I agree with your view on this topic completely. I believe we should have warnings on television for the younger kids watching, which most cases it does. We should not be able to tell an artist what they can and can’t do. That is the whole point about art, to express your thoughts and feelings. People will always have problems with art pieces like you said and it will soon become old news. Kt will keep repeating itself because that is how the world works. People should get to choose what they want to create and get to censor it the way they like.

week15 response

Is censorship in art/entertainment required? Why or why not?

I can see censorship needed in entertainment as in television and radio for younger children listening, although children should be obscured from fowler language, most often they are not, a way to “protect” them from such language and sexual context is to censor it.  As for art if we are talking in terms of gallery’s, paintings, drawings then I see where there many still need to be a warning, I know is some shows I’ve been in they ask for “child friendly” paintings or they will say “adults only “ preparing people for what they are to expect, is understandable but we also shouldn’t tell artist they cannot create such art or entertainment. A warning such as the ratings on movies should be put into place. Although we all know that children are not always protecting from such images, language, I feel as a overall society we try our best to “protect” the young.

Do you think ideas and concepts by artists can be dangerous? How?

When looking art thought the years many famous paintings have been controversial  and considered dangerous but as times changed and so did people the old piece becomes “normal” and new pieces became the dangerous ones, in all movements of art there will be something someone will have a problem with and if that did not exist then is the movement considered a movement? The idea and concept thought of my artists are parts of their lives their mind and no one’s mind is completely “happy” and to be honest are not the best piece created the most dangerous in the eyes of the artist. If you are not taking a leap into the dark side or dangerous side of being an artist, then are you truly an artist? If your not willing to create something just because others might not like it, the whole point of being an artist is to make people think and take a look at their lives, I think Vincent van Gogh said it best “ art is to console those broken by life.” We are all broken and the broken part of being and artist is creating the dangerous thoughts in hopes of consoling someone else life.

Where should the line be drawn with censorship?

I feel the line for censorship should be drawn  by the person creating such are what they choose to reveal because it is their art their vision, in showing such things like I said before their needs to be a warning / rating of the context and if it is child friendly or for adults only.

Week 15 Response

In a free society, one of our liberties is freedom of speech. We have the right to express ourselves through art and entertainment, but in other countries such as China does not have as much freedom and they do censor their art. I believe that everyone should have the right to express themselves and some people may perceive art differently and consider it dangerous. People who have gone through horrible experiences use art to express their feelings and I believe that should not have to be censored. Freedom of speech is one of our amendments to the constitution. Some cultures have violence within their society, so I believe it does relate to explicit content and violence. Everyone expresses art differently and have their own views on it, but I do not believe there should be a line drawn because have the right to our own words. If people have a problem with certain portrait, they do not have to buy it or associate with it. Someone should not have to give up their beliefs for someone else. Artists whose art revolves around government issues should be allowed to express their opinions because it opens people’s minds to new ideas. In the future, I believe censorship will become more restrictive because our society has become more opinionated and wanting to change individuals views on certain circumstances.

Blog Post- Week 12

The Artwork I chose is called; The Soul of the Rose or sometimes known as My Sweet Rose. John William Waterhouse created this in 1908. He took inspiration from the literature of Alfred Lord Tennyson.  Ancient tales of romance were the basis of Waterhouse’s paintings. The Soul of The Rose painting is the most famous of his artwork. In this piece a woman smells a flower, in the way she is selling it is supposed to be particularly sensual. Waterhouse wants his paintings to have a sense of sexuality to it without it being completely obvious.

            Many of his paintings are similar in which femininity and elegance hold firm alongside nature's touch. Not just Waterhouse’s paintings, but in many other artist’s work, models would pose for paintings. A certain look was best suited for this art movement. The women typically were tall, slim, and brunette with particularly pale skin and rosy cheeks. The women would be dressed in classic, but elegant clothing. There was a sense of purity to these girls. The name of the artwork The Soul of The Rose is a phrase derived from Tennyson’s poem titled Maud from 1855. Waterhouse was a classical artist and learned much from the ancient cultures, but he was also in touch with modern literature and art.

