I believe that all or close to all art has some political message. Researching for my group presentation I have found that photography in the battlefield appeals greatly to anyone's emotions. There is also alot of formal elements to the pictures which I was surprised to find. My favorite part of this subject is all the history that is tied in with political art which interests me the most so I am excited for the rest of the week.
I found this morning's discussion about photography during the Civil War fascinating. I had no idea of the size of Matthew Brady's commitment to this effort. I also had been unaware of his manipulation of the composition, placing a log here or there, etc. Naively, I thought it was just the way it was. No doubt that view came from the highly charged photos that impacted me (and the rest of the world) during the Vietnam War. They WERE real. I join Stephen in saying I am excited to see what else unfolds this week, what other myths unravel for me, as we study Power, Politics, Glory.
On monday January 25,2010,being introduced to the power, politics and the glory genre of art work was pretty eye catching to me. I learned that many rulers throughout history considered themselves royality and religious rulers. In the art work titled, "Menkaune and his wife" 2500 BCE.The title of this piece along indicates at the husband is the main focus and his wife is just there by his side for support and to be his backbone. Power in this art piece is represented by the head dress that menkaune is wearing,this signifies his power autority being a male pharaoh.Menkaue and his wife stand side by side ,both seem to be embraced with power and their leading feets represent that.This art piece , also display the confidence, youth and strong pharoah with stability. I am looking forward to learning more about power, politics an glory in artwork. Art work can say alot without the use of words....
The photo that I chose to comment on is the one about the great wall of China. When this wall was put up, its purpose, as we all know, was to keep out China's many enemy. The was is so massive and extends a great distance and really symbolizes how much power China had. It is as if China was saying to all opposing forces, "bring it on". The wall was very intimidating to many enemies and very few armies were able to get over the wall and succefully attack China. The wall really demonstrated China's power and glory.
Now, on the other hand, the wall is noting more than a mere tourist attraction. Yes the wall was extraordinary in the past but with the improved modern warfare, the wall does very little to protect China. The wall is still a great wonder of glory for it is one of the 7 wonders of the world and can be seen from space. Everything from how it was constructed to the reason why the wall still stands today, makes all wonder about the architecture and design of such a structure. The way that the wall glorifies China today is much different from when it was first created but the wall is still a marvle to everyone today.
I personally like the idea of portraying how great a leader is, or how awful they are. This gives a really good insight as to how people perceived their leaders at the time. This also assists in defining a leader as strong or weak, with false military power, like the sun king Louis XIV, or with a firm and naturally great commander like Napolean, regardless of his height. What I do not like is when Leaders are portrayed in a good, strong, almost god-like fashion because they are still humans after all. What I do like is when artists portray leaders with great detail, so, if the art did actually represent the leader being drawn, it is very detailed.
I liked the sculture of Menkaure and His Wife. Even though Menkaure is the Pharoah, his wife's stance looks just as strong and powerful as his does. I also noticed that she is sculpted just as big as he is which I found ironic because usually the man in power wife is usually smaller and doesnt look as strong as the male. The way she has her arm around him indicates that she supports him and his decisions. There stance ans attire shows their power and the both of them look very succesful and strong.
This chapter over all I think it is great, I find really interesting how three simple words define a whole knew way of loking at those important heros. Because those in politics have power, and in the same matter those who have power are morelikely in politics, and those who are in politics and have power well is more than likely that they feel in glory. Moreover, i think the paintings and sculptures actually emphesizes the tittle in an exellent way. A. Mendez
The lecture on the painting of Napoleon Crossing the Alps was an interesting discussion in class. I have taken further research and surprisingly found out that there were 5 versions of the painting. Although the five versions of the painting are somewhat similar to one another, I'm not sure which version was the one we saw in class. Three versions of the paintings were commissions for the Chateau de Saint-Cloud, the library of Les Invalides and the palace of Cisalpine Republic. The versions of the painting differ, from the shading of the background to the color of the Napoleon's billowing cape.
Another interesting fact of the painting was that Napoleon was not model for the painting but rather David's son because Napoleon refusal to sit for more than an hour to pose. And because David's son pose as the model, he reflects a youthful attitude into the painting such as young male Greek riders. The model for the horse in the painting was based on Napoleon's mare and his horse, Marengo.
You was right, EVERY piece of art has somne kind of political message. Just like pictures of the war: the fighting, the looks on the faces, the after math and just overall everything. I enjoyed much the talk about Napolean crossing over the Alps, how the painter portayed him as a hero its simply proganda as I think of it. It makes you think he i shere to save us and is the right man for the job.
Throughout the week that we have discussed this subject, the image that stands out the most in my mind would be of the presentation done on "Leading the People to Liberty". This painting sticks in my mind because of how the woman is portrayed. First off all, she is the only woman in the painting, plus she is holding a gun and the French flag, fighting the French Revolution. She is showing that a woman has just as much power as a man has to fight in a war for freedom. Also, as she looks behind her, she is making sure that all will follow her into the fight. A major point I find in this painting is the fact that her dress has been ripped and her breast are showing,however she continues to press on. This makes the painting so much more powerful for so many reasons. One reason is that her clothes are torn and she is not ashamed; she is fighting to the end and does not care if she has to do it naked. Another reason is it could tell another story to this painting: the person who ripped it, imagined that she would get upset and cry over it, but she is showing that she is a strong and braver woman than what others imagined her to be.
