Intersession Assignmnets

Posted on Beyond the European Tradition Page of the Class Website.

Check the blog for bonus opportunities and informative posts about KEY material. Make it a point to check every day during Intersession!

From Gothic to Renaissance

Our LAST unit before the semester concludes is CHAPTER 19. Chapter 19 test, Museum Catalog and Semester Exam Essays are due 12-12-11.

Intersession work will be posted 12-12-11.

Due Tuesday 12-13-11:
Read pages 521-527
Complete workbook page 7 and vocabulary on page 8


Due BLOCK DAY:
finish reading the chapter and the workbook pages 8-9-10

Discussion Questions and Looking Carefully Page 11 are where I will derive the essay/short answer responses for Monday's test.

**** this workbook is for volume 13 of our book... when artworks are references look for the title rather than the number. Some do NOT match our text...do a GOOGLE IMAGES search as needed.

MEMORY DEVICE: OBSERVE THE BEAN SPROUT
Key Figure: Giotto...Father of Western Art

Food in ARTWORK and Food in Life

On Thanksgiving it seems like the USA focuses on family and friends. People gather to eat, watch parades and football on television. Each family has its own tradition with food appearing to be the unifying theme.

Food is a common theme in ART as well. Still life paintings depict seasonal fruits and vegetables. Artists also depict hunting prowess through a display of fresh meats. I stumbled upon a website today that put together a display of several artworks that display food in art. Enjoy Art Info's Over-The-Top-Food Art Slideshow.

The image here, Still Life with Dead Game, is by the Dutch artist Willen van Aelst and is located at the National Gallery of Art in Washington DC. Their Dutch and Flemish collection contains several works of art that display the "food theme". Take a moment to peruse their collection as well.

Assignment Updates

DUE 11-22-11 to turnitin.com Chapter 18 DQ 3:

Select a typical EARLY GOTHIC and a HIGH GOTHIC cathedral and explain the factors that differentiate one from another.


Due 11-28-11 to turnitin.com Chapter 18 DQ 10:

Discuss patronage in the medieval period, including roles played by clerics, guilds, merchants and royal patrons, noting specific examples of each.

Romanesque and Gothic Museum Catalog Information posted (7:15 AM 11-23) on Romanesque and Gothic page of Class Website.

Chapter 19 Museum Catalog and Semester Exam...due 12-12-11 DOCUMENT linked to the Chapter 19 Page of the Class website.

Turnitin.com discussion posted...due 12-8-11

Image from Notre Dame de Paris...

A Sunday on La Grande Jatte by: Seurat (1884-86)

Funny how art can mimic life. After my second trip through the Art Institute of Chicago this year, I was again amazed at the Impressionist and Post-Impressionist artwork on display. The local art collectors that donated their collection to the museum truly collected European masterpieces that reflected the life of the city in which they lived.

Seurat's stunning display of Pointillism in A Sunday on La Grande Jatte depicts the ideals of life in Chicago. Although the artwork was created in Europe and had no connection to the city of Chicago in the creative process, one can see how the artwork, made famous by Ferris Bueller's Day Off is an icon for the city.

Chicago was designed to have open park land along Lake Michigan. These open spaces were to be a place for citizens to gather from within the city and the developing suburban communities. Grant Park was part of the "Burnham Plan" for Chicago. Millenium Park modernized the waterfront park land. Both parks today provide gathering places for residents and tourists.

When visitors gaze at the large canvas in the Art Institute of Chicago they encounter people gathering near the water in France. They see people participating in various activities form swimming to boating to sunbathing and people watching. These same activities can be seen as one gazes at the Chicago lakefront. Although styles of clothes may change, the activities remain the same.

When I see this artwork I dream and imagine life in Chicago in the late 1800s. I look at the rest of the Impressionist exhibit in the museum and am fascinated by the taste the collectors had. The artwork they brought back from Europe truly mimicked the world in which they lived.I cannot think of a better "Museum Home" for the Impressionist artwork in the USA than Chicago!

San Diego State School of Art, Design and Art History

View an exhibition or special event and you can get a bonus. Bring an admission ticket, notes and/or a picture of you there. Prepare to share your experiences in class. Prepare to connect with our classroom learning...

School of Art, Design and Art History
http://art.sdsu.edu/

Entering the Age of Cathedrals

Next Up we'll look at Romanesque and Gothic Cathedral Construction in Europe.

Look at Smarthistory.com to start your encounter of Romanesque Art.

Smarthistory also provides a discussion about selections from the Gothic era as well.

Romanesque Art:

DUE Wednesday 11-16-11 to turnitin.com Chapter 17 DQ 3
DUE Friday 11-18-11 to turnitin.com Chapter 17 DQ 6
DUE Monday 11-21
1. Chapter 17 WKBK pages:
163-167 (NOT Sculpture Part) and 168 ALL
2. Chapter 18 WKBK Pages: 175-178, 179 (#'s 9, 10), 181-183 (Gothic Outside France
DUE 11-22-11 to turnitin.com Chapter 18 DQ 3
Due 11-28-11 to turnitin.com Chapter 18 DQ 10
TEST/Museum Catalog Due Monday 12-5-11 (Rubric posted by Wednesday 11-23-11)

Discussion question posted on turnitin.com for our first "review" as we work ahead. DUE Sunday 11-20-11.

We'll do one final chapter before the holidays ... Chapter 19 (Volume 2). A final Test and Museum Catalog will be due Monday 12-12-11...our last day of class. The Rubric will be posted by 11-23-11 ... when I post the rubric for Chapters 17 and 18. There is NO FINAL EXAM...the Museum Catalog will have a cumulative review component graded as your semester exam.

Intersession Assignments will be posted during exam week ... if you have questions you can come ask me in person or send me emails to renemacvay@yahoo.com.

IMAGE: Amiens Cathedral

Giotto...The Father of Western Art Hides a DEVIL in a Fresco

Art restorers have found the image of a devil hidden in a Giotto Fresco in Assisi. The article, Devil found in detail of Giotto's fresco in Italy, sheds light on the discovery of the "profile of a figure with a hooked nose, a sly smile, and dark horns hidden among the clouds in the panel of the scene depicting the death of St Francis".

