Universal Sacred Space - Dome of Universal Life

1. Shelter a congregation

The location would be at the top of a hill in a natural setting. Our design is a geodesic dome as the center piece incorperating three square garden areas. The garden squares are open and form a triangular base, which was one of the symbols repeated in the profiles in the galleries.

Leading up to the building is a nature trail which features streams throughout. The trail symbolizes the journey that one takes through life. The flowing water of the stream represents how life constantly changes in our search for peace and a higher power. The trail would lead to the main entrance of the building which would run into a fountain just inside. The path continues through the building and splits to go outside and into various nature areas.

The walking path would branch an open air amphitheater. Again, this would symbolize the journey to finding inner peace and harmony.

2. House sacred objects

In reference to the various religions, we would incorporate various sacred plants as opposed to specific icons and religious imagery. Trees and shrubs such as Balboa trees for African cultures as described below, both frankincense and myrrh to represent the Jewish and Christian religions, henna for the Hindu, Zoraster, and Buddhist religions would be planted along the trail. The Japanese cherry trees for the Shinto religion would be planted in the gardens and the building. In some African cultures the Balboa tree represents the Tree of Life, which is comparable to the biblical Tree of Knowledge in the Garden of Eden. Some the smaller plants would be placed in the gardens next to each other to show that coexistence of ideas and religions are possible.

3. Incorporate Elements of Nature

In addition to having gardens outside we would have plants throughout the building itself. The land surrounding the dome would be cultivated and planted with bamboo in the central gardens at the entrance representing the Asian religions. Bamboo, Plum and Pine trees are used in several religious philosophies including those of Confucius, Taoism and Buddhism. These three plants represent the Three Friends of Winter who are faithful to each other through difficult times, and are said to represent each of these great philosophers. Although these plants are specific to these religions, people have come to incorporate these plants into their own faith.

4. Sites for Repeated Religious Celebrations

Our area would be open for various religions to celebrate events – Easter, the Moon Celebration, Chinese New Year, etc. The design of the structure with the dome and the open gardens can be used for weddings, festivals and different type of religious celebrations. With the various walking paths, and tranquility type gardens people can use these areas for small or large groups to worship and celebrate their individual religious rites.

5. Incorporate Symbolic Geometry in Their Dimensions or the Determination of Their Location

The glass in the Geodesic dome would be clear to be as universal as possible. This would allow the light to shine in to provide food and sunlight to the plants which would represent growth and knowledge.

6. Incorporate the Concept of Journey or are a Destination for Pilgrims.


People would arrive at the base of the hill and would walk or hike up a path or trail to get to the place of worship. This would represent the pilgrimage similar to the journeys to Mecca or Jerusalem.

Clark Metzger - Profile of a Sacred Space

Clark Metzger
Rothko Chapel

Rothko Chapel was completed in 1971 and is located in Houston, Texas neighboring the University of St. Thomas. It was originally intended to be located on St. Thomas's campus but the protracted planning process led to the Basilian Order, which administrates St. Thomas, to become disillusioned with the project. The chapel was originally to be a Catholic structure designed jointly by Mark Rothko, the painter, and Philip Johnson, the architect. The waning interest of the Basilian Order led to the chapel becoming nondenominational and clashes between Rothko and Johnson would eventually lead the latter to leave the project. With Johnson gone the chapel became Rothko's last great work, not to be completed until a year after his suicide.

Allen Mihecoby - Profile of a Sacred Space

Allen Mihecoby

Dr. Debra DeWitte

Art 1301: Art Appreciation

8 April 2010

(“Official Website” Saint Catherine’s Monastery Tower)

Saint Catherine's Monastery -- Allen Mihecoby

Profile of a Sacred Place: Saint Catherine’s Monastery

I. General Description
On the Southern Sinai Peninsula in Egypt and nestled at the foot of Mount Sinai itself, lies a remote monastic community which has become known as Saint Catherine’s Monastery. The genesis of Saint Catherine’s may be traced back to Empress Helena’s construction of a small chapel in 542 a.d. This chapel was built over a site believed to be the location of the burning bush, where the Jewish and Christian God had a conversation with the biblical prophet Moses. During this time period the Monastery would attract both pilgrims and pillagers alike. At some point between 527 and 565 a.d. Emperor Justinian and Empress Theodora would enlarge the settlement and enclose the Chapel of the Burning Bush within fortress-like walls in order to protect the monks from hostile Bedouin tribes. In 2002 the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization inscribed the location as a World Heritage Site. (Sulzberger 1987; World Heritage Site N.d.).

