Last week Mr. Z began the lecture talking about the differences between Aesthetics and Beauty, and how many people think they are one in the same. He told the class that the definition of aesthetics is “a set of principles concerned with nature and appreciation of beauty, especially in art.” He then showed us a few clips from Hamlet which he called “the greatest play by the greatest playwright”. In the video he showed the clips telling the story of how Hamlet’s father was murdered by his own brother and then the brother took the crown when Hamlet was the rightful heir. When Hamlet discovers this he goes to the rooftop and looks down at his uncle in repugnance and states that “one may smile but be a villain”. I think that it is true that outward beauty may be deceiving and just because something looks beautiful doesn’t mean it truly is. Mr. Z told us not to say that “beauty is in the eye of the beholder” which I also believe is an incorrect way to define beauty.
Our group brainstormed on what we thought beauty was and the definitions from our group and from the entire class that I like most was that “beauty is that what is pleasing to the senses” and I also the different definition that “beauty is knowing the truth, even if its ugly”. I think both definitions describe different types of beauty and I like them both because beauty can be many things.
After lecture we listened to some interesting presentations. I really like the architecture presentation with the miniature lego figurines. I wish I had a house designed by that artist!
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
CH 18 #2 Ornament from tomb of Queen Amanishakheto vs head, fragment of the larger figure
Many People do not realize that Egyptian culture and it’s art originally came from Africa. In a region called Nubia in southern Egypt, the Nile not only brought life to Egyptian people but linked trade with Africa. Nubia Brought the link to some of Egypt’s finest treasures like Gold, Ivory, or even animal skins. Of all the Nubian kingdoms, the one that is the most famous of them all is known as kush.
The Gold ornament was actually found in the royal tomb. This is just one of the many solid gold works of art found there. It is a solar diety Amun in the form of a rams head. Even though this is a small ornament, the art work shows how regal the royal tomb is. Even down to the last figure or ornament is in detail and made of solid gold.
In the 20th century, we exposed quite different works of art that were not too familiar coming from Africa. For Example, the Terra cotta peace that is in chapter eighteen. The peace showed the abundance of cultures that traveled to Africa and made it their home. This peace is inspired by the Islamic culture. It is only a portion, the head, of the Terra cotta scuplture
CH 18 #1 Friday Mosque, Isfahan vs Shah Mosque, Isfahan
There are many different types of a mosque throughout the middle east. In Isfahan, Iran there is two beautiful structures that show the uniqueness and uniformity of what an Islamic mosque is. The two mosques are known as the Friday Mosque and the Shah Mosque.
The Friday Mosque is a very important expression of the Seljuks rule in persia. These people plan and built their city center around this mosque. What sets this mosque aside from the others is the many gates that are spread out in the inner city of it. The main Gate was restored in 1804 but is no longer used as a main gate. It is now a gate that leads to the eastern wall. Around the western side is another gate. This Gate is still in use and dates back to 1590.
The Shah Mosque is also in Isfahan. Its cupola that is full of color and made from ceramic tile show the detailed work that went into building this masterpiece. The mosque is centered and around a large rectangular courtyard that streches over a mile.
Both mosques have a great deal of detail should truly be respected as works of art.
The Friday Mosque is a very important expression of the Seljuks rule in persia. These people plan and built their city center around this mosque. What sets this mosque aside from the others is the many gates that are spread out in the inner city of it. The main Gate was restored in 1804 but is no longer used as a main gate. It is now a gate that leads to the eastern wall. Around the western side is another gate. This Gate is still in use and dates back to 1590.
The Shah Mosque is also in Isfahan. Its cupola that is full of color and made from ceramic tile show the detailed work that went into building this masterpiece. The mosque is centered and around a large rectangular courtyard that streches over a mile.
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
CH 19 #1 Detail of a leaf with The Birth of Mahavira from the Kalpa Sutra Gujarat vs. Ritual Wine Vessel jia from late Shang period
Mahavira was born King to Siddartha and Queen Trishala on the 13th day under the rising moon of Chaitra (April 12th according to the Gregorian calendar) in a place called Kundalagrama in India. While still in his mother’s womb, it is believed that he brought wealth and prosperity to the entire kingdom. This is why he was named Vardhaman, which means an increase of all good things. For example, the abundant bloom of beautiful flowers that was noticed in the kingdom after his conception. His mother, Queen Trishala had a number of promising dreams before giving birth to Vardhaman (between 14 and 16 dreams), that were signs foretelling the advent of a great soul. Vardhaman’s birthday is celebrated as Mahvir Javanti, the most important religious holiday of Jains around the world. I like this piece because it tells the story of Vardhaman and his mother Trishala.
