design history 2008 at kingscliff TAFE

2008-07-01T22:49:00.000-07:00

Oceanic
Polynesian art was used only for decoration and was symbolic for mythological significance
Objects from different Islands have found to be unique
In Tahiti it was simple wooden and stone images that had no pattern as on Easter Island, where as, in Rorotonga, the human statues were stylised and generic.
In Samoa the only decoration is normally two narrow bands around an artwork
A point to remember is all around Polynesia most patterns have human figures as a basis
The nineteenth century brought large changes in Polynesian Art the change to Christianity brought a decrease and cease of sculptural heritage more secular artistic tradition became more important such as: women’s artwork, bark cloth, intricate plaited mats and men’s art forms, headrests, food pounders and bowls
Western technology sparked a renewed interest with acquiring steel carving tools making artistic carved paddles, ceremonial adzes, bold figurative painting traditions and Maori rank insignia and luxury goods of the Hawaiian monarchy.
Pictured is a early 19th century sash known as a lafi worn over one shoulder and secured at the waist it is 363.9 cm, created on the Island of Futana
Materials: plant fibre
Textile plant fibre
Pigment L
Made of bark cloth and decorated the ends of the sash are adorned with geometric patterns and painted freehand the central part of the sash is sparsely decorated with motifs this sash is worn with a headdress and a large skirt for dancing. Also pictured is a bark cloth panel
Designs were very structured a lot of thought process went into the pieces. Colours are earthy with geometric designs contrasting light and dark carvings were short or squat with bold patterns but also intricate.

http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/ht/11/ocp/ht11ocp.htm
http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/ht/10/ocp/ht11ocp.htm
http://www.art-andarchaeology'com/timelines/oceanic/polynesia.html
http://www.janeresture.com/oceanic_art/polynesia.htm

2008-07-01T20:27:00.000-07:00

Mosaic is the art of creating images with small pieces of colored, glass, stone or other material Small tiles or fragments of pottery (known as tesserae, diminutive tessellae) or of coloured glass or clear glass backed with metal foils are used to create a pattern or picture.
Mosaics of the 4th century BC are found in the Macedonian palace-city of Aegae, and they enriched the floors of Hellenistic villas, and Roman dwellings from Britain to Dura-Europos. Splendid mosaic floors are found in Roman villas across north Africa. In Rome, Nero and his architects used mosaics to cover the surfaces of walls and ceilings in the Domus Aurea, built AD 64.
The mosaics of the Villa Romana del Casale in Sicily are the largest collection of late Roman mosaics in the world and are protected as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Other important examples of Roman mosaic art in Sicily were unearthed on the Piazza Vittoria in Palermo where two houses were discovered. The most important scenes here depicted Orpheus, Alexander the Great's Hunt and the Four Seasons.
The floors of Roman buildings were often richly decorated with mosaics, many capturing scenes of history and everyday life. Some mosaics were bought 'off the shelf' as a standard design, while the wealthy villa owners could afford more personalised designs. Some of the finest Roman mosaics in Britain can be seen at Fishbourne Roman Palace and Bignor Roman Villa.
Romans were using basic elements of design in patterns of dots creating line tone and using colour to make it look 3 dimensional imagery and border pattern that surrounded people animals gods, nature, angels, cupids, creating exquisite art works and images, they not only did these mosaics on the floor but on ceilings walls entrances motifs. All these marvels were made from basic materials. Inspiring building a design for many future generations past and present.

http://www.tours-italy.com/rome/mosaics.htm
http://www.thejoyofshards.co.uk/history/index.shtml
http://www.historyworld.net/wrldhis/PlainTextHistories.asp?historyid=ac36
http://www.greekmosaics.com/History.htm
http://www.classicalmosaics.com/photo_album.htm
http://www.dimosaico.com/pages/mosaic.htm
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/romans/mosaics_gallery.shtml
http://www.hp.uab.edu/image_archive/ulj/uljc.html
http://www.mosaicmatters.co.uk/mosaics/index.htm
http://www.sussexpast.co.uk/property/page.php?sp_page_id=17&page_link_id=17

Oceania - Aboriginal painting

2008-05-02T17:27:00.000-07:00

Aboriginal painting

Ancestral Rock Paintings The Wandjini figures

Australian Aboriginal art is the oldest living art tradition in the world. It dates back to over 20,000 years and since a lot of the painting was done in rock shelters it has been protected and is still exists today.

The Wandjini figures painting includes the naturalistic painting of humans or spirits and animal figures such as emus and goannas. It also has non-naturalistic, or "abstract" designs with concentric circles, "u" shapes and lines. This art with its symbols and figures has influenced modern Aboriginal art.

The colours of Aboriginal rock paintings are reds, yellows, browns and black and white and come from hard rocks coloured by iron oxide.

One method to imprint a hand onto rock wall, different coloured rock (ochre) was crushed up and ground to a smooth texture and then the hand would be pressed down onto the colour and then would be pressed up against the rock wall.

This hand is in a square shaped light background which contrasts with the dark red shape of the hand. This colour contrast of light and dark makes the hand stand out. The hand, as the only shape, looks powerful and significant. The painting takes on the texture of the cave wall.

Aboriginal Rock Art of Northern Australia

Another method to imprint a hand art is to use a object as a stencil. In the above painting a hand and two half boomerangs were used as stencils and ochre with water was blown from the mouth over and around the stencil.

Red ochre was used on white rock creating a contrast in colour which highlights the white. The texture is again that of the rock wall.

Bibliography:
http://www.aboriginalartonline.com/gallery/methods.php

http://www.aaia.com.au/

http://www.aboriginalartstore.com.au/aboriginal-art-culture/aboriginal-culture/

http://www.univie.ac.at/cga/art/misc.html

http://www.dkimages.com/discover/Home/People-and-Society/Tribes-and-Ethnic-Groups/Aborigines/Paintings-and-Carvings/Paintings-and-Carvings-2.html

http://www.wikilearning.com/articulo/el_arte_en_el_paleolitico-el_arte_en_el_paleolitico/12355-1

http://www.art.com/asp/sp-asp/_/pd--12391354/sp--A/Aboriginal_Rock_Art_Painting_of_a_White_Kangaroo_at_Karbenadjarlnglawe_Kudjekbinj_Australia.htm

http://www.statravel.com.au/cps/rde/xchg/au_division_web_live/hs.xsl/travel_guide_to_australia.htm?dest=131003&sec=images.xsl

http://www.didjshop.com/AboriginalCulture_ExploitationForEconomicPurposes.html

http://dailyboomerang.com/2007/11/15/northern-territory-holiday-journal-9/

http://www.goway.com.au/sp_interest/ab_maori_exp.html

Tanes Easter Island

2008-04-28T17:39:00.000-07:00

ART OF EASTER ISLAND

Easter Island, or Rapa Nui by the natives, situated in the southeast Pacific over 1,000 miles from the other islands of Eastern Polynesia and some 1,400 miles west of South America, is one of the most remote inhabited places in the world.

The art of Easter Island mostly
centers on the creation of religious images. The
most recognizable art form from Easter Island are
its colossal stone
figures, or moai, images of ancestral chiefs whose
supernatural power protected the community.Other art forms
on the island include
petroglyphs,
many depicting birdmen
and other
fantastic creatures,
(bottom left)
as well as a
variety of wooden
sculptures (left).
One type of
wooden image,
the naturalistic
male figures known
as moai tangata,
may depict family
ancestors.. With
their enlarged heads, frontal
orientation, prominent
stomachs, and arms
that extend down the
sides of their bodies, both types of image
embody a classically Polynesian conception of the human form.

Easter island cultural art is distinctively Polynesian,
as organic lines and shapes are dominant; possibly as
a reflection of the abundance of water and bountiful
nature of their land (island paradise!).  The religious Birdman forms seen here employ
stark contrast as methods of standing out legibly from the rock (top right uses shadows). We can see there is rhythm flowing in the organic lines as they curve and
twist with no apparent straight edges.
Easter island native art stands out among the island crowds with their big stone moais, yet draw their art culture from much of the Polynesian art styles surrounding them, including Tahiti and the Cook Islands. The art
characteristically mirrors the organic beauty of
human and natural forms.

Easter Island art also includes barkcloth images, wooden
ornaments, and featherwork. Apart from the stone figures
and petroglyphs, virtually all surviving works from the
island date to the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.

SOURCES - www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/cais/hd_cais.htm
www.escapeartist.com/easter
www.netaxs.com/trance/rapanui.html
www.chiff.com/art/art_history
VERY GOOD LINK - www.janesoceania.com

Leilani; Samoan ie-Toga

2008-04-24T18:41:00.000-07:00

Samoan Ie-Toga

The term "fine mat" is not an accurate English translation for the word Ie-Toga, a most valued possession of the royal families of Samoa. The Ie-Toga is never used as a mat; it never was and it will never be, it is much too valuable. The wealth of the chief is measured according to the number of Ie-Togas he has and the history attached to each robe in his collection.

The Ie-Toga is woven by hand from cured leaves of the finest grade of the pandanus plant. Like siapo (bark cloth), the production of Ie-toga (fine mats) remains firmly within the domain of Samoan women. In fact, the Ie-toga is unequivocally the most culturally valued artistic product created in Samoa. To achieve the mat's incredible softness, women remove the dull underside of the leaf before plaiting, then use a double-layered weft technique to give a smooth finish to both sides. The production, use and exchange of all fine mats reinforce social position and gender roles, while allowing the artistic creativity of women to flourish.

Made and controlled by women, Ie-toga are given as gifts at events marking major life events (births, weddings, funerals, title taking). While lesser mats are also exchanged during these events, fine mats hold the most prestige. If fine mats are included in the gift exchange, it bestows great honour on the recipient, and increases the standing of the gift-giver. Ie-toga are quickly noticed and appreciated by event spectators. Women gesture gracefully during the presentation, signalling the mat's importance and bringing attention to its beauty.

http://www.abc.net.au/arts/artok/issues/s195630.htm http://www.janesoceania.com/samoa_finemats/index.htm http://www.tepapa.govt.nz/TePapa/English/Galleries/SampleShow/ManaPasifika/LeToga.htm http://www.oma-online.org/worn_with_pride_07.html http://www.tv3.co.nz/News/EntertainmentNews/PreservingtheartofmakingSamoanfinemats/tabid/418/articleID/41504/cat/55/Default.aspx

Europe: Glass

2008-04-14T04:56:00.000-07:00

Gold-glass alabastron, 1st century B.C.
Hellenistic
Glass; H. 7 1/8 in. (18 cm)
Gift of J. Pierpont Morgan, 1917 (17.194.286)

This vessel is made from alabaster, the soft, white, and see-through stone used in Egypt dating back 2000 B.C. to make bottles used to store the oils and perfumes. Over the next 2000 years the style became thin and beautiful. Except for the one-colour neck, the dark and light colours contrast and the shape of the bottle and swirl design give a flowing rhythm.

Gold-glass bottles, first half of 1st century A.D.
Roman
Glass; H. 2 15/16 in. (7.4 cm); H. 3 3/16 in. (8.1 cm)
Theodore M. Davis Collection, Bequest of Theodore M. Davis, 1915 (30.115.16)
Gift of J. Pierpont Morgan, 1917 (17.194.259)

These Roman glass bottles of 50 AD were made to hold scented oils and perfumes. These bottles have thin necks and large rounded bottoms, vertical repeated line patterns are swirled and marbled with a shiny finish having eye-catching gold leaf inside the glass. This gold against the blue and earth coloured backgrounds adds to the texture.

Garland bowl, late 1st century B.C.–early 1st century A.D.; Augustan
Roman
Glass; H. 1 1/2 in. (3.8 cm), Diam. 7 1/8 in. (18.1 cm)
Edward C. Moore Collection, Bequest of Edward C. Moore, 1891 (91.1.1402)

This wide circular Roman bowl is from between 1st C BC and 1st C AD and was cast using the three primary colours and a fourth section of translucent glass. This bowl is a rare example of one using large sections of coloured glass with melted on decoration. These decorations are four hanging bunches of millefiori glass which have been melted onto each of the four coloured sections. The colours are contrasting and in the quarters give a symmetry to the bowl. After this period the glass making technique evolved into glassblowing rather than casting.

Bibliography:

http://www.ancienttouch.com/roman_glass.htm

http://www.phoenixancientart.com/newsphoenixancientart.html

http://www.ancienttouch.com/roman-fibulae-buckles.htm

http://barakatpublications.com/XXXVI2.html

http://www.narmuz-lj.si/ang/odd/arh/arhobj.html

http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/rgld/ho_25.78.118_91.1.1335.htm

http://www.edgarlowen.com/a45ar.html

http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/rgls/ho_91.1.1402.htm

http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/rgld/ho_30.115.16_17.194.259.htm

http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/rgls/ho_91.1.1402.htm

Americas: Ceremonial Vessels

2008-04-14T02:59:00.001-07:00

Pair of Figure Vessels, 12th–15th century
Mexico; Mixtec-Colima
Ceramic; H. 9 5/8 in. (24.4 cm)
Louis V. Bell Fund, 1993 (1993.16.1,2)

Around two thousand years ago in the west of Mexico people buried the dead with ceramic vessels in human and animal forms. The shape of these vessels is very complex and detailed. The patterns are mainly made up of lines and circles that are repeated. Later the style of these vessels became simpler but with many different colours and designs.

