The reading this week wasn’t long, it was really only six pages. All of it was on sculpture too so I really don’t have a lot to say. Sculptures are probably my favorite medium for one because it looks so hard to do. Especially with a chisel and hammer I can’t imagine making the sculptures that have been made in the past. I am also drawn to sculpture for one of the reason that the book brought up: sculptures are physically real and aren’t as illusory like paintings are.
The evolution of sculpture was also interesting to me. The fact that the sculptures use to be so lifeless and after centuries Bernini was able to make the marble look like cloth is amazing. The old statues have an artistic feel but really look lifeless and lacked the motion that came later on. Then the grandeur of Michelangelo’s David is breathtaking. It will always baffle me maybe because I have worked with clay and have failed so many times with a malleable material that I don’t know how anyone could make something so beautiful out of stone.
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Thursday, July 9, 2009
From Bahaus to Our House
Bahaus to our House was an interesting book. While reading I didn’t know what exactly what was going on it just sounded like a lot of negative critiquing. It was when I finished and put all of the pieces together that I realized what the book was really about. The critiquing seemed to be what the architects of that time were experiencing and what pushed them from one scene to the next. When a type or techniques of architecture were criticized the architects would fix it and move on. There were so many different styles in the past 50 years and it is interesting to see the changes and why things changed. I thought it was interesting that Europeans didn’t like the skyscrapers and just straight up insulted them. Stepping back I can see why, the skyscrapers were more engineering marvels than they were architectural art. Architects and engineers were starting to become separate fields and the European architects didn’t like it or appreciate it. Americans seemed to be more on the power side and wanted to create bigger and better things so they created the tallest building in the world. I can relate to this especially directly following a war and when the United States is the up and coming world power. The Europeans were more into the art aspect and connecting with their roots that went on for centuries.
Other parts of the book were interesting as well. I thought that the part where Wright punked Gropius was quite funny. To have someone come up to shake your hand and then just basically say you’re here for this purpose so leave when you are done would be hilarious to me. Gropius was a man of influence too so the significance of that moment would be huge. This also showed the distaste and bitterness that the battle of architecture resulted in. The critiques that one architect would put on another or that even other critics would compare one to undoubtedly made some people bitter. Overall From Bahaus to Our House was a book that I enjoyed more when I finished it. Not that I didn't enjoy the read but when I put together the information that it had I enjoyed it more than while I was actually reading it.
Other parts of the book were interesting as well. I thought that the part where Wright punked Gropius was quite funny. To have someone come up to shake your hand and then just basically say you’re here for this purpose so leave when you are done would be hilarious to me. Gropius was a man of influence too so the significance of that moment would be huge. This also showed the distaste and bitterness that the battle of architecture resulted in. The critiques that one architect would put on another or that even other critics would compare one to undoubtedly made some people bitter. Overall From Bahaus to Our House was a book that I enjoyed more when I finished it. Not that I didn't enjoy the read but when I put together the information that it had I enjoyed it more than while I was actually reading it.
Movie at the Capitol
Last night I attended a movie screening of Shrek 3 at the Utah State Capitol. It was quite interesting to see the capitol lawn filled with people on blankets and chairs. The background was amazing with the capitol building lit up the way it was. On the drive up I decided to go through downtown and I was intrigued by the architecture. I immediately could see the different arches and different column styles as well as the domes. Each building was unique as I tried to analyze the different aspects of them all. I bored my girlfriend talking about what was taken from the classical period and what an ionic column was but I just told her I was putting it all in my memory for the test. It is one thing to talk about buildings and to look at slides but actually seeing something in real life is such a better way to learn. The capitol building itself had the same dome that just about all the capitols have in the United States. It was interesting to me to see how Michelangelo affected so many buildings so far away when he designed the dome on St Peters.
The movie was one that I had seen before but I had forgotten how funny it was. Mike Myers is a comical genius and although I could only hear his voice I could almost see him moving the same way that Shrek moved. Eddie Murphy was also hilarious in how he spoke for his character. A lot of the comedy though came from the little side remarks that different characters would make. The integration of both adult and child humor was genius. At times I looked around and the little kids wouldn’t be laughing but their parents would be cracking up. Other times it was the opposite. I’m not sure how the directors did it but they got laughs from all age groups constantly throughout the movie. The only downsides to the event were when the screen blew over briefly because of the wind and the kid that screamed in my ear several times throughout the movie because he wanted some snacks. I’m not sure how often they show movies at the capitol building but it was well worth the trip.
