Friday, December 16, 2016

Museum Visted for Second Nine Weeks




Because there was no photography allowed and there was no brochure that had an extensive amount of photos in it there will be no pictures that I took of the artwork that I have chosen to talk about. But I did However did get to retrieve some images of his painting from His website

1st Artwork

Lunessence
Walt Davis
Watercolor on paper
30X22 in
2013
Lunessence by Walter Davis Watercolor ~ 30 inches x 22 inches

   Of course seeing this painting on a picture is nothing like going in to the museum to see it for yourself. By the way this painting is being sold for $975. When I first caught a glimpse of this painting out of the corner of my eye it actually caused my head to spin around to see it more clearly. This picture doesn't illuminate it, but the central moth is so brightly painted that the light is actually coming from the painting and causing the insects around it to also be shown. The moth is so bright that you can even see some of the light being thrown on top of the mosquito, and the part of the  mosquito's that isn't facing the light is in darkness.
   When I saw this painting I was overcome by its beauty and just fell in love with it. There is no story behind this painting but the painter, Walt Davis, did paint insects because he is a biologist that specializes in insects. So it is interesting how he took his career and love of painting and combined them together.


2nd Artwork

Katy-did, Katy didn't
Walt Davis
Watercolor on Paper
22X30 in
2013
Katy-did, Katy-didn't by Walter Davis Watercolor ~ 22 inches x 30 inches

   What is going on in this painting is a just a katydid with its legs curled up and the antennas waving away from the insect. Oh and this painting is also $975.
   What really interested me about his piece was the attention to the detail in the insect. I mean the barbs on the insects legs are carefully counted and attended to. The antennas on the insect display the obscure segments that connect the antae as a whole. Also the physical structure of the insect and how its body precisely looks like. When I view this image it's as also if we are looking under a microscope. Another thing that I noticed is the how the image was drawn. Most people have a horror to insect because they look so disgusting. But here that is not true. This insect is not disgusting but is also magnificent in its brightly painted fashion. It definitely presents the image to be viewed at a different perspective. And that is why I really liked this watercolor painting.
   This painting made me feel an openness to the idea that anything can have beauty. Even though people may view these bugs in real life as disgusting, we can still see them as beautiful. There is no story behind the painting as I stated in the other painting that the guy is a biologist.


Tuesday, December 6, 2016

Romanesque and Gothic Architecture

Pilgrimage Routes and the Cult of the Relic (NOTE: Read this before completing blog.) https://www.kha​nacademy.org/hu​manities/mediev​al-world/latin-​western-europe/​romanesque1/a/p​ilgrimage-route​s-and-the-cult-​of-the-relic
Blog: Describe a journey you have taken or would like to take to a place that is especially meaningful to you. Why is it meaningful?

A place that I would love to go that is especially meaningful to me is Ireland. This place is meaningful to me because my family from my grandfather back was born and raised in Ireland. My heritage comes from these lands and I would love to travel them. I would travel along the southern country of Ireland because this is where my family lived and died. Some of the places I would go include Cork, Kenmare, Dublin, and the Blarney Castle. The Blarney Castle is a particular spot I would like to go to because this is where my family ruled and even died in blood shed to maintain their power and territory. 

Virtual Tour

Five questions about the Virtual Tour.

What is the rank for this place as for most holiest site for Muslims?(EX:1,2,3,4,5)

Between AD 622 and AD 624 which direction did Muslims pray toward?

What do the doors of the mosque align with?

What is the Ablution fountain used for?

How many major world religions are represented in Jerusalem and at the Dome of the Rock?



Sunday, December 4, 2016

Traditional vs. Digital

Discuss how the innovation of binding books altered the practice of reading. Did you learn to read using books or computer screens? Which format do you use most often now? Explain the advantages and disadvantages of each format. Do you think children of the future will learn to read from books? Explain your rationale.

   The innovation of book binding has altered the practice of reading. Reading first started out with the Samaritans in the Mesopotamian valley. This cuneiform started out on rocks and so people would have to go look at a rock to read. Then as time elapsed there came the papyrus paper from ancient Egypt. This paper has the papyrus papers smashed tighter. This altered the reading from the cuneiform in Mesopotamia as people could now easily transport messages and write it more easily. This paper was written out along long scrolls to relay information. Now we have a book binding method that compiles the information in a compact and sequential order found in the pages.
   The way that I learned was in a plethora of different methods. This did include reading books and using computers to enhance my learning. But it didn't stop there as I also learned from tactile, auditoria, and kinesthetically.
   The format in which I most often use is reading textbooks, essays, and other documents. Reading does have the advantage of taking in a extensive amount of information, but there is one problem and that is retention. You can read all you want but the problem is that there has got to be a way to retain the information we read, and I believe that other methods such as kinesthetic and visuals means of learning are more effective in retaining information. Though kinesthetic and visual methods of learning can't convey the extensive amount of information as reading can, but they do allow more retention. Auditoria is another way to learn and changes up the common, but as we know in one ear and out the other is the norm.
   I do believe children will continue to learn from reading books because for instance learning and experiences the deep complex emotions and thoughts in classical literature is something so invigorating and can't be completely understood and experienced if we don't read.

Thursday, November 17, 2016

Narrative Relief Sculpture

How can relief sculptors use composition, line, and space to create tension in a story? How do they communicate who the "good guys" and "bad guys" are?

   To answer the question about using composition, line, and space to create tension in a story is illustrated perfectly in the Ludovisi Battle Sarcophagus. This relief sculpture exhibits tension perfectly. What we see when we look at the sarcophagus is the lines or the lack thereof. In this sculpture there is a lack of straight lines across the entire piece. Only straight lines are found on the people and so without a continuous set of lines across the art work we get this jumbling of lines and it just looks like one big mess. This mess adds to the tension. Furthermore there is the lack of space. The depiction of the battle has no openness to it at all. People are piled upon each other and there is absolutely no room to move. The horses, romans, and gauls are in a tight squeeze. What this does is make it claustrophobic which results in increased tension. The composition is about a battle and so there will be of course tension as the two opposing forces try and kill each other.
   They way that an artist conveys who the good guys are is by the physical depictions. To make people look like the good guys they illustrate them to appear noble. The bad guys on the other hand look like savage wild men. Another way to distinguish between the good and bad is who are the gods backing up. If a good is helping one side it is pretty much granted that they are the good guys. Furthermore this is true almost all the time in which it could be considered an archetype; good guys always win. Because of this look at who's winning and they will probably also one hundred percent of the time be the good guys.
  

Sunday, November 6, 2016

Egyptian culture v. Mesopotamian culture

Review the ways that geography shaped Egyptian culture. Compare Egyptian geography with that of Mesopotamia, noting the latter's violent flooding, temperature extremes, lack of natural barriers, and scarcity of building stone. How might these have created a culture different from that in Egypt?

