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chrysaliseuro2019 · 5 years

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FROM RAGS TO RICHES

Our usual peaceful breakfast wasn’t to be this morning. The owner of the absolutely perfectly tasteful Pension/BnB we stayed in had in her wisdom chosen to set one long table instead of several small ones. In keeping with the rest of the little establishment the setting and indeed breakfast was exquisite. That is until Daniela came to join us.

Chris asked her if she spoke English and from that moment she never stopped proving she could. We found out she is building two houses in Ostuni (with pools) and invited us to come and look at them (we declined), has a son who is hoping to work at Four Seasons in Sydney next year and that she wants to go to Brisbane and experience the personal concierge who can take you to all the best Brisbane has to offer. We didn’t like to disabuse her fantasy by saying that one day would probably cover it.

Meanwhile the other more reserved guests arrived at the table. They all suggested we go to Matera saying it was amazing but didn’t specify why. One of them even said she cried when she saw it. We thought this must be some speccy city to evoke such a reaction. Daniela chipped in with an accommodation suggestion which when we checked on booking.com came in at €435 per night, about a week’s accommodation budget for us. We parted with Daniela wanting to exchange telephone numbers so we only hope Brisbane can enhance its tourist appeal to keep her there.

Matera bound which was an easy drive although a bit of it was retracing our steps from yesterday. Past all the little truilli and lucky enough to be stopped by a flock of around 200 sheep crossing the road. Escorting them were 2 dogs who looked more like golden retrievers (possibly Maremma breed)than our kelpies or border collies and a farmer. When they’d safely crossed bells jingling, the farmer closed the gate and returned to his home while the dogs joined the flock blending in perfectly, gamboling up the hill with their charges. Presumably the flock settled to graze and the dogs settled to oversee them.

Found a big carpark not too far out of town after the more formal one was full. Worked out is was a no charge car park, slapped on plenty of sunscreen to deal with the blazing sun and walked 10 minutes into town. The drive and walk into town to date had been less than inspiring so what were the girl’s tears about?

Found a large square with the usual imposing municipal office buildings, the do-not-ignore-me church and a statue based on one of Salvador Dali’s figures -a long and skinny legged elephant with a structure on its back. Still looking for the tear jerking moment and there it was. Looking from street level to below laid out is a vast city built into caves known Sassi. A total network of rambling ‘homes’ built into limestone rocks ad hoc in structure and layout. It was huge and what we could see was only half of it, divided by a cathedral built at the top (as cathedrals inevitably are) with the rest hidden down the incline behind the cathedral. The rest of the new city had been built at a higher level around it. It truly was jaw dropping.

There were tours to the water cisterns but didn’t fancy that. Other than that you could just roam the higgeldy piggeldy streets looking at this city. We soon learnt its sad history. The Sassi was over 2000 years old and was inhabited as slums by 15,000 people as recently as 1952. The dwellings had no sanitation, electricity or natural light. Families of any number of children who survived diseases such as cholera and malaria shared a one room dwelling with livestock of maybe a donkey, pigs and/or chooks. The toilet was in the corner and no flush technology there. The men and boys travelled with the donkey to work the land some several kilometres away, and the women plied skill they had at home in order to make ends meet. It was overwhelmingly grim. A reconstructed house was set up as a museum to get a feel for it. But compared to the photos in the foyer the museum model, although unbelievably basic, was a sanitised version of what the reality must have been. Now we understood the tears.

Finally the Italian prime minister in 1950 called the slums ‘a national disgrace’ and action was taken. The families were moved out of the slums into new accommodation in the new bit of town. However many of the residents struggled to adapt having never seen water from a tap, electric lights etc. Also where to keep the livestock? And some felt very disconnected from what once was a community of solidarity. The adjustment must have been daunting. The young lady at the museum said her grandfather lived there and once removed never went back. And who could blame him. Another man now aged 83, so presumably an ex-resident, also had painstakingly constructed a large model of the city. It took him 3 years.

But the wheels of change came into play as they have in Melbourne’s inner suburbs and it is now a highly desirable place to stay. In 1986 it was decided to allow people to move back. But not the old inhabitants. Instead a tourist opportunity opened up. In 2017 it was claimed more than 25% of the Sassi had been converted to Airbnb accommodation. We passed plenty of these Airbnbs and suspect that Daniela’s€435 per night was one of them.

A quick lunch that turned out to be a way to use the restaurants stale bread, possibly salvaged from the days when the Sassi was still a slum, by soaking it in oil, throwing 2 slices of tomato and 2 baby tomatoes cut into 16ths, a few chunks of onion and some celery leaves and calling it a local speciality. Special it was not. Topped up with some excellent sour cherry pastries along our walk.

