Tuesday: Art, Music, and Gelato

Starting off the day with another 8:30 a.m. lecture, I had a long, but exciting, day ahead of me. At the beginning of lecture, we received our team assignments for the scavenger hunt activity later in the day. I had been looking forward to the scavenger hunt since reading the syllabus, and was eager to show off my knowledge and ability to navigate Venice. In lecture, we learned about the history and progression of art through the Renaissance. Again, we were able to readily apply our lecture material in the afternoon when we visited Accademia and looked at the paintings there. Three main elements we discussed as we moved through the changes in artwork associated with paradigm shifts were acquiring of perspective, vanishing point, and object representation. Beginning with Byzantine art, we examined the all gold backgrounds and lack of depth. Additionally, we drew from Gombrich’s “everyman” concept to understand how the similar faces of each person in the painting related to the poor definition of a human in Medieval times. Furthermore, the gold background represented time outside of time. In the Post-Renaissance, a gold halo was used instead to represent this temporarily and act as a barrier between earthly existence and other worlds. At Accademia, I saw many Byzantine paintings, easily identifiable by their gold backgrounds and lack of dimensions.

Progressing forward in time, we began to see the beginning of three dimensions used in paintings. Artists such as Giotto and Alberti attempted to capture the third dimension by thinking of perspective and representation in new ways. Giotto moved away from the standard gold background and began painting the background blue, to represent the sky. Alberti projected the objects in his painting onto a plane, using a grid. DaVinci later gave substance to Alberti’s grid concept, which was often referenced by other painters in artwork.

There was a gradual adoption and perfection of representing an object in painting. Topics such as subject v. object and mind v. body were experimented with and a new paradigm began. Using a “they do not see us” approach, the new paradigm had artists thinking of a window barrier between the viewers and the painting. This change in perspective was only one of the innovations in Renaissance artwork. Other advances include the use of oil as a new medium and the integration of depth and color.

After our intriguing visit to Academia, we began our scavenger hunt activity. Once we deciphered our clue and traveled to the correct location, most of us decided to take a vaporetto back to San Servolo and catch up on some much-needed sleep.  Returning in the evening, we ate dinner together before attending a Vivaldi convert at San Vidal Church.

I was proud that I could successfully lead our group from San Marco to Academia. The Vivaldi concert was an especially unique and insightful experience. I had never attended a classical music concert before and was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. While listening to the different songs, I found myself looking around the church and thinking about the different styles of architecture and paintings, and how the changes in those areas is reflected in Venice. Venice functions as a heterotopia, existing as a reflection of the past. If analyzed closely, one can easily see the details within the city that represent elements of transformation and ultimately contribute to the overall feeling and function of Venice as a heterotopia. In a similar sense, each musician and instrument in the group at the Vivaldi concert plays a role in creating the composite sound. Each instrument, from the violin to the bass, has a unique sound, but together they produce a harmonious noise that possess meaning in a perfect symbiosis. I especially enjoyed the encore song they performed where the musicians plucked the strings of their instruments, producing even more precise musical notes that culminated into a beautiful melody.

After the concert, we had just enough time to walk to my favorite gelato place and get some gelato before the vaporetto came. The man at the gelato place was especially generous, even with my whopping four scoops! Today, I learned more than I ever thought there was to know about art and had a lot of fun. Tomorrow, I am going to try to go into the city early to observe Venice’s fish market, so I must get some sleep. Ciao, buona notte! 

Monday Mornings & Dining Out

          This Monday morning, I started out with a full plate of paradigm shifts and a serving of architecture to go. Actually, I had a pop-tart, which is quite a bit less dense than the topics we discussed in lecture. We started off the day at 8:30 a.m. with a lecture on time, space, and the transformation of architecture from the Medieval to Renaissance era. Although I was not looking forward to the timing of the lecture, the content was stimulating and incredibly relevant. It was refreshing to learn something that I could immediately apply and experience. Analyzing the advancement of knowledge due to scientific and technological advances, such as the printing press, we began to understand paradigm shifts. Looking at the simple question, “What is a tree?”, and examining our automatic responses, we identified that there are different ways of viewing things, which affect how we understand them. When we have a different relationship with an object, our conceptual approach to the object changes. In application, this concept is demonstrated through the massive change in thinking from the Medieval period to the Renaissance. In the Medieval period, the divisions between human and nonhuman were not clearly defined, whereas the Renaissance worked to define the human. This paradigm shift is evident in the transition from shame culture to gilt culture and the change in punishment. For instance, in the shame culture during the Medieval period, punishment was done to the body- often complete obliteration. With the transition to the Renaissance and gilt culture, people began to be viewed as already being guilty, and individual regulation and rehabilitation of the mind came into play. After discussing the notion of temporality and space, we were released from lecture at 11:30 a.m. to embark on our architectural walking tour of Venice.

