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CNN. (n.d.). Hungary [Photograph]. Retrieved from https://www.cnn.com/travel/destinations/hungary

While scrolling through YouTube looking for a video to watch, I came across “College Kids Eat Hungarian food” and it reminded me of the first time I had Hungarian beef goulash. I was on a cruise to Cuba and the Bahamas & decided that I was going to be more adventurous with my meals. Since I don’t know a lot about Hungary, outside of that it’s located in Europe, they speak Hungarian & the capital is Budapest, I did some research. I discovered that the country has Turkish & Roman influences, mineral spas and amazing architectural buildings (which I love). The culture of Hungary is actually heavily dependent on their historical sites and background. Based on the pictures, it looks like a beautiful country.

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Ganthier, B. (2019). Calm Waters [Photograph].

Outside of architecture, I love to take pictures of nature like the sky/clouds, flowers, water, etc. While walking along the river front, I decided to take a picture because it looked so beautiful and peaceful. The way the light comes in between the clouds & shines down on the water is almost angelic. City Island looks so dark in comparison to the sky and the water. I feel that it adds a sense of mystery to the picture. Also, the sense of space between where I was standing and City Island makes it seem like it’s so far away when in reality, I was only maybe five to ten minutes away.

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Swales, G. (2018). Nicki Minaj Music Icon [Photography]. Harper’s Bazaar Vietnam.

I absolutely love Nicki Minaj & for many reasons. There’s a lot of negativity spread about her due to misinformation & just plain hatred, however; she’s an amazing artist who truly cares about her fans & have made major history in the hip hop/rap & music industry. Recently, she became the first female rapper to sell 100 million units & the first female artist in history to have over 100 songs chart on billboard. She advocates for black people/women in the music industry, encourages her fans to go to school & be independent, fought for streaming rights for all artists, pays for her fans to go to school, donates money to villages in India to teach women skills to work in the technology field, and much more.

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Plrwin, B. (2016). National Museum of African American History and Culture on the National Mall with the Washington Monument in the background [Photograph]. Retrieved from https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/washington-dc-october-8th-2016-national-732641308?src=9GUlimecktEhx7lXoHLgeQ-1-43

I chose this building as a representation of identity because of its importance in not only the Black community, but in our history. I had the chance to visit this museum and the amount of history that they were able to fit into this space was amazing. It was the first true museum that solely shows the history of African Americans and the ups & downs that we’ve dealt with throughout our history. Its design is unique because it was made with the purpose of representing the crown of African Queens to show how important, rich, and colorful our roots are.

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Still, C. (1935). PH-296 [Oil on canvas]. Clyfford Still Museum. Retrieved from https://artsandculture.google.com/asset/ph-296/ZQHR8jeP-FuyLA

I think this artwork would be important to include because statistically speaking, women are more likely to be depressed than men. In this painting, you have a woman with a long face (seemingly because she’s sad), hands on her elbows, hunched over wearing blue (a color associated with being sad or “down”). The lady in this painting can represent someone’s mom, daughter, grandmother, wife, etc. It fully represents women, with all their titles, and makes it feel personal to each individual viewing the artwork. Also, in following my theme, this image represents how it feels to be depressed and alone.

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Ender, T. (1829-32). View of the Residence of Archduke Johann in Gastein Hot Springs [Watercolor over graphite]. The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles, California. Retrieved from http://www.getty.edu/art/collection/objects/247338/thomas-ender-view-of-the-residence-of-archduke-johann-in-gastein-hot-springs-austrian-about-1829-1832/

The artwork is of a small town in Gastein hot springs. It was made in Austria during 1829-1832. The painting is now located in The J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles, California. In order to create this painting, Ender used a graphite material and watercolor. The artwork gives a sense of serenity and calmness that we do not usually get in our everyday lives. It allows us to travel without ever living our home & shows the talent of the artist who created it.

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View of the Residence of Archduke Johann in Gastein Hot Springs

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The Black Republic. (n.d.). Vintage #5 [Photography]. Retrieved from https://polygrafi.wordpress.com/2013/05/13/blackness-and-femininity-black-women-and-the-development-of-individual-identity/

Another theme I am considering for my final project is "Black Female Identity". As a black woman, I relate to this theme very deeply. Sometimes it's hard to even pinpoint the discrepancies we face because it's so normalized. In society, black women are at the bottom of the totem pole. We're seen as mean or angry, loud, "ratchet", etc. In the media, we're highly sexualized & degraded. Black women are constantly struggling to be heard, seen, and to feel empowered. Throughout history, black women's hair/looks have been targeted and seen as being "unprofessional". During slavery times, the slave masters wife would shave female slaves bald to make them less attractive. Although we are misunderstood, we are somewhat finally getting the attention we deserve on the issues that we go through. All of these struggles make it difficult for us to come into our own identities and be confident in ourselves.