Vulture Vessel, 15th–early 16th century
Mexico; Aztec
Ceramic; H. 8 3/4 in. (22.2 cm)
Gift of Carol R. Meyer, 1981 (1981.297)

Ceramic vessels were often made in the forms of animals and related to myths. Precolumbian people believed in the supernatural world, and birds were messengers which could bring messages from the supernatural world of the sun, moon and planets etc. to the world of the living. This vessel is in the shape of a bird with simple decoration
and interesting texture.
The vessel is well-balanced, with the lines of the wings matching the angles of the legs - and the chest of the bird is in the middle of the two legs. The shape is simpler than the earlier figure vessels of the 12th to 15th century. The smooth, shiny dark red and black surface contrasts with the rough, matte texture of the head and feet.

Jar with Ritual Scene, 15th century
Mexico; Mixtec/Nayarit
Ceramic; H. 10 1/2 in. (26.7 cm)
Purchase, Mary R. Morgan Gift, 1992 (1992.3)

A few centuries before the Spanish conquest vases of this style were made. They were ceremonial vessels large surfaces. These were decorated with red all over, including the neck, and complex designs of people in different positions in other colours with black outlines. The graphic designs and patterns are repetitious and this helps create unity and have become a lot more intricate than the earlier more simply decorated vessels. The shape of the vessel is simple compared to the earlier vessels.

Bibliography:

http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/ho/08/canm/ho_1979.206.360.htm

http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/teno_2/ho_teno_2.htm

http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/ho/07/cam/ho_1979.206.365.htm

http://www.britannica.com/eb/art-94222/Chicomecoatl-pre-Columbian-polychrome-terra-cotta-vessel

http://www.agapetile.com/products/index.php?cPath=29_1517&osCsid=rmvaouctlv6mvaf3n4i3co01n7

http://infinity.cos.edu/art/strong/module/precol4/toaztec/

http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/ho/05/cam/ho_1979.206.364.htm

http://12.151.120.44/toah/ho/07/cam/ho_1993.16.1,2.htm

http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/ho/08/canm/ho_1992.3.htm

http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/ho/08/canm/ho_1981.297.htm

LEE: Hawaiian Tattooing

2008-04-08T04:04:00.000-07:00

Tattoo’s are an integral part of Polynesian culture, and Hawaiian culture is no exception In regards to the importance of tattoos.

The process of tattooing was seen as an elaborate ritual that had to be respected.

When compared to today’s methods of tattooing old style Hawaiian methods seem primitive and dangerous. Using tools such as bird beaks, claws and fish bones the process was often painful and brought with it, a high risk of infection.

The sharp tool was dipped in a dye (made from burnt seed pods and sugarcane juice giving the dye a black inky look) and run over the body while being gently hit by a stick causing it to pierce the skin and depositing the dye under the skin.

The risk of getting a serious infection was usually dismissed as getting the tattoo was a very important part of the culture.

Unlike today where tattoos are more of a lifestyle decision, traditional Hawaiian tattoos on a mans body were used as signs of achievements or status. While women usually only had tattoos on places like hands, arms, feet, ears, tongue etc.

The design of Hawaiian tattoos traditionally were usually geometric is design with use of curved lines, circles and “pointy” like designs. This style of tattooing has heavily influenced modern tattooing with a popular style currently known as “tribal” that is quite commonly seen of football players and fitness buffs.

After European influences began the tattooing moved from abstract designs and began a more pictorial approach. Tattooing animals and objects onto themselves.

Bibliography:

http://www.indianchild.com/art/traditional_hawaiian_tattoos.htm

google images

Tracy Hurley: The Currency of Oceania

2008-04-07T19:58:00.000-07:00

Tracy Hurley: The Currency of Oceania

The piece below is a currency piece called a women’s money brooche. It is an artifact from New Guinea. It has a reticulated stirling disk which holds a singular oceanic tribal currency shell. The shell itself is from the opening of a larger shell fish and acts as a door in the natural home of the creature.The silver disc may have been a modern inclusion, although the western visitors who originally visited the tribes did swap metal objects from Europe such as nails and trinkets which may have been fashioned into more intricate pieces by the natives. The background has been developed using traditional weaving techniques.

The piece below is similarly surrounded by reticulated sterling silver and sits on a modernist ground.

An unusual boar’s tusk pectoral from the Boiken culture of Papua New Guinea. With one full tusk lashed to the fiber center, several tusk fragments fill out this quirky asymmetrical Pendant. A broken bailer shell hold anchors a tiny nassa shell and a strand of white and red beads with a nice old cone shell at the end. Nassa shells embellish the braided fiber and it measures 4.5” in width and height. The tusks have a wonderful patina from age and wear.

 A dramatic boar’s tusk pectoral from the Boiken culture of Papua New Guinea. Cassowary feathers anchor this fiber and nassa shell pectoral with five slivers of boar’s tusk lashed together, and two more tusks attached to the braided neck cord. Please see the finely woven pouch on the back that contains fragments of special shells or stone (www.zkta.com, 2008)

Above are a cluster of objects which are typical of the types of objects used in Papua New Guinea as currency pre 20 Century.

This triangular pectoral of dog's teeth and nassa shells is from the Sassoya area (Boiken culture) of Papua New Guinea. It measures 9" long and has 23" of woven string for the neck, not visible in photos. It hangs on a 6" hardwood stick. It was created in the early to mid-20th century.

Bibliography

atlas.mapquest.com

www.coincoin.com

www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca

www.everyculture.com

everything-everywhere.com

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.zkta.com/tribal-art-images-sm/2223sm.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.zkta.com/tribal_art_archive.htm&h=200&w=150&sz=26&hl=en&start=5&um=1&tbnid=a7y9-AqCWjWH8M:&tbnh=104&tbnw=78&prev=/images%3Fq%3Doceanic%2Bcurrency%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26safe%3Dactive%26sa%3DG

mastersonsantafe.com

www.pica-org.org

rodolphepilaert63.wordpress.com

www.tribal-explorer.com

http://www.zkta.com/tribal_art_archive.htm

2008-04-07T18:00:00.000-07:00

Jamie: New Zealand Tattoo

The Maori people are the native indigenous people of New Zealand. They are believed to have lived their since 800 to about 1300AD. They are believed to have come in migration waves from Polynesia, in large ocean going canoes. One of their most idealistic and most recognisable attributes to their history is their traditional tattoo’s.

According to Maori mythology the idea of tattooing derives from an ancient story of love. The young man fights with the princess and she goes to her fathers heavens. The man, filled with guilt goes after the princess. After many trials and obstacles he reaches the fathers realm. His face paint being messed th

e family laugh at him. Then in his state he asks for forgiveness, she accepts and her father then offers to teach the man tattooing. Then after learning the art, he and his princess return as human, with his newly found tattooing skills.

Early Polynesia tattooing was done with bone, or ivory, tools and applied in a chiselling manner. The tattoo’s represented status and those without were considered to have no social class. The head was considered to be the most sacred part of the body and most respectful place to apply the fine art.

The process would begin with the firstly carving deep cuts into the face

and then applying a deep pigmented soot, or burnt gum, into the face through tapping it into the skin. This process would be very time consuming.

The patterns each have their own meaning and styles. The face was usually divided into eight different sections, each having their own meaning. For men it could act like a passport almost

, showing their rank, lifestyle, marriage and birth status, as well as work.

The male facial tattoo also known as the ‘Moko’, the eight sections are:Ngakaipikirau (rank), The center forehead area

Ngunga (position), Around the brows
Uirere (Hapu rank), The eyes and nose area
Uma (first or second marriage), The temples
Raurau (signature), The area under the nose
Taiohou (work), The cheek area
Wairua (Mana), The chin

Taitoto (birth status), The jaw
The women weren’t as extensively tattooed as the men. Usually they would just get it applied

to the upper and bottom lip. This ancient tradition has kept on even today in some New Zealanders, though the technique is obviously a lot different.

Bibliography:
http://history-nz.org/maori3.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Māori
http://homepages.ihug.co.nz/~tonyf/explore/explore.html
http://www.maori.geek.nz/blog/?cat=10
http://www.pb s.org/skinstories/artists/newzealand.html

ROGAN: MAORI TATTOO

2008-04-07T17:33:00.000-07:00

The Maori people along with many other Polynesian people believed that a persons life force or ‘mana’ is displayed through their tattoo. The Ta moko a Maori form of facial tattoo was given to Maori tribesman to indicate their heritage, decent and status in the tribe. They were also given to signify their exploits and great events in their lives.

The Maori people were and still are renowned as master carvers and their magnificent wood and stone carvings have covered their totems, buildings, implements and jewellery for hundreds of years. This carving skill was translated across into tattooing, with moko tattoos literally being carved into the skin with a chisel. In early times the chisels used were crafted from bone and the blade was quite wide. This supports the fact that early moko designs were quite rectilinear in pattern. However as the art progressed the patterns became more spiral and curvilinear. These spiral designs have become a major part of what the Maori people are recognized for.

Maori tattoo art has set itself aside from tattooing in the traditional sense due to the fact that Maori tattoos are carved into the skin rather than being punctured. This slow and painful process gives the tattoo a unique look that you are unable to achieve with a needle.

Maori tattoos have made somewhat of a renaissance in recent years, with the tribal style of tattooing becoming increasingly popular. However, it is never ok to use a moko pattern for your own design, as they are individual to a Maori person and to replicate them is the ultimate form of plagiary and a direct insult to Maori people.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

http://www.pbs.org/skinstories/history/newzealand.html

http://history-nz.org/maori3.html

http://www.tao-of-tattoos.com/maori-tattoos.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tā_moko

http://tattoo.about.com/cs/articles/a/maori_tamoko.htm

http://www.tamoko.org.nz/

http://www.newzealand.com/travel/sights-activities/events-calendar/toi-maori/ta-moko-gallery.cfm

http://www.dreadloki.com/pivot/pivot/entry.php?id=701

http://www.freetattoodesigns.org/maori-tattoos.html

http://www.newzealand.com/travel/media/story-angles/art-&-culture/arts-cult_tattoomuseum_storyangle.cfm

2008-04-07T17:07:00.000-07:00

Jamie: Gothic Architecture…

The gothic period began in France and went from the 12th Century to the 16th century. This period brought along many new styles and characteristics. This period brought many new styles that have made Europe iconic for such buildings. The period emerged after the renaissance period which made architecture more of an art form than a way to make buildings, all deriving from their roundness arches.

New characteristics that were brought about were higher ceilings, pointed archways, and the ribbed vault. Many architectural buildings that are connected to the gothic architectural period are cathedrals, churches, town halls and even universities. Within these buildings, it is here that the style of gothic really shined to the public.

During the 12th century, Europe was a lot less united and their was peaceful competition between such communities. Much of this was between Germany, France, Italy and Venice during their boom in trade each trying to outdo one another with more technical architectural structures.

Much of their materials to make such beautiful buildings are limestone, granite,

sandstone and marble. Many of the plans are made from the Latin cross base, meaning
that the central design is in the shape of a cross. Another factor of the architecture is the height, generally the churches and cathedrals were taller than they were wide. The new and higher arches began to become the skeleton of the building. With the development of these arches, new styles emerged, the most common being, the Lancet Arch, the Flamboyant Arch, the Depressed Arch and the Equilateral Arch, each holding their own purpose.

These beautiful buildings have become the iconic architecture to Europe during the Gothic period. Such famous buildings include, Clermont-Ferrand Cathedral, Milan Cathedral, and the Chartres Cathedral. Each building holds its own beauty, and power to entice its onlookers.

Bibliography:
http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/ent/A0821376.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gothic_architecture
http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/medieval/architecture/gothic
http://www.bc.edu/bc_org/avp/cas/fnart/arch/gothic/gothic.jpg
http://historylink101.com/lessons/art_history_lessons/ma/gothic_architecture.htmhttp://web.kyoto-inet.or.jp/org/orion/eng/hst/gothic.html

P N G-Face Painting-

2008-04-07T16:55:00.000-07:00

Papua New Guinea is one of, or if not the most diverse nations in the world, due to it’s climate and geography
There are hundreds of ethnic groups indigenous to Papua New Guinea, the majority being from the group known as Papuans, whose ancestors arrived in the New Guinea region tens of thousands of years ago.

Papua New Guinea has more languages than any other country in the world, with over 820 indigenous languages, representing twelve percent of the world's total.

A spine of mountains runs the length of the island of New Guinea, forming a densely inhabited highlands region.

People of the highlands engage in colourful native rituals that are called "sing sings".
They paint their faces and body’s, and dress up with feathers, pearls and animal skins to represent birds, trees or mountain spirits.

Sometimes an important event, such as a legendary battle, is
Re-enacted at such a musical festival.

Face and body painting is a complex process of preparation requiring the combined efforts of whole families and tribes.

Formerly, most pigments came from natural clays in yellow, white
and rust colours. Sometimes these were baked in leaf packets to intensify the colour. Other sources were vegetable dyes, charcoal and powdered white lime from shells.
Paint brushes where originally made from chewed up twigs,

Now day’s stores sell packets and bottles of commercial paints, which are favoured for their ease of use and more brilliant colours.

The culture of Papua New Guinea is many-sided and complex. It is estimated that more than a thousand different cultural groups exist in PNG.

Because of this diversity, many different styles of cultural expression have emerged; each group has created its own expressive forms in art, dance, weaponry, costumes, singing, music and architecture.