The walk around the Sassi while sobering to think how conditions once were, was also lovely, if hot. Down the deep valley was a river and the walk was punctuated with statues inspired by Dali’s artworks. We highly recommend making this a stop in any Puglia itinerary.

Paid a quick visit to the museum which had a room open with some 15th Century artefacts to tempt visitors to buy a ticket for the rest of the museum. This sounds like a blasé traveller, but having seen antiquities from many centuries BC we weren’t tempted to venture in. Instead back to our Fiat to head a little further towards Rome. Once again a pleasant drive as the flatter plains of Puglia slowly transformed into rolling hills as we drove towards Benevento in the Campania region. I chose this town out of the blue as there seemed to be a lot of little hamlets and this was a reasonable sized town so would have accommodation choices. Did a quick Google images scan and pictures looked ok and hotel on booking.com looked ok but held off booking to firstly do a quick reccy of town and if alright then check out the hotel.

On approach Benevento looked a dud. Lots of 50’s and 60’s ugly apartments and no apparent charm. Started to doubt my judgement so another quick google of the most beautiful towns in Campania showed Benevento came in second to Naples which was reassuring. Found the hotel after a miss on first attempt and landed a huge room with view over local river for a much better deal than booking.com. Also got some dinner recommendations which are also helpful.

Quick spruce and time to explore. Five minutes walk to the Centro historico which consisted of a wide Roman road with little dark side streets running off it and breaking out into plazas from time to time. Once again there were many grand buildings, bell towers, churches and gladly shops selling clothes not tourist tatt. It turned out we had chosen well.

Tried the first dinner recommendation way down one of those dark side streets but the atmospheric main room was full so they steered us to the fully lit ante room with one couple looking very lonely. Think they would’ve liked the company of other diners so they didn’t feel like they were in Siberia but we weren’t charitable enough to join them.

So off to second choice which had seating outside in a little courtyard which is what we hoped for. As we arrived 2 women were drifting in too and they beat us to the table by a short half head. Damn that was the last table so now struggling to find somewhere. Up the main drag but that’s never our choice as usually very touristy and average food. Finally saw a few bods sitting down another dark narrow laneway and went exploring this time with success. Last table of only 3 outside was ours. It felt very local down this not quite grimy but certainly not sanitised alleyway. As usual beer, red and white wine readily available, while vodka, tonic, rosé and sprite (for shandy purposes) were not. Opposites was a little bar so I went looking for a sprite to buy but did one better by getting a V&T and bringing it back to the table. A different version of BYO.

Pizza for Chris and spaghetti arrabiata (angry sauce) for me and it sure made by tongue angry with one big lump of chilli heavily disguised amongst the sugo.

Identified a couple of historic sites to explore tomorrow morning and headed for home. Meanwhile the Main Street had become more crowded with families, oldies like us and a number of young people especially young men in small groups wandering along chatting and enjoying the balmy air.

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thefatdrunkdragon · 6 years

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The Worst RPer I have ever met (Nemo Saga Chapter 3)

Okay, so let’s talk about the first worst RP and my worst Idea first. The Spooky RP.

This idea should be on the list of unlikely and terrible crossover ideas ever. Simply imagine Spooky’s House of Jumpscares except no 1000 rooms, the layout is more akin to the Arklay Mansion and the spooky monsters that hunt you down are replaced with the Zeds from Killing Floor 2. This was during a time in my life where I had worse ideas in mind, and while I am not fully better, I’m slowly improving the ideas and concepts of something else before I end up doing the mistake of writting the “Life is Eldritch” Fanfiction... ANYWAY!

The Plot of this RP I told to Nemo was that my Characters had taken over a small abandoned mansion and turned into an a haunted house attraction where an AI would sorta pick what monster comes out while a female character named Kate decides to do the voices to do some kind of a twisted warning about it. I told it to Nemo and he accepted it. Only because it had spooky and he was a big fan of Markiplier. And don’t worry, Markiplier doesn’t make a cameo.

Anyway, we begin this RP tale in October 30th, where the next day would soon be Velora’s Birthday (yi-fucking-pey). After some random bullshit where some dude through coffee on Velora’s Face for no reason, Everyone goes to the Mansion near the Villa.

Short Explanation: The Villa is a small abandoned “Town” that was half finished and forgotten by the government. The few buildings finished are just the town plaza and the Mansion own by a man who’s name is forgotten. The mansion is the setting for this RP.

Anyway, they go in, dressed as a bunch of Emo’s and are told the rules. Nemo thought he was being sneaky when he and his mommy sues brought guns but I counter acted this by telling them that the monsters were incapable of harming them and in having a gun, they deprive themselves of the horror of a Haunted Mansion.

But then fucking suddenly, Anathalia’s Archnemesis, Adelie (Brothel Owner lady), shows up and takes Anathalia. But Nemo then handcuffs her and the police take her away.

This won’t be the last time this shit happens.

