Art that has Changed You

[Cognitive Gear]

Art is important to many people for many different reasons. You could almost say that art has as many different effects as there are people that experience it. What are some of the books, movies, paintings, sculptures, literature or any other kind of art that has affected you, and how?

Some things that had an impact on me:



City Lights by Charlie Chaplin.

I hadn't really understood the appeal of the silent film until I saw this movie, and afterwards I was left with an experience that was emotional, humorous, and amazingly accessible. It wouldn't have mattered what language I spoke, I would have been able to understand what was happening. It made me rethink the importance of language in communication.



One and Three Chairs by Joseph Kusoth

Prior to seeing this piece, I hadn't ever really taken the time to think about the separation of idea from physical object, nor had I thought about how an artistic concept can stay the same despite changes to it's parts.



Harry Potter (series)

This series of books, despite the story having little to do with it, was in some way influential in changing my mind about whether I wanted to have children or not. It may have been a coincidence, but by the time I finished the series, I had gone from being staunchly against ever having children to wanting to be a great Dad someday.

So CAA, what has influenced you, and why?

[Beau Soir]

Ooh, I like this thread.

This. So much.

I also keep coming back to this picture, and I don't know why.


Old Bleach manga had a great influence on me and my art way back when.


And I recently filled out this DeviantArt meme "Influence Map," which covers everything else.

[Radical Dreamer]

Okay. Here we go. XD

The Lord of the Rings (films and books):

These movies and books literally changed my life in the 7th grade. XD They rocketed me towards a life of being a huge nerd and also not caring what anybody thought about it. XD To this day, they are still some of my favorite books and movies. XD I swear, after I watch all three movies in order, it's like everything is right with the world, discrepancies to the original books aside. XD Also, and probably most importantly, watching the special features on these movies is what made me decide to become an illustrator and/or concept/storyboard artist. Alan Lee FTW. XD

Sufjan Stevens Invites You to Come On! Feel the Illinoise!



My favorite of Sufjan Stevens's discography, this is the album that I credit with making me appreciate more than just the singing in music. The instruments and how they're arranged in this album are all just so fantastic, and it's still one of my all-time favorite albums to this day. XD Also, I totally dig the artwork. XD

Lost



Yes, only the greatest TV show of all time. Before I watched Lost, I was sure that all television was vapid and pointless and a huge waste of time, unless it was anime (lol). Then my brother introduced me and the rest of my family to this show, and I spent the next five years being completely in love with it, and also entirely open to television as a legitimate medium of storytelling.

I'm sure there are a lot more, but those are the ones I'll post for now. XD

[armeck]

the first verse and chorus to the song "rite of spring" by angels and airwaves


"I was locked all day in the summer heat,
In a small brown house in Suburban Street,
With a skateboard and my sick guitar,
I'd dream all day that they would get me far,
My dad would ask me about my grades,
Those stupid sports that I never played.
And then I'd ask about the girls he'd date,
Behind our backs when mom would stay up late.
It was near when I turned sixteen,
Got kicked out of school, and so it seemed
that things were closing in and ready to blow,
My dad moved out about that year or so,
It took an hour to start a punk rock band
To offset my messed up family land
And as I held my mom would start to cry
I swore ourselves a better life
If I had a chance for another try,
I wouldn't change a thing
It's made me all of who I am inside
And if I could thank god
That I am here, and that I am alive
And everyday I wake
I tell myself a little harmless lie
The whole wide world is mine"


music means more to me than what anyone can ever understand...

[Shao Feng-Li]

Now I see that date everywhere... I think it was the first actually scary book I've ever read. I've read Dracula and a few other "horror" novels, but nothing is scary like things that aren't all that far fetched.

[Yamamaya]

Kudos on LOTR. It also introduced me to the land of fantasy. Quite an excellent introduction.

Neon Genesis Evangelion has been another big influence on me.

The show went in a direction I had never seen before. I found its raw exploration of the human nature to be jarring and though provoking(even if I don't agree with all its conclusions).

In addition, People's History of the United States has changed the way I look at American history. So often we view history through the lens of the great men. We completely ignore the small ordinary people who fought for change or who suffered underneath the heel of the elite.

