Transparency, Brilliance, and Stained Glass Windows

During biblical times, it was said that gold was comparable in worth to that of common glass that we know today. Revolutions in the creation of glassware; however, have commercialized this previously rare product into an easily producible material. In the past, glass was a rare substance that originated in Mesopotamia and migrated into Egypt where it was more efficiently created. 

The Egyptians used a method called core-forming. A shaped core was made of clay and dung, then molten glass was wrapped around it and shaped by rolling it on a smooth surface. (Kinsalecrystal)

Not until the end of the first century BC was the production of common glass made more exquisite and rapid with the invention of glass blowing. A hollow tube was used to mold and shape molten glass  in this primitive process.  This method likely originated along the Mediterranean coast near Syria and backed with widespread support from the Roman Empire. As this civilization grew, so too did the availability and affordability of glass products up until the fall of the thrown where it then hit a great downfall. Glass production was temporarily restored; however, when stained glass was discovered and used in the decoration of Cathedrals.

For a while, Venice became the glass center of Europe as far as production and exhibition. In time, new discoveries in glass formation changed this. One example is the addition of lead oxide to molten glass to produce a more brilliant shine than had ever been witnessed in history thus far. Also, Ireland achieved a renown reputation as skilled glass makers by utilizing the pure white sand resources to produce a clearer glass than from common silica.

Modern advancements in glass making have lead to the artistic exposition of glass blowing. One name, above all others, reigns as the master of glass art. Dale Chihuly is an international artist famed for amazing revolutionary creations dating from early 90's to modern day.

One installation that deserves recognition over all others, is the famed Chihuly in the Light of Jerusalem exhibition. This project was started with the goal of honoring the great land where glass was born. The location of development was the ancient Tower of David which drew over one million visitors to witness the artwork. A few sites that require emphasis are the Crystal mountain. This proves to be one of Chihuly's tallest projects and even features the ability to enter the mountain and view the glass in awe from the inside. Along with this creation are the development of the Persian Ceiling and the splendid blue and white towers nicknamed, the Medusa Towers.

Fine Dining: A look into the Culinary Arts

In this modern era, there is a multitude of inconsiderate, inept people who underestimate and under glorify the amazing artistic process of cooking. Although it used to be common knowledge and irrefutable necessity, there is a substantial portion of the population that is either incompetent or untrained in the unique process of culinary preparation. It is a dying art form that has been on the decline since the modern emphasis of "food on the go" and microwavable pre-cooked meals. It is this disregard that I feel warrants an informative piece on the history and advancements in the culinary field.

Cooking began simultaneously with the discovery of fire. Originally, the purpose of this act was to soften the structure of meats, vegetables, and other indigestible foods in order to simplify the intestinal process of nutrient absorption.  The origin of this art comes mainly from ancient writings.  "Among these is notably the memoirs of the Children of Israel while journeying in the wilderness, and their hankering after the "flesh-pots of Egypt."" There was an aura of respect that was given to those who could claim expertise under the then primitive methods of cooking

When speaking of the tactics of cooking, it is important to note that the different forms came about in order of simplicity. For example, broiling was likely the first method of preparation due to the numerous applications and its ability to seal in the delicate flavors of meats while maintaining a basic process. After this came roasting, followed by a plethora of new strategies such as baking, boiling, and stewing.

While for many, cooking has become a waste of time or something left for chefs, caterers, and fast food employees, the modern home cook is now able to equip his or herself with kitchen utensils that have simplified many of the difficult steps in food preparation. Basters, slow cookers, electric stoves, coffee makers, pizza ovens, and the most notorious of all, the microwave oven, are all accessible appliances that have changed the face of cooking completely. The supply of these products has become a business in itself with brand name merchandise such as the popular food processor, the Magic Bullet.

With the simplicity and convenience of fast food, instant meals, and and the availability of processed snack foods, it's no wonder that cooking is an uncommon talent among many people these days. However, this is one chef that refuses to let that art die and will continue to train and develop my talents further. With this goal in mind, the best advice I can muster is bon appetit!

The Fragility of Artwork

One thing Minnesotans hold closer to their heart than the loon, the lady slipper, or even the fact that we have 10,000 lakes, is our ability to withstand and even fight the cold. Not only do we have the perseverance to trudge on through the winter months, but we even make it a point to enjoy the fluffy white snow and crystal clear ice that come with the bitter climate. Some people like to go sledding, some enjoy figure skating, and one thing every Minnesotan can agree on is their love for a good snowball fight. Far superior to all of these; however, is the detailed, exquisite act of ice sculpting.

