Jose Clemente Orozco: Jesus Destroys His Cross

                                                              

Jose Clemente Orozco: Jesus Destroying his Cross (1943)

Jose Clemente Orozco was born in Zapotlan el Grande (Ciudad Guzman), Jalisco on November 23, 1883. He died on September 7, 1943 in Mexico City, Mexico. He was a Mexican social realist painter. He is known for his murals that helped to establish the Mexican Mural Renaissance. The theme of his murals was often that of human suffering. Sometime in his childhood, Orozco blew off his left hand. He did so while either playing with gunpowder or fireworks. To Orozco, this was a blessing because he has been quoted as saying that it allowed for him to paint freely because he did not have to be concerned about what his left hand was doing.

            Orozco painted the theme, Cristo Destruye su Cruz three times in his lifetime. Two of those times, they were murals. In 1943, Orozco painted Chris Destroying his Cross. What is interesting is that he did not choose to make the cross wood. It is instead made out of marble. The same marble can be seen in the background. Jesus is surrounded by things that are symbolic of what lead to him being crucified. Jesus is in the act of swinging an axe to destroy the cross that he was bound to.

I chose this painting because it is different from other depictions of Jesus. In Orozco’s painting, Jesus destroying the cross can be interpreted in many different ways. In my mind he is doing so because he is again letting us know that he has given the ultimate sacrifice for our sins. By tearing down the cross, he is letting us know that we no longer have to fear those who oppress others who worship God. He is getting rid of all the bad in the world. He has accomplished his goal on earth and is now able to laugh in the face of the devil. Because he was very politically involved, to Orozco, this act could have something to do with government and its way of dealing with people. That’s the beauty of art. No interpretation is wrong.

 

Sources:

http://esrquaker.blogspot.com/2012/05/christ-destroys-his-cross.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jos%C3%A9_Clemente_Orozco

 

Soca Music

Destra Garcia was born on November10, 1977 in Laventille Trinidad and Tobago. She was raised in Desperlie Crescent, Laventille in eastern Port of Spain. Music runs in Garcia’s family. Her grandfather was a jazz musician while her dad was a guitarist. She is a Soca singer and song writer who is known for her high energy performances, harmonious vocal skill, and her eccentric fashion sense. Destra is famous for her radical and revealing clothing. During her performances, her outfits usually consist of low-cut bra tops paired with short shorts. When performing, Garcia appears to be in her own world. She is wild in both her movements and her vocals. On stage, Destra is wild and explosive in her movements and vocals, sometimes seemingly performing in her own world due to her passion. Destra considers her music and fashion as a mash up of American punk rock and Soca. This influence can be heard in the instruments that she frequently uses in her music which include the rock guitar.

She discovered her love of music while attending secondary school. While there she won her school’s Calypso Monarch title for five years in a row. All of the songs she performed were written by Garcia herself. She was the member of a group called PSYKE for a short period of time. After the group went their separate ways, Destra Garcia decided to attend school. In 1999 Roy Cape All-Stars became interested in Garcia after hearing her single Ah Have a Man Already with Third Bass. They invited her to join a band called Roy Cape All-Stars. In 2002, she pursued a solo career but eventually joined the band Atlantik. She is still the lead singer for this group to this day.  In 2003 Destra released her first album Red, White, Black. This album contained a song call “It’s Carnival” This song featured Soca artist Machel Montano and became a big hit for both artists.

In the Caribbean, Carnival is a time for people to leave their worries behind. It’s all about having a good time and enjoying yourself. People dress up in barely there outfits with beautiful embellishments. Everyone throws any worries they have and party until they no longer can. The streets are full with people walking around with a drink in hand having the time of their lives. I chose this song for my blog because I love it! It’s a feel good party song. It just makes me want to get up and dance as if no one is watching. Even if I tried, I can’t listen to this song without dancing (which I am currently doing as I write this blog).  I so desperately want to attend the Carnival. Hopefully, someday I can. I want to hear Soca music and experience all the festivities that come with the event in person.

Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Destra_Garcia

Destra Garcia ft. Machel Montano: It’s Carnival (2003)

Post-Modern Art: Brazen Depictions of the Womanly Form

Women have been campaigning and fighting to have their voices heard for hundreds of years. However, organized feminism began with the first women’s conference held in Seneca Falls, New York. This movement progressed from the ideas of social reform movements such as the Abolition of Slavery and the Temperance movement. Throughout the following years, women were no longer willing to be pigeonholed as being simply housewives. No longer were they willing to merely take care of their spouse, kids, and the home. Women began to voice their opinions about voting, divorce, education, work, and property rights. During the 60s and 70s, after WWII, more and more women began entering college and the workforce. This was also a time of sexual liberation for women. The introduction of the birth control pill completely changed traditional beliefs about family and gender roles. Feminism, not surprisingly, made its way into art. Artists took bold chances in depicting the form of a woman. Two artists of the Post-Modern Art era that brought a shock factor to art were Carolee Schneemann and Judy Chicago. These two women were not afraid to present the body of a woman and all of its glory. In this blog I will focus on two works specifically. However, I will include some more pictures of other works created by these two artists.

Carolee Schneemann was born in Pennsylvania on October 12, 1939. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Bard College and her Master’s degree from the University of Illinois. As a child, Schneemann was known as “a mad pantheist” among her friends. She received this nickname because of her love and respect for nature. Her artistic abilities and her affinity for sexuality were evident at a very young age. At the age of about age of four, Schneemann began to draw on her father’s prescription pads. Her rural physician father and the rest of her family encouraged her openness with her body. While attending Bard College, Schneemann became aware of the differences of perception between men and women when it came to their bodies. This was reflected in her art because she is known her work dealing with the body, sexuality, and gender.

Carolee Schneemann: Interior Scroll (East Hampton, NY 1975)

In 1975, Schneemann performed Interior Scroll, a Fluxus-influenced piece featuring her use of text and body. Schneemann entered wrapped in a sheet, under which she wore an apron. When she stood on a table and took off the apron, she was visibly covered in dark body paint. She took action poses similar to those in figure drawing classes while reading from her own book titled Cézanne, She Was a Great Painter.  What happened next must have shocked all those who were watching. Schneemann suddenly dropped the book and proceeded read from a scroll that she was pulling out of her vagina. Schneemann’s feminist scroll speech, according to performance theorist Jeanie Forte, made it seem as if her vagina itself is reporting sexism. By placing the scroll in the female genitals, it is believed that Schneemann is changing the masculine nuances of art into a feminist exploration of her body.

Judy Chicago is an American feminist artist known for her art installation pieces that examine the role of women in history and culture. She was born in Chicago, Illinois, as Judith Cohen on July 20, 1939. She changed her name because she chose to disconnect from the idea of male dominated naming conventions. She received both her Bachelor’s and her Master’s from UCLA.  Like Carolee Schneemann, Chicago’s artistic abilities were evident at an early age. At age of three, Chicago began to draw and was sent to the Art Institute of Chicago to attend classes. Chicago knew by the age of five that art was what she was going to do for the rest of her life.

From 1974 to 1979, Judy Chicago worked on The Dinner Party. It is an installation artwork depicting place settings for 39 mythical and historical famous women. Besides taking nearly six years to complete, this work also cost 250 thousand dollars and the help of many volunteers. The Dinner Party represents 1,038 women in history with 39 women represented by place settings. There are another 999 names are inscribed in the Heritage Floor on which the table rests. This monumental work of art is comprised of a triangular table divided by three wings, each 48 feet long. The triangular shape is significant because it represents equality and has been a symbol of the female. The 39 plates start out flat then emerge in higher relief towards the very end of the chronology. This meant to represent modern woman’s gradual independence and equality even though we still live in a time where societal expectations still exist. The work also uses supplementary written information such as banners, timelines, and a three-book exhibition publication to provide background information on each woman included and the process of making the work. Each place setting features a table runner embroidered with the name of a woman that has an impact on history. Along with the names are images or symbols relating to her accomplishments, with a napkin, utensils, a glass or goblet, and a plate. Many of the plates feature a flower-like sculpture as a vulva symbol. Interior Scroll, along with Judy Chicago’s Dinner Party, helped to make way for off-Broadway shows such as The Vagina Monologues.

