Gothic is the bomb

The huge progress made in architecture during the Gothic period is absolutely amazing. The flying buttress saves some of the most beautiful buildings in the world funny how such a small and elegant looking structure can hold the very walls in place. The disaster that brought their use into being brought the world some of the most lacy walls and beautiful glass windows in existence together to create a house of God.
 Now stories could be told in light which embodied God in spirit. The door embodying Jesus and the pillars the heads of the church. All of this beauty and guilt in one place. People spent their entire lives building churches and not just for the pay on earth but for the favor they would curry in heaven. The message was if you follow the teaching of the priests and obeyed your rulers God will smile upon you and you would be guaranteed a place in heaven. But then one could buy their way there too.
For a time period when people were uneducated the pictures were written words. The spelled out the rules and the punishments for failure to follow those rules. The described the trials and tribulations of the bibical characters. Sent to heaven for living the pias life or tormented by demons for all eternity.
What the church did for art is unbelievable and if you can't dispute that art is much further along for the sake of explain who we are and from where we come.
But it is the architectural that speaks volumes and its decoration that stuns the viewer. It is important to think of more than popular conceptions of Gothic history and understand that people would give their lives to a building that leaves us so in awe.

I love Egyptian art

MY favorite era of art is the Egyptian art. I think that information that we are still learning from the hieroglyphs and the mathematical formulas used to create the human form are extremely interesting. As a girl my father and I would share time together reading the national geographic magazines and I gained a love for Egyptian hieroglyphs. It is very intriguing that we are able to read this complex language and I think that the Rosetta stone which is a tablet not covered by art but rather containing the writing of three languages is one of the greatest discoveries of Egyptology history. It is these three languages on a granodrorite stele they include ancient Egyptian, demonic, and ancient Greek. Having been found at the location known as Rosetta this stone broke the language barrier in reading hieroglyphs.
The finding and opening of a pharaohs tomb untouched and forgotten has brought to light many great treasures. To my mind one of the most important of these is the golden mask of a king whom died at the beginning of the prime of his life. The death mask of Tutankhamen is breathtaking. Made from solid gold and painted to give realism to the headdress and facial features gives the viewer the experience of being watched. Perhaps it is not so far fetched that many believed that opening the tomb of this young pharaoh was releasing a curse. On the other hand it spoke of a great man not much more than a child who was loved beyond all to buried so well he became forgotten.
I have always been fascinated by the history of the pharaohs and the rituals that were taken so seriously to preserve the body. I find that the Egyptians ability to see beyond their current existence into the future of their lives after they are dead. It is too bad that we have forgotten how to see beyond the fabric of this existence. In a way it is their ability to express who they are in a written and visual form that so intrigues me. Over all I looked forward to this period in history and it did not disappoint.

Week 9 Punishment and Blessings

In the panel on the left we see the labor and sorrow of men after being expelled from the Garden of Eden. Adam labors in the field working diligently to bring in the food that will feed himself, his wife and children. While Eve labors to bring forth children while fulfilling the duties in their home. We see pain and hard labor for failing to heed the word of God. This is your punishment and we see the fear in the face upon the knocker handle. Eyes spread wide, ears alert and listening, jaws firmly shut and ready to run. We also see the angel of God who seems to bring comfort and offers hope.

In the second panel Mary and the infant Jesus are seated greeting the three kings. They have come to worship the child and offer gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. We also see the star, which has lead them to the manger where he had been laid. The face of the knocker upon this door is very relaxed although he is paying rapt attention as his ears signify he is listening closely. His teeth are closed gently and you can tell he is at rest. This is a moment of pomp and circumstance our salvation is only through this child.

Each of these panels is very different and yet they speak of the same concept. If we listen and give our lives over to God we will be blessed. Each tells the story that God is a loving god and because he cares about us we are given a savior to save our immortal soul from damnation. Because we will never be good enough for God or heaven as we are humans and that means that we are born to sin and therefore damned to hell and damned to die. It speaks of the punishments that we can endure because we are descendants of Adam and Eve and they sinned so therefore we will sin in perpetuity.  