While reading the chapter about power, politics, and glory a statement on page 298 stuck out to me. It talks about the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in D.C. “The lack of glory made the Memorial very controversial, so figurative sculptures of heroic soldiers and nurses were later added near the site.” The Vietnam war was before my time so I had to read a bit about it in an attempt understand what went on. What I found was that the war in Vietnam was in fact not a “glorious” war at all. The Vietnamese lost 3 to 4 million people (soldiers and civilians) and the US lost about 60,000 soldiers. The US was involved for almost 10 years after which the US had to essentially abandon their efforts. I feel that the memorial would have been more effective as it was without the addition of figures to add glory. I think it would be more important to remember the suffering and tragedy truly endured by both sides so we can avoid being entangled in similar situations. Maybe I'm just being too harsh or critical but I think it is crucial to consider.
When i saw the picture "Raising of the flag on Iwo Jima" when i was a kid i didn't really think much of it. After seeing it today I felt so much emotion within the picture. It was almost as if the struggles and strengths of the American spirit had been captured and placed into one picture. The picture was very inspiring and showed how America was pretty much the hero of the war and how they came out on top of all the destruction and chaos as the winners; however, at the time people had a different view point on war if you made the same picture today in Iraq in an effort to sell war bonds it would most likely not succeed. So time is also a big factor to the picture
On Wednesday January 27, 2010 we looked at a painting entitled “Leading the People to Liberty” by Eugene Delacroix which to me is a very interesting piece of work. This painting is of a woman leading a group of people on liberty. The painting also resembles the insecurity that most women have when dealing with men. The woman is pictured looking over her shoulder as a security to herself to ensure that she still has people believing in her as they march over to liberty while stepping on the dead corpse. The painting to me is also a bit childish as the artist has chosen to picture this female half nude like most artist portray women. Its sort of a copy cat move the artist chose.
The oil on mu, symbol, and shapes is amazing. Picasso's cubistic style for that painting fit very wellral piece Guernica by Picasso's abstract style interests me. I personally also draw on my own sometimes and most of the time I enjoy the abstract style because of its ability to not limit itself to the normality and I find it very appealing because of it can get so intricate and convoluted. To include political subliminal messages through color to express the chaotic but also sorrowful feelings of destruction. Art allows us remind ourselves some key morals and discover new solutions for society. I hope to witness and just watch more and more modern art help progress and grow the world gradually shocking the system. Picasso proves art's potential to influence political aspects and may have been the on to inspire many modern abstract graffiti artists to tag all those political messages.
The marine corps war memorial caught my eye the most in this chapter. A statue of a group of soldiers lifting up a flag in iwo jima island.This statue shows how much effort the soldiers put into raising the American flag.It makes us see through the American people on how America is such a prideful country.theres a triangle formation in this picture.America on top, and the people coming together to raise the country. This picture is a very powerful image. when looked at this will definitely remind the people of how much pride we showed in the past.
The photogragh "Raising of the Flag in Iwo Jima" is a very interesting piece of art. The photograph is political in context, in that it appeals to the patriotic sentiment of the people. The figures in the photo, the struggle to raise the flag atop a small hill, and the tiresome yet determined appearance of the characters, all serve to appeal to the peoples' sense of national pride. The photograph definately served a political purpose, as do most art.
There is a lot that can be said about today’s discussion, but I choose to follow my conscious mind and repress certain aspects. I found something very interesting about Kiefer Anselm’s “March Heath”. It takes a classic idea (painting a road continuing until a vanishing point) and gives a new meaning to it, provided the context of the work. It took a little more researching into his other works to really get a sense for what he does. I feel like he is taking photographs of the landscape he paints, but instead of letting light dictate what comes out on the film, he lets emotions create an image. Every part of his painting accentuates the pain and darkness that he associates with that area. Not only do the colors and general style of the painting give this feeling, but the symbolism is also very powerful. The road not ending, as well as the lonely, dying tree next to it, give an unsettling seriousness to what otherwise would be rolling hills on a sprawling countryside. Even the title of the painting which he writes on the road is written with a brooding melancholy. I believe that this painting does an extremely good job of capturing the artists’ emotions and transmitting them to the audience.
The discussions this week on "Power, Politics, and Glory" were very interesting on so many levels but, I particularly focused on the fact that art that "glorifies" war may have ended with the second World War. It didn't occur to me but, in looking at differences between the "Iwojima Memorial" and images taken from the Vietnam era clearly indicate the support of the public for each of these wars. The WWII being glorified as the Americans were seen as heros and the saviours of this war. Whereas, the stark black and white images of Vietnam captures the protest of the time against the war. Further indicating the reason that type image is not really used anymore. The images from the Vietnam war spurred protests from civilians, highlighted the horrors of war, may have even glorified protests and, turned public opinion against soldiers who some perceive were only doing "their duty". This is probably why not many images are being seen of the current war.
