Et à la fin...

  Well I think we can all agree that this has defiantly been a wonderful class! I really loved reading The Cave Painters and learning about the cave paintings! (Seriously, now I want to go study in caves in France for the rest of forever!) But really, this class was awesome. I never thought the seemingly simple question of "What is Art?" would be so hard to answer! Now I feel like I can touch the surface of this question, but I don't think it can ever be fully answered. Having this blog was a great experience as well! I loved reading everyone else's throughout the semester and this was so much more motivating to work on compared to Moodle posts.

   This is it for me, but I hope everyone has a fantastic break and a great spring semester!

               -Holly

This is Jean-Claude, my octopus cake :)

Research

  This semester, I chose to do my research project on the path of classical mythology in art. I've always had a fascination with classical mythology and the art that is inspired by it. Classical mythology is one of the most common inspirations in art and has been for nearly 2,800 years. I think it is one of the subjects that has been most apparent since it was introduced in Ancient Greece.

  I had used the HSU data bases a few time before this semester, but now I feel like I could be racking up frequent flier points I use JSTOR so much! Between my 3 anthropology classes, JSTOR has seen a lot of me this semester. Between some really fabulous articles I found on said database, and using some books I had myself and the library was so kind to lend me, I was pretty golden on information materials. I thin the most difficult part of my research process was that after I was done with part one, I put it on the back burner for a few weeks. When I finally went back to it, I had to go over everything again, so I guess it wasn't too difficult per say, but more tedious (but that was my own fault, of course).

  I think the most surprising thing I discovered was the representation of classical mythology in Medieval Times. I wasn't sure what I would find, but it was interesting how the portrayal of classical mythological figures altered, like the example in my presentation of Hercules and how he went from classical to arabian to saint-like and then back to classical-- all within a span of a few hundred years.

  If I was to continue my research on classical mythology, I would probably focus on its influence in one era, like just in Medieval Times or the Twentieth century. I think it would be really interesting to focus deeply on one time period and go into further detail. A question that may be interesting to continue with would be, "What influence did the rise of Christianity have on how classical mythology was interpreted in Medieval Times?" Maybe one day I will have the opportunity to answer this question or other relating to classical mythology.

-Holly

American Pop Culture

  Over Thanksgiving break, my friend and I went to Los angeles for a concert. When trying to figure out how I was going to consume art this semester, I decided that this concert was perfect, with examining how pop culture has exploded in America, and many eccentric artists are born from it. So don't laugh but the concert we went to was Katy Perry.

  The concert was held at the Staples Center, and it was completely packed! There were so many people there, it was insane. Many of the people dressed up like in ridiculous outfits (which all seemed to have had much time and effort put into them). Just observing the different dynamics of people there was fascinating. The ages ranged from 8 or 9 up to couples in their 50s. I find it always intriguing the difference in crowds at concerts. I've been to my fair share of concerts and what I've observed is that the more flamboyant or "poppy" the performer is the bigger the age range. Some of the other concerts I've attended, such as Mumford & Sons or Keane, the crowd is more college aged and up, virtually no children. Interesting point...

  Anyway, back to Katy Perry...

  Katy's entrance was another unique aspect to this concert. It started with a pre-filmed movie that prefaced the performance with a story line of her in some kind of "candy land" place. Through out the concert (during costume changes), the film would continue and then lead into the next set of songs. It all seemed to correlate one way or another which I thought was a rather clever idea. The film aspect made the concert seem much more like a show rather than just a performer singing their songs.

 
  Overall the concert was filled with a really high energy level. It was really amazing to see such a mass of people who don't know each other to be having a great time all together. Even though the thousands of people in the audience weren't involved in the actual performance, tons of people were dancing around and singing, which made it much more interactive feeling, like the energy form the songs and Katy herself was flowing into everyone there.

  I went to this concert not expecting much, but coming out of it I'm glad I was able to experience it. It is a great example of American pop culture and I really think this kid of performance is one of the few truly modern American art forms.

(We were in the second to last row in the whole place so I didn't get any good pictures so here are the sources of the pictures I found online.)