I feel as if I am on a religious tirade in this case the panels are very different hard labor and pain versus being worshipped and given gifts. There are the perils of sin on one side and the blessings of those whom believe in God on the other. The strange relief of the figures gives a sort of eerie effect on the human characters in the scenes making them seem to fall toward the viewer in this picture. And that could be just the effect of the way the photo was taken.  The knockers however are magnificent the faces are so realistic and yet so human and in a way they steal the show. Do you dare to enter here they seem to say. Now that you know what the penalties and blessings are will you live the life God planned for you? Well do you?

Week 8 Commodus and Caracalla

In the Bust of Commodus he is using the god Hercules to associate himself with the immortal gods. Therefore giving the appearance of being the logical choice for a ruler. Dressed in the lions skin he provokes a image of strength and power that is re-enforced by the youthful body and luscious curly hair but not by the stance of the body. The staff in his right hand speaks of a willingness to use force when necessary to preserve his position. While the fruit in his left hand symbolises an ability to provide for those in need yet no real desire to do so as the fruit is not offered to the viewer. The original support bespeaks the horns of plenty and support of the people.

The Bust of Caracalla is of a very stern looking man. A warrior or soldier whom has suffered  what appears to be a very nasty injury to his face. This piece was perhaps once part of a larger life size if not larger statue of this great leader. While portrayed as a man of more advanced years and perhaps greater experience this leader still has a youthful appearance. Perhaps this is belied by the closely shorn hair on the head and face. This face says that he has seen much and survived more. It stirs the heart of the people of the times perhaps having survived some great battle.

Each of these men used strong symbolism to evoke a central idea. Commodus by dressing himself as Hercules brought forth the idea that rulers were chosen by the gods and supported without question by the people. Caracalla on the other hand with his deformed stern face seems to say I am one of you, I have stood beside you and fought for the same cause we are brothers. Each is promoting the idea that the people deserve a great ruler like themselves.

We see the battle between youth and experience, power demanded and power earned. In Caracalla we find a warrior of a man who has had time to practice and hone his skills in the furnace of war thereby earning his powerful reputation. This gives the impression of his being a man whom can handle even the toughest situation while leading the people with a strong hand. In Commodus we find a man willing to go to great lengths to retain the power given to him and a not quite assured way of welding power. This youth seems uncomfortable in his stance from the way he hold out the fruit in his left hand to the club held like a scepter in his right. Like the great warrior he strives to emulate, Commodus comes off as uncomfortable with the responsibility that is his to bare.

I would say that for the average person if they did not know who's face they are gazing upon Caracalla would seem an average man of the people and go unnoticed if it were not for the war that this writer is presuming caused the disfigurement of his face. The viewer might be fooled into believing that the Bust was of a less important member of society. Commodus with his Bust full of symbolism, power, and strength lends a more royal and godly appearance. For this period of time none of the people would have wondered about the strength of this youth.

Week 7 Should the Parthenon Marbles be returned to Greece?

At first it would be easy to think that the Parthenon Marbles should be returned to Greece. As in every country cherishes its culture and the icons that represent it anyone could understand how the people of Greece feel about the loss of their cherished sculptures from the Parthenon. While there is the legal claim of sale of the Parthenon Marbles by Lord Elgin to the British government per the article Romancing The Stones, “. . . he was forced to sell to the British government in 1816 for £35,000 (roughly equivalent to $4 million today) to dig himself out of debt after his divorce.” The British Museum seems very reluctant to take the government of Greece for face value. Too many veiled threats and perhaps broken promises seems to cause the current proposal to fall short of gaining the day for the Greeks.

While on the table there is a tasty offer, return the Parthenon Marbles and gain a huge bounty in an ever changing store of Grecian wonders including a set of replacements to boot. The authors of these articles make is sound like a huge conspiracy by the Greece government, people, and representatives of museums are out to steal away forever their property. In reality this may be exactly what they plan to do and yet then why ask for a permanent loan of these most valuable works of art.

