The Beautiful Country of Mongolia

I have always wanted to visit Mongolia. The vast plains with the mountains as a backdrop and such a rich history has always promised a great adventure to me. I think the nomadic lifestyle that is still practiced today in urban areas is absolutely fascinating. The embassy website (http://mongolianembassy.us/about-mongolia/culture/) has some great information about this nomadic culture. Nomads follow a seasonal routine raising and breeding of five types of animal, goat, sheep, cattle, camel, and horse.

There is a really interesting religious aspect to the country as well, with Shamanism and Buddhism being practiced and celebrated. Not to mention the historical power of being the home of Genghis Khan (or Chinggis Khan).

In addition the food looks delicious (you can now spend a couple days with a nomadic tribe where you get to cook and experience their lifestyle for a little bit)! If you want something to listen to while you chow down, the music is incredible and varied. A lot of people have heard of Mongolian throat singing, but I’m including a couple songs because I think it is PHENOMENAL what these singers can do with their voices.

Another great band is “The HU” who is from Mongolia and blends heavy metal and traditional throat singing.

Now Let Us Talk of Art

One Day in Mongolia was created by Baldugiin Sharav during 1911-1913 in Mongolia. It was created by putting mineral pigments on cloth. The piece was commissioned by Tibetan-born ruler Bogd Khan to represent the life in the Mongolian countryside during the first years of his rule. This piece is was originally created as part of a set of two called Daily Events but was split into One Day in Mongolia and Airag Feast. This painting exists as both an icon of national identity and an image of rural life that continues to thrive today (https://www.documenta14.de/en/artists/21988/baldugiin-sharav).

I chose this piece because I really enjoy busy pieces of art and everywhere you look there is activity. You can see the livestock that was discussed earlier, there are camels, horses, dogs and other creatures. I think its really interesting to note the different styles of living within the frame, this one picture shows an agricultural society in the upper right corner with tent communities on the left and lower right corner. This diversity of creatures and people show the cultural diversity within the country. What is so cool though, is that this diversity is captured within one frame, essentially saying that all of these lifestyles and cultures are Mongolian, Sharav makes no comment on whether the nomadic or more settled communities are better or worse, they are all equally Mongolian. The painting also represents the diversity of the land as well, there is water in the right corner, a forest in the left and plains and hills filling the rest of the country. This combined with the painted people in motion shows the breadth of the land and how the land contributed to the Mongolian lifestyle.

The colors in the piece are beautiful as well, the blues stand out against the golden straw color of the land. The blue is throughout the land as well, showing how life is distributed throughout and by having the tents be a blue, it shows that the people also bring color and vibrancy to the land. After I visit this country, I definitely want a copy of this work in my home.

This painting was created in 1967 by Tserendorj Minjuur. It was created with gouache, a method of painting which uses opaque pigments ground in water and then thickened. This painting conveys the migratory culture of the Mongolians and does so in a warm welcoming way.

The beautiful and unique looking colors of this piece drew me in initially. The flood of green contrasted with the beautiful blue creates an instant meal for the eyes. The travelers stand out and it is cool to see the variety of items that each creature holds. The family waiting for the returning members contributes to the warmth of the piece and helps create the sense of livelihood that the painting emanates. Another aspect that I really like is the clouds, the swirls within the cloud shape creates such volume and makes the cloud look incredibly fluffy and inviting. This piece conveys a great sense of pride and it is clear the Minjuur loved his country and wanted to share how beautiful the land and people are.

This picture depicts an old musician who is playing the traditional Morin Khuur or “Horse-head fiddle” of the Mongolian people. I liked this piece because I talked about music earlier so I thought it wouldn’t be just to not mention such an important instrument. This instrument is considered to be a symbol of the Mongolian people and is usually strung with horse hair. Its creation is shrouded in legend ranging from being created from a flying horse to receiving instructions from an unjustly slain steed. Old Storyteller was created in 1958 in Ulaanbaatar. This piece was made with gouache on paper which contributes to the wonderful colors.

Some history along with the picture, after the 1950’s the revitalization of classical Mongolian painting styles exploded, leading to creation of many different art pieces, such as the one above (http://masterpieces.asemus.museum/masterpiece/detail.nhn?objectId=11960). This piece has cultural importance as it dictates tradtional costume, cutlure, and music (https://www.toursmongolia.com/mongolia_travel_news/9-must-see-masterpieces-of-mongolian-paintings).