            To get more in depth on the meaning of the portrait. The romantic belief is that the women’s fondness of the smell of the rose is due to sparking a memory of a past lover. The Soul of The Rose is significant in the way that the artist puts together sight and smell. It lets us not only capture the beauty of this portrait, but it allows us to imagine the odor of the beautiful roses. John William Waterhouse was born in Rome, Italy, so this portrait takes him back to his birthplace. The painting took place in an Italian-styled garden, which is sometimes forgotten because of his British parents and general attentiveness on influences from fellow British artists. The tiling in the front of the portrait plus the small neighboring house reminds us of the upbringing of Rome.

            The Soul of The Rose is a very beautiful portrait. I find it very appealing that he put many details into the painting and made it look realistic. He wanted viewers to be able to be able to relate to the portrait and feel as if they can smell the roses. I find it comforting he wanted to relate it to where he grew up because that has a special place in his heart. I believe it is very interesting that artists use a certain look of women in their paintings. Relating the beauty of nature to a woman's body. He has a type of elegance and beauty to his painting and I enjoy that. I like how John William Waterhouse expressed this painting as sensual, but not in a completely obvious way. I believe he wanted everyone to have their own ideas on the meaning of this painting.

Blog post- Week 11

             Ai Weiwei’s artwork is unique and he expresses himself in extraordinary ways. His father was an artist when he was growing up, so I believe that had some influence on him. He said that growing up in the Cultural Revolution had a strong impact on his becoming of an artist. Due to his father’s exile when he was growing up, he has been an activist for human right, for those that do not have a voice. This had a huge impact on him when he was a kid, now he uses art to get his thoughts out and proving a point. Ai Weiwei has been campaigning for refugees all around the world. I believe his art constitutes as both art and activism because he expresses himself through art and gives other people a voice through his artwork. I would consider Ai Weiwei’s art as fine art because he has an active imagination when it comes to creating it. He uses his experiences to have an influence on it. I believe his concept on the government and freedom is necessary today, in other areas of the world, people are living in poverty and harsh conditions. He has lived this and he wants to help other people who are experiencing this melodramatic manifestation. Over 10 years ago, Ai Weiwei visited China after the earthquake. Over 70,000 people lost their lives and this influenced him to become an activist online. He was questioning the structure of the buildings and the safety of them. Ai Weiwei found documents that the Chinese government were hiding of children that had perished in school buildings caused by the earthquake. This upset him and he wanted to honor them by using backpacks to make a mural in Munich. The authorities reacted negatively, that same year he was beaten and arrested by the Chinese police because he was attempting to testify in the investigation. He was in jail for 81 days and could not leave the country for four years. People around the world were protesting on his behalf.

             In the 1980’s he traveled to New York City, he loved it and had a big influence on him as an artist. He had an exhibition called Old Shoes Safe Sex; this was during the aids epidemic. He was responding to the panic of this disease. He then had to leave New York to tend to his ailing father. He left with no degree and feeling down about himself because he had nothing to show for his time there. From then on, he used his art to express his thoughts and emotions. He had his art work displayed at many prestigious exhibits. This is when he ultimately became an activist through his work.

I like the piece you chose and how you interpreted it. Caravaggio creates very gruesome pieces of art. This is how he expressed his feelings. I like how you pointed out that the girl in the background is covering her ears and not her eyes. The sound might be more horrific than the sight. There is much action taking place in this scene and much detail was added. This portrait brings out lots of emotions as you said, sadness and anger.

The Decapitation of Saint John the Baptist, 1607 by Caravaggio

The painting done by Caravaggio is quite a simple painting.  The painting is a large shallow space with a cluster of figures or people on the left which is balanced by the wall and window with two men watching.  The painting shows an executor about to execute John by decapitating him.  The executor and the man behind him show no signs of remorse toward the execution.  The lighting of the painting is focused on the decapitation, therefore focusing on the men in the painting.  The light basically penetrates the scene, putting focus on the decapitation.  When looking at this image my eyes go directly to the man pointing his index finger down due to the light focused on his hand, then my eyes go directly to the executioner where I see him holding down Saint John the Baptist head, and holding a dagger in the left hand.  When I look at this image I feel that the executioner is about to finish the job he started.  The woman in the background looks horrified.  She is the only one in the painting that is responding sympathetically to the scene that is occuring.  When I look at the scene it seems kind of strange that she is covering her ears and not her eyes.  Which makes me think that the sounds are even worse than the sight of the decapitation.  The background of the image is very dark and gloomy.  To the right of the painting, there are two men watching from the window trying to see what is going on.  There is obviously action taking place in the scene.  The executioner is showing force when pushing John’s head into the ground, and the woman to the left is setting down a dish.  This painting makes me feel sad, and angry because they are about to decapitate this man.  The painting also makes me angry because the other figures in this painting are just watching, and do not attempt to do anything about the situation.