‘We had them first’ is an argument that is made it seems in half jest. Pushed aside by representatives of the government of Greece as unimportant and not an issue in their request while at the same time one can hear the loud protestation of ‘We have them now’ by the British Museum. In the concerns voiced by the curators for the safety of these valuable works we hear the spoke reasons to postpone a return to the Parthenon Marbles to their native soil. But this still begs who should have them to display? Should they stand by the remaining ruins where they were taken from or remain in their current berth? These questions can only be answered by a willingness to compromise on both sides and that seems a long time from happening at this time.

 Will fewer viewers see them if they are returned to Greece and replicas take their place or if Greece gets the replicas and they stay just where they are? No, but fewer people would get the chance to see some of the art that could be on display. Many museums have an overflow of art work some rarely spend time out of storage and it is sad that these pieces may not be available for all to see. I believe what we are really trying to decide is if the pieces that would possibly be on display at no charge for the people of the world to see in one of the most prestigious museums of the world is worth returning these priceless works to stand in relative safety on the same ground as the building they came from. There should be no issues with this legal contracts are created and signed all the time and both sides have some very smart lawyers so sit down and work it out. Either way consider the pros and prepare for the cons but return the Parthenon to its former glory and share the art with the world.  

http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2009/06/06/romancing-the-stones.html

Week 5 Ancient Aegeans and Prehistoric Cave Paintings

The “Hall of Bulls a cave painting found in Dordogne, France c. 15,000 BCE” according to the caption on page 10 and is described as having been painted on a limestone surface and giving a massive size to the largest animal of eighteen feet. The paintings are believed to celebrate the hunts over a period of time and the bull was very popular on this wall. The attempted realism in these paintings brings to mind another culture obsessed with the bull but for a different cultural reason, and yet they are both very similar in many ways.

The Minoans also had a love affair with bulls. The rhyton called Bull’s-Head is one example of the realistic in art at work again with a familiar subject. A picture of which is on page 89 and the description informs the reader that it is “steatite with shell, rock crystal, and red jasper.” In addition that the horns seen in the picture have been reproduced therefore restoring it to the glory it’s sculpture intended.

Both involve stone, the first example painted on it and the second carved from it. In addition a white powder has been rubbed into the surface of this carved bull to accentuate the coat just as the pigment was rubbed into the walls to create the paintings upon them.  Along with the subject matter these two works are a great deal alike or so it would seem.

In Hall of Bulls the paintings are or seem to be surrounding the success of the hunt and give life to the bull perhaps in order that the animal would return for the hunter to also continue to live. Bull’s-Head is a different story coming from a culture that gave life to the Minotaur with a belief that this creature must be placated with the lives of youths both male and female the beast feed on the lives of men instead of men feeding on the lives of bulls. In this way the art works are very different. They also differ in functionality. The Minoan piece has a dual purpose not only to represent an idea or experience but also to poor liquids from.  During ceremonies the Rhyton could be filled with liquid at the top back of the head form and would poor these same liquids out of the mouth. Where the cave paintings were not portable nor did they serve wine.

Perhaps each was a useful form for the men or women who created them. A cave painting could have been used to represent so many things including the ritual of worship and regeneration. Where we know more about what the Minoan artist was thinking about when he or she carved the Bull’s-Head it is not that clear what was going on in the thought process of the cave painters work. By recording history they could have been giving them and us a way to celebrate the rites and rituals that we all perform on a daily basis then and now. By doing so each of these works speaks aloud to the perseverance of men throughout time.  

Ziggerats v.s. Pyramids

According to our book on page 53 "Although the step pyramid resembles the ziggurats of Mesopotamia, it differs in both meaning (signifying a stairway to the sun god Ra) and purpose (protecting a tomb)." These are very significant differences as they incline the religious thought processes in how a temple is used, where as in the last chapter we learn that Ziggurats were used to indicate sacred mountain imagery and were used as a place of worship.

