Art Department Travelogue - Ethan Weber

Art Major Ethan Weber has recently returned from his Mueller Humanities Fellowship funded trip to Italy.

The Fellowship annually provides monies to fund student proposed self-enrichment projects by Blackburn students majoring in the Humanities, i.e., Art, English, History, Performing Arts, Spanish, or Speech. It offers Blackburn students the opportunity, at no cost to the individual, to create, develop and pursue special projects in their specific areas of interest.

In Italy, Ethan traveled to Rome, Florence, Venice, Milan, Genoa, Pisa, and Sienna. During his travels he visited many art museums including the Uffizi, the Accademia in Florence, and the Vatican Museums. Below are some photos that were taken along the way.

Outdoor Sculpture Museum

Street Artist in Florence

The Boboli Gardens in Florence

Ethan holding Pigeons outside the Duomo in Milan

View of the Main Canal in Venice

The Duomo in Milan

Sunset along the Arno River in Florence

The Guardian Kings

A painted representation of The Guardian Kings

The Guardian Kings, according Buddhist belief, guard the four quarters of the world and protect the Buddhist law. They are said to live on the mythical Mount Meru, at the gates of the paradise of Indra, the protector of Buddhism. The Guardian Kings are acolytes of the Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara.

Statues of the four kings

Originally, they were regarded as benevolent, but they developed into menacing warriors. They are usually shown wearing armor and helmets or crowns. The kings are said to have assisted at the birth of Gautama Buddha and to have held up the hooves of his horse when he left the palace of his father for the outside world. In Indian art, they are usually shown riding elephants, whereas in Tantrism they are often shown trampling demons.

Images from:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/06/Fourheavenlykings512x170.jpg

http://media.photobucket.com/image/The%20Guardian%20kings%20paintings/wisdompubs/june.jpg

Information from:

The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Mythology by Arthur Cotterell and Rachel Storm

Anubis - Guardian of the Dead

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Anubis is the Egyptian god of the dead, Mummification, Embalming, Magic and the Guardian and Guide of Lost Souls and Orphans. In addition, Anubis weighed and judged the hearts of the dead. He is also the Egyptian version of the personification of time. Anubis is depicted most commonly as a human form with a black Jackal head or just as a black Jackal.



Anubis is one of Ancient Egypt's oldest gods, but when Osiris was introduce Anubis was 'demoted' and turned into one of the sons of Osiris. Anubis is also the son of Nephthys, the wife of Set. Unlike his Step-Father/Uncle, Anubis shows compassion and dislike of cause havoc for civilization. He was quickly abandoned by both his mother and step-father. Osiris' wife Isis found him and raised him as her own and Anubis later became her guardian and helper.

Anubis was a guardian in more ways than one. As a guardian of Lost Souls and Orphans, he not only protected them from harm but guided them. Anubis protected the innocent from Ammut during the judging of the heart. He also protected his adoptive mother Isis from Set as she went about her journey to reclaim all the pieces of Osiris' body and bring him back to life.

Citations:
"The Gods of Ancient Egypt -- Anubis." Egypt Travel, Tours, Vacations, Ancient Egypt from Tour Egypt. Web. 03 Dec. 2009. .

Images:

• http://www.touregypt.net/MUSEUM/anubis.jpg
• http://theunicornshoppe.com/store/images/SA055.jpg

Animals in African Folk Art

Crocodile made of recycled bug spray can, South Africa.

Folk art in its broadest sense means art derived from a people, or folk, as distinguished from the products of professional artists. A brief description of folk art is that it comes from groups of people who live within the general framework of a developed society but who are, for reasons of geographical or cultural isolation, largely cut off from the more advanced artistic productions of their time. It is the art of peasants, shepherds, sailors fisherfolks, artisans, and small trades people who live away from cultural urban centers in nations that are not heavily industrialized. Folk art is art that is produced by people who are not formally educated in art. They generally use materials that are common in everyday life. Folk artists create for the sake of creating something. In Africa, there are many folk artists. African folk art is usually created with household objects, metal objects, toys, textiles, masks, wood sculpture and more. The images that I have here are images of small sculptures that were made in South Africa of recycled products.

Cow made of recycled plastic bottle tops and can, South Africa

Most of the African folk art I have seen is bright, vibrant and full of life. Their art is reflecting their life. Most artists commonly use Coca Cola products too because of the life support they have provided for people in African countries. It is the art of expression and they make little products that they desire or want to have. It is kind of the spirit of wishful thinking.