Todays lecture was very interesting I have to say. Richard Drews image of the Falling Man along with the images of the Shadows of the people from the nuclear bomb drew me in. I find it so hard to wrap my head around the picture of the Falling Man. To know that 5 seconds or less after that picture was taken that man died. I cant possibly wrap my head around it and I find it so interesting. I would love to know the identity of the man. In the lecture it was said that he could be someone who worked in a restaurant and his dad was a preacher and that his dad was angry at the fact that his son in a sense committed suicide which is a sin. I do see it as suicide but I do see how that no matter what he did he probably would have died. Maybe he thought by jumping they didn't kill him he chose his own destiny and killed himself not letting the terrorist decide for him in a sense but that is just me. I have seen the shadow pictures of the people before many times but every time I see it it still gets to me. Its there death captured on the shadows of walls and such like the falling men whos death was captured in that picture right before he plunged into concrete. I find it fascinating. The picture do get to me though because the people were killed while living an everyday life like I am right now. The thought of being vaporized as I am writing this blog is something I once again cannot wrap my head around. The shadows give identity to the people the US killed making it all real because like the professor said the smoke from the bomb in the sky doesnt show the real devastation of what the bomb did. The realities of these photos are horrifying but they happened and I do feel people need to deal with them on there own terms and an event such as the bombing of Hiroshima need to be talked about like the story behind it the pictures of the people who actually died. The true story that really happened.
Today's presentation really depicted the topic of the week Power, Politics and Glory. It was the painting of Esward VI against the pope. It showed Henery the VIII depicting power. He wanted to show the world that he was in controol. That his son was going to take over and the pope was out. he wanted seperation of church and state. The painting was extremmly anti pope. It showed the power that henery had and the power he was passing on to his son. also wanted to show what power the pope did not have. It was a painting ment for a political stan point. to show the people of what was going on. In conclusion it really expressed the them of the week. It was clear on what henrey or the artist wanted to get across and was more like a proproga nda picture of what the governtment wanted you to think and not your own beliefes.
The photograph that we went over in class by Mathew Brady called Dead Confederate Solider with Gun was interesting, sad at the same time. I really like how Brady captured the fallen solider. I really like how there is a tree branch in the foreground of the photograph because it gives us that sense of separations between the living and the dead. I also read in the textbook that Brady often arranged props in the photo he took I think by him doing so it makes his photographs much more dramatic. It looks like Brady put a blanket of some sort to cover what might have been a gun shot wound that killed the solider. There are two guns in the photo each pointing a different direction maybe showing the separation between north and south. The solider may have killed someone from the opposing side and that is why the gun if next to him facing the opposite direction.
The Falling Man photograph we discussed in class today can be looked at by many different points of views. A point of views this photograph can be examined would be that it is disturbing. Some may think it is disturbing because we are witnessing a death and that is hard to watch. No one likes to see a loved one pass away, let alone die from jumping a very popular building in the United States of America. Another view that people see this photo is the fact that it is what really happened. Although it is hard to face the facts, some just can not face the facts. But then again, it is not good to repress the thoughts of what happened because some people need to just accept the fact that it did happen. An excellent author once wrote that to tell a good war story, one must lie. I believe that same concept can be applied here. The photographer must lie a little bit in the photo to make it look more believing because the truth hurts and sometimes the truth is hard to accept. So what can we conclude here? Nothing except that some people have different view points of this photograph. Someone may think it is disturbing while others may think it is how we need to show the world that this tragic event really took place and that it is plainly the truth.
This chapter was very interesting also because I had a presentation so I did research on my image and learned alot because I personally had to research. In this weeks images I chose the USA Marine Corps War memorial bronze statue 11.27. It shows Glory, Power, and Politics because it shows power as how the U.S. won the war and it shows the American solders put up the American flag to symbolize they have succeeded in the war which I see as it also symbolizes Glory because they did it for all of the people living at the time and also us. When I saw the picture of this in class when they took a picture of this it was re-enacted because the picture was not actually taken while the war was over there was not a photographer to take this picture of this in the moment but although it was taken after it still shows the same feeling towards the hard work and life risking situation it shows team work because it does not take many soilders to put up a flag but they all proudly put it up.
It’s amazing how art can portray power, politics, and glory. In the text I found an art piece that depicted great power, a palace statue of Lamassu, from 720 BCE. It is an enormous sculpture from Khorsabad, capital of the Assyrian Empire. At the palace gate, there are two large Lamassu, carved out of large blocks of stone, and acts as guardians. They are enormous in size and have a glaring stare that is quite intimidating. Obviously, these sculptures were created there to terrify and intimidate all comers. The Lamassu is a form of a divine supernatural spirit that often takes human form usually serving the person who calls on it. It is sculpted as a winged creature that is part lion or bull, with the head of a human being. There is a horned crown on the head, which is suppose to symbolize the king’s divine power. The Lamassu also consists of five legs to show movement and stability. And when viewed from the side, the Lamassu appears to be striding forward. This incredible creature clearly depicts great power and superiority.
"Raising of the flag in Iwo Jima" caught my eye very much when it came to discussing the theme Power, Politics, and Glory. One of the reasons why it caught my eye was because it is a historical picture of an event however I couldn't stop thinking that it looked sort of as an advertisement. The ones that I specifically thought about were the commercials you see on television or when you go to the movie theaters. Shortly after the teacher told us that it was a reenactment. However that does not mean that the event itself was not historical, nevertheless it kinda screams to me however the theme of "BE ALL YOU CAN BE" . This being the way in which the picture was developed in which was done to show emotion but also how many men there is holding one flag. Especially the one in the front who kinda looks as is his foot is trying to find a stable placing under the weight of such a heavy flag.
what is interseting to me is what artist use to glorify rules idealized images, symbols, and composition devices. One of the picture we talk about in class Emperor Justinian and His Attendants. First the way the men are set they are overlaping. This give the effect he is coming forword. They are holding the bible, cross, and basket. The shelid has an x and a stright line going thought it. I thing that symbols his power over the church. His crown symbolizes he is emperor. He is glorify because he is in the center of the painting. I think to a certain degree they are trying to scary into not sining but also think that is their way of saying if you sin you go to hell. Another reason i think they look mean beacuse it is the bible.