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Feige, K. (Producer), & Coogler, R. (Director). (2018). Black Panther [Motion picture]. USA & South Korea: Marvel studios.

The main thing I enjoyed about this movie was that it was a mostly all-black cast. In most mainstream movies, the cast is predominately white, if not completely white. Most black films are either because of slavery or the discrimination we’ve experienced. However, this movie was nothing like that. It was uplifting and showed us as powerful, smart & innovative.

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Osmann-Deyman, S. (2018). Representation [Drawing]. The Innis Herald. Retrieved from http://theinnisherald.com/tag/representation

Following the representation theme, this image shows the different shades, religions and looks that all represent wonder woman. The point of representation is so that the people watching the movie/show, reading the magazines, scrolling through social media, etc. see someone that they are able to relate to. Someone that represents them. In the past recent years, there has been an increase in representation for movies. More black people, Asians, LGBTQ+, etc. have been casted for main roles when they have previously been overshadowed. This gives the young kids in the community that are watching it hope that they too can be super woman or a princess, or whatever else they want to be. That there’s a place for them too.

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Smith II, J. W. (2015). No Title [Comic]. Retrieved from https://blackgirlnerds.com/black-artists-collective-willie-james-smith-ii/

The theme I picked is representation. I believe that representation is important for multiple reasons & that there are different kinds of representation. Throughout society & the media, white people have been the main ones shown. It’s much harder to be a person of color and get the same recognition. Just recently, there has been a “natural hair movement”. The movement is all about embracing your natural hair since throughout history it has been looked down upon. This image shows why it’s important to have equal representation throughout pop culture and the media. So the little girl with curly hair can see that her natural hair is nothing to be ashamed of.

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Wehr, N. (n.d.). No title [Painting]. Retrieved from https://bhstoday.org/1280/uncategorized/mental-illness-affects-students-social-school-lives/

One theme I am considering for my final project is "The Stigma around Mental Health". The theme interests me because I suffer from depression, anxiety, and OCD (a sub-symptom of my anxiety). There's a huge disparity between the people who have mental health issues, and the people who actually get treated for it. Most people think that if you have a mental health issue, you're "crazy" or "dangerous", but that's not the case. The reason behind a mental health problem could be anything from genetics, family dynamics, extreme circumstances (like the loss of a loved one or being pushed too far), etc. I chose this image because, personally, I think it accurately depicts how it feels to be depressed and anxious. In my search for an image, a lot of them were really dark & scary, but I want to steer people away from thinking that mental health is something that is always or is only something to be scared of. Although those paintings were accurate too in how it feels, I think this image puts a lighter spin on it.

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Jacquemart, JF. (1880). Sun-Drenched Hills near Menton [Watercolor with scratching out over traces of graphite on wove paper]. National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC. Retrieved from https://www.nga.gov/collection/art-object-page.133857.html#inscription

Jules-Ferdinand Jacquemart was born in Paris, France on September 3, 1837. He died also in Paris, France in the year 1880. Jacquemart was first trained in etching by his father, who was an amateur artist. Although etching is what he became well-known for, he was also an illustrator and a watercolourist. The medium of the painting is watercolor. Watercolor uses water-soluble paint/pigments that are transparent. The subject matter is a castle hidden by nature. A formal element used in this artwork is color intensity & contrast, specifically in the trees that line up the side of the building. They are much brighter than the building and the darker trees stand out more against the duller trees. A detail I plan to discuss in my essay is the amount of limited elements in the image compared to the other artwork.

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Ender, T. (1829-32). View of the Residence of Archduke Johann in Gastein Hot Springs [Watercolor over graphite]. The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles, California. Retrieved from http://www.getty.edu/art/collection/objects/247338/thomas-ender-view-of-the-residence-of-archduke-johann-in-gastein-hot-springs-austrian-about-1829-1832/

Thomas Ender was born in Austria on November 3, 1793 & died in Austria on September 28, 1875. He went to school at the Vienna Academy of Fine Arts. He is most known for his landscape paintings. The medium of the painting is watercolor. Watercolor uses water-soluble paint/pigments that are transparent. The subject matter is a small town. A formal element used in this painting is linear technique. In linear technique, the details of the artwork are outlined using line to help distinguish elements from each other. A detail I plan to discuss in my essay is the use of space & distant in the image.