Bronze is an alloy of copper and tin with lower melting point and a higher degree of hardness than those of copper. When it is cast, bronze has the advantages of minimum air bubble production and maximum flow quality and can product objects with razor sharp edges or exquisite decoration, thus making it a suitable material for durable weapons, tools , and containers. China employed bronze objects as long as four thousand years ago and brought use of the bronze ceremonial vessels to a peak in the Shang and Chou dynasties. This and many other bronze ritual wine vessels are still around today, and I found it interesting that many are appraised at over $100,000.00. It amazes me how something that was used by someone 4,000 years ago can still be used today. Both the detail of a leaf with The Birth of Mahavira from the Kalpa Sutra Gujarat and the Ritual Wine Vessel jia from late Shang period are great works of art that have lasted through the ages and are of great value to the cultures they represent.
Bronze is an alloy of copper and tin with lower melting point and a higher degree of hardness than those of copper. When it is cast, bronze has the advantages of minimum air bubble production and maximum flow quality and can product objects with razor sharp edges or exquisite decoration, thus making it a suitable material for durable weapons, tools , and containers. China employed bronze objects as long as four thousand years ago and brought use of the bronze ceremonial vessels to a peak in the Shang and Chou dynasties. This and many other bronze ritual wine vessels are still around today, and I found it interesting that many are appraised at over $100,000.00. It amazes me how something that was used by someone 4,000 years ago can still be used today. Both the detail of a leaf with The Birth of Mahavira from the Kalpa Sutra Gujarat and the Ritual Wine Vessel jia from late Shang period are great works of art that have lasted through the ages and are of great value to the cultures they represent.
CH 19 Artist Set #2 Bodhisattva Guide of Souls from Tang Dynasty late 9th century CE vs. Nanchan Temple, Wutaishan Shanxi from Tang Dynasty 782 CE
The painting is inscribed with the characters yinlu pu or 'Bodhisattva leading the Way'. It is one of several from Mogao of a bodhisattva leading the beautifully dressed donor figure to the Pure Land, or Paradise, indicated by a Chinese building floating on clouds in the top left corner. The two figures are also carried by a cloud indicating that they are flying. The bodhisattva, shown much larger than the donor, is holding a censer and a banner in his hand. The banner is one of many of the same type found at Mogao, with a triangular headpiece and streamers.
The woman appears to be very wealthy, with gold hairpins in her hair. Actual examples of these were found in Chinese tombs. Her fashionably plump figure suggests that the painting was made in the ninth or tenth century.
According to an inscription on a beam, the Great Buddha Hall of Nanch Temple was first built in 782 CE during the Tang Dynasty. Another inscription on a beam indicates that the hall was renovated in 1086 of the Song Dynasty, during that time all but four of the original square columns were replaced with round columns. In the 1950s the building was rediscovered by architectural historians, and in 1961 it was recognized as China’s oldest standing timber-frame building. Five years later in1966, the building was damaged in an earthquake, and during the renovation in the 1970s, historians studied the building piece by piece. The Great Buddha Hall is an important building in the understanding of Chinese architectural history. The Nanchan Temple also contains original sculptures dating from the Tang Dynasty. The hall contains seventeen statues that are lined up on an inverted U-shaped dias. The Great Buddha Hall also has one small carved stone pagoda that is five levels high. The first level’s carved with a story about Buddha, and each corner has an additional small pagoda. Each side of the second level is carved with one large Buddha in the center with four smaller Buddhas on each side. The upper three levels have three carved Buddhas on each side. Both these artworks are interesting because they show the history of the religions they represent.
The woman appears to be very wealthy, with gold hairpins in her hair. Actual examples of these were found in Chinese tombs. Her fashionably plump figure suggests that the painting was made in the ninth or tenth century.
According to an inscription on a beam, the Great Buddha Hall of Nanch Temple was first built in 782 CE during the Tang Dynasty. Another inscription on a beam indicates that the hall was renovated in 1086 of the Song Dynasty, during that time all but four of the original square columns were replaced with round columns. In the 1950s the building was rediscovered by architectural historians, and in 1961 it was recognized as China’s oldest standing timber-frame building. Five years later in1966, the building was damaged in an earthquake, and during the renovation in the 1970s, historians studied the building piece by piece. The Great Buddha Hall is an important building in the understanding of Chinese architectural history. The Nanchan Temple also contains original sculptures dating from the Tang Dynasty. The hall contains seventeen statues that are lined up on an inverted U-shaped dias. The Great Buddha Hall also has one small carved stone pagoda that is five levels high. The first level’s carved with a story about Buddha, and each corner has an additional small pagoda. Each side of the second level is carved with one large Buddha in the center with four smaller Buddhas on each side. The upper three levels have three carved Buddhas on each side. Both these artworks are interesting because they show the history of the religions they represent.
