Museum Blog #4

I visited the Canter Museum at Stanford University. There was a great variety of art there, much more than I had expected. My favorite artworks were a realistic sculpture of a man and the glass. The man was named David, purposefully named that after Michaelangelo's David. It was dressed as a construction worker and reminded me of what one would see while visiting a wax museum. I found it very interesting that such a realistic representation of a human could be made. Everyone in the room had to ask the people they were with or other observers if the sculpture was real; some even went as far as touching it, even though it was prohibited.

The glass art that was displayed was very beautiful. The one that struck my attention was created by a modern Australian glassblower. The artist was able to make the glass have a muted and non-glossy apperance. This was achieved by sanding the glass down, giving it the appearance of seaglass. I thought it was very innovative to try and make something that is always seen as glossy and shiny look the opposite way.

Blog #3 Obsession with Death

During this weeks reading, I was fascinated that a fair amount of Etruscian art revolved around their funeary practices. They thought of tombs as homes for the dead, making elaborately decerated tombs, some of which resembled fully furnished rooms of a house. The most interesting part was how Etruscians made sarcophagi, usually out of terra-catta, with sculptures of the deceased ontop. The sculptures were very detailed and had lively and happy people on them. The "Sarcophagus from Cerveteri" had a husband and wife reclining on a couch.

The sarcophagus from cerveteri reminded me of sarcophagi from ancient egypt, like Pharaoh Tutankhamen's sarcophagus. I wonder if, and how much, the Egyptians influenced Etruscian art. I also wonder why people have such an obsession with death. Throughout history, it seems as if each society has some ritual when dealing with the dead. Whether it is preparing the deceased for life after death, like the Etruscians, or helping those still living to cope with those they lost, like america today. For some reason, our art, including war memorials and sarcophagi, tends to be heavily intertwined with death.

Art 1A Blog 2

I found the building of the pyramids to be fascinating. Building the pyramids was a huge accomplishment which utilized advanced designs and engineering for that time period. With the average weight of each stone block being two and a half tons, it is hard to believe that the ancient Egyptians were physically able to arrange, and even move, the stones in a precise order that followed the sun's path. The desire for humans to create new architectural designs that seem impossible at the time appears to be a trend throughout history. The technology used to create the pyramids of Gaza, was the most advanced for that time.

In the early 1900s, the development of skyscrapers in the United States seemed impossible. The most advanced technologies, including the use of steel, enabled their creation. The desire people had to make taller buildings led them to overcome previous issues which prevented the creation of greater architectural feats. Since the early 1900s, skyscrapers continue to be made taller, stronger, safer, and all around better. People never stop thinking up new ways to improve the current architecture. It is amazing how people , from the time of pyramids to the modern world, have been able to make fantastic innovations that change the style and possibilities of architecture in the world.