   Egyptian geography contains mostly two things and that is the Nile which is where life in Egypt was centered. The Nile was very important as it sustained life in Egypt. They even had gods dedicated to it. The other geographical component of Egypt was the arid mountains and desert places. This is were they obtained rocks to make great structures and an example would be the pyramids.
   On the other hand the Mesopotamia culture was centered in between the two great rivers of the Tigris and Euphrates. These two rivers provided great fertile soil and plenty of water. But the down side to this was that the rivers were unpredictable sometimes there would be sever flooding. Because this area was centered in and around the two rivers there wasn't great mountains and quarries that they could get rocks to make great structures.
   This main difference between the Egyptians culture as compared to the Mesopotamians would be the Egyptians having stone and the Mesopotamians not having stone. For instance in Egypt the presence of stone led to the development of the great structures such as the pyramids, sphinx's and the temples. On the other hand the Mesopotamians didn't have stone so they could only build structures such as small wooden structures like the votive figures and the standard of Ur.

The Temple


Summarize the function of temples and discuss the separation of temples from tombs after the Old Kingdom in response to the tombs' functional failures. Do this for Hatshepsut's Temple and the Temple of Amun-Re.

 

 
    The function of temples in a quick summary is a place to where someone can come and worship their god. What we find in the New Kingdom in comparison to the Old kingdom is a reverse relationship between the tomb and the temple. In the Old Kingdom it was all about having a huge tomb which was the Great Pyramids and then having a way smaller temple. This way of doing things changed when the New Kingdom entered. An example of this would be Hatshepsut's Temple in which the temple that was dedicated to her was enormous in comparison to her actual burial place. The tombs came under their functional failure as a result of the crisis period between the Old Kingdom era and the New Kingdom. During this time Egypt was not united under a central government and there was a lot of revolution. Because of this there were grave robbers that tried to steal from the ancient tombs of the pharaohs and also the temples were under theft because of the decrease of power by the state. Overall there was a lack of reverence for the gods of Egypt and the pharaohs.

   Hatshepsut’s temple was looked down upon because she was in fact a woman and actually they never found her mummy. Whenever she died her successor sought to eliminate all traces of her rule by seeking to destroy all the statues and other monuments made unto her.

   The Temple of Amun-Re is referred to as “the house of Amun”. There was a statue of Amun in the Temple and the priest would come each day to give drink, food, and even bath the statue of the god because they believed that the statue was the embodiment of Amun of earth and so they sought to really take care of the temple. The temple was made in Thebes the religious and power center for Egypt.  

   

Saturday, November 5, 2016

Speculate

Using the image attached (image.jpg) speculate about the subject matter, then compare it to the statue of Lady Justice (see attached).

   If I were to speculate about the subject matter of the attached image which is the Last Judgment of Hu-Nefer from the Book of the Dead I would say this is about the final judgment of a person's soul. What is being depicted is a person's soul or heart is put into a soul and is weighted on the scale against the feather of truth. If the heart or soul weighs more  than the feather than the person's soul will be eaten by the crocodile dog looking animal. The people at top that are sitting down are waiting for their turn to get judged. The guy in white with the crook and frail is the god of the dead and his name starts with an "O" and he is over seeing the entire judging.
   If you compare this image of the Last Judgment to the statue of Lady Justice you will see a parallel. Inside of the Lady holding the scales which will measure a soul vs. a feather she is holding the scales which measure someone's doings with that of the law of the land. The Lady Justice and the Last Judgment are depicting the exact same concept but in a different cultural setting and place. They both depict someone's actions being judged. And that final judgment will result in a consequence of some sort or freedom.

Tuesday, November 1, 2016

Akhenaten

Discuss how the sculpture of Menkaura suggests the authority and divinity of the pharaoh. Compare that image with the colossal figure of Akhenaten. Explain the religious reasons behind Akhenaten deviating from artistic conventions to convey that he is not divine. Sketch the relief sculpture (p.71) and discuss the ways it breaks from Egyptian conventions.

   The sculpture of Menkaura suggest the authority and divinity of the pharaoh because the sculpture was thought to be covered in precious jewels that would include the cobra that was to wrap around his head and the rest of the official pharaoh garments. This is thought to be true because the pharaoh is in his under garments and no pharaoh would allow a display of his undergarments and appear weak or common to his subjects. And so with the special clothes and precious jewels adorning the statue of Menkaura this would depict him as having authority and divinity in his own temple.
   The statue of Menkaura is different than the colossal figure of Akhenaten in several ways. One way is that the statue is carved with Akhenaten clothed styling the official crook and flail with him. Another difference and probably the most significant difference between these two statues is that Akhenaten has more of an elongated style while Menkaura is depicted more natural looking. This is because Akhenaten changed the style of Egyptian art when he became the pharaoh and even changed the religious structure by proclaiming a monotheistic religion. Well this particular style and religion were only in existence during this time period and then it went back to old ways.


  This is my rendition of Akhenaten and his Family. Some ways in which this artwork does not fit the conventional artwork of the rest of the entire span of ancient Egyptian art is the elongated naturalistic bodies. At first it seems as if the couple and their child have a disorder of something but it is just the way that they are depicted. Usually the art consist of blocky,lifeless figures but here the figures seem to be more real, full of life, and human. Furthermore, one other difference would be that the picture itself. Most of the time and actually all of the other times the figures are displayed during an activity that for example would consist of participating in a religious ritual. Never before has there been a depiction of the pharaohs and their family showing affection and doing something that makes them look like a normal common couple. Also another thing would be that the sun looking thing and the top center is actually the one god that he claims. This differentiates because all of the other pharaohs had multiple gods.
  

Monday, October 31, 2016

Extraordinary v. Ordinary

How do artists differentiate extraordinary beings from ordinary ones? Give examples

   One way that artist distinguish extraordinary beings is by giving them a composite body with multiple animal parts. An example of this would be the art work of Palette of King Narmer. In this piece the pharaoh at one point is depicted with the head of a bull. This alludes to his might and power. The pharaoh is considered a god and so the bull head is just one way the artist chose to depict him as powerful. Another example of this would be the Last Judgement of Hunefer, from his tomb. In this piece the gods are depicted with another animal's head. This signifies their superior supernatural status. Lastly but not the least would be the high officials in Africa that wear the elephant mask.
   Another way that artist depict extraordinary beings is by having more pronounced body parts. An example of this would be the Statues of votive figures, from the Square Temple at Eshnunna. In these statues there are a couple of pronounced features and one of them is the bulging eyes that illustrate that the deity is all seeing and omnipresent. Another example would be the Venus woman statue. This depicts a woman with big breast and hips to signify fertility. The Ambum Stone also might represent fertility.
   The ordinary beings don't depict partial animal/human figures and exaggerated features. 

 

Tuesday, October 25, 2016

Forbidden Palace

Review the ways architects design structures and spaces that communicate the power of the patron and state. Examine the Forbidden City's plan, making preliminary guesses about how this palace communicates power. Post your guesses in your blog.

