Blog 8

Our assignment for the class this week was to take a trip to the Women’s National Museum of Art in Washington, DC. This was a very intriguing experience for me and I enjoyed seeing many different pieces of artwork made my various artists come together to create an entire exhibit. This was not my first time going to this museum but each time I went I felt that I learned something knew and saw each piece of art in a different way.

            There were various pieces of art that stuck out to me while looking at the permanent exhibit but one in particular really caught my eye. This painting was A stroll on the beach by Michael Ancher in 1896. This painting seemed very simple to me as it used light pastel colors and the artist used shadows in the sand. It was not until I read the wall plaque that I discovered that this painting was made to perpetuate the new view of Skagen life by showing middle-class women enjoying the bucolic scenery.

            The current exhibit on display at the museum is A World Apard: Anna Ancher and the Skagen Art Colony, which is on display from February 15- May 12, 2013. While reading the brochure I learned that this exhibit was influences by the European art movements of Impressionism, Realism, Naturalism, and symbolism. They portrayed the lives of the people around them. One painting that I particularly noticed was A Field Sermon, 1903 by Anna Ancher. This picture in particular seemed to have darker colors than most painting which caught my attention. I originally thought that this painting depicted a religious ceremony and the facial expressions on the people seemed sad. My first interpretation was off and I learned that this painting was a depiction of a meeting of the Home Mission, a Lutheran evangelical movement that had many followers in Skagen, including the artist’s mother and sisters. Also while reading the wall plaque I learned that this was her largest painting and was awarded a silver medal from the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts in 1904. I also found it interesting that previously Ancher was not allowed to attend the Academy as a student because she was a woman.

            A third piece I found interesting was A-E-I-O-U and Sometimes Y by Mickalene Thomas. This piece was different than the ones featured in the exhibit because it was not done on an oil canvas. The artist of this painting used rhinestones in order to create an image to portray female beauty. The rhinestones help to draw attention to the features of the woman being portrayed. The pink background of the painting also reiterates the femininity of the piece. The artist of the piece liked to portray the identity of African American Women. Andy Warhol’s photo booth portraits also inspired this piece.

            Overall I had a very positive experience at the museum and I truly enjoyed interpreting and discovering the stories behind each piece of art work. 

Blog #7

In this weeks lecture and readings we focused on the art of dancing. Dance tells a story through the movements of ones body. The music, costumes, and moves all work together to share the stories of the Urban Bush Women. Jawole Willa Jo Zollar started the Urban Bush Women in 1984 with the sole purpose of sharing the stories and the history of disenfranchised people to light. The stories being told come from a woman’s perspective and aim to validate themselves as women, find social change, and build trust through dance.

            The first two videos I watched of the UBW were “Walking with Peal-African Diaries” and “Walking with Pearl-Southern Diaries.” Each of the videos had a different meaning. The women in the African diaries were all wearing colors and what seemed to me to be tribal costumes. There also seemed to be more talking in the background than loud music. Through the dance moves of the women you can see the emotions and the stories they are trying to get across. The women in the Southern diaries were all wearing dark brown costumes and dances more in unison. They also made louder noises with their movements using stomps and claps. The music was loud and the dance was at a much faster pace. Both of these videos expressed their own stories confronting stereotypes and prejudice through movement. One can see the pain and anger the women feel in both of the dances.

            Another video we focused on in the guided activity was “Batty Moves.” This video stuck out to me because the costumes seemed to be much different than the ones in the other videos. The women were dressed in tight black shorts, black tank tops, and a sweatshirt around their waist. The meaning behind this dance was explained in the article “Memory Walking with Urban Bush Women’s Batty Moves” The costumes they wore intended they were going to “kick butts!” One thing I found very interesting was that how each dancer elaborated on the basic deign of the song by interesting their own lyrics until the next one joined in. This allowed them to share their African heritage and also make their own identities clear.