Today's discussion in class on the photograph "Falling Man" and the sculpture "Descending Woman" represenced for me the question of the role of art and the placement (and therefore prospective audience) of a work. If art is meant to provoke, these pieces effectively did that, both in Rockefeller Center and in class this morning. As we witnessed today, nine years after the attack on the WTC and death of c.2,700, emotions still run high. There are many viewpoints. There arises also the questions of an artist's freedom of expression vs respect for those feeling affronted by the reminder. Who decides public art? When a committee gives an OK for a work of art but it is received with great negativity by the public, should it be removed? In one way this reminds me of the controversy around Richard Serra's "Tilted Arc", which, ultimately, was removed (and destroyed, per artist request). The difference here, of course, is that, although Serra's work elicited heated reactions, it did not conjure up deep feelings of devastation and loss. Will New York ever be ready for "Decsending Woman"? Personally, I think it is decades away.
I enjoyed the presentation on "FlagRaising" ,This image defined power, politics and glory very well.This image represents what America stands for , being patriotic and Americans coming together united as one. In the image, you see American soldiers working together to stand up the USA flag.Theimage is in black and white ,except for the flag , which is in its original color red, white,and blue. Being that the flag is the only object in color symbolizes the importances and value the flag holds. This monument has lot of significants because it captures a moment in Americans hitory as the soldiers defeat the enemies. It also shows a symbolic commitment of the American soldiers fighting for this country , and also this image gives us the viewers an opportunity to apprecicate this monument for what it stands for.
"Liberty Leading the People" came across as an interesting piece of work because of narrative. Eugène Delacroix paints a hodgepodge of people ranging from a man wearing a top hat and a woman holding the French flag. Amidst battle, everyone's focus including the viewer is fixated on the woman leading the people onward thus being titled "Liberty Leading the People." Like mentioned before, this painting has a lot going down and there is some detailed work required to salvage who is on what side including the bodies laying around the ground. The atmospheric pressure is a nice touch, but it could just be smoke opposed to a far, stretched out battlefield.
I found the comparison between the Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres-Napoleon and David-Napoleon was interesting, for the simple fact that both pictures of the same person depict two totally different meanings and personalities. Napoleon was a guy known for his ruthlessness, military knowledge, and government power, as well as being overly inferior to oneself and selfishness. Jean's painting shows expresses his royalty importance, divine status, and dominant power. It shows himself as more old school in a way where he has this bold stance and sits upon a thrown. As for David's painting, it is more realistic, where it expresses his scholarly side by showing glimpses of him military planning. It shows that he actually does his own work and does not always rely on other people. Both portraits display two sides of him, showing his overall well-roundedness, making it known to his people that he is the one in control.
I enjoyed the discussion of the photograph "Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima". It had never occurred to me that this photograph was staged by the photographer. I had always assumed that the photograph simply took this shot instinctively after seeing the event. It is a marvelous photograph, and a clear cut symbol of patriotism. It shows the power of America showing how the flag is raised proudly above the battlefield. I thought it was very interesting how the flag was required to be set into place by four men, rather than one or two. I'm wondering as to why photographs like these are not in the media today with the war in the Middle East.
I liked the sculpture of Menkaure and His Wife. it just seems like they both represent power and royalty. The looks on their faces and their postures tell it all. Even with the way he slouched a little bit. It seem almost like hes trying make his wife appear just as important and powerful as he is. Which she should be..being the fact that shes his queen.
The thing that i really like about this week was all of david images his images really explained the theme of the week alot i like the one image that one group use that was showing.another image that really showed me wat weeks them was about is the flag riseing image the reason why is becaus when i was growing up i really dint notics are even know what this image ment are anything.....
I chose to do the second question for the midterm today. I felt that the second image, the photograph with the numerous dead US soldiers in the caskets was a photograph glorifying their deaths. The beautiful American flags over the caskets covered the soldiers' corpses and any signs of weakness. The mangled bodies are covered with a new flag, and is very beautiful. I thought it was very interesting how the soldiers standing at attention were mourning in a strict, unique fashion. The viewer of the photograph understands that because they are soldiers, they are not allowed to shed tears or bawl, but rather show honor as a US soldier with a salute and blank expression. The problem with this is that it can also be seen from the perspective that these soldiers have become emotionless killing machines, and that to them, a dead comrade is simply a casualty in war. The first image seems to criticize the memorial of soldiers. From the photograph, one can conclude that the man shot was simply left there to rot. The man was simply a bag of meat in war, and his life was as valuable as any other bullet in the revolver's chambers. Death in war is death, and there is no glory in it.
I believe that all or close to all art has some political message. Researching for my group presentation I have found that photography in the battlefield appeals greatly to anyone's emotions. There is also alot of formal elements to the pictures which I was surprised to find. My favorite part of this subject is all the history that is tied in with political art which interests me the most so I am excited for the rest of the week.
ReplyDeleteI found this morning's discussion about photography during the Civil War fascinating. I had no idea of the size of Matthew Brady's commitment to this effort. I also had been unaware of his manipulation of the composition, placing a log here or there, etc. Naively, I thought it was just the way it was. No doubt that view came from the highly charged photos that impacted me (and the rest of the world) during the Vietnam War. They WERE real. I join Stephen in saying I am excited to see what else unfolds this week, what other myths unravel for me, as we study Power, Politics, Glory.