   First of all I would say that this place communicates  power in the size of the Palace. The Palace was made to house the emperor and to convey the might of the emperor it was parallel in the great size of the actual Palace. Second I would say that the emphasis on using the number nine is an indication of its greatness. Nine is a number that means a lot in the spiritual power in China. And so to have nine rows of nine of brass nobs or the 9,999 rooms just adds to the power of this place as the number nine used in this Palace makes it seem to have power just beyond housing the great emperor. Thirdly I would say that the extensive treasures, jewels, and many other wonders that filled each of the rooms at the Palace and decorated the halls and open ways just demonstrates the power that is there. If this were some underclass citizens abode there is no way that we would put national treasures there. But there we have thousands of precious objects that would total in millions upon millions of dollars if sold today. This concentration of wealth in the form of treasures displays the power that is associated with the Palace. Lastly I would say that the location of the Palace is another thing to consider in communicating power. The Palace was placed in the political epicenter of China and so by putting the Palace in an important location it makes this Palace very powerful. If however it was placed in a small village or secluded somewhere else there is no way that it could exhibit its power. And that is why location of the Palace is an indication of the Palace communicating power.
   These are just a couple of my guesses on how the Palace illustrates power.

Thursday, October 20, 2016

Longmen vs. Todai-ji

Compare the Buddha at Longmen Caves to the Buddha at the Todai-ji Temple.

   One of the similarities between these two Buddha is that they both are made very large and dominating in relation to the other statues and infrastructure around them. Both of these areas didn't receive assaulting that hurt the Buddha. Actually during World War Two the allies were bombing Japan, but the Buddha at Todai-ji was not hurt. And the same goes for the Buddha at Longmen which was not hurt over its existence.
   Furthermore both of the Buddha also have a couple of differences. One of the differences would include the medium. The Buddha at the Longmen caves was made out of the rock in the cliff. On the other hand the Buddha at the Todai-ji Temple was made out of bronze. Not only are the mediums different but also the cultural influence behinds these Buddhas. The Longmen Buddha is from China and the Todai-ji Buddha is from Japan. Because of these two different cultures they influence the art that is associated with the Buddha and infrastructure that goes around it.  

Wednesday, October 19, 2016

Longmen Buddhas vs. Bamiyan Buddhas

   Here is some similarities and differences between the Longmen Buddhas and Bamiyan Buddhas.
   Some similarities between the two would include that both of these are apart of the religion of Buddhism. Both of these are set in a geographical area in which it is set inside caves. Both of these have cave shrines and cave dwellings for the monks. Both of these area are geographically isolated.
   Some of the differences between these buddhas are that even though there are some geographical similarities there are also some differences. The geographical difference is that one is set in a valley in Afghanistan and the other was made on the banks of a big river. Another difference is the amount of statues. At the Bamiyan Buddhas there is only two great huge statues while at the Longmen Buddhas there are hundreds of buddhas. The main Buddha statue at Longmen is not as large as the main Buddha statue at Bamiyan. One historical difference between these two statues is that the Bamiyan Buddhas have received a more severe beating from human interaction. The Bamiyan have been hurt by humans going from Ghangis Khan to Al Qaeda. Al Qaeda actually destroyed the statues in Bamiyan. The Longmen Buddha statues on the other hand have not received any destruction to the statues.
   This concludes the comparison between the Longmen Buddhas and Bamiyan Buddhas.

Wednesday, October 12, 2016

Nave Muesum Extra credit

Picture of me outside the Nave Museum
 
 

 
I really liked this little memorial set up for this young man, Sean Christopher Lewis, that died. It really pulled at me with emotion as I felt for this young man that died and his family. I liked what they did, but in all honesty I hated this memorial and liked it. It was not as festive as some of the others around and it was sad that such a young man could die. When I approached the table and looked at the pictures and read about him I got the impression that he was full of life and have that taken away from him by a muscular dieses was really depressing. I was really happy that they did this in remembrance of this young man. This whole festivity that was about to happen is really meant to celebrate the dead and keep their memory alive. I even know this guy or his family, but I still felt a deep sense of appreciation that they did this for him. 
 
Artist: Toni Ross
 
Name of Artwork: Sean Christopher Lewis
 
Time Period: 2016
 
Media: It is a variety of different personal objects that defined who he was like baseball caps and jerseys.
 
Physical Description: There are many of personal objects that belonged to the young man, and a statue of the young man in a wheel chair.




 
This one particularly caught my attention because of the festive colors all of the place. This memorial really signifies the essence of the celebration of the dead. Even though death is such a horrible depressing event, looking at this made my heart fill with joy. Each had objects that defined that person and gave the audience an idea about who this person was. And this is really why I liked it. The intricate detail to make each one of these probably did take some time, but it goes to show how much these people meant to the artist which is awesome.
 
Name of Artist: Ray Ortega
 
Name of the Artwork: Cinta's De Los Muertos
 
Time Period: 2016
 
Medium: Different object that were personally owned and used by the people that they are commemorating. Over materials included tensile, lights, paint, candles pictures, wood and paper decorations.


Friday, September 30, 2016

Visual Memory

Imagine you are creating a visual autobiography. List ten of your most powerful memories. For each, list specific images you would use to make the memories concrete and visible for others.

1. Eagle Scout Court of Honor- specific images would include me standing behind our church podium and giving my speech to everyone. I would also remember when Mr. Hallmark gave me my Hornaday Badge. Also I would remember shaking every body's hand that was so nice to come.

2. Summiting Mt. Baldy- I would distinctly describe how I could see for literally hundreds of miles in each direction. I also would remember how it was so windy up there that it had about 50 mile an hour winds on top. I would also remember and describe claiming Baldy for Texas

3. Summiting the Tooth of Time- I would describe how I took a nap right there off the edge of a two thousand foot drop. Claiming it for Texas. And lastly being able to be on top with the whole NAYLE staff group.

4. NAYLE staff- I would describe the camp that we stayed in and the activities that we did. I would also describe the long nights in preparation for the course and the presentations that I gave. I would describe how it felt awesome and how I got to see the changed look on people's faces as they went through this course.

5. Getting Baptized- Specific images would include the whole church looking at me, the baptism room, Brother Kight dunking me under the water, and lastly the chilly water.

6. Receiving the Holy Ghost- Being in front of the alter of the left side, raising my hands, speaking in another language, people praying for me, and people rejoicing when I got it. This are concrete details I would add.

7. One specific Marching Show in San Antonio that we Marched- The lights going out as soon as we got unto the field, The crowd roaring after we played because they loved it so much, the turf beneath my feet, and my band family would be what I would describe.

8. UIL concert and sight reading- Watching the judges stand up and clap for us which never happens, One judge writing that we restored his faith in humanity, the band all assembled in our arches, and Mr. Edge conducting us would be all the things that I would tell.

9. OPIK- I would make sure to describe the -20 degree weather, sleeping on a frozen lake in a igloo like shelter made of snow, skiing for the first time, dog sledding, and ice fishing.

10. Northern Tier- The crystal clear water, beaver dams, portaging, fighting 3 foot waves in a canoe and trying not to tip over, a woodsman named Patrick, and picking wild blueberries and raspberries are just some of the images I would show.

Wednesday, September 28, 2016

Reciprocity and Trade

In our culture, on what occasions do we expect that if we receive a gift, we should give a gift in return? What is the giver's reaction if giving isn't reciprocated?