The piece I chose was by Gentileschi, painted in 1622 and it is a painting of Susannah and the elders. She showed what it was like to be a woman in the 17th century by using a biblical story. In this portrait, two old men are spying on a young woman taking a bath. Other artists frequently make the figures of people hiding at a distance, while Gentileschi brings out the creepiness by having them openly stare. What stands out to me in this painting is that Gentileschi made the people have very realistic features. She added detail to everything in this piece of art. I believe that this painting is portraying how girls are viewed. Men would prey on younger women, which the men are doing in this picture. Men felt they were better than women were and they should not have a say in anything. They would think they were able to get away with anything, such as harassing women.

Gentileschi had been raped in her lifetime, so this traumatic experience has caused her to make artwork with a disturbing effect. Gentileschi is telling her story to the world with these paintings and being the voice of other women who have gone through the same experiences as she has. I also believe she painted these to get the horrible feeling off her chest and got to express her feelings by doing something she loves. There has been more and more cases of sexual abuse coming out in this world today. Women are taking a stand and sharing their stories with the world, expressing to other women that they should not be ashamed that this has happened to them. When I look at this painting, it makes me sad that women are treated this way. This has been going on for a very long time and it needs to stop.

Hayley, I agree with your interpretation on this piece of artwork. These images are showing intimacy and lust, but like you said the message he is trying to get across is that it is evil. There are people who are getting tortured such as a knife in someones back. As you said lust was considered to be a sin in the 1500s when this painting was created. I liked the pieces you chose they are very interesting. I agree when you said women seem to be objectified by themselves or others in today’s society.

Blog Post 7:

- To me, this painting appears to be a cry for help. Everything this piece portrays is melancholic, and dark if you look close enough, especially the right side of the painting.

As you can see, there are many young looking humans around, all naked. I think Hieronymus Bosch was trying to portray a sense of intimacy and lust. However, I think the message is not that intimacy is good, but rather evil. In the first image I have linked below, a man has been stabbed in the back by a knife, just to the left of that is a heart that has been stabbed by a sword. I think this is portraying the fact that love can be dangerous and deadly. To the right of the man that has been stabbed in a woman lying on a man who appears to be rather startled. Next to the woman is a demonic like creature, who has the same expression as the woman, so that leads me to assume that they are of the same soul, perhaps the woman/demon is not providing proper love for the man, but providing despair. The woman/demon seems to have him under control, perhaps this is also implying a type of abuse in relationships. Though my research shows that this painting was created in 1503, I am sure lust was considered a sin, much like it is some paces today. (pictured first)

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The next section of this painting that caught my eye is located in the far right section as well, just slightly above the ma with the knife in his back. Here a person seems to be crushed by a harp with music tattooed on their rear end. Looking at the tattooed person appears to be another, demonic like creature. I think that was a symbol for a hellish state of intimacy as well. Taking a break from the 1500s, in today’s society people, women especially seem to be objectifying themselves or by others. Perhaps this is was Bosch was trying to portray even back then. (pictured second)

Throughout the entire painting, darkness is a common theme, even though the colors are bright in some areas.