ReplyDeleteOn monday January 25,2010,being introduced to the power, politics and the glory genre of art work was pretty eye catching to me. I learned that many rulers throughout history considered themselves royality and religious rulers. In the art work titled, "Menkaune and his wife" 2500 BCE.The title of this piece along indicates at the husband is the main focus and his wife is just there by his side for support and to be his backbone. Power in this art piece is represented by the head dress that menkaune is wearing,this signifies his power autority being a male pharaoh.Menkaue and his wife stand side by side ,both seem to be embraced with power and their leading feets represent that.This art piece , also display the confidence, youth and strong pharoah with stability. I am looking forward to learning more about power, politics an glory in artwork. Art work can say alot without the use of words....
ReplyDeleteErika Beck
ReplyDeleteThe photo that I chose to comment on is the one about the great wall of China. When this wall was put up, its purpose, as we all know, was to keep out China's many enemy. The was is so massive and extends a great distance and really symbolizes how much power China had. It is as if China was saying to all opposing forces, "bring it on". The wall was very intimidating to many enemies and very few armies were able to get over the wall and succefully attack China. The wall really demonstrated China's power and glory.
ReplyDeleteNow, on the other hand, the wall is noting more than a mere tourist attraction. Yes the wall was extraordinary in the past but with the improved modern warfare, the wall does very little to protect China. The wall is still a great wonder of glory for it is one of the 7 wonders of the world and can be seen from space. Everything from how it was constructed to the reason why the wall still stands today, makes all wonder about the architecture and design of such a structure. The way that the wall glorifies China today is much different from when it was first created but the wall is still a marvle to everyone today.
I personally like the idea of portraying how great a leader is, or how awful they are. This gives a really good insight as to how people perceived their leaders at the time. This also assists in defining a leader as strong or weak, with false military power, like the sun king Louis XIV, or with a firm and naturally great commander like Napolean, regardless of his height. What I do not like is when Leaders are portrayed in a good, strong, almost god-like fashion because they are still humans after all. What I do like is when artists portray leaders with great detail, so, if the art did actually represent the leader being drawn, it is very detailed.
ReplyDelete-Daniel Perez
I liked the sculture of Menkaure and His Wife. Even though Menkaure is the Pharoah, his wife's stance looks just as strong and powerful as his does. I also noticed that she is sculpted just as big as he is which I found ironic because usually the man in power wife is usually smaller and doesnt look as strong as the male. The way she has her arm around him indicates that she supports him and his decisions. There stance ans attire shows their power and the both of them look very succesful and strong.
ReplyDelete^ Shavette W.
ReplyDeleteThis chapter over all I think it is great, I find really interesting how three simple words define a whole knew way of loking at those important heros. Because those in politics have power, and in the same matter those who have power are morelikely in politics, and those who are in politics and have power well is more than likely that they feel in glory. Moreover, i think the paintings and sculptures actually emphesizes the tittle in an exellent way.
ReplyDeleteA. Mendez
The lecture on the painting of Napoleon Crossing the Alps was an interesting discussion in class. I have taken further research and surprisingly found out that there were 5 versions of the painting. Although the five versions of the painting are somewhat similar to one another, I'm not sure which version was the one we saw in class. Three versions of the paintings were commissions for the Chateau de Saint-Cloud, the library of Les Invalides and the palace of Cisalpine Republic. The versions of the painting differ, from the shading of the background to the color of the Napoleon's billowing cape.
ReplyDeleteAnother interesting fact of the painting was that Napoleon was not model for the painting but rather David's son because Napoleon refusal to sit for more than an hour to pose. And because David's son pose as the model, he reflects a youthful attitude into the painting such as young male Greek riders. The model for the horse in the painting was based on Napoleon's mare and his horse, Marengo.
You was right, EVERY piece of art has somne kind of political message. Just like pictures of the war: the fighting, the looks on the faces, the after math and just overall everything. I enjoyed much the talk about Napolean crossing over the Alps, how the painter portayed him as a hero its simply proganda as I think of it. It makes you think he i shere to save us and is the right man for the job.
ReplyDeletePolitics, simply crazy
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThroughout the week that we have discussed this subject, the image that stands out the most in my mind would be of the presentation done on "Leading the People to Liberty". This painting sticks in my mind because of how the woman is portrayed. First off all, she is the only woman in the painting, plus she is holding a gun and the French flag, fighting the French Revolution. She is showing that a woman has just as much power as a man has to fight in a war for freedom. Also, as she looks behind her, she is making sure that all will follow her into the fight. A major point I find in this painting is the fact that her dress has been ripped and her breast are showing,however she continues to press on. This makes the painting so much more powerful for so many reasons. One reason is that her clothes are torn and she is not ashamed; she is fighting to the end and does not care if she has to do it naked. Another reason is it could tell another story to this painting: the person who ripped it, imagined that she would get upset and cry over it, but she is showing that she is a strong and braver woman than what others imagined her to be.
