5 Project 5c

MoLAA is the Museum of Latin American Art in Long Beach, CA. It was established to bring recognition of Latin American and Caribbean artists to North America. It was started in 1996 and includes artists from this region. They have paintings, sculptures, drawings, etc. in the museum which is open to the public. Many Latin American artists who are not well known in North America are displayed here for our benefit to learn about them and the culture.

“La Tina en Rojo,” o/c, 1997.

by Gonzalo Cienfuegos

http://artscenecal.com/ArticlesFile/Archive/Articles1999/Articles0299/GCienfuegosA.html

I found this piece by looking at the video from MoLAA and seeing a similar piece by this artist. I researched the artist's name and what I found was more artwork displayed by MoLAA. Most of his art is for interpretation by the artist and I believe this coresponds to our learning of humanities because the artist had an idea in mind for the piece but allows interpretation into the culture and ideas of humankind.

Observation: In the piece I see a woman in a pink dress standing next to a woman bathing in a bathtub. There is a dog on a red patterned rug next to the bathtub. There is a vase with bread or flowers on a tiny table next to the tub. There is a picture on the wall behind them of an evil looking man and a dead man. There is a door leading to a balcony from which you can see a town and a tree. I interpret the subject as bath time. The work is a painting. The artist uses bright colors and shadows. He uses soft edges to create a softer image around the women. His work is filled with historical and literary references. It suggests stories that are open to myriad interpretations.

Interpretation: The piece seems to be about bathtime to me. It could also be more deep, like the closeness between women, or maybe it's a child and mother at bathtime or a rich woman and her servant. There could be an imortant message the woman in pink is delivering to the bathing woman.

Judgment: I chose this piece because it was odd and intriguing. I wanted to know more about it and what the significance of the bathtub was. I really like that it's open to interpretation. It doesn't give a clear picture, it's a great conversation starter because everyone will have a different interpretation of it. I feel this way because that is the explanation of the artist, but also because I'm very imaginative and I could think of countless ways to tell the story behind the piece. And what the horrible painting behind them means.

Questioning: I know this painting was painted in 1997 by Gonzalo Cienfuegos and is on display in the MoLAA. I know it is about the red bathtub. But my question is what do you see in this painting? What do you interpret it as? What did the artist mean in this painting and what was his purpose for painting it?

Week 5 Project 5b

Diego Rivera's Epic Of

The Mexican People In Their Struggle For Freedom And Independence

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.markbarryportfolio.com/works/Assorted/ionarts/mexico/natpaldiego/diego4.jpg&imgrefurl=http://ionarts.blogspot.com/2004_12_01_archive.html&h=1200&w=1600&sz=862&hl=en&start=11&um=1&tbnid=D0ziZiiL5o4iLM:&tbnh=113&tbnw=150&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dmexican%2Bart%2Bindependence%2Bperiod%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den

I found this piece online. I was searching for art work in the Independence Period and found the perfect piece to go along with my assignment in "a". I was very fascinated by the grandeur and the colors used in this piece.

Observation: There is much going on in the mural. There are many significant people, like Father Hidalgo, in the mural, whom represent the Independence of Mexico. There are religious leaders, villagers, fire, war, hangings, persecution, soldiers, Father Hidalgo leading the people, etc. The subject is Mexico's Independence. It is a painted mural. Another word for the piece is a fresco, which is a painting technique in which water-based pigments are applied to a surface of wet plaster. Deigo Rivera uses vibrant colors and both sharp and smooth edges. He has a good definition between the light and the dark. He does a very good job depicting the scene, it is almost life-like and I felt as if I were actually there witnessing the battle and the struggles of the people.

Interpretation: The artwork is about Mexico's Independence through the years, the hardships and the struggles, and includes influential people of that time period.

