#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.