Roman vs. Early Christian Art

In this sculpture of Ceasar Augutus we see the beauty of Roman sculpture and the way it symbolized certain characteristics of the subjects. In this time in Roman sculpture, it was a trend to emphasize the wrinkles and aged quality of the subject to symbolize their wisdom and other characteristics. In this portrait of Ceasar Augustus we see that the wrinkles on his forehead are emphasized which symbolizes that he was a wise and thoughtful ruler, but we also see wrinkles around his mouth which suggest that he smiles often, so we can infer that he was also happy and merciful. We can gather a lot about how the general population was to view Ceasar Augustus from this portrait, and we can gather that we were supposed to feel that he was wise and thoughtful, but also merciful.

In this sculpture of Christ as the Good Shepherd, we see early Christian iconography begin to emerge. At this time, the image of Christ as the Good Shepherd was very popular because of the idea of Christ shepherding his people. The trend of Christ being beardless was also very popular during this time period. In this sculpture we see the style has vastly changed from its Roman roots. The figure of Christ is not proportional and is almost cartoon-like. His legs are too short and his arms are abnormally long. We also see that the face is not very realistic. His facial features are too big which makes his forehead look too short and his whole head look too small. 

Roman and Christian culture were both symbolized through their artwork. We see that in the Roman example that Ceasar Augustus wished to communicate his positive leadership skills through his sculpture portrait. In that time wisdom was symbolized through the lines and wrinkles on the face, so it would have been very clear to the viewers what was being communicated. In the Christian sculpture, we see Christ as the Good Shepherd. In the same way that Ceasar Augustus communicated his positive leadership skills, the sculptor of this piece was communicating the way Christ would lead and shepherd his people. This became a big theme in Christian iconography that is still used today. Both cultures use their artwork to communicate the power and greatness of their leaders.

Our Parthenon Project

Ancient Grecian Pottery

In this work of pottery from Ancient Greece, we see women in wool making and weaving in the black-figure style. In this piece we see the role of women in Ancient Greece and their work celebrated on this vase. In their culture a woman was thought to be attractive if she was a good weaver which is a strong contrast to their perception of the beauty of the male figure.
In this piece the women are engaged in wool making which is wrapped around the middle of the vase, and more women are encircling the top of the vase over a zig-zag detail. The vase is archaic. We can infer this because the figures are stiff and formulated, unlike the classical style which is more realistic and has more movement.

The Modern Egyptian

The Modern Egyptian Link

Archaic Smile

In this piece we see the perfect example of the style early Grecian sculpture. In their artwork they gave great emphasis to the glorification of the male body, and the importance of attention to detail in the rendering of the human figure. However, in this period, we see that while they have acquired great skill and practice in rendering the male body, we can also see that they have less experience and understanding of the human facial features. This soldier is supposed to be dying, but we see that he is actually smiling. This is very common and a signature mistake in Archaic artwork and was not corrected until the construction of the Parthenon. Another telling mark of Archaic style is the hair of the figure. It is simplified to the work of a headdress, and tight curls were symbolized with ovals and circles. Because of the amount of stylistic execution there is in the head of the figure, we can assume that the face of a man was not nearly as important as his body. This is one reason why they often portrayed men naked in battle and in athletics. They believed in the beauty and symmetry of the body of the male figure, and it became a signature piece of subject matter in their artwork.  

Sunflower Seeds

In this article, the author goes to an instillation piece exhibit at the Tate Modern in London. This piece is titled "Sunflower Seeds" and was created by Chinese artist, Ai Weiwei. It is an instillation piece of an overwhelming amount of tiny porcelain pebbles painted with black slip in different patterns and then fired to look like sunflower seeds. The original idea of the piece was for the viewer to actually enter the ocean of "seeds" to be overwhelmed by how not only the amount of the seeds, but also to be overwhelmed by the fact that each one was different, much like a finger print. Unfortunately, the piece has lost its appeal because the viewer now cannot enter the instillation due to potential health hazards caused by the dust from the unglazed porcelain. Because of this now limited view of the work, the piece has lost some of its overwhelming and amazing qualities. 

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/19/arts/design/19sunflower.html?_r=1&ref=arts

Egyptian Surprise in Downtown Nashville

At first glance, The Downtown Presbyterian Church is a normal historical building in downtown Nashville. It's not until you look more closely at the outside architecture that you realize that the church may have some Egyptian inspired elements. After you enter the church and go into the sanctuary you realize that the building is a little more than just slightly inspired by Egypt! The sanctuary is completely themed to look like an Egyptian temple with detailed papyrus columns and stained glass windows designed to look like the Nile. They attempt to make the space look bigger with a perspective painting of columns on the wall and a sky painted between the beams on the ceiling. The colors are the traditional teal, red, yellow, and tan of Egyptian artwork and give the space a very exotic and exciting feeling. They even went as far as to put the symbols for the sun god over the pipe organs, which also have a papyrus detail carved into them. They also have paintings of gods over the doorways which may seem very strange since it is a Christian church. While there are no images of Christ in the temple, the sanctuary may symbolize religion as an intellectual exercise that requires a greater understanding of other cultures. The building itself is a wonderful replication and celebration of Egyptian architecture.    

