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Hayley Westenra

Hayley Dee Westenra (born 10 April 1987) is a New Zealand classical crossover singer. Her first internationally released album, Pure, reached number one on the UK classical charts in 2003 and has sold more than two million copies worldwide, making it one of the fastest selling albums in her country's history.

She is one of the youngest UNICEF Ambassadors to date.

Westenra has sung in English, Māori, Irish, Welsh, Spanish, Italian, German, French, Portuguese, Latin, Japanese, Standard Mandarin Chinese, Catalan, and Taiwanese Hokkien.

Early life
Westenra was born on 10 April 1987 at Christchurch Women's Hospital in Christchurch, New Zealand. Her parents, Gerald and Jill Westenra, have two younger offspring, Sophie and Isaac. Sophie is an academic and teaches law at Oxford. Westenra's grandmother Shirley Ireland was a singer, and her grandfather was a pianist who also played the piano accordion. She has Irish, Dutch and English heritage.

She began performing at age six in the Christmas play at her school, Fendalton Open Air School. After the show, a teacher said she was "pitch perfect" and encouraged Westenra to learn how to play a musical instrument; soon after she learned to read music and play the violin, piano, guitar, and recorder. She then began voice lessons and discovered a passion for musical theatre. By age 11, she had performed more than 40 times on stage, and was often given male parts. Westenra attended Cobham Intermediate School in 1998 and 1999, where a performing arts building was later named in her honour.

2000–2002: Debut
At the age of 12, Westenra entered a professional recording studio to record Walking in the Air, a demo album originally created for friends and family, with 70 copies made; they soon made 1000 more copies, and attracted attention from a journalist with Canterbury Television, who asked Westenra to appear on air. Gray Bartlett, the director of a concert promotion company, saw the show and shortly after, she was offered a recording deal with Universal Records New Zealand. On that label, Westenra, who in the meantime was attending Burnside High School, released a self-titled album of show tunes and light classical songs, as well as My Gift to You, a CD of Christmas music. Following the success of her albums, she was offered and later received lessons from Malvina Major.

2003–2004: Pure
Westenra attracted worldwide attention when she signed with Decca Records and recorded Pure, a CD of classical, light pop, and traditional Māori songs. Pure became the fastest-selling international debut album in the history of the UK classical chart, with 19,068 copies purchased in its first week alone, quickly reached No. 1 on the British charts, and entered the UK Album Chart at number 8. Over two million copies of Pure have been sold to date. In New Zealand, Pure has been certified 12 times platinum, making her the best-selling artist, regardless of genre, in the country's history. In 2004 Westenra recorded the end-title song for the Disney movie Mulan II. They also featured her in the national Radio Disney music education tour for middle-school students. Later that year, she was featured in the song "Bridal Ballad" recorded for the movie The Merchant of Venice.

Westenra was the 2004 Vodafone New Zealand Music Awards winner of "Highest Selling New Zealand Album" and "International Achievement Award". On 20 February 2004, Prime Minister Helen Clark awarded her for being the first New Zealand artist to receive the tenfold platinum status in the New Zealand market, where she held the number one artist position for 18 weeks. She has won two Japanese Grammies for her work (Song of the Year, "Amazing Grace" and Album of the Year, Pure). Her version of Amazing Grace was used as the theme song for the popular Japanese drama, Shiroi Kyotō (The White Tower). Westenra met the cast of the series during a promotional tour of Japan in October 2003.

Also in 2004, she began her world tour of New Zealand, Australia, Japan, the UK and the US, performing in a concert in November for Queen Elizabeth II, Prime Minister Tony Blair, Charles, Prince of Wales, Colin Powell, Condoleezza Rice and President George W. Bush. In her autobiography, she remembered feeling more nervous in an audition where she sight read to Andrew Lloyd Webber an unreleased piece that he had written.

After her world tour, Westenra recorded a live DVD, Hayley Westenra: Live from New Zealand, featuring duets with baritone Teddy Tahu Rhodes and soprano Sophie Westenra in St. James Theatre. David Horn, the producer of her live TV special, which aired on the PBS program Great Performances, said, "Her singing is so gorgeous, it's reminiscent of the great boy-soprano sound of Anglican church choirs." She joined the Boston Pops Orchestra as guest soloist for their Christmas tour at the end of 2004.

2005–2007: Odyssey; touring with Il Divo; Treasure; and Celtic Woman
On 5 September 2006, Westenra was named as one of the ten outstanding young people in the world by the Junior Chamber International, becoming the first New Zealander so honoured. On 13 November 2006, she participated in the dedication of the New Zealand War Memorial in London, performing "God Save the Queen" and "God Defend New Zealand", the national anthems of the UK and New Zealand. Three of Westenra's great-uncles served in World War II; one was killed.

In August 2006, Westenra joined Celtic Woman and is featured on their second major DVD/CD album, Celtic Woman: A New Journey, which was released 30 January 2007 and immediately hit the Billboard Top 200 music chart at number four. She toured with the group in the United States in 2007, with scheduled appearances in 88 venues across the country; the tour ended in June. During this time, Westenra alternated with Méav Ní Mhaolchatha, who had recently returned from maternity leave, to maintain a five-member line-up. She considered that the toughest tour she had been on to date, and wrote in her second biography that she preferred having control of her own schedule as a solo performer. Westenra's third international album, Treasure, was released on 26 February 2007 in the UK. All the songs on this CD were chosen by Westenra, who gave her record company "no say in the matter." She said, "I basically didn't let them in on what I was recording until the last minute so they had no choice. I didn't give them much room to disagree."

Tracks on this album include "E Pari Ra", "One Fine Day", "Let Me Lie", "Danny Boy", and "Abide with Me". Westenra co-wrote four of the fifteen tracks, and the album also features singer Humphrey Berney. The US/Australia/NZ edition followed in March under the name Celtic Treasure. Westenra dedicated the album to her grandmother, Shirley Ireland. Inside the sleeve of the British edition, she wrote: "'I come from a musical family, and one with a real sense of history. My forefathers were on the maiden voyage from Ireland to Christchurch, New Zealand in 1850 – there's even a commemoration plaque in Cathedral Square, Christchurch, which bears the name Westenra. My grandmother used to sit me on her knee and sing songs like Danny Boy from as early as I can remember. A singer herself in her earlier years, she has always been a never-ending source of songs. It's this legacy of music that she's been passing down to me since my childhood, and it's many of these beautiful old songs that I've explored here on my album.'"

On the day before St. Patrick's Day 2007, she performed as part of Celtic Woman for President George W. Bush at the White House. She had plans to present the president with a petition to place a mandatory carbon cap on the United States. The goal of the petition was compliance with the commitment made by President Bill Clinton in previous years to follow the Kyoto Protocol.

Also in 2007, Westenra's vocals were featured in the soundtracks of the movie Flood and the television series, Jekyll, composed by Debbie Wiseman, in the UK. In November 2007, Westenra successfully staged a Japan "Treasure" concert tour in Fukuoka, Sapporo, Tokyo, Sendai, Nagoya, Osaka, Yokohama, Hiroshima.

2008–2010: Hayley Sings Japanese Songs; and Paradiso
In early 2008, Westenra provided guest vocals for the Mike Oldfield album Music of the Spheres, performing the vocal on the track "On My Heart" and its reprise. Westenra and Oldfield performed "On My Heart" live on the British ITV daytime TV program The Alan Titchmarsh Show on 18 March 2008.

On 1 October 2008, Westenra recorded solo vocals on the CD Different Voice, composed and conducted by Debbie Wiseman and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, with narration by Stephen Fry and lyrics written by Don Black. On 30 November 2008, Westenra was presented by Elaine Paige with the Variety Club Showbiz Awards 2008 Classical Performer of the Year for raising money to help sick, disabled and disadvantaged children and young people.