Week 7 - Bosch

Bosch Hieronymus created the Garden of Early Delights in 1490-1500. This was an oil painting on oak panel, which was his most complex work of art. The theme of this piece is the fate of humanity, as in the Haywain. Each panel must be identified in order to analyze the works meaning. On the outer faces of the triptych, Bosch portrayed the Third Day of The Creation of the World, when the water was separated from the earth and the earthly paradise.  The top left of this piece we see God the Father as the Creator. The inner portion is painted with many bright and amazing colors. Bosch painted three scenes that share the single common meanings, which this concept is sin. Referring to Adam and Eve being punished in Hell in the right panel. In the left panel, Bosch included the Creation of Eve. In a second stage, he replaced it with God presenting Eve to Adam. Bosch also added scenes in which women are standing in sexual poses or are just by the fountain in this portrait. The people in this portrait believe they are living in a paradise for lovers, but their logic is wrong and their fate is punishment in Hell. In this painting, Bosch created five bizarre architectural constructions in the water; in the Paradise panel, the central one is similar to the one fountain of the Four Rivers. Gombrich and Steppe undertook research in 1967 allowed the Garden of Earthly Delights to be associated with the Nassau family. In my opinion, this portrait is portraying Heaven and Hell. On the right side of this painting is expressing dark colors, representing Hell. In the middle and on the left side, bright colors are being conveying the earth and its creator. The women and the men in this artwork are portraying sinful actions.

This scene stood out to me because God the creator was presenting Eve to Adam.

The representation of Hell in the painting stood out to me.

Alexander, I agree with this. Art plays a huge role in Hong Kong at this hard time everyone there is going through. Your response to “This is about being human” is so true. The people want to end the protests and make Hong Kong a better place than it actually is. I agree when you stated that art brings joy to the people and laughter. Art is priced very high and people still buy it cause it takes them away from everything that is going on.

week 4

What I think Abby Chen means when she says “This is about being human” is that the people in Hong Kong wanted to end the protests and are trying to find a way to make Hong Kong a better place or make things better than they actually are. They use all different kinds of art to make them feel better and not make it as bad of a place. To me, I feel that the importance of art in the Hong Kong protests are high, It is something that helps people feel better ad make them sometimes laugh in a time of horror. The power of art can change the way that things are being dealt with. It can show that they can have peace in Hong Kong. The memes that they use are a big part of art that can help people forget about what is happening on the outside. It is something that can help people express their feeling about the protests. The power of art is as big as it can be because it is something that can change the way something thinks of something. The article talks about how.there was a piece of “art” that sold for $120,000 and it was just a banana duct-taped to a wall. It is something that is important and can be so important that someone would spend so much money on something like that.

Week 4 - Art in the conflict of Hong Kong

Vivienne Chow wrote about how Hong Kong has been going through very hard days recently. In mid-November Hong Kong was, quite entirely, a war zone. These traumatic experiences have opened her eyes to humanity and made her realize the true meaning of art. She quotes “This is about being human, and the kind of resistance and resilience we are seeing. Hong Kong artists are making these distressing experiences into art. Abby Chen, the head of contemporary art at the Asian art Museum in San Francisco had said she believed the greatest art will be constructed in Hong Kong in the wake of this uprising. Chens understanding of humanity had led to the realization that the most relevant creative expressions are living on the street. This confrontation shows life experiences that people have to go through, so art plays a role in this by being able to capture the situation that is going on. In some ways, these hard times can be made into beautiful artwork. Art is able to take you away from everything that is happening around you. It is used to reduce stress and this will be able to take the artists who live in Hong Kong to escape from this horrible time and bring joy to the people.

Hayley, I agree, looking at artwork that is in black and white is more interesting. You are able to imagine the different characteristics in the painting with a variety of colors. I really enjoyed learning about the artwork you chose. There is a lot of details and it was interesting learning about it. You stated that there is a knight on a horse looking proud and healthy, then a devil on a horse looking droopy and sad. The knight it symbolizing a soldier and it seems to me that it is symbolizing war as well.

Blog Post 3:

The piece of artwork I chose is the Knight, Death and the Devil woodcut, by Albrecht Dürer. The artwork was done in 1513 at the cabinet des estampes et des dessins (Strasbourg, France.) I chose to write about this piece because of the color scheme. Obviously, it is in black and white, I love looking at artwork in black and white because it allows my imagination to think of the colors myself. This particular piece really stood out to me because of the two figures in the piece. As you can see, there is a knight on a horse and the devil on a horse. However, the horse that the devil is riding on seems rather droopy and sad, but the horse the knight is riding on seems to be proud and healthy. The expression the devil has on his face is almost a confused sad like state, but the knight is serious and gallant.