II. Architectural Design
The Saint Catherine’s Monastery complex has been described as having “the appearance of a Roman or Byzantine Fortress.” (Atiya 1952: 579). Indeed, it is regarded as “among the finest surviving examples of Byzantine architecture.” (The Kelsey Museum of Archaeology N.d.). The fortress walls were built of the brown granite that is native to the area and measure approximately five feet six inches thick and 39 – 49 feet in height. The entire structure is overshadowed by a tower rising from the Church of the Transfiguration. (Sulzberger 1987). The structure has undergone several renovations over the decades; however, the architecture has remained true to its monastic roots. Azia Atiya, Professor of Medieval History at Farouk University, has described the location as “a typical medieval establishment. With its circuitous passages, vaulted corridors, and flights of half-worn stone stairways, with its basilica and numerous chapels, its chapter-house, refectory, scriptorium or library, its monastic cells, guest-house, mills, store-rooms, work-shop, oil-press, distillery, water wells…” (1952).
One significant feature is that the Saint Catherine’s is the only Christian monastery that is also home to a Moslem mosque -- complete with minaret -- that was constructed in 1106. The Prophet Mohammed was so impressed with the work of the monks at the Monastery that he granted them protection and freedom from taxation. (Sulzberger 1987). Those of the Moslem faith have thus sought to offer their protection and assistance.

III. Harmony with Nature
The Monastery was situated with nature very much in mind. It was built on the upper slope of Mount Sinai in order to avoid a perpetual conflict with the annual torrential rain runoff. (Forsyth 1968). In addition, the monks sustain themselves by growing their own vegetables. The fertile soil for these gardens had to be brought in by hand, as the surrounding desert sand would not support such a garden. The monks also carefully cultivated the land area around the Monastery and planted Cypress trees. The building materials of the fortress, the large blocks of granite, were quarried from the indigenous rock beds. The Monastery is situated in close proximity to several other Holy Sites. In its “justification for inscription,” the UNESCO noted that, “It demonstrates an intimate relationship between natural grandeur and spiritual commitment.” Despite the fact that the structure is made by human hands, considering the spiritual connotations it seems to “fit” within the geography of the area.

IV. Symbolism and Sacred Objects
The community has long been venerated by Christian pilgrims due to its associations with the Burning Bush and the relics of Saint Catherine. However, it has gained further renown for housing an ancient library that is second only to the Vatican’s library. Among the many treasures in this library are fragments of the oldest surviving Bible, the Codex Sinaiticus. (Veash 2002). Additionally, the Monastery has been adorned with priceless icons, frescoes, and mosaics. Perhaps one of the more famous art works is the sixth century mosaic of the Transfiguration which is located in the Church of the same name. (Sulzberger 1987).
The mountain upon which it is located is known by many names: Mount Sinai to the Christian, Jebel Musa to the Muslim, and Mount Horeb to the Jewish. The mountain is held sacred by each of these three world religions due to events such as God delivering the Ten Commandments to Moses. (UNESCO N.d.). Moreover, the Monastery has become recognized as an “emblem of peace between peoples of differing faith, language, and culture.” (“The Official Website” N.d.). By passing the test of time, the Monastery has thus gained a secondary meaning.