In the Egyptian ideals the pharaohs and queens of Egypt were gods and represented the physical form of the gods for the time of their rule. The pyramids were built along with the temples at the end of the Old Kingdom and the beginning of the New Kingdom to allow for the worship of the gods and the continuation of the pharaoh after death into the next life. It is also in these very elaborate temples and tombs that we see the funeral rites of the dead and the great lengths that were taken in mummification to preserve the physical form of the god.

Ziggurats were used during the lives of the rulers and signified a way to reach out to heaven and ask for the intercession of the gods on their behalf. These rulers were not the physical embodiment of the gods but rather the gods and rulers were glorified by the steps to the top of the mountain like shapes. They showed the people the prestige of the rulers by allowing them to ascend to the heights to worship the gods.

Another thing that is significant to notice about both is that none of the ziggurats progress to become smooth sided triangle shapes. The start out steps and remain steps however only one of the pyramids of Giza is a stepped mound. All the rest have the appearance of solid triangles. Each at one time or another had an entrance that is now reopened by the prying eyes of the world through archeologists without whom we would not have as much knowledge as we do about both.

Another difference is that Ziggurats had their temples built on the top of the structure, yet the pyramids have their temples either built within on the main level with the tomb hidden beneath or at the end of a long passage on the grounds of the pyramid.  One tells of the ascendance of man to the level of the gods above it all and untouched by the daily grind. The other speaks loudly of the gods coming down from the mountain to live among men, die among men, and visit us for meals and adoration.

In the Egyptian mind set gods were living with us so that we could become better humans by showing us how to live and treat others. In the minds of the individuals whom used ziggurats for religious purposes showed the importance of worshiping god to spread faith amongst the people. If you could afford to have the ability to rise above the masses to worship in full view of all this speaks more of your power than that of the people.

In the end I would say that each is equally important regardless of their role in the society they were built in. In our time we are just as impressed by their knowledge and ingenuity it took to accomplish them and the fact that people would trust in their religion so strongly that they would put their entire lives into that construction. Separated by the differences and brought together by faith.

Week 3 Page 33 images 2-5 Cylinder seal and its modern impression

Cylinder seal and its modern impression is the signature of Queen Puabi of Ur. The stone cylinder is carved with two relief scenes that when rolled out depict in the top scene two women of rank sharing food and drink while being waited upon by female servants.  The lower scene is a depiction on the queen’s court as she sits on her throne with her servants surrounding her. Per the information on the piece in Chapter 2 on page 33 this piece was “found leaning up against the right arm of her body,” causing the archaeologists to believe that this is her signature.

The double line in the center of the cylinder is a separation of events, creating the effect of a ceiling and a floor. Showing the separations of the elite and the masses by giving important events in court in the upper level we are privy to the private world of women in the rooms of the queen. We see servants serving drinks and fanning the women of privilege. They seem to be enjoying a private conversation and celebrating an intimate event. The use of fringe along the bottom of the clothing seems to denote their sex. By using negative space the artist is able to capture the general forms of each individual as well as line in the furniture.

The lower panel in the piece shows this woman enjoying a meal and entertainment provided by her servants. She appears to be well loved and cared for as it is important to recognize also that all the individuals in this frame as well are denoted by their clothing as female. We see even the strings on the harp, the drink which appears to be poured from the gourd shaped vessel in the hand maids hand.  Each part of the relief is a form of negative space.

The stone cylinder is hand carved and beautiful in and of itself.  A lovely shade of deep green lapis with white and yellow spotting that is typical for this stone. Since it does not appear to have wax or other materials embedded in the piece shows it was more likely to have been created for the purpose of commemorating an event than for the everyday use of signing ones name.

Placed as it was so close to what is for most of us our dominate hand leaves the idea in the mind of the viewer that this piece was supposed to be a moniker for the deceased rather than a celebration of important events in their life. It is possible that this is in remembrance of her coronation or the recognition of her coming of age.  Since the everyday event of partaking food and drink would not have been important enough to be recorded in such a permanent manner and there does not appear to be any special markings that denote a name or rank it is more likely that this piece is much like taking a picture of an moment in time is today.

