Blog #8: What is Art?

As in most art classes the latter section is devoted towards art produced during the last section of the 20th century. At this point in time my soul rebels towards the images I am exposed to as I have a very difficult time to relate to many (but not all) of these pieces. I understand that the artists themselves are reaching towards new forms of expression including their own psyche, their culture, and issues in their societies at the same times as "revolutionary'' techniques and modes of expression are attempted. In my personal opinion these artists often fail. Of course, this can easily be linked to my own lack of understanding of the messages. At the same time I can relate more easily with prehistoric images in deep recesses of caves in France, to Greek vase paintings, to Gothic sculptures within enormous cathedrals, to Boticelli's strange (but symbolically mesmerizing) assemblages of pregnant women and mythic figures in woodland settings even though immense barriers of time and culture separate me from them. I wonder why? In this class I have felt the same awe and interest as we have encountered Toltec heads, the picturesque paintings and lately reaching the realistic and psychological depths of Rivera, Kahlo and their contemporaries. Now, reaching into modern expression I face issues with recognizing these pieces as art. The overall question is perhaps what art really is, which would bring me into a deep pool of everlasting reflections and commentaries.

In chapter 13 I encountered the best of Latin American artist (or is this simply the personal views of Ades?). Francisco Toledo is praised by Ades as an artist that "takes as his subject the fauna of Mexico, and of America as a whole, and brings together the contrasting modes of natural history and myth." "Among his most elaborate works is the extraordinarily elaborate set of prints in which he treats 'history' as a lizard" [Ades 13.16-19]. I view these pieces as grade school expressions of history and nature and find no redeeming qualities whatsoever in them. I ponder why Toledo has reached such fame and why he is included in this text? As an another example I wish to put forward Santiago Cardenas Arroyo's Blackboard with Frame from 1983 (oil on linen) [Ades 13.27]. The image shows a black canvas with whispers of cloud like entities and streaks of light against the black background. What is this? Or Oswaldo Viteri's Eye of the Light [Ades 13.26]? Is this a Latin American version of Finding Waldo?

I will stop now, but I have difficulties in finding redeeming qualities in the expressions of these artists. I find that their techniques are lacking, they are reaching towards non-conformity and are not conveying anything of interest except to themselves. Even the latter is hard to understand as the image means nothing to me except for wondering why this artist is renowned?
With such a reflection I return to where I started with the complexity of the question of what art really is? An expression of an artist? As simple as that? Why not? Does it really have to relate to the viewer or the culture as a whole? Perhaps that is why I am having a hard time with these pieces? A disconnection of some kind? The piece below, made by a chimpanzee, has as many redeeming qualities in artistic expression as the pieces I mentioned above (at least in my opinion and except for the Greek vase painting). Do you like it? Is it expressive? What does it mean? Can we as viewers find a stronger connection to the human artists as the one made by a chimpanzee? If so, why? After all, we are all primates.

Did you know that the chimpanzee artist refuses to add anything to the picture after a certain point! It is quite interesting how she is so determined to consider her piece complete. I wonder what her image is about....? I ask the same question about the other pieces as well.....

Blog #7: Expressing the Depth of One's Life

As we approach the art of Frida Kahlo (after the turmoil of the murals movement) I feel as if we have entered very different waters, calm and immensely deep. The images in the voice thread and the numerous other pieces of her made me reflect on the connections between reality, i.e. the life we live, and how it can be expressed through art. It almost seems as if Kahlo is putting forward a force linked to deep self-analysis in terms of psychotherapy. Her images seem so full of inner forces, currents and experiences, which powerfully reach outward through the surfaces of her paintings. Still, I suspect that her works had more meaning to herself compared to our impressions as viewers. Did she paint for herself? As a necessary force to to live and survive as a creative artist? She seems to be removed from the influencing force of commissions and commercialism which are often necessary aspects of being an artist. Was she truly so financially independent?

