How does art happen?
This is an interesting question as there are so many different genres of art and each has so many different sub categories within in them. If we look at painting we see all the different paints that can be used, oil paint, water based paint, spray paint and then there are even more surfaces that can be used to paint on.
Art can happen in anyway but I think that it always starts in ones feelings. How we are feeling and the situations we are experiencing at the time reflect in our work. I was going to say that real art comes from within and is a personal expression so commissioned work didn’t seem that real to me. While I still hold this point of view to some extent I can see that our emotions always bleed through into our work. If we look at the Sis Teen Chapel, considered one of the greatest works of all time, we learn that Michael Angelo didn’t even want to do it; he was a sculptor not a painter. But he took what he was commissioned to do and we see how it was an expression of him. We see this especially in the way he made the devil look like Biagio da Cesena that was something that was happening in his life and it came through in his work.
I think the hardest part about art for me is coming up with a concept to creatively display your emotions. If people simply painted rainbows when they were happy and rainy days when they were sad art would be extremely boring. Thankfully there is so much creativity in this world that this will never be the case.
How artists get to this concept differs, some see it before hand and then start their work, others begin working and the concept develops through the course of their work. I am the kind of person that starts and develops the idea, I like this style, as there cannot really be any mistakes as you are adapting and changing stuff as you go. If you picture something before hand, it may not come out the way you would have liked. When we did our carvings on the zinc tablets my work developed as it went, it started with a basic idea of me wanting to do a leaf, and then when I began the veins of the leaf I thought it would be cool to do them as different patterns, and as I started the patterns I began to see which ones I liked where. The whole piece developed from a simple leaf to my representation of the leaf, and what I thought would be fun to create.
I really believe that art is more of an internal thing, an expression of what is inside, and some people are just more gifted at displaying externally aka artists, but anyone can do art and that is why it is beautiful.
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Theology 314 : 28/09
Jews, Gypsies, North Africans and Mexicans. This is quite a broad topic that we have but I am going to try and look at what the different groups have in common and the relevance they have in my life.
Each one of these groups has negative stereotypes about them, Jews are cheap, Gypsies are thieves, North Africans and Mexicans are illegal immigrants. While it is true that every group of people have some negative stereotypes the problem with minorities being stereotyped is that people judge the whole group according to that stereotype. For example, if a black person got into a fight at a party then the assumption of most is that ‘blacks’ are violent and partake in buffoonish behavior, where as if a middle class white person got into a fight at a party then to onlookers it is not white people that are violent, it is “Bob” that is violent. Minorities are judged and assumptions are made about them due to the actions of individuals, where as the same does not serve true for non minorities.
I believe this is the reason there is so much hatred and discrimination in our world today, people over look facts a lot of the time and just use this judgment procedure. While it is true that these stereotypes do serve true for some members of these groups and other minorities, one needs to try and think outside of their little bubble and try see the world through someone else’s eyes.
In my sociology class there was a big debate about illegal immigrants in America and everyone had strong feelings on the situation saying that they were wasting American tax payer’s money and taking their jobs and if they wanted to come to America they should ‘simply’ get a visa. As the only foreign person in the class I sat quietly for fear that I would be lynched. However the professor decided to call on me for my opinion, nervously I decided to tell the mob of angry villagers how I felt. I stated upfront that I was LEGAL just to cover my bases, I then went on to ask if any of them had an idea how ‘simple’ it was to get a visa. No one knew, so I told them to simply apply for a working visa to America costs $5000, in my currency that is R 40,000 and a heck of a lot of money. This is just an assumption but I would say that any Mexicans or other group of people looking to jump the border and risk their lives do not have this type of money lying around. My next point was that everyone in that class had never had to wonder where their next meal was coming from, or where they would sleep for the night. They may not be ‘wealthy’ in relation to some of their friends but they are by no means living in any sort of poverty, so if they tried, as impossible as it is, to think through that persons mindset, does coming to America to take a manual labor job that no one else wants and work for way below minimum wage really seem that bad. I am sure that these people would much rather stay in their own countries with their families if it was possible. We need to realize that your heritage does not make you better then anyone else, you did not do anything to be born into a country where your opportunities are endless, and if people look at the facts they would see that many of their beliefs they have about minorities are not true. So, I do feel that people need to be more sympathetic to the plight of the illegal immigrant and other minorities.
