Which is the Master?

In class we were given both these sketches to see which one was the master. The sketch on the left has a much more expression in the face. It is due to the combination of the eyes, eyebrows, and mouth showing greater detail of expression. Shading done in the left sketch makes the picture have much more depth and dimension; it makes the girl appear more real. The highlights used for lighting on the girls face on the left are much better used then the sketching on the right. One is better able to define where the light source is appearing from. The sketching on the left the girl’s face is better defined and completed giving the girl a better shape as a whole. On the right the girl's left side of her face is, to me, left unfinished and is in need of more shading and detail. Overall I chose the picture on the left to be the more superior and master of the two.

Yo-Yo Ma compared with Rostropovich Version

In class we listen to two different versions of Beethoven's pieces, first version is Yo-Yo Ma and the second version is Rostropovich. In the beginning part of the Yo-Yo Ma piece the cello and piano over lap a bit. It’s a slow and sweet part but it builds ever so slightly. The first time I had heard the piece the long pause before the abrupt and aggressive part of the piece had startled me. In this piece to me it seems that the piano had a much bigger and important part and over powers the cello.

Second piece, Rostropovich, the beginning the cello and piano have more of a conversation going back and forth that doesn’t overlap as much like the other version. The pause in this one was not as abrupt and harsh as in the Yo-Yo Ma, it was a shorter pause. The second half of this piece also does not feel as harsh and aggressive. To me it feels like the cello is being played in front of the piano and in the center of the piece. The piano was not protruded as dark as in the previous piece. Over all I enjoyed this piece better it had a more settle and sweeter tone throughout the whole piece where I felt the Yo-Yo Ma piece was more aggressive and flexed with its tone.

Romeo and Juliet

On Tuesday night we attend the Globe’s Romeo and Juliet play. The play was more happy then what I expected out of a Romeo and Juliet play. This was my first time watching a Romeo and Juliet all the way through, so have nothing solid to compare with. At the end of the play I was not expecting in a Romeo and Juliet play for everyone to come back alive and dance. The acting in the play was a more up-beat mood then expected. Romeo and Juliet acted out for us at the Globe was a romance, tragedy and comedy when I assumed it would be more of a dark and tragic play. I believe that if I had sat down I may have been able to enjoy the play more, but as it was I stood for three hours and had ache feet and legs from crouching so that people could see behind me.

British Museum

The Great Court room is the beginning to my journey in the British Museum. It’s not a bad way to start the museum it gave me a sense of welcome. The court room has a large and beautiful window ceiling that allows large amounts of light into the spacious room. I enjoy the design of diamonds the window makes. With the room being made of white stone makes the room even lighter. The stair case gives the feeling that the room is made for royalty, gives an elegant touch to room. The entry ways into different sections of the library have columns and similar features as buildings in Roman times.

“Battle of the Lapiths and Centaurs” I had seen these pieces earlier on a previous trip to the British Museum. At that time I did not understand the story behind them. Now knowing the story I understand the statues and why they are fighting. In each setting it goes back and forth on who is winning, the centaurs or the Lapiths. Although the sculptures are damaged and missing some non-attached pieces the sequence is a great piece of work. The detail in each setting is exquisite; it’s as if you can see the movement in the figures. No two plates are the same, each have a unique moment of the battle.

Bloomsbury Group

Here is the site of my pictures taken at the site of Maynard Keynes and also at Lytton Strachey
http://www.panoramio.com/map/?user=3204142#lt=51.524101&ln=-0.1300095&z=0

This is a list of the unique group of Bloomsbury artist, poets and thinkers:

Helen Anrep

Clive Bell
Grew up at Cleeve House in Wiltshire
moves to 50 Gordon Square with wife Venessa

Julian Bell

Quentin Bell

Frederick and Jesse Etchells

E.M. Foster
9 Arlington Park Mansions, Turnham Green Terrace, W4

Roger Fry
born in 1866 in Highgate, London

Angelica Garnett

David 'Bunny' Garnett
1916 farmhouse Charleston Farmhouse. Firle, East Sussex.
Garrick's Villa, Hampton Court Road, Richmond-upon-Thames


Duncan Grant
1909 moved to 21 Fitzroy Square
1916 farmhouse Charleston Farmhouse. Firle, East Sussex.

Mary Hutchinson

Maynard Keynes
46 Gordon Square, WC1

Wyndham Lewis

Vanessa Stephen (Later Bell)
Born 1879 lived in Hyde Park Gate
1904 moved to 46 Gordon Square, Bloomsbury.
1916 farmhouse Charleston Farmhouse. Firle, East Sussex.