Final thoughts

I’m just such a huge fan of these works and the rich cultural history that is woven and painted in these creations. The music, food, and art of Mongolia has such a magnetic draw for me and I absolutely plan on visiting. I think each of these works has such a feeling of pride and love for the artist’s country and I think that is really special. Thanks for reading and I hope my passion for Mongolian culture and art has you looking for more on your own time!

Citations:

“Baldugiin Sharav.” Documenta 14, http://www.documenta14.de/en/artists/21988/baldugiin-sharav.

“Culture.” Embassy of Mongolia, 6 Feb. 2017, mongolianembassy.us/about-mongolia/culture/.

“Mongolian Fine Art Masterpiece: ‘Migration.’” MONTSAME News Agency, http://www.montsame.mn/en/read/185341

“VCM.” VIRTUAL COLLECTION OF ASIAN MASTERPIECES, masterpieces.asemus.museum/masterpiece/detail.nhn?objectId=11281.

The Future is Being Created Now

Some Background:

I think we live in a pretty remarkable time. There is darkness, sure, some parts of the world and even America have some pretty stark dystopian elements. But we also live in an era where things are declared impossible and then created only a few years later. In the 23 years I have been alive, I’ve seen the iphone become popular, seen video tapes become dvds which became digital downloads. Recently virtual reality became common and several of my friends own either Oculus or Vive systems. My thoughts are that science fiction seems to be more and more rapidly becoming just science. And the rate that science catches up to the fiction also seems to be increasing. Gene editing in humans, augmented reality, a hostile AI takeover, all of these aren’t widespread right now but will rapidly become more relevant as time passes.

Our Digital Future

One artist that I have really become enamored with is Daniele Turturici. Turturici creates digital art, oftentimes chalk full of detail and unique creatures or structures. His work reminds me a lot of classical art, everywhere you look there is a unique detail waiting to be noticed. Postmodern pieces often call back to the past, creating a new meaning out of an amalgamation of past works and understandings ( https://www.the-artists.org/postmodernism/).

The first thing that strikes me when I see this is the size of the building. It looks like multiple houses on top of each other. Then when your eyes drift to the background, you realize there are multiples of this structure. The structure is also lined piping, there is exhaust piping, electrical piping, antenna piping, and more. This level of detail allows the eye to wander for quite a bit and never get bored while also creating an intense feeling of activity and livelihood within the work. By having so many things in his work, the viewer gets the sense that many different lives are played out in this setting.

This is another piece by Turturici that is just chalk full of details. The three people sitting down all have different outfits, the goggles are similar but not identical. The robot that is being worked on is the center of attention but in the background we see other robots, ones with different sizes and designs. The floor is littered with bolts and screws, creating a cluttered and occupied space. If the previous work called back on classical work, I can see calling back on some baroque details. These characters are caught in the middle of action, they would not naturally pause like this which was a key component of baroque works.

These works relate to my theme, “The Future is Being Created Now” because right now they are fantastical fictional creations. There are no flying boathouses or humanoid robots in common use. However…

This is Boston Dynamic’s robot performing an incredible feat of agility. I don’t claim that we’ll be seeing a robot like this walking around within the next couple years but I don’t think it is unreasonable to expect a huge bound forward with these kind of humanoid robots in the future. These works call back to previous works of art but are infused with the ideas of hopes of today.

These kinds of things are what sci-fi novels were being written about a little bit ago. Now we may see space travel or AI developments or a wide variety of things. I think it is important that artists like Turturici continue to develop and create images like this so we can progress towards a future where the robots workshop is a photo rather than a digital creation.

Postmodernism in Architecture

Perhaps I like buildings too much but I chose to feature architect Philip Johnson, to showcase my theme. Philip Johnson was born in Ohio in 1906 and before his death in 2005 became one of the most recognizable architects. In the 1950’s Johnson revealed what is considered his most controversial piece, the AT&T Building in New York City. This building rejects the clean lines and the idea that function is above design and instead has Greek or Roman influences in its design (https://www.theartstory.org/definition/postmodernism/artworks/). Johnson decided that brick should be used instead of steel which created a distinguished look to separate it from the surrounding steel structures.