   In our American culture I think all gift giving occasions expect a gift back when a gift is given, except helping a family out when they have lost a love one. This would be taking the family meals during their time of grief. All other gift giving occasions such as Christmas, Birthday's, etc. expect a gift a gift when it their turn coming around. If a gift is not given back to the person that did give a gift there is a mixed response. Some people respond by a self kept disappointment while others might be a little open about it a back stab others not giving a gift back. This though is only a minority of people as gift giving is perceived as a kind present that doesn't require giving back a gift because it is not about getting something in return for your kindness but is about making the other person happy.

Saturday, September 24, 2016

Totem

If there were one animal that you thought you might be in a parallel universe, what would it be? If you could combine your own body with parts of two or three other creatures, what would they be, and why? Draw your transformation and post sketch with post.

   The one animal that I would be is a rhino. If I could combine my body with parts of two or three animals I would have the giant wings of a bald eagle, and the horned snout of a rhino. The reason why I would choice the wings of the bald eagle would be because I first feel as if the bald eagle is one animal that is intimate to me because not only does it represent freedom, which something I also want to display, but also I'm also an Eagle Scout and so it would be an outward display of who I am in the inside. I would chose the horned snout of a rhino because first the rhino is my favorite animal and secondly the rhino is a representation of power.

Wednesday, September 21, 2016

Shamanic Ritual Part 1

 Describe the feelings you experience on waking from a strange dream. What was the dream? What made it feel strange? How did you feel upon waking up?
   The feeling that I experience when waking from a strange dream is one of not knowing what is reality and just a figment of my imagination. I have this brief moment where I wake and try and figure out where I am and how that position in which I am fits into the reality of my life. I also try and process if I'm still in the vivid dream or have awakened. At this point I am confused as I try and decipher the dream that I just had and how on earth I could or dreamt something with such randomness. These feeling can actually describe a dream I had in which I had dreamt that I had watched a big piece of raw chicken rapidly rot and become totally covered black. I don't why but this happened several nights and it was the same dream. Now this was when I was smaller but it scared me for some unknown reason. What made this whole dream strange was that it was a piece of raw rapidly rotting chicken that scared me. I did wake up a little panicked and scared. I also felt all those things that I had talked about at the beginning of the paragraph.   

Thursday, September 15, 2016

Architecture and Sacred Space Part 1

The following questions were answered using the images of the Parthenon, Chartres Cathedral, and Lakshmana Temple.

Are there architectural characteristics that they share?
   Yes in fact there are some things that they all share. For instance the building are build more imposing than the infrastructure around them in size and also attention to detail and luxuries that come with this sacred places are pretty similar. They are all raised up higher than the landscape around them since they are built on a platform. Another similarity would be the changes in light. These places were built in such a way that when you walk in the building minimizes the amount of sunlight that comes through. Lastly all of the buildings have a designated grand entry way to get into the sacred building.

What differentiates and separates these structures from non-sacred space and ordinary structures?
   What separates these buildings from non-scared buildings is that non-sacred buildings don't house or have the equipment to praise the gods. The gods don't dwell in the house of a common place only in the grand temples that are worthy of the gods. Another thing to consider is that the very central idea about each of these temples is that they are build for the gods. On the other hand the common people have buildings for secular reasons.  Lastly would be the infrastructure. As explained in paragraph one the buildings were very imposing to the environment around them and also the attention to detail was absolutely superb, which is not seen in in the common places.

Monday, September 12, 2016

Cloth and Cloth Making as Metaphors for Status and Community

1. Describe a time when you were part of a group effort, working to accomplish a common goal. Is the end result the only thing that gave it meaning? What are your memories about working together?
   A time that I was apart of a group effort was when I was doing a team building exercise in the Boy Scouts. The objective was to get the entire crew over a 12 foot wall without any hand holds. The end result is not the only thing that gave the exercise meaning. The whole purpose of the excise was to get the crew closer to each other and to know that we can trust each other. Another meaning that came out of the exercise was to learn communication, and problem skills. What I remember about working together was that at first we were excited but had no idea what to do. As time went on we became to increase our skill until we got to performing and accomplished our goal. And when we finally accomplished our goal there was a rush of joy and enthusiasm. After all of it we were closer as trust was build up.

2. What does it mean to "roll out the red carpet"? What does it imply about the ones doing the rolling and the ones it is rolled out for?
   What it means to roll out the red carpet is to really make it all very fancy, nice, and sophisticated. Really it just means putting on the best for an event. For the ones doing the rolling of the carpet it implies that they have a servants heart and are making a hard effort to do their best for that event. This implies that they are giving it their all to make an event a success. For the ones that are getting the red carpet rolled out for them this implies that they are the honored guest that have worked hard to earn this privilege. They are the high and honored people that so many people have sacrificed for them.

Death and Memory Part 2 continued

Here is my drawing of the Buk Mask

Death and Memory Part 2

Describe your experiences wearing masks.
   One experience that I had wearing a mask was when I was young I really loved to play army and so one day when I was playing army I put on an army helmet and painted my face with green and brown paint. When playing army most of the time I would go on these adventures all by myself, but other times I would get my friends to come and play with me. I think playing army as a kid is one reason why I revere our troops so much.
Why did you choose a certain mask?
   The reason why I chose this certain mask was first because of my love at an early age for the military and also because of what I saw army men depicted as in real life influenced the make up of my mask.
How did you feel wearing it?
   The way I felt wearing the mask would be described as powerful, patriotic, invincible, and courageous. I felt this way because I imagined myself being like some of my heroes and having the honor and pride that comes when serving our country in this way. 
  
How did others respond to you when you wore it?
   When others saw me, like my mom, they responded with amusement that here was another little boy playing army with sticks for guns. My friends would respond to me like we were actually in the army and I was leading them into battle. We were on a mission to save someone or do something heroic.
How did you behave to assume the mask's identity?
   The way that I behaved to assume the identity of the mask was to act tough and be brave. In my make believe world with my friends there was nothing that could stop me from reaching my objective and I would go through any danger to see it through. I also acted like I had a big ego because I was apart of the army.

Thursday, September 8, 2016

Death and Memory

1.How do you and your family commemorate loved ones who have died?
  
   The way that my family commemorates loved ones that have passed is to just continue on the memory of them. We don't believe that somehow they're still around or alive so we don't pray to them as would for instances certain cultures in Africa. The way that we keep there memory alive is to have pictures around the house so that whenever we pass by the picture the memory of them is continually engraved in our mind. Another way that we keep these people alive in our hearts would be talking about them and reflect back about their life. lastly we commemorate our loved ones by thanking God that they are in a better place. How far we go back in our family tree of deceased family members would be only those that we personally know and had a relationship with. To those that died before we could ever get to know them there memory is lost from or not even recognized.  

