Saturday, July 18, 2009
Reading Week 4 continued
Alright, so I already did my reading blog for this week and it was pretty long, so I basically refuse to write more than four sentences about the artists we were supposed to look up. Just kidding in a way, I don't refuse exactly, but I'm not going to make this entry very long. I looked at works by Durer, Van Eyck and Caravaggio. I thought that Durer and Van Eyck were very similar in the fact that they both used a lot of symbolism in their works. Of the two of them I really like Van Eyck because of his use of color. All of his paintings use a darker value, and yet they seem somewhat bright and defined to me. Caravaggio is the one we talked about using Chiaroscuro. The thing that caught my attention in his paintings is how much emotion is infused in them. Through the faces of his subjects what they are feeling is made obvious; even without a background story you can tell their basic emotions.
Monday, July 13, 2009
Reading Week 4
This week I'll write about the reading I did in Chapter 16. I had never thought about the fact that you have to view sculpture in two different ways. I think that sculpture really is unique because it is tangible and because you have to walk around it, view it form different angles, to get the whole experience. I've never been in a position that I could touch a great work, but it sounds pretty nifty when Finn describes it. "There must have been a heavenly spirit in Michelangelo's fingers as they guided his tools, and I felt that spirit now transmitted like electric impulses through my fingers into my heart. I ran my hand again and again over those surfaces I could reach. It took only moments but it was a timeless experience." It was interesting to me that Michelangelo thought that he was just beginning to learn his craft as he died. I really am more of a realist I guess, because I really like his Pieta, and while I admire his skill still, the Rondanini Pieta isn't my favorite. At this point, I like his "polished words," better even if his later work "betrays all the anguish and genius of this great artist's last years and expresses a nobility and poignant depth."
For a tenth grade English project on veterinarians I sculpted a pair of hands cupping a puppy. I thought it was pretty hard, you know, fairly realistic. Then I see these sculptures carved out of marble, that look just like a living person. Holy cow, how did they do that? All three of the sculptors the chapter talks about had an interest in art in the very beginning. It's a good thing that their talents were encouraged or the world would be deprived of some very great visual and apparently physical, experiences. I like the sentence about Bernini's skill, "the great Italian Baroque sculptor of the seventeenth century, created the illusion of soft flesh or silken cloth in solid marble with breathtaking credibility." I used some sort of clay for my veterinarian's hands, and they didn't look soft. In fact the puppy's fur looked somewhat sharp. The greats used marble, metamorphosed limestone, as their medium, and it looks far more supple than my clay creation when carved by their talented hands.
I have to admit that I've always been a little afraid of sculpture, especially that of 'Greek' origin. The naked and nude bodies kind of make me uncomfortable. I think it might be because of what my mom calls a Victorian upbringing. For example, my mom's mother didn't even approve of talk about bathrooms and my mom was absolutely shocked when at a movie, her date leaned over to her and said, "At least you don't have to urinate." I don't remember why he said that, as I never quite understood that part of the story, but honestly, it even makes me uncomfortable to write that. I mean, what if someone just skimmed my blog and saw that word on the page causing them to think that it was simply disgusting. Anyway, the point is, my mom passed that same sort of upbringing on to me. The really weird thing though, is that one of my grandma's favorite paintings was one that she called 'Grab Your Hat and Let's Go,' which was of a woman donning only a hat. My family isn't uncultured I guess. At the start of the chapter there is a quote that it says is supposed to help people who have my same sort of problem. "To be naked is to be deprived of our clothes and the word implies some of the embarrassment which most of us feel in that condition. The word nude, on the other hand, carries, in educated usage, no uncomfortable overtone. The vague image it projects into the mind is not of a huddled and defenseless body, but of a balanced, prosperous and confident body: the body re-formed." I don't really know if that helps my phobia, but I'll try to remind myself of it when I view sculpture of, in my opinion, a provocative nature.
