Thank you for a brief reprieve from the present! I know some people won’t like it, but I’m sure you needed it as well.
I love dioramas. I’d definitely be sad to see them go, but also understand that as technology and time continues to move forward they become historical artifacts themselves. But I also love that aspect about them.
We often think of dioramas as simply historical representations - but if we think about them more like art, I think the fact that they reflect our biases is its own little beauty. If we're going to destroy and/or remake them, I'd love, first, for someone to take photos or records of them as is and turn that into an art project in itself.
I love Dioramas SO MUCH! Cool to see other people love them too! Though I never thought of other practical uses for them like explaining things, I was thinking more art and nerdy stuff. I hope it never goes away.
@Sharon, this is fine but I hope you're preparing something about the ongoing constitutional crisis. The administration has made a number of illegal moves which violate the separation of powers, and while numerous court orders have been passed down to stop them, the administration is thus far ignoring them. If the executive cannot be checked by the legislature or the judiciary, then the Constitution is effectively suspended and we are in a dictatorship. I'm afraid that there is no one to enforce legal limits on this administration, and the possibility that we will simply accept authoritarianism or that any opposition could escalate dangerously. Please discuss this seriously this week. 🙏🏻
Also, I'd like to quote Sharon here that that the antidote to despair is action. Clearly, you're already aware that what's going on is dangerous (unless you were hoping Sharon would debunk our fears on that or something). Unfortunately the only tools we have to fight against things like this is just calling our representatives. The point isn't to have any sort of constructive conversation over the phone (trust me you never will, although some of them are slick enough to make you think you just did until you hang up), but just to overwhelm them with the number of calls they're getting about the same thing. We all know they're not out for us at all, but overwhelming push back from people enough to overload their phones does FACTOR into their decision making (or at least I hope). But unfortunately that's all we got for now.
Of course, I've been calling my reps almost daily! But my options for impact are limited in a solid blue state. I'm getting engaged with local support systems, like food banks, immigration services, and LGBTQ advocacy groups, but I fear that everything is collapsing while the general population has no clue about the danger. Our institutions are not holding, and the first step to rescuing them is to inform people.
I think i misread you. you are doing way more than me. Lol. But trust me, I'm totally in the same place as you as far as feeling the need to inform people. In MY case, that meant that everytime I hear or see something that I know is false rhetoric or just straight up parroting breitbart I feel the need to correct and fact check ALL OF THEM all the time. You know, to combat misinformation. (I too live in a blue state, but I work in a very right leaning field and my social circle is also mostly right leaning). I was always on the verge of losing my mind being drowned by all that, and I'm sure as you know, there is no such thing as informing someone with facts. Every single one of us here can't escape speaking with our emotions instead of fact statements even when we're sharing factual articles (and I do mean every single one of us here). Look at how Sharon can write a factual article as objective and non-partisan as humanly possible, but people here take away completely opposite views from it, or its showing too much personal bias, or it's too neutral and complacent. I'm not saying to discourage you from trying combat misinformation. I'm trying to offer my point of view on a different approach. More of trying to get to a mutual understanding of how we all came to different conclusions on dangers are real and not. Generalizing for a second here, us on the left have many common assumptions on why right leaning come to their conclusions, and I'm sure right leaning people have common assumptions on why we have our views. The only way we're gona get past that is if we're both listening and trying to understand where the other is coming from. And in each conversation if it's obvious that it's still only going one way, for your own sanity just change the subject like in Thanksgiving dinner, or get off the comment section or whatever. But I promise, you will lose your mind just trying to output information to deaf ears, and I don't wish that on anyone.
I appreciate this, but I also don't see why after nearly a decade of lies, conspiracy theories, corruption, and wilful ignorance, I should continue to extend good faith to people actively causing massive and lasting harm. I admire those who can - fight the good fight, I'm rooting for you! - but I don't have it in me any more. For my own sanity, I have to focus on harm reduction, and hope that those in Trump's thrall will someday find their way out.
