Iona's Art Blog

 Non-Western Blog Theme: Japanese Art I chose to focus my exhibit on the beautiful cherry blossom trees, or Sakura, in Japanese and how they are brought into tradition in Japanese culture. Cherry blossoms symbolize life and death, a sense of renewal. Cherry blossom festivals are held each year to commemorate the start of spring and the end of winter, hence the theme of beginnings and ends. I have chosen three portraits that represent the blooming of the cherry blossoms, and though they occur at different time periods, they exhibit the cultural practices of the Japanese during this time.  1)       1)  Avenue of Cherry Trees, 1935 The Avenue of Cherry Trees was painted in 1935 by Hiroshi Yoshida. This woodblock print showcases a local Japanese village surrounded by an abundance of cherry blossoms. Cherry blossoms in Japan blossom every spring, from the end of March to early April. Yoshida utilizes a pale, pastel color palette as well as a linear perspective. They also use contrasting

 Post-Modern Blog  Creative Architecture Around the World       1)  The Bean   (Chicago, Illinois) History: The Bean was designed by artist, Anish Kapoor in 2004. It is also known as the “Cloud Gate” and is in Millennium Park on Michigan Avenue. The bean is fully made of stainless steel and stands at 33 feet high and 42 feet wide. Kapoor initially named this sculpture Cloud Gate, but Chicagoans soon adopted, “The Bean” because of its wide, bean-like shape. This work is connected to post-modernism because of its unique elements, such as its reflective surface and organic shape. Its architecture is quite remarkable because of its distinctive look, but at the same time is quite simple. I am originally from Chicago, and we always come back to visit The Bean and take pictures. I think it is a remarkable attraction and so fun to look at. 2)    The Dancing House , Prague, Czechia History:   The Dancing House was designed by architects, Frank O. Gehry and Vlado Milunic in 1996. The buildin

           Early Modern Blog Theme: The Influence of the Great Depression 1) Refuse , 1935 History and Connection: This work is titled, Refuse, by artist, Winifred Milius Lubell in New York City. It was painted in 1935 and is a sketched drawing of two homeless individuals sleeping on the ground. Lubell is described as, "a politically radical graphic artist of the 1930s". She was known for her other portraits featuring unemployed men and children and would sketch homeless people in Central Park in her teenage years. This portrait is connected to the theme because it exhibits the agonizing realities that many people faced throughout the Great Depression, including poverty. Aesthetic Reaction: This was the first work I chose to exhibit in my blog and it caught my eye because I could feel how intense the atmosphere was. After learning that Lubell drew this exact scene from her own eyes, I could not help but feel so sorrowful for these individuals. Throughout my education, even