Ming Dynasty blog 8

This piece is entitled Flower, grass, and insects by Zhang Chong made during the late Ming Dynasty in China somewhere between 1628 and 1652, the dates of his birth and death.

Chong was a native of Yangzhou, Jiangsu Province and often specialized in paintings of figures, ladies, landscapes, flowers, and birds. Chong’s paintings were sometimes commissioned and because he was actively painting in the turbulent times of the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, it is no surprise that his works, such as Flower, grass, and insects, depict peacefulness and serenity, something not very dominant in the day. This piece is somewhat of an escape from the violence and harshness of the time Chong was living in.

Flower, grass, and insects is one leaf out of an album of twelve. In Chinese folklore rocks, as seen in the painting, represent longevity. The petals, leaves, and wings of the butterflies were done in a single breath with no touch-up which gives them a light, delicate touch. The rocks, butterflies, and dragonflies were done in mogu, a boneless style. The varying tones of the colored inks give the work a sense of liveliness and are obviously exquisitely beautiful. Since, this work was done on a smaller scale it was able to be more relaxed than it would have been if done on a larger scale.

I chose this piece because it is so simple, refreshing, and beautiful. It is not a very busy painting but its simplicity and lovely colors make it truly breathtaking. It is a very peaceful painting with calming qualities and just something nice to look at. It is something I would hang on my wall because I love the colors, especially the pinks in the begonias. I also appreciate the ‘daintiness’ of the piece.

I have always enjoyed the lighter side of art and this painting is as peaceful as it is beautiful. Sometimes it is nice to take a break from the immense underlying tones and moral codes and just appreciate a piece of art for its aesthetically  pleasing qualities.

Works cited:

http://arts.cultural-china.com/en/77Arts6945.html

https://classes.uaf.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_id=_2_1&url=%2fwebapps%2fblackboard%2fexecute%2flauncher%3ftype%3dCourse%26id%3d_60839_1%26url%3d

http://www.artnet.com/artist/179245/zhang-chong.html

African Art blog 7

This piece is an African work of art called Flow II , 36 by 48 inch acrylic on canvas, created by artist James Cudjoe in his home country of Ghana in Accra. I did quite a bit of research trying to find when this piece was created, but as it is not one of his most famous works, I came up unsuccessful. However, upon intensely scanning over the painting, you can see at the bottom right corner of the painting there is Cudjoe’s signature with an underlined ’09 beneath it which leads me to believe it was painted recently in 2009. Cudjoe graduated from Ghana’s private art college Ghanatta in 1996 and was born on September 7, 1971 in Takoradi, Ghana.

Much of  Cudjoe’s works draw on images of everyday life and Flow II is no exception. You can make out a women, most likely an African market women, a figure Cudjoe says represents his own mother, his muse. This piece is also representative of the vibrant colors his works are known for. Cudjoe’s pieces such as this have become very popular world wide because they are thought to be emotional, evocative, and relatable.

Flow II is a simple piece meant to represent the beauty of the ordinary. This common, everyday African  women may not hold a status of grandeur but in Cudjoe’s painting, she is beautiful and whimsical. The loose strokes of the painting and vibrant colors give it a very positive energy. Cudjoe has a great respect for women and their strength, so in his works, such as this, he often depicts woman in a strong, proud, yet beautiful light.

Flow II is one of my favorite pieces of African art because it utilizes vibrant, beautiful colors, it uses the brush strokes symbolic of the Impressionist style which I thoroughly enjoyed, and it is a light piece open to the viewer’s interpretation.  The loose brush strokes and the way the artist depicts the woman’s garments blowing as if by a breeze make the work have a whimsical and just happy overtone. The woman holding her head high and looking forward against the breeze makes me think that the painting is depicting her as proud and respectable women even though she is probably a commoner, as most women are depicted in Cudjoe’s works.