Within minutes we show them the mansion and how it works. While he was trying to push me into having Exposition dumped into my face, I tried to introduce the RP’s Main threat, the Spooky Hologram (I’ll explain what the fuck I was trying to do at the end of the story, because explaining everything here is confusing.) Needless to say, I forgot to mention to Nemo that this RP, while taking the title of Spooky, was a complete diversion from the games but he is still convincing himself he played through this game and it’s nothing.

So the objective of this haunted mansion thing was to have people choose a direction and try to go through with it. Think of it like an escape room, except you’re trying to escape the house from mutants who can’t fully hurt you but can give you one hell of scare with their wails and hissing. Nemo and Velora chose the Basement while Anathalia chose the Second Floor. And then the games started.

Then fucking suddenly, Adelie shows up (No details about how the fuck she escaped) and asks around for Anathalia to bring her back the brothel (Because kidnapping a “famous celebrity”, and doing so is more trouble than it’s worth!) and Nemo decided to have Kate (The person that we both created and the voice of the Spooky Hologram) go and try to defend Anathalia. It was there where Anathalia decided to choose Kate as another candidate, but Aiden and Ruby (Aiden being a sort of avatar of mine and Ruby being an obvious nod to an artist I like and a Female Dragon) tried to defuse the situation but Nemo comes and tries to stop the situation by threatening Adelie with a gun (Yeah, dipshit ignored da rules of the mansion and somehow had another gun.) But before anything could go any further, The cops show up and she is taken to a jail in paris yet again. Making this whole conflict pointlessly unnecessary.

Meanwhile, Nemo and his mommy sues returned to the Maze and he keeps brushing off minor things that aren’t being part of the game as part of the game. I know it’s a sort of method for us to calm the fuck down but he was so smug about how the “escape mansion” was just like the Spooky game. Until he reached the laboratory, where the Killing Floor Zeds were being stored and manufactured. He at first brushed it off, until the lights of the lab came on and he saw them all, these hideous freaks all moving around in their cages, waiting for an opportunity to tear into him like a lion on a gazelle.

He still continued to brush it off, but it was there where the Hologram made it clear that No one in the control room is doing this, it is now running the show and will now unleash these freaks for its own amusement. But leave it to Nemo to try and deflate the scary moment by adding in fucking “bachata” music (Bachata being a sort social dance music for us latinos). I wanted to go with a sort of dark like tone and he just adds unnecessary BS like this and just ruins it.

It is after that the spooky AI was going to decide to unleash the monsters on them and he would have to escape the mansion with his life.

Big. Fucking. NOPE

He teleports away to safety, ruining the conflict so bad that I argued for a re-do because it was that insulting. I know It sounds annoying but jesus christ! I shouldn’t have done this because all I did was prolong the agony further.

Anyway, It was there where Spooky had tried to force Nemo and his Mary Sues to pick a path and stick to it. His mary sues had the attention span of toddlers because they ignore everything she says, asks her about what is it like being a ghost (Despite the fact I told him in the beginning it was a Hologram.) and then I decided to pull a Deus Ex Machina out of my Ass and just have her ZAP away their powers. Nemo’s Response?

Nemo(From the Archived RP I had): Did you know you can't do that to me, right? I'm different.

Ofcourse he doesn’t want to play fair. Ofcourse, OFCOURSE! He has to act like he’s such a SPECIAL AND UNIQUE Snow flake. I was so sickened by this that instead of teleporting away, he just rushed the scary moments of being chased by the Zeds and then he escaped to the control room. Where the dipshit begins to change the subject to an unimportant side plot about how Adelie found Anathalia. I won’t explain the details, but it had something to do with a Hot Topic employee being a spy for Adelie and such bullshit.

I broke character as Aiden, so tired of this inane bullshit, decides to grab a rifle, arm Eddie and an unpaid janitor, to go down the basement and take care of the monsters before they get out and then, just because I realized how much of a fucking mistake both the RP and the attraction was, I would burn down the mansion. Nemo gets offended that we were going to destroy the mansion and tells us to leave. So we do, and Nemo then decides that the next logical solution is to MURDER MY FUCKING CHARACTER and throw his body out of the rooftop of the mansion, ignoring all the other characters trying to kill him.

But it’s okay gais! Because it turns out it was a Demon call Jack, Who was making him do the bad thing and Nemo has the most anti-climatic battle. I wanna take this moment to take another quote from the RP. Because I never noticed it and now that I do, I find it so hilarious

His friends like Ruby, Anathalia and Kate are in shock. What will they do without (Nemo)? They'll never know.

Well, I can tell you one thing. Ruby would not miss someone who just happened to have Killed their friend in cold blood when there was never a sign of this possesion to begin with!