Judgement: I chose this piece because I was looking for art from the Independence Era in Mexico because I'm interested in the history of Mexico. When I came across this piece, I appreciated that it was done by a well known artist, Diego Rivera, and the subject of the piece was my first assignment: Mexico's Independence. I feel triumphant for Mexico for this time in their history. I also feel very sad and bothered by the image because it is about war, death, sacrifice, and that subject irks me. I do not like war and killings, but I can feel triumphant and proud for the people of Mexico because they overcame a lot of oppression and fought for their country, only to succeed.

Questioning: The mural is at the Palacio de Bellas Artes in Mexico City. I would like to know when it was painted and did Diego Rivera paint others like this in different locations?

Week 5 Project 5a

1. THE INDEPENDENCE PERIOD

"Beginning in the late 18th cent., demand for cordage and fibers on the world market stimulated the formation of enormous henequen plantations throughout the northern part of the Yucatán Peninsula. Previously, villagers in the region needed only to pay relatively modest taxes and submit to occasional labor drafts in order to be left alone by colonial authorities. By the end of the 18th cent., however, village lands were suddenly subject to expropriation by Spaniards. As the plantations grew in size and number, labor drafts became increasingly onerous, particularly among groups whose lands had been expropriated. This combination of pressures led to a widespread rebellion (1847–54), known as the caste wars, in which the explicit goal was to drive all European populations off the Yucatán Peninsula, a goal that was nearly realized. The Spaniards were never able to fully suppress the conflagration, leaving isolated areas outside the plantation zone beyond effective governmental control throughout the 19th cent."

(http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/society/A0859549.html)

2. DON MIGUEL HIDALGO "FATHER HIDALGO OF MEXICO"

I chose to research Father Hidalgo of Mexico because I just returned from Ensenada, Mexico on a two week excursion of the nursing program at the JC and I wanted to learn more about Mexican history. Also, I don't know much about Mexican history and I found Father Hidalgo's story fascinating.

3. 3 INTERESTING FACTS!

a) "Mexico gained its independence September 21, 1821. Hidalgo took the banner with the image of the Virgin Guadalupe and he gathered many faithful Catholics from his parish to listen attentively to Hidalgo’s speech. He talked to them about Spanish oppression and about the impending need to free themselves from Spain. With this a battle began." (http://www.inside-mexico.com/laentrevista2.htm)

b) "Hidalgo was a Creole priest, born in a hacienda in Pénjamo, Guanajuato in 1753. He was an enthusiastic and hard-working man, always worrying about the well-being of his community. To help the indigenous, he built an estate where he established a pottery shop, a tanning shop, a blacksmith stable, a carpentry store, and a looming shop. In addition, he sent for bees from La Habana and introduced apiculture to the inhabitants of Dolores. In the small town of Dolores, Guanajuato, he organized meetings with the townspeople and taught the farmers to work the land. (http://www.inside-mexico.com/laentrevista2.htm)

c) "Four leaders of the revolution, including Hidalgo y Costilla, Allende, José Mariano Jiménez and Juan Aldama, were held in the Federal Palace of Chihuahua. They were tried for treason, found guilty and executed by firing squad; Allende, Jiménez and Aldama on June 26, 1811 and Hidalgo on July 30, 1811 at Chihuahua's Government Palace." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miguel_Hidalgo)

4. SOURCES

http://www.inside-mexico.com/laentrevista2.htm

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

week 4 project 4c

1. Culture can be defined as all the ways of life including arts, beliefs and institutions of a population that are passed down from generation to generation. Culture has been called the way of life for an entire society.As such, it includes codes of manners, dress, language, religion, rituals, norms of behavior such as law and morality, and systems of belief as well as the art. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture) This fits into our topic because we are learning about the ways of life of a differnt people than our own. We are researching art and artifacts that are specific to a different people in a different time.

2. Denise Thach 3a (http://denise-thach.blogspot.com/)
I learned from Denise that the Mayans were known for their well developed written language in the pre-Columbian Americas. It relates to Freire because he advocated for literacy. This relates to the regions we are studying because the Mayans established themselves in Latin America.