BIBLIOGRAPHY
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Papua_New_Guinea
http://www.art-pacific.com/artifacts/nuguinea/bilas/bodyart/pigment/pigmenta.htm
http://www.artforconservation.org/cristina.htm
http://encarta.msn.com/media_461531274/papuan_mask.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Guinea
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_of_Papua_New_Guinea

Josh - OCEANIA - New Zealand

2008-04-07T06:55:00.000-07:00

Tiki
The word Tiki means Penis and is regarded as a good luck charm when worn and in some areas is also regarded as a fertility symbol. It is a very ancient symbol. The greater meaning isn’t understood, so there are a number of legends about its meaning. Some say he came from the stars and that he was the first man of the world. He is also often depicted with webbed feet which suggest a strong link to the creatures of the sea.

The Maori carvings have special significance. The pre-European Maori had no written language so tribal history and the stories of the gods were kept with the complex wood, bone, shell and jade carvings that were handed down through generations of tribal elders and became sacred objects "Taonga" in telling the history of a tribe and taking on the spirits of past great leaders and warriors.
Pendants, jewelry and various tools such as needles, spear tips and fish hooks made from bone developed into a fine art form with great importance being placed on every piece, many of which took years to make using stone tools. Some have inlays of precious stones or colourful shell. Every piece has a meaning behind the design.
The Maori have a great respect for nature and have many legends about the creation of the earth. Many of these legends revolve around the spirits or gods who created or protect each part of their world such as the mountains, the forests, the lakes and the creatures of the sea. This is seen in the smooth curves of the tiki’s
There are two kinds of Jade, Jadeite and Nephrite. The common names for Nephrite are Greenstone. Nephrite is found in New Zealand, Australia, Canada, and Russia. Nephrite is a silicate of calcium and magnesium and Jadeite is a silicate of sodium and aluminum.

http://www.aotearoa.co.nz/tiki/about.htm
http://jadefactory.com/wa.asp?idWebPage=16512&idDetails=106
http://www.teara.govt.nz/1966/M/MaoriArt/MeaningAndSymbolism/ENZ-Resources/Standard/3/en
http://blog.humuhumu.com/category/australia-new-zealand/
http://www.aotearoa.co.nz/tiki/gallery.htm

ALEC: Hawaiian Tattooing

2008-04-07T03:56:00.000-07:00

Imagine having a sharp claw, beak or fish tooth dripping with ink plunged into your skin. Feels comfortable? Well to early Hawaiian society this was just a simple part of life. Whether it be for celebration or self expression tattooing with these quintessential tools has deep roots within the Hawaiian and wider Polynesian culture. It is also form of identification and a representation of a particular tribe.

Traditional tools used for the art of tattooing were mainly found objects from nature; whatever the tattooist could get their hands on. There was no set tool. Tattoo artists would sharpen the object against rocks to achieve and maintain optimal sharpness.

Not only were tattoos eye catching but often had a deeper more personal meaning than their Polynesian neighbours. Hawaiian tattoos on a mans body signified a benchmark of status. The defining characteristics of a high status tattoo included the quantity of ink applied to the face as well as the intricacy of the patterns. Being a chief or part of a chief’s family with in a society meant that you were worthy of ‘getting ink’ from highly skilled artists. Tattoos were mainly reserved for the face but it was not uncommon for women to display tattoos on their hands, feet, fingers and calves Women’s tattoos and the general public got their tattoos from apprentices’ artists.

The designs involved in Hawaiian tattooing evolved from flowing geometrical and symmetrical artworks into more pictorial forms as European influence began to infiltrate their culture.

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/29/65056523_72396ea0a6.jpg

www.indianchild.com/art/traditional_hawaiian_tattoos

JADE_Samoa

2008-04-06T17:53:00.000-07:00

Samoa

Samoa was first settled some 3,000 years ago when people from South East Asia began to migrate towards the Pacific islands.

Samoans had gods of their own. The Samoan culture is centered around the principle of vāfealoa'i, the relationships between people. These relationships are based on respect, or fa'aaloalo. When Christianity was introduced in Samoa, most Samoan people converted. Currently 98% of the population identify themselves as Christian. The other 2 percent either identify themselves as irreligious, or do not belong to any congregation.

As with many Polynesian islands with significant and unique tattoos, Samoans have two gender specific and culturally significant tattoos. For males, it is called the tatau and consists of intricate and geometrical patterns tattooed that cover areas from the knees up towards the ribs. A male who possess such a tatau is called a soga'imiti. A Samoan girl or teine is given a malu, which covers the area from just below her knees to her upper thighs.

One area of Samoan design, which really stands out, is in the construction of Samoan fale. The roof of the building was made from a very complex arrangement of rafters and beams, bound together in a special way with rope made of sinnet. This method of construction leads to the formation of superb patterns on the inner surface of the roof.
The graphic arts seem to be equally devoid of activity with the exception of one area, that of tapa. Tapa is a material usually made from the inner bark of the paper mulberry tree. In Samoa it served as clothing, sail material and a way of expressing wealth. It was usually decorated with a reddy-brown or black pigment in intricate geometrical designs.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samoa
http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/1842.htm
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ws.html
http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0108149.html
http://www.samoa.co.uk/
http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/1842.htm
http://www.janeresture.com/samoahome/index.htm
http://www.samoa.co.uk/history.html
http://www.janesoceania.com/samoa_chron_history/
http://history1900s.about.com/library/world/blxsamoa.htm

Govinda - Maori Greenstone Pendants

2008-04-06T05:13:00.000-07:00

Maori Greenstone Pendants

The pre-European Māori had no written language so their tribal history and the stories of the gods were kept using many forms of fine arts and crafts. Pendants, jewellery and various tools such as needles, spear tips and fish hooks fashioned through greenstone (jade) carving developed into a fine art form. Great importance was placed on every piece, many of which took years to make using stone tools.

The Maori word for greenstone is Pounamu. The stone is also known as Nephrite (jade) and Bowenite (serpentine) and is semi precious. The New Zealand variety is found only the rugged west coast of the South Island. Colours vary considerably from a light green to almost black.

The greenstone designs, which all have special meanings to the Maori people, range from very detailed Heitiki (human like) carvings to the simple, yet beautiful spirals and fish hooks. The fish hook for example represents strength and determination and brings peace, prosperity and good health. It also provides a safe journey over water.

The greenstone is polished to give a smooth and shiny finish that is beautiful to touch. They are usually around 5cm in length. Some older Heitiki carvings have red wax added around the eyes and others have New Zealand paua shell eyes. This Heitiki design is also used throughout Polynesia wooden sculptures and paintings.

Greenstone carving today is a strong as ever and is taking on many different forms as it fulfil the demands of the jewellery industry.

http://www.jadegallery.co.nz/maori_traditional.htm

http://www.nzgifts-souvenirs.co.nz/maori-greenstone.htm

http://www.nz-maori.com/

http://www.luxury-new-zealand.com/maori-jade-carving.html

http://www.fromnz.co.nz/catalog/category_170_Greenstone_carving.html

http://www.maori.info/maori_tiki.htm

http://jadefactory.com/wawcs0116514/tn-pendant-meanings.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiki

Govinda - European Egg Painting

2008-04-05T23:19:00.000-07:00

European Egg Painting

The tradition of decorating eggs goes back to pagan times in Europe where eggs where painted and given as gifts and used in celebrations, especially at the beginning of spring. Decorative eggs were also an aspect of the Christian church with the painted eggs being exchanged at Easter as a sign of new life. Painting and decorating eggs became a popular tradition in Russia and the rest of Europe.

There are various techniques that can be used to decorate the eggs, which are usually those of a chicken. They can be hand painted using a fine brush or the pattern can be applied by the process of wax-resist, similar to batik. While the chicken egg is still full, the design is sketched on. The egg is then dipped into a series of dyes starting with the lightest colour. In between the dips, more wax is applied and the pattern slowly builds up. The wax is then removed and the egg varnished. The inside is removed by drilling a small hole in the bottom and blowing it out.

The Ukraine is especially known for their egg paintings. Different regions of the Ukraine have their specialties for egg ornamentation. For example, Kiev painted eggs are multi-coloured (beginning with light pastel colours to dark ones), Podil eggs are decorated with delicate plant ornamentation, Lvov eggs are more geometrical, Gutsul eggs astonish by the difficulty of their thin geometrical ornament and bright yellow colour range. There are no limits to the possibilities for creativity.

Egg decorating made a revolution in 1884 when Peter Carl Fabergé, a Russian jeweller crafted a splendid egg for the Tsar of Russia to give to his wife, which became a tradition each year. These pieces are in museums and private collections worldwide.

http://www.passportmagazine.ru/article/211/
http://www.travelwithachallenge.com/Ukrainian-Eggs.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Carl_Fabergé

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egg_decorating_in_Slavic_culture

http://russian-crafts.com/egg.html
http://home.hiwaay.net/~christel/index.html
http://www.enchantedhen.com/eggart.html
http://www.hotelchocolat.co.uk/History-of-Easter-Eggs-AEasterEggHistory/

Moais - Ros

2008-04-02T22:10:00.000-07:00

Natives call the island "Rapa-Nui" and "Te-Pito-o-te Henua" (which translates to "Navel of the World"). The word "navel" is symbolic of birth; as the island's central location between South America and the more recently settled Pacific islands of Polynesia. Easter Island is famous for its mysterious moai statues.

The large stone statues, or moai, were carved during a relatively short and intense burst of creative and productive megalithic activity. Although often identified as "Easter Island Heads", the statues actually are heads and complete torsos.
Almost all moais were carved out of distinctive, compressed, easily worked volcanic ash or tuff found at a single site called Rano Raraku. The Rapanui who carved them had no metal or powered machinery, only stone hand tools - mainly basalt toki.
Long sloping noses, strong brows, deeply inset eyes, and prominent chins characterize Moai. Some examples also wear a hat like cylinder made of red stone on their heads, which may represent a headdress or elaborate hairstyle. In their eye sockets, white coral with black obsidian pupils were placed. Their average height is roughly 13 feet, but they range anywhere from 8 feet to an unfinished example over 70 feet high.
Only a quarter of the statues were installed on the coastal ahu platforms.
Ahus are stone platforms that some of the Moai were erected on they have a retaining rear wall several feet high, usually facing the sea, with a platform behind the wall. A sloping ramp covered with evenly sized wave rounded boulders on the inland side of the platform rising most but not all the way up the side of the platform. Inside the Ahu was a fill of rubble.

Bibliography

http://www.workersforjesus.com/easter.htm
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/easter/
http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/moai/hd_moai.htm
http://www.metmuseum.org/special/Splendid_Isolation/Easter_Island_more.htm
http://www.janeresture.com/oceania_art/index.htm
http://www.netaxs.com/trance/rapanui.html
http://www.netaxs.com/trance/rapanui.html
http://www.netaxs.com/trance/rapanui.html
http://images.google.com.au/images?hl=en&resnum=0&q=easter+island+moais&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wi
http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/Oceaniaweb/factfile/Unique-facts-Oceania10.htm

Paolo-Maori facial tattoo "Ta Moko"

2008-04-02T00:43:00.000-07:00

Ta Moko was like a history of a person's achievements and represented their status in their tribe. It was like a resumé. It also served as a reminder to people about their responsibility in life. It was a huge honour for people to have Ta Moko.
Ta Moko was worn by both men and women. It was applied to the face and buttocks of men, and to the chin, lips and shoulders of women. Depending on their ranking, they may also have Ta Moko on their face. Occasionally women would put small markings over their faces or shoulders as a sign that someone close to them had died.

There were no set patterns to the Ta Moko and the meaning of the Ta Moko was dependent on its placement on the face. The left side of the face related to the father's history and the right side to the mother's history.
Originally, Ta Moko was chiselled into the skin using an albatross bone. The pigmentations used were Carui gum and dye from other vegetation that was rendered to a soot and then mixed with oil. Each tribal area used different pigments.

Huhana Rare One story of how Ta Moko came to The Maori One day a Maori chief, Mataora, was visited by young people from Rarohenga (the underworld). With them was the daughter of the underworld ruler Uetonga. Her name was Niwareka and Mataora fell in love with her. They got married and were happy together until one day Mataora became jealous of Niwareka and was angry enough to hit her. So she returned home to the underworld. Mataora, grieving over his actions, followed her to Uetonga's house. Uetonga was practising tattooing and agreed to tattoo Mataora, whose face was only painted. During the tattooing, Mataora sung of his sorrow and his search for Niwareka in the underworld. Niwareka heard the news and returned to him. Then permission was granted for Mataora's return to the upper world. His tattooing served as a reminder to avoid the evil actions of the upper world. He brought tattooing to the upper world and Niwareka brought a woven girdle from the underworld and so introduced the art of weaving

bookmarks:

http://www.history-nz.org/

http://www.tattoo.about.com/

http://www.wikipedia.com/

http://www.tao-of-tattoos.org/

http://www.designboom.com/

wwwww.freetattoodesigns.org/maori-tattoos.html - 17k w.library.csi.cuny.edu/dept/history/lavender/maoritattoo.html

http://www.dreadloki.com/

New Zealand: Tikis by 7

2008-04-01T00:38:00.000-07:00

or Tikis originated in the Central Eastern Polynesian cultures of the Pacific Ocean and showed the exotic flare of these Islands. in New Zealand, the Tikis were symbolic carvings of the humanoid form and were a very dominant motif of Maori and New Zealand culture.

They were figures that marked the boundaries of sacred or important marked sites and also appeared as a sculptured shape representation of a god. Each Tiki represents a spirit such as a spirit god of rain, of fire, of the moon, or of war. Their know-it-all eyes and menacing grin are their stand out features.

According to Maori mythology, it is also believed that the Maori Tiki represents the unborn human embryo and a symbol of fertility. In this culture, it represents a powerful spirit for warding off bad luck, hence being a good luck charm around your neck.