I personally think of this to be some kind of metaphor. Once I read a book and a quote in it was – “Hope is the only thing stronger than fear.” This quote reminds me of this artwork, as the knight seems to be ignoring the “mighty” devil. Perhaps Albrecht Dürer was trying to imply that fear does not exist in the eye of those who choose not to see it.

However, when I first saw the piece, that is what I thought, but after researching more about it, I realized it was in fact about death. On the ground lies a timer, which appears to be running out of time. This is meant to symbolize death awaiting for the knight, while the devil stalks him in silence. In the nineteenth century it was suggested that the print is an illustration of Erasmus’s influential text, the 'Handbook of a Christian Knight', published in 1503, which urged Christians to act as soldier.

The process of this piece appeared to be rather difficult. It was engraved, and was one of the three Meisterstiche. Completed during a period when he almost ceased to work in paint or woodcuts to focus on engravings. The artwork is infused with complex iconography and symbolism, the precise meaning of which has “been argued over for centuries”

Dutch, Northern, and Flemish Renaissance paintings represent the 16th-century response to Italian Renaissance art. These artists, who span from the Antwerp Mannerists and Hieronymus Bosch at the start of the 16th century created the image of “renaissance” from what I have discovered.

Week 2 -

The topic I have chosen is music. Music is very relevant in today’s life. For some, it is a career, and for others it is an escape. Much like art, music allows people to relax and be free. Over the years, music has had significant changes. In the 1940's, Swing, Jazz, and Blues were popular. Then in the 1950’s, Rock 'N Roll took over. In the 1960's, Motown became popular. In the 70’s, Disco and R&B. In the 80s’, Pop, Hip-Hop, and Country. In the 1990's, Grunge and Alternative. In the 2000's Techno. Now today, there are over hundreds of different styles of music. There is a song for every person out there. Much like art, there is a piece of artwork for everyone. In the article about Giotto, the master of 14th century Italian paintings, it listed, many other painters considered “masters.” This reminds me of music once again because every decade of music has its own “master” In the 1960’s, the “masters” were the Beatle, Elvis Presley, and the Rolling Stones. 1970’s, Queen, Elton John, Pink Floyd, and Led Zeppelin. 1980s, Prince, Madonna, and Michael Jackson. 1990s, Mariah Carey, and Celine Dion. 2000s, Eminem, Britney Spears, and Coldplay. Many different musicians of many different genres. This reminds me of Giotto and the others because they are all different, but all still talented. Many children wish to become famous singers someday, it is their dream! I think music will allow out future to stay creative. Much like art, music gives people creativity and imagination. Without those things, our world would be very boring and lifeless. In the Giotto article, it says, “Giotto's frescos in the Scrovegni Chapel and his other major frescos established many major new conceptual and stylistic elements and he remained influential well into the Renaissance, over a century later. This the most extraordinary and innovative artistic adventure of the Mildde Ages ended in 1337” Giotto and the others shaped renaissance art, without them art would not be the same today. In music, other musicians have “paved” the way for others, Much like Giotto. Some say Mariah Carey paved the way for singers like Ariana Grande, and Beyoncé. On the other hand, Bruce Springsteen paved the way for Luke Bryan. “Paving” will continue in the future, Ariana Grande and Luke Bryan will “pave” ways for others. 50 years ago, music was so different; everyone was listening to Queen and Elton John. Now people listen to musicians like Justin Bieber and Billie Eilish. It is very interesting to see how music and art change over the years, and how people change with the music. Today most art is very different from Giotto and Enrico Scrovegni’s, but art is still influenced by their art. Our world is constantly changing and shifting. As I know It will, hopefully our future is filled with more different music and different styles of music, hopefully children still have the dream of becoming a singer, and hopefully music still changed people’s lives every day for the better.

Week three - Tower of Babel

A Dutch Renaissance painting I am choosing is the Tower of Babel. Pieter Bruegel the Elder in (c. 1526/30-1569) created it. This tower was constructed by Noah’s descendants to get as close as possible to the heavens and God. Although, God saw this artwork as a sign of vanity. He then made the builders speak different languages, so they could no longer communicate. He did this to punish them.