I fully admit not knowing enough about her life beyond her accident as a teenager and her stormy marriage with Rivera. Her paintings speak for themselves in the monumental attribute to her rich inner life and experiences. Every time I see one of her paintings my thoughts go towards what she must have experienced that would lead to such deep psychological self-expression in her art. From a broader point of view I wish to take this aspect with me as I study art, i.e. to never forget about the life and reality of the artist and the deep currents that move within us as human beings. After all, we can just attempt to understand the personal layers that artists embed within their art.

Frida Kahlo's life definitely calls for a further examination. It would be fascinating to have a class that focuses on perhaps, let's say six artists, in depth, reading biographies and examining their art in juxtaposition to the trajectory of their lives, don't you think? The photos we have available from Kahlo's life make me reflect about her unique reality and her mesmerizing art. Kahlo is truly an enigma.

Blog #6: Revolutions, Creativity, Turmoil and Art

As we approach the Mural Movement in Mexico, my thoughts wander to how changes in society tend to create enormous ripples in the way people, and of course, artists, view the world. Just like language is an expression of perceiving the world, art can be viewed as its visual counterpart. A revolution changes many of the values in the society: a shift in the economy, the political values, the social hierarchy, the interactions between people. In its turmoil and its aftermath, new connections are made between all the strata of society. New strange winds blow over the consciousness of a nation bringing new life to the art created within the society.

Diego Rivera is an outstanding example of an artist that had the ability to perceive the world in a new way. His art is truly amazing in its choice of motives and the individuals he depicts. Rivera also put his subjects forward to the viewer in a very new way filled with symbolism of his society and culture.







His work puts forward a new view: People from all walks of life accented by rough lines and bright colors. Symbols of the internal world of his mind merged with the society he lives within. In a similar fashion his partner Frida Kahlo brought forward nuances of her spirit and world that are now immortal in their uniqueness.





Are revolutions, and artists that grow up and experience these types of ripples, always connected to a shift in the creative flow of the arts? Do the turmoil in society always cause a shift in the arts? In a sense we have already witnessed such a major change in Mexico in the acculturation of the indigenous people with the Spaniards and the centuries that followed. Of course, in this case art merging in quite a different fashion. During the 20th century one can examine art produced in China as well as in the Soviet Union after the revolutions.

Of course, the political symbols are many. One aspect about Rivera's art in Mexico is that it appears to be more personal compared to the extreme political symbolism in the art from China and the former Soviet Union. An example from the latter is the painting to the right made by Valentina Kulagina in 1930 (just 13 years after the Russian Revolution). It is of course an image to bolster the defense effort of the nation, but the style is quite different compared to tradition in its exaggerated block-like depictions of the walking workers which transform as they move. A shift in perception has occurred and one may always wonder about the reasons and the minds of the viewers in these situations. However, it is possible that my own cultural lens blocks my ability to see beyond the paintings. What is clear is that every revolution changes the course of the arts in a new, and often, unpredictable fashion.

Las Venas Abiertas de America Latina

This class, its readings and blogs have inspired me to reread an amazing history book. It is called "Open Veins of Latin America - five centuries of the pillage of a continent" by Eduardo Galeano. It covers the time span from the contact with the Spaniards and the Portuguese with a focus on the social oppression and disintegration of the indigenous people. It is very well written covering disturbing events as one learns about the exploitation of the people in the name of greed and riches. It reaches deep into one's soul with its disturbing content. At the same time I feel as if this is a very important book and highly recommend it to anyone remotely interested in the history of Latin America. The book provides an amazing foundation for making connections between the present and the past within this disturbing mosaic of history. Read it!