The most valuable Tikis were hand carved from greenstone which looks a green and black duotone in appearance. They were handed down through the generations as treasured possessions. The Tikis today are of carved greenstone and beef bone through to timber. Tikis are most commonly seen in traditional forms as pendants, carved wood poles and masks.

It is apparent that Maori carving has developed greatly since the first Polynesians came to New Zealand with their basic set of geometrical patterned surface designs with predominantly straight lines. Maoris tried to made the Tiki face look very symmetrical in shape.

With the current Tiki Revival in the 21st century, it's sometimes easy to forget that there was a much earlier age of Polynesian and Maori Tikis. They have heavily influenced the 50’s sub culture and have grown into such an art form that the designs are repeatedly seen in, art, everywhere such as on bowling shirts, hot rods in tattoos and in computer games. Tikis are now a collectors item and there are people out there who even decorate their whole house with this style of furniture.

Bibliography:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiki

http://www.mythichawaii.com/tiki-history.htm

http://www.aisletiki.com/tiki-history.htm

http://images.google.com.au/imgres?imgurl=http://www.giftsnz.com/photogallery/masks/DSC00354small.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.giftsnz.com/more_masks.htm&h=206&w=119&sz=10&hl=en&start=1&um=1&tbnid=KjUPW6TSMpiyJM:&tbnh=105&tbnw=61&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dmaori%2Btiki%26ndsp%3D20%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26sa%3DX

http://pierrehale.com/tiki/tiki_paintings_1.html

http://www.tikimaster.com/category/001

http://www.teara.govt.nz/1966/M/MaoriArt/OriginOfMaoriCarving/en

http://arts.k12.hi.us/08grade2/08Grade2_Lesson_TikiAndTotems.htm

http://artprojectsforkids.blogspot.com/2007/12/tiki-faces.html

http://www.mrbalihai.com/goof/tiki-and-lounge/2006/12/

ROGAN: CELTIC KNOTWORK

2008-03-31T18:17:00.000-07:00

Celtic interlace design is an ancient art form that can be traced back to 500BC. However it is not well documented due to the Celts unwillingness to record their history early on. They preferred instead to pass down information from generation to generation.

Perhaps one of the most amazing and historic examples of Celtic knotwork can be found in the book of Kells. The spiral designs filled the borders, letters and empty space of the book. These knots or patterns were also used to decorate monuments (notably crosses and cross slabs) and jewelry.

Celtic knotwork is probably the most widely know of all Celtic art works.

Knotwork has typical characteristics, which include “closed bands or paths” which carry very strict rules. In accordance with Celtic design law, knotwork must alternate over and under in a repeated fashion and more than two “over or unders” in succession are considered to be a mistake. The path of the knotwork is endless and is comprised of ‘convoluted circles’ that keep the pattern design symmetrical.

It is believed that the two lines interlocking in the knotwork represent the real and celestial world and the fact that they're endless is indicative of the Celts belief in the afterlife. Modern mathematics has also been influenced by this design, with the strict rules of the art form being taught in graphs.

Celtic knotwork appears on various materials and has become very popular nowadays appearing on modern jewelry across the globe and also being widely used in tattoo art. There are also elements of Celtic knotwork currently found in wildstyle graffiti..

http://www.celticfolklore.com/history.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celtic_knot

http://www.museangel.net/knot.html

http://www.whats-your-sign.com/celtic-knots.html

http://www.tribal-celtic-tattoo.com/celtic-history.htm

GEMMA: Oceania Hawaiian Art Sculpture

2008-03-31T17:48:00.000-07:00

Oceania is a vast and diverse region, encompassing New Guinea in the west, Hawaii in the north, and Easter Island in the south-east. Societies were typically small-scale, kinship-based groups. Artists of the Hawaiian Islands developed their own variants on Polynesian style.

Oceanic Art, works of art produced by the indigenous peoples of the Pacific Islands from the beginnings of human settlement to the present, including carving in wood and stone, woven and painted fabrics, decorated weapons such as clubs and spears, large ceremonial houses and canoes, and body arts such as tattooing.

Well-known works are pieces of figure sculpture and masks. However, it is not always appreciated that abstract pattern and design are also important dimensions of Oceanic art, particularly in genres produced by women, such as mats and painted barkcloth. An object such as a mask may only have been one feature of what was originally an elaborate event, including ritual, dance, song, and feasting. The mask represents the story being told in the ritual.

Each island or island group generally had distinctive styles in sculpture, architecture, bark cloth, food vessels, woven mats, and tattooing, among other art forms. The Oceanic tradition of the Hawaiian culture and their art and design utilized various materials and mediums including shell and tortoise shell, wood and stone.

Fine, expressive carvings in wood and stone occur across the region; they typically represent principal gods, the Hawaiian war god, as well as deified local chiefly ancestors. Carving was delicately decorated, featuring geometric forms and the multiplication of face motifs the sophistication of their original function in violent hand-to-hand conflict.

Oceanic art forms are extraordinarily diverse. Masks and carvings represent particular genres, such as figurative representations of ancestors, spirits, and gods, which are found across the region.

Bibliography:http://www.tikidiscovery.com/product/RTI201240B/TIKI_KUKA_ILIMOKU_SURFING__HAND_CARVED_IN_HAWAII.html

http://www.hawaiiart.com/sculpture/

http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-14323/Oceanic-art-and-architecture

http://au.encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761572534/Oceanic_Art.html

http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-Oceanica.html

http://www.oceanicartsociety.org.au/

http://encyclopedia.farlex.com/Oceanic+art

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Art_of_Oceania

http://www.oceanicart.com.au/

http://www.vanuatuculture.org/events/oceanic-art-symposium-sta.shtml

laeten: Incas

2008-03-31T15:53:00.000-07:00

Incas

The Incas lived between 1200 -1535 AD they were warriors with a powerful army and with strong religious beliefs. Their cities were built high on the steep slopes of the Andes mountains The Incas society was of a hierarchical structure. Army commander and high priest at the top The Incas used gods to explain nature and would decorate everything from ceramics to clothing, depicting all their religious beliefs and daily events.

Ceramics were painted in motifs of birds –waves –cats and bold geometric patterns, most distinctive being cusco bottles or aryballos They would paint them with colours made from mineral sands and plants

Weaving and spinning was highly specialized and was learned at an early age as a main task, also embroidery sewn with bone needles People loved to wear bright colours in braids, ribbon and thread, sequins, beads, feathers and, gold was sewn in to the fabrics Baskets and reed mats were made by plaiting and twining various materials together Feather work was another skilled craft Brilliant coloured feathers were used, eg, from the macaw parrot

A headdress of a general is made of dyed llama wool decorated with bold designs and feathers Inca tunics were made of woven alpaca wool simply made, but the designs were beautiful, decorated with fine gold thread. Dress was a symbol of status the more important the more finer the clothing, decoration these were made for religious ceremonies.

Cotton was grown on the hot lowlands and was worn for coolness. Plants were used to dye the yarn or finished textile, Cochineal was obtained from bodies of dried insects The Spanish were influenced by the Incas when they brutally plundered them in 1535, their bold designs and methods of weaving making ponchos, etc, were some of the influences take from their civilization

inca
Inca
Incas
Ancient Americas Tweed Reginal library

NAZI ARCHITECTURE

2008-03-31T15:36:00.000-07:00

When Adolf Hitler(1889-1945)come into power he declared he would bring back Germany to it's former glory. It is said that the Nazi Architecture was another form of propaganda with its tall dominating structures of incredible proportions to give hope and to inspire the people as a message of what a great country Germany could be.

In his younger days Hitler applied to study fine art in Vienna but was rejected twice, he was told that his talents lay in architecture, which turned out to be quite true.

Hitler admired the ancient Romans and the Greeks as he regarded them as being early forms of the Aryan race, it was the neoclassicism and art deco or "servere" deco style of architecture that his chief architect Albert Speer emulated on many Nazi sites and monuments.

They did not have one specific style, there was no official architecture of the Third Reich, only the neoclassical baseline that was enlarged, multiplied, altered and exaggerated, sometimes to the point of ludicrousness.

The Nazis built architecture of colossal dimensions to overawe and intimidate. Hitler was preoccupied with architectural monuments that celebrated or glorified a victory ideology, triumphal arches (the largest in the world on Berlin's north-south axis), columns and trophies. As Albert Speer remarked, "The Romans built arches of triumph to celebrate the big victories won by the Roman Empire, while Hitler built them to celebrate victories he had not yet won."

I think there's no denying that Hitler used architecture well in Nazi Germany and also that the architecture was used for more reasons than simply making buildings look good.

Propaganda was far more than likely to be a reason, because the Nazis used propaganda all throughout their reign and Hitler himself admitted that he saw architecture as "The Word In Stone".

Hitler and Speer in Paris, June 23, 1940

Triumphal Arch drawn by Hitler, 1925

Bibligraphy
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adolf_Hitler
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nazi_architecture
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Speer
http://www.echeat.com/essay.php?t=33224
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neoclassicism
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neo-baroque
http://www.mondopolitico.com/library/meinkampf/introduction.htm
http://www.thirdreichruins.com/munich.htm

ALEC: The Sistine Chapel Ceiling by Michelangelo

2008-03-31T05:28:00.000-07:00

Upon completion of the Sistine Chapel, the Vatican approached Michelangelo with an offer to paint its high ceilings. It was thought their key reason for choosing him lay in the fact he was trained by Gnirlandaio, a prolific Florentine fresco painter. Although primarily a sculptor Michelangelo reluctantly accepted the churches offer and worked on the painting between the years 1508 and 1512.

Centuries on and his ceiling frescos are apart of the most renowned artworks of the high renaissance period.

Due to the high architectural nature of the ceilings the painting needed to be completed in three stages

To reach such high places Michelangelo designed his own purpose built scaffolding equipment (made primarily from wooden planks and brackets) which aloud him to lay on his back and work. Michelangelo used a style of painting known as fresco, in which paint is applied in layers to damp plaster known as ‘gionata’. In the early stages the damp plaster proved troublesome as it began to grow mould before Michelangelo could finish the section. The reason why frescos are painted on wet, not dry plaster is that working on dry plaster meant every brushstroke sank in immediately, not allowing the artist to manipulate the colour pigment.

Michelangelo used life size sketches to assist in transferring his designs onto the plaster. This method was time consuming and gradually he began to draw directly onto the plaster. As his confidence grew he also did away with the use of grids.

When applying colour to large areas he used a wash technique and added detail afterwards. To create the effect of beards he used a thick comb. As his style became broader and quicker he was able to complete the scene of ‘God in the act of creation’ in one day.

The ceiling was restored in 1981 to 1994 after centuries of dusk and soot damage. To add to it’s mystique the ceiling is apparently unfinished. Apparently Michelangelo was reluctant to add the colour gold leaf and vivid blue as he thought it would detract from his pastel style.

LINKS:

http://images.google.com.au/imgres?imgurl=http://www.panoramio.com/photos/original/1452528.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.panoramio.com/photo/1452528&h=1896&w=2560&sz=3448&hl=en&start=10&tbnid=DWq9UAhuoVYYAM:&tbnh=111&tbnw=150&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dsistine%2Bchapel%2Bceiling%26gbv%3D2%26ndsp%3D20%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sistine_Chapel_ceiling

LEE: Tapestries

2008-03-31T02:26:00.000-07:00

Tapestries have been woven for hundreds of years and by a variety of cultures. Primarily used for decoration, privacy around beds, and insulation is castles.

Tapestries are cloth woven with intricate designs that were hung from walls and other objects in medieval times. Tapestries are known to reach sizes up to 18 feet high and 471 feet in length, and taking years to create.

Intricate tapestries became status symbols among the rich and famous of olden times. And were often claimed from slain enemies as trophies of battle.

Many of the most well known tapestries were created In the 15^th century in a place named Loire Valley. There were tens of thousands of people employed in the tapestry weaving business, and these professions were often passed down from father to son. On average it would take a 2 man team of weavers up to 2 months to complete a square foot of tapestry.

Some of the most popular images to be woven into tapestries are biblical stories and figures, mythical stories and figures and scenes of peasants and hunters.

Servants would even sketch their masters in battle and create a tapestry afterwards in honour of their master.

Tapestries used no more than 20 colours that were sourced from plants and insects. Woad was used to produce the colour blue, and interestingly enough importing Woad from the east was punishable by death because it was such a profitable activity.

Today few tapestries are hand woven. Most are copies of tapestries seen in museums that are mass produced to be sold at affordable prices to the general population.

Bibliography:

http://www.tapestry-art.com

Celtic Design - Tane

2008-03-31T02:12:00.000-07:00

CELTIC DESIGN
Tane Richardson

The Celtic culture or “Celts” were ancient European cultures, who do not all have shared ancestry but were classed by their common language known as Proto-Celtic. They spread by emigration and invasion, through prehistory to the modern period. Celtic art’s characteristic interweaving patterns were derived from nearby Germanic peoples who preceded the Celts. As Celtic cultures spread, the artistic style grew steadily influential throughout Northern Europe, through the mediums of rock-carving, clothing fabric and inking.

The most widely-known traditional Celtic designs are as follows:

The Cross:

The Celtic cross symbols four roads of four
corners of the Earth, and the meetings at

a central point formed a cross, indicating the

centre of the world.

It incorporates bold line,

stark contrast, and monotone features, yet

the twisting intricacies give the senses a flowing
rhythm within the strict boundary. Notice how the
over- and underlapping lines are not connected

with black, in order to show depth of pattern.