[bigsleepj]

To me books and movies are the pinnacle of art. Here goes some choices of mine.

The Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander

I read these books in high school, and although they were certainly lower fantasy than some of the other stuff I've read at the time, and though they were also much more "light" than the Stephen King novels I devoured, I have to say these books have influenced me deeply, particular the fourth philosophical volume known as Taran Wanderer. I doubt any book influenced me as deeply.

CS Lewis: The Space Trilogy (Out of the Silent Planet / Perelandra / That Hideous Strength)

I only discovered Lewis as an adult, but he sort of came at the right time for me to enjoy them. Though I loved the Narnian Chronicles it is his Space Trilogy that haunts me most, both as a person and a writer, mostly because I enjoy blending science fiction, fantasy and theology, though I'm not half as skilled as Lewis with this (though these books are not masterpieces either).

Shusaku Endo - Silence

From primary school I've had doubts about my faith, and I still have. On some level I see my faith as a constant struggle. Subsequently, the story of a Portuguese priest in Japan being persecuted for his belief, resonated more deeply with me than a story of a person who finds their faith would. This is a deeply troubling but insanely fascinating book that would obliterate many people's simple views of faith, Christ and the Will of God, but not in a bad way.

The Short Stories of R.A. Lafferty

Curse, you, Lafferty, for going out of print. Lafferty is a one of a kind; a writer who made me rethink the actual structure of story composition (and I don't mean narrative structure). This is a writer whose delights lie not so much is style (which seems deceptively straightforward) but how, in little ways, he surprises you by making you think that one thing is happening while something else is really. Combine this with a scathing sense of humour and a deep knowledge of several languages (with which he subtly plays) and you've got a hilarious writer of comedy who can also swap moods at the drop of the hat, particularly as stories within a few paragraphs can go from whimsical to unsettling. His novels tend to be hit and miss, though, so start with the short stories.

The Music of Johnny Cash

As a rule I hate country music, though that would be what is called the "Nashville Sound". Rather, I love the more down-to-earth music of Johnny Cash, particularly his American Recordings that are minimalist and brilliant. The song that "coverted" me to Cash was "The Mercy Seat", a cover of a Nick Cave song. Fact is, I have so much Johnny Cash music in my personal collection that I consider it scary.

Another day I'll speak of the movies that influenced me.

[Cadence]

This piece has forever changed my life in ways that are far too personal to state here.

Also, this movie.



And this book.



Art (in any form) is one of the greatest gifts God gives us. I'm so grateful it exists.

[Doubleshadow]

Three pieces that really influenced me:
Animal Farm - It was the first book I read that was critical of government. It was also unflinching a brutal. I had never been exposed to that before.
All Quiet on the Western Front - I was raised on Westerns and WWII flicks the glamorized, sanitized version of war. This was the first time I read something that didn't glorify heroes or focus on the nobility of the cause.
Skillet's Alien Youth album - I cannot under-emphasize how much this album effected me. I had very narrow ideas about churchy culture and was very turned off by the church and my perceptions of what being a Christian limited me to in terms of self-expression. To be loud, and angry, or dark as a Christian and to have my feelings be strong enough to be violent really helped me grow like almost nothing else.

[Yuki-Anne]

The Lord of the Rings

Like Carrie, this is what propelled me into being a huge nerd. I remember my father reading this to us when we were kids. This is not necessarily a pleasant memory; I think I was a bit young for it. I still remember my dad reading the part where the Orcs talk about torturing Merry and Pippin. I think Daddy read it in a scary voice, too. It is the only thing I remember Dad reading to us, besides the Bible.

Reboot

This is the first television show that I remember being real to me. I wanted to be part of that world so badly, and even today I think the stories I imagine are influenced by it. Even though it was a children's show, it introduced complex, mature storylines that dealt with loss, betrayal, love, revenge, and redemption... epic stuff. I loved it.

Fantasia

This Disney movie is often forgotten by a lot of people because it wasn't a single, cohesive story, but it is, I believe, pure art, in the sense that the artists put to paper whatever the music inspired them to. Even though I didn't prefer listening to classical music, this film laid the foundation for me to really appreciate it later on. And some of the images in the film are what pop into my head whenever I hear certain songs. It is truly an artistic masterpiece.