               On the tour, we could see with our own eyes the concepts we had spent hours discussing in lecture. I was able to deepen my understanding of the transformation from Medieval to Renaissance by viewing the architectural change in structure and elements. The most easily seen example of this transformation is in Campo Di S. S. Giovanni e Paolo. 

In the square, there is a gothic style church adjacent to a Renaissance style church. The gothic style, used in the Medieval period, is characterized by its use of bricks and OG arches, giving the building a dark, cold feeling.

In contrast, the Renaissance style buildings exhibit more color and detailing, often using marble, that begin to experiment with three dimensions.

The increasing in designs and color exhibit the enlightenment that took place during the Renaissance. New ideas and different ways of thinking were explored as the concepts of human and nonhuman became more clearly defined. I appreciated being able to directly compare the two architectural styles; it helped me realize how a new way of thinking, or paradigm shift, effects all aspects of life.

               After finishing our architectural tour, we walked to St. Elena- a part of Venice that we had yet to explore. Dr. Felluga led us to St. Elena through a French inspired portion of Venice.

Having more green than I had seen since leaving Indiana, the French gardens were a welcome site. The garden’s proximity to the water gave the air a fresh, salty smell.

During our time in St. Elena, we found many cats, which was especially exciting for us animal lovers on the trip.

I greatly enjoyed exploring this part of Venice and hope to come back before we leave. Unfortunately, the Venetians do not have the same appreciation for the French aspects of Venice. The Venetian- French relationship is a strained one, rooted in the capture of Venice by Napoleon. When Napoleon invaded Venice in 1797, he plundered and destroyed many of the Venetian’s treasured pieces (such as the four horses) and built statues and gardens around Venice. So, the Venetians understandably dislike anything associated with the Napoleonic Era.

               Reaching the St. Elena vaporetto stop, we said goodbye to our professors and began our free evening. Many of us decided to take pictures for our campo assignment, so we met up as a group later for dinner. Unfortunately, I was unable to eat at the restaurant in St. Elena that our group was going to, so Lauren and I walked to another restaurant near San Marco. In an attempt to take a shortcut, I led Lauren in circles through many dark streets. Eventually, we found the restaurant we wanted and enjoyed a delicious meal! After dinner, some of us met up for gelato. I tried a new place on the way back to Piazza San Marco and loved it! It is officially my favorite gelato (sorbet for me) place. In fact, I told the group this at least ten times as we walked back to the vaporetto stop. Their sorbet is so creamy that I thought it certainly had dairy in it. I checked my suspicions with the gelato man, but amazingly there is no diary, or “no latte” as it is said in Venice. I am really excited to get more sorbet tomorrow, but I must go to bed now. Ciao!

Venice First Impressions

               The fresh breeze leaves me as soon as I am engulfed by the hordes of people cluttering the streets. To replace it, a thick pungent smell of cigarette smoke fills my nostrils as I look at my surroundings. Above me, I see buildings and a bright blue sky. But, looking ahead, all I can see are the masses of people.

               I am in Venice, and it is quite a bit different from what I imagined. First off, it is so much larger than I anticipated. I had envisioned walking from one end of the island to the other with ease, effortlessly covering the entire terrain of the island in one week. But now, looking at its size, I know there will be places of Venice that I will not see. Perhaps, now that I am physically seeing myself in proportion to the island, Venice looks larger than when I viewed it in photographs on a computer.

               Secondly, as I mentioned above, Venice largely smells of cigarette smoke. I was greatly looking forward to the sea breeze and fresh salty air. Also, I thought the absence of cars would further increase the clean air quality and smell. So, I was severely disappointed by the constant smell of smoke and prevalence of smoking in general. I think I will look up the rates of lung cancer in Europe versus the United States when I return home.