Labyrinth:

The Labyrinth was intended to portray a

visual journey through progressive levels

of experience, physical, mental and

spiritual, until the vortex at the center is

reached, symbolising the joining of

heaven and earth. These

patterns are only occasionally symmetrical

yet balance to the same effect. They

involve the stark black and white intricacies prevalent

in all Celtic design. It is visually on a 2D plane, a maze without depth.

The entire labyrinth is unified by the central focus.

Animals/Zoomorphic

Animals and birds were sacred to the

Celtic. Shapeshifting was a common

attribute of the Celtic goddesses. These

patterns morph the shapes of animals yet

strived remain in conformity

with natural form. As with most Celtic art,

it makes use of bold definition in thick

line, has no shading or gradations and

with stark contrast, portrays a

confident, defiant culture with an

intricate, beautiful spiritual side.

SOURCES

:http://www.joellessacredgrove.com/Celtic/art.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celtic_culture

http://www.webomator.com/bws/data/freeart/celtic/celtic_interlace.html

http://www.deitydiva.co.uk/celtic/index.php

http://www.conjure.com/ICON/icons.html

http://www.freeceltic.com/celtic_history.html

http://www.freeceltic.com/celtic_designs.html

www.celticattic.com

www.celticdesign.com.au/

www.unc.edu/celtic/designindex.html

stacy 4 oceania

2008-03-30T23:23:00.000-07:00

DESIGN RESEARCH 1 HISTORIC
PART 4 OCEANIA 12.5% 250WDS IN WORD, 10 IMAGES AND 10 LINKS BRIEF GIVEN
AUSTRALIA
MELANESIA: Bismarck Archipelago - New Guinea - Fiji - Maluka Islnds - New Caledonia - Norfolk Island - Solomon Islands - Torres Strait Islands - Vanuatu
MICRONESIA: Guam - Kiribati - Marshall Islands - Nauru - Northern Mariana Islands - Palau - Wake Island
POLYNESIA: Easter Island - Cook Islands - Tahiti (French Polynesia) - Niue - Pitcairn Islands - Samoa - Tonga - Tuvalu - Marquesas Islands (French Polynesia) - New Zealand - Hawaiian Islands
What are the characteristics of the style?

Examine the design elements and principles i.e. point, line, shape, scale, texture, tone, colour, pattern, symbol, proportion, structure, symmetry, form, volume, space, etc
Examine the design principles i.e. balance, contrast or diversity, harmony or unity, rhythm, dominance or emphasis.
Examine the materials and techniques utilized by the style.
What are the historical influences?
Did this style influence other styles?
pass criteria
Information research effectively
references/ Bibliograpphy listed correctly
logical flow of ideas leading to a personal conclusion
Hand in on time due APRIL 8, 2008

Tracy_Celtic manuscript

2008-03-28T03:33:00.000-07:00

The Book Of Kells

The 'Book of Kells' is a manuscript which was written in silence in a monastery and then sent to be illuminated (decorated) by Celtic artist. It has been described as the most beautiful book in the world. It's Summaries of gospel narratives and concordances were compiled by Eusebius of Caesarea in the fourth century. Written around the year 800AD, it has 680 pages written in quill and ink and made of vellum, a material sourced from under the skin of an animal. These pages contain a copy of St Jerome's Latin

version of the four gospels and are decorated with ornate drawings and extremely embellished letters. The Book of Kells was named after its home, Kells in County Meath near Dublin.

The book remained at Kells throughout the Middle Ages; venerated as a relic it survived Viking plunderings, arsons, and regicides, although it was lost and recovered, and stripped of its ornamented treasure binding by thieves in 1007 (The Book of Kells. Luzerne: Faksimile Verlag, 1990).

The Book of Kells is now held in exhibition at The Trinity College in Dublin and attracts over 500000 visitors yearly.

The Book of Kells - About Trinity College College - Trinity Information - Trinity College Dublin | Coláiste na Tríonóide

The Classic Text: The Bible

Book of Kells Images -- Thumbnails

Book of Kells DVD

The Book of Kells

The Book of Kells - Splendid Illuminated Manuscript of the Early Middle Ages

http://www.nd.edu/~medvllib/facsintro/kells51.html

The Book of Kells and the Art of Illumination

UBC Rare Books and Special Collections - Book of Kells

The Book of Kells

Paolo - Europe - Gothic - gargoyle

2008-03-27T18:47:00.000-07:00

In architecture, a gargoyle is a carved stone grotesque with a spout designed to convey water from a roof and away from the side of a building.
The term originates from the French gargouille, originally "throat" or "gullet";[1] cf. Latin gurgulio, gula, and similar words derived from the root gar, "to swallow", which represented the gurgling sound of water (e.g., Spanish garganta, "throat"; Spanish gárgola, "gargoyle").
A chimera, or a grotesque figure, is a sculpture that does not work as a waterspout and serves only an ornamental or artistic function. These are also usually called gargoyles in laypersons' terminology,[1] although the field of architecture usually preserves the distinction between gargoyles (functional waterspouts) and non-waterspout grotesques.
Reproductions of statues representing gargoyle-like creatures, available in some retail stores, although sometimes functional, are more often than not grotesques modeled after famous gargoyles.

History

The term gargoyle is most often applied to medieval work, but throughout all ages some means of water diversion, when not conveyed in gutters, was adopted. In Greek temples, the water from roofs passed through the mouths of lions whose heads were carved or modelled in the marble or terra cotta cymatium of the cornice. At Pompeii, many terra cotta gargoyles were found that are modelled in the shape of animals.
A local legend that sprang up around the name of St. Romanus ("Romain") (631–641 A.D.), the former chancellor of the Merovingian king Clotaire II who was made bishop of Rouen, relates how he delivered the country around Rouen from a monster called Gargouille, having the creature captured by the only volunteer, a condemned man. The gargoyle's grotesque form was said to scare off evil spirits so they were used for protection. In commemoration of St. Romain the Archbishops of Rouen were granted the right to set a prisoner free on the day that the reliquary of the saint was carried in procession
Many medieval cathedrals included gargoyles and chimarae. The most famous examples are those of Notre Dame de Paris. Although most have grotesque features, the term gargoyle has come to include all types of images. Some gargoyles were depicted as monks, combinations of real animals and people, many of which were humorous. Unusual animal mixtures, or chimeras, did not act as rainspouts and are more properly called grotesques. They serve more as ornamentation, but are now synonymous with gargoyles.

Bookmarks:
http://www.stratis.demon.co.uk/
http://www.gargoylestatuary.com/
http://www.geocities.com/
http://www.chiff.com/
http://www.gargoyles.org/

Celtic Insular Art

2008-03-26T22:24:00.000-07:00

Celtic art is associated with various people known as Celts; those who spoke the Celtic languages in Europe.
Celtic art is ornamental, avoiding straight lines and only occasionally using symmetry, it often involves complex symbolism.
It includes a variety of styles and often incorporates subtly modified elements from other cultures.
Insular art is the Celtic style of art produced in the post-Roman history of the British Isles, the term derives from insula, the Latin term for “island”; in this period Britain and Ireland shared a common style different from the rest of Europe. The influence of Insular art affected all succeeding European medieval art, especially in the decorative elements of Romanesque and Gothic manuscripts.
Insular arts Illuminated manuscripts.
The surfaces are highly decorated with intricate patterning, interlacing into each other with no attempt to give an impression of depth, volume or recession.
In the initial or carpet pages, where a page is filled with colourful abstract interlace or sometimes animals, the most frequently used decorative elements were curvilinear, interlace and rectilinear patterns. Curvilinear patterns: round patterns like spirals and circles were used in the Celtic manuscript decoration frequently influencing the letter and continuing to create different shapes that the original letter did not have.
Another important feature of Celtic illuminated manuscripts is the human figures. The peculiarity of the treatment of the insular Celtic human is its abstraction. Humans and animals were treated alike and were altered into abstract patterns in Celtic art.

Bibliography

http://www.draeconin.com/database/celtinfo.htm

http://www.maryjones.us/jce/appendix06.html

http://www.washington.edu/cartah/projects/insular/insular.html

http://www.discovery.mala.bc.ca/web/sugiurat/project.htm

http://www.symbols.net/celtic/

http://www.celtarts.com/celtic_interlace.htm

http://www.art-of-the-ancient.com/celtic-art.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celtic_art

http://www.gallica.co.uk/celts/art.htm

http://images.google.com/images?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&rls=GGLJ,GGLJ:2007-25,GGLJ:en&q=book+of+kells&oe=UTF-8&um=1&sa=N&tab=wi&oi=property_suggestions&resnum=0&ct=property-revision&cd=1

GEMMA: Ancient Greek Vase Paintings

2008-03-26T15:46:00.000-07:00

Ancient Greek Vase Paintings

Although used for multi purposes, the tradition of Ancient Greek Vase Painting is an extremely important part of understanding Greek history as the vases inscripted with images and literature provide us with important stories and information about ancient Greek life and mythology.

The earliest vase painting was achieved through scenes painted onto fired clay, depicting their physical surroundings at the time; these were more flowing and less structured in terms of their design. Progressing soon after this movement in vase painting was four more periods, these were the, geometric, orientalizing, black figure and red figure.

The geometric period was the first period of Greek vase painting which began in 900 B.C.E. This style is easily recognized by geometric shapes, such as triangles, squares, diamonds, and spirals and is known for telling a story. Their placement was very symmetrical and held strong pattern throughout.

Orientalizing period consisted of make-believe animals at large scale and abstract plants seem to be the rage during this stage of development where large mythical creatures stood against a white back ground.

Black Figure technique was a style used in vase decoration. The vase surface was covered with a thin wash of clay then a thicker solution of iron-rich clay formed the glaze, and figures in solid silhouette were painted on. Details were scratched in with a sharp tool, allowing for artists of the time to pay attention to detail in hair, garments and jewelry. These works were very balanced with high contrast levels.

Last is the red figure technique, which began around 530 B.C.E. The black figure process was reversed and the figures appeared in red against a black background. Liquid glaze was used to outline the figures. Contours and inner lines were then added. These gave effect of highly contrasting images which added dominance to the figure being presented.

Bibliography

http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/vase/hd_vase.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pottery_of_ancient_Greece
http://www.yasou.org/ancient/pottery.htm
http://www.hellenic-art.com/pottery/
http://www.artfromgreece.com/vases_black.html
http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761561691_6/greek_art_and_architecture.html
http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-bin/abstract/106572552/ABSTRACT?CRETRY=1&SRETRY=0
http://www.abc.net.au/arts/wingedsandals/history7.htm
http://arthistory.about.com/library/artists/lists/national/bl_ancgrk_vpainters.htm
http://www.marbleclassics.com/ancient-greek-flower-vase-urn.htm

Europe: Roman Mosaics - 7

2008-03-22T17:47:00.000-07:00

The history of Roman mosaics goes back some 4,000 years and the floors of Roman buildings, cathedrals, and museums were often richly decorated with intricate and mathematically based creative mosaics. These captured and emphasised scenes of history and everyday life. Some mosaics were standard designs, others were more personalised designs.

The Romans commenced their mosaics by creating a line scale drawing to help act as a structure and model to help create the mosaic. They then used different coloured stones, glass, brick or ceramics to create patterns. Cone shaped terracotta was also used by pushing it in point first into a background, to give decoration. This terracotta also added differences in the texture.

Later, this technique bought mosaics into an art, with precise geometric patterns and detailed scenes of people, gods and animals, symbols and geometric designs. A lot of the Roman mazes that were created in mosaics used rotational symmetry by repeating a set geometric design.

Roman mosaics by 200 BC, took on new characteristics and were influenced by Eastern styles using special glass tesserae manufactured in northern Italy. These gave extra detail and range of colour to the work. These pieces were only a few millimeters in size, and this allowed mosaics to replicate the detail in paintings. Mosaics often used pieces of glass to create vivid colours and reflect the light.

Over thousands of years, the Roman mosaic styles have changed and the artists have developed and fine tuned their techniques whilst still being heavily influenced by Eastern culture. Even today, Roman mosaics are still being created and the artists still try to replicate the mosaic styles, techniques and traditions from the past.

Bibliography:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/romans/mosaics_gallery.shtml

http://www.classicalmosaics.com/photo_album.htm

http://www.thejoyofshards.co.uk/history/index.shtml

http://goeurope.about.com/b/2005/01/28/ancient-roman-mosaic-uncovered.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mosaic

http://www.eyeconart.net/history/ancient/rome.htm

http://www.frammentiart.com/

http://www.mosaicsphere.com/classes_pages/glossary.html

http://www.romans-in-britain.org.uk/arc_roman_mosaics.htm

http://gwydir.demon.co.uk/jo/maze/roman/index.htm

JADE_Ancient Rome

2008-03-17T17:46:00.000-07:00

Ancient Rome was the largest city in the then known world. It is thought that Rome’s population was over 1 million people when the city was at the height of its power. From Rome, the heart of government beat; military decisions were taken and the vast wealth Rome earned was invested in a series of magnificent buildings.
The Romans were a practical people: in their original works, observation was key; portrait sculptures are often meticulously detailed and un-idealized. The Romans also depicted warriors and heroic adventures, in the spirit of the Greeks who came before them. While Greek sculptors traditionally illustrated military exploits through the use of mythological allegory, the Romans used a more documentary mode.
Roman art grows out of Etruscan art, and at first it is a lot like Etruscan art. Because of this, it has a close relationship to Greek art as well. Roman art as a type of its own really gets going around 500 BC with the beginning of the Roman Republic. Roman people were particularly interested in portraiture: in making statues that really looked like one particular person, especially a famous person. Greek people were more interested in ideals: what is the most beautiful man? What is the most athletic man? But the Romans were more interested in reality.

