Medieval Blogpost

In the field of architecture, a tympanum is a decorative wall surface over an entrance, bounded by a lintel and arch. It often contains sculpture or other imagery or ornaments. In Christian architecture tympanums usually contain religious imagery, when on religious buildings, and are very often the most important location for monumental sculpture on the facade of a building. 

Both tympanums depict the last judgement as described in the gospel of Saint Matthew in the Christian bible. They both have strikingly similar composition as Jesus Christ is the focal point of both scenes. Christ is depicted as a mighty figure seated on his Throne of Majesty, judging the world on judgement day. Also In the centre of both tympanums we witness the weighing of souls, the scale of good and evil. The saved, on Christ's right, are destined for paradise (heaven), whilst the damned, on His left, are bound and led off to Hell.

In classicizing styles, Romanesque architecture tend to have a semi-circular shape just as seen on the Last Judgment tympanums of Sainte-Foy, Conques. Whilst in Gothic architecture they have a more vertical shape, coming to a point at the top just as seen on the Last Judgment tympanums of Notre Dame de Paris. In the Notre Dame tympanum, we can also observe as sculptures follow the direction of the arc contrary to the Sainte-Foy Tympanum which is straight and does not follow the curvature of the arc.

Although they both describe the last judgement as told by St Matthew, they tell a different story. On the Sainte-Foy Tympanum Jesus gives his final teaching before he was crucified. He introduces the concept of heaven and hell and advises us to follow his commandments so as to make it to heaven as oppose to hell. However the Last Judgement of Notre Dame Tympanum shows us the resurrected Christ who serves as a poignant reminder that one's purpose in church is to earn a place among the elect, into heaven. The wounds on Christ’s hands and sides as well as the scene of people being resurrected from the dead to be judged insinuate the second coming of Christ as stated in the book of revelations. Another contrast rests in the detailing of the sculptures. The Notre Dame sculptures are rather more realistic than that of the Sainte-Foy Tympanum. The Notre Dame sculptors focuses more on the expressions on the faces of the characters so as to engage its viewers on a more emotional level as opposed to the Sculptors of Sainte-Foy Tympanum who depends on the graphic depiction of hell in order to instil fear to it viewers.

The contrast in style by sculptors from both eras suggests that Christian art had changed from using fear as a medium of making people obedient to the Christian scriptures. Although the system of belief is the same, the Gothic era reminds us about Jesus’ prophecy in a more subtle, expressive yet effective manner, almost as though to say that the tactics of using fear in the Romanesque era was rather ineffective.

Rome and China Blog post

Over the years, there’s been a constant struggle for equality between the male and female in regards to the role that they play in the society that we live in. However the male counterpart is known to have dominated most of the past, especially during the early civilizations. This phenomenon is described as Patriarchy, which according to the dictionary is a social system in which: males hold primary power; males predominate in roles of political leadership, moral authority, social privilege and control of property; and, in the domain of the family, fathers or father-figures hold authority over women and children.

In China, women were to be respected according to traditional Confucian values. Women lived in the shadow of men. However, the man was considered weak if he did not control his woman with all respect due. He was not allowed to beat his woman, and she maintained power within the household. At the time of manhood, the eldest son also gained power of his mother. Women in classical China aimed to have married sons as they gained power over their daughter-in-law. 

In India, women were also considered subordinate according to classical Indian writing. Women were also portrayed as devoted to their husbands. Women were to only concern themselves with family matters. In Rome, the law gave most authority to males. As with China, the eldest male ruled the household. These males rarely abused their power. In fact, they often placed women in charge of many household affairs. At middle age, women had a lot of influence. They could help arrange marriages or manage finances. Although illegal, many found ways to let women inherit property.

In our modern time feminism refers to a series of campaign for change on sensitive issues which may include reproductive rights, domestic violence, maternity leave, equal pay, women's suffrage, sexual harassment, and sexual violence etc. According to Livy, the women of Rome in the early first century displayed actions similar to modern day feminist actions when they rallied against the Oppian law which states that “no woman might own more than half an ounce of gold nor wear multicolored dress nor ride a carriage in the city or a town within a mile of it, unless there was a religious festival”. It was a law that degraded role of women in the society, placing them completely under the control of men. However, just like feminist groups present in the world today, their unity and perseverance made the tribune to repeal the law.

During the classical era civilizations, Patriarchal values were absolute as it affects all aspect of a culture from religion to, politics, and education etc.  Women were minorities at that time and had no power to rival the laws. However, According to Ban Zhao, first century Chinese women valued humility, respect and obedience.  A Chinese woman in that era had to be humble and respectful to her husband; she has to do this in honor of her clan and ancestors. Chinese women from that era also valued obedience and I believe that they accepted it because it was likely that they too would one day become Parents-in-laws.

If I was a woman living in the classical era, I would have preferred living in the Chinese civilization simply because women were allowed education. To conclude, I do believe tackling such questions in this manner is a valid approach to historical inquiry because it shows us how “a change” in a civilization can influence the way we live our lives today. For instance should we still have Patriarchal values today, I believe divorce rates won’t be as high as it is now. However I still believe in equality regardless of race and gender.

