The Garden of Earthly Delights was painted by Hieronymus Bosch from 1490-1510. When the triptych was completed in 1510 it was given to Henry III as a wedding gift. The triptych is a Bosch’s depiction of heaven, earth, and hell. The Eden paradise is on the left and the right piece is a landscape of hell. The central panel, the widest panel, shows earth and the pursuit of pleasure-fleeting nature of pleasure. There are also imaginative scenes of carnal love and lust-combinations of people, nature, and animals. There is a life-like quality within all three parts of the triptych. Within the right panel, pleasures are turned against them in hell visceral bodily torment of hell. Although it would be assumed that the painting would be for a religious patron in a church, Bosch’s eerie depiction of earth, heaven,and hell is unknown and usually debated amongst his critics. 

Unlike other artworks that have their critics analyze the message behind them, The Garden of Earthly Delights is not an obscure painting. Despite the painting being a clear depiction of earth, heaven, and hell, Bosch includes characters and objects within the triptych that is unconventional compared to what artists usually painted. Heironymous Bosch’s painting defied the traditions of the Renaissance. Unlike other patrons, he did not make the painting for the church. The subject matter is bizarre and focuses on the sinful nature of humanity and the figures lack classical form and definition. 

Bosch’s The Garden of Earthly Delights triptych is a painting that invokes an ongoing discussion between scholars because of implicit and explicit meaning that has the ability to be debated. Explicitly, scholars can agree that Bosch  was trying to make a painting that was out of the norm and depicted eaarth, heaven, and hell. No one really knows the implicit explanation of The Garden of Earthly Delights but it is heavily debated amongst Bosch’s scholars and critics. Two Bosch scholars that have distinguished iconographies of  The Garden of Earthly Delights are Reindert Falkenburg and Margaret Sullivan. In Reindert Falkenburg’s iconography, he thoroughly explains his analysis of the triptych and his process of figuring out what it meant explicitly. Sullivan gives her iconography of the painting while responding to Falkenburg’s assertion.

In The Land of Unlikeness: Hieronymus Bosch The Garden of Earthly Delights, Reindert Falkenberg attempts to reconstruct the historical viewership of Bosch’s garden by putting himself in the shoes of the viewer round the time the painting was made. Falkenburg’s conclusion is that Bosch’s Garden with its allegorical and enigmatic imagery was meant to be a ‘conversation piece’ for the Burgundian high nobility: the triptych was supposed to engender disputation and speculative argumentation.(Falkenberg 2013, p.215-217).  Falkenberg comes to this conclusion by realizing that the different motifs in each panel were related to each other in sequential order. He believed that the correct way to interpret the painting’s bewildering imagery was by firstly interpreting the central panel then branching out to the left and right panel. Falkenberg finds that there is no positive interpretation of the central panel and sees it as a prelude to the right panel, hell. Falkenberg also analyzes the double imagery through the support of historical documents. Falkenberg’s assertion of Bosch’s garden is a very detailed and descriptive analysis that is well supported by his evidence. I believe that with all the information amassed in Falkenberg’s assumption his iconography might be true but may also be oversimplified. I agree that Bosch’s implicit reasoning for the painting may have been to invoke conversation between people of high status around the time but it still makes the implicit reasoning of the painting broad. 

Margaret Sullivan disagrees with Falkenberg’s argument of Bosch’s garden being timely. In The timely art of Hieronymous Bosch: the left panel of  The Garden of Earthly Delights”,  Sullivan makes the argument that the left panel is not Biblical creation as most people usually assume.  Unlike Falkenberg, Sullivan strictly uses the Bible as reference to develop her analysis. She felt that the left panel was depicted incorrectly and by doing so suggested something sinister. One issue Sullivan had with the left panel was the bypassing of God in the act of creation. Secondly, Sullivan felt discomforted by the depiction of Adam and Eve without halos.Lastly, Sullivan feels that there is an apocalyptic foreboding within the triptych. Sullivan states, “When the triptych is opened Antichrist begins his reign by presenting the male with a demonic woman and tempting him with the sin of lust. In the center panel the reign of Antichrist has reached its apogee with multiple Antichrists indulging their lust in a world that has become as sinful as it was in the ‘days of Noah’.” (Sullivan 2014, p. 186). Sullivan took the unorthodox depiction of the garden of eden and interpreted the entire triptych as something completely sinister. I believe that Sullivan’s iconography is structured on how accurate Bosch’s garden depicts the Bible. Depending on that narrow and extreme perspective might stray further away from what Bosch intended .