Picture Sources:

http://www.picowl.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Katy-Perry-Los-Angeles-Concert.jpg

http://celebshut.com/wp-content/uploads/celebrities/katy-perry/concert-photos-from-salt-lake-city/Katy%20Perry%20Concert%20Photos%20from%20Salt%20Lake%20City-09-520x812.jpg

http://marieclaire.media.ipcdigital.co.uk/11116%7C00004dbc7%7Cab6d_rexfeatures-1288922v.jpg

Ballet is Ethnic!

  I really enjoyed this week's reading, "An Anthropologist Looks at Ballet as a Form of Dance" by Joanne Kealiinohomoku (what a name!). The main point of this article to me was how to view ballet as a form of ethnic dance. Kealiinohomoku states that "... in the generally accepted anthropological view, ethnic means a grouo which holds in common genetic, linguistic, and cultural ties, with a special emphasis on cultural tradition. By definition, therefore, every dance form must be an ethnic form." (39) This statement seemed to stick out the most for me, because she is essentially proving her point that just because ballet is a dance form stemming from western culture, doesn't mean its not ethnic (or then superior to other dance forms from non-Western cultures). Ballet is very much so an ethnic dance.
 Another part of this article I found interesting was Kealiinohomoku's discussion on the false idea of "primitive dance." She is very insistent on the fact that there is no such thing as "primitive dance" (and I would have to agree with her) and her reasoning for this is that many Westerners view "primitive" cultures as reflective to what preceded our own culture. Kealiinohomoku completely rejects this idea with the statement, "... let it be noted that no living primitive group will reveal to us the way our European ancestors behaved" (37). This leads to the argument that every culture is equally ethnic to each other, and so are their art, and in this case, dance forms.
  Towards the end of the article, Kealiinohomoku goes into detail on the "ethnicity of ballet." She describes how culturally revealing it is to see stylized Western customs on the stage, such as the age of chivalry, weddings, mourning customs, etc. (40) and how Western culture has become accustomed to the tradition of stage usage, three part structured performances, curtain calls, etc. (40). She also described Western aesthetic values which consist of slender bodies, lifts, and revealing of the legs. All of these components contribute to the "look" of ballet, and if something were to break from this form, Westerners would jump to deem it exotic or even wrong. This leads to Kealiinohomoku's question of "Why are [Westerners] afraid to call [ballet] an ethnic form [of dance]? (41) She even is so kind as to answer this question for us with, the fact that Westerners refrain form using the word ethnic in reference to themselves because they, themselves, use the word ethnic to describe "savage" or "exotic" cultures, so of course they would never use it to describe their civilized culture!
  In the end, I have come to agree with Kealiinohomoku, that ballet can indeed be seen as an ethnic dance, just as Westerners have and will view dances form other cultures as ethnic.

"Primitive Dance" (according to Google Images)

"Ethnic Dance" (according to Google Images)

"Ballet" (according to Google Images)

Picture Sources:
http://www.dancer.com/u_media/MariaRiccettoLiftFullSize.jpg
http://www.siliconeer.com/past_issues/2008/may2008/CC-dance.jpg
http://www.freewebs.com/pangabriel/BUSHMEN%20DANCNG%20III.jpg

El Día de los Muertos

  Ethno-aesthetics is the study of art within cultural context. When studying art, one must take into great account the culture in which it was produced. Whether the art has been produced for ritual purposes or just for pleasure, the cultural context must be looked upon to begin understanding the art. In the case of José Posada, he was greatly influenced by politics of his time. He was an artist of and for the people, producing pieces easily assessable to citizens and pieces that reflected how many people felt about the government situation of the early 20th century. 
  An ethno-aesthetic analysis is a study of a piece of art through it's cultural context. In the José Posada analysis, everything from his history to the functional, cultural, and art world contexts are discussed. A strength of ethno-aesthetic analysis is depth on a single piece of art that is presented. Learning about the artist and the time the art was created, greatly helps understand the art itself. I think it would be interesting to have another art piece compared and contrasted to it, form the same time and culture to be able to evaluate the differences and similarities.

  As we discussed in class, The Day of the Dead is an example of hybridization and globalization for ethno-aesthetics. The fusion of Catholic practices and indigenous Mexican culture has resulted in one of the biggest holidays in Mexico. And now, The Day of the Dead is not limited to Mexico, but is being celebrating in other countries, such as the USA, as well. 