               Thirdly, Venice is much more crowded than I expected. I was told that Venice is a tourist city, but I did not realize the extent to which Venice is geared toward tourists. People are constantly trying to sell you things and almost everyone around you speaks English.

               Furthermore, I learned a lot through my travels to Venice. I had not previously traveled internationally to this extent. Plus, in my past travels outside of the United States, I was always traveling with family. Whenever I travel, I am constantly surprised and amazed by how many other people are traveling. Each person has their own itinerary and destination, as well as a unique place that they are coming from. It is incredible to think of the number of people that pass each other in an airport. There are so many stories and experiences all in one place, but the airport is only a passageway, and people continue to their destinations.

               Flying into the airport in Germany, I felt out of place. I did not understand the announcements spoken through the loud speakers, or the words written on the signs throughout the airport. A woman passing me sneezed, and I automatically wanted to say bless you, but I could not think of how to communicate that to her in German. I felt like I stood out, not just because of the language I spoke, but because of the way I looked and acted. Looking around, I tried to place the nationality of the people surrounding me. However, this only made me wonder more if people could tell I was American. But then that made me wonder, why do I care if people can tell I am American? Do I think it is bad to be American? Was everyone else in the airport feeling the same way? I am not sure I know the answers to these questions yet.

               On the plane from Germany to Venice, all the instructions were given in German first and English last. I was not used to hearing foreign commands first, and quickly realized that my language was in the minority. When the flight attendant came by to serve me a drink, she asked me in German what I would like to drink. I had no idea what she had said, but knew it had to do with drinks, so I responded with “water, please”. She understood my response and spoke to me in English after that, but her automatic assumption that I was German made me wonder if I really did look blatantly American or not.

               Throughout my travels to Venice, I became more conscious of my identity as an American and what that means. I was disappointed by how little I knew about other languages; I should at least know how to say hello/goodbye and please/thank you. Although my initial impressions of Italy were not as mystical as I had imagined, I am enjoying the city so far and am really valuing the learning experience of this study abroad. 

The Rialto Bridge

It’s only the second day, but I think I may have found my favorite spot in Venice! On Saturday, we were shown the Rialto bridge. Ironically, the only things I remembered about the place were the large amount of stairs we had to climb and the crowding overflow of tourists. Despite my less than fond memories, I returned to the Rialto bridge area and greatly enjoyed myself.

               This morning, a few of my study abroad companions and I woke up early to go into Venice before our group met at ten o’clock. Taking the 9:10am vaporetto, we arrived at Piazza San Marco and just started walking. We randomly walked along the paths, checking café prices as we went, until we ended up near the Rialto Bridge. Recalling the area from yesterday, we decided to cross and evaluate the options on the other side. With it being so early in the morning, we had no issues with overcrowding. The bridge had a peaceful, serene essence that I did not feel Saturday. After crossing the bridge, we came into an open area with a small fountain in the middle.

We easily found a café on the perimeter of the open space. While Lauren, Kate, and Juliana ordered, I explored the area in greater detail. Walking away from the cafes and fountain, I passed under an arch and found a path right along the canal. I absolutely love the smell of Venice when I am by the water. Continuing, I discovered the market area that Dr. Felluga mentioned. Most of the vendors had already left, it was relatively late in the morning by then, and a few were packing up their goods. Passing by the remaining vendors, I saw that they sold dried fruit! I am incredibly excited to purchase some dried fruit to snack on while walking around Venice and have vowed to return in order to buy some.

               I soon returned to the café, admiring the classmates’ delicious breakfast choices. Remembering what Dr. Felluga mentioned yesterday about the water in Venice being incredibly clean, I took the opportunity to refill my water bottle from the fountain. Dr. Felluga was right; the water is incredibly pure and fresh tasting. Running tight on time, we decided to start walking back to the vaparetto stop where we were meeting up with our class. To our grateful surprise, we were able to seamlessly walk back to Piazzo San Marco. Realizing that we knew enough about the area to navigate to and from the bridge was an amazing feeling. It made me feel accomplished and helped me connect more with Venice. Similar to my presentation on the Horses of Saint Mark, increasing my knowledge of Venice has helped me in creating a relationship with the city and feeling more connected. Now when I walk around places I can say, “Oh, that’s the place we passed when we…” or “Oh, I know where we are, I recognize that place”. I believe the best way for a tourist to relate to a city she is visiting is to make the city her own. By walking around and getting a feel for the city through one’s own perspective, one can personalize the city, building connections with it on a more personal level.

