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BP #5/6

Title: Social Theory: The Multicultural, Global, and Classical Readings (5th Edition)

Artist: Edited by Charles Lemert 

Date: 2013

Geography/Culture: Global/Muticultural (specifically, the oppressed)

Medium: Paper, Ink

Dimensions: 6 x 9 x 1.5 inches

Christians have the Bible. Muslims have the القرآن‎ (Qu’ran/Koran). And I… have my Social Theory book. Its origin is a certain publishing company, but its roots stem from the brilliant-beyond-comprehension and complex minds of social theorists. I use this book, primarily, to soothe my sporadic animosity towards the ever-self-destructive world we live in. Though, it is also a great tool for giving me a glimpse of what influential individuals such as Karl Marx, W. E. B. DuBois, and Emile Durkheim was like since the text provides each theorist’s background to give readers some context.

I picked this object because it is, surprisingly, representative of different aspects of my life. Firstly, it represents my experience as an individual who has been migrating for all of her life. I was born and raised in Southern Philippines and when I lived there, I moved three times. Then, when I was nine years old, I moved to Florida and lived there for about a year. After that, I moved to The Bronx and moved three more times around the borough. I am now currently residing in my fourth abode. This book represents all of that because I noticed that the only objects that I kept throughout all of my moves were my pieces of literature. And although I haven’t had this book since I was a child, it is the book I am choosing to represent all of the books I have carried with me all along my journey to every new place I occupy. Secondly, this book symbolizes my lifework and the individuals whose footsteps I am following in. Although I am reminded everyday of the blatant cruelty and ignorance that exists, this book makes me have faith in the human race because of all the work that my predecessors have already done and the work I, and my fellow social justice activists, still have to do. In addition, I am humbled through this piece of literature by the amount of knowledge it contains and how much of the broken world can be patched up simply through the words in this book. Thus, I chose this object for its educational and emotional value.

In John Cotton Dana’s essay, he mentions of experts in the art world “They become lost in working out their idea of a museum and forget their public.” I believe this book belongs in a museum for the ample amount of various schools of thought it touches upon and for the light it can shed on significant issues that are as relevant today as it has been since mankind’s history (colonization, race, biology, gender, etc.). However, folks in the art world may not hold my belief to be true simply because it is not rare and is not high-priced since copies of it can be obtained on any site that sells books. Though, Dana addresses exactly this issue. This book does indeed belong in a museum for the many myriad of identities it represents and those identities are what specific communities are made up of.

Blog post 5/6

LABEL:

Title: Mercado Artisan

Date: 2001

Geography/Culture: Honduras/ Central America

Medium: Chalk figure vegetables

Dimensions: 16inches

Classification:  Yeso aka chalk

Source:

 This item was hand made in Central American, Honduras by an artisan in a market area in La Cieba, a small cities in Honduras back in 2001.This object is used for decorations, it is well known in a lot of Central American homes. I chose this object because it means a lot to my mother, to have a piece of her homeland in her own home.  Its important for a viewer to know about it because it was hand made by a local person in Honduras, not many people can create vegetables as identical as this artist. I value this piece because I don’t know any central American artist, it has been a collection I’ve seen in many of my relatives homes, makes me feel like I’m united with family from here and from my country.

 This piece is reminder of my parent’s homeland emphasizing common produces that are locally grown, and are commonly used for various meals for Honduran families. One item can connect you traditionally to different Latin American countries. John Cotton Dana states, “As the collections were of very great value – consisting usually of originals, which no money could replace, which should therefore be guarded with the utmost care”. This quotes shows that money can’t buy what we value when it comes to our families. It’s a memory that stays in our hearts. It holds meaning to my family and if I decide to put it in my own museum I know it will teach people the purpose of family and the mental growth a person can have learning about Central American countries.