Bosch’s garden is an allegorical masterpiece and an unorthodox painting that furthers conversation about what the artwork means explicitly and implicitly. Many scholars have debated the implicit meaning of  The Garden of Earthly Delights. Falkenberg and Sullivan’s debate on the conclusion of the triptych is an example of the ambiguity of Bosch’s garden. While Falkenberg believes the sole purpose of the painting is to simply invoke discussion, Sullivan believes that the failed depiction of earth, heaven, and hell symbolizes the sinister elements coming from the Antichrist. There are multiple ways to interpret the painting but Falkenberg’s iconography might be the most accurate because he doesn’t only lean on information from the Bible.  

My subject for my interview is my roommate and college friend Dylan Antigua.Dylan Antigua  is an up and coming rap artist from NYC (Queens). He majors in Psychology and minors in Marketing in the school of Whitman. Dylan is half Dominican and half Filipino.  He loves all kinds of music but he specializes in R&B/hip-hop. He has music on all platforms. I met Dylan the first day of freshman year and ever since then we have been close friends.

When tasked with interviewing a local artist within Syracuse, I couldn’t think of anyone better than my friend Dylan. I didn’t want the interview to be conducted plainly. We decided to have the interview similar to the Overtime challenge. Overtime is a sports network focused on young, digital-native sports fans. The company’s programming focuses on talented young athletes, in particular high school athletes who play basketball and football. The overtime challenge is an interview that athletes do while completing an obstacle course. I know Dylan knew of the overtime challenge because he is close with Overtime Chloe, an athlete and brand ambassador of overtime who recently blessed us with merchandise. Within the basketball obstacle course I had set up, Dylan had to answer nine substantial questions and twelve random questions. The obstacle course demanded that Dylan do suicides, make four free throws, back pedal into five free throws, dribble through cones with a bandana on, practice fast footwork within the ladder, and lastly, a bottle flip.

Dylan was able to complete the tasks within 11 minutes. He shot four for four on free throws and shot three for five on three point shots. More importantly, Dylan was able to manage the physical tasks and answer the questions. From the random questions I’ve asked, I’ve learned that Dylan’s favorite color is red, he speaks Spanish, his favorite candy is twizzlers, and his favorite pair of sneakers are the Lebron 9 Big bang Theory.

When I asked my more substantive questions, Dylan gave me answers in detail. I asked him what he does exactly. He told me that he raps and makes music for fun. He can freestyle but he loves getting in the studio and using samples or old school beats.

Next, I asked him what he plans for the future. Dylan stated, “With rapping, i definitely don’t seek to become big time but if it happens , it’s definitely something I won’t stop. I do it for fun, it’s always been something I’ve had a passion for, so i definitely do it for fun.” This was surprising to hear. It was similar to hearing rapper, NBAyoungboy, tell his fans that he just raps for money. It is peculiar to hear talented individuals describe their tasks as if they are mere hobbies. As a friend, it made me feel like he was belittling himself or not giving himself enough credit.

I asked him where his love for rap came from. He explained to me that ever since he was a kid he was exposed to rap music through his dad. His dad would play old school rap. It wasn’t until middle school that Dylan became passionate about rap. He started freestyling during lunch at the lunch tables. I can understand the amount of pressure Dylan went through because the wooden lunch tables were a right of passage for every kid in middle school. It determined the status and toughness of a kid when kids would be mean. This also meant that his rapping was under scrutiny yet he felt no pressure at all.