Bottom line of this whole story is that we can not let individuals define our thoughts on a whole group of people. We need to try and spend time with different people in a positive environment instead of having our only interactions with minorities be negative.
Each one of these groups has negative stereotypes about them, Jews are cheap, Gypsies are thieves, North Africans and Mexicans are illegal immigrants. While it is true that every group of people have some negative stereotypes the problem with minorities being stereotyped is that people judge the whole group according to that stereotype. For example, if a black person got into a fight at a party then the assumption of most is that ‘blacks’ are violent and partake in buffoonish behavior, where as if a middle class white person got into a fight at a party then to onlookers it is not white people that are violent, it is “Bob” that is violent. Minorities are judged and assumptions are made about them due to the actions of individuals, where as the same does not serve true for non minorities.
I believe this is the reason there is so much hatred and discrimination in our world today, people over look facts a lot of the time and just use this judgment procedure. While it is true that these stereotypes do serve true for some members of these groups and other minorities, one needs to try and think outside of their little bubble and try see the world through someone else’s eyes.
In my sociology class there was a big debate about illegal immigrants in America and everyone had strong feelings on the situation saying that they were wasting American tax payer’s money and taking their jobs and if they wanted to come to America they should ‘simply’ get a visa. As the only foreign person in the class I sat quietly for fear that I would be lynched. However the professor decided to call on me for my opinion, nervously I decided to tell the mob of angry villagers how I felt. I stated upfront that I was LEGAL just to cover my bases, I then went on to ask if any of them had an idea how ‘simple’ it was to get a visa. No one knew, so I told them to simply apply for a working visa to America costs $5000, in my currency that is R 40,000 and a heck of a lot of money. This is just an assumption but I would say that any Mexicans or other group of people looking to jump the border and risk their lives do not have this type of money lying around. My next point was that everyone in that class had never had to wonder where their next meal was coming from, or where they would sleep for the night. They may not be ‘wealthy’ in relation to some of their friends but they are by no means living in any sort of poverty, so if they tried, as impossible as it is, to think through that persons mindset, does coming to America to take a manual labor job that no one else wants and work for way below minimum wage really seem that bad. I am sure that these people would much rather stay in their own countries with their families if it was possible. We need to realize that your heritage does not make you better then anyone else, you did not do anything to be born into a country where your opportunities are endless, and if people look at the facts they would see that many of their beliefs they have about minorities are not true. So, I do feel that people need to be more sympathetic to the plight of the illegal immigrant and other minorities.
Bottom line of this whole story is that we can not let individuals define our thoughts on a whole group of people. We need to try and spend time with different people in a positive environment instead of having our only interactions with minorities be negative.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Hum 325: Universal Roman Church
When I first came to Walsh it was the first time I came into contact with people that were Roman Catholic. I had met people who called themselves Catholic, but this almost ancient term had eluded me for much of my life. I wondered what it meant and how someone all the way across the ocean without a hint of Italian heritage was Roman Catholic. What made this church Roman?
I have put a lot of thought into my conclusions that I have come up with as to why the church is Roman, but I would by no means claim to be an authority on the situation. The first part about the church being Roman is obviously the roots. It is in Rome, under Constantine’s rule and St Peter’s guidance that Christianity really began to get its foundation and grow into what it is today. Before it was an illegal religion, and while it had followers and they were growing, it really grew when it became the religion of the state in Rome.
Whenever we walk into these beautiful cathedrals, my first thought is,” WOW this is an incredible monument”, my next thought is, “ all this fancy stuff seems a bit unnecessary for a church when there are so many people the church could help with this money.” As I have learnt more about Rome and seen the importance of statues and monuments and decorations in their lives, I finally begin to understand why these are/were necessary. Yes, there would be many more practical uses for the time and money spent on these cathedrals, but in a time where emperors built magnificent buildings to glorify themselves, it is certainly fitting to go above and beyond to build something for the most high God. To have huge buildings like that of St Peter’s Cathedral to show a reverence for God, it is almost a way of saying we put you above everything else. I believe this to be the Roman part of the church today.
