Assignment 5C

Briefly remind us what MoLAA is and tell us how the knowledge you learned this semester enhance your understanding of the artwork found at the MoLAA?

This semester I have learned a lot about the how much the culture influences that the artist make their art so relative to what is going on in that time period. We have learned about a few different eras in Latin America in each one we were able to view the differences in cultures and how the history of a certain group of people was being expressed through art. We were able to observe and study that art and get a better understanding of how people lived during that time. The MoLAA has a variety of pieces of art from different eras but there goal is just to let people see the amazing art that Latin America has to offer. Their art represents more than just the artist themselves but it also exemplifies their identity, history, and culture. The best way I can describe our learning this semester is that as we studied another artist, art piece, piece of history, or culture we were able to more puzzle pieces together in the large understanding of latin america culture. We did not finish the puzzle but we definitely finished the border.

Revisit any one item of art found at the MoLAA past or present. Do a search on that artist and tell us how his/her work relates to the topics we studied this semester.

I researched the “El hombre elemento agua” by Laura Hernandez. Her art relates to our class because she does pieces that are inspired by the past, this is best described in this article that I found on her: “Her passion for ancient civilizations has taken her to explore in depth the Pre Hispanic world, whose cosmogony, based on the concept of duality, has been a constant source of inspiration”.

(http://www.laurahernandez.com/expos/the_eternal_femenine/Female_cosmos.html)

Find an example of his/her work. Include the following elements:
Contains a title:
El Cristo Mudo

Contains a web link to the actual piece (art, photo, architecture, pottery, etc.):
http://www.laurahernandez.com/galeria/cristo_mudo_a/index.php#

Contains a brief paragraph of reference to components A and B, how you came across this piece, how it connects to your study of humanities:
Well when I was looking through the video from assignment 2b I stopped at Laura’s piece of art because it was so strange and it really stuck out to me. I researched her art further and found a ton of photos of her work, this one that I chose was really interesting to me. I thought the colors were just absolutely stunning and that peeked my curiosity. This piece of art connects to our studies because Laura’s work is inspired by ancient civilizations in latin america and that is exactly what we have been studying.

Contains the following analytical elements:
Observation: What do you see in the artwork? What is the subject of the work? What is the work made of? What techniques (colors, lines, shapes, textures)does the artist use? This painting is showing the person who had taken Jesus down after his crucification. I am not sure if that person is female or male but it is obvious that they are in emotional pain. The subject of the piece is Jesus I think, they show him laying on top of the person and in the back a huge cross with a latter going up to the top to tell the viewer that that person had just got Jesus and brought him down. They are in a position that looks like the person just took him down and laid with him in disbelief because they are very close to the latter. This piece of art is watercolor on paper. The colors in this painting is absolutely amazing, it was what drew me to this piece. The artist uses color to distinguish very boldly between different subjects. For example; Jesus’s body is blue, the sky is red, the latter is blue, and the other person all brown except for the hair. I don’t think there is very much texture in this because it is just watercolor but the lines of separation between subjects I think are important. I’m not really sure though about any of this because I don’t know very much about critiquing art but this is just what it looked like to me.

Interpretation: In one sentence, what is the artwork about? Give specific examples to support this statement.
This painting shows the person who had taken Jesus down after his crucification and their remorse for his death.

Judgment: What led you to choose this work of art? What do you think or feel about this work? Why do you feel this way? Support your thoughts with specific observations.
As I said before I chose this piece of art because when I was going through photos of Laura’s art this one practically screamed out at me with its color. I’m not a very religious person and do not know very much about what happened to christ after the crucification. In saying that I don’t know if this is a painting of something that the artist believed happened she just believes in a theory that it did. I am not very sure about much of anything when it comes to the meaning of this painting but what I feel like when I look at it is just a rush of emotions. The colors grab me in some weird way and makes me feel every emotion almost. I feel upset in that he had to just go through so much pain, so with that I feel sad, angry, and remorseful. Then with knowing that that man went up the latter and got him down and has such pain in its face I feel thankful that he wasn’t just left there. Its hard to explain but this painting just brings out a lot of emotions in me.

