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.