Still life paintings are a way of elevating ordinary everyday objects to a place of prominence that tell a story of the society and culture of that time; showing that everything around us, no matter how ordinary, can be seen as beautiful. Painted with watercolors in the year 1985, End Times is a still life painting by artist Michael Beck. In true trompe-l’oeil fashion, the painting needs to be examined up close to be able to tell that it is not a photograph. The objects placed together in this piece are not necessarily objects that one would consider for a work of art. They are items that one would find in most households, but the artist placed them together in a composition, deeming them worthy enough for such artistic expression. In End Times, unlike traditional still life paintings, the artist has placed the items on a wooden floor instead of a table top. The composition is balanced with vases on one side, boxes and a plant on the other and a tall wood and rattan stool in the middle with a few items on the top of the stool. There are four vases of varying heights and widths placed on the foreground on the right of the composition. The largest vase which frames the right of the picture is yellow and white has the look of a ceramic milk jug that has some dried reeds coming out of the top. Next to this vase we see a small brown ceramic vase with more of a geometric tribal design on it, placed directly behind this vase is a tall and slender caramel colored vase. The fourth
Signs Preceding the End of the World is an insider’s look at the mind and journey of an illegal immigrant. A Mexican young woman crossing the border story is what challenges the ethics of readers. The main character in Signs Preceding the End of the World is Makina. “Makina is in charge of a small Mexican town’s telephone. A reliable, messenger, she knows how to keep a secret and when to keep her mouth shut. She is dangerous when threatened, quick to defend herself against lecherous fools, and unafraid of speaking truth to power” (Long). Makina is just like an ordinary person. She is no different from an average American. Makina has a job and harmless when not threatened. Americans act as if immigrants are so beneath them. Immigrants are hard workers, just like Americans. Immigrants want better lives for themselves and their families, just like Americans. Americans and immigrants are not the only ones who want these things. People all around the world want what is best for everyone they know. Most people will do whatever it takes to get to what they need; even if it is in life threatening conditions. Signs Preceding the End of the World challenges our ethics by placing the reader in the mind of an illegal immigrant, allowing the reader to know the true feelings and experience of the immigrant.
Then there are also many psychological lines to be seen in the work. One such line is of the woman and the floor, where she is staring down towards it. Another is from the young child and the store clerk, showing a defiance between the two. Next, light and value are not very contrasting in this painting, with only the basic highlights and the shadows seen. It isn’t completely contrasting or contradicting since the colors blend well together with close to the same value ranges, dark colors seen throughout except for the people’s pale faces. There also seems to be a variety of light sources since the woman’s face along with the shop clerk and the young boy’s is lit up by what seems to be a light bulb since they’re much brighter and highlighted and then the men and women in the back aren’t really as bright, except for the ones who close to the open door, creating a blue tinge from the outside light. The shapes shown through the painting is shown to be either very round or very geometrical. There are organic shapes in things such as the umbrella or even the back of the chair, but mostly it is either straight lines and geometrical shapes. The volume shown in the painting is very much implied, correctly showing the
As the popular art subjects become more and more used up, artists search for other ways to express antiquated ideas. They begin carving and painting roses onto vases. ("renews/ itself in metal or porcelain" (line 8)) Ironically, while this new format originated from the overuse of the subject, this simple overuse also opened a gateway for more
The novel Signs Preceding the End of the World by Yuri Herrera brings to light many issues faced by immigrant women. The novel follows the young Makina in her quest to find and bring home her brother from what she imagines to be a mystical far away land. While the novel focuses on the challenges of immigration, the underlying meaning is much more complex. In Yuri Herrera’s Signs Preceding the End of the World, the common misconception that women cannot be the strong character in the novel is challenged. This is achieved by having the female protagonist, Makina, go on a quest to save her brother, be a vital individual in her community, and fight the misogynistic society she lives in.
In Yuri Herrera’s novel ‘’Signs Preceding the end of the world’’ present a girl, Makina, who go through a series of obstacles to find her brother and her own identity. In each chapter Makina went through these series of obstacle while exploring transformation in a journey across the border. As Makina go through these series of events, she encounters an abrupt event that wasn’t what she expected. Yuri Herrera does not just focus on the journey through the border between Mexico and the United States and those who cross it. He explores the identity and change through people make in their minds and language as they move from one country to another, especially when there’s no going back. Makina’s story develops within a novel centered on an equally
This illustration represents an earliest style and painting technique found on a good portion of Chinese paintings. The black paint was applied directly to the vase to create a distinction and captivate its audience. The artwork is made of two
At 1st glance this piece does look like a photograph, even a painting, but this series is a work of mixed-media layered one on top of the other in a box. Yet this assemblage of random found objects, with the artists
With works in every known medium, from every part of the world, throughout all points in history, exploring the vast collection of the Museum of Modern Art was an overwhelming experience. The objects in the Department of European Sculpture and Decorative Arts are an important historical collection, reflecting the development of a number of art forms in Western Europe. The department's holdings covered sculpture in many sizes, woodwork and furniture, ceramics and glass, jewelry, and tapestries. The gallery attracted my appreciation of the realistic qualities of the human body often portrayed in sculpture.