The building uses pink granite, increasing its distinction and its almost 7 story tall entryway arch is described as “breathtaking” by many. The prime distinction would be the top of the tower. Some describe it as a book with the pages splayed downward while others claim that the building looks like a grandfather clock with this top.

I particularly like this building because it was bold when everyone else was trying to fit in. The building stands out without being pompous, it has a distinguished air without it smothering you, a quiet distinction. I love the top of the building because that giant hole in the top serves no functional purpose to the building. I think its really important to have art be in our daily lives as, speaking as an engineering student, I think if the world was run by engineers we’d have a lot of gray windowless boxes.

The Lipstick Building

The official name of this building is “53rd at Third” but it is commonly known as the lipstick building as it resembles a tube of lipstick. This building was designed like this so that it appears to tilt out of its city position and grab more views. While searching to fill its offices, the building quotes that the building’s oval shape means that every outer office is effectively a corner office. Johnson says that this building was designed with the Baroque period in mind as “this form was very fashionable” (https://en.wikiarquitectura.com/building/lipstick-building/#).

I like this building because it stands against the straight lined neighboring buildings. Its smooth lines create a sense of fluidity and I think that its funny that as the surrounding buildings are reflected in the Lipstick building’s windows, they too become slightly curved.

These buildings relate to the “future is created today” because Johnson had incentive to design his buildings to match the other straight lined, geometric steel buildings. Instead he fused color and shape to create not only a building but a work of art. The red and pink granite in both buildings convey vibrance and passion and is only exaggerated by the cold steel of the surroundings. Johnson was bold that, again, his creation does not value function more than form. The building narrows as it gets taller meaning that a square skyscraper would have more floor space at the top but Johnson chose to have the building stand out rather than blend in. The mere rejection of the contemporary design creates a sense of confidence and cutting edge that draws me to the building as opposed to the monotone feel of other buildings. Johnson took something that was controversial and made it a legacy.

Postmodern on Architecture

I thought it would be interesting to take a look at some art that has been featured not only in galleries but also the streets and building sides of London. Banksy is an artist whoe has developed a vast following and an artistic subculture. Despite having over 30 years of experience in graffiti art and a documentary, “Exit Through the Gift Shop” Banksy’s identity remains a mystery. There are speculations but no confirmed identity.

Banksy’s main form of art is using stencils, an idea he took up after nearly being caught while painting on a public space. His work combines dark humor with messages that convey themes about art, philosophy, and politics (https://www.streetartbio.com/artists/banksy/).

Perhaps one of his most recognizable pieces, Girl With a Balloon was created in 2002 and released as an unsigned and signed print in 2004/2005 respectively. It appeared in London’s Southbank. This piece is stunning, the black and white girl is reaching out to the single point of color on the wall, a bright red heart shaped balloon. This conveys a deceptive amount. As a balloon, the colored object conveys fragility, balloons once let go float up and are lost or popped. If the balloon is interpreted to be flying away then the painting reveals loss. The young girl is losing her heart, a symbol standing for hopes, dreams, and love (https://www.myartbroker.com/artist/banksy/girl-with-balloon/).

The piece can also be interpreted that the girl is about to catch the balloon, showing an optimistic side and that she is reclaiming her heart. The saddened look on her face in this context becomes determined, showing that with effort she can reclaim what was lost for a period of time.

Napalm, created in 2004, is perhaps Banksy’s most blatant criticism of society. Ronald Mcdonald and Mickey Mouse are holding a malnourished girl’s wrists. The girl is taken from a 1972 photograph showing Vietnamese children running from a napalm blast that hit their home. This girl, Phan Thi Kim Phuc, survived and is the focus of a book called “The Girl in the Picture” by Denise Chong.

Banksy contrasts the smiling faces of the capitalist figures with the crying of the girl. Part of the ambiguity of the work is the question of whether they are leading her away from disaster… or dragging her against her will. Their smiling faces seem mocking and antagonistic. The characters don’t seem to care about crying Phan Thi Kim Phuc, and seems to show the soulless side of corporations only concerned with money.