Tuesday, September 6, 2016

Fear and Protectiveness

1. Describe a time when you experienced fear and wanted someone to protect you. Explain the feelings you had.
   A time that I experienced fear was when I was in the backcountry of New Mexico. In New Mexico I help teach a National Leadership course called National Advanced Youth Leadership Experience for the Boy Scouts. During the course we have an outpost night where we go out in the backcountry for a night. During this time there was a freak thunder storm. And some lighting struck down not to far from us. Before the lighting struck I really didn't take the thunderstorm as seriously because I've been through worse. But when a lighting bolt struck down really close to us I got really scared. I started taking all the metal off my body and throwing it far away from me. At that point I wanted some God protection. This was inspired because I realized how vulnerable we are. Are human bodies in the wilderness are so vulnerable.

2. Describe a time when you felt protective of someone or something. Explain those feelings
   To describe a specific time that I'm protective of my younger siblings would be many to chose from. I hold my younger siblings with high regard and I make sure that if there is something I can do to prevent them from harm then I will do it. I have taken it upon myself to stand out and protect my siblings as I see it as an obligation and duty as family and a older brother. So instead of describing one specific time I will combine all of them to say that I do every single moment of my life I am on call to protect my siblings. It isn't just one specific time. Because if I protected them at a specific time then there would be a time that I didn't protect them. Overall the feelings that I feel as a result of protecting my sibling was that of great pride and love because I do love them and that is why I take it so seriously to protect them.  

Sunday, September 4, 2016

Navigation

1. Describe a time when you were lost and how it felt?
   A time that I was lost was when I was hiking in the back country in New Mexico. The map that my crew had been given didn't include all of the smaller trails on it. And so because of this we ended up taking a right turn to soon resulting in going down the wrong trail. Since we were lost we had to take a bearing and orient ourselves back unto the right trail. That experience made me feel disappointed in myself because I had gotten lost. I know the backcountry and I was mad with myself that my skills would not catch this and get lost.

2. Write the precise step by step directions from East High School to H.E.B. plus
   From Victoria East High School I would get on the loop(Zac Lentz Pkwy) and head down the highway and turn left onto Salem St. After this I would pass over John Stockburger and reach Guy Grant St. later on. I would turn left unto Guy Grant and head down the street and then turn left into H.E.B. plus.

3. Do the same process as #2, but you cannot use street names. How would you describe to get there?
   As I leave the Victoria East High School parking lot I would take a right turn heading north. I would continue down this road till it T'd off. After this I would head left to Northwest. Whenever I would see McCoy's I would head down that road which is just to the left of the building. I would continue down past Parkway Church on my left and car dealer on my right. On the other far corners near the intersection would be a Stripes and Bank. I would crossover the intersection and keep heading down till O would see Orr financing in the left and Chandler Elementary in the top right. I would head right down this road just right to the elementary school and then would turn left into H.E.B. plus on the road right after Chandler elementary.

Wednesday, August 31, 2016

The Ancients Portray Themselves part 2

  If you could take 5 objects with you to the afterlife what would they be?
If I could take five objects to the afterlife it would constitute a my Bible, my Boy Scout full class A uniform, my trumpet, my hiking boots, and lastly my American flag

What would those objects reveal about you to someone who discovered them in your tomb?
   When the diggers would finally unearth me they would find the Bible which found tell them that I'm a devout Christian. The Boy Scout uniform is next what they would find and that would tell them close to everything that I accomplished in scouting. It would tell them that this person devoted an extensive amount of time to go out achieve all this stuff in scouting. Thirdly they would find my trumpet which would tell them that I'm a musician. Hopefully since I was buried with it they might think I'm pretty good at it, but that is asking too much. Next they would find my hiking boots. I hopped that there is residue on the boots so that they could trace back where I've been on camping trips. That would be really cool so that they could know where I've been and get to know the outdoor man that I am. Lastly they would find my American flag that flew over the U.S. capitol. What this would tell them is that I dearly love my country. 

What misinterpretations might future archeologist make on the basis of those objects?
What future archeologist might misinterpret about the stuff they unearth in my tomb would be that the Bible could possibly significant to them that I am a pastor. The Boys of America may not even be a thing and so they might think that I'm a jihads for a radical group. The trumpet might be misinterpreted because they might think that I'm really a good player to have my intranet buried with me. The hiking boots might cause a misinterpretation because they could mistaken the boots for outside labor. Lastly they could find the big flag that I have and think that I served in war to earn the privilege of carrying the American Flag

Sunday, August 28, 2016

Anthrupumrphic Stele vs. Running Horned Women

Here is a short formal analysis comparing the two.

Differences
The Anthrupumurphic Stele was found in Saudia Arabia and reflects the Middle Eastern style of art while the Running Horned Women was found in Algeria which reflects the African style and culture of that time period.
Both of these have a different medium. the Anthrupumurphic Stele is sandstone while the Running Horned Women is pigment of rock.
The Stele would be described as abstract art and the Horned Women would be stylized.
The Stele was thought to be used as a head stone while the women can't be determined unless it was a religious place as the women could be a witch doctor.

Similarities
There actually a similarity and the first that they both were thought to be made around the 4th millennium.
Both of these paintings depict a time when the areas that they were found from were lush and full of life. What we see today is that the area that the horned lady was found out is now the Sahara Desert and the other Stele was found in the desert areas of Saudi Arabia. So both show of a time when these places were livable.
Both show the human thought from that period and it was amazing to see that they could come up with.

Form, Function, Content, Context


The Night Attack on the Sanjo Palace

Form
East Asian painting format in Japan called an emaki. It also is a prime example of the actionpacked otokoe, “men’s paintings,”. Designed to be unrolled in sections for closeup viewing, it shows the basic features of this pictorial form: a bird’s eye view of action moves righttoleft. It is also important to mention would be the attention to detail that the artist had in the piece of art work. For example each of the tiny soldiers fighting has very intricate clothes. These clothes are drawn not with a simplistic way, but with actual attention to each little square of material.

 

Function
The artist created this work to tell anyone concerned or interested about the history of the Heiji Rebellion. It’s just a visual depiction of the Rebellion so that people have a better understanding about the Rebellion. Overall this was made to inform people.

 

Content
Overall the artwork depicts the Night Attack when Fujiwara no Nobuyori’s bided to seize power by abducting both the emperor and the retired emperor. So Nobuyori backed by Minamoto no Yoshitomo, head of that clan, saw an opportunity when the head of the Taira clan, who supported Emperor Nijō, left Kyōto on a pilgrimage. The emaki depicts the seizing of the retired emperor GoShirakawa. There isn’t any symbolism in this piece because of the simple reason that it is a depiction of an event in history and the artist was only trying to get the facts in.

 

Context
This piece of art was created in Japan, during the Kamakura period, and thought to be the second half of the 13th century. This has no political or philosophical propaganda ideologies in it since it is just a piece of art work that was made to inform. However the actual event taking place in the painting does have to deal with politics and philosophy. Here we see that the samurai are plotting to go and kidnap the old and current emperor because they don’t want a authoritarian government. The samurai wanted to also have their little area to rule. So basically it was a political philosophical debate about whether an authoritarian government system should rule or more of a representational government.

 
A way that a viewer might react to such a piece would be first in awe because I believe there are only two depicts and accounts of this rebellion, so this is a great contribution to history and understanding our world. Another reaction would include country proudness to finding and watching the progress of their country.

