Film Blog – Scent of a Woman

One of my favorite movies of all times is Scent of a Woman, which starts Al Pacino and Chris O’Donnel in a story where a retired and blind Lt. Colonel (Pacino) spends a weekend filled with adventures and life lessons with a young student from a boarding school.  The screenplay was adapted by Bo Goldman from the novel Darkness and Honey by Giovanni Arpino and from the 1974 screenplay by Ruggero Maccari and Dino Risi.  Directed by Martin Brest, this 1992 film was very successful at giving its viewers a lesson in ethics and loyalty.  The movie takes us through a story where Charlie Simms lies to the Headmaster of his boarding school, and expects to be expelled for not snitching on his friends.  Charlie was bribed in order to turn in those responsible for playing a prank on the Headmaster, but refuses to do in so and keep his integrity.  

 

This is my favorite scene from this movie, the camera shot is great here since we go from Mr. Trask and Pacino back and forward as they talk.  Also, once the camera zooms in on Pacino’s face we notice that everything around him gets really blurry, symbolizing the fact that he is not able to see.  

 

 

This scene is a turning point in the movie since it gives Charlie (O’Donnell) a look inside Frank’s life (Pacino) and how lonely he really is.  It is also a turning point where Frank defends Charlie and you start to see the two care for each other.

 

 

This Scene show Gabrielle Anwar, who has a very small role in the movie get Frank to have fun and show his softer side.  Her nice, easy going attitude cheers Frank up after a rough day and gets him up and enjoying life.  “The day we stop looking, is the day we die.”  I hope you have a chance to watch the whole movie, I recommend it.

 

 

Sources Used:

Over Thinking It, The Ethics of Scent of a Woman.  Overthinkingit.com. Web. 01/08/2009

http://www.overthinkingit.com/2009/01/08/the-ethics-of-scent-of-a-woman/

 

Film Review, Scent of a Woman.  Spiritualityandpractice.com.  Web.  n/a

http://www.spiritualityandpractice.com/films/films.php?id=6149

 

Time out, Scent of a Woman.  Timeout.com.  Web. n/a

http://www.timeout.com/london/film/scent-of-a-woman

 

Contemporary Virtual Exhibit – “Pop History”

Welcome to a great exhibit that I like to call Pop History.  Through this exhibit, we will explore Pop Art  along with the mixture of historical characters ( real and fictional) and their use in what we call Pop Art.  We will be viewing works from James Rosenquist, Andy Warhol, and Ron English.  Please enjoy, and feel free to contact our Curator Erick Anez with any questions regarding our artist and their exhhibits.

 

Our first artist is Mr. James Rosenquist, born on November 29, 1933 in Grand Forks, North Dakota.  He was born in North Dakota, and grew up as an only child. His parents were, Louis and Ruth Rosenquist, which happened to be amateur pilots and moved from town to town to look for work. His mother, who was also a painter, encouraged him to have an artistic interest. In junior high school, Rosenquist won a short-term scholarship to study at the Minneapolis School of Art and subsequently studied painting at the University of Minnesota from 1952 to 1954. In 1955, at the age of 21, he moved to New York City on scholarship to study at the Art Students League.

Works on display:

Leaky Ride for Dr. Leakey (1983)

Rosenquist’s large canvases combine partial views and fragments of objects and images. The artist thinks this is like the way we see things in life: “Take a walk through midtown Manhattan and you will see the back of a girl’s legs and then you see out of the corner of your eye a taxi. . . . So—the legs, the car—you see parts of things.”  This pairing takes everyday items, and bends their real form to fit into a masterpiece that makes you stop and think on how the components while different, compliment each other to create a cohesive piece.

 

Our second artist is Mr. Andy Warhol, who was one of the most important artists of pop art, which became extremely popular in the second half of the twentieth century. he is best remembered for his paintings of Campbell’s soup cans, he also created hundreds of other works including commercial advertisements and films.

Works on display:

Albert Einstein (1980)

 

Edward Kennedy (1980)

 

Jimmy Carter (1976)

We can see by these paintings that Andy Warhol was inspired by the times in which he lived, and felt that everyday objects and people were art and should be portrayed as such. His art is Colorful, innovative, modern, and instantly recognizable across ages and cultures.

 

Our last artist is Mr. Ron English, who is a true innovator.  born in Texas  in 1960, Mr. English is certainly one of the most controversial mid-career artists on the contemporary art scene. As a painter musician and photographer, Mr. English believes that there is life beyond the borders of the flat canvas

Works on display:

Michael’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (2008)

Why is Michael replacing Paul?? is it because Michael now owns The Beatles’ catalog and is no longer friends with Paul?

Abraham Obama (2008)

Without President Lincoln’s achievements, we would never have seen President Barack Obama.