Not just, the tower being the focus, Bruegel added bustling ports where boats have finished unloading their cargo of building materials. This scenery must have been familiar to Bruegel to develop because he lived in Antwerp and experienced these things during that time. Goods are being lifted out of the boats with a crane attached to a large wheel. The force of the workers is turning the wheel. Cranes similar to this were used in the port of Antwerp in the 16th century. In the painting, there is a nearby river to provide clay to make bricks.

The great Babylon “ziggurat” inspired the biblical tower. In Rome, the colosseum made a substantial impression on Bruegel. He went on a study expedition through Italy and France, a little after 1550. Bruegel has painted a smaller version of The Tower of Babel on ivory while in the Eternal City, which now no longer exists. The circular shape of Bruegel’s tower, which contrasts with the square shaped ziggurat design, was not the only element inspired by the Colosseum; he also portrayed the Roman mountain’s arches. Bruegel adds very much detail to his work because he wants the people to be able to witness it realistically. He has painted many other Tower of Babel paintings, but this one puts particular emphasis on the building process.

Bruegel placed the tower in a coastal landscape, near a river, rather than unpaved roads, because waterways carried most of the heavy goods during the 16th century. I chose this piece because I thought it was very interesting. I enjoyed learning the history about this piece of artwork and what it represents. I also admired how he put very much detail into the piece and showed how the tower was constructed. Bruegel made the piece look very realistic, so it made the painting even more interesting to learn about. The Tower of Babel has an association with the Northern Renaissance because Europe had a substantial influence on Bruegel to come up with this piece.

Fashion trends have been around for decades. Every era had their own trend, unique ways to dress yourselves. I believe fashion really expresses a person’s personality and what points they are trying to prove to the world. It has changed tremendously from the 1800’s. Women used to have to wear dresses and look presentable. In addition, to imitate the classical designs of the Greeks and Romans. Men wore nice outfits and had to look nice for their jobs. When the 1900’s came, styles became different. Having TV’s becoming more popular people saw different ideas of fashion trends.  Magazines influenced the styles in the 1900’s. Technology was not very common in the early 1900’s, but later on technology had some influence. The 1970’s was a time when girls had long straight hair, flared jeans, dressed like hippies. Men wore their hair longer and had their own style which was suit looking outfit of color of choice and a shirt underneath. The 1980’s then changed tremendously with the look being high wasted mom jeans for both men and women. It was also the era in which people dressed like rock and roll. With the 1990’s pretty, much staying the same, but with adding hip to it. Girls wore their hair bigger and puffed it up.  The 2000’s came and girls dressed with low wasted jeans and crop top shirts. As the years went on technology began to influence fashion trends. Seeing new styles on TV. In addition, social media. Celebrities have always had a big influence on fashion trends, especially now. Instagram has had the biggest impact on the fashion world today. All the styles now are more modern and plain. Fashion has changed society by letting people experience new trends. Having your own style makes someone who they are and defines you. It used to be that everyone followed the same trends, but I see it now that others like to express themselves in different ways and do not want to be like everyone else. In my opinion looking and acting, the same is boring to me. I predict that the path to fashion trends will become even more technologically advanced in the future years. Technology has already had such an enormous amount of influence on day-to-day styles. Clothing has become more surreal like art in some ways, because I do believe fashion is a form of art. Fashion has started to become more art related over the years, some art is bizarre and now clothing is becoming to look like that as well. Designers are creating their clothing to look out of this world kind of style. We have come to value how much things cost and the appearance of people. We judge the way people look if they do not have the best style, which I hope in the future that could change so everyone can stop feeling insecure about themselves and not have to value quality so much. Everyone feels they have to have the most expensive clothes to fit in or look good. I believe we collectively aspire to achieve perfection when it comes to style. Our world has become so into looks and everyone feels they need to be perfect.

I really like this piece of art as well. I also remember seeing this at my elementary school and learning about it. This painting brings back a lot of good memories!

One of my favorite pieces of art is The Starry Night by Vincent Van Gogh. This piece is one of my favorites because I remember first seeing it in elementary school and my art teacher helping us all draw the wind and how hard it was for all of us to get the hang of it!

Week One - Favorite work of art

Girl before a mirror paining - This work of art relates to me because when I see this picture I imagine a girl looking at herself and seeing her imperfections. I feel that women are too hard on themselves and I tend to do the same.