Now we can go on to look at how the church is global. The most effective and basic way to do this is to look at what the church is. We all know that a church is a building of worship, but THE church is simply a group of believers. There are catholic people on every continent of this world, and so without a doubt geographically, the church is global. The church is also global in the sense that anyone can come to the church, it is not only open to one group of people. People of different races, gender and social classes are allowed ( I choose the word allowed instead of welcomed as unfortunately I feel there are still many people within the church who do not welcome people of all kinds).
There is definitely a universal feel with a Roman twist to the Roman Catholic church.
I have put a lot of thought into my conclusions that I have come up with as to why the church is Roman, but I would by no means claim to be an authority on the situation. The first part about the church being Roman is obviously the roots. It is in Rome, under Constantine’s rule and St Peter’s guidance that Christianity really began to get its foundation and grow into what it is today. Before it was an illegal religion, and while it had followers and they were growing, it really grew when it became the religion of the state in Rome.
Whenever we walk into these beautiful cathedrals, my first thought is,” WOW this is an incredible monument”, my next thought is, “ all this fancy stuff seems a bit unnecessary for a church when there are so many people the church could help with this money.” As I have learnt more about Rome and seen the importance of statues and monuments and decorations in their lives, I finally begin to understand why these are/were necessary. Yes, there would be many more practical uses for the time and money spent on these cathedrals, but in a time where emperors built magnificent buildings to glorify themselves, it is certainly fitting to go above and beyond to build something for the most high God. To have huge buildings like that of St Peter’s Cathedral to show a reverence for God, it is almost a way of saying we put you above everything else. I believe this to be the Roman part of the church today.
Now we can go on to look at how the church is global. The most effective and basic way to do this is to look at what the church is. We all know that a church is a building of worship, but THE church is simply a group of believers. There are catholic people on every continent of this world, and so without a doubt geographically, the church is global. The church is also global in the sense that anyone can come to the church, it is not only open to one group of people. People of different races, gender and social classes are allowed ( I choose the word allowed instead of welcomed as unfortunately I feel there are still many people within the church who do not welcome people of all kinds).
There is definitely a universal feel with a Roman twist to the Roman Catholic church.
Monday, September 20, 2010
hum 225: 20/09
The Pieta by Michael Angelo was my favorite piece of art that we saw; it is located in St Peters Basilica in the Vatican City. It is a life size statue of the Virgin Mary holding her son Jesus in her arms and is made from a slab of marble. It was commissioned in 1498 and was first unveiled in 1500.
I have now seen two incredible marble works by Michael Angelo, The statue of David and The Pieta, and it never ceases to amaze me at how incredible the definition and clarity of the work is. It blows my mind how this man was able to produce such emotion in a piece of stone when I can barely do this drawing on paper. The part that most impressed me was the clothing of the Virgin Mary. The way it is carved seems like her garments are really falling that way, and the light creates shadows on it as if it was real clothing, it is incredible. The veins in Jesus’ body really impressed me, if you look at his foot we see how they protrude, just like he would have originally.
Another aspect of this work is that he could not make any mistakes, if he chipped or carved to hard the work would be ruined; he had to have such meticulous concentration when doing any of these marble works. This man really was a genius and I feel like this work was something that was special to him. It says that he carved his name in the sash of Mary, and afterwards he said he let his emotions get the better of him and he would never carve his name again. Clearly this piece was close to his heart, and the more I stare at it the more I can see why.
The next piece I liked is also by the great Michael Angelo. It is the portrait of the devil in the Sistine chapel. The reason I like a lot of Michael Angelo’s work is because I see him as a revolutionary. When in Florence we saw the Doni Tondo, it was a piece showing Mary and the baby Jesus. Mary was seen with short hair, and was muscular, and instead of Jesus being a perfectly behaved child, he was seen climbing all over her. He did things differently and real, and put emotion into his work.
I enjoy how he depicted the demons and creatures of hell in comparison to the scenes of God with angels; I think it is quite funny how demons are shown as big scary things and angels are more feminine creatures, makes me chuckle to think that they triumph over the big bad beings of hell. I feel like Michael Angelo intends for some of his art to amuse people, some of the demons have the most ridiculous smiles and looks on their faces.