3. Erik Pheiffer 4a (http://srjcintdis4summer08blogspotcom200.blogspot.com/)
I learned from Erik that Dona Marina (La Malinche) was a very significant individual in Mexico history. She was the interpreter for Cortes' during the conquest. He says that without her help they wouldn't have understood the language and probably would have not prospered as well. This is another example tied to Freire, where the use of language to break down a barrier, aided a civilization to prosper. This relates to our topic of study because we are studying the conquest/colonial era of Latin America this week and Cortes was a large part of that era.

week 4 project 4b

1. Juan Patricio Morlete Ruiz’s Virgen de Guadalupe

2. http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.the-american-interest.com/ai2/images/issues/v3/n3/VargasLlosa1-Large.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.the-american-interest.com/ai2/article.cfm%3FId%3D366%26MId%3D17&h=972&w=650&sz=244&hl=en&start=13&um=1&tbnid=kqCW7rfs0ulgSM:&tbnh=149&tbnw=100&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dlatin%2Bamerica%2Bcolonial%2Bera%2Bart%2Bimages%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DX

3. I came across this piece because I had remembered such an image from the Art History course I had taken at the SRJC. It ties to our humanities research because the Virgen de Guadalupe was a very significant figure to Latin America. There is a lot of artwork done with her during the Colonial Era in Latin America.

4. Observation: In this particular piece, I see the Virgen de Guadalupe clothed in robes and adorned with a crown. I see cherubs surrounding her. There are four smaller images within the painting of different people interacting with the Virgen. It is Mexico's most beloved religious and cultural image. The Virgin of Guadalupe is a cultural symbol of significant importance to the Mexican identity. The Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City is the second most visited Roman catholic shrine in the world after the Basilica of Saint Peter in the Vatican(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Our_Lady_of_Guadalupe). It is a painting. The artist, Juan Patricio Morlete Ruiz used a lot of color and smooth, soft brush strokes to create a warm effect. He paid particular attention to the faces of the cherubs and the Virgen.

Interpretation: The artwork is to represent the Virgen de Guadalupe as an important religious symbol to Latin America.

Judgement: I chose this piece because I had remembered it from previous learning and it is a very beautiful painting of the Lady Guadalupe. Also I know she is a very significant figure in history. It sends a very pieceful and Holy message that the Lady Guadalupe watched over the people and protected them. I feel this because I know the religious background behind her. You can see her work in the four small paintings within the painting.

Questioning: The small scenes in the corners depict the story of Juan Diego and his interactions with the Virgin Mary of Guadalupe. I would like to know what each of the four smaller paintings mean. I believe each of them represents something in history or someone the Lady Guadalupe interacted with and I would like to know the story behind them.

Week 4 Project 4a

1. The Colonial Era in Latin America should be considered the region’s formative years: the norms, laws, conflicts and movements of the time were profoundly influential in determining the character of the area today. The Spanish are only the most famous of the European powers that fought over territories and colonies, but the Portuguese, British, Dutch, French and others were also involved. (http://latinamericanhistory.about.com/od/coloniallatinamerica/Latin_American_History_
The_Colonial_Era_15211810.htm)


2. California Missions: Interesting Facts

a. The chain of 21 missions along California's El Camino Real ("The Royal Highway") represent the first arrival of non-Native Americans to California. The missions are: San Diego de Alcalá, San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo, San Antonio de Padua, San Gabriel Arcángel, San Luis Obispo de Tolosa, San Francisco de Asís, San Juan Capistrano, Santa Clara de Asís, San Buenaventura, Santa Bárbara, La Purísima Concepción, Santa Cruz, Nuestra Señora de la Soledad, San José, San Juan Bautista, San Miguel Arcángel, San Fernando Rey de España, San Luis Rey de Francia, Santa Inés, San Rafael Arcángel, San Francisco Solano. (http://missions.bgmm.com/)

b. The Mission closest to us is San Francisco Solano in Sonoma. It is the 21st Mission founded on July 4, 1892, by Father Jose Altimira. It was the only mission founded after Mexico's independence from Spain. (http://missions.bgmm.com/)

c. If the pope ever came to San Diego he would be housed in the mission because it has a basilica, which "after the Roman Empire became officially Christian, the term came by extension to refer to a large and important church that has been given special ceremonial rites by the Pope." ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basilica)