 

Comic Washington ( 2011 )

Some of us only see our first President as a one dollar bill, which is worth just as much as a piece of paper from a comic strip, this shows the meaning of the disconnect some of us have towards our own history.

 

 

Sources Used:

The Collection, James Rosenquist.  Moma.org. Web. n/a

http://www.moma.org/collection/artist.php?artist_id=5021

 

Art Museums, James Rosenquist: A Retrospective.  Cityreview.com. Web. n/a

http://www.thecityreview.com/rosenq.html

 

Doubletake Gallery, Andy Warhol.  Doubletakeart.com. Web. n/a

http://www.doubletakeart.com/cgi-bin/dtg/dtg.psearch?l=17018704407611082238&st=&ss=&sr=2d&lty=l&pg=0

 

Juxtapoz, The Life and Times of Ron English: Part I.  Juxtapoz.com. Web. n/a

http://www.juxtapoz.com/current/the-life-and-times-of-ron-english-part-i

The Influence of African Americans and The Harlem Renaissance

The Early Modern area shows us a great deal of African American influences especially in music and the visual arts.  Shortly after World War I, African Americans began to move from the South to industrial cities such as New York City, Washington DC, and Chicago in order to seek new artistic and economic opportunities.  African Americans were encouraged to celebrate their heritage and become “The New Negro”.  Harlem became the epicenter of a movement where artists, writers, and musicians gathered and sparked the movement which appealed not only to African Americans, but to all races.  Artists Aaron Douglas painting’s such as Study for God’s Trombones (1922 Harlem NY) show the style of the movement, which show a combination of watermark colors and shadow like figures.  This painting shows us a man who seems to be slaved and trying to break from his shackles, this to me not only symbolizes the struggles faced by African Americans during slavery, but also shows a man trying to break out of the shackles of traditional art to create its own identity.

Aaron Douglas Study for God’s Trombones (1934)

My favorite part of this movement is the music, which brought a mix of big band, blues, and jazz together to create wonderful lively masterpieces that we still enjoy today.  The orchestras that came out of the African American influence were not your traditional orchestras, they made you want to get up and dance with quick and exciting beats and interesting bass notes that touched the soul along with wonderful Gospel inspired type of lyrics, paving the way for future artists such as James Brown, Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder, and many many more.  

One of my favorite pieces of this music is Duke Ellington & his Orchestra Bundle of Blues (1933 New York City) – Follow Link.  Another timeless artist from this era is Louis Armstrong, who with his raspy voice and wonderful trumpet playing created classics as Dinah (1925 Pittsburg PA)  and later on, one of my favorite songs What a Wonderful World.  This era also brought us Stride Piano, which is a style for playing jazz that was developed in New York during 1920s and 1930s.  This style places the chord on the downbeat and bass notes on the upbeat and can be played in a wide range of tempos with an emphasis on improvisation.  A great player of this style was Thomas “Fats” Waller who created great pieces such as Smarty (1937 New York City).  I hope you guys enjoy the music I’ve attached here as much as I do.

Here is a great example of Stride Piano and the influence of African American music, dance, and painting. This is a clip from the movie Blues Brothers (one of my favorites) it shows one of my favorite Stride players, the late Ray Charles.  Also observe the murals, which resemble the art of Aaron Douglas.  Keep in mind this is not an example of the Harlem Renaissance, but rather an example of its effects on modern society such as this Stevie Wonder rendition of Ray Charle’s Hallelujah I Love Her So with orchestra backing.  Enjoy!!!

Duke Ellington

Louis Armstrong

 

Fats Waller

 

Sources Used:

Academy of American Poets, A Brief Guide to the Harlem Renaissance.  poets.org. Web. n/a

http://www.poets.org/poetsorg/text/brief-guide-harlem-renaissance

 

History, Harlem Renaissance, The History Channel.  History.com. Web 10/1991

http://www.history.com/topics/black-history/harlem-renaissance

 

Drop Me Off In Harlem, Faces of the Harlem Renaissance.  Artsedge.kennedy-center.org.  Web. n/a

http://artsedge.kennedy-center.org/interactives/harlem/faces/aaron_douglas.html

 

Impressionism……Love it!!!

So the question is, Impressionism love it or hate it?  I love it!!  Impressionism is an art movement that originated in Paris in the 19th century.  The name of the style derives from Claude Monet’s Soleil Levant ( Impression, Sunrise) artwork as reviewed by critic Louis Leroy in a satirical review.  Impressionist painters new techniques to show movement, candid poses, and lighting expressed in bright colors.