In the spring and summer of 2010, Westenra began working with film composer Ennio Morricone for a collaboration on her album Paradiso. The album featured new songs written by Morricone, as well as some of his best known film compositions of the last 50 years. Westenra recorded the album with Morricone's orchestra in Rome during the summer 2010.

On 30 October 2010, Westenra staged a recital at the Shanghai Grand Theatre with international backing musicians in an East Asian concert tour.

2011–present: Various concerts and the Taiwan Tour
On Memorial Day, 29 May 2011, Westenra was invited to perform for the annual PBS special, the National Memorial Day Concert live in Washington, D.C. She performed the song "Pie Jesu" following the emotional story of a woman who had never met her father, who died in the Vietnam War, but got to know him many years later through a soldier who had fought alongside him. On 22 July, Westenra was among artists performing with the BBC Concert Orchestra in an American West-themed show on the BBC radio concert programme Friday Night Is Music Night.

On 23 October 2011, Westenra performed the New Zealand national anthem "God Defend New Zealand" at Eden Park in Auckland before the final of the 2011 Rugby World Cup, and also performed the traditional New Zealand song "Now Is the Hour" to bring the event to a close.

In October 2011, Songs of Praise broadcast "Whispers in a Dream" and "Amazing Grace" performed by Westenra in Salisbury Cathedral. On 31 October 2011, Westenra was featured on André Rieu's classical music album And the Waltz Goes On with the vocal track "Dreaming of New Zealand".

To promote Paradiso, Westenra embarked on the Paradiso Homecoming Tour from 17 September 2011 to 8 March 2012. On 12 March 2012, Westenra attended a reception for celebrating the achievements of inspirational women today the event held by the Duchess of Cornwall to mark Commonwealth Day. On 22 April 2012, Westenra staged a debut concert at the Koncerthuset in Copenhagen and on 14 June, Westenra staged a concert with RTÉ Concert Orchestra and David Brophy at National Concert Hall in Dublin.

In April 2013, Westenra staged a Far East tour in Taipei, Tainan, Kaohsiung and performed with Chinese tenor DinYi in Beijing. On 30 November and 1 December 2013, Westenra staged a concert with City Chamber Orchestra of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Welsh Male Voice Choir and the Hong Kong Treble Choir in Hong Kong.

On 29 April 2014, Westenra was one of the performers at Classic FM Live in Royal Albert Hall London.

2000s
On 24 August 2003, Westenra performed on the stage with opera tenor José Carreras and Bryn Terfel in front of the capacity crowd of 10,000 people from Faenol Festival in Wales.

On 28 July 2004, Westenra joined American tenor James Doing and the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra on the latter's annual Concerts on the Square in Madison, capital city of Wisconsin. The concert was broadcast by Wisconsin Public Television. On 18 December 2005, she made an appearance on Kurt Browning's programme Gotta Skate, in which she performed with Andrea Bocelli. She was guest soloist with the Boston Pops Orchestra for their Christmas tour of the east coast of the United States in December 2004.

In 2006 as a part of the Canterbury Festival (27 Oct), Westenra performed a concert with tenor Alfie Boe in Canterbury Cathedral. On 6 May 2007, Westenra was invited to the Crystal Cathedral as a guest performing "Abide with Me" on the Hour of Power, an American Christian television program. She had performed there twice before, the first time singing "Amazing Grace" and the second time "I Say Grace".

On 28 July 2007, she starred in Woburn LIVE 2007, where she performed a selection of the music of West Side Story with the other recording artists, including Vittorio Grigolo, from the 2007 release. On 7 August, Westenra performed solo and duet with Malvina Major at St James's Church, Piccadilly among ChristChurch Cathedral Choir 2008 UK Tour.

On 17 August 2008, Westenra participated in the tribute concert Lyrics by Don Black, which was held at the London Palladium and featured performances of Black's songs by a selection of guest artists. She sang the duet Amigos Para Siempre, the score of which was written by Andrew Lloyd Webber, with Jonathan Ansell. The evening, hosted by Michael Parkinson, was recorded by on the BBC Radio 2 program Friday Night Is Music Night and broadcast on 22 August 2008. On 8 November, Westenra performed at the Festival of Remembrance at the Royal Albert Hall, singing "River of Dreams", duet "Today Won't Come Again", written by Geoff Stevens and Don Black, with English tenor Jonathan Ansell, and accompanied Ansell on Here's to the Heroes, by Black and John Barry, when returning soldiers proceeded into the auditorium. The Annual Festival of Remembrance was broadcast by the BBC.

On 7 November 2009, Westenra performed again at the Festival of Remembrance, singing "We'll Meet Again" at the Royal Albert Hall, in the presence of Queen Elizabeth II and Vera Lynn, who had made the song famous during World War II. In December 2009, Westenra performed with Faryl Smith and Camilla Kerslake in a special service for British troops serving in Afghanistan from St Clements Church, London. On 13 November 2010, Westenra performed for a third time at the Festival of Remembrance, singing "For the Fallen", a poem by Laurence Binyon set to music by Karl Jenkins. It is featured on the special 10th anniversary edition of Karl Jenkins' The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace. In April 2011, Westenra was invited as a guest performer to Mario Frangoulis TV concert in Greek. On May, Westenra was a guest performer on Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli's The Magic of Love Asian concert tour; Westenra and Bocelli had previously collaborated on Westenra's album Odyssey and live performances. On 9 July 2011, Westenra was invited as a guest performer to Joseph Calleja's annual concert in Malta.

2010s
On 20 September 2011, Westenra sang Laurence Binyon's "For The Fallen" on the service of the 90th anniversary of the Royal British Legion held at Westminster Abbey in the presence of The Princess Royal, Church of England members and family of Royal Marines. On 5 December, Westenra performed solo "Whispers in a Dream" and duet with Rolando on the Royal Variety Performance in the presence of the Princess Royal.

On 16 March 2012, Westenra was invited to perform and make the presentation to the winner of the Korean live TV show Operastar. On 28 April 2012, Westenra performed with Chinese tenor Din Yi and Nie Jian Hua on the 2nd Beijing International Film Festival symphony concert at Olympic Green accompanying by Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.

In May 2012, Westenra was featured with Laura Wright and Alfie Boe on the souvenir album Gary Barlow & The Commonwealth Band in celebration of the Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II. On 21 June, Westenra performed at Greek tenor Mario Frangoulis' Boston Symphony Hall concert accompanying by Boston Pops Orchestra.

In November 2012, Westenra was a guest performer on the David Foster & Friends' Far East tour.

Film, television and video game appearances
She took her first acting role on the US programme American Dreams ("Charade"), where she played guitar and sang "Who Painted the Moon Black?"

Westenra provided vocals for the music of the 2007 Wii game, Endless Ocean.

On 27 July 2011, Westenra was announced as the voice of UK broadcaster ITV's coverage of that year's Rugby World Cup, with her special version of "World in Union".

In the 2000s
Westenra is active in contributing to charities around the world. On 26 November 2003, Westenra performed "Pokarekare Ana" and "Amazing Grace" on the 75th anniversary of the Royal Variety Performance show in the presence of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip on behalf of the Entertainment Artistes' Benevolent Fund. Hayley performed at the Royal Concert Hall, Glasgow along with the Black Dyke Band as guests of Govan Salvation Army Songsters (choir). The songsters & band accompanied Hayley in a performance of ‘Hine e Hine’

Westenra is the second youngest UNICEF Ambassador to date, behind Selena Gomez. In 2005, Westenra visited Ghana to publicise her project, "Bikes for Ghana", and actively helped with fundraising to purchase bicycles for young girls, allowing them to get to their schools from outlying surrounding areas.