3. I chose this topic because I am interested in California Missions, and I never really learned much about them in school. I would also love to visit each one because I love history and these missions are a very influential part of California history and Latin America history.

In the video 10-year-old Isabelle gives us a tour of the first mission, San Diego de Acala. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3dSbpkWGmo&feature=related.

The website I found was http://missions.bgmm.com/. It is the main website for the California Missions. It gives a brief background on the missions in general and there is an interactive map of California with each mission maped out. If you click on the name of the Mission it takes to you a site that discusses the story behind that Mission.

4. My sources were: http://missions.bgmm.com/ and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3dSbpkWGmo&feature=related

Week 3 Project 3c

Matthew McDonald: Thought 1:
"One very important thing to know about Paulo Freire is that the first chance he had to apply some of his theories, he was able to teach 300 sugarcane workers to read and write. This lead the Brazilian government to create more of these cultural circles around their country. This is very important because literacy was a qualification to be able to vote in presidential elections." (http://mattymcd11.blogspot.com/2008/06/assignment-1b.html)

Comment 1:
I think Matthew has a very good flow of thought here. I had a similar thought, but he put it into better words that makes sense to any reader. The whole idea is that Freire was attempting to help the people break out of oppression and the first step to that is literacy. They can't begin to express concerns or take part in a government that they don't understand or know how to communicate with. Communication is the key aspect. Two people of different languages can have the same ideas and thoughts but are unable to share them without the one common denominator: language.

Jessica Champagne: Thought 2:
Paulo Freire was a very intelligent man, I think one of his important idea/fact was"Nobody starts reading the word; Because the word...What we have to read to our disposal is the World." This I had to read a few times to understand but its a powerful quote that has so much truth to it. (http://jesschampagne.blogspot.com/2008/06/paulo-freire.html)

Comment 2:
I really enjoyed this quote by Paulo Freire because it's complex and reading it after a few weeks has made me think of it in a new light. There is one way to read it, literally, but then there is a deeper meaning to it as well. What is says to me is that we aren't born to read the written word, we don't automatically know how to. But what we do start to "read" as we come to this earth is the world itself and what is and what should be. It is our interpretation of the world that shapes the way we "read".

3b Mayan Art: Woman bloodletting ritual

2. Weblink to Woman bloodletting ritual: http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://library.thinkquest.org/11577/media/mayan2.jpg&imgrefurl=http://library.thinkquest.org/11577/art.htm&h=638&w=938&sz=419&hl=en&start=47&um=1&tbnid=-2D5hWOVbmgOGM:&tbnh=101&tbnw=148&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dmayan%2Bart%26start%3D36%26ndsp%3D18%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN

3. I came across this piece of art by googling images for "Mayan Art". This is a period of art I am very interested in. They have a very recognizable art collection in that the figures have similar facial features. This particular piece pertains to humanities because the bloodletting ritual is a part of the Mayan culture.

4.

Observation: I see Mayan women piercing each other. The subject is on the bloodletting of the Mayan culture. It is a watercolor painting. I notice the artist uses loose brush strokes in the background with loose colors that are vibrant. For the women the artist uses a deep brown color, the skin tone of the Mayan people. The women are very masculine-looking with no particular attention to detail in the faces. There seems to be a distinct similarity in the faces of the women. The women are portrayed as veluptuous with extravagant headpieces. The green is very bold.