Islam

Thursday and Friday in class you'll watch Paradise Found video from the Middle Ages page of our website. The video worksheet is due Monday. Finish what you do not get to in class Thursday/Friday over the weekend.

The direct YouTube Link to Paradise Found Islamic Architecture and Arts is here.

At the bottom of the Middle Ages page the class PowerPoint that we have been looking at in class is attached.Perhaps you wish to peruse additional links in the ppt as you start/continue working on your Museum Catalog.

Monday and Tuesday...Islam and a review of the three major religions discussed in the unit.

Thursday 11-10-11 TEST and MC for Unit 3.

Assignments for AFTER the test posted on test day...don't worry about what's next...stay focused in the present.

Ethics and Art Collecting

The November 2011 Issue of Smithsonian Magazine's feature article is Journey of a Goddess, A Case Study. This article discusses the decade long attempt by the Italians to get back "one of the world’s most contested pieces of ancient art: a 2,400-year-old statue of a woman believed to be Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love". The sculpture details the legal and archaeological process that was required to bring the sculpture back to Italy.

The article goes beyond this artwork and discusses illegal acquisitions by museums and individual collectors in the USA and around the world. When one thinks of art theft, their first thought probably goes to taking a painting off a wall or a sculpture out of a room. This article changes the readers' perspective. For years art theft has included people being archaeologists and digging up ruins without permits. The found objects are restored by the rogue archaeologists and sold. The objects join private collections or collections in museums around the world.

We do not want to see our museum walls bare like the picture here. We wish to be able to share in cultural heritage of all people through legal means.

Those that study Art History can take a career path in Museum Work, Teaching/Scholarship, Investigating Art Crimes, Restoration and more. Whatever you chose to do, make sure you maintain a high ethical standard!

Why Study Art?

Read the article 10 Salient Studies on the Arts in Education from onlinecolleges.net.

Studies show that studying arts improves performance in literacy and math as well as provides students with more opportunities to connect with the global community.

Photo: Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York

Early Christian Churches

Periodically I look at www.artdaily.com, the First Art Newspaper on the Net (established in 1996). I am glad I looked today, Sunday October 23,2011! Today's story is about Photographs of early christian churches from the Cappadocia Region on exhibit at Penn Museum. What stunning photographs!

Vaults of Heaven: Visions of Byzantium, an exhibition of 13 color photographs by renowned Turkish photographer Ahmet Ertug, is on view October 15, 2011 through February 12, 2012. According to the Penn Museum's website, the exhibition provides "a glimpse into the complex and vivid world of the Byzantine Empire" via "photographs by well-known Turkish photographer Ahmet Ertug". The photographs highlight culturally significant UNESCO heritage sites in present-day Turkey with a focus on the Karanlik, Tokali and Merymana churches located in the dramatic Cappadocian region of central Anatolia. This exhibition was organized by the Kelsey Museum of Archaeology at the University of Michigan".



Photograph courtesy of www.artdaily.org

Staffordshire Gold Hoard

The November 2011 National Geographic Magazine has an article about this gold hoard from Anglo-Saxon Britain. The weapons and gold came from an era where "mundane events and acts could be suffused with magic" (57). The article explains how the people of the time may have viewed the objects. They believed "the magical properties an object possessed trumped its material worth" (57). These people valued gold not just for being precious but also because it was considered alluring and indestructible.


Hadrian's wall was created to keep out the barbaric Picts and Scotts. After Roman rule ended warfare ensued, and this warfare resulted in the development of Christianity in England as well as the establishment of the Anglo-Saxon dominance in the region. The elaborately decorated weapons and gold from the early days of England mentioned in this story give us yet another glimpse at the past, one we have been relying on the Sutton-Hoo findings to provide for us.

Photo courtesy of the National Geographic Website.

Byzantium

We have been watching ENGINEERING AN EMPIRE GREEK BYZANTIUM. Today's class left off just as PART 5 was starting. Finish watching part 5 and turn in your video reflections on Tuesday 10-25-11. It's just over 8 minutes long.http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif

We remember the ETRUSCANS for their use of TERRACOTTA, the ROMANS for their STONE MOSAICS and the BYZANTINES for their beautiful, reflective, GLASS MOSAICS.

The use of a gold background in which the other colored glass were placed created not only a DECORATIVE effect inside a church but also the signature http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifFORMAL, FLAT, FRONTAL AND FLOATING. The placement of the pieces of glass created an outline around the figures, thus creating a FLAT appearance.

Byzantine rulers saw themselves as representatives (vicars) of Jesus Christ. They believed their will was God's will. They reigned supreme...think of a Pope + Ceasar combination.

Sam Houston University has a History of the Byzantine Empire to 1095 available to view online if you wish more detailed political information.

Upcoming Assignments

Unit 3: Chapters 11-12-13 and 16

Due Tuesday 10-18-11
Read Chapter 11 and complete workbook pages
111-112 (no need to do #6)
113 #8...both
114

Due Thursday 10-20-11
workbook page 115 Discussion Question #2 uploaded to turnitin.com by 11:59 PM (essay form...start with a THESIS)

Due Friday 10-21-11
Read Chapter 12 and complete (essay form...start with a THESIS) Discussion Question 2 page 124 (uploaded to turnitin.com by 11:59 PM)

Due Sunday 10-23-11
Chapter 12 Complete "Researching...etc." page 125-126 in Essay form. Upload to turnitin.com by 11:59 PM

Due Tuesday 10-25-11 Chapter 12 workbook pages 119-124

Due Thursday 10-27-11
Read Chapter 13 and complete workbook pages page 130-133 (not discussion questions)

Due Friday 10-28-11
Complete discussion question #1 page 133-134 in essay form (start with a thesis). Upload to turnitin.com by 11:59 PM

Due Sunday 10-30-11
Complete discussion question #5 page 134 in essay form (start with a thesis). Upload to turnitin.com by 11:59 PM

Due Thursday 11-3-11
read chapter 16 and complete workbook pages 155-158

Due Saturday 11-5-11
Complete discussion question #2 page 159 in essay form (start with a thesis). Upload to turnitin.com by 11:59 PM

TEST and Museum Catalog Due Thursday 11-10-11. Museum Catalog will be linked here when completed. Look for it by 10-21-11. Linked here (Middle Ages Page of Class Website AND 2011-2012 Key Documents) at 4:37 on 10-21-11.