Judy Chicago: The Dinner Party  (Santa Monica, CA 1979)

I liked these works because they are so shocking but I am still drawn to and amazed by what the artists have created. So many women are afraid or ashamed to talk about their bodies, especially the vagina. But Carolee Schneemann was fearless. She placed her most private body part up for display then pulled a scroll out of it! While I would not suggest that anyone try this, I think that it sends a good message to women. In my opinion, with works such as Interior Scroll and The Dinner Party and their other works, Schneemann and Chicago are demonstrating that the female body is beautiful, scary, powerful, and wondrous all at the same time. To me their works represent one of the few things that separate us from men. Aside from some biological differences, we are all the same and therefore require the same opportunities that presented to men. Women who are openly cognizant of their bodies and the womanly form provide a sense of empowerment to little girls all over the world. There is nothing to be ashamed when it comes to not only the female body, but also our abilities. We should not hold ourselves back because we do not fit the mold of society.

Carolee Schneemann:

Up to and Including Her Limits 1973-76

Parallel Axis Lying Down 1975.

Judy Chicago:

Feeding Frenzy 2002

From Delta Venus Series 2004

 

Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feminist_movement

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carolee_Schneemann

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judy_Chicago

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dinner_Party

https://www.brooklynmuseum.org/eascfa/dinner_party/home.php

Migrant Mother

Dorothea Lange: Migrant Mother (March, 1936)

The Roaring Twenties was a time of lavish living. Women were enjoying their new found freedom by smoking cigarettes, drinking, and wearing more provocative clothing. This was also a period of innovation in terms of housewares and automobiles. These household appliances and cars were often being bought on credit which was known as buying on margin. Credit was being handed out like candy during this time period. Little thought was put towards how people would be able to repay their debt. This time of prosperity was ended when the stock market crashed in 1929.  This was the beginning of the Great Depression which lasted from about 1929 to 1939. It is known as the longest and most severe depression that has ever been experienced. This was a time period characterized by extreme economic slump. Banks were closing and searching for repayment on their loans from the millions who were now unemployed. People scavenged for ways to pay their mortgages and to feed their families. The end of the Great Depression came with the United States entrance into World War II and Theodore Roosevelt’s New Deal plans. Photographers such as Dorothea Lange were able to capture the aftermath of the Great Depression so that the coming generations could have visual images of the hardships faced during that time period. The words in the history books would not suffice. The pictures are more real and serve as a warning to future generations so that they may learn to be financially prudent.

In March, 1936, Dorothea Lange had recently completed a month-long photographic assignment for the Farm Security Administration (FSA) in California, when she passed a sign for a pea picking camp in Nipomo, California. A voice inside was telling her to make a stop in this camp. Luckily, after driving twenty miles past the sign, she followed the inner voice that was beckoning her to do so. While there she came upon a mother and her seven children. Lange only took six shots the entire day, all of which were of starving Florence Owens Thompson and her young children. The identity of the mother and her children were not revealed for over forty years. These photos, published in San Francisco News on March 10, 1936, became known as the Migrant Mother.

These black and white photos are evidence of a family that was on the brink of starvation much like many other families during the Great Depression. The families are dressed in worn out clothes and are frail in appearance. When looking at these photographs, the desperation felt by Thompson is apparent. This is a photo that does not require any background information. You can immediately sense what was going through her head. When I look at it, I can almost feel her worry and concern for when her kid’s next meal would come. I love these photos because they are the epitome of the strength of a woman. Thompson appears to be on the brink of giving up but she knows that this is not an option when she takes a look at her innocent children’s face. That truly shows how unlimited, unconditional, and enduring the love of a mother could be. To survive a situation such as this, she had to be both physically and emotionally strong for both her and her children. I am not a mother yet, but I know that if I were placed in this situation, I would do whatever it takes to feed my children. But imagining that I am in this position and actually being in this situation are two completely different things. I can only hope that I would have the strength required to make it through a time like this. I challenge anyone to view these photos without feeling an immense sense of empathy for this family.