I interpret this piece as light, joyful, peaceful, proud, and energetic all at the same time. It evokes many emotions in the viewer without depicting some dark underlying meaning. To me, this piece makes me feel the cool, fresh air blowing in my face on a warm sunny day and I just feel calm and happy and at the same time full of life.

I selected this piece because it is something that I enjoy looking at and I enjoy the way it makes me feel. As I mentioned above, it utilizes some of my favorite aspects of art like the vibrant colors and light subject matter that is open to the viewer’s interpretation. Not to mention, any work that truly embodies the strength and important role of women is a plus in my book.

Works cited:

https://classes.uaf.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_id=_2_1&url=%2fwebapps%2fblackboard%2fexecute%2flauncher%3ftype%3dCourse%26id%3d_60839_1%26url%3d

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Cudjoe

http://www.justlikemychild.com/auction.html

Just Look Up blog #6

People often wonder why we Alaskans live in such a cold climate. For that answer one must only look up. This virtual exhibit is full of the magic called aurora borealis or the northern lights. Two well known photographers of the aurora are Jan Curtis and Todd Salat.

Jan Curtis is not your typical photographer, in fact most of his photos are intended for educational purposes to learn about the northern lights. His love for physical science is what lead him to photography. Curtis’s exposure to photography took off when Sky and Telescope used a May 25, 1975 photo of a total lunar eclipse that made the front cover. However, Curtis’s fascination with the northern lights began as a child from hearing stories about the auroras from his uncle. Upon having the chance to come to Alaska, Curtis and his wife Linda moved to Fairbanks in 1995. Upon viewing a brilliant aurora in August of that year, Curtis took a picture and his adventure of capturing the auroras by photo began.

Todd Salat, known by some as ‘The Aurorahunter’, is also well known for his beautiful photographs of the northern lights. Salat was born in Iowa country and gained  a degree in geology at the University of South Dakota in 1986 and a Masters in geology from the University of Wyoming in 1989. Salat later obtained a job as an exploration geologist which brought him to Alaska. After leaving the state to pursue quests in Australia, Salat returned to Alaska in 1997 to pursue his dream of becoming a freelance photographer. Salat lives in Anchorage with his wife Shay but travels around the state with his mission statement “Be there-preserve the moment-share it!”

This photo is one of Curtis’s entitled Twilight Curtain taken on March 20, 2001 about thirty miles northeast of Fairbanks. There are different varieties of auroras, the one pictured here is a curtain. It obviously fits into the overall theme of this exhibit because it is about the magnificent colors and shapes of the northern lights. I love this photo because of the way it captures the beautiful green lights contrasted against a deep blue sky. It is truly a heavenly and unforgettable image. It shows that sometimes nature cannot be improved upon.

This is another of Curtis’s pictures fitting into the overall aurora scheme. Red over Green, photographed also on March 20, 2001 north of Fairbanks, is a ray-like aurora. This is a breath-taking photo because of the two very distinct colors working in unison but at the same time not mixing with each other. It is amazing how the auroras, such as this one, can so sharply change from one color to the next. My favorite feature in this picture is how the blackened trees in the foreground really make the bright green in the aurora ‘pop out’ to the viewer.

Keeping with the aurora theme, but not wanting to bore, I choose to display this photo entitled Substorm by Curtis. It was taken on March 24, 2001 in Poker Flat, which is north of Fairbanks. This type of aurora, a substorm, correctly keeps with the title. This photo is probably one of my favorites of Curtis because it seems so alive. The lights seem to be dancing across the sky, and though it is a still photo, it doesn’t seem that way, you can almost feel the motion of the aurora. This photo seems so ‘smooth’ and fluid.

Salat takes his photos more from an artistic standpoint than pure education, as Curtis focuses on. This really makes Salat’s photos stand out among other photographers. He truly searches out and finds the best auroras I have ever viewed.

Salat’s photo Kaleidoscope is a corona type aurora. It was taken near dawn on October 23, 2003 on a hillside above Anchorage, looking east to Powerline Pass from Flattop Overlook. This is one of the most magnificent aurora photos I have ever seen and I fell in love with the soft purple, green, and blues that engulf the photo. The photographer  named this photo kaleidoscope because he felt like he was being transported into one at the time. This photo is so wonderful because the viewer is swallowed by this sensation as well.