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Ch 20 set #1 Teotichuacan's Pyramid of the Sun vs.Twotihucan's Temple of the Feathered Serpent
The ancient city of Teotihuacan is the most visited of Mexico’s archaeological sites in Mexico City. The Pyramid of the Sun is the third largest pyramid in the world. Teotihuacan was a large settlement by 150BC, its importance starting from a cave system with religious significance, located underneath the present day Pyramid of the Sun. As other settlements in the area diminished, Teotihuacan flourished and became a religious and economic center, controlling the region’s production of obsidian.
Between 1AD and 250AD the ceremonial core was completed, including the Pyramids of the Sun and Moon and the Calle de los Muertos. The massive pyramid structures were painted red and must have been an awe-inspiring sight.
Major expansion in population and housing occurred between 250-450AD. As many as 200,000 inhabitants have been estimated and at least 2000 "houses" counted. Most of these buildings were home to large family groups or artisan communes. The prosperity continued to 650AD and around this time it was the sixth largest city in the world.
However, in 650AD, a great fire swept through the city, devastating many communities. For some unknown reason a swift decline ensued and there was no massive reconstruction exercise. Whatever the cause, the population soon moved to other growing cities and Teotihuacan was virtually deserted. By the time the Aztecs arrived on the scene, the area was little more than an ancient ruin.
The Temple of the Feathered Serpent is the modern day name for the 3rd largest pyramid at Teotichuacan in Central Mexico. The structure is well know due to the discovery in the 1980s of more than a hundred possibly sacfricial victims found buried beneath the structure. The burials, like the structure, are dated sometime between 150 and 200 CE. The pyramid takes its name from representations of the Mesoamerican “feathered serpent” deity which covered its sides. These are some of the earliest know representations of the feathered serpent, often identified with the much later Aztec god Quetzalocatl. The structure is also known as the Temple of Questzalcoatl, and the Feathered Serpent Pyramid.
Ch 20 set #2 Zuni Culture's Kachina Doll vs. Edward Curtis' Navjo Zahadolzha Masker
Kachinas are representative of three types of entities within the religion of the Zuni people. First, a Kachina is a spiritual ancestor who is a messenger to and from the gods. Second, a Kachina is a male dancer personifying these spirits. And third, a Kachina doll is carved as a secular representation of the spirits. No exact attribution can be made to a specific, known character, because Kachinas are so numerous and change so much over time that exact meanings and names of historical representations are often not known.
Religious ceremonies for the Zuni people revolve around the cyclical calendar of seasons. During winter, the invisible spirits of ancestors return to their villages as Kachina. Zuni men, who belong to secret societies, believe that they actually assume the powers and persona of Kachina spirits when they enter the village dressed with painted skins, furs, and clothes and wearing the appropriate mask. During this time, several different occasions are held to dance, chant, and pray to the gods, who are believed to live in the distant mountains. These important ceremonies ensure rains for the coming agricultural season but also help renew all life. The Zuni regard the life-size Kachina masks and clothing as sacred because of their religious, transformative powers.
Men, often a matrilineal uncle, carve Kachina dolls to give as gifts to young children during religious ceremonies. Since women cannot belong to the secret societies and become Kachina personifications and young boys are not members until they are initiated, these dolls help them learn about their religion. In the late 19th century, connoisseurs began to value and collect Kachina dolls as sculptural works of art, and Zuni artists began making additional dolls for sale.
Religious ceremonies for the Zuni people revolve around the cyclical calendar of seasons. During winter, the invisible spirits of ancestors return to their villages as Kachina. Zuni men, who belong to secret societies, believe that they actually assume the powers and persona of Kachina spirits when they enter the village dressed with painted skins, furs, and clothes and wearing the appropriate mask. During this time, several different occasions are held to dance, chant, and pray to the gods, who are believed to live in the distant mountains. These important ceremonies ensure rains for the coming agricultural season but also help renew all life. The Zuni regard the life-size Kachina masks and clothing as sacred because of their religious, transformative powers.
Men, often a matrilineal uncle, carve Kachina dolls to give as gifts to young children during religious ceremonies. Since women cannot belong to the secret societies and become Kachina personifications and young boys are not members until they are initiated, these dolls help them learn about their religion. In the late 19th century, connoisseurs began to value and collect Kachina dolls as sculptural works of art, and Zuni artists began making additional dolls for sale.
