“Family Reunion” By Laverne Ross

This is a piece of a family reunion. Kids playing, some gathered and talking, one women who appears to oversee the cooking. This painting also has lots of color with a sharp vivid appearance. I identified with this piece because some of my fondest family memories of heritage and culture were at family reunions. As a child, I remember looking forward to the reunions. So much good food, and because I have such a mixed family so many different types of food.  The Caribbean food came from my mother’s side Haitian and Belizean and my father’s good old southern food. It was at a family reunion that I learned my father’s grandfather was the child of a slave and owner in Pine bluff Arkansas. There was so much love between everyone at these family reunions and a lot of making up if anyone had any differences. This family reunion piece reminded me of my own personal cultural heritage because they are something my family has been doing before I was born. Bringing everyone together to remember the importance of family and love, forgiveness and strength. Besides all the sentimental value of them they are a ball. Every generation of music is played, games new and old are played, prizes and contest too. Just a good time celebrating family.

“The Meditation” By Lee Vanderwalk

I picked this piece because it remined me of the women in my family. Majority of my family is females we defiantly outnumber the men. I see strength, grace, depth, and culture looking at this. And that’s what the women of my family represent, and what they make sure to instill generation after generation. Identifying with this piece made me think about how opened minded and acceptant to different personalities and ways of living, working, eating, even communicating we are . I identified those things through the colors the multiple women, their poise ad structures, and unity all while being different. I wouldn’t say that the women in my family are feminist but we have always been taught to be independent, strong and that we deserve just as much as men do. Especially with the younger generations we all aspire to hold and be our own with or without a companion.

“History behind carebian food produces” By Nicoles Jean Louis

I picked this piece because of the different food items laying around the women. Food is huge in my family both man and women enjoy and love cooking. Especially being mixed with quite a few different back grounds. The red peppers made me think more towards my mother and all the spices she that side of my family likes to cook with. Often when my aunt takes trips to Belize she almost always sneaks back some spices for my mother. Cooking is a sign of affection for us, and a time to bond. when someone is sad, mad or happy you can allows make a meal to discuss it. I remember being a little girl helping my mother and aunts cook and I also remember being a little girl helping my father and uncles cook too. In both instances, I remember feeling the love in the air doing so. I now I have those same experiences with my own niece. And as tradition, culture and heritage goes she will hopefully have these same fond memories and be sure to pass them down when she gets older.

Whether memes could be considered art or not is an ongoing debate along with other forms like graffiti. From what I’ve observed over the course content they are a form of art with stipulations. For example, if someone were to make a collage of meme that could be considered art. Although I agree that memes to some extent could be considered art I can see how or why there would be a debate. The value of them on a bigger scale isn’t much possibly because the lack of culture significance, unique attributes and creativity as mentioned in the lecture about what makes the value of a piece of art work. Even Joseph Beuys says every human is an artist but to a certain extent.  It may take a little more skill and purpose to add to the creations, but that could easily be done if someone wanted to turn their meme into art work.

Jenny Holzer seemed to be someone who learned from life and the things it tends to throw at you. Intellectual and open for debates. She had her truisms post all over challenging the views of others to perhaps look at certain things threw different views. My truism I choose to pick was “Slow progress is better than no progress” because I must remind myself this when I sometimes get impatient. How it came about was my parents always telling me to slow down and to stop trying to do so many things at once. And then one day my mother said that phrase and it stuck with me ever since. So far it is true as for the things I have accomplished future accomplishments. Like getting my degree for example. I can’t take as many class as I would like due to working two jobs and life outside of school but going part time is better progress than not going at all waiting until I have the time to go fulltime. It’s important to me to keep this in mind when I don’t see as much progress as id like with certain things. Just reminds me if I am putting in the work the results will slowly but surely come

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The Two Fridas, by Frida Kahlo

Remake of The Two Fridas, by Claire Ball

The Two Fridas (Los Dos Fridas) was created in 1939 as an oil on canvas self-portrait by Frida Kahlo. This portrait was done during her divorce with Diego Rivera. Which had a lot to do with her mental state and identity transition. In this portrait she has an identical twin but their attire and detail on the attire are different. The physical state of them both are different as well. The portrait expresses the complexity she and perhaps other women experienced in that era. One is dressed in traditional white and also weaker, which we know by the open heart and leaking artery. The other is stronger, more modern, a closed heart, and  as stated in Khan Academy a photo of her ex-husband. Perhaps representing the past.