Corporate Art In Tight Times

This article describes the need for art in businesses, even in this economy. First we see the new mural at the Dallas Cowboy Stadium entitled Unexpected Variable Configurations: A Work in Situ.  Brett Daniels, a Dallas Cowboy spokesman says that, "It has exposed the sports fan to art, whether they like it or not." Another work that we visit is Hugh Heffner’s love for his Andy Warhol print of the January 1986 issue designed by the famous artist.

Many businesses throughout history and today have used art collections to give the impression that they are high-end, sophisticated, and cultural companies. Another reason for company art collections is that the CEO enjoys artwork, or possibly that the CEO or boss’s spouse collects the artwork. In these hard times, few people can afford to buy high-end art and so regardless of the reason for the collection, businesses who support the art world, are the ones who are simultaneously keeping it alive. 


http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/10_37/b4194072964990.htm?chan=magazine+channel_etc.

Stele of Naram-Sin

This piece is a perfect example of iconography and hieratic scale. Here we see Akkadian ruler, Naram-Sin, conquering his enemy in the mountains.  The ruler is portrayed much larger and higher in the piece than his soldiers and the mountain people which tells the viewer that he is the most important person in the piece.  We see that he has just forced a spear through one man’s throat and the rest of the enemy is begging for mercy. These actions and the fact that his muscular build and apparent vigor are meant to symbolize god-like qualities, demonstrate the power of the ruler and also show the importance and respect you are expected to show him.  

After looking at this piece more closely, I have noticed that at the top of the piece there are two suns. I am unsure of the meaning of this, but it might be possible that it has to do with some compositions we were studying where they had many situations in one work. This may symbolize how long the battle lasted, or it may also symbolize the power of Naram-Sim.

My World Collage

I have always loved doing collages, so I was very excited about this assignment. I wanted the piece to be symbolic of my imagination as a child. I was always very imaginative and was glad that I had siblings who could play with me and be a part of my world. In this composition, I have an oversized photo of my siblings and me in the middle of the piece. The picture does not include all of my siblings, but it is because I am closest to these three. I am closest to them because my other siblings were not born until I was almost in high school. Many of the images I include in this piece have to do with memories I have with my family. My dad lived in Chicago, which was almost seven hours away from my hometown. I was very fortunate to see him a couple of times each month, but he would also send me letters and holy cards in the mail. This is the significance of the many angels and saints I have in the piece. Both of my parents were musical theater majors in college, so I was always singing something from a show. This is why I have so many icons from musicals in the work. I was also obsessed with Snow White when I was little. I actually went through a faze where I insisted that everyone call me Snow White. I also chose to include of picture of my boyfriend when he was a child. I’ve known his since we were kids because we used to be in musicals together at a local community college. I included the photo because even though I knew him as a kid, I never thought that we would end up being such close friends.

In this assignment, I wanted to focus on the importance of the past while keeping our eyes toward the future. This piece was a homage to everything that inspires me, many which happen to be significant pieces of art history which have shaped our world today.

 Decisions: For this assignment I wanted to create a composition that not only fulfilled the assignment, but something that I also was proud to say I made. This piece was a homage to everything that inspires me, as well as a look into my childhood’s world.

Color: For my concept, the colors needed to be cool and rich. I used blue for the sky and a rich green for the hills. The hills also have variations of yellow-green and red brown to give the illusion of depth and to give the feeling that the viewer was looking at a luscious landscape.

Light: I used light and dark elements to define the space. I gave the hills shadow which added depth to the composition.

Texture:  I wanted the space to be full of texture, so I ripped up an old book of sermons to create the background which I later stained with watercolor.

Volume: I tried to put the larger images in the front to add weight to the piece. The hills also give volume because of how they seem to go back in the space.

Line: I organized everything in a rectangle with the main emphasis in the middle on the photo of my siblings and me. This is where your eye first goes, and from there it travels left to the picture of St. Terese, and then down to Renoir’s acrobats, and then around the rectangle and back to the middle again.

Space: I made the hills smaller in the back and larger in the front to give the illusion of space. I also made the object in the front bigger to give the composition weight and the illusion of space.

Scale: While I tried to make objects in the front larger to create space, I did give some exceptions to objects of importance. The most obvious exception is the photo of my siblings and me which is much larger than anything else on the page. I did this because my siblings are everything to me. Other objects of importance include St. Terese, the Star Wars characters, Renoir’s acrobats, and the photo of my boyfriend as a child.

Symbolism: The book that I ripped up for the background is a symbol of two things. First is the significance that it is a book of sermons. I was raised in a Catholic home and attended a Catholic grade school, so God has always been everything to me and is what makes up my world. It is also a symbol of my love for books. The many angels and saints in this composition are not only a symbol the love of my religion, but also a symbol of my father and the memories I share with him. The significance of the photo of my siblings and me blown out of proportion symbolizes the love that we share for one another and how intertwined our lives have become. My brother riding the lion through the hills with a crown on his head is a symbol of his significance in my life. He is often the most overlooked of my siblings even though he is certainly the most talented of all of us (track star, football player, singer, dancer, guitar player, and straight A student). The entire composition is symbolic of my imagination as a child. This was my world and it was filled with love and joy.  