Since when the cylinder is rolled in clay it creates a flat image about the size of a current photograph it would appear that it is celebratory. In each panel we see a young woman surrounded by her servants in one an older woman perhaps her mother or soon to be mother-in-law joins her at the same level in rank. It brings back the understated yet very important lack of males in the events pictorial record. 

The balance created in both panels is simple and a-symmetrical.  While the upper panel only contains 5 females the second panel is made up of even number 8 women, furnishings are sparse and only created for the use of this important woman.  Feminism would be a complete thought for reason as to the one sided sexual balance however, women in this time would have been kept separate from men as often as possible.  So it would be preferable to believe that this is due to culture and expectations of the times.

Each line is deliberate, the details in this piece are very important because the artist took the time to ensure that they would be properly placed in the clothing and furnishings rather than the faces of the figures. No this is not about signing ones name it is about remembering who we are and why we hold our place in life.

Quote from Art History book 1, chapter 2, page 33. By Marilyn Stokstad and Michael W. Cothern.

Week 2 Goddess and mother.

Who defines a goddess. Over the centuries the concept of feminine beauty has changed many times. This statute which is no larger than the human hand gives voice to the definition of courtly beauty during her lifetime. Whether she stood for the divine body of creativity where life was nurtured and  prepared for the ultimate act of birth or she represented the queen bee of a hive in human form she is our mother. By showing this woman faceless, unable to travel from this place where she finds herself in life, thin armed and footless her girth represents the need for a  stationary place of comfort in our lives as humans.
Over the centuries beauty and its definition for both males and females has changed the forms that we see in our art. Venus of Willendorf reminds us that beauty is fleeting and yet to each of us our mothers love and care is timeless. Her arms hold us close and even the tiny can be as strong as steel holding us close to her heart perhaps too close. The folds of fat that represent not only the parts of the form and give definition to female apposed to male form also represent abundance in life. Faceless it is easy to carve up our mother to take what we need while failing to replace what we take. Unable to get away and unwilling to try this statue reminds us of the willingness to give more than we have up to and including our own destruction.
In all religions we find recognition for the female figure, why should it be any different that god should share his kingdom with a goddess. Be she celestial mother or human and fail-able we are unwilling to give up our need to fulfill both sides of our world. This single female reminds us each that green and plentiful is the story of creation it explains why we are two instead of one. Why we think alike and yet act so differently, and most of all they remind us that we are willing to give everything including our individual freedom for the benefit of the society as a whole.
So is she Venus or is she just another woman who represented the needs of both men and women as a whole. This question is obvious that there can be no separation between the two. Just as all men in their own way are representations of God and so we treat them with a deference reserved for that status all women are in their turn the face of our mother. Native American tribes speak of respecting the mother earth and separate her from our father the sun. They recollect her need to change with the seasons of time renewal, growth, harvest, and death are also part of the cycle of human life. Our mother in all her glory finds each of these moments of time throughout her life cycle and this statue like many other forms of art representing this universal symbol give her voice. Sometimes a whisper and sometimes a shout her voice is beautiful and strives to pull us back to our home.

About me and my art.

Hi,
My name is Sparkle Joy Arroyo. Most of my friends call me Joy and I hope that each of you will feel free to do so. I am working on my final year of my Bachlor of Arts in studio with a focus on ceramics. I love to paint, draw, and for the last 31 years I have worked in textiles. I crochet, knit, sew, emborder, and do just about any kind of art that keeps my hands busy and my mind working toward new goals. Also I am a results driven type of artist finding that my best work comes when I set a goal and strive to reach it. This quarter will find my time split between work, sculpture, color photography and taking care of my husband and animals. Of which I have 3 dogs, two pug/pomeranian mixes Diesel and Lulu and one weiner dog Madeline. We also have 3 cats Trouble who is a Manx mix and lives up to  his name along with two kittens as of yet un-named a calico female and black and white male.
So far my favorite artists have been fellow students. I would recommend if you get the chance to check out the work that is going on right beside you. We have great graduate students and professional teachers. Overall I am looking forward to this class I love history and art so this should be fun. Can't wait to meet you all.
Joy