Rain, Steam, and Speed

Joseph Mallord William Turner
Joseph M. Turner, Rain, Steam, and Speed, 1844
BY REMY JACOBS

This work of art was painted in 1844, in the midst of everything changing -- sometimes for the better, and other times for the worst. During the time in which this was painted, the world was been radically modernized. This is what most people like to call The Industrial Revolution. Things like factories, trains, and mechanical reproduction became possible. 

This painting can be depicted several ways, it just depends on how the viewer is looking at it. The way I see it is the further evolution of technology in the modern world. Others could view it as technology racing towards the destruction of nature, because of the radical changing of the world. 

The blurriness in the background is interesting. It suggests that for some may be the change was too fast for people to keep up with. I guarantee that there were some people who didn't want any of this to happen. But on the other hand, some people were excited about the change, either because they needed it or were tired or bored of the current system. 
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The Festival of the Opening of the Vintage, Macon

Festival of the Opening of the Vintage

J.M.W. Turner, The Festival of the Opening of the Vintage, Macon, 1802
By THOMAS McCONAHAY

To my endearing friends who have always welcomed and encouraged my growth; I dedicate this to you.

The Festival of the Opening of the Vintage, Macon is one of William Turner’s lesser known works depicting a seemingly plentiful grape harvest of 1802, which he visited and observed during his trip to France in 1801. In this painting, a group of farmers are seen celebrating heavily following a successful harvest they all took part in tending to. Turner’s composition draws the viewer’s attention to the river and the ambient glory of the surroundings, serving to justify the time and energy given by the farmers to the raising of the harvest. To me it represents the payoff of supporting and nurturing someone else.

The past few months have been challenging to say the least but no matter how many times reality has knocked me down, I have been able to rely on my close friends for support and encouragement to keep getting back up. At times when it feels like my effort is all for nothing and the ‘fruits’ of my labor have been spoiled, they have helped me see through to the plentiful harvest that waits if I keep persevering. Through the good and the bad of my development, their warmth has remained unchanged. For that I cannot thank them enough.
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A Rainstorm at Sea

A Rainstorm at Sea
Joseph Mallord William Turner, A Rainstorm at Sea, 1822
By KATHERINE GRABOWSKY

To my sleep-deprived sister, Annie,

I gift you Turner’s A Rainstorm at Sea to liven up your deteriorating Naismith dorm room wall. This painting can hang right above your mini refrigerator and right below your way-too-sparkly “Kappa Alpha Theta” sign. Or maybe, this can lie above your desk, so it is the last thing you see every night before you reside to sleep at 3 a.m. in typical college fashion. I gift you this painting to give you that last spark of motivation during your college years filled with projects, papers and tests. When that Chai Tea Latte just isn’t doing the trick, and you have yet to figure out how the heck you find the acidity to titration all the while attempting to finish the paper due tomorrow, simply look into this Turner painting and I hope you feel at peace. This is for those moments when you feel as if you’re drowning in that dark, empty water where Turner showed no mercy to color and painted with stark black. You must simply take a deep breath and appreciate the pinks and the blues and the yellows.

Don’t let yourself fall into the unbounded cycle of procrastination due to self-pity and stress, and instead, rise above. The rain may seem endless, and you may feel as though surely you will never pass your finals and graduate, but I can assure you, every storm passes. So too, will your stress. Soon enough, you will be on break, sleeping more than 3 hours a night, and relying on anything other than just Costco-brand Keurig cups, and you will be okay. Don’t fret, and dive into Turner.

Let him takes you places your math homework can’t. Let him guide you through your hours and hours of work and help you make it out the other side with yes, coffee-stained clothing, tangled hair and bags under your eyes, but alive, nonetheless. Annie, I gift you this painting to help you push through the rainstorms that you have definitely experienced and will inevitably face more of during your time at KU. Let Turner’s colors overtake you, and his emotions move you.


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