For a tenth grade English project on veterinarians I sculpted a pair of hands cupping a puppy. I thought it was pretty hard, you know, fairly realistic. Then I see these sculptures carved out of marble, that look just like a living person. Holy cow, how did they do that? All three of the sculptors the chapter talks about had an interest in art in the very beginning. It's a good thing that their talents were encouraged or the world would be deprived of some very great visual and apparently physical, experiences. I like the sentence about Bernini's skill, "the great Italian Baroque sculptor of the seventeenth century, created the illusion of soft flesh or silken cloth in solid marble with breathtaking credibility." I used some sort of clay for my veterinarian's hands, and they didn't look soft. In fact the puppy's fur looked somewhat sharp. The greats used marble, metamorphosed limestone, as their medium, and it looks far more supple than my clay creation when carved by their talented hands.
I have to admit that I've always been a little afraid of sculpture, especially that of 'Greek' origin. The naked and nude bodies kind of make me uncomfortable. I think it might be because of what my mom calls a Victorian upbringing. For example, my mom's mother didn't even approve of talk about bathrooms and my mom was absolutely shocked when at a movie, her date leaned over to her and said, "At least you don't have to urinate." I don't remember why he said that, as I never quite understood that part of the story, but honestly, it even makes me uncomfortable to write that. I mean, what if someone just skimmed my blog and saw that word on the page causing them to think that it was simply disgusting. Anyway, the point is, my mom passed that same sort of upbringing on to me. The really weird thing though, is that one of my grandma's favorite paintings was one that she called 'Grab Your Hat and Let's Go,' which was of a woman donning only a hat. My family isn't uncultured I guess. At the start of the chapter there is a quote that it says is supposed to help people who have my same sort of problem. "To be naked is to be deprived of our clothes and the word implies some of the embarrassment which most of us feel in that condition. The word nude, on the other hand, carries, in educated usage, no uncomfortable overtone. The vague image it projects into the mind is not of a huddled and defenseless body, but of a balanced, prosperous and confident body: the body re-formed." I don't really know if that helps my phobia, but I'll try to remind myself of it when I view sculpture of, in my opinion, a provocative nature.
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Ballet Under the Stars
On Friday the tenth I went to see the Ballet Under the Stars with my mom and cousin. The drive to Murray was a little long, but I think the experience was well worth it. I had never really seen a ballet except for on television, so I wasn't really quite sure what to expect. I've always equated it with the upper crust and fancy dresses in a beautifully constructed theatre.
On with the description. The genre and 'object' were ballet and dance. I think that it really represents the hard work of each of the performers. The ballet wasn't one great ballet like The Nutcracker, or Cinderella, but a bunch of little performances or a montage. Actually, one of my favorite dances was called the carnival scene for "The Red Shoes," so I think that I would really enjoy a full ballet. I kind of reminded me of the Romeo and Juliet they did on So You Think You Can Dance. Not in story, but in the way the different participants had to act out there roles, without saying anything, but merely with there feet. That is one of the limitations of dance. There really isn't anyway the dancers can communicate other than with their body language and facial expressions, which really are quite loquacious as is stated in The Little Mermaid and proved in Lie to Me. There are many types of medium in dance. One is the dancer himself. The human body can be made to do amazing things, which is quite evident in ballet. I have to admit that I could never do a lot of the things the dancers did. It requires a great deal of flexibility and coordination, as well as a good memory. When I took dance as a little kid I had to look at the other dancers to know what step was next in our dances, even when we got to preforming time. Some other mediums are the costumes, sets and make-up. It's a little weird, but I decided that the best hairstyle for male ballerinas is floppy hair, like that of Demetri on Anastasia. Okay, that's a lot a bit weird, but it all plays into the general performance. Another thing that pretty much confuses me is the ballet shoe. At times in the ballet yesterday I thought their shoes would just fall right off. It's sort of like wearing flippers, but with a big block of would instead of thin plastic sticking straight out of the toe. the thin ribbon just doesn't seem like it should be able to hold the shoe on. Sometimes the tapping of the wood on the stage was a little distracting, but it was really pretty amazing that the dancers were so quiet generally. The costumes for ballerinas really enhance the art as well. Judging by the definitions in their calves and backs, I think that some of the lady ballerinas would have an easier time lifting their make counterparts than they did lifting them.
