Legends of the Hidden Temple

1. Explain why you selected each of the three videos you choose from the selection listed above.

2. For each video list/discuss the key concepts you learned.

2. How do the videos relate to the readings in the text?

3. What is your opinion of the films? How do they add depth to understanding of the readings and art concepts?

More Human Than Human

Images have such a hold over us that date back thousands of years ago when things were first named to make sense of the world. Reason behind over emphasis of human characteristics such as those found on the, “Venus of Willendorf”, is shown through a study involving “chicks”. Our brains become stimulated when we see specific objects. When that object in particular is emphasized, we would become more stimulated at the sight of it. As civilizations became more modern, the need to exaggerate body parts was not as evident. In fact as time went on, people began to thoroughly study the human body in such a way that they were able to reproduce sculptures and paintings that were in direct proportion to the human figure. Ironically, because our brains are hardwired to want and to need that exaggeration, realism was rejected. So how do you make a realistic artwork also pleasing? The answer is to create implied movement.

Late Gothic Art and Architecture

Stained glass, tapestries, and architecture are three major categories covering gothic art. The want of comfort from art is now sought after. There was an interest in purchasing art for decorations, but not only paintings and sculptures but items such as vases to place around the quarters. Gothic architecture was grand with elaborate designs. Stained glass didn’t just involve colors being placed in between lead. It involved intricate detailing almost as if windows were murals. Gothic style books were even immensely decorated with numerous colors and designs filling the pages.

The Birth of the Middle Ages

We begin to look at life as it was during the Middle Ages. Tax collectors played a significant role and were feared by other “levels” under a rigid social stature. Castles crumbled and contemporary life rose to be. Feudalism in Japan quickly jumped to high-tech and the line between man and nature has been kept. Martial arts are used and require brutal force and actual intelligence to succeed. The leaning tower of Pisa is where Galileo studied the sky from at one point. (Definitely did not know that!) Barbarians initially were foreigners that dressed different and could not speak Greek or Latin. They quickly became the bottom of society.

Cairo Museum

The mysterious museum of Egyptian artifacts includes priceless jewelry and 30 dynasties of pharaohs along with many of their mummies. The basement is “like the biggest tomb” of them all. Egypt is said to be filled with secrets and power ranging spiritual levels. It is not a matter of fact or fiction but more of mere curiosity that is so captivating. There is proof of the first plastic surgery. Thousands of years before the museum was built a man named Abdaul found a cachet of mummies and treasure that eventually landed him to be beaten in prison. The amazing part is that even now, to revisit that same place the items were first retrieved is difficult to find and they know where it is! Even a main worker at the museum feels it’s “spooky” to walk around in.

I selected the three videos based on the amount of interest I have in the topics they were covering. I was surprised to find the first two were not nearly as exciting as I thought they'd be especially because I've enjoyed so many of the other ones. It wasn't that there weren't a lot of interesting facts, but that they were presented in a dull manner. I felt they could've done more with both the Middle Ages and Gothic Art. The video on the Cairo made up for the other two! I loved it.

The Gothic architecture video related to the book although the video seemed to cover the same material but in forty-nine minutes worth of footage. I was surprised that it didn't take a deeper look into sculptures. The Middle Ages video took me all around the world and included a lot of additional information that the book did not go into. Egyptian artifacts are similarly covered in both the book and the video but the video focused specifically on the museum in Cairo. Even though I felt the videos could’ve been more entertaining they continued to add a deeper insight because I’m able to visualize what I’m reading and reinforce the images the book has to offer.