Sources:

http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/migrantmother.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florence_Owens_Thompson

http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/subjects/g/great_depression_1930s/index.html

http://www.press.uchicago.edu/Misc/Chicago/316062.html

Impressionism vs. Renaissance

Impressionism is a style of art that originated in with a group of Paris-based artists in the 19^th century. It received its name a painting by Claude Monet, painted in France in 1872, titled Impression, Sunrise. The subject matter included ordinary elements of the human experience. They were able to capture the essence of ordinary moments because artists often painted outdoors. Impressionists were considered radical at first because they went against the rules of painting. Impressionist paintings are characterized by small, thin brush strokes with an emphasis on the depiction of light. Artists painted their works in the way in which the eye receive an image. It relied on the ability of the eye to form and interpret what could be called optical illusions. Lines and contour became less important to artists of that time.

(Pierre) Auguste Renior: Le Moulin de la Galette, 1876 (Paris)

Impressionism requires a certain taste. I would say that I am in between loving it and hating it. Due to the departure from the rules of art, it is hard to figure out whether the artist is extremely talented or not. A great example of Impressionist art that matches the beauty of Renaissance art is Le Moulin de la Gallete. It was painted in1876  by Auguste Renior in Paris. This is a scene at a popular Partisan restaurant and dance hall. I like this painting because despite the muted colors, the warmth and charm of the party goers is still captured in a magnificent way. The spirit of the crowd is captured only with patches of color.  The characters in the forefront of the painting have only slight details in their faces, but the viewer can clearly see that each person at the dance is enjoying themselves. The characters in the background begin to blur together as the eye would eventually do when an individual has been focusing on one area for an extended period of time.

This style was not welcomed at first. However, the public gradually became more accepting of Impressionism even though it was still shunned by art critics. The Impressionists style could be considered to be the opposite of Renaissance style art. In my opinion, Renaissance art is some of the best.  Unlike the loose, sketchy lines from the Impressionists era, the Renaissance artists painted with solid, vivid lines. Renaissance art left little room for interpretation. The subject matter was usually religious and did not usually include people going about their lives and doing everyday activities. An immense amount of detail was put towards creating vibrant color while Impressionists went for a more muted sense of color.

Jan Van Eyck: Giovanni Arnolfini and His Bride, 1434 (Bruges)

Jan Van Eyck’s painting, Giovanni Arnolfini and His Bride, was painted in 1434 in Bruges Netherlands. It was used a as marriage certificate for Giovanni di Nicolao Arlnofini and his bride. When comparing the Jan Van Eyck’s painting to Renior’s, the viewer can instantly see an almost night and day difference in the attention paid to the lines in Van Eyck’s work. For example, the chandelier appears to be real. There is also a more vibrant sense of color in this painting.

I think that both Impressionist and Renaissance art are beautiful. Even though Impressionist artists blended colors together, they were still able to create some great works of art. I prefer Renaissance art because I love the use of color and the attention paid to detail.

Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renaissance_art

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impressionism

http://smarthistory.khanacademy.org/renoir-moulin.html

Mozart: Symphony No. 40

Mozart: Symphony No. 40

  During the eighteenth century, there was a rise in the availability of money. This boom in the economy allowed for the rise of the middle class. With the abundance of disposable income, the middle class was able to afford bigger homes, nicer clothes, and better food. They also longed for the luxuries of the upper class as well. The middle class began to gain interest in what used to be considered social activities for the rich such as theater, music, and literature. While the aristocrats had their palace parties, the middle class were able to enjoy public concerts. These changes in economy, politics and social order greatly impacted the music of this era. Musicians no longer had to look to the churches and nobility for funding. The growing middle class was now able to foot some of the bill. This meant that the wishes and tastes of this new social class had to be satisfied. The middle class longed for music that was easy to follow and more relevant to the masses.     