I think that one of the most important parts of ballet is line. At some parts they have to be so fluid, while others it is imperative that they be straight. The dancers have to have incredible posture, but they also have to be able to bend backwards and forwards to great degree. I'm not an expert on ballet, but I think that sometimes some of the dancers could have extended a little bit more so that their movements didn't seem halted too soon. Another really important part is space. They did a really good job of using all of the space available to them on the stage. During solos they leaped and twirled across even at times stepping over the mat they had set out. They were very organized when their was a group dancing and their formations were generally symmetrical so that the eye wasn't drawn to any one dancer, unless she was in the center and doing different sorts of movements than the others were.
As far as interpretation, there were so many dances that I'm not going to interpret each of them, but instead I will choose my favorite. The set on the stage was like a carnival with booths and balloons. There were two main characters and everybody wore masks. I interpreted the whole dance as a chance meeting between a commoner and royalty that was hesitant at first, but ended in love which at the very end was lost. The reason it was called The Red Shoes is that the common girl was given the shoes by the royal gent and they made her dance better. She was at first embarrassed to dance but slowly became more comfortable. This particular dance was manic. I think the meaning was made known at first by the facial expressions, and then by the body motions because masks were donned.
It was a very interesting night. I think that the performers were trying to educate the people there and expose them to culture. They did a really good job of that and there were quite a few people in attendance. It was unified by the fact that each of the dances were done in the ballet genre, but there was variety among the performers and the separate performances. It stories were clear, but the movements the dancers used to express them were quite complex. I would definitely be interested in attending another ballet.
On with the description. The genre and 'object' were ballet and dance. I think that it really represents the hard work of each of the performers. The ballet wasn't one great ballet like The Nutcracker, or Cinderella, but a bunch of little performances or a montage. Actually, one of my favorite dances was called the carnival scene for "The Red Shoes," so I think that I would really enjoy a full ballet. I kind of reminded me of the Romeo and Juliet they did on So You Think You Can Dance. Not in story, but in the way the different participants had to act out there roles, without saying anything, but merely with there feet. That is one of the limitations of dance. There really isn't anyway the dancers can communicate other than with their body language and facial expressions, which really are quite loquacious as is stated in The Little Mermaid and proved in Lie to Me. There are many types of medium in dance. One is the dancer himself. The human body can be made to do amazing things, which is quite evident in ballet. I have to admit that I could never do a lot of the things the dancers did. It requires a great deal of flexibility and coordination, as well as a good memory. When I took dance as a little kid I had to look at the other dancers to know what step was next in our dances, even when we got to preforming time. Some other mediums are the costumes, sets and make-up. It's a little weird, but I decided that the best hairstyle for male ballerinas is floppy hair, like that of Demetri on Anastasia. Okay, that's a lot a bit weird, but it all plays into the general performance. Another thing that pretty much confuses me is the ballet shoe. At times in the ballet yesterday I thought their shoes would just fall right off. It's sort of like wearing flippers, but with a big block of would instead of thin plastic sticking straight out of the toe. the thin ribbon just doesn't seem like it should be able to hold the shoe on. Sometimes the tapping of the wood on the stage was a little distracting, but it was really pretty amazing that the dancers were so quiet generally. The costumes for ballerinas really enhance the art as well. Judging by the definitions in their calves and backs, I think that some of the lady ballerinas would have an easier time lifting their make counterparts than they did lifting them.
I think that one of the most important parts of ballet is line. At some parts they have to be so fluid, while others it is imperative that they be straight. The dancers have to have incredible posture, but they also have to be able to bend backwards and forwards to great degree. I'm not an expert on ballet, but I think that sometimes some of the dancers could have extended a little bit more so that their movements didn't seem halted too soon. Another really important part is space. They did a really good job of using all of the space available to them on the stage. During solos they leaped and twirled across even at times stepping over the mat they had set out. They were very organized when their was a group dancing and their formations were generally symmetrical so that the eye wasn't drawn to any one dancer, unless she was in the center and doing different sorts of movements than the others were.
As far as interpretation, there were so many dances that I'm not going to interpret each of them, but instead I will choose my favorite. The set on the stage was like a carnival with booths and balloons. There were two main characters and everybody wore masks. I interpreted the whole dance as a chance meeting between a commoner and royalty that was hesitant at first, but ended in love which at the very end was lost. The reason it was called The Red Shoes is that the common girl was given the shoes by the royal gent and they made her dance better. She was at first embarrassed to dance but slowly became more comfortable. This particular dance was manic. I think the meaning was made known at first by the facial expressions, and then by the body motions because masks were donned.