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His origin also influenced his rap. “I’m from queens so idols and role models are definitely 50 Cent and Nas. Lyrically , style wise and everything, they have definitely influenced the approach i take as a rapper in my work. But creatively , definitely Kanye West, the way he thinks outside of the box fashion wise and just as an individual is definitely a major influence.” (Dylan Antigua)

His favorite rapper right now is Meek Mill and Roddy Ricch. Dylan feels that lyrically they both carry a style which is authentic , as well as the way they portray themselves as artists staying true to where they came from, and also telling stories through their music. Dylan hopes to do the same.

Dylan states “My past has definitely shaped my experience as a rapper. Specifically in what i rap about in my songs. I rap about stuff I’ve gone through in my past, such as losing my grandma, my mom being sick and just growing up in NYC as a whole. I use the music as my platform to express the pain I’ve held in ever since I was younger. I like to keep what I rap about genuine , and which is why my past is definitely a big factor in regards to what i rap about.” I feel that every rapper should feel this way about their craft. Although Dylan feels that rapping is just aa hobby, he takes it seriously because it allows creative expression and escapism for him.

I then asked him a more difficult question: “Are there any controversies concerning his music?” I was asking him about how some people don’t like his music and his usage of the N-word. He told me that the main controversy with his music is people saying that he’s not good at rapping. Dylan feels like it motivates him tho. Dylan doesn’t speak on his usage of the N-word because he rarely says it. The N-word debate is never conclusive but Dylan is mixed and has never meant anything offensive by it. My opinion is that there needs to be a more definitive social answer on who can say the word if the word can even be said. His critics invoke a false narrative of his music when he is just stylistically expressing himself. I think he’s been doing great with his expression through art and as he continues chasing his degree he is simultaneously getting better with his rapping.

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Birds of Prey ,with its anticipated release date, scored an 88 percent on the tomato-meter form Rotten Tomatoes. This movie was produced by the same producers from Suicide Squad. I, along with other fans, was excited to see the movie because it was almost a sequel to Suicide Squad. Harley Quinn was the lead and narrator of the movie. Another reason why I wanted to watch Birds of Prey was because it was the first all female group, filled with heroes and criminals, put into a comic. The comic book had all of the members of Birds of Prey except Omen, formerly known as Batgirl.

I went to The Regal Movie Theatre at Destiny USA to see the movie a day before it debuted. I was able to watch the movie as an Orange After Dark event. The movie started off with a video of all the film corporations that contributed to the production of the movie with a DC universe video including all of the DCU superheroes that are supposed to be in the upcoming movies. The movie was similar to mystery movies where the narrator unpacks the plot through flashbacks. Harley Quinn did so using her “jersey-styled” accent. Harley’s role was very comedic and included strong nods and comic book references.

The movie was very comedic and included the female camaraderie but there were some flaws within the film, from my perspective as a fan. I personally believe that film industries revolved around comic books stories should be accurate or similar enough to the stories. I was disappointed by the poor portrayal of certain characters. I wish that the characters were more brutal and savage similar to their comic depictions. Peter Travers from Rolling Stones states, “Slapping the topical theme of female empowerment on a story that trucks in business-as-usual violence does not qualify as a game-changer — or a reason to go to the movies.” Peter Travers’ statement on Birds of Prey was inaccurate but understandable. I believe his displeasure comes from the fact that the movie was lacking elements from the comic book that would’ve made it a better story. The story lacked a more mature Cassandra Cain that is a trained assassin, not the younger orphaned child that is addicted to thievery. Black Canary should have been the skilled martial artist, mentor, and heroine. Additionally, Rene Montoya should have been played by a younger actor. There was also a rumor that Green Arrow would appear in the post credits but it never happened. All of these flaws within the movie made it disappointing because it didn’t feel real. A fifty year old woman can’t fight off a mob and a 13 year old orphan would not realistically happen. The major offense from the group of heroines came from Harley Quinn, Huntress, and Black Canary. Despite my personal issues with the movie, I understand that the Birds of Prey story has room for growth in the future if there is a prequel. The age gap between Cain and Montoya makes me a cynic but I hope the DCU is moving in the right direction.

