Visiting Phantom Bodies

“You try and avoid [death], but it’s such a big thing that you can’t. That’s the frightening thing isn’t it?” Damien Hirst says regarding his sculpture, ‘The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living’ (Hirst, 2011). Often well known for his thought-provoking and rather visceral artworks, ‘The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living’ mirrors the theory of truth explored in Darren Hudson Hick’s Introducing Aesthetics and the Philosophy of Art.

At first glance I would describe this artwork as a busy piece of art, but taking a closer look I think the painting gives off a happy, positive and united feeling. The artwork overall is very detailed and there are many hidden messages making it something inspirational. I really like inspiring or any art with a deep meaning behind it. It gives off something even more special when there's a hidden important lesson in the artwork, which this painting has. All in all,

Although books full of words are more efficient in delivering and describing what the author feels, sometimes pictures can give a deep meaning depending on how they are organized. The Veil by Marjane Satrapi’s is a graphic novel that’s organized in a particular way, to deliver a certain message through the pictures. Marjane includes different sizes and frames that serve what she is thinking and feeling. Choosing certain sizes, frames and colours isn’t arbitrary. As each box increases in size, it means that she wants to emphasize the message behind that box, or show her relation to that particular text. Contrast is also one of the main elements that Marjane uses in her graphic novel. For example, on page five, there is a big picture of

picture is an attempt to connect with the reader’s emotions by showing the strong feelings

I am very fond of this work of art. The way every part of it is different and that there is no pattern and nothing is the same really intrudes me. The detail on each figure is incredibly real. The fact that someone did this in today’s world is also extremely interesting. By looking at this piece at first I thought for sure it was from the far past, when I found out it was not and that it was a newer piece I was

a artistic aspect pop up in my mind, but as stated earlier a emotional affect was

In my opinion, this work of art was truly amazing with the touch of darkness, mystery, and elegancy. The artist used the color mixture very well for that old antique look. The artist did very well in painting the background black and the woman black dress to distinguish the dress apart from the background. The phonograph is also distinguished from the background by painting white around the device. It gives that feeling of romance and darkness at the same time. The painting leaves the viewers of wanting more which the artist should had incorporated more things rather than just the woman and the phonograph. In the end, the masterpiece is absolutely amazing with a touch of the old century and modern

The work is a colorful representation of the past as well as the future showing all aspects of life. There was no detail information on this collage of title work other than the name, but it spoke to me and I had to share this with the class. If you didn’t know anything about art, this work would get your attention and show you the past and take you forward into today. The complimentary colors used in this display has a smooth earthly tone, but as you view the artwork it has a very pleasant, comforting feel as you view the mellow soft colors displayed in this design. This type of work has vivid elements, it really get your

Death. The topic no one likes to discuss despite it being an inevitable part of life since humans came into existence. Simply thinking about the phrase, “I am going to die,” causes most people to become extremely uncomfortable, evoking unwanted emotions such as dread and fear. Humans will do anything to distract themselves from this depressing reality. Whether it’s using drugs or going out with friends, people frequently engage in activities that push darker thoughts to the back of their minds to be dealt with at a later time. Hanging in the Philadelphia Museum of Art (PMA), the painting Leyster, The Last Drop (Fig. 1) captures the complexities of coming to terms with one’s own mortality. Judith Leyster’s use of lighting, color, and symbols in the piece come together to express the struggle people go through to give their lives meaning in the context of eternity, making observers confront the temporal limits of their humanity right on the spot.

Of Beauty, Of Joy, Of Stillness, Of Love , the name explains it all; this art not only speaks to the mind, but to the body. Gioiosa’s use of lighting, space, psychological lines, shading, and balance are beautifully intertwined in his deep piece.

One strong aspect of this painting is it has a strong sense of both harmony and unity. The painting achieves harmony by using similar elements throughout the work and unity by making a quality of wholeness or oneness to the painting. Even though there are many different hues in this painting none have an overpowering feeling over the work which brings wholeness to the work. The work has repetition and rhythm of colors such as blue and patterns like the swirling brush strokes which brings many elements throughout the work.

Art in any form has a way of impacting our emotions and making us feel empathy for fictional characters. Whether it be a painting, a novel, or a movie; all art has a way of sticking with us. Many times, one will find themselves looking back on a particular passage to reflect on. One also may find that this particular passage sticks with them and ingrains into their memory. This is not just for books; however, another example may be a musical composition with an awe inspiring finale, or simply just a catchy song. All of these are examples of this phenomenon, and is one of the best parts of art. There is; however, a logic behind this phenomenon and why certain passages in a novel or other piece of literature stick in our minds.

It shows the baroque period, because it is a more personal subject matter. It is trying to show bicultural identities, which is a personal subject. It also has an emphasis on irately detail, with the beautiful butterflies in the photo and the wintery background. It is different to the baroque period because it is not increasingly secular. Secular means that it has no spiritual or religious belief, this photo shows spiritual and religious beliefs, when having the butterflies represent your ancestors. By having the butterflies represent your ancestors the picture is explaining how it is common for humans to have more than one culture in their blood. It is okay to show every different part of yourself. You shouldn’t be afraid to be proud of your cultural backgrounds. The second art movement this picture shows is romanticism. It shows romanticism because it has an emphasis on powerful emotions. It’s wild and chaotic with nature. Having the butterflies landing all over her head and neck. It never has any ruins shown in it and it doesn’t have any ghost stories, true crimes, or any tragic love stories in the photograph. The last art movement this photograph show abstract-expressionism. It has a romantic emphasis on metaphysical content. Just like how the butterflies can mean that they have a connection to metamorphosis. It however is a photograph and doesn’t emphasize the large painterly brushstrokes that the abstract-expressionism movement has in its

The use of geometric shapes in this painting allows the subject to be viewed in both a recognizable and unrecognizable state at the same time. Overall, geometric shapes and patterns play an essential role in what the viewer sees, which is further supported by a powerful color palate.

The artwork, “Number 10,” by Mark Rothko displays two rectangles (top, yellow and the bottom, white) with a baby blue background color. Seeing the painting for the first time was surprising since I didn’t understand how it correlated with the title. It was easy to look at, but it didn’t catch my attention right away! I felt confused and frustrated while observing the piece because I didn’t know how I was going to find the meaning that lay behind the painting. This reminded me of my first-born nephew; I had such a difficult time trying to understand why he would cry so much. However, I was aware that crying was his way of communicating how he felt, just like painting this abstract piece was Rothko's style of communication.