Blog #5: New Spain and Globalization - Ode to Brenner

As I was reading the chapter from Anita Brenner's book "Idols Behind Altars" I was struck by the historical narrative she produced so elegantly in very few pages. Sometimes I felt as if it was a symphony of words expressing the dance of time filled with people - lives encountering each other caught in the wild currents of time. She is very descriptive in a rich and poetic language as she unfolds the rich cultural history of Mexico. At times her narrative is extremely dense in her unfolding of life. In an early portion of the chapter she depicts the numerous connections New Spain was making with the rest of the world at the time. She speaks of materials reaching the area all the way from China (tiles and laquers, bronzes, and shawls) used in the local craft. People of different disciplines, oppression and motivation (architects, philosophers, slaves from Africa, merchants, adventurers, Jews expelled from Spain) arrived from Europe and Africa. Truly she is depicting a new world boiling in cultural influences and goods providing a foundation for a shift in viewing the world from both a social and artistic viewpoint. The passage made me think about our current time as globalization has been a pertinent and trendy topic of discussion over the last decade. Just like New Spain (at least in the cities and ports) was a focus for the blending of cultures, art, and trade goods we now experience a similar phenomenon on a global scale. The era of New Spain led to a new culture incorporating two major paths into one in a process of acculturation that is still taking place. I wonder if our time has given rise to something similar all across the world - cultures, people and languages are blending on a global scale. What will all these focal points of blending give rise to? Conflicts, harmony, understanding, war, a revolution in the arts and sciences, disease and mayhem, a new global culture? Only time will tell, but the world has become smaller and just like New Spain we are now experiencing the ripples and quakes of the blending contact of different cultural and economic currents. May it be for the better....

Blog #4: A Source of Beauty and Imagination - The Arts in Latin America, 1492-1820

After reading the assigned NPR article on the exhibit on the colonial art in Latin America I went on a quest to find out more about this reflection from the past. Some initial disappointments ultimately made me understand that a compilation of the exhibited art had been published recently. Google even gave a preview of the book (please explore http://tinyurl.com/cxjh7r for an adventure). As I turned the pages I came across piece after piece that captured my imagination in terms of both the embedded beauty as well as the complexity involved in making these pieces. I do not quite understand how these pieces are in the hidden corners of the surveys of art history. In theory one can go through one's life here in the United States and never come across these creations. Why is that? Why is our education in arts and history so selective and myopic in its scope? We focus on US history from 1650 and onwards and seem to forget about the rest of the world in so many ways in the realms of cultures, art, history, literature, film making and so much more. The pages of "The Arts in Latin America" are filled with gems: paintings, textiles, feather crafts, woodwork and sculptures. Look at this chalice (13 inches) from the 16th century (1575) made of silver, boxwood, feathers and rock crystal. An amazing piece. Or what about the miter (below) made of feathers glued onto parchment from the 16th century? The more I read and discover about the artists that used feathers in their creations the more intrigued I become. This is especially true in the pieces that merge the craft of the Aztecs with the colonial suppression and the catholic faith. In terms of faith many of the more religious pieces have a stark and powerful beauty that grabs one's attention. Consider the Ecco Homo statue from the 16th century below. It is made of the pith of the corn stalk that the indigenous people used to make statues of their deities. Here it is transformed into a symbol of Catholic faith with an unnerving reach into the New Testament. Now I am finding myself in a case of serendipity in my journey to have discovered these pieces of art that have been born in so much pain and terror under the cloak of conquest and oppression and in turn traveled through centuries so we can behold them. Now we can treasure them and attempt to understand the forces that brought them to life.

La Otra Conquista

This is not blog 4 (just a spontaneous entry). I happened to come across an excellent film called 'The Other Conquest" ("La Otra Conquista") that takes place during the years when Cortes just has taken over Tenochtitlan. Its main topic is the clash of cultures, the extreme differences in the approach to the world, and the dynamics of the interactions. One gets to experience both sides very well. The Aztec culture is well depicted including a sacrifice early on in the film. It is conveyed very well in terms of the contrast in the faith systems. There are many images that juxtaposes the Aztec art and rituals with the Virgin of the Catholic church as the narrative unfolds in all its beauty and horror. The movie stirs my mind and I have a feeling of that it will stay with me for a long time to come. I highly recommend it as it covers terrain that is the core of what we have been studying for the last few weeks. An excellent film filled with creativity and a mirror to our past.

Blog #3 - Can We See Through Time?