In 2006, a new Hybrid Tea Rose was named in honour of Westenra to raise charity funds for UNICEF. The Hayley Westenra Rose won the 2010 Rose of the Year Award and also the best Hybrid Tea Rose Award. In June 2006, she appeared at a fundraiser for UK charity Act Against Bullying. On 24 February 2007, Westenra took part in the HemiHelp "Children Helping Children" concert at Cadogan Hall, Sloane Square, London in front of 900 people, including the charity's patron Princess Alexandra. On 8 June 2007, Westenra performed in a fundraising concert for Bikes for Ghana at the Victoria Hall in Stoke-on-Trent.

On 4 September 2008, Westenra became a patron of Royal New Zealand Air Force. Also in September, Westenra sang for the British Armed Forces in Basra, Iraq, where she helped to launch the Poppy Appeal. In October, Westenra and tenor Jonathan Ansell took to the streets to sell poppies at Waterloo Station to support the Royal British Legion. She has also been the ambassador for Save the Children in Hong Kong. More recently, she took part in a breast cancer awareness campaign in New Zealand. One of the other charities that she helps is the Women's Environmental Network. Another major charity she supports is the Nordoff-Robbins Center for Music Therapy, which provides help for children who are disabled.

On 7 September 2009, she joined the Dame Vera Lynn Trust, a charity for children with cerebral palsy, as a vice-president. On 22 October, the original Second World War Forces Sweetheart Dame Vera Lynn was joined by Westenra in launching the Poppy Appeal for 2009 with a fundraising goal of £31 million. On 6 October, Westenra, whose uncle served in the Royal New Zealand Air Force, contributed to the charity CD We Will Remember Them.

In the 2010s
On 3 March 2011, Westenra, whose hometown is Christchurch, sang the national anthem "God Defend New Zealand" at a vigil service for the February 2011 Christchurch earthquake at Westminster Cathedral, attended by about 5,000 New Zealanders. On 18 March, Westenra performed "Amazing Grace" in the national Christchurch memorial service at Hagley Park in Christchurch. On 27 March, Westenra was invited to read aloud a testimony as part of the Christchurch memorial service at Westminster Abbey.

During her Paradiso Homecoming Tour from 17 September 2011 to 8 March 2012, Westenra raised charity attention to her UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador appeal and the Christchurch Earthquake Relief fund to help Christchurch rebuild.

On 24 August 2012, Westenra staged a concert in the Gŵyl Gobaith Music Festival in Wales to support for charities Cancer Research UK, Wales Air Ambulance, CLIC Sargent and HeadtoHeart. In Christmastime 2012, Westenra was featured on the album Starship Christmas Album along with Justin Bieber and others, to support Starship Children's Health. On 30 November, Westenra lent her support to Kate Winslet's Golden Hat Foundation for a concert in Carnegie Hall. She appeared again for that cause at Carnegie Hall in December 2016.

Personal life
In 2013, Westenra married French-born Arnaud Sabard, who worked as a sound engineer during her tours.

International studio albums

 * Pure (2003)
 * Odyssey (2005)
 * Treasure (2007)
 * Winter Magic (2009) (Christmas Magic in Australia and New Zealand)
 * Paradiso (2011)
 * Hushabye (2013)

Regional studio albums

 * Walking in the Air (Hayley Westenra album) (2000)
 * Hayley Westenra (2001)
 * My Gift to You (2001)
 * Crystal (2006)
 * Hayley Sings Japanese Songs (2008)
 * Hayley Sings Japanese Songs 2 (2009)
 * World in Union (2011)
 * Hayley Westenra – The Best (2014)

Compilations

 * River of Dreams: The Very Best of Hayley Westenra (2008 Regional)
 * The Best of Pure Voice (2010 International)
 * The Best of Hayley Sings Japanese Songs (2012 Regional)

title: Hayley Westenra


text:
The Book of Five Rings

The Book of Five Rings (五輪書) is a text on kenjutsu and the martial arts in general, written by the Japanese swordsman Miyamoto Musashi around 1645. Many translations have been made, and it has garnered broad attention in East Asia and throughout the world. For instance, some foreign business leaders find its discussion of conflict to be relevant to their work. The modern-day Hyōhō Niten Ichi-ryū employs it as a manual of technique and philosophy. Musashi establishes a "no-nonsense" theme throughout the text. For instance, he repeatedly remarks that technical flourishes are excessive, and contrasts worrying about such things with the principle that all technique is simply a method of cutting down one's opponent. He also continually makes the point that the understandings expressed in the book are important for combat on any scale, whether a one-on-one duel or a massive battle. Descriptions of principles are often followed by admonitions to "investigate this thoroughly" through practice rather than trying to learn them by merely reading.

Musashi describes and advocates a two-sword fencing style (nitōjutsu): that is, wielding both katana and wakizashi, contrary to the more traditional method of wielding the katana two-handed. However, he only explicitly describes wielding two swords in a section on fighting against many adversaries. The stories of his many duels rarely refer to Musashi himself wielding two swords, although, since they are mostly oral traditions, their details may be inaccurate. Musashi states within the volume that one should train with a long sword in each hand, thereby training the body and improving one's ability to use two blades simultaneously.

The five books

Go Rin No Sho are the teachings which Musashi preached to his students in his own dōjō. Though ideas are taken from other sources, the text is predominantly seminal. The five "books" refer to the idea that there are different elements of battle, just as there are different physical elements in life, as described by Buddhism, Shinto, and other Eastern religions. The five books below are Musashi's descriptions of the exact methods or techniques which are described by such elements.

The term Ichi School refers to "Niten No Ichi Ryu" or "Ni-Ten Ichi Ryu", which literally translates to "Two Heavens, One School". Alternative translations include: "Two Swords, One Spirit", and "Two Swords, One Entity". The translation, "Two Swords, One Dragon" was thought to be a misinterpretation of the Kanji word Ryu.

 * The Book of Earth chapter serves as an introduction, and metaphorically discusses martial arts, leadership, and training as building a house.
 * The Book of Water chapter describes Musashi's style, Ni-ten ichi-ryu, or "Two Heavens, One Style". It describes some basic technique and fundamental principles.
 * The Book of Fire chapter refers to the heat of battle, and discusses matters such as different types of timing.
 * The Book of Wind chapter is something of a pun, since the Japanese character for "wind" can also mean "style" (such as, of martial arts). It discusses what Musashi considers to be the failings of various contemporary schools of sword fighting.
 * The Book of the Void chapter is a short epilogue, describing, in more esoteric terms, Musashi's (probably) Zen-influenced thoughts on consciousness and the correct mindset.

The Book of Earth
The Earth book, according to "Go Rin No Sho", refers expressly to the strategy taught by Musashi at the Ichi School. It is said to be how to distinguish the Way through "Sword-Fencing", or "Swordsmanship". The idea of strategy would be encouraged to be very astute in their study and strategy:

"Know the smallest things and the biggest things, the shallowest things and the deepest things. As if it were a straight road mapped out on the ground... These things cannot be explained in detail. From one thing, know ten thousand things. When you attain the Way of Strategy there will not be one thing you cannot see. You must study hard."

Upon their mastery of the strategy and timing listed in the five books, Musashi states that people will be able to defeat ten men as easily as they could defeat one, and asks: "When you have reached this point, will it not mean that you are invincible?"

The strategies listed in this discipline or book relate to situations requiring different weapons and tactics, such as indoor weapons. Musashi states that the use of glaive-like naginata and spears are purely for the field, whereas the longsword and accompanying short-sword can be used in most environments, such as on horseback or in fierce battle.