Starting in November a Discussion Question will be posted each week...even through intersession. The question will start and end on a Saturday. The question will address themes, artistic methods and making connections between cultures and over time. By November we'll have built up enough prior knowledge to start!

San Diego Museum of Art

Fall Semester Bonus Opportunities

The following activities are available at the San Diego Museum of Art. This list is compiled from my membership brochure. Please check with the museum before you attend to confirm the program is still “on” and the content has not changed. Full details about the programs can be found on the museum’s website. This is a skeleton list.

To earn your bonus you must get your admission ticket signed by the employee that runs the activity and bring it with you, along with your notes and anything you make to class the NEXT day. Some activities are free and others have a cost. If you are interested in going to all of them…purchasing a membership may be a reasonable option.

For a BONUS to apply…all work MUST be done and turned in. A BONUS is just that…a BONUS. It is extra above and beyond what is normally expected.

Opportunities include: EACH is worth 20 POINTS. DECEMBER AND JANUARY EVENTS WILL BE APPLIED TO SECOND SEMESTER

OCTOBER
7 First Friday Films and Talk (starts at 7 PM $5.00 members/students)
9 Lecture 3:00-5:00 PM ($20.00 non members) A lecture about Indian Art
16 Family Drop-in Days (1:00-3:00 PM free after museum admission) Theme: Exploring Ruben Ortiz-Torres
19 Seldom Seen (7 PM $10.00 students) Curators bring out seldom seen artwork and discuss with the group
22 Workshop Exploring Color (1:00-4:00)

NOVEMBER
2 Teen Art Café (6-8 PM FREE) Based on Special exhibition Portrait of an Artist as a Young Man: Works by Ruben Ortiz-Torres (for more information email teencafe@sdmart.org)
5 Symposium on Mexican Modern Painting (9 AM – 12:30 PM $10.00 students) In depth presentation by scholars on Mexican Modern Painting from the Andres Blaisten Collection)
20 Family Drop-in Days (1:00-3:00 PM free after museum admission) Theme: Exploring Mexican Modernism
20 TARGET FREE FAMILY DAY AND FESTIVAL 12-5 PM

DECEMBER
18 Family Drop-in Days (1:00-3:00 PM free after museum admission) Theme: Exploring Art of the 20th Century

JANUARY
15 Family Drop-in Days (1:00-3:00 PM free after museum admission) Theme: Exploring California Modern Art

Alexander the Great

finish the Alexander the Great Engineering an Empire video for Monday. Turn in worksheet.

We left off on part 3 (6:00 minutes into the 9:20 segment)
Part 4 is 8:09 and Part 5 is 8:08 ... therefore about 20 minutes left

Engineering was mastered in Greece as well

Today in class we watched Engineering an Empire Greece, a History Chanel Video found on YouTube.com.

We left off at Part 3 (4:00 minutes into this section). Complete watching and turn in your notes on Block Day this week.

Engineering...a ROMAN trait

Classical ROME was known for its engineering innovations. The created aqueducts to transport water to inland communities. The used concrete to develop sturdy structures with a high elevation. They created roads to ease in moving from one section of the empire to another.

In the USA we have taken Classical traditions and adapted them to fit our lifestyles. The George Washington Bridge in NYC is such an example. The "super human" creation was completed 80 years ago. It spans 4,760 feet over the Hudson River. Today it carries 106 million cars annually, more than any other bridge in the world.

Mount Rushmore, An American Connection with Classical Rome

The Romans had a tradition of creating monuments and monumental sculptures to honor past leaders. This was part of their pagan beliefs that, after their death, past rulers were lofted to the state of being a god. One example is the COLUMN OF TRAJAN pictured here.

The United States has many Neo-Classical Elements in its governmental architecture and structure. One example of the United States harking back to Classical traditions is the 14 year long construction of Mount Rushmore in South Dakota. The monumental memorial contains 60 foot tall images of past presidents Washington, Jefferson, Roosevelt and Lincoln. The sculptor Gutzon Borglum's goal of "animating the mountain" was achieved! He infused life into marble and preserved the memory of four past presidents for future generations to see. Like classical sculptors, he chose his material wisely. He picked a durable, yet elegant, material to properly memorialize these men. Other than a natural disaster, the stone sculptures will outlast generations of people.

Friday 9-30-11

I left sub plans for you to finish watching the Rome video and to work on the Chapter 4 and 5 study guides. We'll go over the answers Monday AND then watch the youtube (Engineering an empire Greece) video that did not work on Thursday during class but worked after school.

I'll go through all the turnitin.com exercises this weekend. Look for the feedback by mid day Sunday.

Tuesday 9-27-11

Upcoming Schedule Change...

Test and MC for 4-5-9-10 will be THURSDAY 10-13-11

Museum Catalog Rubric linked on website under 2011-2012 key documents AND on Greece and Rome Page

Friday 9-23-11...REPOST...REMINDERS

Upcoming Due Dates: assignments to be posted here (UPDATED 9-16-11 8:52 PM)
Tuesday 9-20-11 Have Read Chapter 4
complete Internet Exercises (2 total) by 9-23-11 MIDNIGHT. Upload to turnitin.com.

Block Day have read Chapter 5 104-124 (Archaic Greece)
Upload to turnitin.com Chapter 5 Internet Activity by midnight 9-24-11.
Participate ion online discussion on turnitin.com (Casting Bronzes) by Monday 9-26-11 Midnight. Check back for responses through the week.