ReplyDeleteRebecca Ziegler
While reading the chapter about power, politics, and glory a statement on page 298 stuck out to me. It talks about the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in D.C. “The lack of glory made the Memorial very controversial, so figurative sculptures of heroic soldiers and nurses were later added near the site.” The Vietnam war was before my time so I had to read a bit about it in an attempt understand what went on. What I found was that the war in Vietnam was in fact not a “glorious” war at all. The Vietnamese lost 3 to 4 million people (soldiers and civilians) and the US lost about 60,000 soldiers. The US was involved for almost 10 years after which the US had to essentially abandon their efforts. I feel that the memorial would have been more effective as it was without the addition of figures to add glory. I think it would be more important to remember the suffering and tragedy truly endured by both sides so we can avoid being entangled in similar situations. Maybe I'm just being too harsh or critical but I think it is crucial to consider.
ReplyDeleteWhen i saw the picture "Raising of the flag on Iwo Jima" when i was a kid i didn't really think much of it. After seeing it today I felt so much emotion within the picture. It was almost as if the struggles and strengths of the American spirit had been captured and placed into one picture. The picture was very inspiring and showed how America was pretty much the hero of the war and how they came out on top of all the destruction and chaos as the winners; however, at the time people had a different view point on war if you made the same picture today in Iraq in an effort to sell war bonds it would most likely not succeed. So time is also a big factor to the picture
ReplyDeleteArash Paziresh
On Wednesday January 27, 2010 we looked at a painting entitled “Leading the People to Liberty” by Eugene Delacroix which to me is a very interesting piece of work. This painting is of a woman leading a group of people on liberty. The painting also resembles the insecurity that most women have when dealing with men. The woman is pictured looking over her shoulder as a security to herself to ensure that she still has people believing in her as they march over to liberty while stepping on the dead corpse. The painting to me is also a bit childish as the artist has chosen to picture this female half nude like most artist portray women. Its sort of a copy cat move the artist chose.
ReplyDeleteBY: LAURYN S.
The oil on mu, symbol, and shapes is amazing. Picasso's cubistic style for that painting fit very wellral piece Guernica by Picasso's abstract style interests me. I personally also draw on my own sometimes and most of the time I enjoy the abstract style because of its ability to not limit itself to the normality and I find it very appealing because of it can get so intricate and convoluted. To include political subliminal messages through color to express the chaotic but also sorrowful feelings of destruction. Art allows us remind ourselves some key morals and discover new solutions for society. I hope to witness and just watch more and more modern art help progress and grow the world gradually shocking the system. Picasso proves art's potential to influence political aspects and may have been the on to inspire many modern abstract graffiti artists to tag all those political messages.
ReplyDeleteMotohiro Yamada ^
ReplyDelete*a lot of weird errors came up when i was trying to post this comment. pardon me for the weird sentences*
The marine corps war memorial caught my eye the most in this chapter. A statue of a group of soldiers lifting up a flag in iwo jima island.This statue shows how much effort the soldiers put into raising the American flag.It makes us see through the American people on how America is such a prideful country.theres a triangle formation in this picture.America on top, and the people coming together to raise the country. This picture is a very powerful image. when looked at this will definitely remind the people of how much pride we showed in the past.
ReplyDelete-Kenneth Oh
The photogragh "Raising of the Flag in Iwo Jima" is a very interesting piece of art. The photograph is political in context, in that it appeals to the patriotic sentiment of the people. The figures in the photo, the struggle to raise the flag atop a small hill, and the tiresome yet determined appearance of the characters, all serve to appeal to the peoples' sense of national pride. The photograph definately served a political purpose, as do most art.
ReplyDeleteThere is a lot that can be said about today’s discussion, but I choose to follow my conscious mind and repress certain aspects.
ReplyDeleteI found something very interesting about Kiefer Anselm’s “March Heath”. It takes a classic idea (painting a road continuing until a vanishing point) and gives a new meaning to it, provided the context of the work. It took a little more researching into his other works to really get a sense for what he does. I feel like he is taking photographs of the landscape he paints, but instead of letting light dictate what comes out on the film, he lets emotions create an image. Every part of his painting accentuates the pain and darkness that he associates with that area. Not only do the colors and general style of the painting give this feeling, but the symbolism is also very powerful. The road not ending, as well as the lonely, dying tree next to it, give an unsettling seriousness to what otherwise would be rolling hills on a sprawling countryside. Even the title of the painting which he writes on the road is written with a brooding melancholy. I believe that this painting does an extremely good job of capturing the artists’ emotions and transmitting them to the audience.
The discussions this week on "Power, Politics, and Glory" were very interesting on so many levels but, I particularly focused on the fact that art that "glorifies" war may have ended with the second World War. It didn't occur to me but, in looking at differences between the "Iwojima Memorial" and images taken from the Vietnam era clearly indicate the support of the public for each of these wars. The WWII being glorified as the Americans were seen as heros and the saviours of this war. Whereas, the stark black and white images of Vietnam captures the protest of the time against the war. Further indicating the reason that type image is not really used anymore. The images from the Vietnam war spurred protests from civilians, highlighted the horrors of war, may have even glorified protests and, turned public opinion against soldiers who some perceive were only doing "their duty". This is probably why not many images are being seen of the current war.
ReplyDeleteTodays lecture was very interesting I have to say. Richard Drews image of the Falling Man along with the images of the Shadows of the people from the nuclear bomb drew me in.
ReplyDeleteI find it so hard to wrap my head around the picture of the Falling Man. To know that 5 seconds or less after that picture was taken that man died. I cant possibly wrap my head around it and I find it so interesting. I would love to know the identity of the man. In the lecture it was said that he could be someone who worked in a restaurant and his dad was a preacher and that his dad was angry at the fact that his son in a sense committed suicide which is a sin. I do see it as suicide but I do see how that no matter what he did he probably would have died. Maybe he thought by jumping they didn't kill him he chose his own destiny and killed himself not letting the terrorist decide for him in a sense but that is just me.