A lot of people living in Rome seem to have believed, also, that having a good image of somebody's face was important to keeping their ghost happy after they died so they wouldn't haunt you. So throughout the time of the Roman Republic and all the way through the Roman Empire we see a lot of portraits.

While the traditional view of Roman artists is that they often borrowed from, copied, or even outright stole Greek precedents, more recent analysis has indicated that Roman art is a highly creative pastiche of Greek, Etruscan, native Italic, and even Egyptian visual culture.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_Rome
http://www.teacheroz.com/romans.htm
http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/a_history_of_ancient_rome.htm
http://eawc.evansville.edu/chronology/ropage.htm
http://www.lukemastin.com/history/ancient_rome.html
http://www.britaininprint.net/introtoprint/roman.htm
http://www.fromoldbooks.org/Brown-LettersAndLettering/pages/067-Modern-Roman-Type/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_type
http://www.mohonasen.org/dmslib/ancient%20rome.htm
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.augustus.to/image/400/renia_01.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.augustus.to/other/e_topf.html&h=400&w=400&sz=21&hl=en&start=10&um=1&tbnid=XI3LGSdVPNGNEM:&tbnh=124&tbnw=124&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dancient%2Brome%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26safe%3Dactive%26sa%3DG

Leilani ;; Ancient Roman Fresco

2008-03-17T17:38:00.001-07:00

Fresco?

The word fresco comes from the Italian word affresco which is derived from the adjective fresco ("fresh"), which has Germanic origins. There are many techniques in painting frescos. In buon, or pure, fresco, a fresh wet layer of plaster is applied to a prepared wall surface. The pigments used in the painting is mixed with water so that it soaks into the plaster. When it dries, a chemical bond fuses paint and the wall together. In another type of fresco, the paint is fused on a dry, or secco, surface with adhesive binder flakes. This method is it is not permanent. A third type, called mezzo-fresco, is painted on nearly-dry intonaco - firm enough not to take a thumb-print - so that the pigment only penetrates slightly into the plaster. By the end of the sixteenth century this had largely displaced buon fresco, and was used by painters such as Gianbattista Tiepolo. This technique had, in reduced form, the advantages of a secco work

Early Frescoes

The origin and development of the fresco are somewhat unclear, but evidence of frescoes dates back to the Minoan civilization of Crete in the second millennium BC. Frescoes are present through the Greek, Roman, and Byzantine Empires.

Painting Techniques

The fresco technique was utilized the most in Renaissance art, where buon frescoes were mostly painted. Compositions were planned well in advance and then sketched red chalk or ocher wash.

Usually, artists and assistants worked collaboratively on a fresco under a master's supervision and design. If the wall to be painted was large, artists worked on scaffolding, beginning at the top and working downwards.

http://ancienthistory.about.com/od/romeart/g/Fresco.htm

http://www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/6981/fresco.htm

http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/arts/fresco.htm

http://www.italianfrescoes.com/

Silk embroidery

2008-03-17T17:15:00.000-07:00

What is Silk embroidery?

Silk embroidery comes from Asia and the creators put the silk threads through a canvas. They create beautiful art work. People enjoy silk embroidery and it is made for presents or to decorate the home.
Chinese people practised this embroidery over 3000 years ago and was most popular in the Qing 221–206 BC and Han dynasties 206 BC–220 AD. Chinese women made high quality embroideries.

Hanging with theatrical subject (detail), Qing dynasty (1644–1911), 19th century
China
Silk and metallic thread embroidery on wool tabby; 132 1/4 x 79 3/4 in. (335.9 x 202.6 cm)
Gift of Fong Chow, 1959 (59.190)
This is a piece of a large bold wall hanging that shows Chinese warriors from a theatre play. They wore bright colours and had big headdresses.

Silk embroidery has a long and colourful history. People from the West didn’t know much about silk embroidery and the people who made it.
A Historian from Rome wrote in 70 BC Natural History that the process of silk was removing the down from leaves with the help of water. It was a two thousand year secret kept by the Chinese.

Zhuang Brocade has rich colours as this was the way Zhuang people used their artistry. They had many patterns such as animals and clouds, the symbol of the Phoenix was dominate in their designs.

Originated from Sichaun Shu for short and was influenced by the environment and local customs. It was a luxury which was controlled by the government and the Royal Family enjoyed the luxury. In the Han Dynasty they used silk to exchange horses and pay off debts. Later in Han Dynasty it formed an industry and became elegant and had a wider range.

They combined Chinese embroidery and Western Art to make paintings look like oil paintings. Chinese embroidery art has a long traditional history.

Bibliography:
http://www.chinatownconnection.com/chinese-silk-embroidery.htm
http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/ho/10/eac/ho_59.190.htm
http://www.silk-road.com/artl/silkhistory.shtml
http://www.travelchinaguide.com/intro/arts/silk.htm
http://www.travelchinaguide.com/intro/arts/silk.htm
http://www.travelchinaguide.com/intro/arts/embroidery.htm
http://www.elitesilkarts.com/
http://www.elitesilkarts.com/styles.htm

2008-03-17T16:51:00.000-07:00

Mixtec Art

Tane Richardson

The Mixtec/Mixteca were a Native American civilization centred in the Oaxaca state of Mexico.

The work of Mixtec artisans who produced work in stone, wood and metal were well regarded throughout ancient Mesoamerica. Elaborating on the neighbouring Aztec styles of art,they produced fantastic manuscripts and clear surviving artwork, and influenced the international artistic style used from Central Mexico to Yucatan.

The Mixtecs wrote in minimalistic amalgams of

signs and pictures. Pictorial scenes would depict

historical events such as birth, marriage, war and

death. Written glyphs record the date of the

event and identify the people and places

involved.

Mixtec artistic style is characterized by their

piercing profiles and sharp forms. Never a united

nation, their fierce warlike manner came

through in their art. Reds, blues, black and

yellows make up their earthy colour palette.

Human figures feature demonically sharp

tongues and intimidating masks. Animals are

often depicted with spikes and thick tense

outlines. Along with sharp geometric shapes,

the Mixtec pictorial features linear formations of

small circles in decorative accompaniment.

Mixtec pictorials hold faithful to square-based structure and linear pattern. Human figures in
Mixtec portrayals remain in strict relative scale to each other, defined with thickly lined
symbols. The colours have strikingly stark contrasts to each other as a sort of emphasis on cultural (and artistic) dominance. These bland colours, however disruptive to rhythmic flow,seem to unite the entire work based on the use of very few hues and no tonal gradations. Colour, line and form clash violently with contrast and combine to create fierce imagery of a culture driven by dominance, passion and war.

LINKS
http://encyclopedia.kids.net.au/page/mi/Mixtec
www.ancientscripts.com/mixtec.html
http://members.aol.com/cabrakan/mixtec
http://www.latinamericanstudies.org/mixtec.htm

Tracy: Ojibway Dreamcatcher

2008-03-17T16:26:00.000-07:00

Ojibway (Chippewa) Dreamcatcher

I have come across two different stories about how the dreamcatcher came into existence. The first was the legend of a Ojibway boy who entered his mother's room and saw

a spider weaving its web in a corner. The boy ran to the corner and went to crush the spider in fear that it was dangerous. His mother called

to him and stop

ped him, telling him to leave it be as it meant no harm. The spider was greatful and thanked the women, then offered her the gift of weaving and said he would weave webs which would tangle bad dreams and allow good dreams to enter her room.

The second legend is also Ojibway. In this legend the spider woman created a web which helped bring the sun back to the people. It is said that if you rise at dawn and see a web, the dew that is captured there holds the rays of the sun and guides it through the day. The spider is revered by the Ojibway people.

The dreamcatcher is designed with eight anchor points to represent the legs of the spiderwoman. The hole in the centre is meant to allow the good dreams to pass through. Dream catchers were traditionally made of willow and sinew. feathers were attached in order to allow the good dreams to slide gently downward to the dreamer without disturbance. A feather was added to the centre hole to represent the breath of life. Precious stones were not originally added . These are modern inclusions, which came about as a result of the gathering of eagle and owl feathers being banned by the government. O

wl feathers are considered wise (female) and eagle feathers stand for courage (male).

Below is a Ojibway Pow-wow in which a warrior wears dreamcatchers on his costumer whilst dancing. The dreamcatcher is composed of a dominent outer circle and the woven thread acts as a graphic image in itself. The fine woven lines contrast against a dark background and tend to catch the light with the opulescent quality of the sinew. Each dreamcatcher is unique as it is a reflection of the individual style of its creator.

Chippewa/Ojibway/Anishinabe Literature

http://www.dotc.mb.ca/

Google Image Result for http://www.cwis.org/graphics/raven.gif

Turtle Island Productions

http://http://www.ojibway.ca/index

Ojibwa - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Ojibway and Cree Cultural Centre

Ojibway

Chippewa/Ojibway/Anishinabe Literature

Ojibway - Google Search

Leilani : Yup'ik Ivory Carvings

2008-03-17T16:20:00.000-07:00

Yup’ik Ivory Carving

Where skin sewing, doll making and

basket weaving are

traditionally considered women’s

crafts - Ivory carving is solely a man’s craft. The ivory is derived from the tusk of the walrus, which is also a prominent meat source for the Yup’ik. In the old

days, whole tusks were used to form arched entrances to the semi-subterra

nean homes the Yupik people lived in (igloos, were not part of this culture; this area does not have the right kind or amount of snow to build them with). Sometimes the tusks were etched with images of animals, birds and fish to bring good luck with hunting, this has evolved, and the carvings are now sold around the world. Ivory is such a durable and workable material that one old-time dog musher used it to make runners for his dog sled. Fresh whalebone is never used for carving, as it needs to be dried for many years. Whalebone suitable for carving is often picked from beaches where it has been sun bleached, or dug from beaches where it has become mineralized with colors after many years of exposure. Fresh ivory needs to be dried for a shorter period of time before carving. Mineralized ivory dug from beaches is often used

for carving and is characterized by wonderfully rich colors.

Strict laws mean that only Alaskan Natives are allowed to hunt walrus, or to possess un-worked walrus ivory. Only after the ivory has been noticeably reshaped can it be taken out of the area. Walrus hunting and ivory carving are essential to the survival of Native peoples in the Bering Sea region.

http://www.sivertson.com/artistinfo.cfm/ArtistID/268

http://www.ravensjourneygallery.com/ walrus_gallery.htm

http://tundramedicinedreams.blogspot.com/2008/01/yupik-eskimo-crafts.html

ROGAN: AZTEC CARVING AND SCULPTURE

2008-03-17T16:17:00.000-07:00

A collective of tribes known as the Mexica (the word from which Mexico is derived) moved in the valley of Mexico from the north approximately a century after the demise of the Toltec civilization. These tribes came to be known as the Aztecs and built a tremendous empire drawing heavily on the cultural advances of the Toltec and other Mesoamerican peoples. The Aztecs reached great levels of artistic and intellectual development. At the forefront was their amazing architecture which incorporated staggering stone sculptures.

Aztec stone sculptures were at the pinnacle of Mesoamerican art. In keeping with a tradition of stone carving that began with the Olmec people in the 2^nd millennium B.C. Objects and monuments were carved from stones ranging from volcanic rock to semi-precious stones such as jade. Sculptures were able to achieve fantastic tone and symmetry being almost always carved from a frontal view or perspective, which is why the carvings adorned the architecture so well throughout their capital city of Tenochtitlán, which stood on the site of present day Mexico City. The remarkable city stood as a piece of artwork in itself.

Aztec artisans were exceptionally skilled in the art of carving, and were thus able to create intricate details on extremely course surfaces. Their eye for detail was phenomenal and they were capable of creating life like realism as well as abstraction of the deity, person or animal they were portraying.

A great deal of Aztec art was also created for festivals and celebrations as well as ritual. Wonderful patterns were created on stamps and statues as seen above. Their fantastic use of symmetry and symbol is as unique as it is historic and is also well emphasized in these pieces.

Masks were also crafted by the Aztecs to represent deities or gods and were used as part of religious rituals. These masks were usually carved from wood and decorated in a beautiful mosaic style with precious stones, turquoise and even shells being used to create a beautiful aesthetic. Green stones, such as jadeite, diorite, and serpentine, were the most important precious stones in Mesoamerica, their use symbolized water and life. It is amazing to see how these masks have laid a foundation for the masks that are used in modern society.

The Aztecs were a hugely religious civilization and this is clearly shown in their sculptural art work that was solely made to appease their gods. Geometric designs and sweeping lines were representations of religious creed and also a symbol of power. The symbolism and the artistic language that the Aztecs spoke is still replicated to this day and much of their artwork has stood the test of time despite Spanish invasion and centuries having past.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

www.mexicolore.co.uk/index

www.mesoamericas.com

www.mask-andmore-masks.com/aztec-masks.html

www.aztec-empire.com/masks.html

www.anglefire.com/realm/shades/nativeamericans/precolumbionart6.html

www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/azss/hd_azss.htm

Jamie: The Olmecs

2008-03-17T16:13:00.000-07:00

The Olmecs:
The people of Olmec were a native, North American tribe who were very innovative for their time. They are believed to have lived in the “Pre-classic” period, roughly 1500 B.C.E- 200 B.C.E. they were a very influential tribe who had many firsts such as the first to have a basic writing system, the Mesoamerican calendar and the perhaps the origins of blood and human sacrificing.

