HW4: Is It Time to Take Down the Mona Lisa? – by: Garnet Garcia

I laughed when I saw the author of the New York Times article describe the outside line as “TSA style” because when I went to Paris this summer and saw the Louvre, that’s exactly what it looked like. I didn’t go inside because I wanted nothing to do with that enormous line and I had other things I wanted to see, however recalling that moment makes me agree with the author of the NYT article. If 80% of that line was just there to see the Mona Lisa, then that was really sad. Museums are meant to show more than one thing and if everyone’s flocking around only one painting it’s going to get extremely annoying. Of course people are leaving there unsatisfied; it’s like going shopping on Black Friday but all you’re getting is a not so good picture of an image that’s not much bigger than a letter sized sheet of paper. I think it’s necessary for the Louvre to put the Mona Lisa somewhere else. While I do understand it’s importance in art history, I don’t think its right for the art to monopolize the attention of visitors when there are so many other grand works of art in the same building. If people are going there out of obligation as opposed to understanding and appreciation, then you’ve missed the point of the art in general.

HW3: What’s On Your Thanksgiving Plate?

David LaChapelle, Last Supper from the series “Jesus is my homeboy” 2003

Happy Thanksgiving! This homework assignment is a fun one, and  adapted from my history of photography class. Share with classmates an image of something you’re eating/cooking over the holiday week. Since we just covered Leonardo da Vinci’s Last Supper, you may want to look at parodies of this famous painting, including this photograph by David LaChapelle. Sometimes parodies evoke anger, including a fashion ad campaign that parodied Leonardo’s painting and was banned in Milan. More recently, The Daily News used a Last Supper parody for The Last Whopper cover to criticize President Trump.

Don’t forget for this assignment, you just need to post an image of something you’re having for Thanksgiving and  a short line describing it! Please only check the category #studentHW

The DUE DATE is Monday December 2, by midnight.

For those of you interested in exploring food photography and how some foodies are turning their social media into profit, look here.

 

HW#2 : How Would You Rebuild A Gothic Church?

There was an immediate backlash against many of the ideas proposed for the Notre-Dame rebuild, especially with a modern touch and/or style. I, for one, think this is a great opportunity to link the past to the present. It is not rare in our history for structures to be damaged and have to be rebuilt which prompts someone to bring in the styles of the time. Some of the most interesting architecture in the world is a combination of multiple cultures and times coming together over the need to fix the damaged parts. There are certain designs that I would never stand for, such as Vizum Atelier’s “Lightweight Crown” which is a not only a hideous mismatch but just looks like a gaudy, glorified satellite tower that stretches up way too far, however I believe it is possible to implement certain aesthetics of the Gothic times and integrate them with modern technology and values. Take Vincent Callebaut’s “Biomimetic Forest”; with a few tweaks in the structural frame, the design could reflect a more harmonious reflection of the existing and well known architectural aesthetics while remaining a beautiful greenhouse exhibition. Even if the forest itself is seen as a distraction (which is understandable as a concern), I believe a touch of modernism would be an excellent addition, instead of holding on too tightly to the past when there’s still so much of it left in the remaining church. I do believe this harmony can be achieved with careful consideration and empathy towards the French people who see the cathedral as a symbol and want to respect the past.

HW#2 : How Would You Rebuild A Gothic Chirch?

I believe the Norte Dame Cathedral should be rebuilt with the same gothic designs as it was originally built. I don’t think modernizing it would be a good idea due to the fact that if the fire never happened they wouldn’t be renovating it or changing a single thing about it. If they try to modernize it the cathedral would loose the character of the building as a whole. Changing the way the cathedral is built will through the whole design off. Since it already has a gothic design too if it should just remain constant throughout the whole cathedral.

Sabiha Begum – How Would You Rebuild A Gothic Church?

Based on the reading and my research, I believe that the French should rebuild the Notre Dame Cathedral with the incorporation of modern architecture and technology. After the fire, the Notre Dame is still in danger of collapsing,  therefore some parts of the architecture need to be modernized while keeping is Gothic features as much as possible. With the architectural knowledge and technology available these days, the Notre Dame can be rebuilt with better materials that will be able to withstand any other type of casualty in the future.