I have seen the shadow pictures of the people before many times but every time I see it it still gets to me. Its there death captured on the shadows of walls and such like the falling men whos death was captured in that picture right before he plunged into concrete. I find it fascinating. The picture do get to me though because the people were killed while living an everyday life like I am right now. The thought of being vaporized as I am writing this blog is something I once again cannot wrap my head around. The shadows give identity to the people the US killed making it all real because like the professor said the smoke from the bomb in the sky doesnt show the real devastation of what the bomb did.
The realities of these photos are horrifying but they happened and I do feel people need to deal with them on there own terms and an event such as the bombing of Hiroshima need to be talked about like the story behind it the pictures of the people who actually died. The true story that really happened.
Today's presentation really depicted the topic of the week Power, Politics and Glory. It was the painting of Esward VI against the pope. It showed Henery the VIII depicting power. He wanted to show the world that he was in controol. That his son was going to take over and the pope was out. he wanted seperation of church and state. The painting was extremmly anti pope. It showed the power that henery had and the power he was passing on to his son. also wanted to show what power the pope did not have.
ReplyDeleteIt was a painting ment for a political stan point. to show the people of what was going on. In conclusion it really expressed the them of the week. It was clear on what henrey or the artist wanted to get across and was more like a proproga nda picture of what the governtment wanted you to think and not your own beliefes.
Michael Gavola
The photograph that we went over in class by Mathew Brady called Dead Confederate Solider with Gun was interesting, sad at the same time. I really like how Brady captured the fallen solider. I really like how there is a tree branch in the foreground of the photograph because it gives us that sense of separations between the living and the dead. I also read in the textbook that Brady often arranged props in the photo he took I think by him doing so it makes his photographs much more dramatic. It looks like Brady put a blanket of some sort to cover what might have been a gun shot wound that killed the solider. There are two guns in the photo each pointing a different direction maybe showing the separation between north and south. The solider may have killed someone from the opposing side and that is why the gun if next to him facing the opposite direction.
ReplyDeleteGina V.
The Falling Man photograph we discussed in class today can be looked at by many different points of views. A point of views this photograph can be examined would be that it is disturbing. Some may think it is disturbing because we are witnessing a death and that is hard to watch. No one likes to see a loved one pass away, let alone die from jumping a very popular building in the United States of America. Another view that people see this photo is the fact that it is what really happened. Although it is hard to face the facts, some just can not face the facts. But then again, it is not good to repress the thoughts of what happened because some people need to just accept the fact that it did happen. An excellent author once wrote that to tell a good war story, one must lie. I believe that same concept can be applied here. The photographer must lie a little bit in the photo to make it look more believing because the truth hurts and sometimes the truth is hard to accept. So what can we conclude here? Nothing except that some people have different view points of this photograph. Someone may think it is disturbing while others may think it is how we need to show the world that this tragic event really took place and that it is plainly the truth.
ReplyDeleteJonathan Carl V.
This chapter was very interesting also because I had a presentation so I did research on my image and learned alot because I personally had to research. In this weeks images I chose the USA Marine Corps War memorial bronze statue 11.27. It shows Glory, Power, and Politics because it shows power as how the U.S. won the war and it shows the American solders put up the American flag to symbolize they have succeeded in the war which I see as it also symbolizes Glory because they did it for all of the people living at the time and also us. When I saw the picture of this in class when they took a picture of this it was re-enacted because the picture was not actually taken while the war was over there was not a photographer to take this picture of this in the moment but although it was taken after it still shows the same feeling towards the hard work and life risking situation it shows team work because it does not take many soilders to put up a flag but they all proudly put it up.
ReplyDeleteJose Garcia
It’s amazing how art can portray power, politics, and glory. In the text I found an art piece that depicted great power, a palace statue of Lamassu, from 720 BCE. It is an enormous sculpture from Khorsabad, capital of the Assyrian Empire. At the palace gate, there are two large Lamassu, carved out of large blocks of stone, and acts as guardians. They are enormous in size and have a glaring stare that is quite intimidating. Obviously, these sculptures were created there to terrify and intimidate all comers. The Lamassu is a form of a divine supernatural spirit that often takes human form usually serving the person who calls on it. It is sculpted as a winged creature that is part lion or bull, with the head of a human being. There is a horned crown on the head, which is suppose to symbolize the king’s divine power. The Lamassu also consists of five legs to show movement and stability. And when viewed from the side, the Lamassu appears to be striding forward. This incredible creature clearly depicts great power and superiority.
ReplyDeleteChristine Algenio
"Raising of the flag in Iwo Jima" caught my eye very much when it came to discussing the theme Power, Politics, and Glory. One of the reasons why it caught my eye was because it is a historical picture of an event however I couldn't stop thinking that it looked sort of as an advertisement. The ones that I specifically thought about were the commercials you see on television or when you go to the movie theaters. Shortly after the teacher told us that it was a reenactment. However that does not mean that the event itself was not historical, nevertheless it kinda screams to me however the theme of "BE ALL YOU CAN BE" . This being the way in which the picture was developed in which was done to show emotion but also how many men there is holding one flag. Especially the one in the front who kinda looks as is his foot is trying to find a stable placing under the weight of such a heavy flag.