Monday 9-26-11 have chapter 5 completed

Thursday 9-29 have read chapter 9
Complete the Museum Activity and Internet Exercise by midnight Friday 9-30-11 (uploaded to turnitin.com)

Monday 10-3-11 have read Chapter 10
Tuesday 10-4-11 complete the internet exercise ROMAN SCULPTURE and upload to turnitin.com by midnight


Workbook Assignment:
Have your workbook next to you as you read. Notice what questions are important and look to answer them as you read. It will be EASIEST for you to complete this AS YOU READ...NOT the day before this is due.You can always do MORE...what I will collect by 10-4-11 will be:
Chapter 4: Summary pages after Looking Carefully and before MAP
page 51 label diagram
Chapter 5 Summary Pages
Chapter 9 page 89 (all)
Chapter 10 Summary Pages

TEST/Museum Catalog #2 Aegean-Greece-Etruscan-Rome Monday October 10th
Museum Catalog Posted in TWO Places...on 2011-2012 Key Documents page and on Chapters 4-5-9-10 page

Friday 9-16-11

Today we started a Friday Fun Day and set up an OP ART project. The project will help us understand color theory and the idea of space/depth perception.

The OP ART movement has been attributed to Victor Vasserly.

Monday TEST on Introduction-Chapter 3 (30 multiple choice and 50 points short answer/essay). Museum Catalog is due Monday as well...you CAN use it on the test.

Assignments for Chapters 4-5-9-10 are posted on the blog post dated: SEPTEMBER 13th

Egypt Enchants Everyone

We start to learn about Egypt at a young age. In school we learn about pyramids, pharaoh's and the Sphinx in early elementary grades. As we progress through our educational career, the complexities of this powerful early culture start to be unfolded for us. A few fascinating Resources to learn more about Egypt's wonders are included here.

How do we REALLY know the role that gender played in the Egyptian cuhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.giflture? Read the article by Christopher Witcombe about Menkaure and His Queen (pictured here). This article discussed the role gender played in the Egyptian society. Many believe women were subservient to men as men were pharaoh's and shown with powerful postures. Women were shown less aggressive than the men. Female rulers like Hatshepsut even dressed like a man to be taken seriously. Witcombe's article argues that evidence suggests that "Women in Egypt seem to have enjoyed the same legal and economics rights as men". In his article he notes that "Ancient Egypt was a matrilineal society where power resided in the female line". Men were given the dispensation to marry their sisters to keep power within the family. One can compare this to the power of the female in passing on the Jewish faith. One can also compare this to the respect and equality felt by women in the Etruscan culture. I follow in the Etruscan style, I did not take my husband's name when I got married.

Another fascinating concept in the Egyptian culture is their architecture. They did more than just enclose space, they created timeless tombs and temples that range in size and style. What each shares is a strong foundation that has http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifallowhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifed them to withstands years and years of weather and pollution. Their engineering feats, with relatively modest tools, are mind boggling! Take time to look at the YouTube video showing the Hyppostyle Hall at Karnak. Pay attention to the massive size in relation to the human form. Look at the hieroglyphics that create a narrative in the hall. The Greeks coined the term Hypostyle Hall to mean "a room or chamber that has many columns. They became a feature of Egyptian architecture, but most such halls are distinguished from other pillared halls by the papyriform, which references the capital of the column ohttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifften in the shape of the Papyrus Flower".

The Palette of Narmer (also pictured here) is another fascinating element of the Egyptian culture we encounter in school as we progress through the years. It demonstrates a HISTORICAL EVENT. The palette commemorates the unification of Egypt and records the event for posterity. The Egyptians, especially the pharaohs, were concerned with preserving their name and accomplishments for eternity so they had important images crafted out of strong stone, stone that has lasted through to today.

Museum of Contemporary Art

Free Third Thursday ... check out the website for details about what is on view at the La Jolla and Downtown locations.

Downtown Location...Physics Professor Speaks: Perspectives: Color, Perception, and Natural Light Phenomena. Read more to see if you are interested in attending this BONUS opportunity. If you attend, bring your ticket stub and notes to class, I'll give you a paper to fill out to get your bonus points.

When: Thursday, September 15, 2011 - 7-8 PM
MCASD Downtown, Jacobs Building

Cost: Museum Admission is FREE for the Third Thursday. The lecture is free for Members; $5 Students; $10 General Admission

Tuesday 9-13-11 Schedule of Assignments

Today we looked at the book companion website for study guide purposes. The companion site has multiple choice and essay samples...with answers. We looked at the museum activities and internet exercises as "additional material" that will help you understand the chapter better.

In class we started a review and will finish Thursday. Thursday we'll also look at Aboriginal Culture.

Museum Catalog and Test MONDAY 9-19-11 (Museum Catalog found on website 2011-2012 Key Documents)

Upcoming Due Dates: assignments to be posted here (UPDATED 9-16-11 8:52 PM)
Tuesday 9-20-11 Have Read Chapter 4
complete Internet Exercises (2 total) by 9-23-11 MIDNIGHT. Upload to turnitin.com.

Block Day have read Chapter 5 104-124 (Archaic Greece)
Upload to turnitin.com Chapter 5 Internet Activity by midnight 9-24-11.
Participate ion online discussion on turnitin.com (Casting Bronzes) by Monday 9-26-11 Midnight. Check back for responses through the week.

Monday 9-26-11 have chapter 5 completed

Thursday 9-29 have read chapter 9
Complete the Museum Activity and Internet Exercise by midnight Friday 9-30-11 (uploaded to turnitin.com)

Monday 10-3-11 have read Chapter 10
Tuesday 10-4-11 complete the internet exercise ROMAN SCULPTURE and upload to turnitin.com by midnight


Workbook Assignment:
Have your workbook next to you as you read. Notice what questions are important and look to answer them as you read. It will be EASIEST for you to complete this AS YOU READ...NOT the day before this is due.You can always do MORE...what I will collect by 10-4-11 will be:
Chapter 4: Summary pages after Looking Carefully and before MAP
page 51 label diagram
Chapter 5 Summary Pages
Chapter 9 page 89 (all)
Chapter 10 Summary Pages

TEST/Museum Catalog #2 Aegean-Greece-Etruscan-Rome Monday October 10th

NO POWER...Change in Schedule

No school today...I will be out Monday...Change in schedule...

Your To Do List:
Continue to work on MUSEUM CATALOG

Monday:
The substitute will put on a YouTube video about Persia (Engineering An Empire). It is linked here.