Musashi also remarks on the gun as having no equal on the battlefield, until swords clash, when it becomes useless. He does note that the gun had the disadvantage of being unable to see a bullet and adjust aim as one would with a bow. He writes: "The bow is tactically strong at the commencement of battle, especially battles on a moor, as it is possible to shoot quickly from among the spearmen. However, it is unsatisfactory in sieges, or when the enemy is more than forty yards away. For this reason there are nowadays few traditional schools of archery. There is little use for this kind of skill."

One of the principles of the Niten Ichi-ryū is that one should be versed in many weaponry skills. Musashi indicates that during battle one should not overuse one weapon—this is as bad as using the weapon poorly, since it becomes easy for an enemy to find a weakness in one's style after countless uses of the same weapon.

Timing, as explained by Musashi, is the core principle in strategy which is listed in Earth. The idea of timing as explained within the book is that one must be able to adapt one's strategy to timing with your skill, in that one must know when to attack and when not to attack.

In The Book of Five Rings he writes on timing:

"Timing is important in dancing and pipe or string music, for they are in rhythm only if timing is good. Timing and rhythm are also involved in the military arts, shooting bows and guns, and riding horses. In all skills and abilities there is timing.... There is timing in the whole life of the warrior, in his thriving and declining, in his harmony and discord. Similarly, there is timing in the Way of the merchant, in the rise and fall of capital. All things entail rising and falling timing. You must be able to discern this. In strategy there are various timing considerations. From the outset you must know the applicable timing and the inapplicable timing, and from among the large and small things and the fast and slow timings find the relevant timing, first seeing the distance timing and the background timing. This is the main thing in strategy. It is especially important to know the background timing, otherwise your strategy will become uncertain."

The Book of Earth ends with nine basic principles – the "ground" upon which the samurai must rely. These are "practical" or "worldly," each intended to help develop an understanding of strategy (while the other books focus on tactics and movement). These rules are for his students, and are complemented by the 21 "spiritual principles" for all to follow, which are found in the Dokkōdō (Musashi's final work). The principles are:

 * 1) "Do not think dishonestly."
 * 2) "The Way is in training."
 * 3) "Become acquainted with every art."
 * 4) "Know the Ways of all professions."
 * 5)  "Distinguish between gain and loss in worldly matters."
 * 6) "Develop an intuitive judgement and understanding for everything."
 * 7) "Perceive those things which cannot be seen."
 * 8) "Pay attention even to trifles."
 * 9) "Do nothing which is of no use."

The Book of Water
The water book concerns strategy, spirituality and philosophy. The meaning of water in relation to life is flexibility. Water demonstrates natural flexibility as it changes to conform with the boundaries which contain it, seeking the most efficient and productive path. So also should one possess the ability to change in accordance with one's own situation to easily shift between disciplines, methods, and options when presented with new information. A person should master many aspects of life allowing them to possess both balance and flexibility.

The spiritual bearing in strategy, which Musashi writes about concerns your temperament and spirituality whilst in the midst of, or in formulation of a battle. Being a Buddhist, most of what is written in the section concerning spirituality refers to principles of calmness, tranquility and spiritual balance:

"In strategy your spiritual bearing must not be any different from normal. Both in fighting and in everyday life you should be determined though calm."

This balance refers to what could be thought of as yin and yang within one person. The over-familiarity or over-use of one weapon is discouraged by Musashi, as it would be seen to reveal one's spirituality to one's enemy. The idea is that a perfectly balanced spirit is also a perfectly balanced physical presence, and neither creates weakness nor reveals it to an enemy.

During battle, the spirituality and balance is something of which Musashi notes that one should take advantage. Since small people know the spirituality of big people, they can thus note differences and weaknesses between each other. This is something which seems easy, but it is said to change when one is on the battlefield, as then one must know to both adjust one's spiritual balance according to the surrounding environment, and to perceive the balance of others to take advantage accordingly.

Just as one's spirit should be balanced, one's various techniques be honed to a perfectly balanced demeanor. In terms of stance, much like balance within the trooper, Musashi notes that stance is an important part of strategy, or battle: Adopt a stance with the head erect, neither hanging down, nor looking up, nor twisted. This is part of what Musashi notes as wedging in.

In regards to the gaze of someone, he notes that a person must be able to perceive that which is all around him without moving their eyeballs noticeably, which is said to be a skill which takes an enormous amount of practice to perfect. He notes that this is again one of the most important parts of strategy, as well as being able to see things which are close, such as the technique of an enemy. It is also used to perceive things far away, such as arriving troops or enemies, as that is the precursor to battle. One can then change one's actions according to what one sees.

Attitudes of swordsmanship

 * 1) Upper
 * 2) Middle
 * 3) Lower
 * 4) Right Side
 * 5) Left Side

The five attitudes of swordsmanship are referred to as the five classifications of areas for attack on the human body. These are areas which are noted for their advantages when striking at an enemy, and the strategist is said to think of them when in situations where, for any reason, they should not be able to strike them, and adjust accordingly.

"Your attitude should be large or small according to the situation. Upper, Lower and Middle attitudes are decisive. Left Side and Right Side attitudes are fluid. Left and Right attitudes should be used if there is an obstruction overhead or to one side. The decision to use Left or Right depends on the place."

As each is thought of as an attitude, it could be thought of that Musashi means to practice with each "attitude" so that you do not become over-reliant upon one, something which Musashi repeatedly notes as being worse than bad technique.

"No Attitude" refers to those strategists who do not go with the use of the "Five Attitudes" and prefer to simply go without the attitudes of the long sword to focus entirely on technique, as opposed to focusing on both technique and the five attitudes. This is similar to taking chances as opposed to making chances.

The attitude of "Existing – Non Existing", mixes the Five Attitudes with the Attitude of "No Attitude", meaning that the user of the longsword uses the techniques and principles of both at whichever moment is most opportune.

"In-One Timing" refers to the technique of biding one's time until a suitable gap can be found in the enemies' defense, to which one will deliver one fatal blow to the enemy. Although this is said to be difficult, Musashi notes that masters of this technique are usually masters of the five attitudes because they must be perceptive of weaknesses. It is rumored that Musashi disgraced a former sword master by using such a technique with a bokken, but there are no descriptions mentioning "In one" timing.

"Abdomen Timing of Two" refers to feinting an attack, then striking an enemy as they are retreating from the attack, hitting them in the abdomen with the correct timing of either two moves or two seconds. Although the technique seems relatively simple, Musashi lists this as one of the hardest techniques to time correctly.

"No Design, No Conception" refers to When word and actions are spontaneously the same. Aside from this philosophical approach to the meaning, the technique is relatively simple to explain: if you are in a deadlock with the enemy, using the force from the cut, you push with your body and use the disciplines outlined in the Void Book to knock the enemy over.

"This is the most important method of hitting. It is often used. You must train hard to understand it."

"Flowing Water Cut" technique is relevant to a fight with an enemy of a similar level in swordsmanship. When attacking fast, Musashi notes that one will always be at stalemate, so like stagnant water, one must cut as slowly as possible with the long sword. At the beginning of this technique, both combatants will be searching for an opening within each other's defense. When the opponent either tries to push off the sword, or to hasten back as to disengage it, you must first expand your whole body and your mind. By moving your body first and then that of your sword, you will be able to strike powerfully and broadly with a movement that seems to reflect the natural flow of water. Ease and confidence will be attained when this technique is continuously practiced upon.

"Continuous Cut" refers to when you are again faced with stalemate within a duel, where your swords are clasped together. In one motion, when your sword springs away from theirs, Musashi says to use a continuous motion to slash their head, body, and legs.