Edward Curtis' Navjo Zahadolzha Masker figure is a yebichai dancer representing the Navajo god Zahadolzha. Yebichai dancers are the link between our world and the spirit world. They performed in many traditional Navajo ceremonies, some of which lasted as long as nine days.
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Petah Coyne
Petah Coyne was born in Oklahoma City, 1953. She lives & works in NYC.
Petah Coyne is a very prominent contemporary artist.
In her massive and unconventional sculptures, she takes on the human condition.
Her complex, layered works made from non-traditional materials connect the language of opposites to push the concepts of life and death, growth and decay, order and chaos.
Coyne balances horror and humor, light and darkness.
In her work, memory plays a key role, reflecting the tension between life and life’s traces.
The deep sense of grief found throughout her work is tempered by the possibility that balance can be gained in the wake of loss.
All of Coyne’s works take inspiration from personal stories, film, literature and political events.
Petah Coyne, “Untitled 1234 (Tom’s Twin,” 2007-8, Mixed Media. Galerie Lelong.
Untitled #875 (Black Atlanta), 1997
Her sculptures are over ten feet tall, suspended from the ceiling and strangely encrusted with flowers, ribbons and birds, all dripping with a carpet of wax as if frozen in time.
Her work consist of remarkable chandeliers, billowing veils,
capes of red feathers and colossal bridal splendors.
Petah Coyne’s affectionately refers to her sculptures as her “girls”
Petah Coyne ‘Untitled #1103 (Daphne)
Coyne belongs to a generation of sculptors—many of them women—who came of age in the late 1980s. This group includes Cassandra Smith and Angela Singer.
This group of women changed the great practice of sculpture with their new interest in nature, and a liking for detailed craftsmanship, domestic references and psychological metaphor.
Coyne and her peers took flamboyant risks.
Little Ed's Daughter Margaret from Chapter 11 in Living with Art is the reason why I chose this artist. This piece is mournful and tragic, bu also creepy and funny, sad and silly all at the same time (pg 274).
From far away, it looks like a tangled mass but, upon closer inspection, you see that it was an intricate composition of tree branches, birds, ribbon, thread, tassels and wax-dipped silk flowers. This piece makes a bold statement, especially since the piece is programmed to cry at spontaneous times twice every day.
From far away, it looks like a tangled mass but, upon closer inspection, you see that it was an intricate composition of tree branches, birds, ribbon, thread, tassels and wax-dipped silk flowers. This piece makes a bold statement, especially since the piece is programmed to cry at spontaneous times twice every day.
Untitled #1111 (Little Ed's Daughter Margaret) (detail)
Coyne’s references are historical and personal.
Her sculpture is influenced by her careful study of art history—such as Dutch still life’s and baroque sculpture—as well as her observant religious upbringing.
Petah Coyne, Untitled # 1093 (Buddha Boy), 2001–2003.
Altar Mary
Coyne’s wax-coated sculptures are a metaphor for emotion and memory. Located in a museum’s early sixteenth-century French chapel, Altar Mary refers to acts of private devotion and recalls Roman Catholic shrines dedicated to Mary.
Petah Coyne, Untitled 1031S-01, 2001. Galerie Lelong, New York.
Silk flowers, wax cast statuary, taxidermy animals, taxidermy birds, thread, silk/rayon velvet, felt, tree branches, tree bark, driftwood, specially formulated wax, pearl-headed hat pins, black spray paint, pigment, plywood, wood, metal hardware, chicken wire fencing, wire, cable, cable bolts.
Petah Coyne Canto VIII, 2008
When Petah was a younger artist, she had a compulsion for collecting dead fish and she used them to decorate the rafters of her NYC loft. After her husband developed an allergic sensitivity to them, she used the 5,000 fish to decorate other places instead. At one point, she discovered a charming home in Long Island and, in the middle of the night, strung lines through the trees outside the front door of the house, then hung a large number of the dead fish on the lines. She was so hurt the next day when the homeowner came outside and reacted negatively to the fish that decorated his front yard. To Petah, the fish were a great gift and she couldn't understand why the homeowner didn't love them the same way she did.
Petah Coyne, Vermilion Fog Exhibition
Untitled #1180 (Beatrice)
Petah Coyne, Vermilion Fog Exhibition
Untitled #1180 (Beatrice), detail, 2003-2008Silk flowers, wax cast statuary, taxidermy animals, taxidermy birds, thread, silk/rayon velvet, felt, tree branches, tree bark, driftwood, specially formulated wax, pearl-headed hat pins, black spray paint, pigment, plywood, wood, metal hardware, chicken wire fencing, wire, cable, cable bolts.
