Tuesday, December 3, 2013

The Body of Jewels


The Body of Jewels
        What impresses me in the Metropolitan Museum of Art is what we call nowadays “bling.” All different cultures around the world are creative in the way they adorn the body. My exhibit comes from different period of time from 1st century to the 19th century. During those centuries, different styles of jewelry were a creative way to beautify a human body. Different cultures in history such as Ancient Egypt, Africa, Rome, or American has its own styles of Jewels. The basic types of jewelry that every culture has are earrings, necklace, rings, and bracelets. Some jewelry fascinates me as well because not only are they made with metal, copper, or silver but Africans use animal bones as well. What is also beautiful about jewelry is the time and effort that was put in to make this type of work of art. The “bling” has a symbolic meaning that gives a person a better feeling on the outside because they feel enhanced. Human body sculptures also amazed me because not only did they make a body sculpture but it was made showing the specific male and female body parts. The creators in history chose to make the human body sculptures without clothes that give me an aesthetic emotion because of the relation that jewelries and human body has. Jewelry is a precious work of art that also provides connection to the human body because of how treasurable it is. This strikes me the most because a human body, male or female, should be respected as much as people have respect and care for a valuable object. 

 Marble Statue of Aphrodite
1st or 2nd Century A.D.
Roman
Marble
 Skirt
1969, American Culture
Metal
 Andromeda and the Sea Monster
Domenico Guidi (Italian, 1625-1701)
Italian, Rome
Marble
 Jewelry Set
Early 20th Century
African
bone, raffia, cotton
 Marble Torso of a boy
1st-2nd Century A.D.
Roman
Marble, Pentelic?
 Fragment of the Marble Stele
ca. 530 B.C.
Greek, Attic
Marble, Hymettian
 Jeweled Bracelet
6th-7th Century
Byzantine
Gold, silver, pearlm amethyst, sapphire, glass, quartz, emerald plasma
 The Prayer
Auguste Rodin
(French, Paris 1840-1917 Meudon)
modeled in 1909, this bronze cast in 1980
French
Bronze
 Gold Signet Ring of Michael Zorianos
Ca. 1300
Byzantine
Gold
Heraldic Chain with Pendant Badge
Michael Botza
Early 17th Century, German Dresden
Partly enameled gold, pearl

Sunday, December 1, 2013

Performance Art at the Whitney Museum

We visited the Whitney Museum for our fifth field trip and I discovered different types of work of art. Not just drawing or painting but it shows performing arts. It gives out different types of documentations as well and shows a story behind it. One work of Art was called the Kipper Kids which was a boxing ring that has two boxers standing in the ring. This will be a social reference that i will identify in this piece because it can be for entertainment. Even when that work of art is occurring in real life, they are made for entertainment for the people. Although this piece is hard to explain and understand why it's made, it still can give interests to people that likes to do that certain sport or action.

The second performing art that interest me was from Michael Smith. This performing art shows a documentary of an adult that acts like a baby in the street which also gave an entertainment to others. This art will also be a social reference that i can identify in this piece because of how a human person act. Some people's minds function abnormally and does not grow as you are becoming an adult the way its supposed to. If i were to attend the actual happening, it would be easier for me to understand the situation because you are able to see face expressions and more actions that occurred.

The third performing art that I saw was from Vito Acconci and it shows a person who became crazy in the basement. He didn't want to come out of the basement and becomes crazy. In my opinion, i would be merely scared to even get close to that person. It is a certain the way a human's mind function why they become that way. So for me, this will be a social reference as well.