-Holly

Picture Sources:
http://www.mexicolore.co.uk/images-1/141_19_2.jpg
http://fc06.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2011/041/5/e/day_of_the_dead_russian_dolls_by_paulorocker-d3985wo.jpg

Art as a Language

   In chapter 3 of Anthropology of Art by Robert Layton, art and visual communication are discussed. Layton speaks of Durkheim, Lévi-Strauss, and Saussure's ideas about language and symbolism. According to Lévi-Strauss 'art can be understood as a system of signs, like language in some respects but not in others.' And Durkheim says that 'without symbols, social sentiments could have only a precarious existence... social life, in all aspects and at every period of history, is made possible only by a vast symbolism.' Layton reminds us that Durkheim was mainly speaking of ritual in this view, but because art and ritual are so closely related, they can be viewed similarly. Saussure mentions that, paintings or carvings (art) are the signifiers and 'the sense of the social group's internal unity within the wider society is the real signified concept.'

  These three men seem to complicate what I feel art and visual communication is. I think that art truly is the universal language. Every piece of art, or performance of art, is communicating something to the audience. Even if interpretations vary, there is still communication occurring. It begins with the artist, and their intention; whether that intention is understood, or comprehended, its there. Isn't that why we can feel so emotionally overwhelmed by one piece of art compared to another. As human, we have the desire to connect with each other, and art seems to be a universal way of achieving that connection.

-Holly

Sources:

Layton,Robert. Anthropology of Art. 1981.

http://getfantasticdeals.com/library/Monet-Chrysanthemums.gif

Waiting for Harry

In  the film Waiting for Harry, we are taken through the Anbara people's process of a ceremonial funeral for a dead man. The process of this funeral is very ritualistic, similar to some of the rituals we've discussed in our class this semester. This ceremony takes place over many weeks, and includes painting the bones of the dead man and his two deceased children, painting the coffin (which is a hollow log for the bones), making a sand sculpture, and performing many dances and singing many songs. They discussed the painting of two wind spirits who are trading partners, like the peoples themselves and their neighbors, these both were painted on the log coffin. At one point a neighboring tribe visited to inspect the coffin, and decided to add a bit of their own flair to it. At the end of the ceremony, the log coffin is erected and the souls of the deceased join the community of the dead under the sea. The narrator and anthropologist, Les Hiatt, is referred to by the people as a brother. This situation is similar to another documentary made about the making of the film, Ten Canoes, where the director is referred to as 'father' and is involved in the process of making the ten canoes. Back to the Anbara, I found it interesting that even though some people in the tribe live in the cities, some still live in the bush, and this funeral ceremony is a ritualistic tradition that has continued for hundreds of years.

-Holly

Making Sense

"D'où venons-nous? Que sommes-nous? Où allons-nous" - Paul Gauguin (What is art For?, pg. 193)

  In English, this phrase translates to, "Where did we come from? What are we? Where are we going?" To me these three questions are the foundation that forms our humanistic need to know who we are. Studying prehistoric art, like the cave paintings, leads us to interpret them; however, these interpretations are always going to be uncertain. We can never truly know what prehistoric artist are trying to convey through their artwork, were they simply painting a horse or some kind of deep metaphor? We can never come to any accurate conclusions.

  In the final chapter of The Cave Painters, Curtis discusses the reason we connect so much to the cave paintings. "The Greek and Renaissance masters have unwilling taught us to appreciate [cave art]." (238) He claims that the qualities that define classicism are the qualities that the Greeks and prehistoric artists shared. These qualities include, dignity, strength, ease, confidence, and clarity. Always a perfect creature, be it Hercules or a bison, is portrayed with no sight of a sick or old creatures. Both share idealistic physical characteristics, such as a curved horn compared to a bent arm. Both the Greeks and the cave painters showed a great deal of classicism, which makes us feel drawn and intrigued by both cultures.

  Our need and desire to understand where we began to be truly human, with art really differentiating us from our animal cousins. We probably will never be able to ever understand the true meaning behind the cave paintings, but for now we are left to our own interpretations and will have to be content with that.