Petah Coyne Canto VIII, 2008
Silk flowers, taxidermic bird, thread, silk/rayon velvet, felt, wax,
pearl-headed hatpins, spray paint, pigment, chicken-wire fencing,
wire, plywood, metal hardware, cable, and cable bolts
Courtesy the artist and Galerie Lelong, New York
pearl-headed hatpins, spray paint, pigment, chicken-wire fencing,
wire, plywood, metal hardware, cable, and cable bolts
Courtesy the artist and Galerie Lelong, New York
Canto VIII, 2008
Petah Coyne, Untitled # 720, (Eguchi’s Ghost) , 1992/2007
Petah Coyne: Everything That Rises Must Converge 2010
Petah Coyne: Everything That Rises Must Converge 2010
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Response to Lecture 11-8-11 "Presentation Night"
In class last Tuesday we had to catch up on our "artist of our choice" presentations. Usually only 4 people present each night, but we ran out of time for presentations after watching the "Terminal 5" documentary last week. This week we were supposed to watch 6 presentations but only 5 of the 6 people that were supposed to present showed up for class. I am presenting next week so was one of the four students who had to grade the presentations after class.
The first presentation was on a cartoonist that became famous in the 80's named Keith Harring. I found some of his art interesting, but overall I was not impressed with his work. A lot of his work was controversial during his time, and if I lived during his time I wouldn't have like his work either. I thought trying to make the AIDS epidemic more known was a good idea of his, but I really didn't like the art with the drug needles, and also thought that his drawings were rather simple.
The first presentation was on a cartoonist that became famous in the 80's named Keith Harring. I found some of his art interesting, but overall I was not impressed with his work. A lot of his work was controversial during his time, and if I lived during his time I wouldn't have like his work either. I thought trying to make the AIDS epidemic more known was a good idea of his, but I really didn't like the art with the drug needles, and also thought that his drawings were rather simple.
The second artist presented was Claude Monet, often called the father of impressionism. I like his art and think it is very pretty. I did not know that he was such a controversial artist in his time.
The third artist presented was Francisco Goya. I liked his later, darker, art better than the art that he did when he first became an artist.
The fourth artist presented was Magritte. I thought his art was entertaining and also intriguing. I enjoyed our discussion of his painting of a pipe that said this is not a pipe.
I don’t remember the name of the last artist that was presented, but I thought that his story was interesting. This “artist” was a photographer a long time ago. I thought it was interesting that he accidentally invented a camera that shot a photo in only 8 minutes, versus the previous 8 hours it took to take a photo, and I thought it was interesting to see the first photo ever taken of a person.
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
CH 21 #2 Vladimir Tatlin. Model for the monument to the Third International vs Gerrit Rietveld. Schroeder House, Utrecht, The Netherlands
From 1800-1945, art became a new world. This word “modern” became arts new age way of life. With this new modernity came its symbol; the Statue of Liberty. However, society strived for better and to keep pushing the limits, especially in the architecture. For example, Vladimir Tatlin’s Model for the monument to the Third International was said to have been taller than the statue of liberty spiraling straight into the clouds. Gerrit Rietveld’s Schroeder House is considered one of the icons of the modern movement in architecture with his house of cubes. Archetecture has always pushed the limits of what is normal as it continually changes as time goes on.
Vladimir Tatlin’s Model for the monument to the Third International was originaly to house a telegraph office. A very big problem had presented itself. Tatlin was not an architect and did not care to bother with any of the engineering of the structure. The only thing that mattered to him was the art. Because of this, Tatlin’s tower never went passed the planning stage.
On the other end of the spectrum, Gerrit Rietveld was a well known architect. His modern Schroeder House had broken every rule in what a typical house should be. His open plan and strip windows astounded viewers as they were used to the typical confined spaces in each room. The colors on the cube-like exterior simply spit in the face of what was expected and what had worked in the past. His simple townhouse might was his first and most famous structure he designed.
Whether it is Tatlin’s tower as his dream could not quite become reality or in Rietveld’s Schroeder House where a simple townhouse could be so iconic, architecture is a large part of modern art. The possibilities are endless and can change the way we live and see the world. However, Tatlin showed the world that without all of the tools necessary for the job, an idea is all a person will receive.