 

 

Alexander Mosaic

Form
This art work is a mosaic piece made of thousands of colored glass and rock. It is three dimensional because of the contrast between light and dark in the painting. For the Greeks it is a very positive piece because they won, but when you look at the facial expressions on Darrius it is negative. This is a huge rectangular mosaic art work that is thought to put on a wall.

 

Function
The function of this piece to proclaim a turning point for the Greek Empire. This is when they spread out and started to conquer and grow the empire. This piece is a celebration for what they have done.

 

Content
This painting is nothing more than a depiction of a crucial turning point in history. What this art work is trying to depict is the battle between the Persian King Darius and Greek Alexander the Great. It was thought that Darius would win because of the factor that he had thousands more men. But because of Alexander’s experience he actually won and send Darius in retreat.  

 

Context
This painting was made 100 B.C.E. The mosaic was actually found under a layer of ash in the city of Pompeii. It is thought to have been a wall painting because of how it is heavily painted on the bottom and empty on top. This is thought to be an example of wall art that was said to be so amazing even though no one can find it.

 
A reaction to the painting would be in shock because this is an example of wall art and Greek wall art is rare. This painting would strike in the hearts of the people of Greece because they beat crazy odds even when everything seemed hopeless they still won. The size and attention to detail would make someone really admire the piece of work.

Saturday, August 27, 2016

Misinterpretation of Artworks

  
 
    When I first saw the Gonzalez-Torres candy dump I was really confused and puzzled. At first I thought maybe it was a art about the obesity of America or something. It definitely is art. The function of this art work is to talk about him dying away from AIDS and to raise awareness. As for me I would have never have guessed that by looking at it and seeing that since I first thought it was about obesity. But this is art because a human decided to express something and that is art enough.

 

    By viewing these art works from Yaxchilan and Nkisi n'kondi it is very possible that I would misinterpret them. For the first since I don't understand Native American culture there is absolutely no way that I could fully understand. And even if I knew what was going on and still would not fully grasp the real meaning of what is really taking place. The second one I would really misinterpret. To me the voodoo looking doll I would absolutely protest because it doesn’t align with my beliefs. But for the people in the Congo they can look at this and totally understand or even revere it. They might respect it and it do that, so for them they would understand, but definitely no this guy. And under the sole reasoning that I don't understand what is actually taking place and don't and can’t fully appreciate it.

Strong Reaction To...

   The art work In which I had a strong reaction to would be the Isenheim Alterpiece. It made me feel so small and God so big. When I looked at it I couldn't help but feel drawn toward him. It just increased my love that I have for him. The lighting and the images that were on there made it seem more personal. I just loved it and made me feel joy. Jesus on the Cross evoked that emotion of him giving up his live for me. And so that has a lot of emotional pull on that. The overall size to of the alter piece made it seem that God was bigger than any of my problems.

Isenheim Alterpiece And Memorial Sheet for Karl Liebknect

 

  

   Just seeing the Isenheim Alterpiece for myself made me feel very reverent. I felt like I was close to God. And that is possibly how other might feel when they see this painting. It might renew and/or stir up that passion that they have for God. Just sitting and looking at this piece might cause people to metaphorically sit at the feet of Jesus and become devoted to serving him. They may feel inspiration just by looking at it. It is a very expressive piece and beautiful.

   When I saw the look on the people’s faces I couldn't help but feel the same way for a moment as their expressions transported me to a time in which I had that look. This art is a very provoking piece. You can't look at it without filling something inside of you. It might cause people to look at it a think back to when they lost loved ones in the war. It might cause people to ask if fighting is worth it and are we fighting in vain. On the other hand it might inspire people to rise up and go get their gun and fight whoever did this evil so that it might be righted.

 

  

Liberty Leading the People and Ludovisi Battle Sarcophagus

   Possibly viewer responses to looking Liberty Leading the People could be very inspiring or angering. If a French revolutionist looked at this painting they would be inspired to pick up their guns and follow liberty to change their nation. On the other hand it might cause some people to fill as if they had lost as the painting gives of a starting couragement to keep going forward towards fighting in the Revolution of 1830, and some people would have preferred the monarchy that had been restored. So for this it really depends upon the viewer. Another thing would be lady liberty striding forward very powerful. This painting would be a big discourage for these that were apart of the king's forces. Also this painting gives off the powerful notion of unity because there are men from different eco-social levels of society fighting with each other in the revolution.
     Possible viewer responses to the Ludovisi Battle Sarcophagus can also vary. First of just seeing this art work would make someone stand back in awe at the absolute amazing that is going on. The detail and all that is going is so cool. It is so dense with activity that it is hard to follow. There is about a couple of layers in one area so there is so much to look at. What we see here is that it is a roman bias as they are the ones winning and killing off the Goths. The Goths have a barbaric look to them while the Romans are mean fighting machines that are coming in and taking care of business. There are two sides to the reactions. The first would be that someone would have a sense of pride for their country in winning or they could be devastated that their country or people are losing the battle. 

Ganesh is Fresh

   I play music. I'm actually apart of the Victoria Eat high School Marching band, concert band, and jazz band. I also sing in church. And from all these experiences I can say without a doubt that music is very powerful. When I'm playing music I hold the power to make you scared, sad, or exited. Music has a way of communicating with people beyond any border of language or culture as it goes straight to our subconscious. There we contemplate it. The same thing goes with art. I can see I certain type of painting of it shrike fear into my heart or any other type of emotion. Art can do a lot of different things in causing people to react. If you were driving by a bill board with the picture of a bruised and abused puppy on it you might decide to buy a puppy. Or you could see a picture of our armed forces and allow it to ring patriotism and pride in your body. So the range in which someone can react to a visual image is beyond constants and limits. There is absolutely no telling what someone might do when they see something.

   Here is a picture I drew while listening to that song. I felt as if I should of used light, warm colors and not having so many points in the art work and make everything round and curved.

Exploration of Innovation, Tradition, Influence, and Change

   In the Kritios boy there is a change in how the Greece would of sculpted a young male youth. Instead of being rigged and stick figure like we now have these full, smooth, beautiful volumes were it looks just like a human standing there instead of a representation of one. what might have influenced this change was the Greece's win over Persia at Marathon. Because of the big win that looked as if Greece would definitely lose they had a renewed since of self which influenced a more realistic sculpture of a human making it more natural. we also have innovation of bronze now being put into the statues. There is still a continuality of having the perfect youth throughout Greece history.
   In the Riace Warrior statues we can see pretty much the same things in the Kritois boy because of its proximity of time and influence. The two differences in this statue would be that it is made of bronze instead of marble and the naturalism is like no other. This is a testament to advanced innovation. This truly looks like a real person. Even though it has made so long ago, it looks as if it was living breathing person right now. again the same concepts applied to the analysis of the Kritios Boy apply to the Riace Warrior statues.
   What is perfect? Well for the Greeks we see that tradition is holding up as to them the body is perfect. Though not one single person, but any human with the exact right mathematical dimensions. This was a new way of thinking about making a sculpture by using mathematics. This body was made to study and see the perfection of the human body which the Greece uphold. We see at this time that the Greece are studying how the human body really is taking into account every single muscle and bone. We see in all of these sculptures that there is no symmetry. Doryphoros is the definition of this paragraph. 
   Now all the concepts have been covered and so Hermes and the Infant Dioysos does fall under these explanations.

