Medium of the Art
It is surprising that such a small piece of art could leave such a big impact on me. This boulder effortlessly displays hard work and talent. In person, I could easily see the fine details etched into the jade rock including the face of the man and the leaves of the tree. I truly appreciated this piece because I felt that it required strength in order to carve into a rock but also control and caution in order to make precise indentions. So this small piece of history represents the perfect balance between strength and control where too much of either one would have not created this piece as it is today.
Design of the Museum
The David A. Cofrin Asian Art Wing was my favorite setting in all of the Harn Museum. Unlike other areas, this wing felt open yet welcoming. The lighting was soft and could instill a calm and serene feeling in any passerby. The sharp edges of the display tables also created a modern and sleek look in the wing. Because this wing was vastly different in appearance to other wings in the Harn Museum, it caused me to notice the pieces of art more than pieces in another area. The large room made me feel as though I was about to view very important pieces in art history.
Art and Core Values
Because of my race, I have always naturally been drawn to art and foods that reflect the Indian culture. For eleven years, I danced a type of Indian classical dance called Bharatanatyam. Bharatanatyam reflects values of mainly Buddhism and Hinduism in its style which is why I feel that I was so quickly drawn to the statue of the Seated Buddha. Here, the Buddha is peaceful and reflects serenity and even hope. His missing hand would have been holding up a Mudra which are hand symbols that are used in Bharatanatyam and even other styles of Indian dance. This statue evoked a sense of nostalgia, warmth, and peace within me. It also represents my desire to remain openminded and without judgment.
Art and the Good Life
Although this specific piece could represent many of the themes of Good Life, I immediately believed that the natural environment and justice were the two that Herman Herzog's Lanscape with Three Deer reflected best. For obvious reasons, this untouched scenic view reminded me of natural habitats home to species that lived remotely from humans. However, this piece immediately reminded me of justice because I could not help but wonder how hard it may be to find areas of land, such as the one in this piece, that are still untainted from human modifications. This painting also reminded me that forests and other habitats are depleting in order to compensate for the expansion of the human race. Evoking a bit of agitation in me because of the general negligence of human actions, this piece encourages me to support forest conservation and habitat preservation.
Credits:
Created with images by Sangre-La.com - "iy6843.JPG"