V. How it is used by Worshippers
Though the total population of monks and novitiates has waned over the years Saint Catherine’s is regarded as the oldest continuously inhabited monastery, dating back to the third century. (Veash 2002). Thus in addition to focusing on a dedication to prayer and mediation, the current 25 monks continue to administer to the spiritual needs of the surrounding community and to the increased traffic of pilgrims. The main church, the Katholikon, and the Mosque are still in use today. Saint Catherine’s Monastery has become a major tourist destination known not only for its proximity to the Biblical Burning Bush but also for the treasured relics housed within.

VI. Sources
Atiya, Aziz S. “The Monastery of St. Catherine and the Mount Sinai Expedition.” Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society. Vol. 96, No. 5. 15 Oct. 1952. Web. 18 March 2010.
Forsyth, George H. “The Monastery of St. Catherine at Mount Sinai: The Church and Fortress of Justinian.” Dumbarton Oaks Papers. Vol. 22. 1968. Web. 18 March 2010.
The Kelsey Museum of Archaeology, University of Michigan. “Monastery of St. Catherine at Mount Sinai (with Princeton University and the University of Alexandria). The Kelsey Online. N.d. 18 March 2010.
The Official Website of the Holy Monastery of St. Catherine at Mount Sinai. “The Holy Monastery of the God-trodden Mount Sinai, Saint Catherine’s Monastery.” The Holy Monastery of St. Catherine at Mount Sinai. N.d. Web. 18 March 2010.
Sulzberger, C. L. “In the Sands of Sinai, an Ancient Monastery.” The New York Times. 29 March 1987. Web. 5 April 2010.
UNESCO World Heritage Centre. “Saint Catherine Area.” United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. N.d. Web. 18 March 2010.
Veash, Nicole. “In Ancient Monastery, a Stunning Library.” Christian Science Monitor. 9 May 2002. Web. 18 March 2010.
World Heritage Site. “World Heritage Site: Saint Catherine Area.” World Heritage. N.d. Web. 5 April 2010.

Altar and Temple of Heaven - Amy Morris

Altar and Temple of Heaven, Beijing, China

Allen Mihecoby - Muesum Visit

“Peonies”
Allen Mihecoby

Amy Morris - Muesum Visit

Frederic Remington
The Luckless Hunter
1909
Oil on canvas
26 7/8 inches x 28 7/8 inches
http://www.sidrichardsonmuseum.org/nu_site/collection.php/art/66

Clark Metzger - Art Muesum Visit

Garrett Montgomery - Art Muesum Visit

After walking around the Dallas Museum of Art for a few hours, I finally found the picture I wanted to write my paper about. This painting is of the Eiffel Tower and however it being that I forgot to look at who the artist was and the name of the painting, my descriptions will be

Group Paragone Discussion

Do you think one type of art is superior to another?
   Our group concluded that there is not a superior form of art.  Our
main reasoning is that all forms of art require a very specific skill or
talent and that placing value on it is largely subjective.  In some
cases, not just in our Picasso group, it is all “in the eyes of the
beholder” as Allen stated.  

Do you think a discussion as a paragone is useful?
   We had mixed feelings for this topic.  Amy and Clark thought that the
use of a paragone is not useful, feeling that direct comparison of
different art forms is more confrontational than useful. On the other
hand Allen and I did not use the word “useful” in our statements, though
we both feel that they are interesting and give us a good amount of
information about the subjects that are being discussed.

How did your week as an artist influence your interpretation of this
reading?
   Except for Clark, who is still reassured that he has difficulty with
art, our group seemed to benefit very much from our “standing in the
shoes” project.  For the painters it gave them a better understanding of
the challenges that accompany painting, and both Clark and Amy agreed
that the proper use of light and shadow is very difficult. As for me,
doing the sculpting, I realized that it is much easier to picture in
your head what you want than to actually sculpt it using a particular
medium.

Clark Metzger - Standing in the Shoes - Leonardo Da Vinci

I drew simple tetracubes in my sketch which appear in both the foreground and background. The geometric shapes provide several orthogonal lines which all align with the vanishing point roughly in the center of sketch. I attempted to shade the platforms and and the tower in the background to show they are farther away. The shading of the background was the last element added and greatly enhances the perception of perspective, making the two foreground blocks seem far more 3-dimensional.

