St. Mary's Basilica, Minneapolis, MN

The first time I ever entered so grand a building as a cathedral or a basilica was when I went inside St. Mary's. It literally filled me with awe. It was, of course, a dreary, gray, winter/spring day outside. My friend and I were the only people in the darkened interior. The statues of the saints in the niches were covered with purple cloth for lent which added to the quiet subdued quality of the air. The very walls exuded a peaceful, warm embrace.

I was confused, however, about the architectural discrepancies between St. Mary's and what was described in the book, namely the rounded apse at each end. I found this on Wikipedia:

The Latin word basilica was originally used to describe a Roman public building (as in Greece, mainly a tribunal), usually located in the forum of a Roman town. In Hellenistic cities, public basilicas appeared in the 2nd century BC. After the Roman Empire became officially Christian, the term came by extension to refer to a large and important church that has been given special ceremonial rites by the Pope. Thus the word retains two senses today, one architectural and the other ecclesiastical.

Here is the URL if you want to read more (it's interesting) : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basilica

I was curious about the other popular myth regarding the foundation of Rome. I found this on Wikipedia:

Legend has it that Romulus and Remus, twin sons of Rhea Silvia and Mars, were raised by wolves. Rhea Silvia was a priestess, and when it was found that she had been pregnant and had had children, the local King Amulius ordered her to be buried alive and for the children to be killed. The servant who was given the order set them in a basket on the Tiber river instead and the children were taken by Tiberinus, the river god, to the shore where a she-wolf found them and raised them until they were discovered as toddlers by a shepherd named Faustulus. He and his wife Acca Larentia, who had always wanted a child but never had one, raised the twins, who would later figure prominently in the events leading up to the founding of Rome (named after Romulus, who eventually kills Remus to have the city founded on the Palatine Hill rather than the Aventine Hill).

It seems like wolves figure into a lot of creation and foundation myths. There's something facinating about the primordial, powerful nature of wolves.

Why I voted

These beautiful photographs were sent to me in an email by a friend. Yes, I was thinking of not voting because to me the realm of politics is a three ring circus from hell. The text that came along with these photos reminded me of what these women went through to get women the right to vote. They look poised in the pictures but they were starved and beaten while in jail. I can't ignore that. Especially when I still get angry while reading that women weren't considered citizens in so called civilized ancient Greece. It has only been 88 years since women's right to vote has been acknowledged by a constitutional amendment.

The text describes the classical period as being based on three general concepts: humanism, rationalism, and idealism. Nothing in excess. In other words, restraint and control. These concepts remind me of the classical period in music. Different time period but same concept. For example, listen to this Mozart sonata and see if it doesn't fit the above description:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gv2oM5DE1Mk

and compare with The Spear Bearer.

The Hellenistic period on the other hand sought "the individual and the specific." The text, speaking of the Pergamon Frieze says the figures "not only fill the sculptural space, they break out of their architectual boundaries and invade the spectator's space." This parallels the idealism of the romantic period in music exactly. There is much much more passion and emotion, a liberation of the individual spirit. Listen to Chopin's Winter Wind Etude and see what I mean:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hf4_kZHLeuo

and compare with Nike of Samothrace.

I have a great admiration for the artists of the classical period of Greek art but something more gutteral draws me to the Hellenistic period. I feel the same way about classical music and romantic music. It seems to be a pattern that culture follows; control and restraint to passion and individualism and then...I believe music peaked in the romantic era.

Aegean

The text said there were five death masks found in the royal graves at the Mycenae citadel. I found these four online and a website with great pictures of artifacts: http://www.ancient-greece.org/images/museums/athens-mycenaean/pages/athens-mus-mycenaean001.html

I've read the Iliad and the Odyssey as I'm sure most have had to or will have to. But I read them on my own and actually enjoyed them. I know, that's weird. I've also read the Aeschylus trilogy so I was fascinated by the "Mask of Agamemnon" even though it clearly isn't the mask of Agamemnon. But I'm interested in the allegations that Schliemann altered the mask. I'd like to know if that has been proved or disproved.

Another thing that I found interesting is that Troy was found in modern day Turkey. According to the Roman poet Virgil, Rome was essentially founded by the Trojans who fled Troy after the Greeks gained entry into the city through the Trojan horse and were victorious over the suprised Trojans. The leader of the Trojans who fled was Aeneas and the epic poem that Virgil wrote is called the Aeneid. These epic poems by Homer and Virgil and others are always part fiction part non-fiction but if Troy is a real city and the war with Greece actually took place, could it be that the Romans are decended from the Turks? Or did the modern day Turks come after the Trojans left and did Troy become a Greek settlement? It is interesting to trace the lineage of cultures and I suppose something is lost in the blending of cultures but looking to the future I think blending cultures will ultimately be a good thing and new art and hopefully more tolerance of each other will come out of it.

#4 Religious Art

St. Eulalia by John William Waterhouse

Thai Buddha

I am amazed at what religion has inspired people to create. From ancient Egypt to Thailand, from 3000BCE to present day, the most beautiful images and music, in my opinion, have been inspired by a love for God.