-Holly


Sources:

The Cave Painters by Gregory Curtis

What is Art For? Ellen Dissanyake

http://www.theoi.com/Gallery/S26.1.html

http://www.themasterpiececards.com/Portals/40667/images//chauvet%20cave%20big%20horn%20rhino-resized-600.jpg

Exit Through the Gift Shop

  Exit Through the Gift Shop was a highly entertaining and interesting film. The whole film focuses around a Frenchman, Thierry Guetta living in LA, who most definitely has obsessive compulsive tendencies. After filming his life continuously for years (and packing away the tapes, never to be watched again), he becomes crazed and fascinated with street art upon a visit to France and meeting his cousin, the street artist, Invader. Now filming street art every night and traveling the world to see and meet some of the most known street artists, he finally meets Bansky, the most famous (and anonymous) street artist of all. Bansky realizes the potential in having a documentary made about street art, so he allows Guetta to follow him around, camera in tow, and film, what Bansky hope to be, a documentary about street art. In the end, Guetta begins to create his own street art, yet another form of obsession, and has a gigantic show to introduce (and sell) his art.

   What I found particularly interesting about Guetta's art, was that he really didn't make any of it. He had the basic ideas, but ultimately it was his employees who really made the art. I also don't think he was really getting the message of street art, an art born out of rebellion.


  What we discussed briefly in class, was the question of this being an actual documentary or a mockumentary? Or rather another one of Bansky's art pieces, exposing someone who "creates" street art, but doesn't embrace it's ultimate meaning. It was really amusing, Bansky's remarks at the end of the film, how snarky he was towards Guetta. This all somewhat implied the mockery vibe the film sends.

The infamously anonymous Bansky

Thierry Guetta

 (and his ridiculous facial hair)

Image Sources: 

http://www.newyorker.com/images/2007/05/14/p233/070514_r16216b_p233.jpg

http://filmdrunk.uproxx.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/THIERRY-GUETTA-MID-SHOT-copy.jpg

http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2010/04/14/arts/14banksy_CA0/14banksy_CA0-articleLarge.jpg

http://postersandprints.files.wordpress.com/2009/07/mr-brainwash-tomato-spray1.jpg?w=461&h=461

Similarities Between 2 Cultures

"To the Greek artists, perfecting the forms found in nature expressed the highest philosophical ideals. The same is true for the cave painters." (Curtis, 238)

   In The Cave Painters, Gregory Curtis compares prehistoric cave paintings to Greek Art. Cave Art lasted for about 20,000 years, which is an amazingly long time, when thinking in terms of how long modern society has been around. Ancient Greece was another long (although no where near 20,000 years) period that lasted about 1,300 years. Like I said compared to modern society, that is a long time staying relatively stagnant. As Curtis states in the final chapter, "To last so long that culture must have been deeply satisfying-- emotionally, spiritually, intellectually, and practically" (230).  Both societies were content with their lifestyles and the environment around them. When the cave paintings do start disappearing, about 18,000 years ago, the world around these prehistoric peoples was changing with warmer weather and the extinction of those species they had known for so many thousands of years. The end of Ancient Greece was brought upon by the period of Christianization, which can be seen as a changing in the world, too.

 "In a way the cave paintings [and engravings] are like the bas-relief sculptures of the Parthenon, which portray a rich unifying mythology and were executed, like the cave paintings, by the hands of anonymous artists." (237)

 Curtis goes on to say that the comparison of the Parthenon with cave art is valid because each was working in their own classical tradition, lead by the qualities of dignity, strength, grace, ease, confidence, and clarity. Overall, the goal of this classical tradition is to "imitate nature by creating images of nature's ideal forms" (237). Even the shapes of the animals and people correlate to one another, the bend in a horn compared to the bend in a leg... these show that both societies had an understanding of the basic anatomy of living creatures. One advantage, I found was the fact that the Greeks preserved their cultural legacy, more solidly, with writings and other artifacts that can be studied and picked apart more thoroughly, thus eliminating all the guess work that goes into examining and studying prehistoric art and cultures.

  I was really intrigued by this comparison, between Cave Art and Greek Art, Curtis made. Also, the idea of releasing the art from the medium is an interesting thought. Rather that creating a bison out of a rock, but having the bison emerge (as if it was always there) from the rock.