[Cognitive Gear]

Okay. Here we go. XD

The Lord of the Rings (films and books):

This book was also influential on me, most notably in Jr High when I was a complete Tolkienite. It's pretty interesting to hear that the movies inspired you into your current major!

Lost

Such a great TV show. I don't think there's much else to say.

Neon Genesis Evangelion has been another big influence on me.

This was the first "real" anime I ever saw, and it had a very large impact on me for many years. Strangely, it's very pessimistic tone ended up helping me cope with my own depression.

In addition, People's History of the United States has changed the way I look at American history. So often we view history through the lens of the great men. We completely ignore the small ordinary people who fought for change or who suffered underneath the heel of the elite.

A People's History of the United States should be required reading in all High Schools. It is a fantastic history book, and manages to make history interesting to people who are normally entirely uninterested.

The Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander

I hadn't heard of them until now, but I will definitely be looking into them now. A philosophical piece written as a fantasy novel is all sorts of appealing to me.

Shusaku Endo - Silence

This is another one I hadn't heard of until now, but I did look it up in the library today. Between your post here and having read the inside of the dust jacket, I know that I will have to read this book someday. I have a feeling that it will give me some much needed insight into the cultural hurdles that Christianity faces.

The Music of Johnny Cash

All I can do is agree with you 100%.

Watership Down

This book is so fantastic. The 1978 animated movie adaptation is also pretty incredible. If you haven't seen it, you might want to check it out.

Animal Farm

I'm glad that you brought this up. It was one of the first times I was exposed to an allegorical story which was written as a critique of something I was opposed to, but had the strange happenstance that the author's ideology and reasons for critiquing were far different from my own (at the time). Upon discovering the context and author's intent, I had quite an interesting time learning about viewpoints I had been taught were innately wrong.

Reboot

Oh man, I loved Reboot. I wish that all cartoons were as entertaining as it.

Fantasia

I saw this once when I was very, very young, and was bored to tears with most of it. I've been meaning to watch it again now that I am older, since I generally have a much greater appreciation for silent films now. Hopefully I will find it to be as moving as you do.

[Atria35]

The book Lies My Teacher Told Me is a book that influenced me and my ideas about American history. And I'm now determined to teach my kids, if I ever have any, what their teachers don't or won't mention.

I'm also going with the book Watch for Me on the Mountain, which was an amazingly beatiful story about Geronimo. My aunt gave me her first-print edition, which she actually had walked through a small fire in the bookstore to get!

[Yamamaya]

The book Lies My Teacher Told Me is a book that influenced me and my ideas about American history. And I'm now determined to teach my kids, if I ever have any, what their teachers don't or won't mention.

I read that book as well. I really enjoyed it. You should read People's History of the United States as well. You'd like it.

One of the common mistakes of history classes is to completely ignore the drama of history and instead present it as a boring list of history's greatest leaders making everything go, "JUST AS PLANNED.":lol:

To ignore the struggles of the common masses and simply praise the leaders unconditionally puts us in the elitist mindset that the filthly commoners should just sit down and listen to their enlightened leaders.

We've made idols out of people like George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. I'm not a hater of honest Abe, but people don't realize he wasn't the spotless saint people make him out to be.

[KhakiBlueSocks]

[SIZE="4"][color="RoyalBlue"][font="Trebuchet MS"]There are several artistic pieces that I can safely say has had an infulence on the way I think and has had a great influence on my life:

"The Diary of Anne Frank" -

I remember we did the play in Middle School, and I have to admit, it didn't have that much of an influence on me at that time until later on when I actually read the different versions of the diary. It's hard to put into words exactly what that book and the subsequent movie did to me (or rather for me), but to put it mildly, reading the story about this young girl growing up in an attic with 7 other people for years has had an influence on me that I am very thankful for.

