Week 13 blog

The Flavian Amphitheater is an amazing site to behold. The creation itself is a testament to the genius and creativity to the people of Rome at the time. This is probably the most obvious example of how past art and architecture literally still lives in the world we know now. The indoor and outdoor stadiums of the present day still often closely follow the same architectural design of the Flavians and Romans. To see such a mammoth creation come froma a time with no modern day technologies or machines to aid them in the building is stupendous. Sadly, the amphitheater was pulled apart for different bulding needs over time and is only a piece of what was an astoundingly large structure. Even with all my schooling and the technology available to me I know that I could not even begin to create something this amazing or large. The cultures of the past have left their marks on the present day. This specific piece of art is a living piece of history which (thank goodness) was salvaged and eventually seen for it's priceless historical value.

This election was the first time I have EVER voted. I was a "voting virgin" up unitl now and found the experience exciting and fun. Besides wanting to have a say in who our next president should be I felt stronly about propostition 2 which would ban the cruel farming of animals.

As most of us know already this election is a historical one for our nation. To be apart of that is exhilarating and made me feel a little more patriotic. I will be watching the coverage tonight to see who will be taking his seat in the oval office!

Week 8 Blog

The image of Panel from the Amazon Frieze reminded me of a scene right out of Saving Private Ryan. The horrific images that we as a race have come to know from war have been burned into our minds. Wars no matter what era or time they take place are still wars. Even with our technology people including soldiers and innocent victims lose their lives. Coming out of the Army this panel to me just really represented the art of the fight. The whole good v. evil idea that we have all come to know. The funny thing is that even from a portrait or painting no one can tell which side is the good side and which is the bad. People in images like this may look like the victim, butin reality may be the original aggressor. While I was in boot camp we were often called to classrooms for lectures. In these lectures we would learn about the horrors of war and how we had to be prepared to even kill children. An image like this one proves that it is in mans nature to fight and kill for what he/she believes is right. And again proves how mankind, no matter how much technology or education we have, is still just a society of people not unlike the societys of the past. Holding jobs, raising families and fighting wars.

The Landscape (spring fresco) is a beuatifully detailed and intricate work of art. It is most amazing because its color and size are phenomenal and easy to appreciate. When I saw this piece of art in my reading I immediately thought of the wall murals that are becoming such a popular trend for nursery's today. As a nanny with over 8 years experience in my job field I have seen many different mural paintings done. Everything from lifelike animals to nature scenes to fictional disney characters are all played out on the walls of childrens bedrooms now. And it is no wonder. Who wouldn't want to wake up every morning to see something peaceful or fun. Often times murals like these bring happiness not only to the children, but to the parents who commission the murals. Not unlike the Minoans, the people of our civilization have a natural desire to bring peace and beauty to the indoors. The need to almost bring the outside inside has been a growing trend for quite a few years. Every blog I seem to do is yet another bit of evidence that proves to me how much the human race hasn't changed in terms of life and art. Other than the advancement of technology we really aren't that different. I included a sample mural from a childs room above next to the spring fresco. Notice the choice of calming colors the artist chose to reflect nature. The mural is very realistic and natural in what I can only assume was th artists intent. Both works of art relay the feeling of natures peace and beauty just in different ways.

Blog 5 Week 5

The Narmer Pallette from the Early Dynastic period of Egypt includes two major pieces of history that can be related to today. The first is written communication. Much like the newspapers and magazines we read today the Narmer Pallete tells us a story. Thanks to pieces of art like these we are able to attain a better understanding of the people of early Egypt and their daily lives. It gives us an insight to the politics of the day and the rulers of the time. Much like the written news of today it informs us of what major changes or news had taken place recently while at the same time making the people of Egypt aware of any new power or ruler that may have come to the thrown. The Narmer Pallete is also a work of art. The finely chiseled pictures and heiroglyphs portay a visual scene to the viewer. The person responsible for a piece like this was not only an author, but an artist as well. If you really look at this kind of portayal of power you kind of can see how it relates to the drama of today in tabloids and magazines. People are inclined to want not just gossip and fact, but they want it in the "juiciest" possible way. Here we can see that this has been done visually by the incorporation of graphic scenes depicting violence, power and control. The further I get in my reading the more I realize that the only thing that separates todays society from society's past s our technology.

This painted relief of Akhenaten and his family is essentially a family portrait. Just like the millions of people who flock to the Sears portrait studio's or expensive photographers every year at Christmas, Akhenaten wanted a symbol of his families happiness and well being. This portrait could even be considered as a kind of photograph taken during a typical day in the life of this family. Today we value pictures and portraits of ourselves and loved one's because they convey happy, memorable, and important times in our lives. I myself just purchased a digital camera and try to take as many pictures of my daily adventures that I can. Special occasions like graduations and birthday parties are memories that we like to relive over and over again. Even small events such as a day in the park or a picnic on a beach become cherished family memories. I myself lost my dad to cancer almost 7 years ago and if it was not for my photographs I would have nothing, but my memories to remember him by. My precious pictures are something that I will be able to show my children and their children someday. They will be able to put a face with a name when they hear me talk about how much he meant to me. And even when I just sometimes miss hearing his voice or I feel like I can't quite see his face in my mind I am able to pull out one of my many photo albums and not only see his face, but I am able to recall where the picture was taken and what we were doing. The people of the past no matter what era or part of the world they come from seem to have always had a sense of family and the want/need to immortalize the ones they love in paintings, sculptures and pictures. This specific piece of art really stood out to me because it was so real and must have truly meant something to Akhenaten just as my photos mean to me.