The story behind the painting of the devil most impressed me. When Biagio da Cesena, the papal master of ceremonies, made a comment that the paintings would be more fitting for a tavern wall than a chapel, he retaliated by giving the devil the face of Biagio da Cesena. Instead of making stuff nice to appease the people who were paying him and were in charge he decided to go against this. I feel like these days art suffers for lack of this spirit. It could be because of in the USA and first world countries there are not many life changing things that people feel they need to protest or stand up against. Michael Angelo stood up against the norms of his time and dared to be different.
I have now seen two incredible marble works by Michael Angelo, The statue of David and The Pieta, and it never ceases to amaze me at how incredible the definition and clarity of the work is. It blows my mind how this man was able to produce such emotion in a piece of stone when I can barely do this drawing on paper. The part that most impressed me was the clothing of the Virgin Mary. The way it is carved seems like her garments are really falling that way, and the light creates shadows on it as if it was real clothing, it is incredible. The veins in Jesus’ body really impressed me, if you look at his foot we see how they protrude, just like he would have originally.
Another aspect of this work is that he could not make any mistakes, if he chipped or carved to hard the work would be ruined; he had to have such meticulous concentration when doing any of these marble works. This man really was a genius and I feel like this work was something that was special to him. It says that he carved his name in the sash of Mary, and afterwards he said he let his emotions get the better of him and he would never carve his name again. Clearly this piece was close to his heart, and the more I stare at it the more I can see why.
The next piece I liked is also by the great Michael Angelo. It is the portrait of the devil in the Sistine chapel. The reason I like a lot of Michael Angelo’s work is because I see him as a revolutionary. When in Florence we saw the Doni Tondo, it was a piece showing Mary and the baby Jesus. Mary was seen with short hair, and was muscular, and instead of Jesus being a perfectly behaved child, he was seen climbing all over her. He did things differently and real, and put emotion into his work.
I enjoy how he depicted the demons and creatures of hell in comparison to the scenes of God with angels; I think it is quite funny how demons are shown as big scary things and angels are more feminine creatures, makes me chuckle to think that they triumph over the big bad beings of hell. I feel like Michael Angelo intends for some of his art to amuse people, some of the demons have the most ridiculous smiles and looks on their faces.
The story behind the painting of the devil most impressed me. When Biagio da Cesena, the papal master of ceremonies, made a comment that the paintings would be more fitting for a tavern wall than a chapel, he retaliated by giving the devil the face of Biagio da Cesena. Instead of making stuff nice to appease the people who were paying him and were in charge he decided to go against this. I feel like these days art suffers for lack of this spirit. It could be because of in the USA and first world countries there are not many life changing things that people feel they need to protest or stand up against. Michael Angelo stood up against the norms of his time and dared to be different.
Hum 225: 20/09
The Pieta by Michael Angelo was my favorite piece of art that we saw; it is located in St Peters Basilica in the Vatican City. It is a life size statue of the Virgin Mary holding her son Jesus in her arms and is made from a slab of marble. It was commissioned in 1498 and was first unveiled in 1500.
I have now seen two incredible marble works by Michael Angelo, The statue of David and The Pieta, and it never ceases to amaze me at how incredible the definition and clarity of the work is. It blows my mind how this man was able to produce such emotion in a piece of stone when I can barely do this drawing on paper. The part that most impressed me was the clothing of the Virgin Mary. The way it is carved seems like her garments are really falling that way, and the light creates shadows on it as if it was real clothing, it is incredible. The veins in Jesus’ body really impressed me, if you look at his foot we see how they protrude, just like he would have originally.
Another aspect of this work is that he could not make any mistakes, if he chipped or carved to hard the work would be ruined; he had to have such meticulous concentration when doing any of these marble works. This man really was a genius and I feel like this work was something that was special to him. It says that he carved his name in the sash of Mary, and afterwards he said he let his emotions get the better of him and he would never carve his name again. Clearly this piece was close to his heart, and the more I stare at it the more I can see why.
The next piece I liked is also by the great Michael Angelo. It is the portrait of the devil in the Sistine chapel. The reason I like a lot of Michael Angelo’s work is because I see him as a revolutionary. When in Florence we saw the Doni Tondo, it was a piece showing Mary and the baby Jesus. Mary was seen with short hair, and was muscular, and instead of Jesus being a perfectly behaved child, he was seen climbing all over her. He did things differently and real, and put emotion into his work.