Me: This composition symbolized my imagination as a child. Everything in this piece is something that I was completely enamored with between the ages of three and ten.

Friends and Family: The garden on the left side of the piece is my grandmother’s garden where I spent a lot of my childhood. My siblings are also included in this piece. Although I have not included my parents in the work, they are present through pictures which symbolize the memories that we share.

My town and community: When I was around the age of ten. I would go to my town’s library every day (you think I am joking, but I’m not). The librarians knew me well and I would stay until closing time reading mostly Star Wars novels. My love for books and the library is symbolized in the use of the ripped pages as my background.

My County: Although I do not have an overall patriotic theme, I use many popular pop-culture items which are important to our nation and its history. I represent American media through the photos of The Simpsons, The Sound of Music, West Side Story, Judy Garland, Star Wars, and Snow White.

The World Today: The icons that I have included in my composition have not only shaped me, but they have also shaped much of our culture today.

Art: I included the art the inspired me the most when I was a child. I have always loved the art of Holy Cards and religious symbols, but I also loved many of Renoir’s paintings. I also included a picture of Picasso’s Guernica because one of my teacher’s I had in middle school had a print of it hanging in her classroom. I would look at it always kind of scared me. It is a very haunting piece.  

History: The icons that I have included in my composition have not only shaped me, but they have also shaped much of our culture today. 

"Antics Aside, a Dalí of Constant Ambition" Review

The late Salvador Dali's current show raises questions of whether or not his work was always as genius as everyone says it was. This article discusses Dali's late work which is displayed in this show titled, "Dalí: The Late Work” at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, GA. 
After Dali became famous for his surrealistic paintings, he began to showcase his persona to the public which made him more of a character than a visual artist. The way they described it in the article was perfect. His later work was simply not as good because his career was "exacerbated by relentless self-promotion, shameless hucksterism." 

The author does admit though that the show gets much better after you get away from Dali's conceited portraits and more into his paintings. He was especially fond of Dali's "Debris of an Automobile Giving Birth to a Blind Horse Biting a Telephone" which is a clever reference to Picasso's "Guernica."
Unfortunately, to me I would say that Dali is the art world's Lady Gaga, and while he did have genuine talent, it was hidden behind his larger than life persona. This has left him to be the hipsters' cult symbol; remembered mostly for his mustache and second only to Andy Warhol.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/03/arts/design/03dali.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&ref=arts

Starry Night Analysis

Art means more when you analyze it.
One of the classic examples of why art means more when it is analyzed is Van Gogh's Starry Night. 
When you look at the piece, the first thing you see is how stunningly beautiful this work is. At second glance you try to decide what is going on in the painting. You soon realize that there are many plausibilities. Is someone looking down from above on this tiny town? Is there a tsunami wave about to flood the town? A wind storm? Or is there a fire? The actions in the painting seem to be completely vague, but after careful observation, the one thing you can see is that the painting has a lot of movement in it.
Van Gogh's paintings have a signature style that is at times nauseating. His brush-strokes in the painting suggest that the scene is aggravated and it makes the work seem like it is vibrating. All of these observations tells us that the work is not just a pretty picture. This painting is such a perfect example of why work should be analyzed, because in this painting it is obvious that the work will mean something different to everyone. Many people relate it to the presence of God, others relate it to natural disaster. What we can definitely tell from the painting is that Van Gogh was a fantastic artist! It is all perfectly balanced with a gorgeous color pallet. 

Acrobats at Cirque Fernando

“Acrobats at Cirque Fernando” by Renoir has been one of my favorite works since I was a little girl. It is housed in the Art Institute of Chicago, and when visiting there I have always made a point to see it.

When you first look at the painting you notice the warm colors of oranges and yellows that fill the background. This makes the work feel cheerful and exciting and because of the contrast of color, it brings the focus in on the two girls who are dressed in white. For me the two most prominent things in the composition are the girl in the foreground holding the oranges and the oranges themselves. There are times when I think of the painting where the girl and the oranges are the only two things I can remember about it. There is something very mesmerizing about this certain girl who is holding the oranges, and I think it is her somber tone in the midst of this circus. Unlike her sister, who is soaking up the audience’s approval with a bow, she instead turns her focus to the oranges that were thrown by the crowd

It is possible that I found a connection with this certain girl because I too seem to think more practically than either of my sisters. It may seem laughable that I think of myself as practical since I am an artist (as this girl is an acrobat). Regardless of the however I choose to psychoanalyze myself and simultaneously critique this work, I must say that this piece is truly one of my very favorites.

. http://www.artic.edu/artaccess/AA_Impressionist/pages/IMP_3.shtml

http://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/arts/artwork/paintings-by-pierre-auguste-renoir7.htm