While on the subject of Minnesota, there is a necesity in mentioning the beautiful tradition of the yearly Ice Palace. This had been a tradition held as the pride of Minnesota ever since 1886 when the first crowning of King Boreas and first artic celebration took place. Legend has it that this royal king named the wonderful tundra landscape of Minnsota his homely realm. This move; however, upset his nemesis, Vulcanus Rex, to the point where he decided to put a stop to the festivities. So after ten days of celebration, the Ice Palace was invaded and the king forced to disband the gathering and return to Mount Olympus, thus ending the Winter Carnival.

In reality, patriotic Minnesotans know that back in 1885, a reporter wrote that the land was "another Siberia, unfit for human habitation" during the winter. In order to refute this statement and prove their gumption, the citizens of Minnesnowta put together a carnival aimed at bringing the people together from far and wide for a celebration that could warm up the chilly heart of January.

Not to be caught off topic, but it seems that the real area of interest has gotten a little foggy at this point. Ice sculpting is an art that more than any other art form, is exremely fragile. Not just do to the fact that ice is easily breakable, but that unless stored at subzero temperature, the standard ice sculpture has a lifespan of roughly eight hours. With such an easily crackable substance, it's a wonder that artists are able to create such detailed work. The tool used in the development of one of these monuments include chainsaws, ice chisels, die grinders, angle grinders, and speacialized drill bits for detail.

Happy Halloween

In honor of this fantastic holiday, my topic this week is going to be the festive art of pumpkin carving!

Although there isn't much room for pumpkin carvings in mainstream or consumer art, this method of expression is complete with a traditional history that many Halloween enthusiasts have probably never heard. To start, Halloween is based of an ancient Celtic celebration known as Samhain, which translates to "summer's end" in the native language. Other names for this day include the Witches New Year by nature based religious groups and the Last Harvest. Because of the fundamental emphasis on that years harvest, gourds, turnips, and eventually pumpkins were used to create a lantern with spiritual significance.

When settlers from Europe arrived in North America, which is the indigenous home of the pumpkin, they found that this fruit- yes it is a fruit- was easier to carve and large enough to make more intricate designs. In the past, vegetables with an inserted burning lump of coal placed inside were set on porches and in windows to welcome deceased loved ones and ward of mischievous spirits.

Many know that when a pumpkin is taken from a simple fruit to a unique, celebratory decoration, it is then called a Jack o' Lantern. The history behind this term comes from an old Irish myth about a man known as "Stringy Jack". Jack himself was known as a crafty, quick-witted fellow. One evening, Jack invited the Devil to have a drink with him. Knowing this monster would love to do some deceiving, he suggested the idea of paying with a coin that the devil transformed into. When the devil agreed and took the form of a coin, Jack put him in his pocket next to a silver cross which hindered the demon's ability to return to normal form. Jack agreed to free him after agreeing that should he die within the year, the devil would not be able to come claim his soul. So a year passed and jack was still kicking. When the devil arrived to finally put an end to their contract, Jack again tricked him into climbing a tree to pick a piece of fruit. While he was up there, Jack carved a cross into the tree bark which forbid the devil from coming down. The new terms we that Jack had 10 years of time where the devil couldn't claim his soul. When Jack eventually passed away, the devil couldn't come take his soul away and god refused to take such a knifing specimen into heaven. So with nowhere to go, the Jack went to the devil only to be turned away into the night with nothing but a burning coal in a carved out turnip. He was from that point on known as Jack of the Lantern, or for short, Jack o' Lantern. These days, people carve out pumpkins, squash, and turnips in honor of this historical figure.

What used to be a superstitious religious event is now the second largest grossing commercial holiday in the United States. Perfect for uniting communities, creating a celebration for children, and providing reason for social gatherings among adults, Halloween is a tradition that will remain a staple of ceremonial festivities.

The Creation of Claymation

Where would we be in modern times without humble childhood characters such as Gumbi, Wallace and Gromit, or the classic Saturday Night Live sketch, The Mr. Bill show? The answer to that lies in a world where the underestimated artistic form of claymation has yet to be discovered. For those who don't know, claymation is a type of stop-motion animation that uses adjustable clay figures in countless photographs that are filed into chronological order to create the appearance of live movement. There is much more to this art form that just a soft clay exterior however, this creative method of expression utilizes detail down to the smallest interval of time and motion to produce a cinematic work or brilliance. In order to fully grasp this amazing concept, a little background must first be introduced.

To begin, the architects who design these characters must create a wire frame with which to build around. Bendable metallic wiring is used to ensure lasting flexibility as well as durability while the plasticine clay that provide body to the creation is applied around this structure. To create the appearance of a setting, small scale models are built out of various materials ranging from drawings to computer animated backgrounds. The texture of these locations is generally made to look similar to that of the clay even if clay putty is not actually used within the set. One of the most important things to maintain is complete lack of difference in the backdrop between photographs. If the background is moved even in the slightest, the entire frame will be thrown off and the movements will look choppy if not completely false.