 

Claude Monet, Impression Sunrise ( 1873)

In Monet’s Impression Sunrise we can see the sun and it’s contrast against both the water below and the clouds above which show the transitory effects of light and weather ( the favorite subject matter for impressionist painters.)  The reason why I say I love impressionism is because this is when art began to focus on other subject matters outside of history, religion, and classical antiquities.  This truly makes nearly every person that looks at the artwork have their own meaning about the painting, since no history event or religious figure is painted here.

 

Claude Monet, La Promenade, La femme a l’ombrelle (1875)

This is another of my favorite pieces by Monet, the painting is Monet’s wife and son taking a walk on a Sunday morning.  I enjoy the lighting in this piece and the way that the lady casts a shadow over the grass and how her dress appears to become part of the clouds.  I also enjoy the way the umbrella changes the lighting on the lady’s face and we see darker colors in comparison to that of the boy.

If we compare Monet’s work with Northern Rennaissance painter Hans Baldung’s Saint John on Patmos (1511) we see the difference in lighting and the way that the outdoors are depicted.  Monet’s paintings seem realistic, a good comparison is for those that wear glasses ( myself included) when we forget our glasses and go out into the world, we see everything a bit blurry but are able to make out color, place, and subject matter.  This is the best way I could explain a Monet piece since saying blurry alone just doesn’t cut it.  When we look at Baldung’s painting, everything is as clear as day but it does not seem realistic, why??  I believe is the lighting, color, and subject matters displaying a very “cartoonish” appearance, the detail alone does not make it seem real.  This is why I enjoy Impressionism and can count myself part of the group that its not just ok with it, but part of the group that loves it.

Hans Baldung, Saint John on Patmos (1511)

 

Do you want to paint like Monet??  See this video to learn how.

 

Sources used:

Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History, Saint John on Patmos, The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Metmuseum.org. Web. 11/2013

http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/1983.451

Impressionism.  Wikipedia.org.  Web 7/12/2014

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

Color Vision & Art, Claude Monet’s Impression Sunrise.  Webexhibits.org. Web. n/a

http://www.webexhibits.org/colorart/monet.html

Painting All, Claude Monet- The Walk – Woman with a Parasol. Paintingall.com.  Web. n/a  

 http://www.paintingall.com/oscar-claude-monet-the-walk-woman-with-a-parasol.html

Art and The American Revolution

The American Revolution takes root in the dissatisfaction of the American Colonist with the Stamp Act set by the British, resulting in high taxes. This discontent along with colonist having to house British troops, lead to the Declaration of Independence. Painter John Trumbull was an American artist during the Revolutionary War and was known for his historical paintings. His most famous piece of art is his Declaration of Independence (1817) which shows the committee designated to draft the Declaration of Independence, presenting their draft to the Second Continental Congress. This Painting strikes me as a very symbolic piece of American History, and now sits in the Rotunda of our Capitol. We also see an additional 9 delegates which represent the nine colonies that voted for the independence from Britain. This painting also shows, Thomas Jefferson stepping on the foot of John Adam’s who some believe it symbolizes the rivalry between the two.  This painting is also used on the back of our $2 bill.

 

 

Another great piece of art by Trumbull is the painting of General George Washington Resigning His Commission (1822) which shows the scene on December 23, 1783 when George Washington resigned as commander in chief of the Continental Army.  My favorite part of this painting is the symbolism of the empty chair draped in a cloak, which shows how Washington was leaving his power behind and becoming a part of the military without being their commander.  We also see him in uniform along side other military men to reflect his new role.

 

Lastly my favorite artwork from Trumbull is the Surrender of Lord Cornwallis (1820) which shows the surrender of the British army in 1781.  What I like about this painting is the stormy clouds representing the war between the Americans and the British, and the long line of British soldiers (Red Coats) extending far into the background of the painting.  We also see American General Lincoln on his horse extending his hand towards the sword of the surrendering British soldier.  We also see General George Washington, American troops, and French troops present for the surrender.    I enjoyed the placement of the American flag which seems to be opening up the dark sky.

 

 

We can see how the revolution inspired each of these three artworks, and the symbolism used to show emotion, power, and the foundation of what will ultimately become the United States of America.  Please enjoy this video that talks how the visual record of the revolution can be gained by looking at the artwork of John Trumbull.  

Music from the American Revolution can still be heard today, and it is recognizable by all us, remember Yankee Doodle?  here is a bit of history on our beloved song.  Enjoy!!