Blog #3

The Daric coin showing the image of Darius 1 of Persia is a fabulous example of how art relates to life today. Currency has always played some role in the history of man and the art and pictures on them seem to have symbolized the same thing throughout the ages. Here we can see the image of Darius holding his spear and weapons to demonstrate his power and control. This is not unlike the coins and cash that we use today. Everyone knows the image of Washington on the one dollar bill and Lincoln on the penny. These men symbolize great meaning to us as a nation as did Darius during his reign. His may have been power and ours may be freedom.
The use of money or trade is also another shared characteristic of people throughout history. Not only is it a symbol of our culture, but it is also used for economic reasons as well. I guess never at any point in time could you get something for nothing. What amazes me is the high level of sophistication that the people of the Near East practiced. The Assyrians even had a treasury! I believe that the beautiful sculptures and carvings (such as a lamassu) put any artist today to shame. The careful technique and artistry of these pieces are astonishing. Thank goodness we haven't lost all art to war and looters!

Blog #2

The Wall Painting with Horses, Rhinoceroses, and

Aurochs is a testiment to the artistic connection that the human race shares no matter what the era. What amazes me most about this cave painting is that it looks like it could have been done in more recent times by a reputable artist using charcoal. When I think of the kind of people that lived during 30,000-28,000 BCE I generally think of them as totally primitive with no real sense of art or appreciation of it. The beauty in this painting evokes a truer sense of what the artist must have seen in everyday life and how he/she not only appreciated, but comprehended the true beauty of what he/she was privy to. I am a huge animal lover and have had the privilege of working on a ranch. There I was able to learn about and take in the beauty of such an intelligent and magnificent animal. Although today it would be a pretty impossible occurance to see rhinos and wild horses frolicking together anywhere, it is unreal to think that once animals live completely free. Since the animals depicted in cave paintings were not the ones used for food sources I can believe that the people then must have known and understood that horses were and still are intelligent and useful creatures. The aestetically pleasing nature of these animals still holds true today. Motion pictures such as Sea Biscuit and National Velvet are two of my favorite movies. I have often recently been dragged to the horse races (which I still don't know how to feel about) and have very much enjoyed to athletism and speed of these animals. I think that the artist of the cave painting at Chauvet was as inspired by the beauty of the horse as I am. The fact that art can speak to people similarly through any span of time absolutely blows my mind.

Art about me

My dog, Piper, is a red heeler and the love of my life. She is only three years old, but already has a few unfortunate medical conditions. I have always been a lover of animals and am a member of the ASPCA. I am a huge animal rights activist and make it a point to sign petitions relating to the safety, welfare and abuse of our four legged friends. I am a firm believer in the healing power that animals can have when it pertains to humans. I donate to the ASPCA every month and make it a point to donate to the humane society whenever I can.

I am of Mexican decent and even though I am the third generation of my family here I still love the food. My favorite foods are not just spicy, but seering hot! Growing up without most of the Mexican traditions and habits I was still blessed to have a grandmother who could cook the food. As a child I used to watch her whip up enchiladas, tamales and many other dishes in the kitchen. She grows her own peppers right in her backyard so when I saw this picture I had to use it. Just like me these peppers are hot!

My feet are currently playing a huge part in my life. I went into the Army a couple of years ago and came out with my feet completely destroyed. I was a runner before I went in and had done the Rock N Roll half marathon a month before I was shipped out. Sadly, I have been unable to not only run, but to even walk the length of a mall. I live with my condition everyday and have had the first of what should be three surgeries 2 months ago. The healing process has been fustratingly slow. Running to me was one of the mos important parts of my life. It was something I did everyday and loved more than anything. The devestation of knowing I will never run again has been a most difficult realization. My feet and how they are feeling on any given day now run my life.

With all that said about my feet I think my religion would be what gets me through this painful degeneration of my feet. I was raised a Catholic and would never change my beliefs for anyone. The pictures and depictions of the saints I have grown up learning about have always been a great comfort to me. I don't get to church as often as I like, but feel as if I am always there. My religion keeps me grounded as a person and helps to keep life in perspective for me

The picture says it all. My stint in the Army was short lived thanks to my bad feet, but I made it through boot camp and have never had such an amazing experience. My younger brother is a Sergeant in the Army and is currently deployed. I have many friends still in the Army whom I keep in contact with on an almost daily basis. The amazing experience I had helped to shape my personality dramatically. I feel stronger and less afraid than I ever have. Even though I am not in the Army anymore (nor can I go back in due to medical reasons) I still feel as if my heart is there. The feeling of accomplishment follows me through my everyday life and is what pushes me partly in school.