"Fire and Stone's Cut" refers to when swords clash together. Without raising the sword, cut as strongly as possible. This means cutting quickly with hands, body, and legs.

"Red Leaves Cut" refers to knocking down the enemy's long sword in the spirit of the "No Design, No Conception" cut.

The Book of Fire
The Fire Book refers to fighting methods unlike the specific fighting techniques listed in the Water Book. It goes into a broader scope in terms of hints as to assess a situation, as well as specific situational instructions.

He notes obvious advantages of armor and preparedness before a duel or battle as it applies to one man or a whole group of men:

"As one man can defeat ten men, so can one thousand men defeat ten thousand. However, you can become a master of strategy by training alone with a sword, so that you can understand the enemy's stratagems, his strength and resources, and come to appreciate how to apply strategy to beat ten thousand enemies."

The dependence of location according to the Go Rin No Sho is crucial. You must be in a place where man-made objects such as buildings, towers, castles, and such do not obstruct your view, as well as facing or standing in a position where the sun or moon does not affect your vision. This is purely so that your vision is focused on nothing but the enemy, and thus there is more concentration upon the enemy's stratagems. Musashi also seems to note the age old strategy of the High Ground:

"You must look down on the enemy, and take up your attitude on slightly higher places."

Other kinds of tactics which of Musashi tells are way of ensuring that the enemy is at a disadvantage. Forcing yourself on the non-dominant side of a trooper is one way because the left side is difficult for a right-handed soldier. Other disadvantages, such as forcing enemies into footholds, swamps, ditches, and other difficult terrain, force the enemy to be uncertain of his situation.

"These things cannot be clearly explained in words. You must research what is written here. In these three ways of forestalling, you must judge the situation. This does not mean that you always attack first; but if the enemy attacks first you can lead him around. In strategy, you have effectively won when you forestall the enemy, so you must train well to attain this."

Ken No Sen (Attacking) is the most obvious method of forestalling an enemy because a head-on collision forces both parties to a standstill. Although it is not mentioned, Musashi must have been well aware that this method would also be the most likely to have a higher death count than the others due to the sheer mass of enemies because more than one enemy could then attack a single soldier or trooper.

As the name suggests, Tai No Sen (Waiting for the Initiative) is invented for very opportunistic and decided battles between parties. The main idea being to feign weakness as to open a weak spot, or Achilles' heel, in the opposing force, and then regrouping to exploit such a hole by attacking deep within the enemy's party. Although it is not mentioned, this would most likely be to kill the officer of the highest rank as an attempt to remove the tactical centre of a group of soldiers. A method particularly useful for Musashi or others, if attacking a general directly would signal the end of the battle upon his defeat.

Only a small amount of text is written about Tai Tai No Sen (Accompanying and Forestalling). Albeit very confusing, the idea of Tai Tai No Sen is circumventing an ambush or quick attack from the enemy by taking the initiative and attacking in full force. Musashi admits himself that this is a difficult thing to explain.

Although there are other methods, they are mostly situational methods relating to the crossing of rough terrain, and battling within such rough terrain. Although it spreads over two or more paragraphs, most information is common sense, relating to caution and avoidance of such situations.

The idea of timing, as with singular battles, is known as the most important part of attacking next to the skill of participants. However, the type of timing in this instance is somewhat different from the timing noted in The Ground Book since this variety of timing requires looking at the various physical factors which affect an enemy during battle, such as determining if strength is waning or rising within a group of troopers.

The idea of treading down the sword is a very simple technique. Squashing an enemy's attack before it starts by using a form of charging and then attacking under the veil of gunpowder smoke, and arrow fire, the initial attacks used when starting battles can be highly effective. Individually, it refers to attacking the enemy's sword, breaking it, removing it from play, and a technique of controlling it through direct blade on blade contact.

Just as Musashi mentions in his philosophical style, there is a cause for a collapse. As there is collapse within an enemy, such as waning in his numbers, Musashi notes that one must observe such events and use them to advantage.

He notes that an enemy's formation can fall if they lose rhythm. It was known that in such battles, drummers drummed a tune for their other fellow soldiers to march to; and, if the rhythm was lost, it led to a "collapse when their rhythm becomes deranged".

The Book of Wind
Whereas most of the information given in the previous books is useful in such a way that it could still be applicable today, this book is primarily concerned with the specific details about other strategies that existed at the time. The broader lesson from this book is that an important part of understanding one's own way is to understand the way of one's opponent as precisely as possible.

Musashi notes that although most schools have secret and ancient strategies, most forms are derivative of other martial arts. Their similarities and differences evolved through situational factors, such as indoor or outdoor dueling, and the style adapted to the school. He indicates that his appraisal may be one sided because the only school he had interest for was his own, and, in a way, he does not see parallels to his own creation and work. However, he still admits that without basic understanding of these alternate techniques, one will not be able to learn Ni Ten Ichi Ryu, probably for reasons of finding the wrongs in other techniques, and righting them within yourself in Ni Ten Ichi Ryu.

The main difference that Musashi notes between the Ichi School and other strategists and schools is that other schools do not teach the "broader" meaning of strategy. There is a strategy above sword-fencing: "Some of the world's strategists are concerned only with sword-fencing, and limit their training to flourishing the long sword and carriage of the body." The book has many paragraphs on the subject of other schools' techniques, and much of the text lists the ways that other schools do not conform to the ideals which he himself writes about in the Book of Five Rings, such as footwork, sight, and over-reliance or over-familiarity with a weapon.

The Book of Void
Although short, the void book lists, philosophically, the nature of both human knowledge and other things. The void book expressly deals with "That which cannot be seen".

"By knowing things that exist, you can know that which does not exist."

The Book of Nothing, according to Musashi, is the true meaning of the strategy of Ni Ten Ichi Ryu. It seems very esoteric in nature because he emphasizes that people must learn to perceive that which they cannot understand or comprehend. He notes that in this Void, what can be comprehended are things which we do and see, such as the way of the warrior, martial arts, and Ni Ten Ichi Ryu. At the same time, in the Void, things we do not do or see (which he calls Spirit) are part of the information which we perceive on a conscious level, but with which we have no physical relationship. It is arguable whether Musashi is referring to religious spirituality or if he is actually explaining a way to live a life and to process thoughts.

"In the void is virtue, and no evil. Wisdom has existence, principle has existence, the Way has existence, spirit is nothingness."

In the above quote, Musashi speaks of "virtue and no evil". This may mean "goodness and banishment of evil" or "purpose and non-existence of good and evil", and the exact meaning is open to debate.

Since Musashi is drawing upon classical Buddhist Five Element theory, Void in this case refers to Sunyata (in Pali), sometimes translated as "Emptiness", or "ether". Void, as such, is also empty of the sense of self (anatta), good and evil, wanting and non-wanting, and is the spiritual dynamic that forms the jumping off point to satori, enlightenment. Emptiness, and the establishing of the conditions that allow it to arise, is a common theme in Zen Buddhist meditation practice, which informed the perspective of the author.

References and further reading

 * Miyamoto, Musashi (1974). A Book of Five Rings, translated by Victor Harris. London: Allison & Busby; Woodstock, New York: The Overlook Press.
 * Tokitsu, Kenji (2004). Miyamoto Musashi: His Life and Writings. Boston: Shambhala Publications Inc.
 * Miyamoto, Musashi (1974). A Book of Five Rings, translated by Victor Harris. London: Allison & Busby; Woodstock, New York: The Overlook Press.
 * Tokitsu, Kenji (2004). Miyamoto Musashi: His Life and Writings. Boston: Shambhala Publications Inc.
 * Miyamoto, Musashi (1974). A Book of Five Rings, translated by Victor Harris. London: Allison & Busby; Woodstock, New York: The Overlook Press.
 * Tokitsu, Kenji (2004). Miyamoto Musashi: His Life and Writings. Boston: Shambhala Publications Inc.
 * Miyamoto, Musashi (1974). A Book of Five Rings, translated by Victor Harris. London: Allison & Busby; Woodstock, New York: The Overlook Press.
 * Tokitsu, Kenji (2004). Miyamoto Musashi: His Life and Writings. Boston: Shambhala Publications Inc.