Antigone Blog Post

Anigone and Odysseus were both heros in their stories. Antigone was deemed a hero by the people of Thebes because, she exhibits bravery in breaking the law, burying her brother Polyneices, confronting her uncle King Creon and suffering her punishment. Odysseus on the other hand was a hero because he was the warrior that conquered the battle of Troy. Antigone and Odysseus both express devotion in loving their families and respecting the gods. Although they both share similar attributes as heros, the main contrast between them is that Odysseus was the king and ruler of Ithaca whilst Antigone was a mere princess, the niece to King Creon, the ruler of Thebes. 

Both Antigone and Odysseus demonstrated Bravery in their story according to Pericles in the funeral speech which says “But the man who can most truly be accounted brave is he who best knows the meaning of what is sweet in life and of what is terrible, and then goes out undeterred to meet what is to come”. Antigone’s action to bury her beloved brother Polynices despite knowing the repercussions in this case would be an act of bravery.  Pericles shows how the Athenians considered both “the works of” and “reason” to be equally important in action, consistent with the views of Odysseus and Antigone. 

Creon just like Achilles and Odysseus was a king, the ruler of Thebes. Both Creon and Achilles end up allowing the body of their enemy a proper burial. During the time following the death of Hector, Achilles is in a position very similar to that which Creon deals with in Antigone. Both men show similar flaws, and face similar struggles. However unlike Odysseus, Creon was a complete dictator, a leader who identifies the power and dignity of the state entirely with himself. Instead of accepting kingship as his duty, Creon retains the throne as his unquestioned right and rules Thebes by his own will, rather than for the good of the people. 

To conclude, Heroism falls down to leadership. Both Odysseus and Antigone were leaders in their own right. Odysseus was a king that won many battles for the people of Ithaca and was also famous for winning the battle of Troy. Antigone on the other hand was a leader because she stood up for what she believed in regardless of the consequences.

Comparison of Biblical Joseph and Sumerian Gilgamesh

              One major similarity between Joseph and Gilgamesh is the fact that both are cultural heroes (Joseph was the Hebrew “messiah” while Gilgamesh was a Sumerian hero), ancestors of a people, who go through difficult, painful adventures as they gain understanding and mastery of their lives. They were both dreamers as the Supreme Being in which they both believe in revealed the future to them via dreams. These dreams were about future events which always came to pass. Another similarity is they were both rulers/leaders. While Joseph was a governor and was second in command to the Pharaoh, Gilgamesh was a god and a king of Uruk. Also, Joseph and Gilgamesh were both loved by their parents. Jacob, Joseph’s father, loved him so much that he made him a coat of many colors which angered his brothers. On the other hand, Gilgamesh’s mother, the goddess Ninsun, helps her son by seeking the support and protection of the sun god Shamash and even adopts Enkidu as her son. She also governs Uruk in his absence.

        Also, they share a negative trait which is Pride. They were both very proud people although Joseph wasn't as proud as Gilgamesh he had an element of pride. For instance, he always told his brothers his dreams of them bowing down to him which he could have decided not to disclose to them seeing that they hated him. I believe that to be arrogance and cockiness, but his cannot be measured with Gilgameshs' who felt he was invincible and all-powerful because of his superior strength and because he was a god. 

              Asides the fact that they both share some traits, they both have different personalities and are in fact very unalike. Gilgamesh was a tyrant who oppressed his people hence the creation of Enkidu to stop his oppression. Joseph, on the other hand, was the opposite of Gilgamesh. He treated his followers with respect and even when he saw his brothers who sold him into slavery he forgave them and accepted them with love. The reason for this difference in characteristics arose from the fact that while Gilgamesh was two-thirds god and one-third man, Joseph was a mere man. Ordinary men can also be tyrants-Hitler is a perfect example- but Gilgamesh could not be questioned because he was very strong and powerful as a result of his godly nature. Joseph was a man who although was bestowed with authority by the Pharaoh, couldn't exert his authority and become a tyrant because he was a governor and still reported to the Pharaoh. He had power but not absolute power like Gilgamesh.

          Their stories prove that humans/leaders can achieve anything if they are determined. Determination was a key factor in the success of both Joseph and Gilgamesh. If they had given up then maybe their names would not have been in the Books of History. Also, people need to learn to do away with pride as nothing can be achieved with pride. Leaders should learn to follow their hearts and make their own decisions without being swayed by other people's opinions.

            

Style Wars by Amos Angeles & Veli Silver

Amos Angeles & Veli Silver

Style Wars 2 is a graffiti documentary produced by Veli and Amos, a Swiss-Slovenian artist duo. The movie is a sequel of the cult movie ‚Style Wars’ from 1983 and gives an update on today’s graffiti and street art scene. Veli and Amos hit the road to discover new graffiti styles and meet the artists behind. A wild journey takes them from Europe to New York and the Middle East, from galleries to war zones.

The movie is a well-quoted honour to the original Style Wars movie and at the same time tells the personal story of Veli and Amos. Even though the movie’s main focus is on graffiti, it approaches the topic in a much broader way, and also alludes to politics, art and lifestyle.