So after an anticlimatic battle that could fit in the confines of a tweet, Nemo defeats the Demon and the day was saved. And he swept away all the problems by reviving my character and had all of my characters go “Oh, It wasn��t Nemo, it was a demon! He was the good guy all along.” And then there was a party.

Aiden, Despite being revived by his “Saviour” has not forgotten his goal. So I told everyone to get ready for a big firework display. And everyone gave their stupid recommendations.

At first the house had a minor explosion, before the memories of that shitty night were erased in a massive ball of fire. Bringing a huge smile on my face and an angry Nemo on my character’s face. He got into some whiny bullshit about how he would buy the land and rebuild it for the Vampire Clan or some Bullshit, and since the Vampire Clan was so Big and Important to the government, I took it a step further by lighting the flag on fire and telling him “I’ll call you for a war declaration later.” He repeats how I’m offending the vampire overlords but I told him I never gave a fuck. And he just flipped my character off.

and that was the worst RP I have ever had with Nemo, and it sure as Shit would not be the last.

And now... A brief explanation on what in the actual fuck was the POINT of the Spooky RP:

The idea for the Spooky RP was inspired by my experience playing KF2 on a free weekend on Steam while also learning about Spooky’s House Of Jumpscares. So I had a thought: Why not have an RP where there is a sort of Spooky Esque character trying to narrate your “demise” while also being chased by zeds. Although not mentioned in the RP, the origins of the Zeds come from the Mansions “Laboratory” level below the Basement, and when Aiden and Eddie first found it, they were stuck down the for a day until they shredded their way out. It was there where Aiden had the bright idea of creating the escape mansion to make a quick buck. But since they can’t just go and kill them, the characters decide that the best course of action is to lead the zeds out of the basement, trap it and try to declaw or detooth them, due to how dangerous those parts can be. As the mansion was built and the AI was already created, the AI went through an “Ultron Phase” as I like to call it, looking through video footage of the somehow working cameras of the mansion and seeing both Eddie and Aiden harming this creatures for entertainment purposes. So it plotted their demise and its plan to release the creatures out into the streets of Puerto Rico just for giggles. How the “Spooky AI” spoke was by replicating a lot of Kates Vocals and then mimicking it in a same pitch and everything. Yeah, it doesn’t make a lot of sense but I tried to atleast come up with a good idea before it got ruined horribly.

I should’ve quit after the SteamPunk disaster but I guess I’m responsible for my own demise when it comes to bad RPs. And like a masochist, I just kept coming for more.

#rp saga #Nemo saga #Mary Sue #rp tales

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thebethbits · 5 years

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non-western art: teotihuacan + nazca cultures.

For this assignment, I chose to research Teotihuacan and Nazca cultural art.

teotihuacan, a mesoamerican metropolis.

Teotihuacan culture was based in a city of the same name, homed in Central America, about 50 kilometers (30 miles) northeast of modern day Mexico City. It is the largest pre-Columbian site in the Americas, and was the largest city in the entirety of the Western Hemisphere before the 1400s. It thrived for the first half of the first millennium A.D. Based on our best evidence today, we believe Teotihuacan to have been established around 150 BCE, lasting to about the middle of the 6th century. Nearly 200,000 people lived in the city at its peak. (Wikipedia)

Teotihuacan is, for nearly all parts considered, a ghost story. The city, a sprawling grid of over 30 km² (over 11½ square miles), was already in ruins, abandoned for nearly a thousand years before the Aztecs came upon it. So much of the Teotihuacanos is unknown: “they had no form of writing, so much of their politics, culture, and religion were lost or co-opted by later civilizations.” (Vance) Archaeological excavations have led to some recent significant discoveries; it is believed that sometime in the 7th or 8th century, the city was heavily burnt, seemingly by invaders, but recent findings shows that the damage was focused towards the structures of the elite were burnt, which leans towards convincing evidence of an uprising, but is still just a theory. (Wikipedia)

teotihuacan, in its prime.

From what we can see, and by what has been found, Teotihuacan is believed to have been home to a wide, diverse set of cultures, including Zapotec, Mixtec, Maya and Nahua distinctions, but this is still heavily debated.

Chief Curator of the Fowler Museum at UCLA, Matthew Robb, was the exhibition curator for the exhibition Teotihuacan: City of Water, City of Fire, at the de Young museum in San Francisco, in late 2017. When asked about how the art and culture of Teotihuacan invited new, diverse variety to the city, he said: “Not very many people in ancient Mesoamerica woke up and lived their lives in an apartment compound covered with interior wall paintings, but a lot of people in Teotihuacan did. And that’s just the murals—many compounds had small domestic altars, and certain kinds of stone sculptures were pervasive across all social levels. It was a materially and visually rich environment—there are even reduced-scale versions of vessels and objects included in burials.” (Gardiner)

At the time, Teotihuacan was a Mesoamerican metropolis. In its prime, the city was a bustling aspirational utopia of culture: the cultural, political, economic, and religious epicenter of ancient Mesoamerica. It was home to a visually rich environment, in more ways than just art. Houses had courtyards and drains, goods came from all around the city: minerals from the north, shells from the coast, jade from the Maya region. There were ball games and gambling, religious worshipping temples, many different types of food, various entertainments, it all made for a comfortable life to start thinking about bigger ideas than just survival. Teotihuacan was a shot at a better life for many people. (Moran)

teotihuacan architecture.