The dedication and application required to film one of these works is both tedious and time consuming. While standard film runs at a rate of 25 frames per second, this form uses 30 frames per second. Small adjustments are made to the characters in between shots along with any background motion that is meant to occur such as a flag blowing in the wind or a automobile racing through the streets. Once a sufficient quantity of photographs has been taken, they are set together much in the same way as a flip book. When in chronological order, the photos portray the characters undergoing human like movements while they are viewed in quick succession.

Unfortunately, this art reached the climax of its popularity previous to the 80's and has since been upheld by few sources other than Tim Burton, the creator of The Nightmare Before Christmas, and Wallace and Gromit's Nick Park. In the past; however, famous scenes from movies such as Beetlejuice, Godzilla, and Indiana Jones featured impressive clay graphics that astounded audiences.

While this beautiful, creative display has lost some of it's past appeal, the memorable characters from the past are still able to be rebuilt with simple tools and an imaginative mindset. Some say the best of the best lives on, unaffected by time. This could explain why modern works such as The Corpse Bride have transcended their time to continue entertaining audiences of all ages. Like all great artwork, these pieces should be preserved in order to live on as a staple of the past and an example of sheer ingenuity,

Natural Expression: Leaf Carving

 

One of the more fascinating works I've stumbled upon recently is the freshly invented act of leaf carving. This is a process in which artists scrape the skin off from a freshly dried leaf while maintaining to keep the leafs natural structure intact. Although it looks like an art form that must have originated from back before drawing and painting materials even existed, these naturist displays are in reality a new type of art that is just breaking into mainstream society.

The leaves used in this process hail from the creatively named Chinar tree. This native Chinese foliage produces leaves very similar to that of the common maple tree. Some positive aspects to using leaves as an art surface as opposed to more frequently used canvasses is that the natural substance is easy to obtain and bears no negative consequences to the environment such as cutting down trees to make paper. Additionally, the leaf maintains a very durable structure with a very stable and permanent color. Lastly, one of the main reasons artists use these beautiful, natural canvasses is because the veins of the leaf at depth and detail to the main artwork imprinted on the leaf.

Producing a leaf carving is no small feat. The steps necessary to preserve and prepare the canvas for being etched upon are numerous and time consuming. Some leaf carvings can take up months of an artists time after factoring in the gathering, planning, carving, and preservation of the leaf. However, after all is said and done, this artwork is capable of lasting multiple decades if successfully treated and framed.

While this art form is currently popular in the gifting business, it is possible, if not evident, that leaf carving will make a staple in the artistic world. With any hope, these leaves will transcend seasons past autumn into the future where they will be marveled at as a work of art.

Aesthetic Perception: 3D Street Graffiti

At this point of the blog I have decided that rather than focus on non-western art forms, I will hone that topic in even more and write about non-traditional art forms.

For this first real post, the topic of interest is going to be 3D street art. One might be able to stumble across, and yes, I literally mean stumble across, one of these "murals" in a crowded city street or walkway. The graffiti artists who produce these illusionary works of art are known for being able to manipulate perception using angles, distorted shapes, and by creating a 3D image that seems to pop out of the 2D surface on which it is drawn. As stated, the manipulation of angles is entirely what gives this art form its main show of creativity. From the correct perspective, these images are drawn perfectly to scale and represent something amazing limited only by the artists creativity.

On the topic of artists, some of the most well known street painters are Edgar Mueller, Julian Beever, and Kurt Wenner. Although it isn't possible for any of their artwork to be purchased, there are companies that sponsor these artistic forms of graffiti. One work that Julian Beever would call his most difficult piece is a 3D rendering of Bumblebee from the hit series Transformers climbing out of what appears to be an underground subway staircase. Beever was sponsored by the Pepsi company to include a bottle of Mountain Dew in the robotic claws of this beloved 90's character.

The process of this art form is both time consuming- some designs take as much as 4 days from start to completion- and extremely difficult to perfect. One likely reason for this is because of the challenge of correct vertical perception. During an interview with Mueller, he stated "you may recognize that their extensions all meet at your feet," and also "That's the reason why every anamorphic street painting only makes sense from one specific spot - where all verticals meet." This characteristic differentiates from more traditional artwork in the way that not only does the detail and layout of the portrait hold significant like that of famous paintings, but also the perspective which the observer views the art.

Street graffiti is still a developing art form that has yet to be fully recognized. Whether it's just a simple chalk illusion or a full waterfall ironically created on River Street in Moose Jaw, Canada, this form of artistic impression entices the mind, the creativity, and the perception of all witnesses.