There are 5 parts...45 minutes total...approximately. WATCH ALL 5 ... if you do not finish...you need to watch the rest for homework and turn in the video worksheet on Tuesday.


AS YOU WATCH THE VIDEO, ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS:

1. How was POWER displayed in the Persian Empire? Indicate whether the POWER was political, economic, social or religious?
2. With what innovations were the Persians credited?

TURN in your notes at the end of the video.

Tuesday
We'll finish discussing the Unit as we would have Friday if we had school. We'll discuss Australian Aboriginal Culture also.

Block Day and Friday - Tie up loose ends/I'll start Chapter 4 and 5.

Monday September 19th...TEST on Unit 1 and Museum Catalog Due.

Early Man ... New Discovery in the News

I stumbled upon an article that is relevant to the curriculum. I am posting it here and on the website for future classes. Take time to read this news story: Closest Human Ancestor May Rewrite Steps in Our Evolution from LiveScience.com (9-8-11).

According to the article, "Fossils of the extinct hominid known as Auhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifstralopithecus sediba were accidentally discovered by the 9-year-old son of a scientist in the remains of a cave in South Africa in 2008, findings detailed by researchers last year". The skeletons that were found represent a combination of both human and ape like features. The article asserts that this is NOT considered to be THE missing link, but rather a step in understanding human evolution.

More detailed information can be found at LiveScience.com (where the image was found.

Early Civilizations

We remember the Neolithic and Paleolithic Times by the idea of "Cave Conjecture". Since writing from early man has not been found, archaeologists have pieced together the lifestyle of early man based on found artifacts. Early man sought shelter in caves (which included a water source), showed a keen understanding of animal anatomy through the detailed paintings in caves such as Lascaux and understood that the role of the female was important to survival of the human species.

As man transitioned from being nomadic hunter gatherers to farmers and herders they established permanent dwellings. With these permanent dwellings, they looked to create communities and establish themselves. Humans became civilized through this process as, within their communities, which they fortified, they developed a division of labor, a written language, a set of laws, established a centralized religion and traded (established commerce).

Civilization began in areas near water. The main early civilized human devleopment is traced in the Ancient Near East along the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, in Africa (Egypt) along the Nile River, in China along the Yellow River and the Yangtze River valleys and in India in the Indus River Valley.

Many stories have been written about China. The large span of the Chinese Empire mirrors the expansiveness of the Roman Empire. China's customs are different from Western tradition with which many of us are familiar. Perhaps reading a little about China will help you become more familiar with the the large ancient empire and a global power today. for a list of interesting books about China, check out 20 Essential Chinese Novels by Bachelors Degree Online.

Why Study Art? TED Talks may have the answer...

Our AP Art History course allows us to study history through the lens of art. It fulfills an high school graduation requirement. You are working toward earning college credit when you take the AP Test in May.

If the information we study is of interest to you, what can you do with it? I am an example of being an Art History major and using it to teach. You can also follow it into becoming a curator, museum director, development director at a museum, museum educator or gallery owner. Additional studies will enhance your ability to get a job. Some Art History majors get legal degrees or law enforcement degrees and seek out and/or prosecute stolen art.

If you enjoy Art and Chemistry you might go into restoration.

If you are interested in Art and Business, you can look into advertising and marketing.

There are many career paths that one may take that involve art, not the creation of art but the understanding of it!

You may wish to check out 20 Amazing TED Talks for Art Majors to get more information about art related careers.

Homework Assignments

Make sure you have signed in to www.turnitin.com. You are supposed to have ACTIVE READ Chapters 1 and 2 for tomorrow and have Chapter 3 completed (reading) for Tuesday 9-6-11.

As you read, you can complete MORE in the workbook than what I assign. Perhaps have it next to you to see what KEY details happen to be. Complete the following sections of the workbook by the dates assigned:

WKBK Ch1 Discussion Question 3...upload to turnitin.com by 11:59 PM 9-1-11.

(HINT: discussion questions are meant to be essays...make sure it STARTS with a thesis and is supported with concrete facts from your reading. No need for flowery introductions...your thesis can be restating the question into a powerful statement you can support).

WKBKCh2DQ3 upload to turnitin.com by 9-2-11 at 11:59 PM

WKBKCh3DQ7 upload to turnitin.com by 9-5-11 at 11:59 PM

WKBKCh3 Looking Carefully upload to turnitin.com by 9-7-11 at 11:59 PM (HINT...answer each prompt...5 total...organize with a thesis to start and a body paragraph for form and composition, another for material and technique, etc.)

Workbook Chapter 1-3: pages due 9-8-11
Page 20 #4
21 #7, #1
22 #4, 6
23 #2
25 #3
31 (definitions)
33 #5,6,7
34 #3
35 #6
The day they are due you will tear out all pages from Chapter 2 and 3, staple and turn them in to the bin in class.

Elements of Art: Color

Color is a key element of art as it expresses emotion. A key feature in attracting a viewer is the method by which an artist appeals to the emotion of the audience. An energized scene of bold warm hues of the Fauves (like that of Derain's The Turning Road at L'Estaque, 1906) can excite a viewer while a the calm warm hues of Impressionist work (like Monet's Water Lilies, 1916) can elicit a feeling of serenity.

Colors are key to eliciting not only an emotional but also an intellectual response from the viewer. An artist can cause a viewer to look twice at an artwork by distorting teh colors used. Derain's Three Trees (1906) used unusual colors for natural elements to get viewers to stop and look at nature. The distortion visibly encourages viewers to stop and think about what they see from day to day. When they see nature in an unnatural manner, they start to look at nature again, rather than take it for granted, like wallpaper.

As one moves into the Renaissance and beyond, color psychology is important to consider. Red is considered a power color. How often have you noticed men wearing red ties for important business meetings and Tiger Woods wearing a red shirt for the final round of a tournament? It provides the viewer with subtle hints as to what artists made certain choices in their work. Color sends a message! Follow the link to read more about color theory.

What is Art?

This is a common question the first week of an Art class. According to Dictionary.com, art is the quality, production, expression, or realm, according to aesthetic principles, of what is beautiful, appealing, or of more than ordinary significance. This definition is ambiguous. According to this definition, one must define what is beautiful and appealing to define art. This definition assumes that what is beautiful and appealing is a universal concept.