The movie was one that I had seen before but I had forgotten how funny it was. Mike Myers is a comical genius and although I could only hear his voice I could almost see him moving the same way that Shrek moved. Eddie Murphy was also hilarious in how he spoke for his character. A lot of the comedy though came from the little side remarks that different characters would make. The integration of both adult and child humor was genius. At times I looked around and the little kids wouldn’t be laughing but their parents would be cracking up. Other times it was the opposite. I’m not sure how the directors did it but they got laughs from all age groups constantly throughout the movie. The only downsides to the event were when the screen blew over briefly because of the wind and the kid that screamed in my ear several times throughout the movie because he wanted some snacks. I’m not sure how often they show movies at the capitol building but it was well worth the trip.
Architecture Discussion
In class we discussed a lot of different architecture types. This was very interesting to me because we find out so much about the people from the buildings that they constructed. It is interesting how most of the buildings that have lasted and that we have talked about have been religious buildings. I also think it is interesting how the religious buildings have switched religions. The basilicas to Christian churches and the Hagia Sophia from Christian church to mosque. I have visited the Hagia Sophia before and was amazed at the size that they could create so long ago. The other mosques were very beautiful as well, the blue mosque being my favorite but none matched the size and age of the Hagia Sophia. By knowing this we can differentiate the parts of the building that each religion built. The minarets around the Hagia Sophia were built by the Turks to take away from the Christian aspect of the structure.
I also enjoy learning about the different time periods and how they almost alternated between mantic and sophic. The classical and roman interest me but more interesting is the renaissance until present. This is probably because I can see more beauty and relate to these types of buildings. I was once a civil engineering major and I like a lot of order and patterns in the architecture. This is why the classical and Roman interest me but the renaissance adds something to it. I start to appreciate more of the art and sculptures and grandeur of the buildings that starts to surface in the renaissance period.
Once we start to learn about the sculptures and visual arts we will be able to put more of our knowledge into the buildings. We have already started to learn about art and putting that together with the architecture gives us a story of their lives that we will learn more about.
I also enjoy learning about the different time periods and how they almost alternated between mantic and sophic. The classical and roman interest me but more interesting is the renaissance until present. This is probably because I can see more beauty and relate to these types of buildings. I was once a civil engineering major and I like a lot of order and patterns in the architecture. This is why the classical and Roman interest me but the renaissance adds something to it. I start to appreciate more of the art and sculptures and grandeur of the buildings that starts to surface in the renaissance period.
Once we start to learn about the sculptures and visual arts we will be able to put more of our knowledge into the buildings. We have already started to learn about art and putting that together with the architecture gives us a story of their lives that we will learn more about.
Monday, July 6, 2009
Jay Z
This past weekend I was in Las Vegas and so this is why I’m writing this a little late. Vegas is a cultural event in itself. I stayed in a hotel a block away from the strip and went there often. Casinos tried to set up their own culture and appeal to people by making it a memorable atmosphere. I had the chance to go to a Jay Z concert at the Palms. It was tight. One of the best performances I have ever been to. I would put Jay Z in the top 5 rap artists of all time below 2pac and Dr. Dre for sure but up there with Notorious and Eminem. Jay Z also is a great MC and that is what really made the show. He did such a good job of involving the audience which wasn’t too hard because everyone wanted to be there.
I don’t know how we got in but we got lucky and found major discounted tickets that made it worth it. If I paid original price which was anywhere from 130 to 190 I wouldn’t have even thought of it. Las Vegas is such a chill atmosphere which just added to the fun. Everyone goes to have a good time and it was the beginning of the weekend so everyone still had their life savings. Jay Z performed many of his great hits like ’99 Problems’ and ‘Dirt off Your Shoulders’ and also performed other lesser known ones like ‘Song Cry’. It would have been sweet to see some him with other groups that he has collaborated with like Coldplay, Linkin Park, or Eminem. One of the best parts of the concert was when Beyonce made an appearance and they performed ‘Bonnie and Clyde’.
My group of friends got lucky but the Jay Z performance at the Palms will be a show that I will not forget anytime soon. Everyone was into the music and before the show we met a local named Sneaky P. He liked my shoes and came and started talking and he showed us some other cool places that aren’t normally on the tourists agenda. All in all it was worth it and I’m almost disappointed I didn’t see him again the next night.
I don’t know how we got in but we got lucky and found major discounted tickets that made it worth it. If I paid original price which was anywhere from 130 to 190 I wouldn’t have even thought of it. Las Vegas is such a chill atmosphere which just added to the fun. Everyone goes to have a good time and it was the beginning of the weekend so everyone still had their life savings. Jay Z performed many of his great hits like ’99 Problems’ and ‘Dirt off Your Shoulders’ and also performed other lesser known ones like ‘Song Cry’. It would have been sweet to see some him with other groups that he has collaborated with like Coldplay, Linkin Park, or Eminem. One of the best parts of the concert was when Beyonce made an appearance and they performed ‘Bonnie and Clyde’.