These works by Banksy show the flip side of “The Future is Created Today”, while we can create awesome and helpful things we can also go the other way and create a darker future. Banksy may hope to influence the future by pointing out the inadequacies of today and I think that this is important for everyone to realize; Our future is created by what we dream and do today. We can have a tech filled future where no problem is too great to solve but if we lose our hope or humanity along the way it will rapidly devolve into a dystopian future.

Fun Fact: At UAF, in constitution hall, if you look closely in the back stairwell you can see a “fairbanksy” sticker that is a reference to Banksy’s work.

Citations

“About Banksy Biography: Street Artist.” Street Art Bio, http://www.streetartbio.com/artists/banksy/.

“Banksy Girl With Balloon (2004), Meaning & Description, My Art Broker.” My Art Broker, http://www.myartbroker.com/artist/banksy/girl-with-balloon/.

“Biography: Philip Johnson: The Pritzker Architecture Prize.” Biography: Philip Johnson | The Pritzker Architecture Prize, http://www.pritzkerprize.com/node/30.

Lipstick Building – Data, Photos & Plans.” WikiArquitectura, en.wikiarquitectura.com/building/lipstick-building/#.

“Postmodernism.” The, 4 Dec. 2018, http://www.the-artists.org/postmodernism/.

The Harlem Renaissance: A Little Background

I really enjoy reading about the Harlem Renaissance because it was such an explosion of culture and artistic expression. The Harlem Renaissance started in the early 20th century (roughly 1910’s) and lasted in the 1930’s. During this period there was a large population migration from the south due to natural disasters in the south and World War 1. In tandem with this, the Harlem neighborhood was built to be an upper class white neighborhood but rapid over-development created many empty buildings that needed to be filled (https://www.history.com/topics/roaring-twenties/harlem-renaissance). By 1920, roughly 300,000 African Americans had moved north with Harlem being wide open for moving in. All of these people in close proximity created a huge melting pot of cultural ideas and identities that danced and grew together in new and innovative ways. Music, art, dance, nothing was off the table for new expressions of identity and pride and what it meant to be black in America.

The Art of the Harlem Renaissance

Aaron Douglas

One prominent figure during the Harlem Renaissance was Aaron Douglas. Douglas was an African-American painter and graphic artist who was born May 26th, 1899 in Topeka, Kansas. Douglas develped his career by painting murals and creating illustrations that focused on social issues concerning race and segregation.

Above is one of Douglas’ most recognizable pieces, The Judgement Day. This piece was painted in 1939 and is 48 x 36 inches. This piece had actually been created 12 years earlier in 1927 when Douglas was commissioned to provide eight original illustrations for a collection of poems titled, God’s Trombones: Seven Negro Sermons in Verse by James Weldon Johnson (https://www.nga.gov/collection/art-object-page.166490.html). Douglas then began translated the book drawings onto large scale canvas.

In this painting we see an angelic figure, meant to represent the archangel Gabriel heralding the end times, and both a saved man (on the right) and sinners damned to hell (on the left). This painting plays with geometric style having sharp lines alongside smooth curves lines. We see a majority of the softer lines present on the right, representing a relaxed saving rather than the strong harsh punishment of the sinners on the left with the hard lines. It also creates a sense of distinction with each person as the sinners are composed of many straight lines creating a curved sense at first until examined closer. The person on the right however is almost exclusively composed of curved lines. This painting influenced many African Americans because Douglas sought to demonstrate that they just as much of God’s children as anyone else (https://www.theartstory.org/artist/douglas-aaron/artworks/). These geometric shapes could also have been a business choice as they allowed Douglas to reduce the number of colors used in the image. This choice led to lower publication costs.

One popular analysis of this piece relates it to music, specifically jazz. The concentric circles could represent a vinyl disc and the mix of hard and soft lines could be a representation of beats, each different but working together to create the art piece.

Fun Fact: The painting featured for the “Early Modern” section on Blackboard is From Slavery to Reconstruction by Aaron Douglas.

Palmer Hayden

Another well known artist was Palmer Hayden. Hayden was born in Widewater Virginia, in 1890. After serving in the military he moved to New York and is known for his descriptive paintings of New York’s urban life. Slice of life paintings captured the day to day lives of African Americans.