Understanding that beautiful and appealing are subjective, one looks deeper into this definition. It states that art is the quality, production, expression, or realm; therefore it implies that art is created, and created according to aesthetic principles. What are these principles? They are the elements and principles of art. That is a topic we can explore another day.

Taking the idea that are is created, one must jump to the conclusion that both mental and physical effort is put forth to create art. Whether one likes the art is a subjective matter, but whether something is art should be clear.

That was not the case in the 1920's when the Romanian artist Constantin Brancusi's The Bird was being brought into the United States. At the time, there was no tariff on artistic imports. When The Bird was being unloaded from the ship, the port authority charged a tariff on the sculpture, saying it was merely scrap metal.

To learn more about the legal proceedings that determined whether Brancusi's sculpture was art or scrap metal, listen to he artist on BBC Radio.

The image that appears here is from the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC. This marble Bird in Space is the first of a series of 17 which included 7 marble and 9 bronze views of Bird in Space.

Turnitin.com

Thursday in class I'll give you the password to register for turnitin.com for APAH. Purchase your workbooks...Assignments will be due next week.

Turnitin.com will be used for discussions, submitting homework and projects. It is an effort to use less paper and get more immediate feedback on your work.

What's First...Elements and Principles of Art...

Welcome to a New School Year AP Art History Students

Please take the time tonight to bookmark the blog, "follow" the blog and bookmark the AP Art History Class Website.

Your homework is to go through the book and find your two favorite images. One with people and one without. Photograph yourself duplicating the image, as appropriate for school viewing, and send me a digital copy (renemacvay@yahoo.com and rmacvay@sahs.org). Write a paragraph about each image that you liked...two paragraphs total. We'll share in class on MONDAY. HINT: ITALICIZE titles of artworks when you type! Send me the images by Sunday at NOON to the yahoo email account. Bring the paragraphs...typed...to class on Monday

If you wish to read ahead...Read the INTRODUCTION of Volumes 1 and 2 for Friday.
Read Chapter 1 and 2 for Tuesday 8-30-11
Read Chapter 3 for Tuesday 9-6-11

If you have not purchased your workbook from the Turtle Shop, make sure you do it by Friday as you will need it to complete your homework for next week.

Great Reads for Art History and Art Students!

I stumbled upon a great website for art history lovers! I discovered a list of BOOKS that art and art history students would enjoy. I personally have read a few: The Girl with a Pearl Earring, The Passion of Artemesia, A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, and The Agony and Ecstasy.

I am looking forward to checking a few more off that list this summer! Will let you know as I read them and share my insights!

Happy reading ... learn while you are having fun! Check out The 50 Greatest Novels for Art Students before you go to the library or book store. You will find a treasure.

Andy Goldsworthy's Garden of Stones

I had an opportunity to encounter Goldsworthy's Garden of Stones at the Museum of Jewish Heritage in New York.

Goldsworthy's living memorial was a striking exhibit for me. This work uses natural materials like his other works and is ever changing like many of his temporary works. He placed 18 monolithic stones in a garden and planted dwarf oak trees within the stones.

Why did this strike me? The work is so complex. It is ever changing and will look different with each season and with the life cycle of the trees. The sculpture can have symbolic interpretations as well. The stones are irregular which represents personal identity. The stones are re-purposed as planters; they are given new life. When contemplating the location in which this commissioned memorial is located, one can draw a connection between the stones and the Jewish people whose heritage is chronicled in the museum. The stones are unique, just as each person is unique. The stones show signs of being battered and bruised, as the Jewish heritage has been battered and bruised throughout time. The stones are re-purposed as Jewish people reinvent themselves to adapt and survive the troubles they have endured.

Goldsworthy won the commission for this living memorial. The memorial will continue to grow and change and the Jewish culture continues to grow and change. The solid foundation rooted in tradition allows the culture to continue as the stone protects the tree roots and allows it to grow.

A Sunday on La Grande Jatte by: Seurat (1884-86)

Today was my chance to emulate Ferris Bueller. I had an AFTERNOON OFF and went to the Art Institute of Chicago! Although I was without a friend wearing a Detroit Red Wings jersey, I did feel at home.

A few things came to my attention:

I remember seeing Seurat's mastery of Pointillism the last time I visited the museum. What was awe inspiring this time I viewed the masterpiece was to look at the way the crowd was interacting with the artwork. Many people were walking through the gallery to get a good picture, not an easy task when the picture dominates the room in which it was located. People did not seem to be looking at the picture to appreciate its beauty, rather they wanted to acknowledge they "saw it". This scene made me think about what my students and I discussed at the end of the AP Art History class this year. Do people look at artwork in museums because the artwork is famous or because they like the artwork? What I think I saw here today was adoration of a "celebrity" artwork.

The Art Institute has a large collection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist artworks. I was able to look with a discerning eye at the body of work and notice how the innovations of the era changed art. Not only were collapsible stools, portable easels and tubes of paint created at this time but also more pigments became available. The additional pigments available to the Impressionists allowed them to paint with a lighter color palette than those that came before them. The brighter colors appeared more full of life, how an out-of-doors scene should be. The crowd in the galleries also seemed a bit more jovial around the brighter artworks.

Watch Ferris Bueller and his friends in the museum.

Public Art in Chicago

Laredo Taft's sculpture Fountain of the Great Lakes is located in one of the Art Institute of Chicago's gardens.

The sculpture if an allegory representing the Great Lakes (something that is an emotional draw for me growing up in Michigan). The five women in the sculpture are arranged in a lose pyramidal form that may take inspiration from Renaissance ideals. The five women are arranged to show the natural progression of water through the Great Lakes. The first female receives the water from the heavens, she represents Lake Superior. Michigan is on her side. Water flows from Michigan to Huron to Erie to Ontario. Ontario gazes into the open space of the park and stretches out her hand. She interacts with the viewer much like a Baroque artwork would.

As Ontario watches the water leave the great lakes she charges the viewer to take care of it as it passes to the ocean (through the St. Lawrence).

