Greek Pottery

This amphora is believed to have been created by the Berlin Painter, who is considered to be one of the most talented vase-painters of his time. He helped develop the Classic style of red-figure pottery, and he likely trained many younger painters as well. This tall vessel was probably used to hold or transport water, food, or wine.

One of the Berlin Painter's signatures was the abandonment of patterns and panels, and the figures on the amphora are in perfect harmony with the curvature of the vessel itself. The figure on the left is a musician playing a kithara, an instrument used for formal performances in festivals and contests that consists of seven strings and a wooden body. He is wearing a long, flowing garment, the lines of which create both tranquility and movement to the rhythm of the imagined music. The strain in his neck and his open mouth show the passion with which the kitharode is singing. The figure on the other side of the vase listens (or judges) the kitharode and extends his arm to the singer. Instead of using patterns and panels with intricate decoration, the Berlin Painter created a simple scene of two figures against a plain black background. Still, he managed to create a sense of emotion and passion with the two figures.

This amphora is an example of red-figure pottery. The red figures on a black background were created by applying a glaze to the negative space around the figures. When the vessel was placed in a kiln, the glazed areas turned black, which created a strong contrast between the foreground and background. This particular amphora stands out because of its striking simplicity compared to the others featured on the Met website.

Group Blog #2

http://prezi.com/a2tcqyl2ptld/egypt-project/

Individual Blog #3

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703384204575509823111367854.html?mod=WSJ_ArtsEnt_LifestyleArtEnt_4

This article discusses an artist named James Magee, who is considered to be the "America's greatest living unknown artist." Magee is extremely eccentric and unconventional: he creates art under several alter egos, including "Annabel Livermore," a painter. Under his real name, he creates pieces of wall art, which are so elaborate and heavy that any buyer would have to build a wall or industrial space to put them on. However, his most impressive and secretive project is The Hill, which has been under construction for more than 30 years and is still unfinished. It is a combination of architecture, sculpture, art and landscape, consisting of four 14-foot-high, flat-roofed buildings sitting atop two stone causeways. All materials are either stone or metal, and each building has fiberglass panels to let in light. The article describes the Hill:

The south, north and east buildings house a variety of sculpted shapes—vertical triptychs, altars, panels—all composed of industrial materials and filled with glass, cloth, metal, something that suggests an animal's flayed body, and various other detritus. The most spectacular installation is the horizontal floor sculpture in the east building. This vast piece is capped by a glass-and-metal cover that took four men 15 minutes to raise via a set of clanking pulleys. It looks like a lunar landscape designed by Corbusier and made of iron and steel objects, broken glass, ball bearings, beads, metal shavings, all arranged into shapes that remind us of things we know (a chair? a body? a road map? a destroyed city?) but have never seen before. It is a map of the imagination.
When the chapel doors are open, you look through them and out to framed desert vistas, the same scenes you can see as an encompassing panorama once you step away from the buildings. The untended cacti, agave, yucca and delicate desert flowers seem as deliberate as anything at Versailles.

I think this is SO COOL. The article's description of The Hill says that "Nondoctrinal religion, a pervading spirituality, defines the place and the experience of being there. Mr. Magee is the creator, the servant, the priest and—for the most part—the congregation." This definitely relates with our class discussion about the Horowitz article and the properties of architecture. From the description, the feelings evoked by the architecture seem to be awe, inspiration, and a sense of being dwarfed by the space (almost like the church that we visited). It really sounds like an amazing experience, and I wish that it was more open to the public.

For more info on The Hill, visit
http://www.mageehill.org/

Individual Blog #3

One of my favorite pieces from class this week is this funerary krater. Its design is typical of the Geometric period, which is characterized by the use of linear motifs such as spirals, diamonds, and cross-hatching.

In its time, this piece would have likely been used as a grave marker, and it was found just outside the Diplyon Gate at the ancient cemetery of Athens. The geometric style is seen all over the krater: in several bands that circle around the top and bottom, and in the background of the scene depicted. This repetition creates a sense of rhythm and unity throughout the piece.

The scene on the krater shows a detailed record of funerary practices of the Greeks, including cremation. On the top register, the body of the deceased is shown about to be cremated. The people around the deceased have their arms raised in a gesture of pain and sorrow. Their forms are extremely geometric-looking: their heads and torsos are triangles, their arms and legs are rectangular. There is no depth in this work; the geometric figures actually emphasize the flatness. The contrast between the crisp black designs and the lighter colored ceramic is also typical of the period, and it really makes the scene stand out. The simple colors also allow such an elaborate design to be easy to look at: it doesn't overwhelm the eye.