King Menkaur and Queen vs. Greek Anavysos Kouros

   Here is a comparison between king Menkaur and Queen vs. Greek Anavysos Kouros.
   First of all what we find here is that the king sculpture was a specific art work as it was made to specially depict the king and his queen down to the slight details in the facial features. In comparison the Kouros is not a specific individual at all but an idealistic image of Greek youth and what to strive to. The Kouros could be a grave marker or even representative of a God. But what we see here is the function for the Egyptian King can pretty much be determined because of its place and what they believe in about worship and the afterlife. It can be argued that the Greek Kouros is more detailed because when you look at the hair and the eyes it is perfection and intricate. Both of these art works are classified as idealistic. They both represent the idealism about what a body should look like. Or pretty yet what the perfect body looks like. Another comparison would be the culture. During this time period in Egypt only the god-like pharaohs or their influential wives would be the only ones ever thought of to be in a sculpture. However in Greece the wealthy can have statues that stands for there son. Because of this difference in culture there must of been more statues in Greece. Lastly both of these statues are life-like in size.

Egyptian Works

   In the King Menaura and Queen art work it is a straight up definition of idealistic. The pharaoh in Egypt during his reign was considered to be a God and so if you were making a statue of him when there would be no way that you would depict any type of blemish on his body. His body would be the absolute perfect body form that someone could have. This goes hand-to-hand with the traditionalism in their culture about revering the pharaohs as gods on earth. Also there is the naturalistic part of it were the person doing the sculpting wanted the pharaoh and his queen to look as human as possible in the proportionate of their body.
   Next there is the Last Judgment of Hu-Nefer from the book of the Dead. In this work of art we see a stylized work of art. There is no perfect human being depicted here. Stylized depicts in this painting the authors version and depiction of what the afterlife would be like. There is no actual way of knowing what the afterlife judgment day looks life but this gives a good idea. It is definitely not naturalistic since there is a god that has the head of a jackal and the body of a human. Also the heart eating monster is not natural since it has the head of a crocodile, body of a lion, and legs of a hippo. Because of its bizarreness it is a stylized. The only thing about this painting that would be idealized would be the fact that the priest's heart is not actually going to be eaten by the monster and the priest will have a good eternal afterlife. Because it is positive it could be idealistic in that aspect.
   Lastly the art work of Anavysos Kouros is Idealized because it depicts a perfect body for the youth of Greece. The body depicted here exemplifies a perfect body and so that is why it is idealized. The Greece culture during this time period was seeking to have a healthy fit youth. You can think back to the Spartas or the Olympics where each is seeking to have perfect body. This sculpture is also naturalistic because it gives a true depiction of what a human actually looks like and no abstracts or way off alien, exaggerated features. It is a true human. It is not stylized because of the true human form.

Naturalistic, Idealized, and Sylized

   Details that individualize the Peanut characters would be for example the golden blonde hair, and pink dress that Sally has. Another example would be the bald headed with a little twist of hair on top and yellow-shirted with a black zig-zag Charlie Brown. We also know that Lucy has black hair and a purple dress or "pig-pen always has a cloud of dirt around him and he always looks so dirty no matter what.
   Details in general that make them "part of the gang" would include a emphasized head, flat feet, a simple line for and eyebrow, simple cloudy drawn hands, over all no great fine details and is just simple, and lastly has at least one emphasized detail that identities them.
   Naturalistic is derived from real life, or nature and it could also be imitating it very closely. We see naturalistic in Peanuts because the children are not fully proportionally right but at least they're not aliens. So what we have here is a naturalistic image of children because they artistic is trying to get them to look real as much as possible.
   Idealistic means there is no flaws, blemishes, or faults in it. It would be described as perfect and only the positive of a subject is illustrated in
the painting. We don't see this is Peanuts because in some one the precision of these kids they demonstrate not a fully perfect kid as they are kids and humans and have their own problems. Also the images of these kids are depicted perfectly and could be drawn better proportionally.

   Stylized is a something drawn, written, or performed in an artificial style that doesn't look natural or real. Peanuts is stylized because the children are drawn characteristically as some of their body parts are drawn exaggerated which makes their bodies disproportionate. An example of Peasants performing a stylized movement would be when Charlie Brown goes to kick the ball, Lucy pulls the football away at the last second causing him to flip. In reality he would not literally flip, but since this is stylized he does so anyways.

This would be my Peanuts character.

King Menkaura and Queen, Spiral Jetty, Terra Cotta Warriors, and Foundation

   First of all here is an analysis of the artwork King Menkaura and Queen
   Here is the form. A smooth, dark greywacke stone sculpture. They stand about six feet tall each, and the artwork as a whole which includes both of them is 142.2X57.1X55.2 cm. The color is a dark, black-fleshed "oriris". It is a three dimensional artwork.
   Function- The overall function of this sculpture was to ensure that the king would be rebirthed in the afterlife. It was also thought to be placed at a temple to signify who's temple it was and also an idol to worship.
   Content- This artwork is surprising in that the pharaoh Menkaura is not clothed in the fine clothes or jewels. This was thought to have come later on after it was done. They would have made the clothes and metal/stone jewels to put on the pharaoh and queen. Nevertheless this statue makes the pharaoh seem more human than God like. It depicts a simple man taking on a role as ruler. The queen is thought to be the Queen mother, or pretty much the top queen in Egypt.
   Context- Thought to be created about 2490-2472 B.C.E. Pharaoh Menkaura was the grandson of Khufu. Khufu has the largest pyramid build for himself. Pyramids are not the only things made to honor the God-like Pharaohs because there are temples below. And by Menkaura's pyramid there is a temple and inside this temple there is this statue of him. This was all found January 10, 1910.
   Throughout the analysis we see the medium and the content intersect because yes it was made from the dark greywacke stone but also this stone is symbolic in Egypt. The form and the medium intersect because the medium is the form. Function intersects with context because we get evidence of the back story and find out that the reason for the statue is to ensure that he will make it to the afterlife.

   Here is an analysis of the Spiral Jetty
   Form - Made from dirt and ruble in a spiral form that goes out into the Great Salt Lake in Utah 1,500 feet.
   Function- To break down barriers that art has got to be in a museum. Robert Smithson wanted to redefine the modern American view point at that time that art must be contained in a museum.
   Content-You have to take a trail or boat to get out to the spiral. The real purpose for this art work was to interact with the environment and watch the environment also add her touch to the spiral over time. But really it was to redefine art and allow it to escape the boundaries of a museum.
   Context- Was influenced by prehistoric art of environmental art meaning there were mounts and other earth art. People can actually walk through the spiral. Robert Smithson made this piece called the Spiral Jetty in 1970 at the Great Salt Lake, Utah.
   There are some intersections between the art analysis. First would be that Content and function both tell of the real reason for the work of art.