                This desire for music that pleased more of the population allowed for a transition from the Baroque era of music to the Classical era of music. Classical music is characterized by varying moods, melodies that were easy to remember, and fluid changes in rhythm. Classical music allowed for more emotion to be injected into music. This was made easier with the invention of the piano. Unlike the harpsichord, the piano allowed for more dynamic changes in music. Perhaps the master of the classical was Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

            Mozart was born on January 27, 1756 and died on December 5, 1791. He showed his musical ability from a very early age. At the age of five, he performed for European royalty. In his lifetime, he composed over 600 works. While in Vienna in the summer of 1788, he composed three symphonies that displayed a range of emotions two of which, Symphony No. 39 and Symphony No. 41, did not match up with misery that was going on in his life. However, Symphony No. 40 could be a look into the darker side of the composer’s state of mind because it was written almost completely in a minor key. The first movement begins with a relentless drive. The slow movement has a cautious sense melancholy that is broken by bursts of passion from time to time. The final movement has tragic sound to it. Two powerful chords seem to discourage the strings who appear to be seeking an escape from the sadness of the composition. Symphony No. 40 ends with not even a glimmer of hope.

            The sad tone to the music is what fascinated me with this particular composition. As previously mentioned, Mozart life at the time was one that was dominated by sadness. Evidence of his hardships can be found in some letters written to Mozart by some of his friends. I love when I feel like I am placed inside of an artist’s mind during the time of creating their work. It’s a special moment when a listener is able to tap into the emotions of an artist.  I can feel the desperation Mozart was feeling at the time of composing this symphony. I think this was Mozart’s aim in creating his work. He wanted the listener to feel what he was going through. In doing this, Mozart able to capture the many ranges of emotions that classical music called for.

 

 

Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symphony_No._40_%28Mozart%29

http://www.u.arizona.edu/~douglast/Pages/The%20Classical%20Period.html

http://webpages.shepherd.edu/BREICH01/

Vivaldi: Four Seasons (continued)

Vivaldi: The Four Seasons

Antonio Vivaldi is recognized as one of greatest composer of the Baroque Era. He was born in Venice on March 4, 1678. Aside from being a composer, Vivaldi was also a priest and an educator. He was given the nickname “Red Priest” due to his red hair. A year after his ordination in 1703, Vivaldi appeared to remove himself of his priestly duties. This might have been due to his health conditions. Vivaldi suffered from tightness of the chest which has since been interpreted as asthma or bronchitis. Because of his connection to the church, Vivaldi music reflects the ideas of the Council of Trent. They believed that music should be accessible and easily understood by everyone. This was helpful when he became an instructor to young student who were new to music. At the age of 25, Vivaldi began working at the Ospedale della Pietà. This was an orphanage for young children who were rumored to be the products of extramarital affairs of noblemen. Through state funding and anonymous donations from the noblemen, the orphans were able to be musically trained by instructors such as Vivaldi. These funds also went towards paying Vivaldi to write his concertos. Vivaldi died on July 28, 1741 of complications from his asthma like sickness.

Of all his work, Vivaldi is most known for his four-part violin concerto the Four Seasons. This concerto, composed in 1723, illustrates the cycle of the seasons: La Primavera (spring), L’estate (summer), L’autunno (autumn), and L’inverno (winter). Each season is written in three movements with the pattern of fast-slow-fast (allegro-largo-allegro). Written according to typical baroque practice, each movement of Vivaldi’s concertos is based on a single rhythmic theme that is heard at the beginning of the section. The first movement in La Primavera is probably the most famous. The fast tempo indicates a delight of the return of spring and all that comes with it. In the beginning, violins imitate the tweeting of the birds who have returned to the warmer weather of spring. The music stops and mimics the sounds of a gentle breeze. Suddenly, the music leaps upward portraying the sound of lighting. The sounds of a storm can be heard which announce the arrival of the wet weather that accompanies spring. The violins express the ferocity of the winds while the lower strings hint to the sound of thunder. Once the storm passes, the birds can be heard singing their lovely tunes. This section ends with the happy feeling that was heard in the beginning.