Legendary Lady is one of Salat’s photos taken on September 30, 2000 at 1 a.m. in Anchorage looking west from Earthquake Park overlook. This aurora fits in well with the magnificent shapes and colors seen in the other photos. Another ray aurora, but certainly one with the most vibrant colors to be seen in this exhibit. This photo is outstandingly beautiful with its array of blues, greens, orange, red, and neon yellow. This is one of my favorites because it has the biggest variety of colors I have seen in an aurora. The mountains and lake in the background just add to the pictures glory.

I decided that it was only fit to save the best for last in this virtual exhibit. Behold Salat’s The Phoenix taken in November of 1998 from a geomagnetic storm that lasted two and a half nights. This was taken in the Alaskan Range along the Richardson Highway north of Paxson. Take a minute to look at this photo because once glance doesn’t allow you enough time to indulge in the beauty of it. This corona aurora gradually descends from dark purple to light green and clearly resembles the shape of a bird. The moon to the right in the picture lets the viewer really understand the sheer magnitude and size of this magnificent spectacle. This is my favorite photo of all time without a doubt and I am ecstatic that I was able to discover it because I have ordered my own copy for my daughter Phoenix. And, no it isn’t just the similarity of names that is why this photo is my all time favorite. This photo represents a sort of rebirth, which is what the mythical Phoenix bird represents. Looking at  this photo really puts the universe and our small roles into perspective. To me this work shouts that there is more to life than the everyday tasks, we just have to open our eyes and take it in.

My goal of this virtual exhibit was to take one of the most beautiful and fascinating spectacles of nature, the aurora borealis, and show some in a variety of its forms. To me, the auroras prove that nature is the most beautiful of all things and rather than trying to improve upon it, sometimes all we have to do is take a little time to enjoy beauty in its simplest, purest forms.

Works cited:

http://climate.gi.alaska.edu/Curtis/aurora/aurora.html

http://aurorahunter.com/bio.php

http://latitude64photos.com/

Early Modern Blog #4

This is a painting by Marcel Duchamp entitled Nude Descending a Staircase, No. 2 created in 1912 in Paris, France.

This painting is an example of the Dada style and was inspired by World War I. Dadaists believed that tradition caused the war, and in response to this, these artists chose to create art that rejected tradition completely. Dada art is thought of as absurd and very irrational.

Nude Descending a Staircase, No. 2 used aspects of cubism and futurism as well in its depiction of a nude descending a staircase in a mechanistic motion. This work was the center of much controversy as Duchamp chose to display this work at the International Exhibition of Modern Art in New York City in 1913. Americans, used to realistic art, were baffled by this piece and thought it was quite controversial.

It sure isn’t very easy to make out the figure coming down the staircase at first glance because it shows her in successive motions. But one of the reasons I like this painting is because it reminds me of one of those ‘picture finds’ we stared at for hours when we were little trying to find the hidden image when it was really right in front of our faces when we stopped staring so hard. I must admit much of the dada artwork I encountered I was not a fan of, but this piece in particular appealed to me. It is a very creative piece, but not too over the top, like the sculpted urinal. I think the sense of motion in this piece makes it terribly exciting. It is also open to a person’s own interpretation. And, though I am traditionally a fan of brilliant colors, the lack of vibrant colors in this piece seem to work for it.

Knowing that the Dada movement is founded on the rejection of tradition, it is easy to see that this very nontraditional piece is perfectly representative of the movement. Its certainly not a realistic depiction of a nude descending a staircase. It utilized fragmentation and a sense of motion to depict the subject matter, which makes the piece almost a little chaotic, like the effects of the war.