I enjoy how he depicted the demons and creatures of hell in comparison to the scenes of God with angels; I think it is quite funny how demons are shown as big scary things and angels are more feminine creatures, makes me chuckle to think that they triumph over the big bad beings of hell. I feel like Michael Angelo intends for some of his art to amuse people, some of the demons have the most ridiculous smiles and looks on their faces.
The story behind the painting of the devil most impressed me. When Biagio da Cesena, the papal master of ceremonies, made a comment that the paintings would be more fitting for a tavern wall than a chapel, he retaliated by giving the devil the face of Biagio da Cesena. Instead of making stuff nice to appease the people who were paying him and were in charge he decided to go against this. I feel like these days art suffers for lack of this spirit. It could be because of in the USA and first world countries there are not many life changing things that people feel they need to protest or stand up against. Michael Angelo stood up against the norms of his time and dared to be different.
I have now seen two incredible marble works by Michael Angelo, The statue of David and The Pieta, and it never ceases to amaze me at how incredible the definition and clarity of the work is. It blows my mind how this man was able to produce such emotion in a piece of stone when I can barely do this drawing on paper. The part that most impressed me was the clothing of the Virgin Mary. The way it is carved seems like her garments are really falling that way, and the light creates shadows on it as if it was real clothing, it is incredible. The veins in Jesus’ body really impressed me, if you look at his foot we see how they protrude, just like he would have originally.
Another aspect of this work is that he could not make any mistakes, if he chipped or carved to hard the work would be ruined; he had to have such meticulous concentration when doing any of these marble works. This man really was a genius and I feel like this work was something that was special to him. It says that he carved his name in the sash of Mary, and afterwards he said he let his emotions get the better of him and he would never carve his name again. Clearly this piece was close to his heart, and the more I stare at it the more I can see why.
The next piece I liked is also by the great Michael Angelo. It is the portrait of the devil in the Sistine chapel. The reason I like a lot of Michael Angelo’s work is because I see him as a revolutionary. When in Florence we saw the Doni Tondo, it was a piece showing Mary and the baby Jesus. Mary was seen with short hair, and was muscular, and instead of Jesus being a perfectly behaved child, he was seen climbing all over her. He did things differently and real, and put emotion into his work.
I enjoy how he depicted the demons and creatures of hell in comparison to the scenes of God with angels; I think it is quite funny how demons are shown as big scary things and angels are more feminine creatures, makes me chuckle to think that they triumph over the big bad beings of hell. I feel like Michael Angelo intends for some of his art to amuse people, some of the demons have the most ridiculous smiles and looks on their faces.
The story behind the painting of the devil most impressed me. When Biagio da Cesena, the papal master of ceremonies, made a comment that the paintings would be more fitting for a tavern wall than a chapel, he retaliated by giving the devil the face of Biagio da Cesena. Instead of making stuff nice to appease the people who were paying him and were in charge he decided to go against this. I feel like these days art suffers for lack of this spirit. It could be because of in the USA and first world countries there are not many life changing things that people feel they need to protest or stand up against. Michael Angelo stood up against the norms of his time and dared to be different.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
314 Journal 15/09
The ghetto is a notorious term that many people these days associate with poverty stricken, crime infested areas, teaming with drug dealers and prostitutes. Even though these are characteristics that were and are present in ghettos, there is more to it. Especially in the Jewish Ghetto and other ghettos of it’s kind, where people were forced to live in this certain area.
When people are not free to go and leave as they please, and have restrictions on what kind of jobs they have, they are being set up for failure. We are all made differently, with a different set of skills, and if yours do not fit into the prescribed jobs available, what option do you have?
I am currently reading ‘Kaffir Boy’, which is set in one of South Africa’s infamous ghettos, Alexandra, and I am learning about how the men are hardened from all the trauma they have to suffer, the kids see no point in school and a future as they are fighting simply for survival, and how they perceive people outside of this ghetto and how people perceive them.
