![]() Instead we’re multitasking, and according to the neuroscience, multitasking well is largely a myth. In it, Newport suggests that most of our “working” isn’t really focused. I felt like I was working 24/7 without any real understanding of efficiency.ĭeep Work made me confront how I actually used my time. As a freelancer, that had many downsides: I didn’t get much done, and work would bleed into my off time. Prometheus, a benevolent and wise teacher of arts to humanity, stands as a metaphor of the Rockefeller Center – a technological and architectural wonder created through hard work, ingenuity, and philanthropy.Cal Newport’s concept of Deep Work focuses the work day, but it doesn’t help me extend it.īefore reading Cal Newport’s amazing book, Deep Work, I just tried to work as much as possible. Mighty Titan dwarfed by a ballerina Presiding over café during the summer monthsĪ monument to the triumphant use of human labor, Prometheus inspired New Yorkers amid the Great Depression. ![]() ![]() The original Rockefeller Center’s theme of “Homo Faber” (“Man the Maker”) evolved into the “New Frontiers,” focusing on social and scientific innovations, and finally became “The March of Civilization.” All themes are closely related, and all speak of personal responsibility, achievement, and human progress. Prometheus, the main artwork of Rockefeller Center, bears the responsibility of conveying the philosophy behind the complex. This gilded glow, Mount Olympus in the background, and zodiac ring around him emphasize Prometheus’ divine status. Another unusual aspect of the statue is its monochromatic gilded effect. In fact, Paul Manship himself very much doubted his work, regretting that its horizontal orientation clashed with the verticality of 30 Rockefeller Plaza. ![]() His horizontal pose is very uncommon for a sculpture. He is flying from Olympus through the air, holding the precious gift of fire in his outstretched arm. Paul Manship, the statue’s sculptor, decided to show Prometheus not as a suffering victim but as a rebel in the act of defiance. Prometheus symbolizes the man’s ambition of striving for the greater good Snow-covered gilded Prometheus Throughout art history, Prometheus was usually dramatically depicted as a martyr receiving his awful punishment: chained to the cliff, he endured daily visits by an eagle – sent by Zeus – who came to eat his liver. Prometheus presented a pretty complex personality: a trickster who outwitted the Olympians, a rebel who defied the gods’ will, and a creator of humanity who gave us the most valuable gift. This act is hard to overestimate: the gift of fire gave humans skills, arts, and technology. Defying the rules, Prometheus stole fire and gave it back to mankind. Zeus was not amused and developed an intense animosity towards the mortals withholding fire. Making the bone pile look more appetizing, he tricked Zeus into accepting bones while leaving food to humans. Zeus required an obligatory sacrifice of a slaughtered animal, and Prometheus arranged it into two piles: eatable meat and useless bones. Before he stole fire, Prometheus made a rather misguided attempt to help humans. Prometheus was punished for stealing fire from Olympus and giving it to humans, thus, providing them with the power to make tools and advance technology, leading to civilization. Despite the inflicted torture, both Titans benefited humanity by teaching them sciences, arts, and practical skills. The uprising failed, and Zeus, as punishment, made Atlas support the sky, while Prometheus was chained to a rock, condemned to have his liver eaten by an eagle for eternity. There are only two large freestanding public sculptures in the Rockefeller center – Prometheus and Atlas – brothers who, along with other Titans, rebelled against the Gods of Olympus. The Aeschylus quote, carved in the granite wall behind the massive gilded statue of Prometheus in the heart of the Rockefeller Center, says: “Prometheus, Teacher in Every Art, Brought the Fire That Hath Proved to Mortals a Means to Mighty Ends.”īut who was Prometheus? And why is he the focal point of the Rockefeller Center? Prometheus – the focal point of the Rockefeller Center
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