It was a very interesting night. I think that the performers were trying to educate the people there and expose them to culture. They did a really good job of that and there were quite a few people in attendance. It was unified by the fact that each of the dances were done in the ballet genre, but there was variety among the performers and the separate performances. It stories were clear, but the movements the dancers used to express them were quite complex. I would definitely be interested in attending another ballet.
Class Week 3
We talked about the book From Bauhaus to our House in class the other day, so probably some of this post will sound similar to my reading post this week, but only the first part. We talked about the points Tom Wolfe made in his book and about specific architects. Really, I have to think that the architects that decided they didn't want to be the same as those who committed themselves to the international style made a greater impression. I the book there were a few people mentioned who were a part of the "compound," but they were only mentioned briefly. People like Morris Lapidus and John Portman almost got an entire page. So even though they were sneered at, and given "the look," they were remembered. I think one of the greatest problems with the box, besides the fact that it had a flat roof and flat siding and was thus more exposed to the elements, was that it allowed the peoples of America to become less creative. There wasn't anyone carving out the stone ornamentation, because there wasn't any. It makes the buildings of America less inspiring, less bespeaking of the American dream. They are quite impressive in their own right, but not quite on the same level of countries who have architecture dating back hundreds of years.
Another part of the lesson I really liked was learning about the visual arts. I have to admit that I sort of skimmed a little through the section on visual arts in the book and so I didn't remember all of the interesting effects things like color have on a piece of work. It was really neat to see the pictures of pure color and to hear what they made people think about, whether they were thinking something along the same lines as I was, or something totally different that made me take a second glance. I remember one in particular that honestly made me feel a little bit nauseated. It was red green and blue. They were very nice colors, in fact two of them are my favorite, but somehow the combination made me feel slightly uncomfortable. Also, the painting by Van Gogh was interesting to look at. It was hard for me to think merely about the painting and the effect it had on me without thinking about the troubled life of the artist. While the colors were vivid, a word I would normally use to describe something full of life and somehow happy, they instead had the reverse effect. The yellow was somewhat sickly and the contrast between the red and the green again made me uncomfortable. They colors were also pretty dark. Normally I actually quite like the colors green, red and yellow together, but these were calculated to have an almost negative connotation. Colors really do have a lot of power.
Another part of the lesson I really liked was learning about the visual arts. I have to admit that I sort of skimmed a little through the section on visual arts in the book and so I didn't remember all of the interesting effects things like color have on a piece of work. It was really neat to see the pictures of pure color and to hear what they made people think about, whether they were thinking something along the same lines as I was, or something totally different that made me take a second glance. I remember one in particular that honestly made me feel a little bit nauseated. It was red green and blue. They were very nice colors, in fact two of them are my favorite, but somehow the combination made me feel slightly uncomfortable. Also, the painting by Van Gogh was interesting to look at. It was hard for me to think merely about the painting and the effect it had on me without thinking about the troubled life of the artist. While the colors were vivid, a word I would normally use to describe something full of life and somehow happy, they instead had the reverse effect. The yellow was somewhat sickly and the contrast between the red and the green again made me uncomfortable. They colors were also pretty dark. Normally I actually quite like the colors green, red and yellow together, but these were calculated to have an almost negative connotation. Colors really do have a lot of power.
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Reading Week 3
I thought that from Bauhaus to our House was a really interesting book. I have to admit it was kind of hard for me to tell if Tom Wolfe was for, or against the different practices of modern architecture. I realize that a good portion of the book was spent in mocking different things at it, but I'm not sure if he preferred an particular mode or if he just thought them all ridiculous. Was he a white fan, or an International style fan? Admittedly his approving of either of those would be rather difficult to fathom given the corrosive way he wrote about them. The quotes he has from Robert Stern are none too flattering, though they are some of my favorite lines from the book. "He said Hejduk was doing the only thing his designs were good for: 'paper architecture.'" (page 97) Another good line was about Eisenman, "his theorizing gave Stern 'a headache,' and his houses were a 'superfluity of walls, beams and columns' that added up not to 'deep structure' but to claustrophobia.'" Jaquelin Robertson also has an awsome quote about the work of Graves. "His houses were crawling inside and out with a sort of nasty modern ivy in the way of railings, metal trellises, unexplained pipes, exposed beams, inexplicable and obtuse tubes - most to no apparent real of architechtural purpose."