-Holly

Sources:

Curtis, Gregory. The Cave Painters: Probing the Mysteries of the World's First Artists. 2006. Print.

http://www.cocooceanresort.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/parthenon-frieze-5.jpg

http://www.cocooceanresort.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/parthenon-frieze-5.jpg

http://www.faculty.umb.edu/gary_zabel/Courses/Phil%20281/Philosophy%20of%20Magic/Paleolithic%20Art/cave_painting_l.jpg

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9EFxapbFz7ECb1DwG9VxVIMWBkD23VXXk-DrYi8HOswfueURi1x4TsvtE6JZwKs_4Md3qV6f8rzf-uRTZCgbjtYddIQVESlfOEXJ-XsR1Q6OGQbTmPcCjKp1ok3UD8ZXoBDwGA_Zh1NQ/s1600/Chauvet_cave%252C_paintings_04.JPG

Deciphering Cave Paintings

  I've had a hard time trying the "choose" what school I would place myself into. I like the idea of creating a story from the painting, because that's what a part of art is, interpreting a story or meaning, that arises in you when viewing it. But with this prehistoric art, that can be inapplicable because they're viewed more as artifacts rather than what we today think of normally as art, like a Monet painting. To really understand and have a more accurate interpretation of prehistoric art, I think the first school is the one I would have to choose.


  "One consisted in gathering artifacts and then dividing and subdividing them in rigorously exact and objective enumeration of places, dates, sizes, and shapes.This work would establish a template of places where future artifacts could be arranged in order. For some, the field of prehistory stopped here” -Annette Laming-Emperaire (pg.141,The Cave Painters).


  To even begin understanding cave art, specifically paintings, it is necessary to, as Laming-Emperaire stated above, dividing and subdividing them into categorized lists of places, dates, sizes, and shapes. Only after doing this, can one begin to hypothesize about what the paintings actually mean. Too pass over the archaeology of these paintings and jumping straight to ethnographic research is, according to Laming-Emperaire, not the best path to understanding the paintings. The example given in The Cave Painters is the archeological study of a flint blade. Three characteristics are focused on during the study: the way it was made, the signs of use it exhibits, and the location in which it was found. Looking at this method, Laming-Emperaire suggests cave painting show be looked at in the same way, since they are, themselves, prehistoric artifacts, as important as tools and such.


  Even though these three characteristics can help one understand the paintings as they would to understand tools, Laming-Emperaire views the location as the most important aspect of the method. The location of the painting is the only solid fact that can be determined, the paintings not being able to be moved by natural causes or people taking it with them. From location itself, one can compare differences and similarities with others in that location or others 200 miles away. The patterns of animals and shapes, placement and size of paintings, and other factors can lead towards a better understanding of the paintings.


-Holly

Picture Source:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1e/Lascaux_painting.jpg


Book Source: 
Curtis, Gregory. The Cave Painters. 2006. Print.

Lunar New Year

"To experience something that is outside order and ordinary-- which we can call the extraordinary." (Dissanayake, 134)

 I'm sure many of us have had numerous extraordinary experiences, many being in a ritualistic form. We all have traditions and festivities we celebrate with our family and friends. Whether its making Santa Clause a BLT sandwich instead of cookies on Christmas Eve or going to opening day at Angel Stadium, everyone has rituals of their own.

 My favorite ritual is a festival that I enjoy with my family every year, the Lunar NewYear Festival (aka Chinese New Year). We belong to an organization called Families with Children from China (FCC), which is an organization mad up of American families who have adopted children from China. For the past 8 years, since my sister, Julie, was adopted, we have attended FCC's Lunar New Year Festival in Los Angeles' Chinatown.

LA Chinatown

Chinatown itself is an aesthetic experience. We usually arrive early and are able to walk around the shops and bakeries that fill Chinatown. It's always fascinating to me that in the middle of LA, this whole other world is waiting to be explored.

Dragon Dancers

After were done browsing, we heard into the restaurant, which is quickly filling up with other families. Eventually, we find our table and chat with the families we're sitting with. As dinner starts to come out, the entertainment begins. It's always great to watch the Dragon dancers, acrobats and musicians. The food is also really remarkable, a classic family style chinese dinner, which always has a little something for everyone.

Chinese acrobats

The element that really makes this ritual extraordinary for me is the coming together of the various families. Everyone in attendance is there for the same reason -- to celebrate being multi-cultural families. When a family has multiple cultures represented, it's important to celebrate each culture. We've never had to hide the fact Julie is adopted, (for one thing, she's chinese and we're caucasian, so there's a physical difference) rather we embrace it! For that reason alone, it's extraordinary that so many families can come together and share that experience with one another. The FCC website even agrees with me, "Being in the room provides a wonderful visual for our kids and parents alike – we are part of an amazing community of adoptive families." 