Allen Mihecoby - Standing in the Shoes - Leonardo Da Vinci

In order to demonstrate the contrast between the foreground and the background, I attempted to show the mountain on the far left as being closer and the mountains behind it further away. I attempted (very crudely, I admit) to show the distance by shading the mountains that were further back.

To demonstrate the perspective, I showed a bush closer to the viewer’s field of vision and to the right of the road. In the further background I showed a smaller tree and smaller bush.

The vanishing point is where the road ends at the horizon, in between the mountains.

It was an interesting exercise in attempting to adapt the text of our readings about da Vinci into an actual piece of “art.” (I use that term loosely as I realize I have NO artistic talent). Believe it or not I tried several times to make something presentable as my art drawing. The one I ended up posting was the best one in my opinion. This assignment did allow me a greater understanding and appreciation for those in this field.

Garrett Montgomery - Standing in the Shoes - Michelangelo Buonarroti

After doing my own sculpture I now have a better idea of how Buonarroti felt sculpting the David. He took over 3 three years to make this massive sculpture and is one of the most recognizable pieces of art today. The detail in the David is remarkable, just trying to sculpt a simple design in my bar of soap was very difficult. I tried to sculpt my piece using screwdrivers, thumbtacks, and knives. I believe Buonarroti only used a hammer and chisel. Also trying to imagine doing a sculpture to the size as he did, all in marble, is hard for me to imagine.

Amy Morris - Standing in the Shoes - Leonardo Da Vinci

This assignment used different aspects of linear perspective including aerial perspective, objects in the foreground and background and a vanishing point. To show aerial perspective some shading had to be done to the sketch in order to show the objects were not flat. Also more detail was given to the objects that were in the foreground than those in the background.

Putting objects in the foreground was easiest because they were up close so size was not an issue there. However the objects in the background were harder to draw because they were further away and depth perception was not as clear. This part of the sketch was more likely to be estimates than objects being drawn to scale. These had to be drawn as seen in the view.

This assignment was mainly difficult because of the choice of vanishing point(s). If the vanishing point was not chosen correctly then the sketch would not look balanced. This was hardest because the orthogonal lines coming from this point had to seen clearly.

Picasso Biography

Pablo Picasso is viewed as one of the most influential artists of the 20th Century both in terms of individual contributions and overall impact on the world of art. Moreover, Picasso was a prolific artist who enjoyed a long life span, passing away at the age of 91. This Spaniard was a versatile artist working in various media including ventures in paint, sculpture, print work, and writing. He would, however, garner the most acclaim as a painter. Perhaps Picasso’s most famous works, or those for which he won the most critical acclaim, are from the genres of the Cubist and papiers colles (McQuillan N.p.). Through his body of work Picasso would challenge the contemporary notations of art and further expand upon avant garde styles. A prime example of is his extension of the Cubist movement into both “synthetic” and “analytic” Cubism (Langton N.p.). His penchant for challenging boundaries would also manifest in his combining the conventional materials such as oil and paint with sand or sawdust. These concepts will be more fully explored later in this paper.

As widely studied, Picasso’s artistic life would evolve through several “periods.” Most of these periods were influenced by events in his life and were named for the colors that dominated his works at the time. While his life may be viewed episodically, this paper will focus on three pieces and the contextual period from which each arose. The first work to be examined will be “Self-portrait” from the Blue Period, next will be “Guitar” and the conclusion will culminate with “Woman with Guitar”. By reviewing such a diverse set of works, a greater understanding of the depth of this artist can be reached.

The period of 1901 to 1904 is known as the Blue Period and featured such work as “Self-portrait”. Self-portrait was one of the earliest works at the beginning of this particular period. The gist of his work during the Blue Period focused on “…outcasts, beggars and invalided prostitutes” (McQuillan N.p.). By using the cool, somber blue colors, he was able to further draw the audience into the melancholy of these featured groups. Perhaps the genesis of this period can be traced to the suicide of Carlos Casagemas, which seemed to have affected Picasso greatly. During time period, Picasso made his home during this time in both Spain and France (Langton N.p.).

