Light: Adaptation

When I read the chapter in Bossypants that focuses on Tina’s stint at the YMCA, I thought that it was perfectly suited for cinema. Tina Fey struggles to find a job and finally gets the position working at the YMCA. There are a few characters introduced that can serve as antagonists: Joe the mail guy, Donna, the office workers from upstairs, and the demanding residents. The dramatic problem is introduced: Tina would prefer to spend her time taking improv classes instead of working at what the “grim” YMCA. The inciting incident is when Tina is fed up with her job due to the following culminating events:

• The blood vessels in her eyes pop because her commute to work at 5:00 am is THAT cold
• Joe, the mail guy with a speech impediment, (who she previously got along with) has spread a rumor that they’re “doing it.” This disgusts her because he’s 60-years old and homeless. She’s also disgusted that by trying to fit in at work and making “friends,” it has been misconstrued into something revolting.
• The demanding residents at the front desk are yelling at her and demanding exceptions to rules
• A homeless man with a short term memory that was previously described in an endearing light has now become hostile and annoying.

When I read this section, I felt hurried as these weights began to pile on top of Tina. We begin to feel the magnitude of “grim” that rests upon her. Then, in a galvanizing moment that definitely lends itself to Calvino’s quality of Lightness, Tina strolls into her interview for the office position wearing jeans and bluntly admitting she’s only applying so she can have more money to pay for her improv classes.

Light: Experience

When I created my first post for Lightness I made a collage of various computer parts. Looking at it reminds me of some of the basics concepts about Calvino’s Lightness. In literature, it is something that can be very complicated but from a different perspective, it is made to appear simple. I am reminded of Perseus, set with the task of beheading Medusa but achieving it by looking at her only through the reflection on his shield.

Thinking about this quality in reference to Tina Fey’s Bossypants, I am reminded of her time working at the YMCA in Illinois. She worked the shift from 5:30 am to 2:00 pm. She was fresh out of college and jobless. It took her a long time to find the job and she was strangely happy working there – for a while. She sometimes enjoyed the antics of the mentally challenged mail man and didn’t mind complaining about work with the other desk assistant (a middle-aged woman named Donna). However, after Fey started taking improv classes the job began to really wear on her. The residents who lived at the YMCA as well as the gym members were often rude or crass to her and she felt constantly fed up. A promotion opened up in the upstairs office. She knew that Donna, the other desk assistant would really love to get the job and that it would mean a lot to her. But Tina decided to apply for the position anyway. She applied for the job and got the position – it was easy. She wore jeans to the interview and told the interviewer that she only wanted the job so that she could pay for her improv classes.

To me, this shows the quality of Lightness because although the situation seems muddled and complicated, this was an easy decision for Fey to make. She obviously didn’t fit in with anyone she met at the YMCA and was not meant to sit behind a desk as an assistant.

Lightness: Graphics

 

I was surprised at how quickly I was able to find a good example of Calvino’s Lightness within Graphic Design: The New Basics, by Ellen Lupton and Jennifer Cole Phillips. I was looking for something that reminded me of my Lightness Emblem (an iMac); clean lines, simplistic, lightly tinted hues. I decided I would include two different images because I think they both do a really good job of demonstrating Lightness.

This first image has the following caption:

Artful Reduction A minimal stack of carefully shaped forms, in concert with exacting intervals of spaces, instantly evokes this sculptural landmark. Malcolm Greer, Malcolm Greer Designers.

Although I’ve never been to the Guggenheim Museum, I found this photograph of it:

Looking at the two representations of the building, they look very similar. The artist Malcolm Greer has stripped the Guggenheim down to it’s simplest and most essential facet. He has removed the weight from the Guggenheim. The busy city streets and even the artwork inside the building have been removed from the design so that it becomes light. Also, the bright yellow color provides a good canvas for use of negative space with the rectangular shapes and sans-serif typeface. This is a good example of thoughtful lightness: the spaces between the rectangles are even and the lack of framing reminds me of the black and white photograph I included above. In the black and white image the white facade seems to melt into the sky around it; there is no clear distinction between where the building ends and where the sky begins.