 

Sources Used:

Explore Capitol Hill, General George Washington Resining His Commission. Aoc.gov. Web.02/05/2014

http://www.aoc.gov/capitol-hill/historic-rotunda-paintings/general-george-washington-resigning-his-commission

Explore Capitol Hill, Declaration of Independence. aoc.gov.  Web 02/10/2014 http://www.aoc.gov/capitol-hill/historic-rotunda-paintings/declaration-independence

Explore Capitol Hill, Surrender of Lord Cornwallis. aoc.gov.  Web 02/05/2014 http://www.aoc.gov/capitol-hill/historic-rotunda-paintings/surrender-lord-cornwallis

Surrender of Lord Cornwallis. Wikipedia.org.  Web 04/01/2014 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surrender_of_Lord_Cornwallis

Baroque Era – El Greco

 

 

 

Domenikos Theotokoupolos or “El Greco” was born at Candia in 1541 and moved to Toledo Spain in about 1575.  El Greco painted The Disrobing of Christ for the Toledo Cathedral between 1577 and 1579 known in Toledo as El Espolio.  This translate to Christ stripped of his Raiment.  This work is connected to the Council of Trent in that it tells the story of Christ’s crucifixion in order to counter the Protestant threat by using clarity, realism, and emotion.  According to the Museo Nacional del Prado ” This painting depicts the moment when Christ has ascended to Calvary and is stripped of his clothes before being nailed to the cross.”  This painting shows Christ looking up to the heavens dressed in red which makes us focus our attention on him.  The facial expressions of Christ and those around  him show us the intensity of the moment just before he was crucified.  We also see Christ extending his hand over the person getting the cross ready as if to pardon him for his actions.  This painting not also tells a story from the bible, but also connects the emotions of that moment and makes it clear and real that Christ’s crucifixion was an intense moment in history.

When we look at Rennaisance paintings of Chrit’s cruxificion, we often see the paintings portrayed as stories of angels.  If we look at 

Durer’s Christ at the Cross we see Mary, Peter and those surrounding Christ with Halos as to symbolize their faith and commitment to Christ.  In El Greco’s Version, we see Christ and those around him as normal people, which makes a much better realistic and emotional connection.

Durer’s Christ at the Cross

 

Please enjoy this video of El Greco’s paintings and how it influenced painters such as Picasso.

 

Sources used:

One of El Greco’s great masterpieces, The Disrobing of Christ, is enhancing the Museum’s collection.  Museodelprado.es. Web. 10/28/2013  https://www.museodelprado.es/en/press/news/news/volver/72/actualidad/el-museo-del-prado-enriquece-temporalmente-su-coleccion-incorporando-una-de-las-obras-capitales-de/

The Creation of Adam & Humanism

 

The Creation of Adam is a painting by Michelangelo, who was one of the most famous Italian Renaissance painters, sculptors, architects, and engineers. This painting shows great humanism and shows us how Michelangelo saw the creation of man.  The Book of Genesis tells us how God created man:

Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.

If we play close attention to the detail of Adam, we can see that he possesses a “perfect” body that is proportionate and he looks like a younger version of God, since God wanted man to mirror his image.  Another very important factor of humanism used here, aside from the great attention to the physiological aspect of Adam and God is the expression of Adam.  The expression shown here by Adam shows us a few things, the first is that of innocence since he is yet to commit sins.  The other expression here is how Adam and God acknowledge each other through visual contact and seem to have an unspoken agreement that man will rule the earth.

This Great painting shows the great use of humanism during the Renaissance, and it is my favorite out of all the subjects we have studied this semester.  Please also enjoy this video of the Creation of Adam.

Erick.

 

Sources:

The Sixth Day: Creatures on Land. Biblehub.com. Genesis 1:27. Web. 6/10/2014  http://biblehub.com/genesis/1-27.htm

Michelangelo. The Creation of Adam.1541. Sistine Chapel, Rome.“Google Images”. 10 June 2014.

Intro……..HELLO!!!!!

Hello, everyone.

My name is Erick Anez, I am a student at the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) majoring in Emergency Management & Homeland Security.  I reside in sunny Palm Beach Gardens Florida and absolutely love my life here, my wife and I bought our first house a year ago and have made it into a home.  I am originally from Venezuela, I moved to Florida at the age of 7 and have lived in the states ever since.  My wife and I lived in Cleveland Ohio for a bit over a year, in order for me to complete some training for my current job and did not adjust well to the cold weather ( I’m sure my UAF classmates will feel no sympathy for me…..)  I am an operations manager for a financial institution with an emphasis on business continuity, I enjoy my job and hope to establish a consulting firm in the future in order to practice my passion.  My relationship to art has sadly diminished over the years, my mom used to take my brother and I to art museums, and theater plays as kids, but as we got older we do not frequently attend these events as we once did.  I love music, and have been playing guitar for many years now.  I can honestly say that I enjoy every type of music and my ipod is a mixture of genres and artists in the music industry.  I look forward to this course and learning much more about the arts……..

Take a moment to take a look at this video, is a good representation of the music I like to listen to with a Floridian vibe.  Enjoy!!

 

P.S.  The picture attached was taken in Peru a few years back, I love to travel and would encourage any of you thinking about visiting Machu Pichu to do so.