Interpretation: The piece is about the traditions and culture of life for Mayan women. It seems to be a group activity among the Mayan women and they all seem to be in harmony. The bloodletting ritual is also done by men, but it appears more painful and barbarrack than the women's version. This seems to be a right of passage for women of a certain age because babies are not seen in the painting. It can be viewed as a bonding ritual between the Mayan women.

Judgement: I chose this particular piece because I felt it portrayed a good example of traditions and culture of the Mayans. I was also curious about the "bloodletting ritual" and what it was and thought I would gain more knowledge on this topic if I studied the art. It makes me curious as to what type of ritual this is. It makes me think that they were very tied to their culture and their way of life because of the way they all sit around and perform this ritual many times over. It makes me happy, because it makes me compare it to womanly rituals in our culture, maybe not bloodletting, but soicalizing and being of one with body, mind, and spirit. I can see the similarities between our two cultures, because even though there are no words, a pictures says so much more about the bonding and closeness these women are experiencing. I feel this way because this is how I have been raised in my own culture and this is my perspective on the piece as to how I have been raised and taught.

Questioning: I know that this painting is of women piercing themselves for a bloodletting ritual. What I would like to know is what the "bloodletting ritual" consists of. I wonder if they left the piercings in and how they used the piercings for cultural markings. I would like to know who painted it, what they used to paint it with, when it was painted, if they were painting from live art or imagination.

3a

1. "Pre-Columbian" is the history of the American Indigenous people before the European influence when Christopher Columbus and his people came to America, the late 15th to the early 16th century. It is the period between 14,000 B.P. - 1492 CE and later. It pertains to the Mezoamerica and the Andes, which are the Azteca and Maya, and Inca, Moche, Chibcha, and Canaris, respectively. Many of these civilizations were non-existent by time the Columbian period arrived and are known only by archaeological investigations (From answers.com)

5. Aztec

I chose this topic because the Aztecs have always been of interest to me since grade school when we did a brief report on them. I have always desired to travel to Teotihuacan to see the cities that I have so many times seen on the History Channel.

Sources used:

a) Video for Aztec (Teotihuacan) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7nbKa5__XM
This video gives a brief history of Teotihuacan and shows images from the ruined city. It also uses music that is significant to the Aztec culture.
b)Search engine for Aztec: http://archaeology.about.com/od/aztecarchaeology/a/aztec_sg_3.htm
This website gives brief information on several different topics regarding the Aztecs; such as economics, population, language, trades and market, warfare, rituals and art, and many others.

6. Interesting Facts on Aztec

In the video clip I learned that Teotihuacan is the city "where men become Gods", and it is the place where "Gods gathered to plan the creation of man". I also learned that the building of the city began in 300 BC and the Pyramid of the Sun was built in 150 BC. The city reached it's zenith @ 150-450 AD and it became the center of the culture. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7nbKa5__XM)

Also in the video clip I learned that the city of Teotihuacan covered 30 square km with a population of 200,000. The main avenue of the city was named "Avenue of the Dead". The city was known as a place of pilgramage. In 750 AD the city was burned due to invasion or rebellion. ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7nbKa5__XM)

"Cortes reported that he found a large market system in place in the Aztec capital city, where 60,000 people came to trade goods. During the Aztec Empire (1325-1520), the distribution of goods was so widespread that many of the materials traded were mass-produced in villages. A long-trade exchange system was in place throughout the Aztec Empire, with professional traders called pochteca carrying goods such as bird feathers, cacao beans and, most importantly, information." (http://archaeology.about.com/od/aztecarchaeology/a/aztec_sg_3.htm)

7.Sources:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7nbKa5__XM
This is a credible source because it was recommended by our instructor and it has relevant and factual historical facts.

http://archaeology.about.com/od/aztecarchaeology/a/aztec_sg_3.htm
This is a credible source because it is a well known site for information. About.com is a popular search engine that is published by The New York Times Company.