The first image I posted is of St. Eulalia who is a co-patron saint of Barcelona. She was a young, virgin martyr for Christianity. She was killed by the Romans who first tortured her then left her nude in a public square to humiliate her. It is said that snow fell to cover her even though it was late spring. This story obviously touched Waterhouse deeply. St Eulalia's body appears to have been carried and dropped roughly. It is said that a dove flew from her mouth at the moment of her death. Waterhouse acknowledges this by including doves, several of which actually appear to be concerned with the body of Eulalia. The painting was done in 1885. Waterhouse was a member of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood.

The Thai Buddha is just an example of the plethora of gorgeous Asian art dedicated to a religious ideal.

I always thought that ancient people were dedicated to their gods out of fear but when I think about it the beauty of religious art throughout time belies that idea and portrays a deep and true love.

#3 Lost-wax Process

Grace Cathedral doors and entry.

This is just one panel of the bronze replicas of the Ghiberti doors at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco. These 3D panels were created using the lost-wax process that we have been learning about. I went there today after finally going to see the Chihuly exhibit put off due to an eye injury. I decided to go across town to see Grace as I'd always wanted to go. Some people don't seem impressed with the fact that there is a gothic-style cathedral in San Francisco. It may be reinforced concrete but they remained true to the gothic style. The doors may be replicated but just look, they're very beautiful. I've been inside 11th century gothic cathedrals in Europe. They're impressive but they have almost a thousand years of wear and tear. The ceilings are soot stained from a thousand years of candles. And, imagine, if you will, the smell of a thousand years of people. People who thought bathing was only something the evil Romans did. Don't get me wrong, there is definately an energy there but in Grace you can almost imagine what those people saw when the cathedral was brand new. It is awe-inspiring. Here is an URL with thumbnails you can click on to see the panels: http://www.gracecathedral.org/content/arts/ghiberti/left_frame.html

#2

Speaking of transitory art made from the Earth, these are just a couple examples of the topiary made in Beijing for the olympic ceremonies. The use of color and movement and the accuracy of the representations blows me away because I would never have thought that the medium being used could be almost as maleable as clay. One day, my husband made the observation while watching our cat that animals don't really seem to manipulate their environment even for comfort. I'm sure there are a thousand examples to the contrary but in general they seem to accept their world as it is. This begs the question, why do humans do it? Why are we constantly trying to make things more comfortable and aesthetically pleasing?

I really like the comment from the Voicethread that said, "The Earth seems to be at the center of human and artistic consciousness." When we say, "we live on Earth," we don't really seem to grasp that the Earth is literally our home. Maybe Paleolithic and Neolithic people really understood that but we in the present time have psychologically seperated ourselves from the Earth. We don't eat from it, we get food from the grocery store, we don't sleep on it, we sleep in soft, warm beds, we don't walk on it, we drive in cars, we don't listen to it, we don't smell it, we don't touch, taste or even really see it anymore.

This is Bridal Veil Fall in Yosemite by Mother Nature. To me Mother Nature is the ultimate artist. Yes, I have been called a tree hugger and I bear the moniker with pride. I seem to be at my happiest when I am near water and the day I took this photo was no exception. I am not a good photographer. I think I got lucky that day. The spray from the fall was raining down on me and the camera. It was wonderful!

This painting is by Henri Lehmann. The title is Calypso and it's based on a character from Homer's "Odyssey." There are hundreds of works of art that I feel reveal aspects of me. Maybe that's why I love art. I suppose that sounds narcissistic but I have a feeling that all art lovers feel that way. After all, I don't think people love art simply because it is beautiful. Many works of art are not beautiful at all. This particular painting is beautiful to look at but it also represents one of the most moving characters in all of literature. Calypso is destined to live alone on an island and knows love only for a brief time when Odysseus is stranded with her. When Odysseus leaves, she is heartbroken and it makes you wonder if it would have been better for her if Odysseus had never come at all.

This is Dan Addington. The painting is titled, "The Memory of Wings." Sometimes when I'm swimming laps, I crunch myself up like a spring with my feet against the wall of the pool. Then I push off as hard as I can with my arms out straight and see how far I can go (who hasn't done this?) I think it's the closest I'll ever get to flying, at least in this life.

This is Chihuly. I'm going on Sunday to see his exhibit at the de Young. I can't wait. Although cast glass seems to represent me better, blown glass is what I strive to be; light and elegant like the very thin sheets of ice that form on the edges of the lakes in my native Minnesota at the first freeze of winter.

This is Vallien. Cast glass is ethereal yet solid. I fell in love with it when I saw a Ben Tre exhibit which was at the San Jose MOMA if I remember it right. I first saw Vallien's work at the de Young. Besides the qualities of the materials themselves I love this work because it depicts how I seem to relate to the world, through a thick layer of opaque, solid, impenatrable material. I can essentially see and be seen but understanding does not come nor go through the glass.