This makes me wonder...could this be another early example of ecological consciousness? Le Corbusier and Frank Lloyd Wright were ahead of there time. Was Taft as well? Is this more than just beautiful? Does it provoke thoughts of water use, conservation, and/or proper use of natural resources?

Visit the Art Institute of Chicago to see the sculpture if you have a chance!

Encountering Art on a Daily Basis

Today was a day that I did not have a chance to READ about art or visit a museum. Adhering to my commitment to encounter art on a daily basis, I took the time to watch a great episode of ART 21 (Season 3 Episode 4) called PLAY.

This episode began with Grant Hill explaining how people are used to watching athletes play but are not used to watching artists play, watching their experimentation. This episode follows contemporary artists through their experimentation, through their play, as they work to create their masterpieces. Grant Hill makes a great point! We are used to seeing the final product of an artist, not the steps the artist takes in making decisions about how to make the art. The video is a refreshing glimpse into the mid of the artist.

Art 21 is a great way to get to know and artist and understand THE ART MAKING PROCESS!

Eight Unusual All-American Museums...

The title catches the eye of someone who enjoys museums, of all sorts! The June 2011 Smithsonian Magazine features offbeat museums that you may not even know exist!

These museums include:
New Orleans Historic Voodoo Museum
Titan Missile Museum (Sabuarita, Arizona)
California Surf Museums (Oceanside, California)
Kansas Barbed Wire Museum (La Crosse, Kansas)
Museum of Jurassic Technology (Los Angeles, California)
National Museum of Health and Medicine (Washington, DC)
Ladew Topiary Gardens (Monkton, Maryland)
Ava Gardner Museum (Smithfield, North Carolina)

Check out the Smithsonian article for a brief description of the museum. During your summer travels, perhaps you'll have a chance to check out a location that is off the radar of the other tourists!

FBI and Art Crimes...

I am fascinated by art that is lost due to conflict. The treasures families’ lost as they were forced to leave their homes during the Holocaust fascinates me. Who rightfully owns the artwork that was not gifted, donated or sold by its owners back in the 1930’s ? Where is that artwork? What a fascinating story it could tell about the numerous hands that have held it and people who have viewed it!

The FBI Art Crime Team has the duty to investigate art thefts. The FBI team looks to not only recover the artwork but also apprehend the person or people responsible for the theft. The book priceless opens up the readers’ eyes to the FBI Art Crime Team. Surprisingly, the team is actually a small group of people. The resources allocated toward recovering stolen art are minimal in the USA. After reading this book, the reader has an understanding of the difficult work the FBI teams members do to recover stolen art. Oftentimes the recovery of stolen art requires the FBI agent to infiltrate the criminal network. It is a dangerous and risky job trying to gain the confidence of the criminals in order to solve the crime.

Read the New York Times Bestseller PRICELESS if you get a chance. A quick and enlightening read! Visit the book's website for more information.

Summer Vacation...Time To READ!

I just completed two great books about Impressionism! I find it rewarding to read books related to art history as I learn a little something about the artists, the culture or the artwork while I read an entertaining story! Who said books cannot inform AND entertain at the same time!

Sue Roe's The Private Lives of the Impressionists is a story that takes the reader into the lives of the artists. I was struck at what a difficult life the Impressionists had! They went against the grain, in an era where that was not fashionable, and struggled personally and financially. In Sue Roe's book, the reader learns how "these desperate and remarkable painters began to cohere as a group...They had one thing in common: the determination to succeed" (45). The group was inspired by Manet's realist artwork but he was not willing to exhibit with them. He did not want to go against the establishment, the Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture. He had a "notorious reputation [but] still wanted medals, accolades and one day perhaps - like his father - the Legion d'honneur" (64).

The artists struggled in their day. Understandable since they were fighting the establishment. They followed their passion, did not conform and created a new culture in art. They set the scene for the radical breaks from tradition that were to come: Cubism, Expressionism and Color Field Painting to name a few!

Many thanks to Paul Durand-Ruel for believing in them, financing them and opening a gallery in New York City to bring the talents of the Impressionists to America!

The second book I read was Ross King's The Judgment of Paris. King's book was easier to read, even though it was longer, as it went into more detail about the decades that lead up to the era of the Impressionists. King's book was a great companion to Roe's. Through King's book the reader gets more of a historical background into the world in which the Impressionist artists were raised so one clearly understands the cultural influences upon the artists.

King focuses on the work of Meissonier quite a bit in the book. He was a prolific and influential artist during the era that is not mentioned in our Art History textbooks. He was the foil by which the Realists and Impressionists were compared. He created artwork that fell in line with the expectation of the Salon committee and frequently exhibited. The reader gains a new understanding of the artist, a perfectionist, and he key artwork, Friedland. "Few works in the history of art have consumed as much labor [10 years], generated as much rumor and anticipation, been showered with as much money, or simply taken as long to complete" (344).

Up Next on this theme...Dancing for Degas

Books That Art History Enthusiasts Would Enjoy

I recently read a blog post by Accredited Online Colleges that I found interesting and wanted to share. The post, 40 Books That art History Buffs Love, included some familiar titles as well as some I'd like to read!

I just bought The Judgment of Paris: The Revolutionary Decade that Gave the World Impressionism by Ross King. I am looking forward to reading it!

A book that was new to me that I want to obtain and read is Rembrandt's Eyes by Simon Schama. Schama is a scholar I admire. I became familiar with him in reading his books about Dutch Art in the Golden Age. I am fascinated by is Power of Art videos as well.

Shop Window Displays

Have you ever wondered HOW and WHY shop windows are arranged in the manner that they are? Now that you have completed your AP Art History course this year, perhaps you have an answer to this question. Perhaps now you will look at things like shop windows in the future and question why they are organized the way they are. Hopefully our few months together have helped you look at the world through a new lens.

Bonus Opportunity Due June 1, 2011
Take a picture of two to four shop windows and analyze their arrangement. Look at the product being sold and how it is being conveyed. Look at colors, arrangement, allusions, etc. Are the stores appealing to emotions, intellect, or both? BONUS = up to 10 points each.

Final Exam

information is posted (two separate documents) under 2010-2011 KEY DOCUMENTS page of the website.