            A second article we read this week was “Sexual Politics” This article focuses on how women are the main figures involved in dance and how many view it to be weird for a male to be a dancer. The article discusses how dance is a female rather than masculine pursuit. One quote that stuck out to me was one said by Isadora Ducan stating her art was “symbolic of the freedom of women and her emancipation from the hidebound conventions that arc the warp and wood of New England Puritanism.” Dance was a way for women to have something of their own. Dance was a way for them to express themselves and speak what they were thinking without having to use any words. Dance showed that women were free. Instead of women now being the underdogs, women were known for dancing. 

Response to Abby Moran blog #5

I agree with Abby that I didn’t understand the message of the song born this way until after listening to it again and reading this weeks lecture. I also agree with her that this song exemplifies the political philosophy that is used in today marriage equality debates. Lady Gaga is a very important figure in gaining gay civil rights. When Abby was explaining Alison being nicknamed “Butch” I realized that if this novel was not a graphic novel I would not have fully understood the way that Alison looked and dressed throughout her life. I also agree with Abby that the letter that Alison’s father wrote to her what in some what a way of him coming out of the closet to her. I also felt that Alison was not afraid of who she was and she was okay letting the world know that she was a lesbian.

Blog #6

In this weeks lecture and in the story “Fun Home” by Alison Bechdel a common theme is noted in both. This theme is homosexuality. Being LBGTQ in our society has always been a controversial topic. Gay marriage is one of the largest debated issues in our country. Many people in our country feel that it is wrong to have sexual relations with someone of the same sex and are homophobic.

            Singing sensation Lady Gaga is one of the biggest and most well known icons for gay rights. Her song “Born this Way” exemplifies the common misinterpretation that people choose to be attracted to the same sex instead of being born with those feelings. The message I received from this song is that no matter what your sexuality might be you were born the way you are for a reason and deserve the same respect as those who are straight. One line that stuck out to me in the song was “Whether life's disabilities
Left you outcast, bullied or teased. Rejoice and love yourself today 'Cause baby, you were Born This Way.” This line grabbed my attention because I realized the scrutiny that many LGBTQ people are receiving and that the world needs to change. We are all human beings and just because they are LGBTQ does not mean that they are an alien. The graphic images seen within the music video also grabbed by attention because it reiterated that lesbians and gays were born as fighters they are prepared for the hatred they are going to face and they a prepared to fight it head on.

            For this weeks class we were also supposed to read “Fun Home” by Alison Bechdel. This book tells the story of her life growing up with her mother, father, and two brothers. They also live in a small town where the rest of the family lives and where her grandparents live at the family business, which is a funeral home. Alison describes her father as being abusive and demanding when she was a child and loved decorating the house. She also described his love for young boys. Alison later goes on to explain how she came out of the closet to her parents when she was in college and a few weeks later her father had “killed himself.” Alison could not help but to put blame on herself for her fathers death but later found out that her father had been having affairs with other men her entire life and his death could not possibly have been her fault. On page 85 she notices the resemblance between her father and Fitzgerald’s life and could not help but think that her father planned his death to parallel that of Fitzgerald’s. On page 86 she states, “But that would only confirm that his death was not my fault. That, in fact, it had nothing to do with me at all.” Alison described her troubles as a child having severe OCD and realized that she had been struggling with being a lesbian from the time she was 4 or 5. When she decided to come out she was very open about it and was able to come out so easily. Her father had been gay almost his entire life as well but never had the courage like his daughter to come out and say it. This graphic novel helps to reiterate what life is like for those who are LGBTQ and the images help to make the novel send a stronger message. It is ok to be gay, everyone is born the way they are for a reason. 

Response to Nicole Kloorfain's Blog #5

I really connected with Nicole's blog post this week because just like her photography I express myself through scrap books. Art helps to tell a story that sometimes you can not express in words. This also ties into the quilts that the women from Mexico made to tell the stories of their journeys crossing the border. Art is a form of self expression. I agree with Nicole that they poured their energies and frustrations into their quilts. Crossing the border was a struggle for them and the express their pain and hardships in their quilts. When I make my scrap books it is a way for me express my feelings and stories and memories that i want to keep with me forever. For me scrap booking is a positive experience but for the Mexican immigrants this art work is of terrible memories that they would not want to relive.