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View of the Residence of Archduke Johann in Gastein Hot Springs

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Michelangelo. (1498-1499). Pietà [Marble]. St. Peter's Basilica, Rome.

Being raised catholic, although not practicing, anything that involves the Virgin Mary catches my interest. I have a gold necklace given to me by my grandmother that has Mary in the center of it & I rarely take it off. My birthday (December 8th) is also Immaculate Conception, which is the day Mary became pregnant with Jesus. I feel like I am one with her since she's a big part of my life.

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Hopper, E. (1921). Evening Wind [Etching]. The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

I think the artist helps bring the viewer to the meaning behind the image. When I look at it, it appears as if something startled the woman as she was getting ready for bed. Perhaps, it was a really strong gust of wind, a loud noise, or a figure that causes her to pause her movements & stare out the window. It almost has an eerie feeling to it, seeing that she’s so exposed & the background is mostly dark outside of the really bright light shown outside the window.

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Unidentified Artist. (1542). Master Thunder (Lei Gong) [Hanging scroll; ink and color on silk]. The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

To understand what this image originally meant, I would need to work on my skill set and experience/knowledge. This artwork is originally Chinese. Chinese art is something that I do not have a lot of experience or knowledge in. Since my experience is lacking, my skill set to interpret the image is also lacking.

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Rivera, D. (1934). Man, Controller of the Universe [Mural]. Palacio de Bellas Artes (Mexico City).

Its intended function affects both the interpretation and the content of this image. Through reading the essay by Doris Bravo, I was able to gather that this artwork was used to send a message regarding Rivera’s political beliefs and to show how he saw things. Without much knowledge on who the people are or what the mural represents, the interpretation and content of the image can be misconstrued. Proper knowledge of the work allows its intended function to be seen by anyone no matter the experience or skill set.

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Bury, J. (1806). Trafalgar chintz [Cotton]. The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

The formal element of art that stands out the most to me is composition. This artwork ties in pattern, proportion, and unity. The repeated buildings and flowers (pattern), the proportions between the buildings and flowers flow together really well and seem like they belong (unity).

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Iverson, L. (2011). Chakra meditation in the redwoods [Painting]. Fine art america (online). Retrieved from  https://fineartamerica.com/featured/chakra-meditation-in-the-redwoods-laura-iverson.html

The formal element of art most utilized in this painting is color. The painting has both light and dark value. The light value is seen by the chakras themselves. They are very bright and radiant. The dark value comes from the background where the colors are darker to make the bright orbs stand out. The intensity of the colors are also very bold and in your face.

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Chakra meditation in the redwoods by Laura Iverson

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Becker, E. (n.d.). Reflect [Watercolor on paper]. Art Association of Harrisburg.

I chose this image because it speaks to me and I really like it. In the image, it is half of a face that appears to be sleeping. The light colors used & white background give it a serene feeling. It makes me feel calm.

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Lichtgestalt00. (2006). Perspective 2 [Drawing on paper]. Deviant Art (online). Retrieved from https://www.deviantart.com/lichtgestalt00/art/PERSPECTIVE-2-33613516

This is an image of a perspective drawing using a vanishing point or also a quiet city. I chose this image because in art during middle school we drew a lot of perspective drawings & I was actually really good at it. I consider myself a very imaginative person, but drawing is definitely not my forte. For some reason though, perspective drawing came very easily to me. I was so good that my teacher made me teach the class how to draw a small city (looked kind of like this image, but with a little less detail). I remember being so proud of myself for producing such artwork. While taking an online visual design class at Harrisburg U, we had to do a perspective drawing assignment. That assignment brought back the love & excitement I felt when I would first draw them in middle school. It holds a special place in my heart.

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Kandinsky, W. (1923). Composition VIII [Oil on canvas]. The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum (New York).

I chose this image because I feel like it represents my inner thoughts. I've always thought of myself as an abstract person, but I'm known for putting limits on myself. This image is abstract in terms of placements (represents my thoughts), but also has shapes which is something very defined (represents the limits I put on myself). These are two things that usually don't belong together, but somehow create balance throughout the artwork.

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Bosschart, J. (1974-75). Sagittarius [Oil on panel]. Gallery Kamp (Amsterdam).

I chose this image because it relates to astrology & more specifically, my zodiac sign. Over the past few years, I've become more intrigued with astrology, numerology, chakras, etc. I'm a very curious person & always feel like there's a deeper meaning to everything we do. My lifelong goal is to become one with myself and to understand myself in a more meaningful way. This image to me represents power, strength, and will. Everything I hope I embody.