A Map of Teotihuacan, de Young Museum.

Architecturally, Teotihuacan contains a massive central road, thousands of residential compounds many pyramid-temples. We don’t know their true names, but we have those that the Aztecs gave them. The massive central road is known famously as the Street of the Dead, and the two main pyramid-temples are known as the Temple of the Sun and the Temple of the Moon. Even Teotihuacan is a given Aztec name, meaning "Place of the Gods”.

The grid layout of the city is incredibly organized and neat. The entire city is orientated 15.5 degrees East of true north. The main avenue, or the Street of the Dead, is massive, spanning 40 meters wide and 3.2 km long. (Teotihuacán) It spans from agricultural fields all the way towards the city’s main citadel, housing the pyramid-temple of the Sun, and culminating at the pyramid-temple of the Moon.

Temple of the Feathered Serpent, displaying "Tlaloc" (left) and feathered serpent (right) heads. Teotihuacan, Mexico, Mesoamerica.

Although it is the smallest of the three pyramid-temples along the Street of the Dead, the Pyramid of Quetzalcoatl (or the Temple of the Feathered Serpent, Quetzalcoatl), as well as its surrounding central plaza, are home to the greatest concentration of Teotihuacan’s sculptural and painted iconography. (Google Arts & Culture) Architectural sculpture attached to the temple are more than just decorative, displaying "Tlaloc" and feathered serpent heads. There are indents in the eyes for the placement of light-reflecting gems. It is believed that they suggest a strong ideological significance, but the significance itself remains highly debated. (Temple of the Feathered Serpent)

teotihuacan sculpture.

Mask, 4th–8th century, Teotihuacan, Mexico, Mesoamerica. Onyx marble (tecalli). The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Sculptures were varied, as there was no tradition of portraiture in Teotihuacan culture. Masks were made in this idealized style, we believe, to be a representation towards a status symbol, or towards a standardized art motif of the time. It is carved out of Onyx marble, a precious stone, and may have been painted at one point. Depressions in the eyes and mouth may suggest that they were once homes for inlaid shells, stones, or other precious stones. There are perforations on the sides, intending that the mask may have not been worn by people, but instead attached to further sculptures; human figures, mummies, or deity bundles. (Doyle)

teotihuacan paintings.

Wall painting, 7th–8th century. Teotihuacan, Mexico, Mesoamerica. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

Paintings can be found everywhere in Teotihuacan culture: on walls, on statues, on various kinds of ceramics. The painting above, is an example of the many floor-to-ceiling murals that cover the walls of many of the high-status apartment compounds, frescoed murals depicting elaborate scenes and enigmatic iconography. (Doyle)

teotihuacan ceramics.

Vessel from Tlaxcala with procession of figures, 550–650 CE. Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco (FAMSF).

Ceramics were a vivid, expressive venue of Teotihuacan art. Stylistically, the range of variety and high quality of painting and production showed mastery and expertise in the creation of ceramics: “Teotihuacan culture boasted a range of ceramic styles. Luxury ceramics could feature abstract figures rendered in vivid colors. There are also painted ceramics that are similar to frescoes, mold-made ceramics, very large and ornate multi-part incense burners, as well as architectural ceramics.” (Eiland)

contemporary references to teotihuacan.

Ralph Maradiaga Mini-Park, 24th & York. Mosaic sculpture, Colette Crutcher and Aileen Barr, 2010.

In San Francisco’s Mission District, various artists have paid homage to Teotihuacan culture. A mosaic sculpture done by artists Colette Crutcher and Aileen Barr, shows an interpretation of Quetzalcoatl, the feathered serpent god the Teotihuacanos worshipped.

The architecture of Teotihuacan can tell us so much about how the way we build our cities has evolved over time. Concepts like harmony, time-lasting material, and significance still have merit in our cities today. Look outside, see the way buildings are angled, or arched, or how high they climb in comparison to their surroundings and backdrops. The similarities are everywhere.

The Moon Pyramid and complex in Minecraft, de Young Museum.

The study and historical significance of Teotihuacan’s culture, architecture, and artwork of its diverse population is incredibly important. But not all of us can see it in our lifetimes, due to monetary restrictions or general life-work restrictions. Because of this, the exhibition curators at the de Young museum in San Francisco, California, made a 1:1 scale replication in Minecraft. The size, the scale, the recent discoveries, are all there for people worldwide to experience, with custom texture pack for a realistic representation of stone and artwork textures. Talk about incredible dedication and hard work to bring Teotihuacan to the world!

nazca culture.