Another important event that transpired was the production of his first collage in May 1912. This new genre of painting featured “… [a] painting or drawing that incorporates pre-existing materials or objects as part of the surface” (McQuillan N.p). As previously mentioned, one of Picasso’s more famous works was in this medium as represented by the Guitar. By incorporating various printed materials, such as newspapers, Picasso added a dimension of symbolism to his art. As Melissa McQuillan would succinctly state, “His invention of this radical new sculptural form was to have enormous repercussions..for his own later work…but also for later developments in modern sculpture” (N.p.).

Around 1911, Picasso began a relationship with Eva Gouel. This relationship would cause Picasso to take his art on a bit of tangent. Rather than producing portraits of Gouel, Picasso would work the words “ma jolie” into the piece – as an homage to his then current love interest. The term was borrowed from a popular song of the day. “Woman with Guitar” would be a prime example of this particularly period of his life and this particular convention (McQuillan N.p.).


Works Cited
Florman, Lisa. "Picasso, Pablo." Encyclopedia of Aesthetics. Ed. Michael Kelly. Oxford Art Online. N.d. Web. 9 Feb. 2010
Langton, John. "Picasso, Pablo." The Oxford Companion to Western Art. Ed. Hugh Brigstocke. Oxford Art Online. N.d. Web. 9 Feb. 2010
McQuillan, Melissa. "Picasso, Pablo." Grove Art Online. Oxford Art Online. N.d. Web. 9 Feb. 2010

Las Meninas

As mentioned in Lesson I, Diego Velazquez painted “Las Meninas” in
1656. Picasso held Velazquez and his body of art in high regard. Picasso would produce over 50 variations of Velazquez’s original work. Each derivative work would show very different styles of art such as the influences of cubism and abstract art. However, in each rendition the characters would remain static. The intent behind Picasso’s endeavors was more of a tribute to Velazquez than an attempt to belittle his work. Velazquez had defined a world in Las Meninas and Picasso was attempting to explore that world through the varied uses of “form, rhythm, colour and movement” (“Las Meninas”). These efforts would allow Picasso to become more introspective about his artistic processes.

“Las Meninas, 1957.” Museu Picasso de Barcelona. N.d. Web 18 Feb. 2010 “http://www.museupicasso.bcn.es/eng/collection/cont_collec.htm#p12

Guernica

Picasso painted Guernica in 1937 using newspaper clippings in addition to the more traditional oil and canvas. It was meant to bring attention to the city of Guernica and the bombings that took place by the Germans. Picasso used black and white tones to set a depressing tone and the news paper clippings he put in the picture were to represent on how he heard about the bombing. When Picasso was asked to describe his newly painted Guernica he stated, “this bull is a bull and this horse is a horse... If you give a meaning to certain things in my paintings it may be very true, but it is not my idea to give this meaning. What ideas and conclusions you have got I obtained too, but instinctively, unconsciously. I make the painting for the painting. I paint the objects for what they are”.

“Guernica reference.” Bing. Bing. 17 Feb. 2010. Web. 12 Feb. 2010
“Baroque and Rococo.” All- art.org. All Art. 17 Feb. 2010. Web

Nude in Black Armchair

Picasso painted this piece in 1932 of his mistress Marie Therese Walter using oil on canvas. In 1999 it sold for over 45 million dollars. This peice was one of several that Picasso painted as part of a rivalry with his contemporary, Henri Matisse. A very abstract picture, Picasso used smooth lines and bold colors to emphasize the women, elements that he borrowed from Matisse. This painting is important because of the external influences reminding us that even a painter with as distinct a style as Picasso does not exist in a vacuum.

Lacayo, Richard. "Art: When Henri Met Pablo." Time. 24 Feb 2003. Web. 18 Feb 2010. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1004290-2,00.html