An especially satisfying moment regarding the Rialto Bridge today was when I was successfully able to lead a group of my classmates to the bridge. This gave me a sense of pride and made me, a tourist, feel like a tour guide. Returning to the bridge later in the day, we were surprised to find open space on the edge of the bridge, overlooking the water. These areas are typically crowded with tourists, so we were very lucky. Taking advantage of our opportunity, we took a group picture and photographed the amazing view.

I significantly enjoyed the time I spent in the Rialto Bridge area today. I feel more accomplished from learning the route to and from the bridge, and have decided to set a goal for myself. During this week, I am aiming to select a new place daily to learn the route to and from. I am excited to discover new places and increase my Venetian knowledge. Perhaps I will even find a new favorite place!

The Horses of Saint Mark

          

     
          Although these horses may be made of metal, they have actually traversed an incredible amount of land. The four horses you see above me are the Horses of Saint Mark and they hold a large amount of history, represent several strong emotions, and signify the value of ancient art in European history. The Horses of Saint Mark are a small detail in the city of Venice and expanse of Italy as a whole, but they possess great significance in European history. For my research, I used Charles Freeman’s book The Horses of St. Mark’s: A Story of Triumph in Byzantium, Paris and Venice as my source. I first heard of these majestic creations in the novel Inferno by Dan Brown. Robert Langdon’s description of the horses’ unique history influenced me to learn more about their history, representation, and cultural significance.

To ultimately understand the horses’ significance, we must first examine the horses’ lengthy and intricate history. The origins of the horses are unknown, but there are several legends that are believed to be the most likely. The first origin theory is that Constantine looted the horses from Delphi, the second origin theory states that the horses were brought to Constantinople from Rome, and the third main theory is that they were made on the island of Chios by the Ancient Greeks. In each theory, it is accepted that the horses ended up in Constantinople where they spent several centuries. It is thought that the horses may have been displayed in the hippodrome, an ancient Grecian stadium for chariot racing. However, the horses did not stay there for long. In 1204 during the 4^th Crusade, Constantinople was plundered and the Venetians took the horses to Venice, where they were placed on St. Mark’s Basilica (the location the replicas hold today). In 1797 the horses move again when Napoleon invades Venice and takes them to Paris. In Paris, they were placed on top of the Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel. The horses quickly returned to Venice in 1815 when Napoleon was defeated at Waterloo. Remaining in Venice until World War I, the horses were moved to Rome in 1917 but returned after the bombings in 1918. After all their journeys, one would think that the horses would remain at their place in St. Mark’s square. But, in 1983, the horses were taken down due to atmospheric pollution and moved inside the Basilica Museum. The ones we see currently are only replica’s. As you can most likely understand, the history of these horses is linked to many turning points in European history. These four copper stallions followed the founding of Constantinople to its demise in the Fourth Crusade. They witnessed Venice’s greatness and fall in 1797, as well as the triumphs of Napoleon. This small aspect of Venice reflects the rise and fall of great empires in European history.

          Now that we understand the history behind the horses, let’s inspect what these creatures represent. Looking at the body language of each horse, we derive a powerful aesthetic impact. The horses’ curved necks, raised heads, and lifted front-leg is recognized body language for a display of power in a stallion. Each wearing a collar, the horses are believed to have been used for chariot racing. However, some believe that the collars were only incorporated after the horses’ heads were severed for transport. Regardless, these stallions are typically believed to be representative of triumph, but ironically, they were also plunder. Their proud stance, coupled with their large collars, exudes the feeling of triumph and power associated with winning a chariot race or conquering a city.

          Furthermore, these horses hold great significance not only in their antique value, but in their relation of Greece and Rome to help one understand the transformations that took place in early Europe. The antique value of the horses lies in the fact that they are the only surviving sculptural example of a quadriga, or a chariot drawn by four horses. However, their depiction of success and triumph causes researchers to evaluate the meaning of triumph. For instance, the success associated with triumph could relate to winning a chariot race at Olympia, or the victory of a Roman general. This commonality in vocabulary inspires researchers to look deeper and discover the similarities in the transformations of the people of Greece and Rome. Greek and Roman art were once thought to be two concrete ideas; however, the uncertainty of the horses’ origin causes researchers to realize the blurring of the once solid boundaries. Scholars now realize that Greek and Roman people used similar styles. This small glimpse into how humans developed is due to the history of St. Mark’s horses.