This week I really gained some new insight into the clash of cultures occurring as the Spaniards encountered the Aztecs and the indigenous people as well as the responses in this historical maelstrom. The lecture on the use of different elements in art that allowed cultures to co-exist bringing in symbols in the terms of juxtaposition, syncretism and convergence were enlightening. They have triggered thoughts about the world of art over all and how much of these types of elements that exist. It makes me want to go back and look closer at other pieces of art to try to discover more of what artists incorporate with a hidden meaning. It also makes me realize that even though I try my best I will always be impaired by having a cultural lens opaque from the impact of the time that has passed and the culture blends that have been embedded in my own mind and perspective. How does one break through such barriers to see the hidden meanings? Is this what brings the mystery and the ever changing perspective as one tries to view pieces of art in the context of their own culture, times and places. How do we build a lens of clarity that allows us to see across the gap of time and to understand such art?

Blog#2 - The Conquest of the Aztecs

It is sobering to take in the culture and art of the people that lived in meso-America as represented by their art and mythology as well as the first-hand accounts of the Spaniards that encountered the civilization during the 15th century. I am struggling with trying to take in the time line, the different people living throughout the current area as well as the complex pieces of art that represent them. I sense that the monumental architecture is relatively well preserved, but I wonder, and suspect, that the numerous pieces of art we are taking in is but a fraction of the ones that existed five hundred years ago. I wonder what powerful pieces of art that have forever disappeared into the cracks of time? Regardless, one of the things I am picking up in this segment in the class is my own difficulty in relating to the religious, ritualistic and symbolic aspects of the art. It is beautiful and intricate, but gives me a sense of incomprehensibility. I would like to learn more of the daily life of the Aztecs as well as their mythology in order to understand their art better.


As I was watching the film of the Aztecs I finally understood the impact of the politics of the Aztecs as they ruled over their neighbors. I had always wonder how Cortes and his men (even in the light of being perceived as gods) could manage to take over a whole culture so quickly. Even with the Machiavellian cleverness and brutality that Cortes represented it seemed as an impossibility to accomplish such a goal. However, with the hostility towards the Aztecs that had been brewing in the surrounding people it makes sense that allies were important. The numerous diseases that spread throughout the country is a known entity as this has been put forward very strongly in studies on populations of native Americans in North America. It has been stated that population levels fell strongly in tribes far away from the Europans, so it is understandable that these European germs had such a strong impact on the Aztecs and the surrounding people. It it is mind numbing to consider how a civilization of this caliber fell as a small cohort of Spaniards entered its capital.


My mind wandered towards the beauty that must have been Tenochtitlan as a city surrounded by water, marshes and canals. I wish we could step into a time machine just for a moment....

Blog#1 - Three Pieces of Art

'Nike': I fell in love with this piece the first time I saw it. To me the sculpture pulsates with beauty and mystery. The delicate movement of her hand; the ripples in her cloth so skillfully made giving rise to shadows playing over her body; the active movement in her body almost makes it a snapshot that has lasted through time. As I gaze at this wondrous sculpture the absence of her head makes me wonder about her face, who she was. I wonder about the people that has passed by this sculpture back in Greece when it still had a head and most likely was painted in bright colors. It is simply beautiful and I must admit that I have loved the piece since the first time I saw it. It brings out the mystery of life and the immensity of time. Both of these aspects bring out wonder in me and perhaps represent my wish to immerse myself in the mystery of time itself?

'Lady of Shallot' by William Hunt. This painting has been in my mind's eye for many years. My perception of the image represents the weaving of life - the power of making and fitting the pieces together in a complex web. The Lady herself is beautiful in her movement in the midst of the sparkling colors of the painting. Her hair is suspended in wild locks radiating the power of contemplation. I think it represents my belief in beauty as a force of life. There is also a touch of magic in the painting perhaps representing the wish for such invisible strings to exist in our scheduled modern lives?

'Birthday' by Marc Chagall. The painting represents the transcendence of a moment, of being happy of being two, of being both - moments that lift two individuals into a new realm. It reveals my own belief in that it is possible to build strength with another, to form bonds and bring forward a new reality together. There is much power in Chagall's image.