I’ve spent a lot of time looking at dioramas at a number of museums. I can spend hours: the artwork is amazing: I marvel at how perspective is managed, and the amount of information that can be packed into what is actually quite a small area. I love locating the small elements that I wouldn’t know to look for without the accompanying text panels and close-up images.
I do think, though, that instead of taxidermied bodies (except, as mentioned, of animals who died of natural causes) sculptors could be engaged to create realistic, life-size models. As I write that, I also think that sculptor-involvement could make scale-model dioramas feasible for smaller spaces or to accommodate more scenarios in a larger space. But I do like the big ones.
One diorama that I wanted to climb into and fix was at, as I recall, the Smithsonian in D.C. I may be remembering incorrectly and it may have been changed since. (This was before the National Museum of the American Indian.) In a diorama representing Navajo life, there was a woman seated on the ground, supposedly spinning yarn. However, as a handspinner proficient in the use of a Navajo-style spindle, it was obvious to me that the spinner (an adult woman) was not knowledgeable about spinning techniques. With the way she was holding the spindle, well, it wasn’t going to work. Anglo though I am, I wanted to climb over the glass barrier (impossible) and reposition the tools and fiber so her efforts could be productive. And I doubt that was the only error in the scene. It’s probably been decades and still bothers me.
But yes, I think dioramas are fantastic and I’ve enjoyed, and I think benefited from, the time I’ve spent perusing them.
I’m a diorama fan, too and actually enjoyed making them in school. They bring history and spaces to life. Speaking of which, I would be absolutely thrilled to see an explainer video series from Sharon McMahon — maybe a collab with Heather Cox Richardson? — about how government works and how we got to where we are. As a certain candidate was fond of saying, we exist in the context of all that has been before us.
More people are asking me about nonpartisan news sources they can trust. Of course, I always point them this way. But it would be nice to have a playlist to pull from, similar to what the BibleProject produces. Anyone with me on this?
I really hope dioramas never go away fully. Disney made a documentary about the imagineers who designed the theme parks and they heavily relied on dioramas in that process. As an artist myself, it is so important to not just continue to have appreciation for these types of art but also to pass on the direct knowledge and skill that it takes to create them. Training the next generation on all types of craft and art is paramount and we don’t want it to lose out against technology.
Thank you for the entertaining and enlightening story of the Donner Pass, part II and President Kennedy enacting a Pink Pather style home movie of his assassination. It shows again that life is stranger than fiction. You do so much, and we are all grateful to have your perspectives. They really help us to not panic, do the next good thing and breathe. ❤️
Wait! Wait! You mean life is going on outside of politics? There is more to it than the latest contribution to the distortion mill? It is okay to think of other topics; even enjoy them? What can we do to convince a major newspaper--any newspaper--to boast this headline:
"Museum dioramas trumps Trump by 80% in new National sample survey of 253.9 million respondents!
In response, the White House announced its new front lawn diorama depicting a massive crowd of 293 surging toward the Capitol grounds, apparently believing that's where you show up to be greeted by Mr. MAGA himself. Who could have known? Government handouts covering basic civics are being distributed, along with maps of Washington, D.C., in four languages (Russian, Spanish, Greenlandic (really!) and English). Supplies are being rapidly exhausted and orders for 438 more are being fulfilled as we speak.
I have to do a deeper dive into the diorama dilemma. Only fascinating idea. Dinner redux for sure needs a film version. Kennedy's premonition is just bizarre. Thanks for a nice diversion!
I saw a documentary about the new white house museum in DC and they have a wall of what I would call dioramas but their facebook page callas the miniature replicates: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1PS5xQr5jc/
Thank you for a brief reprieve from the present! I know some people won’t like it, but I’m sure you needed it as well.
I love dioramas. I’d definitely be sad to see them go, but also understand that as technology and time continues to move forward they become historical artifacts themselves. But I also love that aspect about them.
We often think of dioramas as simply historical representations - but if we think about them more like art, I think the fact that they reflect our biases is its own little beauty. If we're going to destroy and/or remake them, I'd love, first, for someone to take photos or records of them as is and turn that into an art project in itself.
