck by how his brushstrokes were so thick and unforgiving when viewed from up close and yet the farther away I stepped back from it, the painting came to life. This was my first time with Monet and I was a fan after that. I did not have any prior knowledge of the Impressionism Movement. I just knew that Monet was famous for his work, not even knowing why. But when I was able to really look at his work, even if I was unknowledgeable about art speak, I was still floored and moved by his technique.
I chose Etretat: la plage et la porte d'Amont to critique because of how he had also returned time and again to this destination and was able to record/ capture many of it’s moods, from the bright sunny days to the time just before the light were to disappear into the night. He was drawn to this particular spot because of prior inspiration from fellow contemporaries who had painted the exact same landscape (Delacroix and Corbet). And yet, He has managed to surpass all of them in his own successful career because of his desire and pluck for experimentation.

In today’s art world, there are many who are inspired by former artists and it is just a matter of time when postmodernism will have to make way for a completely fresh and ground-breaking departure from what is being produced today. It is clear that it takes not only determination from the artist as did Monet but an audience that is open to letting their instincts touch base with the work presented before them which is what happened to me prior to this Art Appreciation class.

Jean Claude Monet was a visionary and wasn’t afraid to break the rules. He has left behind such a dynamic and amazing life’s work that I can only hope to be able to travel to Etretat one day and watch the sun go down over the cliffs so that I too may have a glimpse of what he saw so that I can really see the process of his genius by comparing the actual experience to the painting above.

Works Cited List
Etretat Tourist Office. 4 December 2008 .
Musee d' Orsay. 4 December 2008 .
Royal Academy of Art. 5 December 2008 .

Art Appreciation Honor's Analysis "Ansel Adams"

Ansel Adams 1902- 1984 ;

Cathedral Peak and Lake

Image Date: ca. 1938

Print Date: 1963

Print Type: Gelatin Silver

Print Size: approx. 6"x9", overmat size 16"x20"

This photo taken by Ansel Adams shows how magnificent nature’s beauty is through techniques that he introduced to the world of photography. This photo specifically is one of adams’ most well known images of the high country in Yosemite, a place where he frequently took pictures of many landscapes. It is said in his website (www.anseladams.com) that this photo was probably taken on a trip with the renowned artist and painter, Georgia O’ Keeffe and other friends in 1938. Ansel Adams apparently did not date his negatives of his photographs till much later and so the actual timeframe this was taken was much of a mystery until recently. It is however been able to “ positevly date it no later than 1938”.

The photograph has a mesmerizing quality about it and its beauty is in the vastness of the landscape that has striking contrasts of light and dark. We see some rocks in the foreground that are untouched by man’s touch. The rocks that are by the edge of the water are the only way you can tell that the water is not quite as still as one thinks because of the little ripples where the water swells. The body of water is still towards the middle of the frame and is crystal clear that provides for a great reflection of the sky and pine trees that line the waters edge in the far distance. The mountain is sharp and snow capped and draws our focus with its amazing symmetry. It is a cloudy but bright day and the clouds above are bursting with volume. They appear to be hiding the sun beneath its soft exterior. There also seems to be a possibility that there is rain approaching with the dark black rolling clouds in the far distance on the right corner of the frame. This photo is nature at it’s most beautiful, untouched by man and is intact in all it’s wilderness.

I can image this place far from civilization and the feeling of remoteness sets in. After I get over the breathtakingly beautiful view of the Cathedral Peak and Lake, I get a strong feeling of longing to be amidst the quiet air that surrounds these parts. This is where one goes for some soul searching and looking at this picture brings out in me a longing to get away from the hustle and bustle of the metropolis. I feel that clarity with my thoughts is something that this place can provide and if I try hard enough might actually be able to focus on doing some soul searching.