Blog Post #5/6

Title: Kix box Christmas present

Artist: Olena Zulzevich

Date: 2012

Geography/Culture: United States, New York City

Medium: Pen on cardboard

Dimensions: Height: 12 1/8 in Length: 8 in Width: 1 3/4 in

Classification: Drawing on a cardboard box

Source: Gift of Olena Zulzevich

Free Blog Post (extra credit from artist lecture by Chitra Ganesh)

#5 & #6

Title: Three Monkeys

Artist: Unknown
Date: c. 1990
Geography/Culture: United States, Japan
Medium: Wood
Dimensions: Height: 3 ½ in. Width: 6 in.
Classification: Wood-Sculpture
Source: Found by Jonathan Morales, 2005

This is a wooden sculpture of three monkeys; together they represent the proverb “see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil”. The object is used primarily for decorating, but can be interpreted as artwork used to encourage people to adopt a better nature. I enjoy collecting many types of objects, particularly wooden or metal, this particular one sits on the edge of my desk. I found it in the basement of my previous residence. For no specific reason I always find myself tapping on the heads of the monkeys while writing. It’s a habit that helps me think and presumably process thoughts more clearly while writing. The proverb itself can have many interpretations, but I’ve always jokingly taken it as “If you can’t speak, hear, or talk evil, maybe you should just write about it”. Essentially, it represents staying away from evil thoughts. It feels almost as if I’ve given the subject a specific “spirit”. John Dana in his essay The Gloom of the Museum reflects on this aspect of someone giving a subject a meaning it shouldn’t fundamentally have. He mentions the way “curators, experts, directors, and trustees” do this same thing with many museum items, “They become enamored of rarity, of history”. Thus, art is restricted by rules set by the predecessors of a locale, which negatively impact the production of modern art. In the end we’re left by the simple ideas of what is thought to be art instead of exploring different perspectives. Subjects like Three Monkeys would never reach significant value, even though it produces something beyond what a rare antique would to me. This process can be troublesome since it brings down creativity and instead forces rules onto our artwork. 

Blog Post #5/6

Title: Nativity Scene

Artist: Unknown

Medium: Wood, dye for tint of wood?

Dimensions: 6.5 by 11 inches

Country: Poland

Year: c. 2000

Source: Gift from family friend

This is a two dimensional wooden craving of the nativity scene, also known as the birth of Christ. It’s been hanging on our wall for quite some time now, and I always catch myself looking at it at least once a day. My mother has received if from one of her friends when they went to visit Poland around Christmas time. This object was not used for anything except for being hung up on a wall, enjoyed by people.  I have picked this piece because I find it’s cravings to be pretty interesting. Also, being a Roman Catholic it means a lot to me. As a religious piece and also historic piece, knowing the true meaning behind it definitely makes this carving more meaningful. I highly admire it, and do not think that I will ever get rid of it. John Cotton Dana in The Gloom of the Museum states, “Art museum objects were not chosen for their beauty, or for their help they might give in developing good taste in the community, but for their rarity, their likeness to objects found in European museums, and for their cost”. I agree with Dana, because the piece I have chosen would not be up in a museum. It is made up of plain wood, and some sort of dye used to tint the wood, which is most likely common. There is plenty of beauty and meaning behind this piece, but due to the fact that it’s made from such a standard material, the chances of it being up in a museum is slim to none.

Blog Post # 5/6

 "Beer Stein"
                                                                              Artist: unknown
                                                                              Date :1982,1983
                                                                                                  Geography/Culture: German
                                                                                                 Medium: Ceramic or porcelain
                                                                                              Classification: Drinking Mug
                                                                  Dimensions :1 ft 9 1/2 inches width: 7 inches

"Beer Stein" is a large drinking mug from the country of Germany. This Drinking vessel was used for drinking large quantity's of beer hence its name (and hopefully the consumption of beer isn't the reason i'm here . lol). Nowadays this vessel is used merely for decoration in my home as remembrance of My father's military stay in Germany . The reason i picked this item is because its a way for me to connect to my birthplace. I know Germany isn't all about beer and drinking rather about a rich culture ,but I've never been back and i don't know if i ever will go back. It has emotional value like i said  I've never seen my birthplace everyone has a chance to visit where there born not cause i'm not to keen on flying 15hrs (Fear of flying and heights).In nature its delicate because when moving  to my house the handle and part of the rim was broken and chipped. The quotation best used is the paragraph describing the nature of a Egyptian necklace. Which states"The necklace found on Egyptian mummy is unique,old,and costly" . "But even Presented to a museum by someone of wealth and influence ,it still may be hideous". "But it's place in the museum become just as worthy as a necklace made yesterday in a neighboring city". 

Its description is defined as a 4d model. Its mostly covered in primary colors blue and white. On the mug it says in German "Gott Erhalt's" which translates God's  Sustaining . The other says "Hopfen u. Malz" which translates Hops and Malt. On the mug a family is depicted in white with blue negative space. To the touch its smooth and fine surface .