The documentary started with a story of how Veli Silver met Amos Angeles. Silver had visited the train station and noticed a man lying on the train tracks, and when he approached him, he discovered Amos. Amos was a free spirited person who saw life in a rather unusual way. He was a man that always wanted to have fun and often did as he pleases. Silver was able to convince Amos of leaving the train tracks and since that day, they became best friends. On the night of their first meeting, they had watched a movie called “Style Wars” and ended up deciding that they would become Graffiti artist.

At first Amos and Veli began to imitate what they had seen in the movie Style Wars and hence, started to paint trains. Initial they were amateurs but later became better. Addicted to Graffiti, they even prepared special trains for marriage ceremonies.

However, the authorities were against Graffiti street art which led to most of the duo’s friends getting arrested. Bored and frustrated, the duo decided to move to New York so as to experience quality Graffiti Art as they had seen in the movie Style Wars. In New York, the pair had seen a train with Style Wars graffiti art painted on it in a TV commercial and instantly fell in love with it. They became obsessed with the piece to the point where, they actually went on a quest to find the creator of the Style Wars piece.

In the search for the creator of Style Wars, they came across some pretty remarkable Graffiti Artistes. One of the artistes was none other than “Blade”, a very popular Graffiti artiste in New York. Blade had an interesting perspective as to why he considers Graffiti painting as a form of art. “We did this in the 70’s because it wasn’t about colour, but just a bunch of creative people having fun”-(Blade), he said. The duo was also privileged to meet with one of their icons in the name of “David Miranda”, one of the directors in the original “Style Wars” movie. David Miranda also had an interesting statement. “New York is not up to date when it comes to street Art”, he says. A statement he made whilst explaining how far behind New York was In Graffiti street art compared to the rest of the world.  They met other famous Graffiti artiste but, could not find who painted the Star Wars piece. Broke and frustrated they returned to Europe. They travelled across Europe and the Middle East but with no luck in finding the Star Wars graffiti artiste.

The Movie gives an insight of the mind of a Graffiti Art fanatic and the extent to what they regard as Art and fun as well.

Just A Little About Me

Where are you from?

Hello y'all mi name's Christopher Ebigwu. I am from West Africa, the country of Nigeria to be precise however, I lived in England for a period of seven year prior moving to Saint George, Utah.

Location of Nigeria in Africa

The federal republic of Nigeria is made up of 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. It is located in West Africa and shares border with Benin, Chad, Cameroon and Niger. Its Coast in the south lies on the Gulf of Guinea in the Atlantic Ocean.

Nigeria was colonised by the British and achieved independence in 1960. Nigeria is often referred to as the "Giant of Africa", due to its large population and economy. With approximately 174 million inhabitants, Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa and the seventh most populous country in the world. 

In 2014, Nigeria's economy (GDP) became the largest in Africa, worth more than $500 billion, and overtook South Africa to become the world's 26th largest economy and by 2050, Nigeria is expected to become one of the world's top 20 economies. The country's oil reserves have played a major role in its growing wealth and influence. Nigeria is considered to be an Emerging market by the World Bank and has been identified as a regional power in Africa. It is also a member of the MINT group of countries, which are widely seen as the globe's next "BRIC-like" economies. It is also listed among the "Next Eleven" economies set to become among the biggest in the world. Nigeria is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations, the African Union, OPEC, and the United Nations among other international organizations.

Why are you here at Dixie State?

I decided to come to Dixie state University so as to get a degree in computer and information technology with emphasis on design. I believe technology will always have an impact on human evolution and will definitely influence the way we do things in the present, as well as the future. I believe a degree in Computer sciences is a smart investment especially when it comes to securing a job in the future.

What are your goals for the future?

I plan on owning my business preferably as a designer focusing on Architecture, Fashion and Art. I have registered a company name in England called “Christopher Bane Ltd” and will be working on launching my clothing line by next summer. In the nearest future, I hope to have a company big enough to blend Architecture, Art and Fashion on a global scale.

Chris the Model

What kind of experience do you have with art of any kind?

Art is a very interesting topic and sometimes, it is very difficult to explain what Art truly is. I've always been interested in art since my childhood, be it watching cartoons, reading comic books, participating in the Art & Craft module exercises in primary/ high school etc. 

After taking a module in High school called Technical Drawing, I decided to travel to England to study Architecture, which I did for four years. Whilst in England I also got involved in the Fashion industry as a commercial model. I really enjoyed my experiences in England and would love to do the same here in America.

What anxieties or concerns do you have about this course?

I am very excited to take this module chiefly as it involves Art however; I find it difficult reading, writing and memorizing text especially when it involves dates. To help me with this challenge I will be taking a writing class to assist me with this difficulty.

What I do with my spare time?

during my spare time, I like to be creative and active at the same time. I enjoy designing houses when I'm motivated, I enjoy watching anime's, football or rather what Americans call Soccer. I also enjoy playing soccer and last but not the least, I am a die hard Manchester United F.C fan.

Chris in a Nutshell