One of the most iconic shoe styles is the “What the” color way released by Nike. The “What the” shoe style is a vibrant multi-color shoe that displays a homage to other color ways of that shoe. For example, the “What the SB Dunks” were the first nike shoes to receive the “what the” treatment. Most people were skeptical about the release of the shoe because they were accustomed to regular university color ways or shoes designed by skateboarders. However, hype grew over the shoes as the release date drew closer. The shoe encompassed small parts of other iconic SB dunk color ways like the pigeon icon on the right shoe and the star icon on the left shoe. Both patches came from other notable SB Dunks. For those who don’t know about the shoe style, they may see the shoes as opposite shoes worn as a pair.

The shoe style is called “What the…” because that is the exact response Nike expected from consumers. When people saw the shoe they would ask “What the [expletive] is going on with this shoe?” The shoe style would eventually be used on other sneakers, encompassing multiple color ways of that respective shoe.

My favorite shoes are the “What the Kd 6s”. I was able to add them to my shoe collection when I turned 18. My rationale in buying the shoes was that I loved every shoe style of the Kevin Durant’s 6th signature shoe so I wanted a shoe that had the details of every color way.

I saw the the “What the Kd 6” as art because it included vibrant colors, translucency, fluorescent bottoms, and 3M technology. The structure of the shoe is meant to be light weight and breathable for a basketball player’s comfort and speed. The tongue of the shoes are extremely light and almost paper thin. The large nike swoosh on both shoes are large components of the shoe. they are both different colors and styles. The Nike Swoosh on the right is covered in two dimensional grape jelly. The Nike swoosh on the left has a crab skin design. The upper of both shoes have many prints layered on top of each other. On the left shoe there are 3M converging on top of a New York style print. On the right shoe, there is a 3M animal print. The 3M print consists of a zebra, tiger and cheetah print combined into one. This 3M print is layered on top of an upper filled with pink and purple roses. To add on to the incongruent-ness of the shoes, the insoles are completely different . The soles of the shoes are glow-in-the dark translucent. On the right shoe the sole is blue and on the left shoe the sole is green. When the lights are turned off the shoe completely glows because of the vibrant upper, the 3M covering the upper, and the fluorescent soles. The shoes commemorate iconic styles in the past but the confusing themes is what makes the shoes a work of art. The “What the” style is abstract.

For those who aren’t informed, “Waves” is a hairstyle amongst black people that gives off a “ripple-like” style in their hair. The Egyptians were the first to have waves according to ancient hieroglyphics. This “hairstyle” wasn’t originally a hairstyle because the Egyptians had natural curly hair that even when their hair was short their hair would still produce a curl pattern. Their hair produced this natural curl pattern because of the genealogy of Egyptians in Northern Africa. Most Northern Africans were colonized by Europeans which birthed Africans with lighter complexions and less thick hair. Although the curly hair pattern may be seen as an arduous hairstyle to us in the present, North Africans have always had the curl pattern.

The waves hairstyle became more common but due to systemic racism and trivializing times, hair became a medium of control upon black people. Most people refer to cooning as the hatred of oneself. Some saw it as a simple way of fitting into the white society by assimilating to their culture. Cooning was problematic because black people were essentially breaking down the physical portions of themselves to be accepted by white people and be less prone to racism.

Black people that cooned would grease and relax their hair because black hair was more difficult to manage, especially in a white dominated society. Black men would coon their 4c textured hair and would in turn produce loosely curly laid down hair. This type of hairstyle looked similar to the hairstyle we know as waves but they weren’t called “waves”.