I love Dioramas SO MUCH! Cool to see other people love them too! Though I never thought of other practical uses for them like explaining things, I was thinking more art and nerdy stuff. I hope it never goes away.
Joy is resistance. I hope writing about your love brought you joy, as you bring us.
I love dioramas too! As long as I’m not the one making them, like in grade school lmao
@Sharon, this is fine but I hope you're preparing something about the ongoing constitutional crisis. The administration has made a number of illegal moves which violate the separation of powers, and while numerous court orders have been passed down to stop them, the administration is thus far ignoring them. If the executive cannot be checked by the legislature or the judiciary, then the Constitution is effectively suspended and we are in a dictatorship. I'm afraid that there is no one to enforce legal limits on this administration, and the possibility that we will simply accept authoritarianism or that any opposition could escalate dangerously. Please discuss this seriously this week. 🙏🏻
Sharon is no slacker, and is doing a great job sharing about our precarious constitutional crisis. Keep watching!
For the best--imho--coverage regarding the ongoing fight FOR democracy, check out democracydocket.com.
Agreed, they're doing a great job over there!
Also, I'd like to quote Sharon here that that the antidote to despair is action. Clearly, you're already aware that what's going on is dangerous (unless you were hoping Sharon would debunk our fears on that or something). Unfortunately the only tools we have to fight against things like this is just calling our representatives. The point isn't to have any sort of constructive conversation over the phone (trust me you never will, although some of them are slick enough to make you think you just did until you hang up), but just to overwhelm them with the number of calls they're getting about the same thing. We all know they're not out for us at all, but overwhelming push back from people enough to overload their phones does FACTOR into their decision making (or at least I hope). But unfortunately that's all we got for now.
Of course, I've been calling my reps almost daily! But my options for impact are limited in a solid blue state. I'm getting engaged with local support systems, like food banks, immigration services, and LGBTQ advocacy groups, but I fear that everything is collapsing while the general population has no clue about the danger. Our institutions are not holding, and the first step to rescuing them is to inform people.
I think i misread you. you are doing way more than me. Lol. But trust me, I'm totally in the same place as you as far as feeling the need to inform people. In MY case, that meant that everytime I hear or see something that I know is false rhetoric or just straight up parroting breitbart I feel the need to correct and fact check ALL OF THEM all the time. You know, to combat misinformation. (I too live in a blue state, but I work in a very right leaning field and my social circle is also mostly right leaning). I was always on the verge of losing my mind being drowned by all that, and I'm sure as you know, there is no such thing as informing someone with facts. Every single one of us here can't escape speaking with our emotions instead of fact statements even when we're sharing factual articles (and I do mean every single one of us here). Look at how Sharon can write a factual article as objective and non-partisan as humanly possible, but people here take away completely opposite views from it, or its showing too much personal bias, or it's too neutral and complacent. I'm not saying to discourage you from trying combat misinformation. I'm trying to offer my point of view on a different approach. More of trying to get to a mutual understanding of how we all came to different conclusions on dangers are real and not. Generalizing for a second here, us on the left have many common assumptions on why right leaning come to their conclusions, and I'm sure right leaning people have common assumptions on why we have our views. The only way we're gona get past that is if we're both listening and trying to understand where the other is coming from. And in each conversation if it's obvious that it's still only going one way, for your own sanity just change the subject like in Thanksgiving dinner, or get off the comment section or whatever. But I promise, you will lose your mind just trying to output information to deaf ears, and I don't wish that on anyone.
I appreciate this, but I also don't see why after nearly a decade of lies, conspiracy theories, corruption, and wilful ignorance, I should continue to extend good faith to people actively causing massive and lasting harm. I admire those who can - fight the good fight, I'm rooting for you! - but I don't have it in me any more. For my own sanity, I have to focus on harm reduction, and hope that those in Trump's thrall will someday find their way out.