The Book of Five Rings has been published in English multiple times. The Thomas Cleary translation is the most widely available and has been reprinted multiple times. A translation by William Scott Wilson is aimed towards practitioners of Japanese classical swordsmanship. A translation by D. E. Tarver is marketed as a motivational book with a commercial bias. Additional published translators include Stephen F. Kaufman and Kenji Tokistu (2010).

 * Miyamoto Musashi (translator Thomas Cleary), The Book of Five Rings: A Classic Text on the Japanese Way of the Sword, 2005, Boston: Shambhala Publications. ISBN 978-1-59030-248-4.
 * The Book of Five Rings: a graphic novel, by manga writer Sean Michael Wilson and Japanese artist Chie Kutsuwada, 2012, Shambhala Publications, Boston, USA. A graphic novel based on the translations of William Scott Wilson.ISBN 978-1611800128.

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: The Book of Five Rings


text:
Talk:Lynching

Breaking up the article by region
I've been thinking that you guys are right that this thing is fairly painful to read and navigate. I think that copying relevent info over to regional versions of the page and then linking them from this one would be a good idea. I think most of these will already have a page, like America, but if not it shouldn't be too difficult to make a bunch of new pages. Leaving just two lines of basic overall numbers for each region on this page might be a good idea, that way you can scroll down it and get an overview - then click to each page for the details on the subject. What do you guys think? Tiggy The Terrible (talk) 23:26, 25 January 2022 (UTC)
 * Well. I had a go at porting it across. Please take a look at the Lynching in the United States page to see what you think. Tiggy The Terrible (talk) 19:15, 26 January 2022 (UTC)
 * No, sorry. I totally agree that the article was too long and unwieldy. But: The longer version had at least the advantage that the fact that lynching played a central role in maintaining White supremacy in the U.S. South was mentioned. Lynchings didn't "happen", they were often consciously incited by members of the White élite, something that many people in the U.S. have never forgotten. --Rsk6400 (talk) 19:38, 26 January 2022 (UTC)
 * I restored the text and then removed some of what I thought least relevant. But I admit that the rest is still too long. --Rsk6400 (talk) 08:21, 27 January 2022 (UTC)
 * Uh, I'm not sure I follow your explanation. We have a separate article on Lynchings in the United States. I'm not clear at all on why the general Lynchings page needs a whopping 2000 word essay about the same topic planted in the middle of it. Did you drop part of the article into your response by mistake? I'm very confused by it. Tiggy The Terrible (talk) 18:11, 27 January 2022 (UTC)
 * Few people click on links. So, moving content to a different article and then link it has the effect that few people read that content. That's why I think the most important statements should still be kept in this article. And the political context of most lynchings that targeted African Americans was White supremacy. That's extremely important, even today you cannot understand U.S. politics without knowing the horribly racist history. The other thing is WP:BALASP: E.g. the section on India covers some 20 lynchings, the U.S. section covers more than 4000. So the U.S. section has to be longer than the India section. As you may have seen from my last edits, I also want to reduce the U.S. section. I won't oppose further reducing it, but I believe some core content should be kept. --Rsk6400 (talk) 19:16, 27 January 2022 (UTC)
 * I appreciate that there's a lot of context to get over, but the article itself is already heavily about the American perspective and the USA section itself is waaay too long. Isn't there some way we could condense that a little? It seems like it's trying to give the entire history, but it's fairly random about the bits it picks. Or, at least, the original version was. I've seriously no idea what the section about Californian federal law was doing in there, for example. If we could maybe chop that down by half, at least, I think that would be a fairly major improvement. I mean, it looks like a fairly 'in brief' thing now - but it's seriously about 1/3 of the length of the article, and there are other countries too. Tiggy The Terrible (talk) 19:28, 27 January 2022 (UTC)
 * I agree. Rsk6400 (talk) 07:18, 28 January 2022 (UTC)
 * To be honest, I think the more stuff that's there, the less likely people are to read the main page as well as they'll think it's just a retred. I think we really should just move 90% of it. Tiggy The Terrible (talk) 21:34, 28 January 2022 (UTC)
 * @TiggyTheTerrible @Rsk6400 The country sections appeared to be grouped inconsistently. I went ahead and sorted them. As both of you contributed to the organization by region, I figured I should let you know. Edit: Apologies if this is the wrong place to post. Quirk4 (talk) 21:53, 13 October 2022 (UTC)
 * @Quirk4 Thanks this page is terribly organised, so anything that helps. Tiggy The Terrible (talk) 14:25, 15 October 2022 (UTC)
 * No problem, thanks. Rsk6400 (talk) 16:03, 18 October 2022 (UTC)

I already stated that I don't agree with removing the part about White supremacy. And I also mentioned WP:BALASP. Why did you remove it again, without even giving an explanation ? --Rsk6400 (talk) 14:33, 1 February 2022 (UTC)
 * Ah, damn, I'm sorry. I misremembered what you said as the other guy saying it. I am sorry, I may have messed up here. I moved it, and then got bust writing out a much shorter and more condensed version of the section for this article - but it got late, so I just saved it into a word doc and forgot about it. if you want I can show what I have here once I get back to my PC. I probably should have just copied it over rather than copying and pasting. Tiggy The Terrible (talk) 14:47, 1 February 2022 (UTC)
 * I don't honestly know why I saved the lynching page as is. Sorry. I might have been closing the browser very late at night and it asked me if I wanted to leave without saving and I guess I must have just done it. Sorry. I'll try to be more careful. Tiggy The Terrible (talk) 14:59, 1 February 2022 (UTC)
 * No problem, thanks for the explanation. If you already prepared another text, feel free to replace the old one, other editors (including me) will of course accept it, amend it, revert it and / or discuss it. Rsk6400 (talk) 17:10, 1 February 2022 (UTC)
 * Okay, so; I think that what we should probably do is have one big paragraph of stuff outlining why lynching happened in America and maybe leave the civil rights part for the main page. It's tempting to infodump everything, but - honestly - I think people are much more likely to dig into that big article if it's not just an 'extended cut' repeat of this one. So what I have so far is: " Mob violence arose as a means of enforcing White supremacy[23] and it frequently verged on systematic political terrorism. After the American Civil War, secret white supremacist terrorist groups such as the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) instigated extrajudicial assaults and killings due to a perceived loss of white power in America. Especially in the South.[17][18][19][20][21] Mobs usually alleged crimes for which they lynched Black people in order to instil fear. In the late 19th century, however, journalist Ida B. Wells showed that many presumed crimes were either exaggerated or had not even occurred.[22] The magnitude of the extralegal violence which occurred during election campaigns, to prevent blacks from voting, reached epidemic proportions; leading the historian William Gillette to label it guerrilla warfare."[17][18][19][20][21] The ideology behind lynching, directly connected with the denial of political and social equality, was stated forthrightly in 1900 by United States Senator Benjamin Tillman, who was previously governor of South Carolina: We of the South have never recognized the right of the negro to govern white men, and we never will. We have never believed him to be the equal of the white man, and we will not submit to his gratifying his lust on our wives and daughters without lynching him.[24][25] For examples and a specific timeline, please see the main page for lynchings in America." I think this pretty much covers it. I don't think we need to have a list of examples, and I'm wary of having one as people are going to see it and think they should add to it. I didn't even see Emmit Till on there, and I think that's a pretty awful omission due to its importance. But that way, everything stays on the main page and there's a full timeline to read. What do you think? Tiggy The Terrible (talk) 18:26, 1 February 2022 (UTC)
 * I'm not sure which parts of the existing text you want to replace, so I suggest you just go ahead and do the edit you propose. It's also easier to compare two versions using the tools of "View history". One problem: For examples and a specific timeline, please see the main page for lynchings in America - I didn't look it up, but I have a feeling that it's against WP:MOS. Regarding I don't think we need to have a list of examples, I totally agree with you and the rationale you gave. Another thing: Emmett Till is mentioned in section "Anti-lynching legislation". Rsk6400 (talk) 20:24, 2 February 2022 (UTC)
 * Alright, then - here we go! I have no idea what section that would be under in the manual, so I'll just leave it out. Tiggy The Terrible (talk) 09:14, 3 February 2022 (UTC)
 * Done ! What do you think? Tiggy The Terrible (talk) 09:23, 3 February 2022 (UTC)
 * Above you said, If we could maybe chop that down by half, at least, a little later it was I think we really should just move 90% of it. That looks to me like wanting to shorten it just for sake of shortening it. I already referred to WP:BALASP above. More important: When cutting down this text we cannot just cut away important parts like the end of lynchings or the White Southern resistance against anti-lynching legislation. U.S. lawmakers defended lawlessness, yes ! We cannot remove it just because it was written in the second part of the section. If you want people to read Lynching in the United States, then you should also pay attention to what you are doing there. You recently inserted at least two pictures that were already there, and I still didn't check the text you inserted for duplicates. Rsk6400 (talk) 14:25, 3 February 2022 (UTC)
 * Oh? Did I? Sorry! I'm new at this. So did you think that was enough on white supremacists? If so, I'm happy to do something similar to the second section on the civil rights movement. My main concern here is really that I want people to read the main article rather than the in brief part, so keeping things short and sweet here is best. especially as this article has much room for expansion. Tiggy The Terrible (talk) 17:00, 3 February 2022 (UTC)
 * I think that the first part is OK now, though I'm not sure about the lynchings of non-Black people that you dropped. Well, let's see if other editors object. Regarding the civil rights section: Go ahead. Regarding reading the other article: I looked at certain sections, but didn't read the whole article, because it's far too long. Rsk6400 (talk) 15:31, 4 February 2022 (UTC)