Works cited:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marcel_Duchamp

http://www.understandingduchamp.com/

Post-Impressionism Blog #4

I would have to say I favor Impressionism, particularly Post-Impressionism,  over the previous art we have studied from the Renaissance, Baroque, and Classical eras. I have appreciated all the art thus far, but it is so refreshing to see a beautiful piece of art without the religious or classical antiquity undertone. Impressionism and Post-Impression are depicting beauty just because they can, there is usually no complicated under lying meaning beneath the works. A person is free to interpret the works how they may.

Almond Branches

My personal favorite Post-Impressionist artist is Vincent van Gogh. I can’t explain how beautiful I think his works are. I have choose to show his Almond Branches, my personal favorite of all the works I have seen so far. This piece was created in Saint Remy in 1890 when he committed himself to the hospital at Saint-Paul-de-Mausole. Most of his works at this time focused on the actual clinic and its gardens. This painting it simply just beautiful and displays gorgeous blue and white colors that create and very calming effect. That is why I am so found of this piece, there is no dark, disturbing meaning. It is just a calm, light, nice print.

Olive Trees with Alpilles in the Background

Rue Montorgueil, Paris, Festival of June 30, 1878

Another painting I have chosen to display of van Gogh is his Olive Trees with Alpilles in the Background painted in 1889 also in Saint Remy. This work was inspired after taking his short, supervised walk he was allowed while staying at the asylum. This work is characteristic of van Gogh because of the swirls he employed in his paintings around this time. This Post-Impressionistic piece perhaps better illustrates the obvious blending of colors, sketchy lines, and loose brush strokes of Impressionism, but at the same time illustrates how it is still more formalized and structured than typical Impressionist paintings, like those of Monet. I have shown Monet’s Rue Montorgueil, Paris, Festival of June 30, 1878, obviously completed in Paris in 1878, to compare its less structured appearance to van Gogh’s Post-Impressionistic works that weren’t quite as loose and were more formalized. Van Gogh’s works are also a little more emotional, as one can see in the aggressive swirls he utilizes in his works, than the Impressionist paintings, but they still didn’t carry the heavy symbolism that previous eras employed in paintings.

I really enjoy the Post-Impressionism style because it doesn’t focus on typical religious and historical matter, but it still depicts some emotions, van Gogh shows emotions through his colors and his ‘swirls’, and lets the viewer use their own interpretation of the piece. Post-Impression is the most beautiful artistic movement I have encountered. This art form is a far cry from the religious depictions of the Renaissance, portraiture of the Baroque, or political influences of the Classical era. Impressionism and Post Impressionism is art for the sake of art, beautiful with no ulterior motives.

Works cited:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vincent_van_Gogh

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Monet-montorgueil.JPG

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://imagecache5.art.com/

L’ Infedelta Delusa Blog #3

This is a clip of the finale of Franz Joseph Haydn’s opera buffa entitled L’ Infedelta’ Delusa, or Deceit Outwitted. It was created around 1773 in the Esterhaza, a rural retreat for Prince Nikolaus I in western Hungary. It was first performed at this retreat, that was transformed into an opera house, on July 26, 1773.

This opera features a multitude of wit and deceit. The plot surrounds the characters of Vespina and Nanni, who are brother and sister, Filippo and Sandrina, who are father and daughter, and Nencio. All but Nencio are Turkish peasants. Nencio is a well off farmer.

The opera begins with Filippo arranging a marriage between his daughter Sandrina and Nencio, but Sandrina and Nanni are in love. Nanni vows revenge on Filippo. Vespina is in love with Nencio and vows revenge as well, though Nencio does not seem to feel the same. Through much deceit and outwitting other characters through disguise, Vespina breaks up the arranged marriage between Nencio and Sandrina, by claiming to Filippo that Nencio was previously married. Filippo insults Nencio and Nencio then vows revenge on him.

Disguised, Vespina reveals a plan to marry Sandrina off to Marquis of Ripafratta. But then disguised as Ripafratta, Vespina tells Nencio that Sandrina will really be married off to a kitchen hand. Nencio, pleased by this revenge, wants to witness it.