The Third of May

Good Luck on your AP Exam! Perhaps Goya's Third of May, 1808 will be a beacon of light for you today!

According to Artchive, "This is the first great picture which can be called revolutionary in every sense of the word in style, in subject and in intention; and it should be a model for the socialist and revolutionary painting of the present day".

May the inspiring work of Goya drive you to success today!

Canada's GROUP of SEVEN and INUIT Art

Canadian Artists known as the GROUP OF SEVEN began working together in 1920. Tom Tomson, a commercial artist that died before the group exhibited had a big influence upon their work. Tomson was an avid outdoorsman and inspired his peers to pain out-of-doors, en plein air, like the Impressionists a few decades earlier in France.

According to the Canadian Encyclopedia,the Group of Seven were "initially drawn together by a common sense of frustration with the conservative and imitative quality of most Canadian art. Romantic, with mystical leanings, the Group and their spokesmen zealously, and sometimes contentiously, presented themselves as Canada's national school of painters". The group was noted for their landscapes, although they painted a variety of subjects.

Inuit art has a long tradition that dates back centuries. Modern Inuit art, the Inuit art we are familiar "came into existence in 1948-49. The Inuit were encouraged to use their "natural talents" in creating art objects to help solve their economic problems" (Canadian Encyclopedia). Soapstone, ivory and serpentine carvings of animals are common subjects of the Inuit artists. They used natural mediums, mediums found locally, to depict local animals. Man's harmony with, and understanding of, his natural surroundings is evident in Inuit art.

Favorite Smiles in Art

As I was searching the internet, I came across the Guardian's slide show about favorite SMILES in art. The Mona Lisa's smile has been talked about for years.

Edvard Munch's The Scream in NOT a smile. As you review for the AP TEST...notice how expressive faces and one's body language communicate to the viewers of an artwork.

Animals in Art

The Arnolfini Wedding and Las Meninas contain dogs. Scholars believe the Arnolfini Wedding is a marriage portrait while Las Meninas (Ladies in Waiting) is a portrait of the Spanish Princess Margarita.

Dogs have often been viewed as signs of FIDELITY. The dog in The Arnolfini Wedding could symbolize the couple adhering to their marriage vows while the dog in Las Meninas could symbolize the companionship of the ladies in waiting to the princess. The dog is a symbol of their loyalty to her.

Doves are viewed often in religious paintings as a symbol of the Holy Spirit or of peace. Jan van Eyck's closed Ghent Altarpiece displays the dove appearing to Mary and giving her the news that she will bear Jesus.

Cats have been given a mixed reputation in art. In the Egyptian culture cats were viewed as eternal companions of pharaoh's. Cats were embalmed with their masters and taklen with them to the afterlife. In more modern times, Manet's Olympia contains a black cat, a symbol of lewdness in Paris of the late 1800s. Warhol commercialized cats in the mid 1900's with his Pop Art rendition of the felines.

Westminster Abbey...an English Gothic Church

Watching the Royal Wedding today I was in awe of the architecture of Westminster Abbey, an English Gothic Church founded in 960. According to the church's website, the abbey is "a treasure house of paintings, stained glass, pavements, textiles and other artifacts". The beautiful icons, elaborate altarpieces and ornate decorations were constructed with attention to each and every detail.

Romanesque and Gothic architecture has regional variations. English Gothic Architecture is detailed on www.smarthistory.com. Gothic architecture is built TALL to allow for LIGHT to enter. It is a tall and slim church structure with pointed arches, ribbed vaults and stained glass windows. Gothic churches were large enough to allow for the growing number of faithful to be included within the building.

Mosaics, Murals and Tapestries

The Roman Empire was a time for creation of MOSAICS. They lined the floors for decoration as well as for a cleans walkway, as opposed to walking over dirt floors.

Check out NOVA for glimpses of Mosaics from their LOST ROMAN TREASURE episode.
Watch Rome Reborn for a recreation of the city at the time of the creation of the mosaics.

Mosaics were popular forms of decoration in Early Christian Churches as well. Justinian and Theodora were memorialized in mosaics in the church of San Vitale.


MURALS were not only a means to decorate a wall, either interior or exterior. Murals were also a method of communicating with the public. They depicted the city's great accomplishments such as Diego Rivera's the Detroit Industry Mural inside the Detroit Institute of Arts. Visit Diego Rivera's Virtual Web Museum to learn more about this mural as well as others he created in his home country of Mexico.


TAPESTRIES were used as decorative elements in medieval castles. The tapestries were not only decorative but functional; they serves as heating and cooling elements along the cement and stone walls of castles and fortresses. They were generally enormous in size and took years to create. Two well known tapestries of the era include the Bayeux Tapestry and the Unicorn Tapestry.

Medieval Art

Medieval Art...art between the GLORY days of Greece and Rome and before the Renaissance. This era often gets overlooked in our studies. It contains numerous works on paper as well as decorative elements.

Where can you search for a plethora of images of MEDIEVAL ART in the internet? How can one best understand this era of increasing regional identity?

First, look to the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles. The Augsburg Display Cabinet is a great interactive display - the cabinet itself acts like a mini art museum in a home.

Smarthistory chronicles the emergence of Christian Art in this era.

Les Tres Riches Heures de Duc de Berry explained on this university of Chicago site.

Medieval Jewish Art is on display at the MET. Many works of art in this era are Christian in theme as Christianity had been underground until Constantine declared Christianity the official religion of the empire in the 300s. The Met's collection of Thematic Essays contains scholarship about ANIMALS used in art at the time, manuscripts, armor, the cult of the Virgin Mary and more.

Dunae Hansen...Sculptures

Look at the Saatchi Gallery for works by Duane Hansen (1925-1996). His work is classified as VERISTIC with a commercial/social context twist. His early works dealt with physical violence or social issues, his later work seems to portray passive, isolated figures as victims of society and negative values.

When one encounters his sculptures in a museum they are thrown aback. The people are life size. The only thing that separates the sculptures from museum visitors today is the clothing and hairstyles the sculptures wear. The clothing and hairstyles reflect the era in which they were created, not 2011.