Module 8

Explain why you selected the video you choose from the selection listed above. 2. For each video list/discuss the key concepts you learned. 3. How do the videos relate to the readings in the text? 4. What is your opinion of the films? How do they add depth to understanding of the readings and art concepts? https://artonlinespot.blogspot.com/2019/03/module-8.html

I selected the video, The Greek Awakening, Art from the 5th Century, because at the end of the first video, More Human Than Human, the Greeks were part of the study on the idea of how the human form was seen by different cultures. The Greeks saw the body as a source of great pride and the male, athletic form was prized. This left me wondering more about the Greek culture and its connection to art and modern society in general.

In the video, More Human Than Human, I learned that the way ancient and modern day sculptors and artists represent the human body really is a reflection of different cultural aspects of their society. I found it interesting that they related the very early statue of the Female Figure from Willendorf  to the very primitive idea of the eagle's beak. The exaggeration of certain body parts for our early ancestors was a function of their cultural values and need for survival, procreation, an nourishment. The Egyptians, on the other hand, valued order and that shows in their very straight and orderly looking statues. Looking at the Greek wars and Olympic games, it is easy to see why that culture valued a strong athletic build.

In the video, The Greek Awakening, I thought that the most powerful idea was that in order to truly understand who we are we must understand where we came from. The pride of the Greeks is well earned. Their contributions to our government and way of life is huge. Greek architectural masterpieces were described and explained. The symbol and image of Greek culture has much to do with the Parthenon and other iconic pieces of art. The desire to be at the center of existence was a big desire during this period.

I thought that the videos were paired up perfectly with chapter 14. On page 322 and 323 there is a photo of the  Female Figure from Willendorf that is discussed in more detail in the first video. I feel that the discussion in the video really brought that information to life and made it more interesting than the text could. The text provided many more photos of the typed of stone and marble art that were created by ancient civilizations. The picture of the Great Sphinx is a great example of the straight and orderly society of Egypt. The book and videos both made me wish I could travel to Greece to explore the modern city of Athens as it was shown in the intro to the video.

I enjoyed both video and I thought they were well connected by the idea that art is really a reflection of the culture and concerns of the people and place where it is made.  They both added understanding and interest to the readings by giving me more of an analytical view of art (1st video). Both videos used history to explain art as the book did as well.