This quarter was very interesting! I really enjoyed all the sculpture and pottery, especially in the time periods of prehistoric times and of ancient Greece. The prehistoric art, which I really enjoyed all of it, had a fascinating look and history. The Greece art, I really mostly enjoyed the sculpture and pottery, and just the aesthetics of the art.
Prehistoric art, as I said before was all interesting. I really liked the controversy with some of the pieces, and the fact that they were made so long ago, we may never know what the real intention of the art was. I particularly liked The Lion-Human (pg.5 in the Ancient Art book) I found the lack of knowledge… or perhaps just the different view point the people from this time period had. Mixing the human form with an animal form, this was not like the Egyptian art, which were worshiped. But the prehistoric people seemed to have a unique and innocent form of art. Just the material in the Lion-Human sculpture is fascinating. Some parts are carved intentionally, and the artist used the grooves, and cracks in the wood to enhance the form. The Lion-Human is sculpted in the round, which automatically makes me want to pick it up and examine it!
Another piece I am partial to is on page 21 in the Ancient Art history book. Early Pottery: Franchthi Cave, Greece, I loved this little pot! It is pottery in one of its earliest forms, and one of the simplest forms of pottery. Although there is no decoration or design, I feel like the color of the clay and the uneven and lumpy parts on the pot make it look very authentic, real, and beautiful. It also makes in interesting and special because it was the beginning of the widespread art form of pottery. It was one of the ‘founding fathers’ if you will.
Greece art. This was an amazing time period for art too. By this time the pottery has become extremely elegant and detailed. The ceramic vessel call Funerary Krater (pg. 103 Ancient Art history text book) is a huge difference then the little pot made in the prehistoric times. It has a narrow foot and a wide all the way up from the body to the lip. This vessel was made for a person who died, and is connected to the importance of the person. The pot shows people morning with their hands to their head with anguish. So much anguish they are pulling their own hair out. But this vessel was made during the geometric period which explains the explicit shapes. There are line, triangles, rectangles, diagonals, spirals, cross-hatching covering this piece of pottery. It gives it a very detailed and precise look to the vessel.
Overall, this class is very interesting. Love looking at the different styles and meanings each piece of art holds. I never really looked into the formal analyses of art, and really looking at the style, compositions, different types of sculpture, all of it, was really remarkable. But overall Prehistoric and Ancient Greece art are my favorite.
I also love the prehistoric art in fact it is easier for me to list the forms of art I dislike than those I enjoy. Art to me is life its part of the everyday existence and I think that is what I feel when I view the prehistoric art how they took and made art as part of their everyday life. I have enjoyed reading your perspectives as they often are quite the polar opposite of my own and I find that very valuable.
ReplyDeleteI also like that there is an element of controversy and mystery surrounding a lot of prehistoric paintings - it's interesting to try and figure out the purpose surrounding these pieces. Perhaps we'll never know (which may be likely, since at present it seems like prehistoric people didn't leave behind any type of written language).
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed teaching you and your classmates! It sounds like you enjoyed this class, too.
-Prof. Bowen
I liked the Greek pottery as well. The shapes are interesting and elegant. What really interests me is their decoration with line. It is charming, detailed, and highly stylized. The Funerary Krater (pg. 103) example that you gave is a great example of the use simple elements of line and shape that create a complex and interesting visual design. It is also a good example of form and function working well together.
ReplyDeleteThe prehistoric period was fascinating. I like how you point out that we may never know what the real intention of the art was. All of those "Venus" figures spread out around the area is very intriguing to me. The Venus of Willendorf is remarkable in that it is so old and tiny, and detailed for its time. The Funerary Krater from ancient Greece is also a stunning piece of art. I really liked the story telling in the different registers, as you pointed out.
ReplyDelete-Jesse
I like how you mentioned we may never know why these ancient artworks were created. This is so true. The debate could carry on forever and that is fine because to me, as important as it may be, it doesn't really matter. As long as these pieces still survive today, so that we can see how thoughtful and creative people have been for so long now. They are priceless look back in time important to all of us as humans. It is so interesting
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