ReplyDeletewhat is interseting to me is what artist use to glorify rules idealized images, symbols, and composition devices. One of the picture we talk about in class Emperor Justinian and His Attendants. First the way the men are set they are overlaping. This give the effect he is coming forword. They are holding the bible, cross, and basket. The shelid has an x and a stright line going thought it. I thing that symbols his power over the church. His crown symbolizes he is emperor. He is glorify because he is in the center of the painting. I think to a certain degree they are trying to scary into not sining but also think that is their way of saying if you sin you go to hell. Another reason i think they look mean beacuse it is the bible.
ReplyDeleteToday's discussion in class on the photograph "Falling Man" and the sculpture "Descending Woman" represenced for me the question of the role of art and the placement (and therefore prospective audience) of a work. If art is meant to provoke, these pieces effectively did that, both in Rockefeller Center and in class this morning. As we witnessed today, nine years after the attack on the WTC and death of c.2,700, emotions still run high. There are many viewpoints. There arises also the questions of an artist's freedom of expression vs respect for those feeling affronted by the reminder. Who decides public art? When a committee gives an OK for a work of art but it is received with great negativity by the public, should it be removed? In one way this reminds me of the controversy around Richard Serra's "Tilted Arc", which, ultimately, was removed (and destroyed, per artist request). The difference here, of course, is that, although Serra's work elicited heated reactions, it did not conjure up deep feelings of devastation and loss. Will New York ever be ready for "Decsending Woman"? Personally, I think it is decades away.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed the presentation on "FlagRaising" ,This image defined power, politics and glory very well.This image represents what America stands for , being patriotic and Americans coming together united as one. In the image, you see American soldiers working together to stand up the USA flag.Theimage is in black and white ,except for the flag , which is in its original color red, white,and blue. Being that the flag is the only object in color symbolizes the importances and value the flag holds. This monument has lot of significants because it captures a moment in Americans hitory as the soldiers defeat the enemies. It also shows a symbolic commitment of the American soldiers fighting for this country , and also this image gives us the viewers an opportunity to apprecicate this monument for what it stands for.
ReplyDeleteErika Beck
this discussion for this week topic is one of the
ReplyDelete"Liberty Leading the People" came across as an interesting piece of work because of narrative. Eugène Delacroix paints a hodgepodge of people ranging from a man wearing a top hat and a woman holding the French flag. Amidst battle, everyone's focus including the viewer is fixated on the woman leading the people onward thus being titled "Liberty Leading the People." Like mentioned before, this painting has a lot going down and there is some detailed work required to salvage who is on what side including the bodies laying around the ground. The atmospheric pressure is a nice touch, but it could just be smoke opposed to a far, stretched out battlefield.
ReplyDeleteI found the comparison between the Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres-Napoleon and David-Napoleon was interesting, for the simple fact that both pictures of the same person depict two totally different meanings and personalities. Napoleon was a guy known for his ruthlessness, military knowledge, and government power, as well as being overly inferior to oneself and selfishness. Jean's painting shows expresses his royalty importance, divine status, and dominant power. It shows himself as more old school in a way where he has this bold stance and sits upon a thrown. As for David's painting, it is more realistic, where it expresses his scholarly side by showing glimpses of him military planning. It shows that he actually does his own work and does not always rely on other people. Both portraits display two sides of him, showing his overall well-roundedness, making it known to his people that he is the one in control.
ReplyDelete-Liza Cena
I enjoyed the discussion of the photograph "Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima". It had never occurred to me that this photograph was staged by the photographer. I had always assumed that the photograph simply took this shot instinctively after seeing the event. It is a marvelous photograph, and a clear cut symbol of patriotism. It shows the power of America showing how the flag is raised proudly above the battlefield. I thought it was very interesting how the flag was required to be set into place by four men, rather than one or two. I'm wondering as to why photographs like these are not in the media today with the war in the Middle East.
ReplyDeleteDaniel Park
I liked the sculpture of Menkaure and His Wife. it just seems like they both represent power and royalty. The looks on their faces and their postures tell it all. Even with the way he slouched a little bit. It seem almost like hes trying make his wife appear just as important and powerful as he is. Which she should be..being the fact that shes his queen.
ReplyDeleteSEbastian spencer
The thing that i really like about this week was all of david images his images really explained the theme of the week alot i like the one image that one group use that was showing.another image that really showed me wat weeks them was about is the flag riseing image the reason why is becaus when i was growing up i really dint notics are even know what this image ment are anything.....
ReplyDeleteraynard westbrook
I chose to do the second question for the midterm today. I felt that the second image, the photograph with the numerous dead US soldiers in the caskets was a photograph glorifying their deaths. The beautiful American flags over the caskets covered the soldiers' corpses and any signs of weakness. The mangled bodies are covered with a new flag, and is very beautiful. I thought it was very interesting how the soldiers standing at attention were mourning in a strict, unique fashion. The viewer of the photograph understands that because they are soldiers, they are not allowed to shed tears or bawl, but rather show honor as a US soldier with a salute and blank expression. The problem with this is that it can also be seen from the perspective that these soldiers have become emotionless killing machines, and that to them, a dead comrade is simply a casualty in war. The first image seems to criticize the memorial of soldiers. From the photograph, one can conclude that the man shot was simply left there to rot. The man was simply a bag of meat in war, and his life was as valuable as any other bullet in the revolver's chambers. Death in war is death, and there is no glory in it.
ReplyDeleteDaniel Park