          Why did these horses, as opposed to other sculptures, survive the test of time? To answer this question, we must look at the culture of the era they were constructed in. In the ancient world, there was an appreciation of the importance of public display. The use of visuals, especially 3D works such as sculptures, was fundamental to life in Greece and Rome. Classical cities use a high proportion of their resources for images on public display. The need to display magnificent works of art as indications of strength was common. The horses, displayed in several cities as a sign of power, help us to understand the pass usage of art as depictions of strength. As the human developed throughout history, this need to own beautiful things as a sign of wealth remains present. A current day example is the act of wealthy people buying attractive, expensive cars with no intention of driving them. The cars are simply a display of their incredible wealth. To summarize, the horses of St. Mark have a long history which we can utilize to understand its significance and ultimately relate to the developments of humans.

            This assignment, of having to pick a detail in the Piazza San Marco to research and present on, has affected my appreciation of the Horses of Saint Marks Basilica; I feel more connected with them. Sometimes even acting possessively, I walk by them and announce, “look at my pretty horses” in a cooing voice. Now looking at the horses, I think of their incredible significance and history, not just their immense beauty. In reading chapters from Charles Freeman’s book The Horses of St. Mark’s: A Story of Triumph in Byzantium, Paris and Venice, I became more educated not only about the meaning and history of the horses, but about Venice as well. The horses’ history helped me learn a lot of European history, especially involving the Venetian Empire’s rise and fall. I feel more informed when people reference the Napoleonic period, and more knowledgeable on the value and influence of art as public displays of power. In a way, this activity caused me to feel less like a typical American tourist, and more like a student trying to learn more about the city. It is as if by increasing my knowledge, I increased my imaginary standing as a visitor of Venice. By learning more, I feel like a more active visitor, hopefully gaining the respect and appreciation of the Venetian people.

Freeman, Charles. The Horses of St. Mark's: A Story of Triumph in Byzantium, Paris and Venice. The Overlook Press: Peter Mayer Publishers, Inc., 2004.

Traveling to Italy

What a long day! I arrived in Venice, Italy this morning and cannot believe all that has happened since I left Purdue at noon on Friday. In this blog post, I will be recounting the events of my travels from campus to Venice.

               Leaving Purdue Friday at noon in the Lafayette Limo, I was looking forward to my trip to Italy, but was tired from a week full of exams. On the approximately two-and-a-half-hour bus ride, I edited my presentation and worked on course readings. I am very appreciative of our driver, because I do not enjoy maneuvering through Chicago traffic, but he handled it well. Arriving at O’Hare, we broke into two groups based on the airlines we were flying. Next, we got our passports checked and went through security, an annoying but necessary process. Once through, we had two hours until our plane boarded so my travel buddy Kate and I looked at the various shops in the airport, finally deciding to get Jamba Juice and McDonald’s. Thinking ahead, we used the restroom before boarding, and were surprised by a new advancement in toilet technology. The women’s restroom in the Chicago airport had automatic toilet seat covers that changed themselves! I had never seen these before, but was immediately pleased and impressed by their presence.

               Boarding the plane soon after, I was happily surprised by the quality of the airline. Not only were there two levels on our ginormous plane, but each person was given a blanket, pillow, and headphones.

There was a wide selection of movies to choose from, including some new releases, and we were able to see unique views of below and in front of the plane on our personal screens. Additionally, the airline catered to my dietary allergies. On the long flight, I enjoyed my window seat and was able to watch the sun set and rise.

               Arriving in Germany, I was intrigued by the physical arrangement of houses in cities/towns. Houses were set-up in large groups, similar to in Indiana, but they did not exhibit a thinning out of houses into a more rural area or an increased concentration of houses moving into a more urbanized setting.

I was puzzled by the distance between the multiple groups; they were far enough apart to not be considered one community, but close enough together that they are not considered distant entities. This led me to infer that Germans must live in small towns that are all relatively close to one another.