Nazca civilization was homed in South America, near the coastal river valleys and high mountain basins of Peru. It flourished from about 100 BC to 800 AD. The style generally associated with the art of the Nazca – polychrome textiles, ceramics, architectural irrigation technologies – drew heavily from their contemporary, then-predecessors, the Andean society of Paracas.

The Nazca period was one of artistic flourishment and technological advancement. Religiously, the Nazca drew likely inspiration from their desert environment, beliefs based on agriculture and fertility. (Wikipedia) Many worshipped nature gods in favor of growth of crops and agriculture.

Politically, Nazca civilization was headed by a collection of chiefdoms, who worked both individually and collectively when the time called for it. There was no singular large-scale or integrated position of power. There was no centralized city. Instead, the overall population of about 25,000 people were spread across small villages. The Nazca were a state of the theocratic militaristic power sort, leadership often being those held in high qualification, usually priests and military leaders. (Cartwright)

Small cities of the Nazca civilization usually included many domestic amenities, including ceremonial mounds, walled courts, and terraced housing. It was also home to engineered aqueducts, including the Cantalloc Aqueducts, but there were more than 40 different built to ensure the supply of water to the city and to the surrounding agricultural fields, where cotton, beans, potatoes, and other crops grew. There were many opportunities in small cities for artisans, including ceramists, architects, weavers, astrologists, and musicians, to work for the leadership. Those who were not artisans, were usually farmers and fishermen, the fundamental base of the Nazca economical society. Pieces of pottery and textiles that have been found with resources originating far from Peruvian valleys (rainforest bird feathers, and mountain-homed alpaca and llama wool, etc.) serve as examples of evidence of trade with other cultures. (Cartwright)

nazca ceramics, goldsmithing, and textiles.

Curved Beaker with Rows of Abstract Masks and Geometric Motifs, 180 BC/500 AD. The Art Institute of Chicago.

The tradition of ceramics in Nazca culture was one of stunning high-quality polychrome pottery, with the use of eleven gradations of various colors in various pieces. Shapes included “double-spout bottles, bowls, cups, vases, effigy forms, and mythical creatures”. (Wikipedia) Pieces usually feature motifs, drawing from the environment, myth, religion, geometric, or deity representation.

Nazca ceramics were made before the use of wheels, and instead done by building coil walls up, then smoothing them out, before sometimes adding a smooth layer of soft clay for painting. Their reflective, smooth and shiny surfaces were made with the process of careful burnishing, or polishing/rubbing during the late drying stages. Many of the best-conserved examples we’ve found have been preserved in graves, buried with the mummified dead, either in dug graves or in tombs.

Nose Ornaments in the Form of Feline Whiskers, 180 BC/500 AD., The Art Institute of Chicago.

Gold and silver were also used in ceremonial and religious traditions, worn in the style of jewelry: masks, ear flaps, nose rings, or other adornments. To be worn they were flattened, cut, and embossed.

Panel, 500/600 AD, The Art Institute of Chicago.

Textiles were produced with cotton and wool, using techniques of muslin, brocading, tapestry, embroidery, painted cloth, and tridimensional weaving. Thread was dyed various different colors. Textiles, alike Nazca ceramics, usually portrayed themes, or motifs, worn for religious ceremonies or rituals. Excavations have found spindles, looms, needles, cotton, and pots of dyes at various Nazca sites. (Cartwright)

The panel above displays human-animal duality, portraying anthropomorphic abstract figures. The orientation can be shifted and still understood due to the range of horizontal symmetry. The many different heads featured are meant to signify supernatural, otherworldly powers, leaning towards this piece having ritualistic significance. (Art Institute of Chicago)

the nazca lines.

Of course, it is difficult to talk about Nazca culture, and not immediately turn to the famed Nazca lines; large geoglyphs seen only from an aerial vantage point, spanning over 50 miles, that have remained intact over the last 2000 years. The lines were made by clearing – with incredible detail – the red rocks of the Sechura (Nazca) desert, and exposing the greyish sand beneath. The geoglyphs are incredibly geometric, consisting of images that are of zoomorphic (animal-based) and phytomorphic (trees, flowers, etc.) shapes. (Bahadur)

The meaning of the lines has been heavily debated over the last handful of decades: leaning towards agricultural, to sacred rites for aquifers and springs, to astronomical and calendrical theories. National Geographic explorer Johan Reinhard summarized the versatile meaning of the lines in his book The Nazca Lines: A New Perspective on their Origin and Meaning: “No single evaluation proves a theory about the lines, but the combination of archaeology, ethnohistory, and anthropology builds a solid case.” (Reinhard) The way we see the world and our past continually adds onto itself, and with further research and a little bit of luck, we will hopefully find the origin and true meaning of the Nazca lines in the relative future.