CH 21 #1 Gustave Courbet. The Artist's Studio vs Edouard Manet. Le Dejeuner sur l'herbe
In the 19th century the movement know as Realism took off. The artist was said to capture a typical day of life in a realistic manner. These were not meant to be extravagant or exotic but meant to be ordinary as they realistically lived their lives. Gustave Courbet’s The Artist's Studio: A Real Allegory Summing Up Seven Years of My Life as an Artist painted himself in a crowded room of people. Edouard Manet’s Le Dejeuner sur l'herbe had one small difference in his painting. He painted two men having a picnic in their normal attire. However, a woman is sitting next to them with the same expression on her face as the others but seems to be completely naked. With each artist their came small variations in Realism that they perceived. All the artist who painted Realism had no intension of showing any sense of historic value or extravagance. Ordinary, simply, and common and is all they desired.
Gustave Courbet’s The Artist's Studio: A Real Allegory Summing Up Seven Years of My Life as an Artist is a painting that people consider Realism but with a closer look lies a story. As you look close at each person in the painting there is a huge sense of emotion in sometimes subtle expressions. These little expressions can tell an entire story of each unique life. For Courbet, these people represented a different phase of life since he has become an artist. He was known to many as an amazing painter that was always watched when he worked.
Edouard Manet’s Le Dejeuner sur l'herbe painted two contemporary men simply having a picnic in the garden. The reason critics ridiculed this painting was not because of the men but the two disrobed women that were in the painting as well. Intending to provide a modern counterpart to the classic paintings by the venetian masters, this painting was greatly misunderstood and criticized. These people pushed Edouard Manet to move to different styles of painting.
Whether a painting depicts an entire career of a man and have great success or will always be misinterpreted by others and pushed into retirement, Realism stays true to the roots of ordinary. A day in the life of the artists choosing.
Response to Lecture 11-1-11: Terminal 5 Documentary
Last Tuesday we watched a documentary about the Terminal 5 Project at Kennedy Airport. Terminal 5 was an architectural masterpiece created by architect Eero Saarinen. The TWA Terminal at John F. Kenedy Airport opened in 1962 and is considered the first step to the future of travel. Following the tragic day of 9-11, in 2001 after which many airports lost a lot of money, the site was vacated and closed to the public. The movie documents the 2004 project, curated and inspired by Rachel Ward that aims to bring Terminal 5 back to life and open it to the public as a contemporary art exhibition.
There were many inspiring works of art that I enjoyed in this exhibition, and also some I thought were senseless. Kevin Roche said in the video that the terminal looked like a skate, and I agree because it has a lot of wide open space, a lot of curved railings and platforms, and the openness of the terminal really is reminiscent of a Vans skate park. One of the artists, a graffiti artist or “bomber”, put graffiti on the rolling gates that gave the exhibition a city-like type of feel. Vanessa Beercroft’s piece consisted of many African women painted in all black, and I did not particularly like that piece because I felt the women were too exposed, and I could not imagine these African women getting on a plane and traveling thru this terminal. My favorite part of the exhibition was the gift shop because of all of the clever puns implied by the gifts and I especially liked the “Play with these matches”.
The Terminal 5 art exhibition featured work of 19 artists from 10 different countries to give the presentation a premise that showcases international travel. The show featured many different kinds of art including lectures and temporary installations drawing from the terminals architecture. The art project took about four months to complete and the exhibition opened on October 1st, 2004 and official closed on January 31, 2005. Unfortunately it also closed very abruptly the same night of the opening gala because people got drunk, vandalized the building, and stole some of the art. Apparently the opening night did not draw the ideal crowd, and many referred to this crowd as “coked out hipsters”.
There were many inspiring works of art that I enjoyed in this exhibition, and also some I thought were senseless. Kevin Roche said in the video that the terminal looked like a skate, and I agree because it has a lot of wide open space, a lot of curved railings and platforms, and the openness of the terminal really is reminiscent of a Vans skate park. One of the artists, a graffiti artist or “bomber”, put graffiti on the rolling gates that gave the exhibition a city-like type of feel. Vanessa Beercroft’s piece consisted of many African women painted in all black, and I did not particularly like that piece because I felt the women were too exposed, and I could not imagine these African women getting on a plane and traveling thru this terminal. My favorite part of the exhibition was the gift shop because of all of the clever puns implied by the gifts and I especially liked the “Play with these matches”.
The Terminal 5 art exhibition featured work of 19 artists from 10 different countries to give the presentation a premise that showcases international travel. The show featured many different kinds of art including lectures and temporary installations drawing from the terminals architecture. The art project took about four months to complete and the exhibition opened on October 1st, 2004 and official closed on January 31, 2005. Unfortunately it also closed very abruptly the same night of the opening gala because people got drunk, vandalized the building, and stole some of the art. Apparently the opening night did not draw the ideal crowd, and many referred to this crowd as “coked out hipsters”.
Project One: Spend an evening without any electricity.