11-11-11 is a movie about biblical events that will happen on the date November 11, 2011. On this chosen date a dimensional window will open and something spectacular will happen. But the writer Timothy Gibbs known as Joseph Crone do not realize that this event is about to take place and he is the main character in this phenomenon. Mr. Crone is currently a successful writer in this movie that is having nightmares about his mother and brother dying in a fire when he was a little boy. This child hood trauma is causing Crone not to go outside and have any human contact of any kind with anyone. Crone, a soon to be suicidal writer believes that he has no purpose in life and that there is no such thing as God. He also receives numerous strange phone calls telling him not to go to Spain in which his surviving brother and father lives. Strangely he receives a phone call from his brother, a coincidence, that his father is dying and his brother needs him to come to Spain and see him. He gets to Spain and see his sickly father, and his father tells him on his death bed that he needs to protect his brother because he is a great teacher and prophet and there will be people trying to stop him from preaching. Shortly after only being in Spain only 48 hours he realize something ghostly is happening and he can’t quite get a grasp of what’s going on so he starts to research but his brother denies that there is no evil behind what is happening its only in his mind. Crone is still seeing
There is much speculation as to who the Antichrist. I know him to be an evil alliance, a deceiver, a murder, liar, a man, or sinister individual or any individual who denies the Person of Christ; and in denying the Son you deny the Father. Some are saying his appearance is still in the future. Others say he appeared long ago in the days of ancient Rome. The bible doesn’t give us any specifics as who and where the antichrist will come from. But does indicate that he is alive today and will play a vital role in the final events of Earth’s history.
The portrait is displayed horizontally with a gold trimmed frame. The subject is a female that looks to be in her early 20’s sitting upright on a large brown chair. If the viewer travels up the painting the first indication of the woman’s class is her satin, blue dress. The saturated blue shines and falls in the light like water. Paired with the dress are her exceptionally detailed endings to her sleeves. The lace is even painted as though it is translucent, allowing a little of the blue dress to show through the sleeve. Flowers throughout history have symbolized innocence of a woman and her virginity. The repeating theme of flowers, in the sleeve cuffs and ribbon) in the woman’s attired suggests her purity or innocent nature. Another very details section of the painting includes the corset/torso details. The sewing suggests texture in the torso with small beading in between. Towards the top of the chest in the center, the female seems to bear an extravagant, ribbon piece with a tear drop bead in the center. The light pink
Just as other works that reflect art, pieces in the category of fine arts serve the important message of passing certain messages or portraying a special feeling towards a particular person, function or activity. At times due to the nature of a particular work, it can become so valuable that its viewers cannot place a price on it. It is not the nature or texture of an art that qualifies it, but the appreciation by those who look at it (Lewis & Lewis, 2008).
Art is an object or piece of work that brings one pleasure. Art is also something you see or feel and you cannot even begin to describe the ways you like it or how it makes you feel. Art is something that portrays beauty and happiness. Art lets you see the world through another person’s perspective. Most art seems to tell a story about where a person has been and the things they have encountered along the way. It lets you connect with the artist and see things through their eyes. Art is a way of expressing one’s self without words. When I think of art, I think of paintings, portraits, sketches, and sculptures.
The shapes of the figures are sharply defined and the objects such as the table, book, and string instruments. There are diagonal rhythms throughout the painting in which it creates movement. The light source in the upper left allows the source light to have a more natural appearance throughout the painting. The shadows at the right-hand corner and the men wearing green in the middle contrast the main object with the most sources of lighting. The objects shadows and lighting create dimension and a vivid sense of more contrast. There are areas in the making with more contrast and the sharp contrast that creates movement in the painting. The shadows and the lighting throughout the painting show gradations and the highlights create more depth. Staring from the upper-left hand corner with the first figure of a gentleman wearing a hue of blue and yellow, the left side of his face and garment shows the source light in right above him. The source light above the
This painting is divided into three equal parts by the arches in the background and the characters correspond to each of these arches (TV12). The father is in the middle portion of the painting. The lines of perspective created by the tiled floor, draws our attention to the swords that the father is holding and the vanishing point lies just behind the handles of the sword. Our angle of vision is such that we are looking directly at the main figures groups, particularly the father. A single light source from the left of the picture illuminates the characters and also focuses our attention to the father holding the sword. This creates a ‘theatrical’ effect. The background is simple and stark so our attention is focussed on the figure groups in the painting. The painting has a wide tonal range that makes the composition logical and balanced. The colours used in this