Works Cited:

“Art and identity in the ancient city of Teotihuacan.” Gardiner Museum Blog, Gardiner Museum. 2018. URL.

“Teotihuacan, Mexico.” Google Arts and Culture, Google. Dec 2009. URL.

Bahadur, Tulika. “The Nazca Lines.” On Art and Aesthetics. eLucidAction. 8 May, 2016, URL.

Cartwright, Mark. “Nazca Civilization.” Ancient History Encyclopedia, Ancient History Encyclopedia Limited, 23 May 2014. URL.

Doyle, James. “The Arts of a Mesoamerican Metropolis, Here at the Met.” The Met, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 19 Nov. 2014. URL.

Eiland, Murray Lee. “Ceramics from the Birthplace of the Gods.” Ceramics Monthly, The Ceramic Arts Network, 8 Jan 2019. URL.

Moran, Barbara. “Lessons from Teo.” The Brink, Boston University, 6 Oct 2015. URL.

Reinhard, Johan. The Nazca Lines: A New Perspective on their Origin and Meaning. Editorial Los Pinos, 1986.

Vance, Erik. “An Homage to Teotihuacan.” Sapiens, Wenner-Gren Foundation for Anthropological Research, Inc. 5 July 2018. URL.

Wikipedia editors. “Temple of the Feathered Serpent, Teotihuacan.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia, 7 Sep. 2019. URL.

Wikipedia editors. “Teotihuacán.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia, 4 Sep. 2019. URL.

Wikipedia editors. “Nazca Culture.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia, 16 May 2019. URL.

Art Cited:

Curved Beaker with Rows of Abstract Masks and Geometric Motifs, 180 BC/500 AD. The Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago. URL.

Explore Teotihuacan at Home with Minecraft, de Young Museum. 21 Sep, 2017. URL.

Mask. 4th–8th century, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. URL.

Mosaic sculpture, Colette Crutcher and Aileen Barr, Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco. URL.

Nose Ornaments in the Form of Feline Whiskers, 180 BC/500 AD., The Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago. URL.

Panel, 500/600 A.D. The Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago. URL.

The Sun Pyramid. Jorge Pérez de Lara Elías, Flickr. URL.

Vessel with Procession of Figures. 4th–8th century, Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, San Francisco, California. URL.

#3 #non western art.

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rachelrawdin-blog · 5 years

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Blog Post 3: Raval Excursion 03/04/2019

To create new areas for public space, the old neighborhood of El Raval was chosen to be fixed and opened up for the people of Barcelona and visitors alike. Prior to the renovation, Raval had been home to the city’s Red Light District and was generally thought of as a dirty and unsafe area. Despite this, however, El Raval had a central location and was within walking distance of La Rambla and many popular landmarks in the Gothic quarter and L’Eixample. It was also situated between two of the most famous outdoor markets: La Boqueria and Mercat Sant Antoni. This is why Barcelona chose this area to improve the city. Today, Raval is thought of as the “youth cultural center” as it houses the University of Barcelona, a large international university that brings together people of all different backgrounds and ethnicities. During the renovation of El Raval, it was decided that the city would leave more public areas open and not pack the area full as it had been so dense in the past. The common spaces in El Raval create an atmosphere that welcomes socialization and expression. The area has a lot of street art and it is impossible not to feel the Catalan culture when walking through the neighborhood.

The city also wanted to create less expensive housing to attract younger people and be sustainable to host college students. Unlike many areas of the Gothic Quarter, El Raval welcomes children to play. When we went on our field excursion to the neighbor, it was mentioned that if you tried to bring a soccer ball to Plaza Catalunya, you would be stopped in 5 minutes whereas in El Raval, friends can go out and play in the streets without consequence. This also speaks a lot to the Catalan mindset and values. Barcelona has become one of the most forward-thinking and expressive cities in Europe and this unique atmosphere is epitomized in Raval. El Raval is particularly unique because it represents the Catalan youth but is just next door to the oldest area of the city. While the political climate in Catalunya today is tense, El Raval helps to open up the city and create a place that is more peaceful and accepting.

1. Describe the Spaces for Public use in Raval Area. People, public spaces, stores and private areas. Take 3 images representing three examples of culture

The spaces for Public use in the Raval area are definitely not few and far between. Since this section of the city was renovated in the end of the 1900s, the area has opened up a lot and is far less dense than it was in the past. During the renovation, the city designated a bunch of different areas in el Raval to be used for public use. These open areas are meant for locals and visitors alike to use for their own purposes and is essentially meant for the socialization of people. These public spaces help create more of a community feeling between the people who live in El Raval. It also provides a far less touristy vibe and bustle that you find in the nearby Gothic quarter. The area is full of social housing, schools, universities, and museums. When walking through the Raval today, the streets and public areas are packed with young people and families alike. Raval now serves as one of Barcelona’s greatest cultural hubs and melting pots as it international universities bring in people from all over the world.