Julie with the Dragon Dancer head and other children

For my family and me, attending the FCC's Lunar New Year Festival is a ritualistic experience that can truly be deemed extraordinary.

-Holly

Julie and me at the 2008 Lunar New Year Festival

Sources:

Dissanayake, Ellen. What is Art for? 1988. Print.

http://www.fccsocal.org/programs/new-year-banquet

http://www.inetours.com/Los_Angeles/Images/Chinatown/951-NB_Gate_7356.jpg

http://www.triniview.com/Chinese_Bicentennial/081006.html

http://newsroom.mohegansun.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/PinkPyramid-300x240.jpg

Aesthetic Experience

For this week's post, I'm going to keep following this food theme I've got going...

   A few years ago, during my senior year of high school, my dad and I drove up from Southern California to come see Humboldt State. On the long drive back down, we stopped at a culinary school I was also looking into in Napa Valley, The Culinary Institute of America. I had already been to a few culinary schools, so I figured this would be like the rest, but I was wrong. Driving through some of the most beautiful scenery I have ever seen, I knew this school would separate itself from the rest. The school itself is a gorgeous, castle-esque building, and walking inside basically took my breath away. An amazing foyer welcomed us as we took our first step inside with huge wine barrels lining the walls. This was probably on of the most aesthetically pleasing places I ever been. We were given a very nice tour, which ended in the sole room on the top floor, a giant, beautiful kitchen. There must have been at least 40 different stations inside this massive kitchen, one side dedicated to culinary, and the other to pastry. There were a few students in there practicing techniques and recipes, and at that instant I knew I was in love with the school. As I stated before, I had already seen some schools, but this one defiantly stood out from the rest.

  However, my experience was far from over. My dad had made us lunch reservations in the school's restaurant, and if I had not already been so entranced, this would have done me in. We sat down at our table, and my senses exploded! From our seats, we could see the kitchen, right in the middle of the restaurant (it was a culinary school after all!), and the smells escaping form the kitchen were beyond incredible. My 3 course lunch was a delicious tomato bisque, fresh linguini with kale, and bread pudding to finish it off. This was single handedly the best meal I have ever had. Everything was so fresh and excellent tasting that I almost couldn't contain myself. I think Ellen Dissanayake said it best with "to experience something that is outside... the ordinary... we can call the extraordinary" (Dissanayake, 134)

  Unfortunately, The Culinary Institute of America doesn't offer the 9-month diploma program I wanted to take anymore, so my aspirations of going there won't happen, but I'm still searching for the culinary school (Le Cordon Bleu, London to be exact) where I can be a part of creating an aesthetic experience for a another 17 year old girl with dreams of becoming a pastry chef.

-Holly


Sources:

http://www.ciachef.edu/california/

http://www.specialtyfoodamerica.com/IMAGES/GREYSTONE%20KITCHENS%20WITH%20CIA%20LOGO.jpg

http://www.eatlivetravelwrite.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/DSC_7224.jpg

Making Special!

So this week's blog is centered around making special... What exactly is 'making special' you ask? Well, until today, I wasn't so sure myself, I really knew what it was. Our classes example was of how everyone arranges a room differently, to make it special to them. Well, I do get quite creative with my decorating, but it doesn't really scream "special" to me. When I thought about what I really care about making special, and it hit me... Food! Well, to be more specific, pastry (baked goods) and I knew that is what I was going to make special today. Unfortunately, patience and time go hand in hand with baking, so I've been running around like a crazy person for the last like 4 hours, but I think I've succeeded in making special. (What an awkward phrase! Making special... anyway...)

Since making special should be a personal experience, I wanted to bake and decorate cookies, not just pretty or cool, but, well special. Here's a little background to my cookie adventure: My 9 year old sister and I really like Harry Potter, and it's something we can both talk about and enjoy. She loves making dorky Harry Potter things for me, so I decided to make Harry Potter cookies! (She's going to flip out, I promise)

They aren't perfect, but I'm sure the next time I make special with these cookies, they'll come out better (practice does make perfect!). But I did have a blast tonight making special!