Ghettos are breeding pits for stereotypes. When people are forced to live in a certain area or come from the ghetto, others looking in can believe whatever they want about the people, that they are lazy, alcoholics, criminals because they don’t come into contact with these people in a positive environment. When everyone is telling you that you are these things your whole life, it is hard to believe that you aren’t. It works the same way in reverse, people in the ghettos assume crazy notions about ALL people outside the ghetto, and the result is hatred brews in people’s hearts.
Ghettos truly are terrible things, and it is extremely sad to see the cycle of hate and malice that has been going on for so many centuries. So often people see only the action instead of taking into account the circumstances. It is cheesy to say, but perhaps if both parties stepped out of their comfort zones and came together to try see things from another point of view, we would accept our differences, use our strengths and work together to break this cycle.
When people are not free to go and leave as they please, and have restrictions on what kind of jobs they have, they are being set up for failure. We are all made differently, with a different set of skills, and if yours do not fit into the prescribed jobs available, what option do you have?
I am currently reading ‘Kaffir Boy’, which is set in one of South Africa’s infamous ghettos, Alexandra, and I am learning about how the men are hardened from all the trauma they have to suffer, the kids see no point in school and a future as they are fighting simply for survival, and how they perceive people outside of this ghetto and how people perceive them.
Ghettos are breeding pits for stereotypes. When people are forced to live in a certain area or come from the ghetto, others looking in can believe whatever they want about the people, that they are lazy, alcoholics, criminals because they don’t come into contact with these people in a positive environment. When everyone is telling you that you are these things your whole life, it is hard to believe that you aren’t. It works the same way in reverse, people in the ghettos assume crazy notions about ALL people outside the ghetto, and the result is hatred brews in people’s hearts.
Ghettos truly are terrible things, and it is extremely sad to see the cycle of hate and malice that has been going on for so many centuries. So often people see only the action instead of taking into account the circumstances. It is cheesy to say, but perhaps if both parties stepped out of their comfort zones and came together to try see things from another point of view, we would accept our differences, use our strengths and work together to break this cycle.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Stories and Traditions 7/9
The piazza is essential to Italian culture. An Italian city without a piazza is like a zebra without stripes, still cool but not as fun. It is the magnetic force that brings people of all kinds together, young and old, artistic and athletic, all are drawn by the wonder that is the piazza.
There are many common features in most Italian piazzas. Very often there is a fountain, apart from being aesthetically pleasing, it is used very practically, as a place for people to relax and cool down. What I like about the fountain being in the middle is that most roads lead to it, so people from all different places and walks of life are meeting up in that one spot. Churches are also prominent in the piazzas. The general feel I get from piazzas is that they are a place for people of all kinds, and even though the prominence of churches may not prove this, I think people of all religions can find a way to appreciate the art and architecture.
Food is a big part of piazzas, and almost everywhere in Italy. This is definitely one of the most magnetic forces behind piazzas and Italy. It is what brings people of different generations to the same place. Old people come to share a meal and wine; young people come for a slice of pizza and gelato. Nonetheless old and new co-exist.
I think that this is the spirit that Italy of today is built on. With all the rich history and greatness that the country possesses, they still have to forge their own path in today’s modern world. Ancient and modern have to co-exist and compliment one another, in the same way we see the piazzas of Italy and the people that inhabit them do this.
There are many common features in most Italian piazzas. Very often there is a fountain, apart from being aesthetically pleasing, it is used very practically, as a place for people to relax and cool down. What I like about the fountain being in the middle is that most roads lead to it, so people from all different places and walks of life are meeting up in that one spot. Churches are also prominent in the piazzas. The general feel I get from piazzas is that they are a place for people of all kinds, and even though the prominence of churches may not prove this, I think people of all religions can find a way to appreciate the art and architecture.
Food is a big part of piazzas, and almost everywhere in Italy. This is definitely one of the most magnetic forces behind piazzas and Italy. It is what brings people of different generations to the same place. Old people come to share a meal and wine; young people come for a slice of pizza and gelato. Nonetheless old and new co-exist.
I think that this is the spirit that Italy of today is built on. With all the rich history and greatness that the country possesses, they still have to forge their own path in today’s modern world. Ancient and modern have to co-exist and compliment one another, in the same way we see the piazzas of Italy and the people that inhabit them do this.
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