Although waves had a complex past due to racism, black people became more unified and fought for basic human rights like the freedom to express their hairstyles. Waves, in particular, was different from other expressions of freedom through hairstyles because waves symbolized freedom and it also symbolized cooning. After the 1960s, waves were more accepted in black culture. However, waves is a form of art that is very difficult. Cooning was dangerous and unethical because it damaged hair using sulfate and acid. In the late 20th century, waves was a hairstyle that was put together more naturally. The use of du-rags became more prevalent in hip hop. Today, people may think du-rags were for style but in actuality it was for the neat compression of black textured hair. The styling of waves today is a lot more complex because there re many different versions of waves as there are different textures of hair.

There are 180 waves, 360, 540, and 720 waves. Each wave hairstyle includes a different process. Waves are stylistic but the history of waves was both painful and beautiful like black culture. This form of art epitomizes the black struggle and the black success.

On December 6th of 2019, Roddy Rich debuted his album, “Please Excuse Me for Being Anti-Social.” Roddy Rich’s song ,”The Box”, became number one on the billboard after only a few weeks. Roddy Rich is a young rapper, singer, and songwriter. In my opinion, i believe he’s one of the brightest artists making music right now and there is definitely more success for him in the future.

Rodrick Wayne Moore Jr. , also known as Roddy Rich, was born on October 22nd, 1998 in Compton, CA. Roddy Rich joins a list of legendary hip-hop artists that were born and raised in Compton. Unlike Tupac Shakur and Snoop Dog, Roddy Rich has a completely different style. Most people would attribute the difference between those rappers’ styles to the time when the both styles of music were produced; however, a person could play Roddy Rich’s music and assume that he is from the East coast. West Coast music in the 90’s was generally a lot more electronic and included upbeat rap. In the background, most people would hear drum machine, synthesizer, and a sampler. Modern day “Cali-” music is much faster, calm, and usually includes homage. What makes Roddy Rich stand out amongst other rappers is that his voice catches the attention of millions when he raps and sings. He is multi-faceted, driven by his love of music, and completely dedicated to his craft while producing music that pays homage to his struggles and where he is from. In a radio talk show with Charlemagne the God, Roddy Rich explains to him that “money” doesn’t mean anything to him. He explains further that he turned down 100,000 dollars because he felt that his feature with an artist wouldn’t produce a great song. Roddy Rich is concerned with substance and quality over quantity because of his love for music.

His love for music led to the release of his latest album, “Please Excuse Me for Being Anti-Social.” As stated in his latest album title, Roddy Rich isn’t a social celebrity. He reserves himself and works on his music. His lates album had so many great songs. The song that has had the most popularity is “The Box.”‘The Box’ has been popularized for many reasons. The first reason why “the Box” has been popularized is because the song is very catchy and has hard ambiguous hitting lyrics. Many people are confused about the lyrics but the song is about living life freely while, acquiring success, and engaging in lust. Another reason why the song has been popularized is because of social media. Social media continues to share memes, tweets, and “tik-toks” of his music. Everyone exaggerates the appreciation of the song by repetitively making a “eeehh-eerrr” sound.

This song has even stirred controversy within the music industry. The music industry is competitive and many artists try to make it to the number one spot on the Billboard. “The Box” has earned the number one spot and has been at that spot for 3 consecutive weeks. Justin Bieber had recently released “yummy’ and Selena Gomez had recently released “Lose you to love me”. Both artists were top 10 in the Billboard and were using social media to plead their fans to continue streaming their songs. Justin Bieber even joked about “The Box” being a stupid song. The music industry may be competitive but I believe it was disgusting to beg fans for streams to defeat a new artist that worked just as hard on his music. Roddy Rich’s response to Justin and Selena’s poor sportsmanship was surprising. He asked his own fans to stream their music. His fans took it as reverse psychology and continued to play his music to keep him at the number one spot.

This is an example post, originally published as part of Blogging University. Enroll in one of our ten programs, and start your blog right.

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