I’ve spent a lot of time looking at dioramas at a number of museums. I can spend hours: the artwork is amazing: I marvel at how perspective is managed, and the amount of information that can be packed into what is actually quite a small area. I love locating the small elements that I wouldn’t know to look for without the accompanying text panels and close-up images.
I do think, though, that instead of taxidermied bodies (except, as mentioned, of animals who died of natural causes) sculptors could be engaged to create realistic, life-size models. As I write that, I also think that sculptor-involvement could make scale-model dioramas feasible for smaller spaces or to accommodate more scenarios in a larger space. But I do like the big ones.
One diorama that I wanted to climb into and fix was at, as I recall, the Smithsonian in D.C. I may be remembering incorrectly and it may have been changed since. (This was before the National Museum of the American Indian.) In a diorama representing Navajo life, there was a woman seated on the ground, supposedly spinning yarn. However, as a handspinner proficient in the use of a Navajo-style spindle, it was obvious to me that the spinner (an adult woman) was not knowledgeable about spinning techniques. With the way she was holding the spindle, well, it wasn’t going to work. Anglo though I am, I wanted to climb over the glass barrier (impossible) and reposition the tools and fiber so her efforts could be productive. And I doubt that was the only error in the scene. It’s probably been decades and still bothers me.
But yes, I think dioramas are fantastic and I’ve enjoyed, and I think benefited from, the time I’ve spent perusing them.
I’m a diorama fan, too and actually enjoyed making them in school. They bring history and spaces to life. Speaking of which, I would be absolutely thrilled to see an explainer video series from Sharon McMahon — maybe a collab with Heather Cox Richardson? — about how government works and how we got to where we are. As a certain candidate was fond of saying, we exist in the context of all that has been before us.
More people are asking me about nonpartisan news sources they can trust. Of course, I always point them this way. But it would be nice to have a playlist to pull from, similar to what the BibleProject produces. Anyone with me on this?
I really hope dioramas never go away fully. Disney made a documentary about the imagineers who designed the theme parks and they heavily relied on dioramas in that process. As an artist myself, it is so important to not just continue to have appreciation for these types of art but also to pass on the direct knowledge and skill that it takes to create them. Training the next generation on all types of craft and art is paramount and we don’t want it to lose out against technology.
Thank you for the entertaining and enlightening story of the Donner Pass, part II and President Kennedy enacting a Pink Pather style home movie of his assassination. It shows again that life is stranger than fiction. You do so much, and we are all grateful to have your perspectives. They really help us to not panic, do the next good thing and breathe. ❤️
This is fascinating! Thank you for all you do. This was such a nice reprieve from everything else in the news.
Sharon, thank you for this palate cleanser in the middle of a crazy week. I look forward to watching the JFK video at lunch today.
This helped today! I’m grateful for something new to learn about! Go dog teams!
This is an excellent palate cleanse from current events. The JFK video is wild!
If you love Egyptian history, you should read the stolen queen.
Wait! Wait! You mean life is going on outside of politics? There is more to it than the latest contribution to the distortion mill? It is okay to think of other topics; even enjoy them? What can we do to convince a major newspaper--any newspaper--to boast this headline:
"Museum dioramas trumps Trump by 80% in new National sample survey of 253.9 million respondents!
In response, the White House announced its new front lawn diorama depicting a massive crowd of 293 surging toward the Capitol grounds, apparently believing that's where you show up to be greeted by Mr. MAGA himself. Who could have known? Government handouts covering basic civics are being distributed, along with maps of Washington, D.C., in four languages (Russian, Spanish, Greenlandic (really!) and English). Supplies are being rapidly exhausted and orders for 438 more are being fulfilled as we speak.
This momentous outpouring of......"
I have to do a deeper dive into the diorama dilemma. Only fascinating idea. Dinner redux for sure needs a film version. Kennedy's premonition is just bizarre. Thanks for a nice diversion!
WOW! The Donner II story is soooo cool!
I saw a documentary about the new white house museum in DC and they have a wall of what I would call dioramas but their facebook page callas the miniature replicates: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1PS5xQr5jc/
Perfect distraction. So needed. Thank you.