Although I'm pretty sure I didn't understand all of the sarcasm and humor in the book, I thought it was really well written. I can see how such a book could be incredibly dull, but From Bauhaus to our House really wasn't. I very much agree with a few of the general ideas of the book. Namely that many of our building are too similar. They aren't unique. In older regions, such as Europe, and even back east there are buildings that are breathtakingly beautiful. I would love an opportunity to go and just walk around and look at the old plantations (even though if looked at in context many of them were built from the profits of slavery) of the south or the huge churches in Germany or England. There are some really beautiful buildings in Utah, too, but I guess I've just always thought that somewhere like Germany was just wall to wall elegant architecture. I'm glad that the world of architecture has entered a new stage, where it isn't International and sterile.
Although I'm pretty sure I didn't understand all of the sarcasm and humor in the book, I thought it was really well written. I can see how such a book could be incredibly dull, but From Bauhaus to our House really wasn't. I very much agree with a few of the general ideas of the book. Namely that many of our building are too similar. They aren't unique. In older regions, such as Europe, and even back east there are buildings that are breathtakingly beautiful. I would love an opportunity to go and just walk around and look at the old plantations (even though if looked at in context many of them were built from the profits of slavery) of the south or the huge churches in Germany or England. There are some really beautiful buildings in Utah, too, but I guess I've just always thought that somewhere like Germany was just wall to wall elegant architecture. I'm glad that the world of architecture has entered a new stage, where it isn't International and sterile.
Saturday, July 4, 2009
4th of July Parade
I really don't remember the exact order of parade floats or bands or anything, and I didn't bring a notebook with me to catalog them because that definitely would have detracted from a community experience for me. So, what I write isn't going to be an exact synopsis but rather an account of the things I thought were the most memberable. I'll make it a point to mention here that my family has been attending the Provo Freedom Festival 4th of July Parade for as long as I can remember and will probably keep attending for quite some time. I really look forward to it, so my opinion might be a little skewed. Probably some people find parades quite boring, but I like them even when they don't throw the candy far enough for the people in the back to receive any of the bounty.
The conditions of the parade were fairly good, other than the fact that it ironically rained. Actually, from my perspective that was not really a bad thing at all because is my favorite kind of weather and it served to reduce the temperature partially. I can't imagine the actual participants were all that thrilled by the occurrence though. My family always has a most comfortable viewing point of the parade; not too far from the start so that we can beat the rush of traffic when the parade ends. We put up sheets on the fence to the east of us so that we have shade and then set our chairs against said fence. The only drawback of our positioning is that there happens to be a sidewalk right in front of it. People are constantly walking past and blocking our view, but then again nothing moves too fast in a parade, so we have plenty of chances to view the "performers." Another problem with our spot this year was that some people stood right in front of us so we ended up standing most of the parade in spite of the fact that we had perfectly good chairs available to sit in.
One of the best parts for me was being at the event with my family. I went to Singin' in the Rain by myself, so the parade had a better atmosphere in that regard. My little brother plays the trumpet in the Pleasant Grove High School marching band and marched in the very front row. This is his freshman year and the first parade I've seen him in, so that was a really neat part of the experience. I was able to cheer for the BYU parade entries even louder this year and was told "Hey Mary, you go to school there now," about five times. It really was different than when I was just a BYU hopeful.
I've always loved to watch the horse entries, including such things as the Clydesdales, the hearse, and the mounties, or whatever the officers that ride the horses are called. The floats that carry the royalty are pretty nifty as well, and I have to wonder if coming up with a creative float theme was part of the contest and if not, who did come up with them? I like the George Q. cannon and the revolutionary and other war-dressed people who remind me of the many different conflicts that have been passed through to make this country free. Of course, one of the crowd favorites was the marching of the missionaries. Not only is it unique but it is really inspiring. It was a most excellent parade.
