Last Saturday I went to the de Young Museum in San Francisco. It was amazing. There was so much to look at! I had never been so it was a great experience for me. My favorite thing I saw was the Yves Saint Laurent exhibit. I love fashion and photography so this was perfect for me. This exhibit showcased his drawings and ideas about, art, nature, culture, and theatre. There were several of the actual garments that shook the 60's too! I would highly suggest that anyone interested check this out A.S.A.P. It closes in early April though so HURRY!

Celtic Beauty

I have always been a fan of Celtic art. This might be because it's in my blood being that I'm 100% Irish or it could be because I have a special connectionto Ireland, the country I used to spend my summers in as a child. Whatever the case looking at South Cross of Ahenny made me realize that Celtic art is a part of our culture. Many cathedrals are covered with this fantastic style because many Irish and English are Catholic and when they built churches throughout the world they spread their cultural arts with them. In fact, the Christian religion is such an important part of Celtic arts that many of the Celtic symbols represent religious figures. For example the Celtic ring on the South Cross of Ahenny is thought to be a halo. Religion plays a huge role in Celtic arts and Celtic arts play an even bigger part in our culture.

The Temple of Athena Nike

What originally attracted me to The Temple of Athena Nike was the fact that I had seen it in 300. There is a particular scene where a strong warrior climbs to the Acropolis where the temple was built and prays to the God. I found out that the point of the temple was to pay respects to the goddess Athena, so the movie wasn't totally historically inaccurate. What really surprised me about the Temple of Athena Nike was that it accumulates to a grand total of only 28 feet! My living room is bigger than that! It is strange to think that something so historically significant and famous could be so small... 

Women Artists in Ancient Greece

As we discovered trough the voicethreads, Greece culture was dominated by males. Women were not highly appreciated in most cases, but what really surprised me and gave me hope was that many respected artists in ancient Greece were women! Many Greek women were known to create narrative tapestries and worked in pottery workshops. Although many women were very talented and contributed greatly to Greek culture most women talented women went unrecognized for their efforts. This reminded me of the current social situation many American women struggle with. Modern day American women are battling for equality with men, but regardless of their talent and equal efforts they still receive less attention and gratitude for their efforts. 

Arizona Desert Botanical Garden

The Desert Botanical Garden in Arizona is a must see for nature lovers and art lovers alike. I am crazy about the outdoors and I love colorful art so I was crazy about this place when I checked it out a few days ago. Covering over 140 beautiful acres the AZ d.b.g had blown glass simulating plants and abstract pieces scattered along the trails. These captivating pieces reminded me of the Greeks love of detail and natural beauty. I'm sure the artists who designed these pieces were highly concerned with the shape and aesthetic abilities of their work too.

The piece of Greek art that really struck me as clossly related to the pieces in the d.b.g. was The Porch of Maidens (south Porch), Erechtheion. A few things that really struck me as similar were the fact that the idea behind both of the pieces was to please viewers and provide beautiful artwork in already naturally gorgeous locations. Some differences were location (Arizona is a primarily flat region and the Acropolis in Athens is just the opposite), meaning (the porch was sculpted to please the gods and citizens while the blown glass was simply for pleasure and fun), style, time period, patrons, artists, etc.

Phoenix Art Museum

Over the past few days I have been in Arizona. One of the highlights of my trip was a visit to the Phoenix Art Museum. Whether it was Modern or Classical Western work I could not help but think about how ancient civilizations influenced future generations of artists. I noticed more experimental sculptures with high relief and I saw various paintings that showed people and animals living and working together like some of the ancient Mesopotamian pieces we explored in this class. It was a great feeling to noticing how that past ties into the future. Overall I had a great time! Check it out if you get a chance...

P.S. There was a particularly sweet piece which one could walk through that was completely dark except for strings of lights that changed colors which were surrounded by mirror walls. Its was the closest thing to traveling through space that I've ever experienced.

Thank God for Technology

The Persians and Lydians were a few of the first people to make and use coins. The value of the coin was dependent on the type of metal (bronze, gold, silver, or copper) and the weight of the coin.

Unfortunately the process of making coins was a very slow and labor intensive one. According to Art History Volume One by Marilyn Stokstad "To make two faced coins, the ancients used a punch and anvil, each of which held a die, or mold, with the design impressed in the coin. A metal blank weighing the exact amount of the denomination was placedover the anvil die, containing the design ofr the "head" (obverse) of the cpin. The punch, with the die of the "tail" (reverse) design, was placed in top if the metal blank and struck with a mallet." On one hand this process might be beneficial to indiviuals because each soin would be unique and special. It is important to remember however, the less coins made, the less exchange can happen and the less the economy has means to grow.

I am very glad most countries have quicker and easier ways to make coins and money, but it would also be interesting to know that the coin you have is one of a kind.

About me!

My name is Patricia Robinson I am 18 years young and I live in Fremont, California. I love living in California because of the great weather. In a single day one could go snowboarding, skating, and surfing and still have time to scarf down a tasty burrito. WHAT A TRIP! In my free time I like to run, skate, read, lifeguard, teach swim lessons, cook, spend time with my crazy friends and my super Irish Catholic family, and most importantly SLEEP/EAT! The image in the upper left corner is a photograph from a peace rally for Invisible Children I recently went to. It represents me because I am highly active with helping out the war torn area of Northern Uganda. Personally, I love school. Seriously. In the near future I would like to become a nurse and study hollistic medicine. I would also like to explore film and motion pictures. My favorite directors are David Lynch and Luis Bunuel. In fact, the picture in the upper right corner is a still of "Un Chien Andalou" directed by Bunuel. This is one of my favorite movies and if you haven't seen this movie I feel bad for you son! After finishing school I want to travel the world. Thus far I've been to parts of the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Japan, Ireland, and England. I love meeting new people and experiencing different things!