I decided to do my lights out project on Sunday night since, for once; I was done with most of my homework that requires using the computer. It was dark earlier tonight because the time has just changed, and the perfect night to stay home and try this no electricity thing out since it was so chilly outside. I made myself an early dinner, and luckily I did before the electricity went out because without a fireplace, I would have no way to cook! My stove, oven, microwave, toaster, and fridge are all electronic so I realized I would have had no way to prepare a hot meal once it became dark. The one thing in the house I didn’t turn off was the fridge obviously because I didn’t want my food to go bad.
My husband loves candles so we already had plenty at home for me to start this project. He was away at military drill so I did this project alone, and glad I did because I don’t think he could go an entire night without TV.
It became dark as I was about to eat dinner so I decided to start lighting candles in the dining room, living room, and in the bedroom. The candles were very bright and lit up the house a lot better than I had expected. I ate, rinsed my dishes, and started to organize some mail and other papers that I hadn’t had a chance to go through recently. I quickly finished that since I didn’t have any music or TV to distract me, and so I decided to start reading my history book for the upcoming test.
Being that the book is so boring, at first I found myself reaching for my phone a lot, even though I had already turned it off. I realized that face book, words with friends, and text messages take up a lot of my homework time and are a big distraction! Although I usually can’t stand reading my history book, after awhile I found myself more and more interested in it. Being that the book is written about colonial women in the 16th-18th centuries, reading about them in a candlelit, quiet house made it easier understand and imagine the kind of lives they had. Usually I can only get through a couple of sections of this book a night, but instead I went ahead and finished an entire chapter. After reading, I picked up the house a little bit, blew out most of the candles in the house, and was ready to go lie in bed early. I put a candle on my nightstand and started rereading the 4th Twilight book, Breaking Dawn until I found my eyes getting heavy. I blew out the last candle of the night, turned my phone back on (for next morning alarm purposes only), and off to dreamland I went until it was time to get up for work on Monday.
This project taught me that there was a life before electricity and to me it seems life was a lot less stressful before technology came about. I’m glad I did this project because now I know the easiest way to get studying done and that reading, not TV, is a good way to help me get a good night’s sleep.
CH 13 #1 Great Friday Mosque in Mali vs. Amon-Mut-Khonsu courtyard
In chapter thirteen the Great Friday Mosque in Mali and the Amon-Mut-Khonsu courtyard caught my eye. I originally thought of the great Friday mosque as a sand castle at first glance. It was rebuilt in 1907 but was originally from the 13th century. The Amon-Mut-Khonsu courtyard’s pillars are so large for that era that it is almost unbelievable that they have lasted that long.
Great Friday Mosque is not a sand castle but a structure of adobe or simply mud. It is actually the largest adobe structure in the world. The Great Friday Mosque is said to have had a strong Islamic influence in the architecture of it. It was first built in the 13th century but it currently dates 1907 because of its rebuild.
This ancient egyption temple of Amon-Mut-Khonsu is a lot like all ancient egyption temples by the use of post-and-lintel system. The columns are carved in the form of many lotus and papyrus reeds bound together. The bell shape is similar to the opening of a flower. They have used post and lintel for at least four thousand years.
I like both structures as they look so simply made with using earth as the morter and brick. I would have to say that the Amon-Mut-Khonsu courtyard is my favorite because of its size alone. The long pillars are very exciting simply because of their sheer size.
CH 13 #2 Zaha Hadid Center for Contemporary Art vs. View of the southeast
The Zaha Hadid Center for Contemporary Art Had an attitude of “build it and they will come”. It is the first project in the united states to honor the architect Zaha Hadid. It has a blocky and very modern look to it and was a very expensive project to say the least. The building came to 27.5 million dollars.
The most interesting part of the building is most likely the stairs in the back of the building. The stairs are angled and very narrow. The exterior of the structure is amazing looking and has strips of windows in between the tetris-like blocks. It has a welcoming presence as Hadid wanted to accomplish.
I love the different feeling it gives in both pictures. One of the pictures taken at night and one taken in the day. the day picture also only shows a one dementional view of one side of the building. It shows not lights and only small shades of grey on the exterior. The night picture shows all dimensions of the phenominal structure and the building looks almost alive.
I love the different feeling it gives in both pictures. One of the pictures taken at night and one taken in the day. the day picture also only shows a one dementional view of one side of the building. It shows not lights and only small shades of grey on the exterior. The night picture shows all dimensions of the phenominal structure and the building looks almost alive.