My group of friends got lucky but the Jay Z performance at the Palms will be a show that I will not forget anytime soon. Everyone was into the music and before the show we met a local named Sneaky P. He liked my shoes and came and started talking and he showed us some other cool places that aren’t normally on the tourists agenda. All in all it was worth it and I’m almost disappointed I didn’t see him again the next night.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Symbols
I have always been fascinated by symbols. Symbols can mean so much and provoke us to analyze the context of whatever we are looking at. The analytical part of art is really what I enjoy if you read my above post I mentioned it. Understanding the content of the painting and how the artist used symbols to represent certain things interests me a lot. This stems from church and the scriptures that are full of symbols and have been fascinating to me ever since I have started to understand them.
Appendix two of the book was officially last week’s reading but this week we read chapters 14 and 17 that dealt with understanding art analytically. I have had the opportunity to go to quite a few museums throughout the world and started to understand the paintings this way. I wish I had the knowledge that we are learning right now because I could have understood so much more. I found that in Egypt they loved symbols and coming to understand the alphabet I could understand the art even more.
In the art that we are studying of the western world I have not yet understood the Greek gods to understand some things but I can often seen symbolism pointed towards the Bible and this is what really interests me. In Michelangelo and Bernini’s different David sculptures we can definitely see the symbolism involved. Bernini has a harp and armor at David’s feet showing celebration and trusting in the Lord. Michelangelo has a more idealized sculpture that symbolizes the power of David in the rest of his life and celebrates his later successes.
It is analysis that I enjoy over emotion and again I believe that might be the left brain right brain argument going on in my head. I look forward to analyzing the different paintings that we will see throughout the semester and that I will see later on in life.
Appendix two of the book was officially last week’s reading but this week we read chapters 14 and 17 that dealt with understanding art analytically. I have had the opportunity to go to quite a few museums throughout the world and started to understand the paintings this way. I wish I had the knowledge that we are learning right now because I could have understood so much more. I found that in Egypt they loved symbols and coming to understand the alphabet I could understand the art even more.
In the art that we are studying of the western world I have not yet understood the Greek gods to understand some things but I can often seen symbolism pointed towards the Bible and this is what really interests me. In Michelangelo and Bernini’s different David sculptures we can definitely see the symbolism involved. Bernini has a harp and armor at David’s feet showing celebration and trusting in the Lord. Michelangelo has a more idealized sculpture that symbolizes the power of David in the rest of his life and celebrates his later successes.
It is analysis that I enjoy over emotion and again I believe that might be the left brain right brain argument going on in my head. I look forward to analyzing the different paintings that we will see throughout the semester and that I will see later on in life.
Beauty
I consider myself a rational person; I think that is why I have such a problem with this argument. In a rationale argument there is an answer and a reason behind it. If we are trying to find beauty then we cannot argue that something is beautiful all the time. The argument that something is beautiful is not something that any two people can agree with all the time. There are personal variances in each of our lives that will change our opinions, sometimes subtly and sometimes with great impact.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder but it doesn’t mean that there is something that more people will find more beautiful than something else. For me the most beautiful things in life are out in nature usually without human intrusion. These are normally beautiful with regards to everyone’s standards. With regards to art beauty is a little more complicated. I would say that beautiful art is aesthetically pleasing, invokes emotion, or communicates with the beholder. High art I would say invokes good emotions and communicates good and valuable things to the individual. I would also say high art is intellectually intelligent as well. It might stem from my more intellectual side. My girlfriend gets frustrated with me for the same reason; I pay attention more to the intellectual things than the emotional things.
Maybe it is the left brain right brain argument that keeps me from enjoying these types of debates. Maybe I just enjoy answers that are definitive and don’t like the gray in between the black and white. Maybe I haven’t been involved in these debates enough, are they like acquired tastes. Whatever the reason I have always tried to experience things with an open mind and to not go off of others opinions too often and will continue to do that in my life.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder but it doesn’t mean that there is something that more people will find more beautiful than something else. For me the most beautiful things in life are out in nature usually without human intrusion. These are normally beautiful with regards to everyone’s standards. With regards to art beauty is a little more complicated. I would say that beautiful art is aesthetically pleasing, invokes emotion, or communicates with the beholder. High art I would say invokes good emotions and communicates good and valuable things to the individual. I would also say high art is intellectually intelligent as well. It might stem from my more intellectual side. My girlfriend gets frustrated with me for the same reason; I pay attention more to the intellectual things than the emotional things.
Maybe it is the left brain right brain argument that keeps me from enjoying these types of debates. Maybe I just enjoy answers that are definitive and don’t like the gray in between the black and white. Maybe I haven’t been involved in these debates enough, are they like acquired tastes. Whatever the reason I have always tried to experience things with an open mind and to not go off of others opinions too often and will continue to do that in my life.
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