Information from:

http://www.artincontext.com/artist/ringgold


Images are from:

http://goafrica.about.com

The Four Animals of the Four Quadrants of the Heavens

The Han Dynasty Chinese cosmologists distinguished Four Creatures of the World and since then have become deeply rooted in Chinese mythology. These animals are the Blue Dragon, White Tiger, Red Bird(Phoenix), and the Black Tortoise. Each creature represents one of the four world directions, seasons, and "elements". Sometimes there are five animals because every once in a while the snake will be depicted with the Black Tortoise.

The Blue Dragon:
The Blue Dragon is the corresponding guardian of the East. It is also the emblem of spring, the color blue/green and the element wood. The dragon also controls rain. The dragon is often depicted with the Red Bird also known as the Phoenix. This pairing is the symbol of the imperial spouses (Dragon representing the emperor and the Phoenix is the embodiment the empresses) because of the symbolic personification of conflict and wedded bliss.

The Red Bird (Phoenix):
The Red Bird is the directional guardian of the South. It is symbolic representation of the season Summer, the color red, the element of fire and the virtue of knowledge. The Red Bird also had to the power to make seeds grow into large trees. It appears only in times of good fortune singing its enchanting song.

The Black Tortoise:
The Black Tortoise is the figure of the North. It is also the symbol of the season winter, the color black, and the element water. It is also the embodiment of longevity, wisdom, and faith. It is often depicted with the snake because it is believed that their union engendered the universe.

The White Tiger:
The White Tiger is the symbol of the West. It is also the emblem of the season fall, the color white, the element metal, the wind, and the virtues of righteousness and observation. The Tiger is also the motif of a protector. The Chinese considered the Tiger the king of all the animals and lord of the mountains. It is also known as the Chinese god of war.


Images:
http://buy-fengshui.com/productsimages/4celesanimal1.jpg

Sources:
Schumacher, Mark. "Four Guardians of the Four Compass Directions." Onmark Productions. Mark Schumacher. Web. 15 Nov. 2009. .

Blackfoot Tribe Narrative Story

All American Indian Tribes have different takes on the the creation/origin story. Some are similar while others are quite different. Most American Indian Narratives were painted on to leather or weaved into a blanket like the example below.

The Hopi Tribe Origin Story Narrated on Leather

Unfortunately, I was unable to find one for one of the Blackfoot tribe origin story is How Napi (the Old Man) and A-pe'si (Coyote) Made People. To read the full version of the story please click the link above.

Old Man (Napi or Na-pe)

Summary:
In this origin story, the Blackfoot tell how Old Man (Napi or Na-pe) created men out of clay bones, Buffalo blood, tendons, skin, and fat and clay. As Old Man created the bones for the men, he found some that he had made that were broken, crooked, or too small. So he discarded all the bad bones into a pile outside his lodge and just left them there while he and the men enjoyed smoking and hunting. Then one day A-pe'si (Coyote) came along and told Old Man that he should make more men out of the pile of discarded bones because the men that Old Man had already made were poor handiwork. Old Man and Coyote worked together but when the "men" were done they did not look like the other men that Old Man created. Old Man figured it had something to with A-pe'si interrupting him as he was creating them. Old Man breathe smoke into the "men" faces and when they came a life they began to talk amongst themselves. Old Man named them women. This was how Man and Woman were made.

Sources:
"Native Languages of the Americas: Blackfeet Indian Legends and Traditional Stories." Native Languages of the Americas. Web. 11 Nov. 2009. .

Images:
http://www.geschichteinchronologie.ch/ps/mandalas-Owusu/indianermandala-hopi-schlangenlegende.JPG

http://www.legendsofamerica.com/photos-nativeamerican/OldMan.jpg

Narrative in Art

The Two Fridas by Frida Kahlo, a painting displaying her idea of her marriage.

When I hear the word narrative I instantly think of the imagery in a painting or piece that clearly tells a personal story. And when I think of very personal, depressing stories I think of the Mexican artist Frida Kahlo. Frida Kahlo portrayed many aspects of her life in her art. She lived a very hard and painful life. When she was younger she was a victim in a terrible bus crash which left her debilitated for life. In the wreck a metal poled stabbed through her body, breaking the back and severing many organs. Her reproductive organs were most effected by the trauma, which she had issues with through life because she could never have children.

A Frida Kahlo painting that portrays her emotional struggle with her miscarriage.

All of her paintings are very morbid, but truthful. She displays her life to the best of her ability no matter how graphic or gruesome it is. She is a very respected Mexican artist, as well as her husband, Diego Rivera.

Images from:

http://camlyx3.files.wordpress.com/2009/02/fk200708_12.jpg

http://z.about.com/d/arthistory/1/0/o/b/fk200708_03.jpg