I also wanted to include this entry from Graphic Design:

Inverted Hierarchy This package design project asks students to redirect a product line to an unexpected audience. This design for cleaning products reorders the hierarchy and voice to spark the interest of young, progressive consumers who may be new to housekeeping. The brand name is subtle and sits back, while the offending soil takes center stage. Oliver Munday, Advanced Design. Jennifer Cole Phillips, faculty.

On an unrelated note, I would totally buy this product! It is an example of thoughtful lightness. The terms “laundry detergent” or “bleach” are actually a pretty abstract concepts if you don’t already know the definitions. This product takes the nature of the cleaning product and brings it down to its simplest form. The remove spots, stains, germs and scum, so why not make that the focal point of the product design? Also, the blue and white color scheme combined with the clean lines and empty space convey a sense of cleanliness.

 

 

Lightness: Analogy

As explained in my post, Lightness: Calvino’s Quality, something that has the quality of lightness can appear very complicated. However, when one steps back and evaluates from a different perspective, it will seem light. In order to explain this in more detail, I will use the analogy of the interplay between hardware and software.

In Calvino’s memo on Lightness, he mentions the relationship between computer hardware and software and I think it works best to look at it in a positive light and to expound upon it. So let’s think: You take a look at your basic PC. It looks pretty simple from the outside. It looks like a black case and a square screen. However, upon further inspection, things can become much more complicated very quickly: the simple black case contains so many infinitely intricate pieces and wires.

However, when you sit down and start working with the unit, it is easy to access the internet and perform simple tasks. Just because something may be very complicated, it is not necessary to know all of the specifics if it has the quality of lightness.

Lightness: Calvino’s Quality

Before writing this section, I found it helpful to first re-read Calvino’s section on Lightness. This was a lot more time intensive than I anticipated so I may just read over my detailed notes before I approach writing a post for the other qualities.

According to Calvino, Lightness is best explained in opposition to heaviness. He explains that he is often concerned with subtracting weight from stories and language. In order to further define the quality, Calvino uses the myth of Perseus.

Perseus was a Greek hero that killed the Gorgon named Medusa. At birth, Medusa is described as being ravishingly beautiful. However, when Athena discovered Poseidon raping Medusa in her temple, she transformed Medusa’s hair into serpents and made her face so terrible to behold that the mere sight of it would turn onlookers to stone. In order to kill Medusa, Perseus was able to see Medusa through the reflection in his mirrored shield; he beheaded her without looking directly at her.

This story relates to the quality of lightness because it is inherently tied to perspective. Just as Perseus had to gain a different or unique perspective in order to kill Medusa, we must look at things from a different perspective in order to work towards lightness.

Calvino also uses the story of Guido Cavalcanti by Boccaccio. Guido is surrounded by foes in a graveyard and things begin to look rather sinister. He cleverly escapes his enemies by leaping over a grave. This reference to Cavalcanti is significant because of the reference to mortality with the “graveyard” setting, but also because Cavalcanti was able to reevaluate the situation and find a solution that was very simple and effective.

For me, the most explicit definition of Lightness within this memo was outlined through the use of the following quote from Paul Valery:

This quote roughly translates: “One must be light like the bird, and not like the feather.” I really liked this quote (mostly because I speak French) but because it nicely put things in perspective. Professor Ulmer said that it was common for some students to immediately choose the feather as an emblem for Lightness. This quote explains why the feather would not be appropriate; lightness is only in effect if the subject has a use. For example, something that conveys Calvino’s Lightness would be functional, like a bird, and not like the feather which is only a part of the whole. A feather without a bird is useless, but a bird without a single feather can still function. This got me thinking about Calvino’s concept of thoughtful lightness as opposed to frivolous lightness. A feather would be an example of something that is frivolously light; it simply isn’t heavy. However, a bird (like the one pictured above) is something that is thoughtfully light. There is a well thought out purpose.