And yet, If I actually physically try to go back to same place this photo was taken, I will never be able to experience or see the exact same shot that Adams portrays in this photo of his. Most importantly, his contribution to the art of photography is widely heralded and acclaimed. His technique for achieving such beautiful and eternally moving photographs is what he has called the Zone System. According to Masters of Photography online, “In the Zone System, he engineered a technique by which the photographer could manipulate the photograph's internal tones without distorting essential photographic description. By means of filtration, development, and print controls, contrast could be heightened or softened and the placement of object values along the tonal scale could be predetermined by the photographer before the shutter was released”. Adams wanted to go above and beyond traditional photography and is able to create almost abstract forms with his ability to manipulate the darks from the lights. I have dabbled in photography and have worked in the dark room where I have used his technique and it really brings out a photographs intensity and depth when the shades of white to black are manipulated. The various tones of gray that can be achieved by using the zone technique lends the photographer a means of control and is a tool to calibrate exactly what he or she envisions.

In this particular case we can see this process clearly present through the elements of art and principles of design in Cathedral Peak and Lake. The organic lake is an eerie blackness compared to the white symmetrical capped mountain top. The sharpness of the mountain and its geometrical shape is ascending into the heavens and the tension of the photograph is achieved by the rolling clouds in the sky, full and heavy with a feeling that the storm is approaching or perhaps has past. Such a contrast to the gentle and stillness of the water with only a few ripples to actually get us to believe that that body of water is indeed water and not glass. The landscape covers the sky and the mountain in the far off distance to the rocks by the waters edge. It is a lot to take the beauty all in but works because of the overall effect of the landscape, which as I mentioned earlier gives a sense of inner peace and strength. As strong as the focal point in this photograph, the commanding white capped mountains. The black and whites are intense in their own degrees and the time is somewhat frozen through his lens.

For this generation to see a photograph like this, doubts that it has been altered would not be anything uncommon. Today everybody is familiar with photoshop and how various computer programs can enhance a photo. The amazing thing about Adams that makes him stand out among the rest is that he discovered this process in the dark room, with the use of developing chemicals and light and not the computer or a fancy program. This was supposedly taken in 1938, before the Second World War and so to have been the leader and innovator at the time is what makes him a master photographer which is really something to be acclaimed. He is known by his contemporaries as a legend and was often consulted for his technical know how on his theories and practice which has also filled the pages of many manuals that he has written.

Adams was always torn between “commercial” work to pay the bills and his landscapes. This struggle caused him much burden and he wished he could just focus on his creativity as an artist instead. According to his bio on his website published by the Oxford Press, “Although Adams became an unusually skilled commercial photographer, the work was intermittent, and he constantly worried about paying the next month's bills. His financial situation remained precarious and a source of considerable stress until late in life”(Turnage). What is significant to consider is how seventy years later in 2008, his landscape photos can be hanging on the wall in the library or coffee shop or some random office building and has been considered as commercial work with the mass production of his prints. Even years after his death, his gallery at the heart of Yosemite Valley is still open to the public in the same vicinity where this stunning photo was taken.

Unfortunately, He passed away in 1984 but has many accolades by not only his peers but people in the environmental protection movement. According to Encyclopedia Encarta online, “In 1984 the United States Congress established the Ansel Adams Wilderness Area, between Yosemite National Park and the John Muir Wilderness Area in California.” This area was formerly known as the Minarets wilderness but was renamed to honor Ansel for his contributions to photography and his undying commitment as an environmentalist. Before going green was trendy, Adams was already conscious of how delicate nature’s beauty is. His dynamic eye for beauty and dramatic perspective on nature is evidently showcased in Cathedral Peak and Lake and many of his other impressive works. Ansel Adams, photographing in Yosemite National Park from atop his car in about 1942. Many come to the park to try to take the same photos he did.

Works Cited List:
"Ansel Adams ." Masters of Photography. 1 December 2008 .

Ansel Adams," Microsoft® Encarta® Online Encyclopedia 2008

http://encarta.msn.com © 1997-2008 Microsoft Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

Story, Loise. "What Adams Saw Through His Lens." New York Times 27 April 2008: Travel Section.

Turnage, William A. "Biography of Ansel Adams." Ansel Adams. 2 December 2008