"Shindler's List" -

If I had a say in it, this movie would be a requirement for every student in school to see before graduation. I know that may sound kinda rough, and I know I'll probably cop some flack for it, but that's honestly how I feel. The insight it gave me into the Holocaust and the people involved therein was overwhelming, but I felt that I needed to know exactly what this race of people went through.

"Homecoming" by Cynthia Voigt -

The "Tillerman" series of books are awesome on their own, but I have to say the very first one, the book that started Dicey, James, Maybeth and Sammy's long trek after their mother abandoned them in a mall parking lot. The idea that a young girl could take on the responsibility of navigating her family on foot across highways and byways without help and a limited amount of money blew my ever-loving mind.

"Yu Yu Hakusho" -

Oh my gosh...I remember the night when I first saw "Yu Yu Hakusho". Ironically enough, it was the first episode. I was laying in bed, flipping channels, when I saw this establishing shot of the sky and this guy wearing a green suit with weird hair and big eyes. I stuck around at watched this new "cartoon". I soon realized this was NOTHING like my all time favorites like "Digimon" and "Pokemon"...these characters had street brawls, drank liquor, and cussed like sailors. Also, the show had a cliffhanger! This was my introduction to REAL, UNSANITIZED, UNEDITED anime.[/font][/color][/SIZE]

[bigsleepj]

I hadn't heard of them until now, but I will definitely be looking into them now. A philosophical piece written as a fantasy novel is all sorts of appealing to me.

The Chronicles of Prydain was loosely adapted into the Disney Movie The Black Cauldron, which is hit or miss but still interesting because it is like no Disney movie before or after (though low points in the adaptation is when a magical swords sparkles and sounds EXACTLY like a light saber). The books are from the late 60's / early 70's, and it was obviously inspired by both the Narnian Chronicles and Lord of the Rings, it manages to stand on its own feet. Though obviously aimed at "young adults", most of the five-book series is just adventure novels. But as mentioned Taran Wanderer exists on a different level from the other books, but can only be appreciated by reading the first three books before it. I read the books, then lent them to a friend who read it. He said something very simple: "I did not want the books to end. I feel sad because the characters felt like real people and are leaving now." Off course, this was in highschool, but still it stands as a good observation.

The different volumes are: The Book of Three, The Black Cauldron, The Castle of Llyr, Taran Wanderer and The High King.

This is another one I hadn't heard of until now, but I did look it up in the library today. Between your post here and having read the inside of the dust jacket, I know that I will have to read this book someday. I have a feeling that it will give me some much needed insight into the cultural hurdles that Christianity faces.

Silence almost became a movie by Martin Scorcese (and he still says he'll make it). I can't think of any other director who could do it justice (though it was made into a movie before). I recommended it to a lot of people, but I warn you, the last few chapters is like being stabbed by a blunt knife in the gut. I read it twice technically, but I could not bring myself to read the last few chapters again the second time. You'll never forget the snoring.

[Atria35]

"Homecoming" by Cynthia Voigt -

The "Tillerman" series of books are awesome on their own, but I have to say the very first one, the book that started Dicey, James, Maybeth and Sammy's long trek after their mother abandoned them in a mall parking lot. The idea that a young girl could take on the responsibility of navigating her family on foot across highways and byways without help and a limited amount of money blew my ever-loving mind.

I think this was one of my first intros into serious writing. And it was amazing.

[KagayakiWashi]

Richard Wagner's "Der Ring des Nibelungen":
Through this, I gained an appreciation of opera and a greater appreciation for music as a whole. This may very well be the most important work of art in my mind.

The Music of Frank Zappa:
"Hot Rats" is my favorite music album ever. I cannot describe it, but out of the 800 albums I own, this is my favorite. Also, Frank's other musical output was simply amazing....a master of all musical mediums....jazz, rock, modern classical....amazing stuff.

Tim Burton's "Batman":
This movie is probably my favorite movie. I watched it all the time as a kid and it introduced me to Danny Elfman's brilliant score. Danny Elfman eventually led me to Bernard Herrmann and Igor Stravinsky. But the tone, visuals....everything about that movie is special to me.

Neon Genesis Evangelion:
What can I say about an anime that I can watch over and over, dissect, find new things about, and have nightmares about again and again. Hahaha!