2. Where is Raval placed in the City Map. The most expensive area of the core of Barcelona for public use.

The Raval is located in a very central area of Barcelona. It resides next to La Rambla and is within walking distance of many other popular landmarks in the Gothic quarter and L’Eixample. The surrounding areas of El Raval are perhaps the most places to live in the city so Raval is a commonly desired area as it still offers a great location but is much more affordable. It is interesting that the city is able to provide moderately priced living in such a great location in the city and even allows for multiple open areas for public use rather than building more housing to try and increase revenue from the area. I think El Raval is the perfect blend of social, cultural, affordable, welcoming, and central which makes it a highly sought after area especially for families, students, and especially young people.

3. Make a list of Public buildings and explain its uses. What kind of people are the target of these buildings? Do you think this area was planed for youth? Take 2 photos of public buildings and explain them.

Some of my favorite public buildings in the Raval are the buildings designed for public use. Some of the public use buildings we saw on our excursion include the Universistat de Barcelona, the museo d’art contemporani de Barcelona, and the Centre de Cultura Contemporania de Barcelona.

The Universistat de Barcelona, as pictured above, is an international university that welcomes students from all over the world to come and study in Barcelona. Its role in El Raval helps make the area even more of a cultural melting pot. Hosting a large international university makes El Raval a highly social community that definitely requires a lot of open public spaces and certainly welcomes all sorts of people. This university is also a main reason so many young people are attracted to this area and why it is necessary to provide social housing here.

Another public building, also pictured above, in El Raval is the museo d’art contemporani de Barcelona. This building helps to spread Catalan art and serves as another way, other than the university, to educate locals and tourists alike. The building contains many beautiful art pieces that help to embody the forward thinking mindset that Barcelona, and more specifically, El Raval, encourages. It is also another great space for community events and socialization amongst the people.

The Centre de Cultura Contemporania de Barcelona is yet another great public building in El Raval. This building, similarly to the museum, helps to educate tourists and locals alike on traditional Catalan culture. The space helps organize a bunch of wonderful community activities and welcomes all people who are interested in learning more about Catalunya, Barcelona, and of course El Raval.

4. What signs can you see in this neighbourhood that explain its nature (stores, bars, public buildings, street art, etc…). Take photos of 5 examples that justify your answer and show symbols of alternative culture in the area. Take 3 photos to illustrate your answer and explain them.

As mentioned a few times above, El Raval is most definitely a melting pot of different cultures and is a hub for young people. With both of those things in mind, it is no wonder that nearly every type of store, bar, or art can be found somewhere throughout the neighborhood. For one, when we were on our field trip walking down a narrow street, we passed a marijuana store next to a punk rock store called Pink Pepper, pictured below. These two stores definitely attract more of the younger crowds. Across the street from these were a child’s clothing store and a jewelry store which more likely attracts some of the parents and families in the neighborhood. Furthermore, the type of artistic and welcoming nature of El Raval can be seen throughout a lot of the street art in the area (pictures listed below). One of the smaller graffiti pieces (the second photo) makes fun of political leaders Trump, Putin, and Kim Jong Un. This piece symbolizes the liberal nature of the neighborhood which exists because of the youth who flock to this part of the city. Another great example of a public place that exists for the youth of El Raval is the bar La Oveja Negra. This cool pub has tvs and pool tables that welcome a lot of tourist and locals alike and creates yet another great space for socialization amongst the community.

5. Conclusions: Why do you think the area of Raval district of Barcelona has become one of the centres of alternative culture in Europe during that period? Why do you think this space have determined people’s action?

As mentioned above, prior to the renovation of El Raval in 1988, this area of the city was rampant with drugs, prostitution, and violence and was far from welcoming to young people or families. After fixing up what was dubbed Barcelona’s “Red Light District”, El Raval became the perfect place for youth as it was less dense and had tons of public spaces for socialization and community events. With a stellar location, affordable housing, a university, and tons of art and cultural hubs, it is no wonder that El Raval is now a favorite area for locals and tourists to spend time in. The area, while epitomizing different aspects of Catalan culture also welcomes tons of other cultures which is why this area is unique and offers an alternative culture different than any other spot in Barcelona or Europe. This space has since determined people’s action of hanging out, playing, meeting new people, and spending time outside because of its public spaces and layout. El Raval is definitely one of my favorite areas to be in Barcelona and I’m very thankful we had the opportunity to visit the area and learn more about its history and role in Catalunya today.

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