Leading image
Whilst I understand Wikipedia does not censor, and that lynching itself plus its history is henous and disturbing, the fact that an image of a hanged black man (whos face can be seen, but is unnamed) pops up even when just scrolling over the link for 'lynching' frankly puts a very sour taste in my mouth. I feel these kinds of images, whilst historically important, should be kept further down the article, not least so if someone not familiar with the term hovers for a definition or an introduction, such as younger people researching US history or racism in the USA for the first time they don't see surprise snuff.

Pop-up previews for other potentially 'unsavoury' or 'offensive' articles, such as those relating to sexual acts (cunnilingus, sexual intercourse) have artistic depictions, as do other forms of execution/killing like murder, massacre, hanging, stoning, death by burning and even articles on similar violent hatecrimes like pogrom doesn't show a large image of dead Jews; other crimes against the person are depicted with statistical maps on the pop-ups such as rape. The only exception I've found is electrocution which shows a man with a covered face and with no obvious signs of being dead nor alive or in explicit pain (although he's obviously not comfortable, but thats only implied with knowledge of the apparatus). Other articles from List of methods of capital punishment don't show pop-up images and the lead images on the article's page is usually historical art or images of the apparatus used.

I propose this image is replaced with either: an illustration of these acts of violence, an image or depiction of a lynching before the actual hanging occurs, an abstract representation such as a map of lynchings per US state or an empty noose on a tree (or simply removing the covering image).

If the image is not replaced, I at least request that it doesn't show up when you hover over the links on other articles.

The images on Lynching in the United States are frankly more disturbing and I feel the same way as above, but at least that article is only likely to linked after this general article  so one may know what to expect, plus the images have specific historical context, names and locations, unlike this one. Jackass cooper (talk) 15:59, 9 June 2023 (UTC)

 * Per MOS:SHOCK, If we can find a less shocking image that still represents the topic well, I'd support it. Firefangledfeathers (talk / contribs) 16:11, 9 June 2023 (UTC)

Non-lethal “lynchings”
Some media in India are now using the term “lynching” to refer to an incident in Manipur where a mob of men from the dominant ethnic group gathered outside a courthouse, demanded the release of several minority women who had been arrested for protesting, and then had the women stripped naked and subjected to a mass sexual assault/gang rape. While the women were not actually killed, the event (which was captured on video) does share a lot of similarities with lynchings as US citizens understand the term. The mob members also killed male relatives of the women who were trying to stop the assaults. See: I wonder if there should be a section on this page for such “rape lynchings” (another attempted example from India is ) or whether it would be a better fit for the See Also section. 2604:2D80:6984:3800:0:0:0:AD8C (talk) 19:56, 1 August 2023 (UTC)
 * Given the deaths of relatives, I would classify this violence as a lynching. Moreover, since the main purpose of lynching is social control, the Manipur incidents certainly fit in this category. They would certainly merit an article and a mention, here. Just my 2 cents, but still. Kleuske (talk) 20:21, 1 August 2023 (UTC)

title: Talk:Lynching


text:
Clyfford Still

Clyfford Still (November 30, 1904 – June 23, 1980) was an American painter, and one of the leading figures in the first generation of Abstract Expressionists, who developed a new, powerful approach to painting in the years immediately following World War II. Still has been credited with laying the groundwork for the movement, as his shift from representational to abstract painting occurred between 1938 and 1942, earlier than his colleagues like Jackson Pollock and Mark Rothko, who continued to paint in figurative-surrealist styles well into the 1940s.

Biography
Still was born in 1904 in Grandin, North Dakota and spent his childhood in Spokane, Washington and Bow Island in southern Alberta, Canada. In 1925 he visited New York, briefly studying at the Art Students League. He attended Spokane University from 1926 to 1927 and returned in 1931 with a fellowship, graduating in 1933. That fall, he became a teaching fellow, then faculty member at Washington State College (now Washington State University), where he obtained his Master of Fine Arts degree in 1935 and taught until 1941. He spent the summers of 1934 and 1935 at the Trask Foundation (now Yaddo) in Saratoga Springs, New York.

In 1937, along with Washington State colleague Worth Griffin, Still co-founded the Nespelem Art Colony that produced hundreds of portraits and landscapes depicting Colville Indian Reservation Native American life over the course of four summers.

In 1941 Still relocated to the San Francisco Bay area where he worked in various war industries while pursuing painting. He had his first solo exhibition at the San Francisco Museum of Art (now San Francisco Museum of Modern Art) in 1943. He taught at the Richmond Professional Institute (RPI), now Virginia Commonwealth University, from 1943 to 1945, then went to New York City.

Mark Rothko, whom Still had met in California in 1943, introduced him to Peggy Guggenheim, who gave him a solo exhibition at her gallery, The Art of This Century Gallery, in early 1946. The following year Guggenheim closed her gallery and Still, along with Rothko and other Abstract Expressionists, joined the Betty Parsons gallery.

