ART STUDIES FREE-FOR-ALL

INTERESTING READ: Can Art Change the World? Most art world denizens would instinctively say yes. But if by "change" you mean, can art on its own change global warming, stop Iran's president from denying the Holocaust, or halt the spread of AIDS, the answer, I'm afraid, is no. In concert with other things, however, art can change the world incrementally and by osmosis. This is because art is part of a universal force. It has no less purpose or meaning than science, religion, philosophy, politics, or any other discipline, and is as much a form of intelligence or knowing as a first kiss, a last goodbye, or an algebraic equation. Art is an energy source that helps make change possible; it sees things in clusters and constellations rather than rigid systems. Art is a bridge to a new vision and the vision itself, a medium or matrix through which one sees the world, and that grants that pleasure is an important form of knowledge. Art is not optional; it is necessary. It is part of the whole ball of wax. --Jerry Saltz, The Whole Ball of Wax

500 Years of Female Portraits in Western Art by Philip Scott Johnson

Music: Bach's Sarabande from Suite for Solo Cello No. 1 in G Major, BWV 1007 performed by Yo-Yo Ma

Update: May 4, 2008 (Request ni Razelle :)

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History of Music by Stringfever

How many tunes can you name? :)

Update: February 27, 2008 (Thanks, Jenina, for the link!)

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Say cheese! :)

Hi from Art Studies 2 (Art Around Us), Section MHV-1.
(The humungo version is here. Teka... nasaan si Alpha? Take two! :)

Update: February 20, 2008

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Reading the Image

Antipas Delotavo, Itak sa Puso ni Mang Juan
(Please click on the image for larger version.)

Update: January 22, 2008 (Thanks, Nino Angeliko!)

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Sam's suggestion: Mark Ryden

The Creatrix

Update: December 20, 2007 (Thanks, Sam!)

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Poll just for fun:)

What does it "mean"?
	Something environmental
	Dental hygiene
	Like the title says: frogs
	Just too scary...
	Fyrirgefið
[View Results]
Get a Poll like this @ ProfileMix.com

Update: December 10, 2007

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One answer to "What is art?":

And for the more philosophically inclined, in Andrei Tarkovsky's own fabulous words:

--Andrey, what is art?
--Before defining art--or any concept--we must answer a far broader question: What's the meaning of man's life on Earth? Maybe we are here to enhance ourselves spiritually. If our life tends to this spiritual enrichment, then art is a means to get there. This, of course, is in accordance with my definition of life. Art should help man in this process.
Some say that art helps man to know the world like any other intellectual activity. I don't believe in this possibility of knowing; I am almost an agnostic. Knowledge distracts us from our purpose in life. The more we know, the less we know; getting deeper our horizon becomes narrower. Art enriches man's own spiritual capabilities and he can then rise above himself to use what we call "free will".

Update: December 2, 2007

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Coming soon to a classroom near you:

CIDADE DE DEUS (City of God, 2002)

SYNOPSIS: Cidade de Deus (City of God) is a housing project built in the 1960's that--in the early 80's--became one of the most dangerous places in Rio de Janeiro. The tale tells the stories of many characters whose lives sometimes intersect. However, all is seen through the eyes of a singular narrator: Buscapé, a poor black youth too frail and scared to become an outlaw but also too smart to be content with underpaid, menial jobs. He grows up in a very violent environment. The odds are all against him. But Buscapé soon discovers that he can see reality differently than others. His redemption is that he's been given an artist's point of view as a keen-eyed photographer. As Buscapé is not the real protagonist of the film--only the narrator--he is not the one who makes the decisions that will determine the sequence of events. Nevertheless, not only his life is attached to what happens in the story, but it is also through Buscapé's perspective of life that one can understand the complicated layers and humanity of a world, apparently condemned to endless violence. (Source: IMDB)

TRIVIA: All of the amateur actors were recruited from favelas (slums) in Rio de Janeiro, and a couple of them - eg. Buscapé/Rocket (Alexandre Rodrigues) - actually lived in the Cidade de Deus (City of God) itself.

CRITICAL ACCLAIM: City of God received positive acclaim from major publications in the United States, gathering 92% of favourable reviews on Rotten Tomatoes. Empire chose it as the best film of 2003 and Time chose it as one of the 100 greatest movies of all time, while E! ranked it the 3rd "movie to see before you die". It currently ranks at 18th in Internet Movie Database's top 250 films list. (Source: Wikipedia)

RATING: Philippines: R-18; Japan: R-15