Midsummer Night in Harlem was created in 1938 after Hayden returned from Paris. This painting evokes several things from the viewer. There is an incredible amount of activity jammed into the painting, with people, animals, cars, buildings, and movement. This really brings up the sense of Harlem (https://americanart.si.edu/artist/palmer-hayden-2130). Tons of different people living close to one another and talking. The painted people are not isolated, they are in communities that is a part of a the entire Harlem community. This represents that melting pot of ideas and culture that made the Harlem Renaissance so culturally explosive.

Looking at the color shows a stark contrast between black and white. Many of the clothes are white, the dog is white, and the church is white. By having so many wear white, it really allows the smile to pop from each face. This contrast also guides the eye first from the people then to the buildings and finally the church. This guidance can be construed to mean that happiness perhaps comes from religious devotion or perhaps the happiness that community brings as everyone is relaxing after an evening of church.

Overall the piece does a superb job of appearing to catch a moment in time of a night in Harlem. There is dynamic movement of the mass amount of people talking and moving which dispels a staged feel to the piece.

Jacob Lawrence

Jacob Lawrence was born in Atlantic City, NJ in 1917. Lawrence was a painter and a social realist who was devoted to portraying the African American experience (https://americanart.si.edu/artist/jacob-lawrence-2828). Lawrence is one of the most recognized artists of the 20th century. In the late 1940’s Lawrence was the most celebrated African American painter in America. This fame did not inflate his ego and he was often concerned that his equally talented friends had not achieved the same level of success.

This piece is a part of a series of paintings called The Migration Series. These pieces were created from 1940-1941. This series of work is focused on, you guessed it, the migration that African Americans endured during the civil war and afterwards.

The first thing I notice is the number of people moving. These are families that are moving in an attempt for a better life. It conveys the difficulty that those who moved experienced. Moving is already difficult, add in children and racial prejudice and it becomes monumental.

The colors also convey a story. The land is barren, the only present grass being under the traveler’s feet. This could convey that although they are leaving what was their homes, they bring life with them. The wide blue sky could convey unlimited prospects and indeed, many of the faces are tilted upwards, showing a hopeful sense among the people.

Lawrence’s style is derived from synthetic cubism (https://www.moma.org/calendar/exhibitions/444), showing abstract expressive figures with geometric shapes present throughout. The colors show brilliance among the bleak land and perhaps represents the culture that each individual brings along with their suitcase.

Ending Thoughts

I personally love these works and artists because they convey a very real struggle. The amount of emotion that each artist can imbue in the paint is staggering. I think it is also uplifting that such communities were formed and that led to such an explosion of culture and growth.

Citations

History.com Editors. “Harlem Renaissance.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 29 Oct. 2009, https://www.history.com/topics/roaring-twenties/harlem-renaissance .

“Palmer Hayden.” Smithsonian American Art Museum, americanart.si.edu/artist/palmer-hayden-2130.

“The Judgment Day.” Art Object Page, “The Judgment Day.” https://www.nga.gov/collection/art-object-page.166490.html

Johnson, Brandon. “Art Analysis: Midsummer Night in Harlem, by Palmer Hayden: FreebookSummary.” Study Guides and Book Summaries, 5 Apr. 2017, https://freebooksummary.com/art-analysis-midsummer-night-in-harlem-by-palmer-hayden-70095

“Jacob Lawrence.” Smithsonian American Art Museum, americanart.si.edu/artist/jacob-lawrence-2828.

“Jacob Lawrence: The Migration Series: MoMA.” The Museum of Modern Art, http://www.moma.org/calendar/exhibitions/444.

Art and Science in the 1700’s

Some Background

The 18th century was an explosive era in time, full of cultural and scientific development. There was an extensive change in thinking involving increased scientific exploration. This was a shift from metaphysics and spirituality to empirical observation (https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/monarchy-enlightenment/rococo/a/a-beginners-guide-to-the-age-of-enlightenment) that brought rationality to the front of the human mind.

I chose this piece because I think it perfectly sums up how those who were part of the enlightenment felt about the movement. The sole light in the darkness comes from the center of the scientific apparatus. It presents a warm feeling, simulating a gathering of people around a fire. This imagery invokes feeling or warmth, comfort, and safety. By having these feelings emanate from science, it correlates the two for the viewer.

