Szenina Russo
1. Explain why you selected the video you choose from the selection listed above.
I chose the video that I did because I love antiquity art history. I have studied Greek and Roman art and architecture and adore everything about the culture, architecture and way that they went about their lives. After watching the required video, it also made sense to continue the research or my understanding by watching the Greek video. The first video starts with the first found female figures and ends with the Classical Greek world. When I saw an option of a video on Greece, I thought this would be interesting to continue with instead of the other videos. I also want to be well-versed in these two cultures so I wanted to brush up on main concepts and refresh my memory.
2. For each video list/discuss the key concepts you learned.
Required Video: This video explains an overview of great human accomplishments and visual imagery throughout the ages. Art has made us human and have been apart of our history as a species. It was interesting how the video discussed humans making visual representations that are not realistic or reflect reality. Austrian archaeologists have found female statues 25,000 years old called the Venus of Willendorf. There are voluptuous females, represented with their hand over their breasts and are many found throughout the European world in early visual representation. These are early examples of how humans have enhanced, modified or dramatized the human figure to represent something other than reality. The shape of the Venus is explained by a neuroscientist that suggests that diverse species have diverse elastic peaks, such as with seagulls. That the brains of antiquity had desirable aspects of fertility of females, enhancing it.
On the contrary, the Egyptians use correct proportions or slimmer representation rather than female statues found in Austria. Although they are not realistic, the clearest angle are shown with suggested shapes for the human body. Egyptian style latest for 3,000 years with consistent representation of the human body, this could be a contributing factor to modern times. Pyramids are representations of structure and order in statues and architecture in grand scale. Shipwrecks are a source of antiquity due to the modes of transportation, the video shows the discovery of a bronze, realistic statue in the ocean seabed. This statue was Greek, the idea that Greek Gods were shown in human form reflects their openness to the human figure. There was a central idea that if one looks good this shows intellectually as well as other aspects of life. Greek statues are realistic and were represented with enhanced aspects of musculature, hair and other features to show the ideal. Perfection or idea was the goal to sculptors during the greek world to show their Gods, they would change this idea because they wanted to exaggerate. Greeks would enhance the body to highlight the legs, indentations of the body and eventually incorporate emotion.
Chosen video (http://digital.films.com/p_ViewVideo.aspx?xtid=34478):
This video discusses Classical Greece in the mediterranean beginning in 500 BC. Athens is the birthplace of Western civilization, the center of art, architecture and theatre. The Great Awakening in Athens shaped the way that Greeks think in terms of politics, art, entertainment and more. This was prompted by the culture placing humans in the center of their world, rather than Gods resulting in the realistic rendition of the human figure. Human Gods are discussed as unstoppable against other powers in the Mediterranean and creates self confidence in art production. The Parthenon reflects Western civilization, upon a natural hill. This is a city of marble, money was kept, religious treasures and became the symbolic center. Classical architecture is reflected in doric order, symmetry and geometry. Columns bulge in the center outward a little bit to trick your vision to thinking they are larger and perfect. This is reflected throughout the entire structures on the Parthenon. There had been bombaric encounters, diverse religious practices taking place, pollution affects and other impacts on this sacred place. Temples have been made of perishable materials on the same site, the Parthenon now still evident in ruins due to the material of marble. Decorative relief of a frieze was three feet height went around the entire building of a procession. The frieze was taken by Britain during the Empire rule and sold to the government, now it is in the British Museum. The design on the North face has humans upon horses, with overlapped figures. Each face of the Parthenon has a diverse procession relating to a myth. The East Pediment shows the birth of Athena from Zeus’s head in sculptural form.
Amphitheaters are built and event drama in Greece in the Acropolis. Greek tragedy and comedy became so influential that theaters sprung up all over Greece. This became a huge part of culture and politics as well. 3rd century has a circular theatre still in use by people, has acoustics that are unbelievable accomplished through the construction of the theatre. The Great Awakening is reflected in the idea of theatre.
3. How do the videos relate to the readings in the text?
The text is centered around the Mediterranean in ancient terms. The first video directly connects with the opening though in the text, they both discuss the female figure from Willendorf. Cave wall paintings are also discussed and interpreted in the text. Mesopotamia is referred to and architectural elements such as the Ziggurat, a shrine or sacred structure. Egypt is in the text as well as the first video, this explains the pyramids, visual representation of the figure through sculptural form and symbolic features in their culture. Classical Greece seems to be the main overall theme. The themes of terra cotta vessels, marble figure sculpture, bronze human figures and architecture are all evident. The Hellenistic period is more in detail in the text and the theme of drama and emotion demonstrated in Greek sculpture The video didn't go into detail like the text did, this is a good portion of the text that explains the in between periods of Greek sculpture. Rome is them demonstrated in the book, looking at the Colosseum and the building techniques and means of entertainment through this building.
Chapter 15 is centered around Christianity and sacred architectural elements built in the Mediterranean world. The mode of this acceptance by Constantinople for any person to practice their religion freely prompted the construction of basilicas, churches and other sacred buildings. The Roman centrally plan and Roman basilica are described in the text. Sculptures of Constantinople were produced in some basilicas in the naturalistic style. The Byzantine world is centered upon gold-glass mosaics in their place of worship including human figural representation. The Middle ages are discussed in the text during the time of Charlemagne, discussing the animal style incorporated in art and architecture. Romanesque style is shown through the cross-form planned Sainte-Foy and reliquary statues placed within churches. France’s cathedrals were very linear, ornate and decorated with the human figure. France was not discussed in the videos I choose but the human form is evident in this culture as well.
4. What is your opinion of the films? How do they add depth to understanding of the readings and art concepts?
Required Video:
This video is like previous, starting with the idea of hunter and gathers, their way of life linked to modern times. The required film was very educational when it came to the broad overview of the entire scope of human visual meanings. It discussed from the beginning of the first found examples of human representation in females reflecting fertility to the Classical Greek paradigm in sculpture. This video provided a gradual and precise way to explain and relay this information through the video. It was historically engaging and kept me interested because it asked questions or brought issues to the surface that could be discussed. I thought that this was a really good video that honed in on to human figure alone and the transformations that would be encountered.
Chosen Video:
The video that I choose was almost a continuation of the first video, discussing the Greek Classical world. I thought this video was very interesting and effectively began in the beginning of classical sculpture and branched out to architecture. I really enjoyed the aspects of culture, politics and even mathematical incorporations in the video. I loved the ways that the video connected the main points of the Great Awakening to the art and architecture of the Greek world. I thought that the video was straightforward with relevant information that effectively translated the fundamentals of Greek thinking. The Parthenon and Acropolis were also explained and discussed through sculptural elements and modes of building.
Comments
Post a Comment