The history of the Olmecs:
The Olmecs lived in the lowlands of Mexico. Due to the fact that they lived in these we

t swampy lowlands it is apparent that this helped them in their growth as the land provided them with a good soil to grow their abundant food stock. They were thought to be a very privileged people as they were able to dominate over other local tribes. They left behind many artifacts showing us of their prominence and established civilization. Many luxurious artifacts such as jade, obsidian and magnetite, all highly valued items used in art forms by the pre-Columbian Mesoamerican tribes. Due to these cultural items, historians believe that the Olmecs had a basic system of trade with surrounding tribes.

Due to their prominent tribe they were very innovative as well. Due to their beliefs, many practices emerged, such as sacrifice, writings and their creative art forms.

They are believed to, possibly, have created the first writing system. The Cascajal block, found in 2006, dated to be 650 B.C.E. and 900 B.C.E., pre-dating a former type of 500 B.C.E on the Zapotec writing. The block has been found to have similar symbols to

later character forms used, It contained 68 characters.

Olmec Art:

Much of their art works have cultural and spiritual connections. This beautiful art ranges from masks, to bottles and to even sculptures of heads and animals. These artworks really reflect the culture of the Olmec people. The Olmec heads are believed to be of iconic heads in power and gods. They are carved from large blocks boulders or volcanic basalt. The largest weighs over 20 tones.

The Olmec people were very innovative and believed to be one of the best-established pre-Columbian tribes. They set the path for other tribes to learn from their knowledge and reflected their ways of life in their amazing artworks.

Bibliography:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olmecs
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Mexico.Tab.OlmecHead.01.jpg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cascajal_block
http://www.crystalinks.com/olmec.html
http://www.sitchin.com/images/olmecs.jpg
http://www.d.umn.edu/cla/faculty/troufs/anth3618/maolmec.html
http://www.answers.com/topic/olmec-alternative-origin-speculations
http://www.cosmopolis.ch/english/art/55/the_olmecs.htm
http://www.franklinco.k12.nc.us/ESL/lessons/mexicounit/Olmecheadblackwhite.jpg
http://library.thinkquest.org/18778/olmec.htm

GEMMA: Mayan Art

2008-03-17T14:28:00.000-07:00

Mayan Art

The art produced in Maya is most deftly a reflection of their lifestyle and culture. Composed of paintings on plaster and paper, wood and stone carvings, clay models, and terra cotta figurines from molds, they work with resources they found available in nature in replacement of other highly developed materials such as metal.
Many of the great programs of Maya art, inscriptions, and architecture were commissioned by Mayan kings to embed their place in history. Works such as these are a reflection of the Mayan society and arts influence on the proplr at the time.

Mayan art of the Classical Era of around c.300 till 900 AD shows evidence and hints of advanced paintings, pottery and other Mayan ceramics. This era of art is considered by many as the most sophisticated and beautiful of the ancient New World.

Today's handicrafts are still produced using ancient techniques and retain their importance within the Maya culture. Maya's best known feature would have to be weaving as well as their textiles which were made from cotton and used by the ancient Maya just as they are today.

Painted cups and vases were used as representations and scenes of court life, while clay figurines portrayed members at service to the king. These depicted roles such as servants, dwarfs, hunchbacks, musicians, messengers, as well as priests. The Maya also made baskets, pottery and wood carvings of animals, saints and brightly-painted toys, chests and ceremonial masks.

Ancient Maya art deals mainly with politics, the ancient calendar, and religion. The incredible amount of religiously themed art occurs in various mediums including stone inscriptions, pottery, jewellery and wall paintings.

Bibliography

http://www.indians.org/welker/maya.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maya_civilization
http://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/cultural/mesoamerica/maya.html
http://www.crystalinks.com/mayanarch.html
http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761576077_1/maya_calendar.html
http://www.lost-civilizations.net/mayan-art.html
http://home.epix.net/~miser17/art.html
http://www.atitlan.net/riegel/lake-atitlan/mayan-art/0.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maya_art
http://historylink101.com/1/mayan/ancient_mayan.htm

LEE: Aztec Masks

2008-03-17T05:15:00.000-07:00

The masks created by the Aztecs were mainly used as a part of religious rituals and were a key part of many ceremonies and worm by dancers and priests.

These masks are often made to reflect the appearance of an Aztec Deity, such as: Xiuhtecuhtli, Tlaloc and Tezcatlipoca.

The masks were often made from a wooden base with decorations made from precious materials such as turquoise, shells or clay.

The Aztec’s mainly coloured their masks with primary reds and blues, and to a lesser degree some mixed colours like green. This coupled with turquoise and pieces of shell gives some of the masks a very creepy look to them.

Mosaics were an important technique used in Aztec masks and most masks featured mosaic to some degree.

Some masks were even made after the image of animals, and is created In the shape of a persons spirit animal, which will protect and guide them.

At the end of Aztec civilisation the masks went out of use, but today, we can still appreciate the amount of time and effort put into these masks which helps us understand the importance of these masks in Aztec society.

Even today our culture is in ways, influenced by these ancient Aztec masks. From Halloween masks to birthday masks all are in someway, related these old masks. While not as important as these masks of old, they still retain some significance in our culture today.

Bibliography:

http://www.mask-and-more-masks.com/aztec-masks.html

Google Images search for “Aztec masks”

http://mosaicartsource.wordpress.com/2007/01/17/aztec-mosaic-masks-turquoise-double-headed-serpent-mosaic-british-museum/

STACY 3: EUROPE

2008-03-17T02:16:00.000-07:00

PART 3 Graphic design pre 1800 EUROPE 12.5% 250WDS IN WORD, 10 IMAGES AND 10 LINKS
e.g. BYZANTINE- fabrics, mosaics, enamel, minature paintings,silk tapestry, ROMANESQUE- floor mosaic and tiles, tapestry, glass painting, emamel on copper, RENAISSANCE- book ornamentation, jewellery, faience, CELTIC, ROCOCO, MINOAN, ANCIENT GREEK archaic, classical or golden, hellenistic period -vase painting, ANCIENT ROMAN- fresco painting, mosaics, enamel, EARLY CHRISTIAN, MYCENAEAN, PHOENICANS, BAROQUE, ROCOCO, CRETAN, ETRUSCAN, GOTHIC, Italian, French, German. etc
What are the characteristics of the style?

Examine the design elements and principles i.e. point, line, shape, scale, texture, tone, colour, pattern, symbol, proportion, structure, symmetry, form, volume, space, etc
Examine the design principles i.e. balance, contrast or diversity, harmony or unity, rhythm, dominance or emphasis.
Examine the materials and techniques utilized by the style.
What are the historical influences?
Did this style influence other styles?
pass criteria
Information research effectively
references/ Bibliograpphy listed correctly
logical flow of ideas leading to a personal conclusion
Hand in on time due 01.04.08.

KURT: Sioux Indian (Beadwork)

2008-03-16T03:25:00.001-07:00

The “Sioux”(su : ) Native American Indians are made up of three main groups all differing in sub-culture and dialect.

Ihanktowan-ihanktowana also known as the Yankton or Nakota (village at the end) are referred to as being the middle Sioux residing in the Minnesota River Area.

The Lakota are well known for their hunting and warrior culture reside in the west also known as Tetonwan or Teton (Dwellers on the Prairie).

Then there is the Isanti or other wise known as the Santee (Knife) the name is give to them after a lake in Minnesota, they reside in the east of the Dakotas, Minnesota and Northern Iowa.

In Modern day the Sioux have many tribal governments and reserves through out America in Dakotas, Minnesota, Nebraska, Manitoba and in Canada in southern Saskatchewan.

The Lakota or western Sioux have probably the most well known and familiar beadwork designs, they were definitely responsible for the Sioux Style on various clothing items such as moccasins, leg warmers, arm/head bands and pipe bags.

They used porcupine quills colored with vegetable dye in red, bright yellow, weak blue, bright orange, weak green and purple and in 1880 their colors became more vibrant and brighter when they started to use aniline dyes that they traded with the white man.

Their designs were very geometric and symmetrical mostly representing life around them in the form of horses, birds and spiders incorporating triangles, lines and three pronged forks there designs were mostly done on white backrounds. The most commonly used colour combination was blue, yellow,red and green in that order.

There are various techniques and stitches in beading and the most commonly used by Sioux was the “Lazy Stitch”
It is known to be quite an easy process but in order to attain quality and a tight even stitch one must have a lot of patience as it is very time consuming.

Biblography
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sioux
http://www.matoska.com/siouxlazystitch.htm
http://www.matoska.com/ciha_sioux_beadwork.htm
“Old Time Sioux Dancers” book by M.S. Tucker (A.I.C.C.
‘Western Sioux beadwork” article by Dick Conn published in Vol. VI, No. 9 & 10, Summer 1960, American Indian Hobbyist.

JOSH - American

2008-03-15T07:46:00.000-07:00

Kwakiutl Masks

I have chosen to do the Kwakiutl Culture. I found that the masks show better characteristics of the style. The masks of the Kwakiutl, were woven into and dramatically displayed in the rich ceremonial life of these Canadian people. A large quantity of food and material for carving (red and yellow cedar) make an elaborate ceremony possible. Masks were used for every occasion. The Kwakiutl borrowed, adapted, and elaborated many themes into complex series of dances, ceremonies, and theatrical preformances. Masks were a very important part of these activities since they gave life to various mythological, elemental, bird and animal figures which the people claimed as their ancestors from the early days. These supernatural beings had given privileges and special powers to a family, often in the form of a family crest, song, or dance. The family would then portray particular mythological figures as part of their heritage.
Most of the masks demonstrated a strong use of line in their smooth concave and convex curves. for effect or emphasis on a feature sharp, rigid lines were used. These rigid curves usually define nostrils, eyes and lips through deeply cut carvings and the use of contrasting color to add to the form of the mask. Most of the lines had the tendency to run parallel and come to a point, each end creating contrast with the shape between the geometric and organic lines. The Kwakiutl’s demonstrated strong, clear carving, and painting was used to enhance, emphasize or embellish the basic form of the mask. Dark red, black, white, and green were the traditional Kwakiutl choice of colors for paint.

Bibliography:
http://encarta.msn.com/find/Concise.asp?ti=0424F000
http://www.britannica.com/eb/article?eu=47630
http://www.anthro.mankato.msus.edu/cultural/northamerica/kwakiutl.html
http://www.aaf.gov.bc.ca/aaf/nations/kwakiutl/626.htm
http://www.hallman.org/indian/recipe.html
http://www.schoolnet.ca/autochtone/umista1/index-e.html
http://www.mala.bc.ca/www/discover/educate/posters/lauriec.htm
http://www.accessgenealogy.com/native/tribes/canada/kwakiutlindianhist.htm
http://www.mala.bc.ca/www/discover/educate/posters/lauriec.htm
http://www.himwitsa.com/Mark%20Henderson.htm
http://images.google.com.au/images?um=1&hl=en&safe=active&q=%22Kwakiutl+design%22&btnG=Search+Images

Aztec & Mexican Tattoo Art - 7

2008-03-12T21:07:00.000-07:00

Mexican & Aztec tattoos began in the 1300s and were a visual way to intimidate foes during battles. Tattoos were first carried out by a priest would draw symbols from an alphabet called Nahauti on their bodies with a pointed stone. Their tattoos are represented by 3 forms. These are “origin”, “pride”, and “Chilango” tattoos.

“Origin” tattoos are designs of the sun and sun god, daggers; and astrological symbols. “Pride” tattoos are either a family crest or surname and “Chilango” tattoos represent nationality with a symbol such as an eagle, snake or a map in the shape of Mexico.

These tattoos are some of the most complex patterns of all tattoo forms with themes based on ancient Mayan, Inca and Aztec art. They are complicated because of their geometric patterns and complex line work (eg knot-work) which has changes in thickness and boldness of lines to create more definition and dimension. Celtic tattoos especially with their knot-work designs influenced the style of Aztec and Mexican tattoo art.

As most Mexican people have a darker skin pigment, colour is not often used for tattoos. Black or grey wash is preferred to create better contrast, although the colours red and dark green will also hold in their skin. Some of their complex designs use only red and black and is a nightmare for the tattoo artists. This is because of the way colour theory works in tattooing in that you must tattoo your colours darkest to lightest as not to smudge darker colours into lighter colours. Therefore all the red parts are created freehand after the black, as the stencil has already been rubbed off.

Most designs rely on curved circular shapes to help emphasis and balance their tattoos with the use of symmetry. Symbols are the main design elements of Aztec art and often these tattooed symbols represent love, growth, religion and change. These symbols show dominance, hierarchy and rank.

In modern day, Mexican and Aztec tattoos designs have evolved, but there is still a large relevance in their design elements and principles from their past with some, today even being quiet abstract.

Bibliography:

http://www.aztec-indians.com/aztec-culture.html

http://tattoos.lovetoknow.com/Aztec_Tattoos

http://www.gii.in/tattoo/aztec-tattoo-designs/

http://www.freetattoodesigns.org/mexican-tattoos.html

http://hubpages.com/hub/aztec-tattoos

http://www.aztec-indians.com/aztec-tattoos.html

http://www.beautyassist.com/tattoos/aztec.html

http://tattoojoy.com/tattoo_gallery/native,aztecs_and_mayas,1.htm

http://tattoo.about.com/cs/tatart/l/blenrique2.htm

http://www.styletattoo.com/aztec-tattoos-maui/index.html

Psychobilly - 7

2008-03-10T21:15:00.000-07:00

"It's a psychobilly freakout!"