Two types of analysis used in this piece are feminist and Psychological. Feminist because the difference in the two Fridas and what they represent as a women. One more traditional and domestic and the other freer will in tribal attire. Depicting what was and the desire to be for a lot of other women in that era. Psychological analysis was another used because of her recent divorce during the time as stated in both sources. Knowing that information helps with understanding the two personalities shown as well as the detail. Like the torn scared leaking heart, and the picture of her ex-husband for example.

I enjoyed learning about the piece. Learning who she was and the time frame in her life when this piece was created helped understand the piece better and her thought process in some of the details picked.

https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/ap-art-history/later-europe-and-americas/modernity-ap/a/kahlo-the-two-fridas-las-dos-fridas

http://www.fridakahlo.org/the-two-fridas.jsp

There were many things I could think of that I would like to save in an instance of a fire breaking out, but these three bundle of things are personal items that could not be replaced and hold personal value.

*The first and most important out of the three is my bag of personal journals and notes that I have accumulated over the last 10 years. This bag of writing is important to me because one day I plan to write a book of my life and have seminars for girls and all the experiences in my life that I’ve felt were significant are in these journals as well as the visible mental growth over time and to lose these would be a huge deal to me.

* The second Most important thing would be my custom-made music box given to me by my grandmother. I was 5 years old when I was given it and I still remember it like it was yesterday. she told me to take care of it to keep  to one day give to own daughter or granddaughter if ever permitted and I plan to do just that.

* And the third most important is a few of my photo albums. Pictures filled with funny memories that I would like to look back on as reminders of how far I’ve come and to show what shaped me into the person I am.

I define art as something that creates a feeling, whether it be a painting, drawing, poem, music, ect. I know that may not be the real definition but when I look at a picture or listen to a song that may not necessarily be famous or from someone famous I still feel like its art.

Image by: Maxwell via Picgerms.

Why I decided to pick this piece is because how I feel about flowers. whether its a picture, me walking,  driving or in a office looking at a vase of flowers I see the art in them. depending on the flower, color and state its in I get a different feeling or a story that doesn’t necessarily have to do with flowers come to mind.

What I’ve learned from the  course content is art is created only by humans. Its not restricted to language only. its opinionated and  never really right or wrong how someone views a piece.  I also learned  that it’s connected to everyday living without being realized by most. As well as that it is made of something ordinary being transformed to something more complex.

I see some similarities in what I consider art and what the qualifiers consider. they too also agree with art being something that creates feeling. I may consider something’s art that they don’t since what I see as art may not always necessarily have an intent.

Beauty does not play a huge role in what I consider art. Although beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I can read or a see a dark piece and not think its beautiful but see the art in it based on how it was expressed and how it manifested what it was trying to express.

Hello Everyone,

I’m Takeah nice to meet you all. My major is Communications and  I’m currently in the 2 year program with plans to  transition over to the BA program next year. I have a few different desires as far as goals and career aspirations with my communications degree. A part of me is stuck in the medical field  because that’s what I’ve been exposed to and working in for the past 6 years. While  the other side of me  is a little more adventurous and  interested  in getting involved with PR and Media in entertainment.

I don’t have any back ground in art  but I love all types of music and poetry. I actually went to an art show once down town Atlanta and I found it very interesting . When I have time away from school or work  I enjoy comedy shows, cooking, shopping, and just being around good vibes. I’m not sure what to expect being in Art Society and Culture but I look forwarder to leanering something new. For starters, how to make and become a blogger. ?