Friday, November 4, 2011
Response to Lecture “Visual Culture” 10/25/2011
This week’s lecture started out like the rest, with a video. Sometimes I get a little confused as to how the video or movie clips we watch relate to the lecture. By the end of the lecture, I understood what the lesson was all about. The first video we watched were clips from the movie The Reader starring Kate Winslet. In the clips that we watched it shows Kate Winslet who is an illiterate woman who has her lover/boyfriend read books to her in flashbacks of the main story. Mr. Z then showed us that in the future this woman is put on trial for murder, and accused of writing incriminating letters. The majority of women who took the stand said she wrote the letters, and I have no idea why because we didn’t see that part of the story. Anyways, when the judge asks the woman (Kate Winslet) to write on a paper so that they can compare her handwriting to that of the letter, she is so ashamed of her illiteracy that she confesses to a murder that she did not commit. I found the clips interesting and actually want to watch the whole movie myself once I get a chance.
Afterwards Mr. Z began talking about 21st literacy vs. text literacy. I agree that today’s culture has become a “visual culture”, and I think it’s crazy that there is actually 48 hours of video uploaded to YouTube per minute! I liked that Mr. Z said that “media creates values” and “media defines culture” because these days that is very true, although many people don’t see how much culture has changed with the new waves of technology. Visual “language” was broken up into five categories: film, television, commercial advertising, and photography, all of which are what dominate what surrounds us today. These five sectors of visual language are more powerful today than they ever were before and influence everyone’s daily life whether we realize it or not.
Lastly, I liked that Mr. Z brought up the topic of the publish button being a political statement. Being able to blog online is a freedom that came with technology and it is one we must enjoy while we still have it. The fact Wiki Leaks shut down on October 24th, 2011, after offering to work with the government and only leaking what they approve goes to show that the government is becoming a big brother and will soon be monitoring and controlling what every person posts online. I also found Mr. Z’s argument that Thomas Paine was America’s 1st blogger to be quite fascinating.
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Response to Lecture: Drawing Oct. 11th
On this Tuesday we finally got some hands on experience with art! I was beginning to think that we may not do any hands-on activities like this in the class and I was very glad that we had the opportunity to learn how to draw, even though I may always be hopeless at it J I thought it was very interesting how the drawing was made up into six sections and really just looked like a bunch of lines in the beginning. After we got to the fourth portion of the upside-down Picasso drawing I realized that we were drawing a man in a suit. It was also very nice to draw to music, and I think drawing to music kind of put us all at ease (for those of us who have art anxiety) and helped us to a better job. Unfortunately, towards the end of the drawing when I saw the face of the man we drew, I was running out of paper and my artistic drawing took a shrunken head form. Overall I was very pleased with that class’s lesson and hope Mr. Z decides to let us try drawing something different, or even having a class activity such as painting, paper mache or sculpting! Another part of the lecture that helped was afterwards when Mr. Z explained to all of us that we all have everything it takes to draw muscle wise and that all we have to do is practice to get better. I hope he’ll give us a chance to practice more drawings like that in class, I think the portions of the picture being broken into sections really helped because like Mr. Z said, drawing is just a bunch of lines. I don’t think I’ll ever be great at drawing but I would like more practice so that I can at least get through a game of Pictionary without confusing everyone that’s on my team
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Ch 22 #2 Bill Viola's Departing Angel, Fire Angel, and Birth Angel vs Ascending Angel
The section in this chapter titled Being Human: Life of the Body, Life of the Spirit discusses our earthly life. Whether it’s our unseen spiritual body or our physical body itself, art shows them both. No one has proof of anything more than what is physical or tangible in our body. However, expressions through art show the possibility of what something else can look like. Through viewing them, and image can turn to emotions, emotions to actions, actions to beliefs, and beliefs to a lifestyle. To imagine there could be a spirit or something other than simply the flesh on our body gives hope and a different passion in life. Bill Viola's Departing Angel, Fire Angel, Birth Angel, and Ascending Angel from the Five Angels for the Millenium gives that passion.
In one large dark room there are Five separate video and sound loops spread out around the rooms edge. All of these videos play simultaneously but not as a symphony. It is meant to confuse you as you enter, even disorienting. The video on the walls is of five images and suspenseful rumblings that gives a sort of anxiety to the viewer. Unable to explain in words the images somewhat plunge out of what looks like glowing water with a resemblance to a human figure. It is not certain if the presences mean a birth, a death, or something else. Interpretation of these “Angels” can be different. After about 15 minutes of the this High Definition display, the cycle repeats itself.
It is amazing how such technology can work can show such a simple meaning. Although the simple meaning give millions of complex interpretations. Simply the title can trigger the mind in what this might be. If the word angel was not in the title, would the viewer see something different? Bill Viola wanted people to see a simple meaning but never certain that it was the right one.
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