-Holly

Recipe Sources:

http://bakingdom.com/2010/03/alice-in-wonderland.html

http://bakeat350.blogspot.com/2010/01/royal-   icing-102-or-201-or-whatever.html

My sister and me

Primitive?

The concept of primitive art is very problematic for numerous reasons. In What is Art For?, the author takes up nearly two pages justifying her use of the word ‘primitive.’ Her definition of primitive society is, “a form of traditional society characterized by small-scale settlements, a low level of technological development, an unspecialized economy and a non-literate tradition, and generally slow-changing, unquestioned homogeneous social institutions and practices relevant to non primitive societies.” (Ellen Dissanayake, p. 42-43) She does tell us that she is by no means saying that primitive societies are “inferior” to our own, just have not adopted the same technologies that the Western world has adopted, but have turned to other elements in life. It’s hard to deem something ‘primitive’ because to that culture, it isn’t necessarily ‘primitive,’ but tradition or ancestral.

In The Anthropology of Art, the author’s definition of primitive art is presented right in the beginning stating, “the art of small-scale societies are very often also objects of everyday, technical use which have been decorated with artistic designs... accurate though the statement is that many ‘primitive’ art objects have a utilitarian purpose, it disregards the fact that many others do not and are primarily vehicles for the communication of ideas, rather than axes, or bowls, or canoes with a decorative frill.” (Robert Layton, p. 42) The goal to understand primitive art is to put it into it’s own cultural context and by looking at the status of the artist in his or her society.

A lot of traditional societies decorate their homes or cooking devices, yet Westerners are quick to label those things as ‘art.’ Even though these items can be ascetically pleasing or displeasing, who are we to tell someone what is art and what is not? In class, we discussed who labels things as art, and came up with anthropologists, museum curators, art historians, etc. -- all westerners who “know” what to label what, and the price it’s worth. It’s interesting that something used in daily life or for ceremonial purposed in a society can be considered worth hundreds if not thousands of dollars, just because some fancy westerner say it is.

As a side note: I've also found it perplexing how there is virtually no reference to Asian art. All the ‘primitive’ art is based on remote islands, Africa or Aboriginal societies and “western’ art refers to European and American art. What about the art from Japan, China and the other Asian cultures? Just a thought...

Text Sources:

Layton, Robert. The Anthropology of Art.1991. Print.

Dissanayake, Ellen. What Is Art For? 2002. Print.

Picture Source:

http://kilshaws.com/images/specialty_items/large/2060-20090820-161.jpg

What is Art?

Hello, I'm Holly Cavanaugh and this is my first post in my Fall 2011 Anthropology of Art Blog! Allow me to briefly introduce myself, I'm a junior here at Humboldt State, majoring in Anthropology with Art and French minors, planning to graduate in Spring 2013. I'm pretty sure I'm focusing in cultural anthropology (although I do like archaeology, too), with specific research about international and domestic adoption affairs, orphanages, multi-cultural families, etc.

What is Art? Art to me is essentially expressing creativity. I don't feel like I can really nail down exactly what art really is, because I don't think art has a real “definition.” Art is extremely personal. Most art is born from inspiration and creativity, rather than from necessity or force. Although I did say most art is born of those things, but I do think that art can be a side effect of other elements. Just because a piece of art didn't come from a grand demonstration of inspiration, doesn't mean it isn't artistic to someone. Like I said before, art can't be nailed down, and is hard to describe, but I know when I see, read, hear, or experience art, I can appreciate it.

I’m beginning to realize even more, how hard it is to really define art. In class, we discussed the characteristics of art and tried to distinguish what is art and what is not art. Because art is so subjective, it’s nearly impossible to label anything as art or not as art. Art evokes emotion, shows personal expression, can be beautiful or revolting, it even can be edible, and so much more; so to try to define it seems almost wrong.

I'm hoping to build up my knowledge about art and to learn about human's journey through artistic experiences. I find it fascinating that art is one element of human life that has stayed constant and will keep affecting our society. In the most dire times in our past, art has never stopped and I don't think it ever will. It plays an important part of our well-being and I'm excited to study such an influential subject.

-Holly

Picture Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Claude_Monet_037.jpg

http://www.art-merchant-intl.com/China.html

http://blog.pinkcakebox.com/dogwood-wedding-cake-2009-05-16.htm