Psychobilly originated in England during the 1980's from old school rockabilly. It's music was Rockabilly but with an evil dose of horror themes and a whole lot faster beat. Its subculture had many genres to it including a combination of rockabilly, horror, punk, Gothic, heavy metal, and blues influences.

JADE: Aztecs

2008-03-10T15:46:00.000-07:00

Aztecs were a wandering Native American tribe who came to Mexico during the 13th century.

Aztec comes from the word Azteca, which is derived from Aztlán ("White Land"). Aztlán is believed to have been the northwestern region of Mexico. According to Aztec tradition, Aztlán is the land where their tribe originated. Based on the Aztec legend, the beginning of the 12th century saw the migration of the Aztec peoples to the Valley of Mexico in search for place to settle. There they built a great civilization including cities, pyramids, and temples.

By the 1400's and into the early 1500's, the Aztecs had established one of the most advanced civilizations in America. Some of their cities at that time were as large as any in Europe.

Aztec people practiced a religion that influenced every part of their lives. To honor their gods, they constructed towering temples, huge sculptures, and held ceremonies that included bloody human sacrifices.

The traditional Aztec dress included beautiful hand crafted head dresses constructed from tropical bird feathers. The flamboyant appearance and natural glow of the feathers were very desired when it came to trading them. The feathers would also be woven into beautiful designs for display purposes.

The arts were a very significant peice of the Aztec culture. Their art practices included:

Stonework - Stoneworkers created statues from rocks and would create objects made from jade green, black obsidian, and transparent crystals.

Pottery – Instead of using potter's wheel the Aztecs would shape the clay with their hands or carve it. The Aztecs would often design the inside of the pot using paint, usually using only two colours. The elaborately designed pots were for the rich or the ruler.

Scribes - The scribes drew pictograms that would record events. The scribe starts with sketching a rough outline, and the adding the details. The Aztecs would use vegetables, insects, shells, and minerals to create colors, adding oil to make colours brighter.

In 1519 Spanish conquistadors arrived in Mexico. They defeated the Aztecs, and in 1521, the Spaniards destroyed the Aztec Empire, but the Aztecs have made a lasting mark on Mexican culture.

http://www.42explore2.com/aztec.htm
http://library.thinkquest.org/27981/dress.html
http://library.thinkquest.org/27981/art.html
http://www.indians.org/welker/aztec.htm
http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9011557/Aztec
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aztec
http://archaeology.about.com/od/aterms/g/aztec.htm
http://library.thinkquest.org/27981/beliefs.html

PAOLO-THE AZTEC CALENDAR

2008-03-09T23:38:00.000-07:00

The Aztec calendar is the calendar system that was used by the Aztecs as well as other Pre Columbian peoples of central Mexico. It is one of the Mesoamerican calendars, sharing the basic structure of calendars from throughout ancient Mesoamerica. The calendar consisted of a 365 day calendar cycle called xiuhpohualli (year count) and a 260 day ritual cycle called tonalpohualli (day count). These two cycles together formed a 52 year "century", sometimes called the "Calendar Round". The calendric year began with the first appearance of the Pleiades asterism in the east immediately before the dawn light.

The tonalpohualli and Aztec cosmology
The tonalpohualli, or day-count, has been called a sacred calendar because its main purpose is that of a divinatory tool. It divides the days and rituals between the gods. For the Aztec mind this is extremely important. Without it the world would soon come to an end. According to Aztec cosmology, the universe is in a very delicate equilibrium. Opposing divine forces are competing for power. This equilibrium is in constant danger of being disrupted by shifting powers of the gods, of the elemental forces that influence our lifes. This struggle cannot be won by any god. The notion that everything ultimately consists of two opposing forces is essential to the Aztec worldview. The world is always on the brink of going under in a spiritual war, a war of gods competing for supreme power. To prevent this from happening, the gods have been given their own space, their own time, their own social groups, etcetera, to rule over. The tonalpohualli tells us how time is divided among the gods.

The system of the tonalpohualli
The system of the tonalpohualli can be best understood by imagining two wheels that are connected to each other. One wheel has the numbers "one" to "thirteen" written on it. The second wheel has twenty symbols on it. In the initial situation, number "one" combines with the first symbol. This is the first day of the tonalpohualli. Now the wheels start moving and number "two" combines with the second glyph. This is the second day. After fourteen days, an Aztec week (trecena in Spanish) of thirteen days has passed. The wheel with the numbers shows number "one" again. The other wheel now shows the fourteenth symbol. After 260 days, the two wheels have returned to their initial position. The tonalpohualli starts all over again.

Bookmarks
www.azteccalendar.com

www.mexconnect.com

www.earthmatrix.com

Tracy Chinese seals

2008-03-08T16:52:00.000-08:00

Chinese seals have existed since the second Century BC. High quality seals were carved from jade and used to authenticate documentation from the owner. Collectors and connoisseurs would stamp paintings and other artworks with specific seals designed for this purpose. Great battles were fought in order to gain possession of the Heirloom seal-the very first seal ever created. Ownership of this seal was believed to bring legitimacy to the rule of the holder. This seal is believed to have been lost between 907 and 960AD.

'In 221BC, the seal was created when Qin Shihuang destroyed the remaining warring states and united China under the Qin Dynasty. The He Shi Bi was a famous piece of jade which previously belonged to the Zhao state. Passing into the hands of the new Emperor of China, he ordered it made into his Imperial seal. The words “受命于天既寿永昌”(roughly translated as "The Mandate is received from Heaven, May He have Longevity and Prosperity") were written by Prime Minister Li Si, and carved onto the seal by Sun Shou.' (Wikipedia, 2008)

Below is a jade carving of a seal believed to be a replica of the Heirloom seal.

Seals which are used for signing letters and literary works of everyday individuals are called leisure seals. These 'private' seals are inscribed with favourite quotes or words such as 'wisdom' or 'respect'. 'Studio' seals are used by artist to authenticate their work.

Below: Studio seal, leisure seal.

The Yellow Spirit Leap seal is used in Chinese magic and is said to ward of evil spirits if worn on the belt. It is stamped on the ground across

the path of an approaching bear or tiger to cause it to retreat.

Nowadays seals can be ordered to the customer's specs, these can be created in stone, ivory, timber or rubber.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imperial_Seal_of_China

http://www.huanghechineseseals.com/images/chinese-seals/chinese-seal-4779.jpg

http://www.logoi.com/notes/seal_magic.html

http://www.logoi.com/notes/seals/

http://www.logoi.com/symbols/index.html

http://www.logoi.com/notes/seal_magic.html

http://www.char4u.com/index.php?cPath=13

http://www.diytrade.com/china/4/products-list/0-k-c-1/rubber_stamp.html

2008-03-07T22:36:00.000-08:00

Govinda Johnson

Indian American Basket Weaving

Basket weaving is an inherit part of the Indian American culture and traditions, particularly of the natives of the North Western regions. They were used for many important purposes as part of their daily lives. Babies were carried in them, food was collected and prepared in them and they were used as gift baskets for ceremonial purposes.

Basket weaving is one of the oldest know crafts forms of Native America, with some ancient baskets being dated as nearly 8000 years old. Different tribes had their own distinct designs and styles. The materials used for the basket weaving varied from tribe to tribe due to different geographical locations. Some materials used included braided sweetgrass, bundled pine needles, cedar bark and swamp grass. These materials, once harvested, were aged so that they would remain straight. When the weaver was ready to begin, the material was soaked in water and given the final trimmings.

The four basic weaving techniques are plating, wicker, twining and coiling. Each of the basic weaves has many variations and more than one technique can be used on a basket. These baskets where decorated with clam shell beads and exotic feathers. The American Indians brought colour to their baskets by using natural dyes from the world around them.

Collecting of these traditions baskets has seen a new demand for them, encouraging the Indian American weavers to continue with this ancient art form.

This is a famous south western pattern used on baskets which was of great significance to them. It represents a life lived following the Creator’s instructions. If followed, you cannot get lost.

http://www.collectorsguide.com/fa/fa004.shtml
http://www.kstrom.net/isk/art/basket/basbib.html
http://www.nmai.si.edu/exhibitions/baskets/subpage.cfm?subpage=view_julia
http://www.native-languages.org/baskets.htm
http://www.indianvillage.com/indianarts/baskets.htm

ALEC: Classic Maya

2008-03-04T04:27:00.000-08:00

During the years 250 to 900 A.D. the Maya civilisation went through what was known as the ‘Classic Maya’ period. During this period the Maya saw unbridled progress in the three main areas of; construction, urbanisation and recording. Their culture was at its peak both intellectually and artistically. Their array of art included, carved stone blocks, stucco reliefs, terracotta figurines, pottery (inspired by Peruvian pottery) paintings and the discovery of their very own colour, azul Maya (Maya blue).

Within Maya architecture many of the walls, floors and ceilings were covered in smooth, redy-cream coloured stucco which glistened in the tropical sun. This technique was very beautiful Maya architectural characteristic, enhancing a structures aesthetic appearance; unfortunately the stucco did not retain its original form and is now just a red textuary hue. The Maya often carved messages into stone slabs referred to as ‘stelae’ or tree stones. These carvings depicted previous rulers, genealogy, military victories and other achievements using both symbols and hieroglyphic text.

As trading with other Mesoamerican cultures expanded so to did their artistic influences. Paintings found in convents of colonial Mexico are a mix of European and Indian techniques which blended elements such as line, shape, proportion and colour; this was sometimes known as ‘Arte Indocristiano’. Within these paintings appeared a beautiful blue-green pigment consisting of organic and inorganic materials known as azul Blue or Maya blue. Researchers say that the pigment is derived from a combination of Anil leaves, palygorskite, pigments of indigo and an exposure to low temperatures. The colour is very stable and retains much of its tone after thousands of years exposed to harsh weather conditions of Mexico. The colour originated around 800 A.D. and was used frequently in paintings, stone carvings and rituals up until 16th Century at which stage its technique was lost forever.

http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761576077_1/maya_calendar.html

http://www.crystalinks.com/mayanarch.html

PAOLO - TATOO

2008-03-03T15:48:00.001-08:00

INTRO

The word tattoo is said to has two major derivations- from the polynesian word ‘ta’ which means striking something and the tahitian word ‘tatau’ which means ‘to mark something’. the history of tattoo began over 5000 years ago and is as diverse as the people who wear them. tattoos are created by inserting colored materials beneath the skins surface. the first tattoos probably were created by accident. someone had a small wound, and rubbed it with a hand that was dirty with soot and ashes from the fire. once the wound had healed, they saw that a mark stayed permanently.

JAPAN

The earliest evidence of tattooing in japan is found in the form of clay figurines which have faces painted or engraved to represent tattoo marks. the oldest figurines of this kind have been recovered from tombs dated 3,000 BC or older, and many other such figurines have been found in tombs dating from the second and third millennia BC.these figurines served as stand-ins for living individuals who symbolically accompanied the dead on their journey into the unknown, and it is believed that the tattoo marks had religious or magical significance.the first written record of japanese tattooing is found in a chinese dynastic history compiled in 297 AD. the japanese were interested in the art mostly for its decorative attributes, as opposed to magical ones. the horis - the japanese tattoo artists - were the undisputed masters. their use of colors, perspective, and imaginative designs gave the practice a whole new angle. The classical Japanese tattoo is a full body suit.

www.arthistoryguide.com

www.designboom.com

www.tatoos.com

www.trabel.com

www.Horiyoshi3.com

Rosalind; Incas

2008-03-03T15:29:00.000-08:00

Between 1200 and 1535 AD, the Incas lived in the in the South America extending from the Equator to the Pacific coast of Chile. They were warriors, and perhaps due to their fierceness became the largest Native American society. Their historic record as with all the tribes evolving on the planet at that time would be recorded through oral tradition, stone, pottery, gold and silver jewellery, and woven tapestry of the people.

They had no writing system at all, but they kept records on various coloured knotted cord called quipu.

Inca weaving is called Tapis or old picture. The Incas had a reputation for being the best weavers of their time they wove some of the finest tapestries with geometric representations of fish, snakes, condors and frogs. Each symbol has a special meaning: the frog represents an animal that leads a double life - on land and in water, rain and growth. A condor represents strength, freedom and the power to communicate with mountain gods.

The Inca valued weaving and their descendants have continued the traditions, with designs being past down from family to family for generations. Weaving is not just a piece of art that they produce it is part of their social organisation and economic situation. Inca weavers wove their tapestries, blankets and other goods using a method which employs a pole instead of the loom.

The technique of tapestry weaving was reserved for the production of cumbi, the finest cloth used only for royalty, but this practise changed after the arrival of the Spanish who commissioned large tapestry-woven wall hangings that were customary in Europe, which then influenced a change in designs and colours.

The sarita belt, which is woven by women only, is the only documented unbroken weaving tradition to survive from Inca times. "Sara" is the Incas word for corn/ maize. The colours of the belt were red, yellow (for the sun and corn),purple and green (for the leaves), sarita belts must have four colours. Red and white were the colours of the Inca Empire red is for power and white is for purity.

Bibliology

http://www.peruviantextilestudies.com/coya_belts_ias.html

http://www.museolarco.org/iep_te.shtml

http://www.magicalandes.com/gallery_12265.html

http://www.incas.org/

http://www.crystalinks.com/incan.html

http://www-groups.dcs.st-and.ac.uk/~history/HistTopics/Inca_mathematics.html

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2002/04/0430_020430_TVincatextiles.html

http://www.artisansincaconnection.com/weaving.htm

http://www.wsu.edu/~dee/CIVAMRCA/INCAS.HTM

http://www.aracari.com/aracari/articles/textiles.htm