Belly of an Architect

First, referring back to our first few reading assignments (Plato, Vasari, Nietzsche, "Schematic Structure"), what are some ways in which "Belly of an Architect" constructs a narrative about artists and artistic creation?

Although "Belly of an Architect" told the story of a fictional architect obsessed with Etienne-Louis Boullee, it narrate the artistic nature of an artist. The movie did not flashback to Kracklite's childhood, but started off at the prime of his artistic career. Curating an exhibition in Rome is not something an artist can do with little experience. Kracklite had been a successful architect, having commissioned at least 6 buildings and the house he shared with his wife. Kracklite as an artist had become obsessed with the blue prints of Boullee, and was given the opportunity to express his love for him with the exhibition in Rome. Real life artists have always been influenced and inspired by other, earlier artists in their specific crafts. This depiction of having Kracklite fascinated with Boullee holds true to actual architects and artistic people. They begin their careers under the instruction of greater artists, and learn to either surpass them, or collaborate with them in various ways. Since Kracklite's greatest instructor lived in antiquity, the only way he could express his devotion to him was through this exhibition. His greatest life's work would have been this exhibition for Boullee, but due to his 'stomach cancer' and other events that led to an outright mental breakdown, he did not get the chance to finish his work. "Belly of an Architect" found a way to portray the life of a trouble artist in a way that holds true to some of the stereotypes of real life artists. Obsessions, influences, and life's hardships are all aspects of an artists life that were depicted in this movie.

Next, elaborate on how the film connects gender with creativity. You had some really great insights on that subject in class.

I feel like the movie portrayed an extremely masculine connection between gender and creativity. Throughout the movie, Kracklite was surrounded by strong and powerful businessmen, artists, and socialites. He never really established himself as the dominant male in the exhibition, so he would repeatedly get walked over by others that were sure of their role in society. As a male artist, Kracklite should have been able to portray himself as a self-assured man, taking hold of the responsibilities that come with opening an exhibit. But his seeming obsession with his stomach and the abdomen's of important male figures deterred his mind from pressing matters in his life. This obsession did not enhance his creativity with the exhibition, but led his imagination and creativity to link himself with Boullee and with leaders of the past. Kracklite started to write letters to the dead architect as if he were alive, and would print out mass quantities of pictures showing the stomach's of men in power. Kracklite could have thought that since he suffered the same pain that he would have the same type of creativity that these men had. But that showed to be false, and led Kracklite's pupils to deem him unfit to finish the exhibition.
Women in this movie played no major role, and were shown to have very little creativity because they were women. Kracklite's wife seemed to be the stereotypical artist's wife, dressing up to go to parties, never speaking too much in mixed company, and always there to fulfill her husband's sexual desires. The only object that she could create as a woman was a child, and she had failed at producing one due to many miscarriages in the past. The only time she was able to keep a child was when she broke free of Kracklite's architecture obsession and started to stay with another man, who just happened to be her husband's rival. It seemed to be that men were the ones associated with the creation of sustainable buildings and art, and women were only there to create children.