Science = light and warmth when things are dark

It also presents inclusivity by having a wide range of ages present in the painting. Children and adults can enjoy the benefits of science, not just an elite class. These benefits would greatly boost the public’s opinion concerning the enlightenment.

Here we see another positive spin for the enlightenment. There is a heavenly figure that can easily be said to represent God using a compass. While we cannot see what that compass is doing, we do see that it is cutting through the darkness. This, like Wright’s work above, shows the illuminating effect of science. It also brings together religion and art saying that science is the tool that God uses to do godly things. This alone is a big statement because it takes a step towards saying that humans can understand how god does things and also that we can perform our own godly things by using his tools. Unlike Wright’s work, this does not convey warmth as much as might. The light is harsher than a cozy fire and brings up the stereotype of the “blinding truth”.

However, Europeana disagrees with this analysis saying that Blake was actually making a counterpoint to enlightenment’s rationalism. In this view the male figure is most likely Urizen, whom Blake believed was the embodiment of reason and law and he is measuring darkness. This darkness was the turbulent politics of Europe (https://www.europeana.eu/portal/en/exhibitions/baroque-and-enlightenment/art-and-enlightenment).

I chose this third piece to show that not all paintings were so grave and obtuse in their message. This painting shows a lush garden with a girl kicking off her shoe. Her actions convey a carefree sense with soft pastel colors and no sign of strife anywhere. The painting is pleasurable to look at and evokes relaxation rather than serious scientific study or ideas of revolution. The Swing became exactly the sort of paintings that followers of the enlightenment would come to condemn as it’s frivolousness did not, in their eyes, uplift human morality.

My Thoughts

I personally would not want to own the first two paintings but I would like the third. While I think art should convey a message, I think having such intense paintings in my house would result in stress rather than an uplifting influence. I also grew up with these pastel paintings around my house so I think it invokes a nostalgic sense for me that I find appealing.

Citations (MLA)

A Beginner’s Guide to the Age of Enlightenment (Article).” Khan Academy, Khan Academy, http://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/monarchy enlightenment/rococo/a/a-beginners-guide-to-the-age-of-enlightenment. https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/monarchy-enlightenment/rococo/a/a-beginners-guide-to-the-age-of-enlightenment

Art and Enlightenment.” Europeana Exhibitions, http://www.europeana.eu/portal/en/exhibitions/baroque-and-enlightenment/art-and-enlightenment#ve-anchor-section_2300-js. https://www.europeana.eu/portal/en/exhibitions/baroque-and-enlightenment/art-and-enlightenment

The Incredulity of St. Thomas

Some Backstory

Michelangelo Merisi Da Caravaggio was a hugely popular painter who lived a turbulent life where huge groups of people were either attracted or repelled by his actions. When he was 21 he moved to Rome to study and improve his art forms. After a rough couple of years, eventually Caravaggio was taken under the wing of an eminent Cardinal named Francesco del Monte (https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/artists/michelangelo-merisi-da-caravaggio). Through Monte’s work and networking Caravaggio became a huge success. This success unfortunately went straight to his head and he was known to have an extremely violent temper where he would walk from one party to another starting fights and causing pandemonium. He was arrested multiple times and eventually he picked a fight that ended in his opponent’s death. To escape his punishment, Caravaggio left Rome and after travelling for a little while died of illness.

Caravaggio’s Art

Caravaggio’s artwork was as intense as his temper. He would have minimal prep time before jumping into his artwork and if it did not go as he wanted, he would abandon the work and start anew. His work is considered striking as he uses dramatic lighting and he was the creator of the art style Tenebrism (https://www.theartstory.org/definition/chiaroscuro-tenebrism-sfumato/) . This style focused on intense contrast between light and dark and is often the defining feature of the Baroque period.

The Incredulity of St. Thomas

This painting was a huge success among the people. The focus of the painting is St. Thomas’s right hand being guided by Jesus’s hand to examine the wound. An interesting aspect of this is that Jesus carries no supernatural telling that he is more than human. There is no halo or wings or heavenly glow to illuminate his divinity. Only his white robe in contrast with the others gives a hint (and the wound that is not bleeding). We also see Tenebrism in this painting with a sharp contrast between the background and the people. A pitch black background with almost a stage light on the characters. This creates a dramatic sense and this painting captures a moving movement as it is unlikely that Thomas would want his finger inside of Jesus’s wound for more than a moment. This allows the viewer to feel like they are watching Thomas feel that Jesus is real and creates a sense of inclusion. The viewer feels like they must hold their breath for themselves, just as Thomas would.

