The Agony and the Ecstasy

The Agony and the Ecstasy

The Agony and the Ecstasy is an old movie made in 1965, talking about the time Michelangelo paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. At the beginning, the Pope wants Michelangelo to decorate the tomb. So, Michelangelo plan to sculpt forty sculptures but each sculpture took four years, that means he have to spent a hundred and sixty years to cut the marbles. However, the Pope can't wait for Michelangelo to take that much time doing unending work. He gave Michelangelo a new work, paint the 12 apostles on the ceiling of the Sistine chapel and decorate the vault with appropriate designs. Michelangelo felt his destiny: Born to sculpt, not paint. He is a sculptor not a painter. He felt agony about the new command by the pope. After he heard “If the wine is sour, throw it out", someone said. He went back to the chapel, destroy his work and ran away to the mountain. This movie is talking about how Michelangelo overcome his obstacle and how he ecstasy on the ceiling... What makes Michelangelo return to his work? I recommend you to enjoy this movie. A movie full of excite and passion.

THE NATURAL WORLD

Liu Mao Shan, Paris, Chinese cross Western styles painting

This is a painting Liu Mao Shan use his talent base on Chinese painting and add the western style to paint. It is how he looks at the street in Paris. Liu Mao Shan always set the landscape to be his object. He had many painting show how the world look from his eyes is. As you see, this painting gives us a new way of looking at Paris. You can see it is a street at Paris but the feel is totally different for the painting is combining with Chinese painting style. I feel this painting is playing with me, because of the style and those colors added on the top.

Zaha Hadid

This is a little introduction about the famous architect - Zaha Hadid. I used the photostory to made it. In this introduction, you can learn Zaha Hadid's biography, where does she work and some information about what is special about her art.

Visit to Artic

Sincere Yeung, Chicago Artic Mordern Wing 5/11, Photograph, 2009.

This day, we visited to Artic, the Art Institute of Chicago, and have our second field trip. In this trip, we had grouped to different team. My partner is Florence. At there, we learned different styles and art elements of art. We saw Gustave Caillebotte, George Seurat, Van Gogh, Gauguin, Geogria O’ Keefe ad other arties’ work.

After that, we went to the New Wing to start our exploration. We had to choose one art work with our partner; discuss the work and give a presentation about it. We choose Victor Brauner’s Turning Point of Thirst. We have to tell some basic information about it and use the visual elements to describe the art work. And we have to write a poem about the work. Here is the poem:

Victor Brauner, Turning Point of Thirst, Oil on canvas, 19 7/8 x 23 1/4 in, 1934.

Face
Alone black
Thirsty scarily hopeless
His brain was thirst
Scarily paint black
Meaningful creative
Hope
Turning Point of Thirst

Visit to Culture Center

Perk Yu, Photograph, 2010

This Wednesday, we went to the Chicago Cultural Center. I had been there for many times, so it is not a new experience for me. We went to the Two Galleries; the first one is Christine Tarkowski’s Last Things Will Be First and First things Will Be Last the ship in the; the second exhibit is the 4th floor, Expect the Unexpected by Hollis Sigler. She was a Chicago artist who told her life with breast cancer.

Perk Yu, Photograph, 2010

In the exhibit, I found out a paper cut. The paper cut is called She Always Had Hope. At the frame, he wrote “She always had hope. She look her disease seriously enough, she just thought there was a way out.” In the picture, all the windows and door in the room was blocked. A drawing table putted in the middle of the room and the light shine on it. It is an art work Hollis Sigler made in 1995. I think this art work is to tell people that during the battle with breast cancer, she lost herself, but she found her hope, and it was to use paintings and drawing telling people about how she feel, and how breast cancer affect people.

Hollis Sigler, Stepping Outside of Her Life, Lithograph on paper, 17 x 23 in, 1996.

When you go down to the Michigan Avenue Galleries at first floor, you will find Joel Sheesley’s recent paintings posted there in the exhibit named Up is Down. I think those paints a very cool, not just because of the highly realistic, but the theme of those paintings is to having us look more carefully at the world in small details of every day. After I saw those paintings, I asked myself many questions about what is my goal and hope…This exhibit is open between Jan 9, 2010 - Apr 4, 2010 and the Galley Talk will be on Thursday, March 11, 12:15pm with the artist. Feel free to go there and have fun!

Joel Sheesley, Angle of a Dream, Painting , 45x75", 2008

After the visiting, I asked myself a question. Why do people choose those artworks to put them on a gallery? This question was in my head for a long time, but I can’t tell it…