               Switching from the first flight to the second, we had to go through customs in Frankfurt, Germany where I got the first stamp in my passport! This was a very exciting event for me that encourages me to make plans to travel more. Departing from Germany promptly after customs, I was awarded with the breath-taking site of the Alps.

They emanated strong and lasting power that caused me to respectfully observe their beauty in contemplative silence. Seeming to stretch on endlessly, these incredible landmarks were the highlight of my flight.

               Safely arriving in Venice, Italy one hour later, we were glad to stretch our legs and explore. Overall, traveling is certainly exhausting, but I have greatly enjoyed my experience in Italy so far. I hope you had fun hearing about my travels! For a more in-depth examination of the effect this traveling has had on me so far and photos of my first day in Italy, please read my second “Italy Imagined” blog post.

Imagining Venice

I can smell the fresh baked bread as the breeze off the water blows my hair into a tangled mess. Brushing the strands off my flushed cheeks, I breathe in a crisp lung-full of air as I look around once more in awe of the city. The stone streets stretch out in front of me, artfully populated by colorful buildings displaying beautiful windows and arches. It is my first moment in Italy, or at least how I imagine my first moment in Italy.

From the photos of Venice I have seen, I imagine the city to be ethereal. From the buildings that seemingly float on the water to the majestic domes and bridges that fill the city with their elegance, I believe Venice to be a mystical place.

With the city surround by water, I envision Venice to possess a rather quiet, relaxed atmosphere. Leaving behind the noise pollution from cars and buses in the United States, I believe Venice will feel peaceful in comparison. I look forward to enjoying the tranquil environment, complimented by the pleasant breeze coming off the water.

From what I have heard, Venice is known to be a tourist city. People flock to Venice for a day or two to get a glimpse at its spectacular beauty. With that in mind, I imagine Venice’s peaceful reverie to be interrupted during the daytime by the constant movement of tourists. Although I visualize Venice populated with tourists, I hope we are able to enjoy time in the city without feeling crowded.

Some of my other perceptions of Venice, and Italy in general, come from the novel Inferno by Dan Brown, which I read last semester. In the novel, the protagonist, Robert Langdon, works to prevent a virus from being released by following clues around Italy to discover its location. Although I do not desire to rush through Italy as Langdon was forced to, I hope to learn and appreciate the culture and history with the same passion as the Harvard symbologist. Describing Venice as “an outdoor museum”, Langdon gives an extremely detailed description of many landmarks. For instance, he describes the main entrance to the verdigris cupola of San Simeone Piccolo as “topped by a spectacular pediment of intricate marble relief portraying a host of martyred saints”. However, Inferno also discusses the meanings behind the structures. In the book, the water taxi driver details the importance of the gondola design, calling it the “picture of Venice”. In the metal decoration at the bow of gondolas, the curved shape represents the Grand Canal and the six teeth depict the six districts of Venice. Furthermore, I desire to understand the cultural influences in Italy and its contrast from the United States. For instance, the Black Plague greatly affected Italy, an affect that is still relevant today with the many plague masks sold. While in Italy, I want to identify other cultural aspects that impacted human transformations. I hope to experience Italy with the same concentration on details as Langdon had in Inferno.

As I witnessed last semester reading Inferno, and hope to apply while studying abroad this semester, Italian history and theology play a large role in the formation of present-day culture. Everything can be related and connected. The construction of a building is based not only in the science and technology of the time it was built, but also in the popular beliefs of that time. As those beliefs and technologies evolve and become more advanced with the passage of time, historical constructions such as those seen in Venice remain as reminders of the past and evidence of our transformation. They allow us to see the development that has occurred and help us to understand how we are today. I believe that Venice’s historical basis will permit me to visualize these developmental aspects first-hand. Being in Venice, I image that I will be able to feel the importance and influence of the city around me. I believe Venice will exude this encompassing feeling of historical connection and importance, similar to what one feels when they realize the vast extent of their familial relations. Humans are all connected; a statement I trust Italy and the city of Venice will solidify.

I believe Italy will be like a puzzle. Learning about new aspects of Venice, I will realize the small details in the city that relate to its history, such as the design of arches on a building. Similarly, after finally seeing the correct shade of yellow on the puzzle piece, I can connect it to the other pieces, placing it in its rightful position. Discovering the details will help me understand how everything fits together. Understanding the human is the puzzle, the city of Venice makes up my puzzle pieces.