In the final act, which I included above because the whole opera is very long, so I just chose to show the finale, Vespina and Nanni disguise themselves yet again. Vespina, disguised as a notary and Nanni disguised as the Marquis’ servant, meet with Filippo, Sandrina, and Nencio, being the witness, for the supposed marriage between Sandrina and Ripafratta. Cleverly Vespina has Nencio sign the contract pretending it is a witness signature and Nanni signs a contract pretending to sign the marriage certificate for the Marquis. Nanni and Vespina then take of their disguises  and reveal that Nanni actually signed a marriage certificate between himself and Sandrina and Nencio actually signed a marriage certificate between himself and Vespina. Filippo then accepts the fate of his daughter’s marriage to her true love Nanni.

This opera relates to the middle class because it is based on the lives of peasants and full of wit that emphasizes the cleverness of  the lower classes. Nencio, who is wealthy, is tricked by those in the lower class. This empowered the middle and lower classes because it demonstrated that wealth did not overcome wit. This is ironic considering Prince Nikolaus I, a wealthy patron to Haydn, commissioned the creation of this work and many other works of Haydn. Furthermore, this opera is linked to the middle class because throughout the piece, Haydn casually pokes fun at royalty but without seeming bitter. This made it all the more enjoyable to the middle class because the lower classes were being praised in this opera not insulted.

I truly enjoyed learning about this opera because it was full of twists and turns and there was never a dull moment. I enjoyed the cleverness of the work and I liked the message that money couldn’t buy everything, especially not love or wit. True love prevailing in the end also made the opera more than a comedy, it taught a lesson.

works cited:

http://www.bamptonopera.org/repertory/haydnlinfedelta.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L%27infedelt%C3%A0_delusa

http://operachic.typepad.com/opera_chic/2009/05/haydn-linfedelt%C3%A0-delusa.html

Baroque Era Blog #2

This is a painting by Diego Velazquez entitled Las Meninas, Spanish for The Maids of Honour, which was created in 1656 in the Museo del Prado in Madrid, Spain.

Velazquez was the leading artist of the Spanish Golden Age and his works were greatly influenced by royalty as he was commissioned by King Philip IV of Spain to be the palace chamberlain.

Las Meninas depicts Infanta Margarita and her royal entourage of maids of honor, her chaperon, bodyguard, two dwarfs, and her dog. This painting looks as if it were somewhat a snap shot representing royal life. It is one of the most analyzed works in history because of complex questions it raises about reality and illusion and the relationship between the viewer and the figures.

This painting is not painted in a typical royal setting, rather it was painted in Velazquez’s studio. This brings up the question of whether it is an actual portrait or rather a depiction of what royal life entails. Velazquez himself was actually depicted in this painting standing behind one of the maids at the left and looking out to the viewer. This raises the question of whether the painting was also meant to be a self-portrait of Velazquez. Furthermore, an illusion is created through the figures in the painting looking out toward the viewer, but the viewer is depicted as being the actual king and queen of Spain. If you look closely you can see their reflections in the mirror in the background. However, some scholars have suggested that the so called mirror is actually meant to be a painting by Velazquez of the king and queen.

This is truly a fascinating piece of work and the unanswered questions are ones that keep the viewer thinking about this piece long after they have viewed it which is precisely why I like it. I personally think this a sort of self-portrait of Velazquez in which he is showing the viewer the workings of his daily life and the viewer being depicted as the king and queen shows how he has been taken under their wing. After all, Velazquez’s royal position gave him many perks other less respected artists did not have. I also really love the way Margarita’s face shows her youth and at the same time displays this look of self-importance, almost along the lines of ego-centrism.

Works Cited:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Las_Meninas

http://www.evl.uic.edu/chris/meninas/

http://smarthistory.org/Velazquez-Las-Meninas.html

Northern Renaissance, Blog 1

This art piece of the Northern Renaissance is often referred to as The Arnolfini Wedding or The Arnolfini Marriage. It was painted by Jan Van Eyck in tempera and oil on oak wood in 1434 in Bruges. It is now displayed in the National Gallery in London.