Still returned to San Francisco, where he became a highly influential professor at the California School of Fine Arts (now San Francisco Art Institute), teaching there from 1946 to 1950. In 1950, he moved to New York City, where he lived most of the decade, the height of Abstract Expressionism, but also a time when he became increasingly critical of the art world. In the early 1950s, Still severed ties with commercial galleries. In 1961 he moved to a 22-acre farm near Westminster, Maryland, removing himself further from the art world. Still used a barn on the property as a studio during the warm weather months. In 1966, Still and his second wife purchased a 4,300-square-foot house at 312 Church Street in New Windsor, Maryland, about eight miles from their farm, where he lived until his death.

Family life
Still married Lillian August Battan circa 1930. They had two daughters, born in 1939 and 1942. The couple separated in the late 1940s and divorced in 1954. In 1957, Still married Patricia Alice Garske, who had been one of his students at Washington State and was sixteen years his junior.

Paintings
Having developed his signature style in San Francisco between 1946 and 1950 while teaching at the California School of Fine Arts, Still is considered one of the foremost Color Field painters – his non-figurative paintings are non-objective, and largely concerned with juxtaposing different colors and surfaces in a variety of formations. Unlike Mark Rothko or Barnett Newman, who organized their colors in a relatively simple way (Rothko in the form of nebulous rectangles, Newman in thin lines on vast fields of color), Still's arrangements are less regular. In fact, he was one of the few painters who combined practices of Color Field paintings with that of Gestural, Action Paintings. His jagged flashes of color give the impression that one layer of color has been "torn" off the painting, revealing the colors underneath. Another point of departure with Newman and Rothko is the way the paint is laid on the canvas; while Rothko and Newman used fairly flat colors and relatively thin paint, Still uses a thick impasto, causing subtle variety and shades that shimmer across the painting surfaces. His large mature works recall natural forms and natural phenomena at their most intense and mysterious; ancient stalagmites, caverns, foliage, seen both in darkness and in light lend poetic richness and depth to his work. By 1947, he had begun working in the format that he would intensify and refine throughout the rest of his career – a large-scale color field applied with palette knives. Among Still's well known paintings is 1957-D No. 1, 1957 (right), which is mainly black and yellow with patches of white and a small amount of red. These four colors, and variations on them (purples, dark blues) are predominant in his work, although there is a tendency for his paintings to use darker shades.

Exhibitions
In 1943, Still's first solo show took place at the San Francisco Museum of Art. In 1947, Jermayne MacAgy, assistant director of the California Palace of the Legion of Honor, gave him a solo show there. The artist then declined all public exhibitions from 1952 to 1959. A first comprehensive Still retrospective took place at the Albright–Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo, New York, in 1959. Later solo exhibitions of Still's paintings were presented by the Institute of Contemporary Art of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia in 1963 and at the Marlborough-Gerson gallery, New York, in 1969 to 1970. In 1975, a permanent installation of a group of his works opened at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. In 1979, New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art organized the largest survey of Still's art to date and the largest presentation afforded by this institution to the work of a living artist.

Awards
Still received the Award of Merit for Painting in 1972 from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, of which he became a member in 1978, and the Skowhegan Medal for Painting in 1975.

Estate and Museum
Still wrote a will in 1978 that left a portion of his work, along with his archives, to his wife Patricia and stated: "I give and bequeath all the remaining works of art executed by me in my collection to an American city that will agree to build or assign and maintain permanent quarters exclusively for these works of art and assure their physical survival with the explicit requirement that none of these works of art will be sold, given, or exchanged but are to be retained in the place described above exclusively assigned to them in perpetuity for exhibition and study." After Still's death in 1980, the Still collection of approximately 2,400 works was sealed off completely from public and scholarly access for more than twenty years.

In August 2004, the City of Denver, Colorado announced it had been chosen by Patricia Still to receive the artworks contained within the Clyfford Still Estate (roughly 825 paintings on canvas and 1575 works on paper – drawings and limited-edition fine-art prints). The Clyfford Still Museum, an independent nonprofit organization, opened under the directorship of Dean Sobel in November 2011. The museum also houses the complete Still archives of sketchbooks, journals, notebooks, the artist's library, and other archival materials, inherited upon Patricia Still's death in 2005.

The building was designed by Allied Works Architecture, led by Brad Cloepfil. The museum is recognized as a successful implementation of contemporary architecture and an icon for the city of Denver. From January 24 to April 17, 2016, the Denver Art Museum hosted a temporary exhibit called "Case Work", which showcased the design process used for this museum and other major works by Allied and Cloepfil. After Denver, the exhibit was planned to show at the Portland Art Museum and then embark on a two-year international tour.

In March 2011, a Maryland court with jurisdiction over Patricia Still's estate ruled that four of Still's works could be sold before they officially became part of the museum's collection. In November 2011, Sotheby's in New York sold the four works; PH-351 (1940) for US$1.2 million, ''1947-Y-No. 2 (1947) for US$31.4 million, 1949-A-No. 1 (1949) for US$61.7 million and PH-1033'' (1976) for US$19.6 million. The proceeds from the sales, US$114 million, went to the Clyfford Still Museum "to support its endowment and collection-related expenses." In the decade prior to the sale, only 11 of Still's works came up at auction. The Clyfford Still Museum opened on November 18, 2011.

In December 2011, a visitor to the museum was accused of causing $10,000 worth of damage to Still's 1957-J no.2 oil painting.

In 2013, the Clyfford Still Museum Research Center was launched. Its aim is to explore the period of art and history in which the abstract painter worked. Plans include a fellowship program, cross-disciplinary scholarly publications, and research symposia.

Other collections

 * Albright–Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo, New York (33 paintings, 1937–1963
 * San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (30 paintings, ca. 1936–1974)
 * Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (12 paintings, 1943–1977)
 * Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Washington, D.C. (8 paintings, ca. 1935–1962)
 * Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York
 * The Phillips Collection, Washington, D.C.
 * Whitney Museum of American Art, New York
 * Tate collection, London (on loan to Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art)
 * Governor Nelson A. Rockefeller Empire State Plaza Art Collection, Albany, New York
 * The Kreeger Museum, Washington, D.C.
 * Glenstone, Potomac, Maryland
 * Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, Hartford, Connecticut

From Still
"I never wanted color to be color. I never wanted texture to be texture, or images to become shapes. I wanted them all to fuse together into a living spirit."

"It's intolerable to be stopped by a frame's edge."

"I am not interested in illustrating my time. A man's 'time' limits him, it does not truly liberate him. Our age – it is one of science, of mechanism, of power and death. I see no point in adding to its mechanism of power and death. I see no point in adding to its mammoth arrogance the compliment of a graphic homage."

"How can we live and die and never know the difference?"

From others

 * "Still makes the rest of us look academic." --Jackson Pollock
 * "His show (at Peggy Guggenheim's The Art of This Century Gallery in 1946), of all those early shows [Pollock, Rothko, Motherwell], was the most original. A bolt out of the blue. Most of us were still working through images ... Still had none."--Robert Motherwell
 * "When I first saw a 1948 painting of Still's ... I was impressed as never before by how estranging and upsetting genuine originality in art can be."--Clement Greenberg, art critic; "American-Type Painting", Partisan Review, 1955, p. 58.
 * "It was in the mid-1940s that Still asserted himself as one of the most formally inventive artists of his generation."
 * --John Golding, art historian; Paths to the Absolute, 2000, Princeton University Press

 * "With their crude palette-knifed and troweled surfaces, their immense space, their strong color, their relentless vertical and horizontal expansiveness, Still's abstract works project a forcefulness perhaps unequaled in Abstract Expressionist painting."
 * --Stephen Polcari, art historian; Abstract Expressionism and the Modern Experience, 1991, Cambridge University Press

 * "A singular talent whose dimension will not be fully known in his own lifetime."--Robert Hughes, former Time art critic; Time, Prairie Coriolanus, February 9, 1976

title: Clyfford Still