This painting had clear connections to the council of Trent. The message of faith brings its viewers to the verse “Because you have seen me, you have believed, blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed” (https://www.caravaggio.org/the-incredulity-of-saint-thomas.jsp). The council of Trent wanted the populace to learn of religion through art, with easy to understand messages. This painting achieved just that, inspiring its viewers to believe that Jesus was resurrected and that the church was true. Another factor that contributed to the spreading of faith is that the men with Jesus are common looking folk. They are not robed in princely cloth and Thomas looks burly. This can create a sense of familiarity with the common people of Europe.

Citations and Further Learning

https://www.caravaggio.org/the-incredulity-of-saint-thomas.jsp

https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/artists/michelangelo-merisi-da-caravaggio

http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15030c.htm

https://www.theartstory.org/artist/caravaggio/

Landscape With The Fall of Icarus

Created in 1560

By Pieter Bruegel the Elder

A Little Backstory

This 28.9in x 44in work of art was created by Pieter Bruegel the Elder. Pieter was born in 1525 and is considered the greatest member of a large Netherlandish family of artists that were active in the 16/17th centuries. Bruegel was focused on bringing a “humanizing spirit” (https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/brue/hd_brue.htm) to his work. He also would bring his viewer’s attention to the larger world surrounding an important event. The above photo is a perfect example as Icarus is barely visible to the viewer with the focus of the painting being on everyday life. A poem was written in respect to the painting by William Carlos Williams-

According to Brueghel
when Icarus fell
it was spring

a farmer was ploughing
his field
the whole pageantry

of the year was
awake tingling
with itself

sweating in the sun
that melted
the wings’ wax

unsignificantly
off the coast
there was

a splash quite unnoticed
this was
Icarus drowning

William Carlos Williams

Artistic Elements

The “Landscape with the Fall of Icarus” is an oil painting on canvas. The strange focal points of the painting consistently intrigue viewers (http://www.pieterbruegel.org/landscape-with-the-fall-of-icarus/). Icarus, the titular character, is almost lost in the background, only having one full leg bared to the viewer. It is easy for the viewer to lose sight or miss him entirely with the eyes being drawn to the farmer, the ship, the rocks, and the city. Essentially everything in the painting draws more attention than Icarus. Pieter accomplishes this by having these objects appear larger. The farmer looks massive compared to the ship and has red to immediately draw the eye. Icarus’ color palette is minimal, with his splash zone simply looking like the plethora of ripples scattered throughout the sea. This has the effect of emphasizing the ordinary and allowing the viewer to really appreciate the magnificence of every day life or reducing the legends that we have grown up with to a more realistic size.

The color schemes through the piece are muted with the land being white and the sea and plant life being colored green. This contrasts with the farmer’s red shirt as stated above. By having an regular everyday farmer stand out as the defining figure, Pieter may be commenting that it is the everyday people whom we should look towards when seeking adventure or entertainment.

One noticeable aspect of the painting is that sun appears close to the horizon, which is strange considering that the myth suggests the hottest sun rather than a swiftly setting one.

Some Controversy

This piece does have some controversy to it, as there have been two very similar paintings found that both appear to be a copy of a lost work done by Pieter. The photo above, is one of them and the photo below is the second.

The difference lies in Icarus’ father being present in the second painting. This mystery has only increased the popularity of the painting, with almost a competition between the two. This painting draws on humanistic ideas as it brings attention to the return of the Greek myth of Daedalus and Icarus’ escape from prison. It can also be argued that this is a painting to reinforce christian ideals. The neglect that Icarus receives from the farmers may be a reference to the biblical thought that those who ignore the word of God are not fit for his kingdom (http://www.artinsociety.com/bruegels-icarus-and-the-perils-of-flight.html). There is also the criticism of pride that would be prevalent in such a religiously tumultuous time.

What makes this painting great is that there is a huge air of mystery to it as it breaks away from Pieter’s other works, the mystery of the real painting, and the multiple interpretations that have been made throughout the years.