I think the Vivaldi’s the Four Seasons masterfully done. The section that stood out to me was La Primavera because I love spring. It’s a time that signifies renewal and beauty. I love everything associated with springtime. I enjoy the sounds of the rain and thunderstorms. It has this strange calming effect on me. There’s nothing more beautiful than the assortment colors and the sweet scents brought by the flowers in bloom.  After the cold of the winter, a dose of spring is just what the doctor ordered. The first section of Vivaldi’s concerto surrounds me with the scents and feelings of spring. Through various techniques of the baroque era, Vivaldi is able to capture the emotions and moods of the four seasons. I have uploaded the complete composition. If you have the time, I encourage you to listen to all four sections. Allow the music to take you away and enjoy the nostalgic stroll through each season.

http://www.baroquemusic.org/bqxvivaldi.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Four_Seasons_%28Vivaldi%29

http://fc08.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2010/079/b/6/Music_Alters_Society__by_ninein_theafternoon.html

Donatello’s David

 

During the Italian Renaissance, the story of David and Goliath was a popular subject for sculptures. In the Old Testament, it was said that David, a young shepherd boy, kills Goliath with the help of God. He does so with only one stone from his sling. David then proceeds to behead Goliath. Sculptures of that era often showed the killing of Goliath in three stages. The first stage is when David sees his foe. This is shown in Michelangelo’s David, another important figure during the Renaissance. In Bernini’s David, the young shepherd boy is shown in the exertion of his attack. Lastly, we have Donatello’s David. David is shown in repose after the attack as he leans on the sword of the giant and rests his other foot on the severed head.

            Much like David, the people of Florence felt that they were able to defeat the Duke of Milan with the help of God. The most powerful family of this time was known as the Medici family. This family was instrumental in funding the work of many artists during the Renaissance. It is believed that they commissioned Donatello to make his version of the statue of David between the 1420s and 1460s. However, popular it is that it was commissioned c. 1428-1432 by Cosimo de Medici.  This move was done to show the people of Florence that the Medici family could take ownership over the statue of David. This bronze statue was placed in the center of the courtyard of the Medici Palace in Florence, Italy. What better way to do so than to have an artist create a version of a well-known story with an exaggerated twist and have it displayed in the middle of the courtyard?

            Donato di Niccolò di Betto Bardi, known as Donatello, was born sometime during 1386 and died on December 13, 1466. He was a painter and a sculpture in Florence. In his statue of David, he created the first free-standing nude sculpture since Classical Antiquity. Donatello’s David is unlike any other of its time. David is usually shown fully naked. Donatello, however, chose to have him naked but with boots and a hat. David is also usually presented as being a handsome, nearly perfect version of a young man. He appeared to be very masculine. In contrast, Donatello shows David as being very effeminate. This is evident in the way he is standing and the tone of his body. David is not represented as being strong in this version. He is rather frail in appearance.

            It is also thought that this David is a mark of the definite step of the Renaissance taste. Despite having a biblical subject matter, this statue is clearly more pagan than biblical. It is rumored that Donatello was homosexual and wanted to express that in his version of David. Whatever the reason might be, it is clear that Donatello created an extremely beautiful work of art. Donatello’s David is deliberately done and shows the beauty of the true form of an adolescent boy. In my opinion, he was right in depicting the boy and being frail and soft-bodied. It makes the biblical version more believable. It is more likely that is regular looking boy needed help from God rather that the strong, masculine version that others sculpted. The true mark of an artist is the ability to think beyond what others are doing. Donatello’s David shows that he was nothing short of a true artist.

 

References:

Cunningham, L. L., & Reich, J. L. (2010). Culture & values: A survey of the humanities. (7th ed., p. 276). Boston, MA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.

Niyazi, H. (2010). Donatello’s david: banishing the dark ages with a skinny bronze. Retrieved from http://www.3pipe.net/2010/03/donatellos-david-how-to-banish-dark.html