The Essential Gesture

A collection of essays by Nadine Gordimer, which illustrate the relationship between outer and inner change for the writer of conscience in South Africa. The essays range from the relative optimism of the 1950s, to the Sharpeville massacre, the banning in the 1960s of the ANC and the Pan-Africanist Congress, to the challenges of the Black Consciousness movement in the 1970s and the interregnum of the 1980s and also include pieces on travel.

Catalog of Kate Vrijmoet's solo show at Seattle's Center on Contemporary Art in February 2010. Includes paintings from her "Accident" series, her "Non-ordinary Reality" series, and numerous drawings. The show is introduced by Curator Joseph C. Roberts, and essays by Daniel Kany and Elatia Harris round out this volume.

With this illustrated guide, discover what hand gestures can offend others around the world—and whether you avoid making them or not is up to you. A hand gesture is arguably the most effective form of expression, whether you’re defaming a friend’s mother or telling a perfect stranger to get lost. Learn how to go beyond just flipping the bird with this illustrated guide to rude hand gestures all around the world, from asking for sex in the Middle East to calling someone crazy in Italy. Detailed photographs of hand models and subtle tips for proper usage make Rude Hand Gestures of the World the perfect companion for globe-trotters looking to offend. “If you’ve resolved to make the most of your travels, a copy of Rude Hand Gestures of the World to know what gestures you should avoid while abroad. Better safe than sorry!” —Buzzfeed

Gesture, or visible bodily action that is seen as intimately involved in the activity of speaking, has long fascinated scholars and laymen alike. Written by a leading authority on the subject, this 2004 study provides a comprehensive treatment of gesture and its use in interaction, drawing on the analysis of everyday conversations to demonstrate its varied role in the construction of utterances. Adam Kendon accompanies his analyses with an extended discussion of the history of the study of gesture - a topic not dealt with in any previous publication - as well as exploring the relationship between gesture and sign language, and how the use of gesture varies according to cultural and language differences. Set to become the definitive account of the topic, Gesture will be invaluable to all those interested in human communication. Its publication marks a major development, both in semiotics and in the emerging field of gesture studies.

My research into essential gesture has brought together the technique and practices of harp playing and eurythmy. I use Carlos Salzedo's fundamental harpistic gesture, which I see as a distillation of a more universal concept that I call essential gesture, as the ground of departure. Through research into Rudolf Steiner's eurythmy and collaboration with eurythmists I sought to find; a deeper understanding of the essence of music, a corrective for teachers of the Salzedo method for harp, greater depth in my own instrumental performance practice and a validation of my sense of essential gesture. The importance of the senses, especially seeing and hearing, to the conception of Salzedo's method is outlined. Steiner's twelve senses are introduced and the relationship of seeing and hearing in regard to perception, comprehension and memory is explored. This practice led research contains the documentation of the performance discussed in my written exegesis. The performance includes three compositions: Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) 'Adagio-Andante quasi Allegretto' from The Creatures of Prometheus, Opus 43; Claude Debussy (1862-1918) Danses 'I. Danse sacrée II. Danse profane' for harp and string orchestra; and Johanna Selleck (1959-) Spindrift for solo harp. These three works align with the three themes arising from my research into essential gesture: archetypes, microcosm and macrocosm and metamorphosis. The performance also includes my own original poetry, tone and speech eurythmy and flamenco dance. The seven key concepts arising from the research describe how eurythmy has changed my instrumental performance practice and my methodology for teaching, they include: Focus and grounding; Creating space and freedom; Balance and becoming inwardly musical--A; Communion, embracing the harp--O; Subtleties and nuances in articulation--consonants; Waiting for something that never comes--duration; and Harmony--I give, I receive. This research is important for all harpists, not only those working with the Salzedo method. It can be used as a corrective for understanding the intrinsic conception of Salzedo's fundamental harpistic gesture, unified with the core principles of his method for harp: mental relaxation, breathing and movement. The research is also significant for all musicians, who will be stirred to rethink their approach to their own instruments and study of music, in their performance practice and studio teaching, and also in the act of listening and experiencing the joy of music.