Lytton Strachey
51 Gordon Square, WC1

Leonard Woolf
29 Fitzroy Square, W1

Virginia Woolf
25 January 1882 to May 1904 at 22 Hyde Park Gate, W8
January 1905 to March 1907 at 46 Gordon Square, WC1
April 1907 to November 1911 at 29 Fitzroy Square, W1
20 November 1911 to 29 October 1912 at 38 Brunswick Square, WC1
30 October 1912 to September 1913 at 13 Clifford’s Inn, between Chancery Lane, WC2, and Fetter Lane, EC4
16 October 1914 to 25 March 1915 at 17 The Green, Richmond upon Thames, Surrey
15 March 1924 to August 1939 at 52 Tavistock Square, WC1
13 October 1939 to 27 August 1940 at 37 Mecklenburgh Square, WC1

Photographers’ Gallery

Wolfgang Tillmans photo the “Paper Drop” is one of my favorite photos on the second floor of The Photographers’ Gallery exhibits. It is a simple photo but I love the colors in the photos. It’s amazing when looking at the photo I would have never guessed that it was a piece of paper. The photo reminded of on oyster shell. The purple of the paper was a lovely color. I also enjoy how the purple color has multi shades and they blend so well.

Alina Szapocznicknow photos called “Fotorzezby-photosculptures.” These photos consist of the photographer chewing gum and posing it in certain ways and took pictures. When I first walked to the gallery it was the first photo that I came across. Like many other students I was puzzled by the photos and the objects that were there. When I did know what it was I was a bit disgusted which may have been what the photographer had in mind.

Maurizio Anzeri photos “2nd Hand Portraits” were more interesting to me. I was puzzled what would have been the meaning of the photos. Anzeri took old black and white portrait photos and stitched circler designs. One photo appears, to me, as if the photographer was attempting to make the person appear like a monkey. The photo has big circles around her eyes and large one around her mouth. Over all I think the stitches are made very well but I don’t think these photos or really any in the gallery are my aesthetic taste.

Victorian Underclass

In the late 1888, Jack the Ripper an unidentified but famous serial killer who killed mostly in the Whitechapel area. At this time England had experience an increase of Irish immigrants also combining with the Jewish refugees added to the already poor conditions of London’s poverty or under class. At this time in London social classes would be “distinguished by inequalities in such areas as power, authority, wealth, working and living conditions, life-styles, life-span, education, religion, and culture.” (Victorian Web) Women of this time, class, and location in Whitechapel would most likely resort to prostitution as an income and were Jack the Ripper’s targeted victims. According to Wikipedia, “In October 1888, the London Metropolitan Police estimated that there were 1,200 prostitutes "of very low class" resident in Whitechapel and about 62 brothels.”

My aesthetic and Turner vs. Rothko

Characterize my aesthetic:
I would say my aesthetic would be characterized as classical and expressionist. I do enjoy pieces of art the usually have some more depth meaning to the painting then what is just placed upon the canvas. My favorite medium to be used is oil painting for the colors are much more crisped and brighter, but this is also up to change from time to time depending on the different pieces of works.

Turners first paintings are expressionistic they are vague and suggestive. His later work showed more of a defined outlines but he still held on to his talent of play with lights and colors. Comparing both Turners and Rothko’s works was difficult at first but when you get right down to it the elements are similar. Both Turner and Rothko used an expressionistic style and they also both play with the aspect of light. When looking at Rothko’s works I will admit that a more imagination is needed to see any sort of characteristics. It’s hard to imaging but at times it felt that Rothko was trying to paint a sunset or in one case I felt that I was looking at a doorway, but he uses nothing more difficult then two different colors and uses tones and tints. Turners’ earlier works were smaller and more of suggestive styles but his later works were larger and more defined there is not as much guessing involved.

Plague, Fire, and Greenwich

DISASTER:
Impact of the plague on London was devastating. In 1665, a hundred thousand people have died from the plague. What terrified the people was the rate and speed that the plague hit. The victim would die within days after conducting the disease. Despite the theories the people believe how they conducted the disease; it was accually transferred by rats that had fleas contaminated by bacillus. At that time rats were plentiful, and in the heat plague bacillus thrived.
Dr. John Snow created Ghost Maps that marked deaths in London in 1832. Snow then linked the deaths to the water source for the quantity of deaths around the pump. At the John Snow pub is where the contaminated pump is located and is marked by a red granite stone.
The Great Fire of London in 1666 left an impact on the people. The Monument was designed by Sir Christopher Wren in memory of the great disaster. The monument is two hundred and two feet high and made of stone. The height of the monument, 202 feet is the distance to the location that the fire started at the King’s Baker’s shop, Thomas Farynor.
Geocaching is a very good and interesting instrument to use to find these places. It’s a fun way to learn something new and visit places I don’t think I would have seen before.
GREENWICH
This week we did a geocached in Greenwich. Our destination took us to the royal observatory where the British Prime Meridian of the World is located at. This is where the north longitude is 0 00’ 00”. But our GPS didn’t state the same thing. Instead when we walked a bit away our GPS then said that we were at the Prime Meridian. The two data bases have two different definitions of where the Prime Meridian is located. What I thought was interesting is that there is no identification or marking stating that this was a different Prime Meridian.