Blog #5

In this week’s lecture and readings there is a common theme amongst all. This theme is the struggles of immigration. Another common theme is the strive for a better life. After doing this weeks activity and reading these articles I have formed a better grasp on why America is considered a melting pot. The Mexican and Latino people have brought their own creativity and heritage into America and fitting themselves right in to help create the America we have today.

In the Los Hilos de la Vida I was introduced to the creative artwork of the Mexican people that helped express their journey into America and the struggle they faced along the way. In the three quilts I analyzed one common theme stuck out to me. This theme was, there is no turning back. In the two quilts “Death Lives in the Desert” and “Mexican/American Dream” a common image was the image of death. In both quilts death was shown as one of the struggles in crossing the border. Many knew that death could be an option when approaching the border but many fought through it and ended up living the American Dream. In “Death Lives in the Desert” death is portrayed as a figure in the desert that was bigger than everyone else and in “Mexican/American Dream” death is portrayed in the river where many dead bodies were floating. I found it very interesting that these quilts could express such amazing stories through the colors, images, lines, and shapes these artists used. The persistence and determination for a better life for their families is truly displayed in these quilts.

The activity Los Hilos de la Vida and the article “Everyday Use” have a common theme of quilting. This article shows how women struggling for a better life after immigration found hope when quilting. Quilting was something that could be done by people from all different classes, races, and levels of education. On page 16 of the article it states “as such, it asserted and conveyed values of continuity, stability and tradition- all useful values in a country of immigrants and of geographic mobility.” These quilts were bigger than just the individual stories of each person or family. These quilts connected all of their stories and expressed their hardships as a united group of people.

A second article we read this week was “Ana’s Choice” by Patricia Zavella. This story connects to the other readings and the activity because it discusses a story of a Mexican family migrating to America by crossing the border. Ana and Jose Garcia wanted to get away from their lack of job opportunities and the poverty they were facing in Mexico. They knew it would be too long to wait for legal immigration because “since the waiting list for Mexicans seeking U.S. immigrant visas can be as long as 20 years, the couple couldn’t wait for authorization.” They were scared and afraid but knew what had to be done. While reading this article it reminded me of the two quilts from the activity because Ana’s mother says to her “these eyes that see you now will not see you return.” Ana’s story along with the two quilts have a common theme of there is no turning back and those that you love you may never see again. This article also opened my eyes to the difference between family stage migration and mixed-status migration. This article helps to strengthen the idea that immigrants only come to this country illegally in hope for a better life for themselves and to be able to support for their children.

A final article read this week was “In Search of Our Mothers’ Gardens” by Alice Walker. This article also connected with the rest of the reading this week and the activity. This article focused on what life was like for black women in the post-reconstruction era in the south. This article focused on how black women were slaves and had no rights to freedom and creativity. This article focused on the struggles of the black women. 

Response to Jaimee Schuster Blog #4

I agree with Jaimee on various of the points that she made in this weeks blog. I agree with Jaimee that a disability is what everyone makes out of it. It does not just effect the person with the disability it effects everyone around them. Everyone in the world is perceived in a different way. I also agree with Jaimee that if Barbie was a real human that her body would not be a normal human body. It would not be healthy to look the way Barbie does in real life. I also agree with Jaime that just because someone has a disability does not mean they are dependent on another person. A disability is something that many people can handle on their own and those that care about them and support them are usually the ones who help to take care of them if they need it. Women can survive without men. Women do not need to be seen as disabled because they do not have a man in their life. Frieda is a great example of not letting a man take over her life. Frieda stays true to herself even through the hard times of her husband always cheating on her. I also agree with Jaimee's point that Frieda is the perfect example of a disabled woman. She proves that she does not need a man in order to be strong.