This style of painting was one that was becoming more common after the Reformation in that rather than paying most attention to the actual people in the forefront of the painting, as in the Italian Renaissance, Van Eyck paid just as much attention to all the little details of the objects, even in the background. Even with Van Eyck’s extensive details he pays to the material objects in the room there is still reminisce of the humanist movement in this piece with the realism it creates. For instance, as humanism emphasizes physical beauty, when looking at the women in the painting , thought to be the wife of Giovanni Arnolfini, one can see how her abdomen is protruding from her body like she is pregnant. There is much speculation about whether or not she is with child, but one thing that is agreed upon is the emphasis on the abdomen was a sign of physical beauty of that time. Not only this, but humanism also emphasized the spirit and Van Eyck’s used detailed symbolism to represent the spirituality in this painting. The solitary flame burning on the candle in the background is thought to represent God’s all seeing eye and Christ being present in the room. The ten miniature medallions on the mirror are thought to represent scenes from the life of Christ and an image of St. Margaret is carved in the high chair back.

It seems like everything detail in the painting has an underlying meaning and nothing is painted  to just represent its normal function. The dog is said to be a symbol of faithfulness, the shoes are symbol of the sanctity of marriage, and the fruit a symbol of fertility.

What caught my attention about the painting was the elaborate detail in the painting. As painters in the Italian Renaissance focused on perspectives of human anatomy, Van Eyck made sure to pay great detail to all of the objects in his work. If you look closely at the convex mirror you see the reflections of the couple, who are said to be getting either married or engaged, the witnesses, and even Van Eyck himself. It is because of this reflection that some scholars suggest this could also serve as an elaborate self-portrait of Van Eyck. As with humanism, Van Eyck must have used the most cutting edge techniques of his day to pull of the precise mirrored reflections in the mirror and the depth perspective and three dimensional feel of his work.

Obviously, the elaborate attention paid to details, vivid colors, and just sheer beauty of this painting is what originally drew me to it, however, it is the unanswered questions and speculations about it that I find most intriguing. For example, above the mirror is Van Eyck’s signature “Jan Van Eyck was here. 1434.” It is because of this signature that scholars suggest that this is not just a wedding portrait but an actual legal certificate recording a marriage. Others believe it was just a witty inscription. Perhaps the biggest debate of the painting is “Is she or isn’t she?” Upon first glance the viewer assumes she is pregnant but this type of dress accentuating the abdomen was popular in this time. Furthermore, women carried bunches of their heavy fabric in in this manner to avoid getting the material dirty by it dragging on the floor.

It is my belief the Van Eyck intentionally made her look pregnant. Her belly is definitely emphasized and the way she rests her hand upon her stomach is what many pregnant women are seen doing today. I do not necessarily think that this woman was actually pregnant during the time of the painting. I think Van Eyck was projecting what was to come and in a way ‘blessing’ the marriage with fertility through the portrait. The signs of fertility in the painting, the fruit and St. Margaret, make me think that the artist is going out of his  way to emphasize the blessing of children upon the couple and depicting the woman as pregnant is his way of painting what the couple will achieve or desire now that they are married.

Works cited:

http://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/jan-van-eyck-the-arnolfini-portrait

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arnolfini_Portrait

http://www.ibiblio.org/wm/paint/auth/eyck/arnolfini/

http://www.smarthistory,org/van Eyck.html

This is me and my family!

my family

Since this is my introductory blog, I have to be honest and say I have never blogged before. In fact, I fiddled with this for about an hour hoping to figure it out So I hope everyone can bare with me as I learn my way around this new website. With that aside, I can easily some up myself in a few simple words: wife, mother, and student. If  I’m not playing with the kids then I am cleaning up after them and in my spare time I am hoping to get some “class time” in to further my education so that when my kids are school age I can work as a teacher.

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