By Maximilian Erickson

“The Vision for the Shard was to create an architecturally striking vertical city incorporating retail, offices, hotel, apartments, restaurants and a public viewing gallery.”

– Ivine Sellar

The London Shard – A Fusion of Art and Science

The Background

The shard was developed by Irvine Sellar, who had a vision to create a vertical city that would stand apart and above other architectural creations. The Shard was officially opened in February 2013, after more than 13 years of planning and development, and welcomed more than 1 million people in the first year of opening. The 244 meters of building are filled with offices, classy restaurants, and the Shangri-La Hotel. It has served to inspire the creation of an energetic community surrounding the Shard, aptly nicknamed the “Shard Quarter”.

My Relation to the Shard

I visited the Shard two summers ago when I was able to visit London. It was immediately noticeable from the plane and throughout most of the city. Before visiting the city I had never heard of the Shard but the structure inspired curiosity by its sheer visibility. I kept wondering as I toured the city, “what’s the story behind that building? It doesn’t look like anything else I’ve seen.” When I first came upon the base of the building, I was blown away. I had not intended to purchase a tour and spend several hours in the building but I quickly found myself doing just that. The building naturally inspired awe within me with its sheer scale and the view it offered was second to none. The ticket allowed my friends and I to travel to the top and from there, all of London was visible. From this moment onward, I have had an official “favorite building.”

While this structure may have functionality as a pillar of its creation, I think that it qualifies as art because it is meant to inspire all those who see it. It naturally draws people closer because of its impressive construction and sleek modern appearance. The color of the building varies as the sun and city moves around it, creating a dynamic energy which resides in the rock solid stability of its towering shape.

The Lines and Shape of the Shard

The Shard is straight towering visage that towers above the surrounding buildings by a huge margin. The straight heaven-pointing lines emanates a sense of power and strength. The lines convey not a fluid or dynamic presence but a solid presence that is meant to stand apart from its neighbors. The Shard’s towering presence is meant to inspire confidence and bring artistic vibrancy to its surroundings.

The shape of the Shard is triangular which naturally draws the eyes upward. This creates a similar effect that mountains have where there is a natural awe that is inspired from the sheer size and stability of the structure. The structure’s simplicity allows the viewer’s imagination to wander and give new and exciting life to what occurs within the tower.

The Visual Elegance of the Shard

The Shard’s exterior is completely composed of glass.

By having the exterior be glass, the shard communicates a modern and wealthy impression. This feeling is created by juxtaposing the glass, known for its fragility, with the imposing strength of the overall structure. Glass is expensive on buildings as it has higher energy costs as the heating and cooling loads are much greater than a well insulated building. This open acknowledgement of vast energy use advertises the Shard’s decadence.

The glass reflects the sunlight and mimics the motion and color of the sun as it traverses the sky, which creates an ever changing color scheme to the building. The motion of the city is captured in the glassy walls of the structure, with cars, citizens, and planes all being reflected. This varied appearance projected onto the glass walls generates excitement for its viewers. This is how the designers incorporate dynamic energy and motion into a structure that is designed to appear unshakable.

Sources:

“The Vision.” The Shard, https://www.the-shard.com/about/

Introduction:

My name is Maximilian Erickson. I am a fifth year senior studying mechanical engineering and minoring in English. Originally from Anchorage, I journeyed north looking for adventure and so far I’ve met a lot of cool people and seen a lot of cool things. I enjoy movie nights, martial arts, weight lifting, and visits to Costco. While this class is mandatory for my degree, I am excited to learn more about art. I’ve admired my grandfather’s artistic knowledge for a while now, so I’m looking forward to accruing some of my own.

An Example of What I Find Appealing:

My Personal Relationship to Art:

I have always enjoyed viewing art. While I have never seriously pursued drawing or painting, I have kept a regular journal for years, where I pour my creativity into, whether that is through poems or doodles. Whenever I find myself in Anchorage, I try to make it to the museum and explore the different exhibits. I frequently find myself thinking that it would be cool to paint or draw well, so I think at some point in the future I’ll start practicing those skills. Maybe after I learn some things in this class…

Shameless plug for the Anchorage Museum: https://www.anchoragemuseum.org/exhibitions/upcoming-exhibitions/