Terra Cotta Warriors
   Form- 7,000 terra cotta warriors, horses, chariots, and weaponry made fro the emperor for the afterlife. Made out of the clay from the area. All statues are life size and all have different facial features. The color of the statues would be the darker color of the clay.
   Function- To have these 7,000 soldiers there to protect him in the afterlife. The emperor being protected would be Qin Shihuang(259-210 B.C.E.)
   Content- This work demonstrates the religious belief of that period about the condition of their afterlife and how they must prepare for such an undertaking in the transition to there. The artwork was actually going to communicate with him during the afterlife. This artwork made by human hands would follow him in the spirit realm to his afterlife. It is crazy just to think about how much that culture believed in their artwork.
   Context- Qin Shihuay was the first emperor of China. He united it by getting all of the separate tribes to come together. He got a standardization of currency, writing, measurements, connected cities and states with roads and canals, continued the Great Walls. He was also a military genius and took the throne at the age of thirteen. Because of all these great accomplishments he wanted and earned an extravagant underground city that would follow him to the afterlife. So to insure his safety and power he would have 7,000 warriors follow him there.
   The function and content both intersect because they explain for the reasoning in making so man soldiers.

Fountain
   Form- It is a urinal bought from a plumbing store made of porcelain.
   Function- The whole reason why Marcel Duchamp made this artwork was to change the way Americans think about art. He made them question what is art? Does the ideas about the art have to also be expressed in the art work though actually making the artwork.
   Content- The artwork actually depicts a urinal turned on it's side with his name on it. He was trying to communicate to the world to look at art in a different light than what we are so used to. Pull our mines out of a mental perspective rut and look at the world a different way.
   Context- Marcel Duchamp walked into a plumbing store and bought a urinal, he then took it and turned it on its side and put his name on it. That was all that he did. He was apart of the American Society of Independent Artists and as the other members at the time he sent in his art work . Sadly though it was rejected but he finally got it in and in 1964 he recreated the art work.
   The function and content of this artwork both intersect because they both explain the reasoning behind why Marcel Duchamp made this artwork.
  

What is Art?

   The portrait of Stephen Colbert is art. As we view pieces of art work it is important to understand what classifies something done by someone and if it is called art. Every culture or generation has a preconceived idea about what art is. This is because of the influential education and experience at a developmental stage in their life. The big thing is all cultures or even generations within a culture don't think exactly the same, so art in one culture may not be art to another culture. So art can't be determined be a culture. Art is any type of human expression. This is the simple definition of art without any influence from peoples bias. And so with this definition Stephen Colbert's portrait is art.

Benin Plaque and Lord Chan Muwan

   The Form of the Benin Plaques includes being made from brass which gives it that brass color to all the plaques. The space is positive because the plaques were made to lift up the king and make him look good. These were inside his palace and reflected his greatness and glory. Lastly the plaques were made with some of the figures poking out of the product. Because of this it has made this 3-D in dome places.
   Function is found in this artwork. The artist created the work to lift up and make the king look good. There were over nine hundred of these plaques in the place each demonstrating a new aspect of the king's power. It was just decorations for the king's palace.
   Here is part of the context of the plaques. These plaques visualize Portuguese people. This is symbolical of the king's wealth and power because trade with the Europeans contributed to the wealth and power of the king. The water portrayed in some of the plaques symbolizes the power that the king has over the water. Also if there is a crocodile in the plaque it symbolizes the king's authority over the water because crocodiles are the policemen of the water. Leopards symbolize that the king is the master of the jungle because leopards are the master of jungle. There are other people in the plaques that are very instrumental in the kingdom, but are depicted smaller than the king because the king is the most important.
   Next here demonstrates the context found in the Benin Plaques. This was made in the 16th century shortly after the first contact with Europeans in west Africa. In the plaques the main theme is the Oba or as he is called the king. The people that would have seen this would have been coming to see the king and seen all of these plaques.

Lastly here is an analysis that compares the demonstration of power in the kings. What is being compared is Benin Plaque and Lord Chan Muwan. The Lord Chan Muwan artwork demonstrates the power of the king because everyone in the painting is either bowing down of facing the king in reference toward the king. When you pay attention to the finer details in the painting you see the symbolism that point out the greatness of the kings both in Benin Plaque and Lord Chan Muwan. So in conclusion both of these paintings demonstrate the central theme about the king. Also both have symbolism that point out the greatness in the kings.   

  

The Ancients Portray Themselves Part 1

1. What body parts most define us as humans?
   The body parts that define us as humans would be nothing external where you see it by looking at someone. Maybe the absence of an abundance of hair on our body. The big thing that distinguishes us from let's say gorillas would be the human brain. Our intellect is what defines us, because our ability to think complexly has pulled us away from other organisms to be where we are now as the ultimate ruler of earth and making life easier to live.

2. What body parts would they least want to live without?
   I believe that the body parts that are so crucial especially during this time period of prehistory considering the harshness of the environment and animals would be the reproductive and nursing body parts. This is what they would want to least live without.

3. What would they look like if they increased the size of their most significant parts and diminished the size of the others?
   There would be an obvious exaggeration of the reproductive parts, nursing parts, and the brain that would draw your attention to. An example of this exaggeration would be the sculpture of the tiny women with parts of her body exaggerated enough to understand that this could be a idol for the goddess of fertility. Here is a picture of what I would think they would look if the parts were exaggerated.

Monday, August 22, 2016

Museum Visit

This is a brochure of all the paintings that they had going on during this time period.


This is a selfie of me at the Nave Museum











This description is about the painting that has a man sitting on a burro in the forest.
The name of the artist is Simon Michael.
The name of the artwork is "A Man Sitting on a Burro"
The time period of this art work would be the second half of the 20th century
The media used her was Oil on Canvas
The physical description of the art work would be that the piece is impressionistic and it has a man how is sitting on his burro while there are some goats who are grazing in the corner of the picture in a forest
What interested me about this piece was that whenever I got up real close it just seemed chaotic and nothing but many different sticks and blotches of random paint. But as a stepped back look at the painting it was absolutely breathe taking as it came to being. I found this very interesting and decided to keep doing it over and over again because I couldn't get over how cool it was.
When I saw this piece it made me become relaxed, all of the songs relax me for the day, but it was so beautiful that I decided to stay a little bit and just look at it to see the master piece of others.
There is no story behind the painting. The only thing would be a story behind would be that he absolutely loved the coast because he never saw and experienced waves before.

The first photo is the picture of an artwork noted as Market Day
 The name of the artist stays the same as it is Simon Michael.
The time period of this art piece remains the same as the and it is around the second half of the 19th century
The media used in this painting was Acrylic on Canvas.
The physical description of this piece is also impressionistic and also I wanted to say that it was very beautiful. The vividness of the colors was so great that you could actually believe that you were in the painting and actually participating in the market day. The physical description about how great it was influenced me to love it. I have not ever seen painting that were so real and that is why it interested me. This artwork made me feel excited, festive, and longing to out and experience these places for my self.
The only story behind this would be his personal travels to other countries and just drawing what ever he saw. And this would be one of the times.


Thanks,
Greg