The conditions of the parade were fairly good, other than the fact that it ironically rained. Actually, from my perspective that was not really a bad thing at all because is my favorite kind of weather and it served to reduce the temperature partially. I can't imagine the actual participants were all that thrilled by the occurrence though. My family always has a most comfortable viewing point of the parade; not too far from the start so that we can beat the rush of traffic when the parade ends. We put up sheets on the fence to the east of us so that we have shade and then set our chairs against said fence. The only drawback of our positioning is that there happens to be a sidewalk right in front of it. People are constantly walking past and blocking our view, but then again nothing moves too fast in a parade, so we have plenty of chances to view the "performers." Another problem with our spot this year was that some people stood right in front of us so we ended up standing most of the parade in spite of the fact that we had perfectly good chairs available to sit in.
One of the best parts for me was being at the event with my family. I went to Singin' in the Rain by myself, so the parade had a better atmosphere in that regard. My little brother plays the trumpet in the Pleasant Grove High School marching band and marched in the very front row. This is his freshman year and the first parade I've seen him in, so that was a really neat part of the experience. I was able to cheer for the BYU parade entries even louder this year and was told "Hey Mary, you go to school there now," about five times. It really was different than when I was just a BYU hopeful.
I've always loved to watch the horse entries, including such things as the Clydesdales, the hearse, and the mounties, or whatever the officers that ride the horses are called. The floats that carry the royalty are pretty nifty as well, and I have to wonder if coming up with a creative float theme was part of the contest and if not, who did come up with them? I like the George Q. cannon and the revolutionary and other war-dressed people who remind me of the many different conflicts that have been passed through to make this country free. Of course, one of the crowd favorites was the marching of the missionaries. Not only is it unique but it is really inspiring. It was a most excellent parade.
Reading Week 2
I had a pretty hard time understanding the Aesthetics and Criticism readings, so I guess I can't write intelligently about them, so I won't even attempt it. I really did enjoy reading chapters 14 and 17 however. I learned, or rather I read about a lot of interesting things that I had never heard of. When we talked about architecture in class, I realized that I need to read things more carefully even, because there were many terms I didn't remember.
I found the architecture chapter particularly fascinating. Whenever my family goes places now, and I'm not driving so I can look at different houses, start spouting off different architectural terms; that's Victorian eclectic, or those are Doric columns. What really surprises me is that my mom knows all of the stuff as well. When I asked her if she knew who painted certain pictures from chapter 14 she knew the answers.
I very much liked the fact that there were pictures of what the book was referring to. I guess I had always thought that the Pantheon looked like the Coliseum, but now that seems completely ridiculous to me, as they are such different structures. Along with the pictures, the diagrams helped me to visualize the general floor plans for the specific architectural eras. It seems like it will be hard for me to tell what time period a specific structure is from unless I have a birds-eye view of it as reference.
I too am curious as to how people such as the Egyptians built such marvelous structures as the pyramids with comparatively primitive resources. I have never been to the pyramids or seen the Parthenon, but just hearing about how intricately designed they are makes me want to go. It's just proof that while machinery helps quite a bit, and speeds the process, it isn't essential to create beauty.
I found the architecture chapter particularly fascinating. Whenever my family goes places now, and I'm not driving so I can look at different houses, start spouting off different architectural terms; that's Victorian eclectic, or those are Doric columns. What really surprises me is that my mom knows all of the stuff as well. When I asked her if she knew who painted certain pictures from chapter 14 she knew the answers.
I very much liked the fact that there were pictures of what the book was referring to. I guess I had always thought that the Pantheon looked like the Coliseum, but now that seems completely ridiculous to me, as they are such different structures. Along with the pictures, the diagrams helped me to visualize the general floor plans for the specific architectural eras. It seems like it will be hard for me to tell what time period a specific structure is from unless I have a birds-eye view of it as reference.
I too am curious as to how people such as the Egyptians built such marvelous structures as the pyramids with comparatively primitive resources. I have never been to the pyramids or seen the Parthenon, but just hearing about how intricately designed they are makes me want to go. It's just proof that while machinery helps quite a bit, and speeds the process, it isn't essential to create beauty.
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