blog #3

This week's reading about the mestizo painters' response to colonial art was fascinating to me. I have always thought it is amazing how much power is held in religious symbolism, not only in the art world, but also in literature, and even in the daily life of the common person (religious or not). The Virgin Mary in particular holds great significance for a wide range of people, especially in the Latino culture. I wanted to share the beginning of this poem, "The Latin Deli: An Ars Poetica," by Ortiz Cofer:
"Presiding over a formica counter,
plastic Mother and Child magnetized
to the top of an ancient register,
the heady mix of smells from the open bins
of dried codfish, the green plantains
hanging in stalks like votive offerings,
she is the Patroness of Exiles,
a woman of no-age who was never pretty,
who spends her days selling canned memories
while listening to the Puerto Ricans complain..."

Though I am not Latina, or religious, I can see the importance of this strong and comforting symbol to a struggling, displaced culture. In fact, I am constantly surrounded by the effects of this symbol as I walk through my home that is filled with images of Christ and the Virgin Mary. After reading the section about the mestizo twist on the Madonna, I went downstairs to get a bowl of cereal and had to stop and take a closer look at the forty-some statuettes of Mary displayed in my living room, the precious collection of my step mother. A woman of Latin decent, my step mother and grew up in a time and atmosphere much different from my own, and though I can never fully understand where she came from, I can appreciate the symbols that are important to her world-view, and try to see the beauty in what those relatively foreign objects mean to the culture that raised her.

It is widely thought that many religious symbols have survived in different forms through very different religions... I won't get into that in detail here, but I think it is an intriguing concept and it makes the enduring attributes of art even that much more important in the flow of ideas from past to present...

Aztecs and Tenochtitlan

I loved the description of the Aztec beliefs described in the Ancient Voices video. As someone with an intense interest in cultural histories, the Aztec reverence of Tenochtitlan strikes me on a personal level. The Mexica were entranced by the ancient civilization - its art, architecture, religion - everything there was to be discovered. Not only did they use the temples of Tenochtitlan as their own capital, they completely accepted the gods depicted therein, continuing ancient beliefs and practices, which, though years and years older than the new Mexica civilization, suited their society and trancended time. Studying other cultures to me is the ultimate path to better understand yourself and other humans, past and present. As the novelist in the video, Carlos Fuentes , said "The whole conception of the world of the Aztecs is so alien from our own modern concept of the world that we can only guess..." I'm thankful to have to opportunity to guess.

hello

I want this class to help me work toward a better understanding of why and how people express themselves the way they do. I am looking forward to learning more about the art of Mexico, as well as sharing some new ideas.
A little bit about me:


Nicene Marks <3













This is a trail I like to run at in Aptos. Getting up early to run in 30 degree weather sounds like absolute torture, but it is easy to get over myself when I'm surrounded by so much beauty. I like to take care of myself, and I like to work hard (when its worth it). Its good for the body and the soul.

"Composition VII" - Kandinsky














I'm not a huge fan of modern art, but this piece interests me. According to artchive, scholars have determined that this painting "combines the themes of the Resurrection, the Last Judgment, The Deluge, and the Garden of Love in an operatic outburst of pure painting," without any form of pictoral representation. Maybe I need to look at it a little longer. I think that description is kind of silly, but at the same time I like the fact that this piece meant something to its creator, and that it can mean something completely different to me. The way Kandinsky uses light, color, and form, can affect my emotion in a completely different way than either of us may have expected, kind of like how the way you view life's twists and turns depends on your personal outlook. I choose to see beauty.

stuff:
















I love stupid humor. I like little things that really don't have to play any huge roles or even affect you for more than a moment. Sometimes it is just nice to experience.