Questioning: What would you like to know about this work? What would you like to know about its history, its subject, or about the artist?
What strange about this assignment is that I usually get to learn a lot about the meaning of the piece and not a lot about the artist but in this one it was reverse. I got to learn a lot about Laura Heranandez and her life and inspirations but what I didn’t get to see was anything explaining this painting. I would like to know what the meaning was behind her painting it and if it was actually something that happened. I have a lot of questions about the meaning of this piece and my research didn’t really explain very much but I guess I can do more on my free time. Overall I enjoyed all of Laura’s work and am glad I get to go through some of MoLAA’s exhibits again in that video.

Assignment 5B

Contains a title:
La Virgen de Guadalupe

Contains a web link to the actual piece:
http://www.utpa.edu/dept/lrgvarchive/virgen.html

Contains a brief paragraph of reference to components A and B, how you came across this piece, how it connects to your study of humanities:
Well I said before in the last assignment I actually chose to do “The Virgin Guadalupe” first but after researching for a while and just coming up with all this other information on Juan Diego I decided to switch my research towards him. Although I did come across a lot of different kinds of paintings and different interpretations of the virgin, that wasn’t enough to do my last assignment on. This one in particular that stuck out to me because it was very forward and simple and actually talked about the painting itself and not just the story the Virgin Guadalupe is the one I am going to talk to you about. This painting relates to our studies because it is symbolic of a story that took place during the independence era of Latin America.

Contains the following analytical elements:
Observation: What do you see in the artwork? What is the subject of the work? What is the work made of? What techniques (colors, lines, shapes, textures)does the artist use?
The simplest way to describe what you see in this piece of art is just the Virgin Guadalupe. To go into more detail though you see the virgin in very specific and symbolic pieces of clothes and around her she has the golden rays of the sun pointing towards her and she is stepping on the moon and beneath that there is an angel. The subject of this piece is obviously the Virgin Guadalupe. I am not sure what this piece is made of but I would guess that it would be paint because I think anything else would not have been able to be this detailed (Example: On the dress there is symbolic "writings" that tell a story to the Nahuatl people). The artist used different colors to make certain parts of the painting catch your eye. Also the artist use colors to symbolize things, for instance, the mantle is blue-green, the color reserved for Onecihuatl who are the divine couple considered the creator and unifying force of all creation. I am not sure about the texture of this piece but I do think that the shapes that the artist used were symbolic as well (Example: The mantle is covered with stars and these reflect the eras of this civilization and the relationship to Ometeotl the god of all duality).

Interpretation: In one sentence, what is the artwork about? Give specific examples to support this statement.
I think the article says it best “The Virgin of Guadalupe...is the symbolic mother of Mexicans everywhere, the symbol of Mexican identity, history, and culture”.

Judgement: What led you to choose this work of art? What do you think or feel about this work? Why do you feel this way? Support your thoughts with specific observations.
The image of the virgin has been all around me my whole life but I have never known the meaning of why she was so important or what she symbolized. To now know and understand her undeniable significance in mexican history and culture I feel kind of stupid to not have researched it sooner. Knowing the story now I see her significance and appreciate the many different images that everyone has of her much more. This particular piece of art I like because it is more detailed than a lot of the others I have seen and also I liked reading about the particulars of this piece and what they symbolize.

Questioning: What would you like to know about this work? What would you like to know about its history, its subject, or about the artist?
Well as much as I did learn about the actual painting in this assignment and all of the symbols used by the artist I didn’t actually get to learn anything about the artist. I think if I would have been able to know why that person made this painting and how much they had researched before they did it because it is obvious that they knew a lot of stuff that is not just common knowledge. Also I would like to know how they were inspired to do this painting, I mean have they always looked up to the Virgin Guadalupe and finally decide that they wanted to make something great in her honor or what? I think just in general learning more about the artist and what the feelings were behind making this I would have a deeper appreciation for the piece as a whole.