I was initially drawn to this piece of art for its form. I enjoy that even though it is a stationary piece of art you can see and feel the movement of the individuals. The man and women are locked together in a dance, moving as though they are one person. I love how this sculpture captures the intimacy between the two figures, that they might feel like the only two people in the world.

• How does something from your personal background or interests connect to how you see this piece?

I first saw this piece last semester in an Art History course from my previous university. The beauty that is radiating from this piece caught my eye immediately, so much so that even 6 months later it is still floating around in my mind. This piece was the first thing that came to my mind when I read this assignment. I am majoring in Art History specifically for pieces like this. I love learning about different artworks throughout history, how the different time periods and current events can change people's perspectives of the world, that are then reflected in their art.

What really catches my eye is the side by side photo realism that this doll head shows. The details all come out of a simple ball of clay, which is eventually cast to make vinyl dolls. This is just the head, there are four limbs that are to be sculpted to complete the doll, and each of those limbs show the same amount of details. What draws me to this niche style of sculpting is not just the details but the skill it takes to make a doll that doesn't look like a blank stare, there is warmth and an innocence that are prominent in the features of the baby's face. I collect and paint dolls, so even though I know people may find doll's off putting or think the hobby is strange, I really enjoy the individuality that these dolls show due to the fact they aren't typically mass produced. I wanted to show the artist behind something like this, because I feel that just showing a sculpt of a baby doll doesn't exactly show the love that is placed into them, to me they come hand in hand. I see the artist as a part of the art, if that makes any sense?

Something from my personal background and interests that connect to how I see this piece.. well some of my favorite subjects are plants and animals, I studied environmental studies and bio since I want to protect them, and I enjoy cultivating plants as a hobby. So this ceramic is a cute intersection of animals and plants, including growing plants, which is probably why I like it so much.

I am immediately drawn to the face of this piece but the tiled gem-like jewelry really catches my eye as well. The facial patterns are especially eye capturing. There’s a dispersed variety of textures, patterns of motifs and line markings, intentional use of color throughout the entire piece, and an overall feeling of spiritual expression. I also love how this vessel has depth and a visible interior within the outer shell or body, giving the figural form an entity-like presence.

How does something from your personal background or interests connect to how you see this piece?

Currently I live at my grandpas house and he has a wall of masks from cultures around the world that he has collected over the years from various yard/estate sales. This piece to me looks like if 3 of those masks were combined into one fused version (plus some upper body and an arm/hand). In particular, the facial patterns of Bendo remind me of this mask with interconnected tribal markings of salamanders and other creatures; these markings posess the same style and vibe, but do not clearly repeat exact patterns which creates the unique aesthetic of the design. The other 2 masks consist of many multicolored dots that form pattern grids and other collective shapes of dots and/or colors.

• What drew you to this artwork?

  This sculpture is amazing due to the time it took to create the dragon, from setting up the armature to placing the wooden pieces together in order to form the dragon. The dragon is created with the idea that there is a two-way connection with the onlooker.

• How does something from your personal background or interests connect to how you see this piece?

  I connect to this piece from my love for fantasy settings and mythical beasts. Dragons are seen as powerful creatures in many fantasy settings, not only because of their strength, but because they are very intelligent and wise creatures as well.

Statues of this level of detail always fascinated me due to the intricate level of knowledge and patience required to create. It's the sign of a truly dedicated artist to create something so massive in the first place

A mythological story of a man that was deeply devoted to his beloved, Eurydice. It was only for a short while before she died and Orpheus went to search for her in Hades's domain, the underworld. Orpheus known as a musician, played a tune that made stones cry and pursued the god's heart with his song and devotion for his love. He had one condition, to leave the underworld without looking back until reaching the sunlight of the upper and had to trust that his beloved was behind him. As Orpheus starts to leave he hesitates that Eurydice is actually following, as she is nothing but a phantom that he could not hear or feel her touch. In a moment, a few steps away that let them leave the underworld, Orpheus turns around in desperation, only to have one glace of his wife before she vanishes back to the underworld.

I really like this story of love and sorrow for the couple, I found out their story through my class of English Literature in high school. A way in which it is personal to me is having to trust the journey, even if it doesn't turn out well in the end. I just find the story very endearing.

I admire Nick Mackman's animal sculptures very much. I especially love the Wild Dog Sculpture because she did a remarkable job of capturing their curiosity and intelligence.

• How does something from your personal background or interests connect to how you see this piece?

I love animals, especially dogs. The African Painted Dog is a very old species of of Lycaon, a different line of Caninae from which the wolf and our domesticated dog originates from. They are fascinating creatures with their distinctive coat coloring, and their ability to run for miles and miles when they hunt.

I really love Nick Mackman's animal sculptures. She does such a great job capturing the animal's intensity and personalities in her work. I had a hard time choosing my favorite to create this post, but settled on this sculpture of the African Wild Dogs.

• How does something from your personal background or interests connect to how you see this piece?

I love animals, and especially dogs. The African painted dog is such an interesting creature. Their large ears, and their coloring is so unique. I love how Nick has the three of them lounging together in a pack, and yet their curiosity doesn't allow them to rest. Their heads pop up at the least little sound. These dogs are in the canidae family, like our domesticated dogs, but they come from a different genus called Lycaon, rather than Canis. This makes them the last remnant of a very old genus. They are fascinating animals. I love this sculpture.

I chose this bronze sculpture by Simon Leigh, a female artist. I’m curious about the story behind the figure—her eyes appear blurred, and I’d like to know why. This is also the first large-scale sculpture representing Black women’s history. It was installed at the University of Pennsylvania.

It reminds of when I took samples and images that were two dimensional in After Affects and made them pop like they're three dimensional. I just enjoy making things stand out like that sometimes.

I love this artwork because of how colorful and gigantic it is. This is bigger than life size and I love the whole series of different animals you can find.

1. How does something from your personal background or interests connect to how you see this piece?

I have realized I love the anatomy of a snail. Recently I have been drawing and creating snail like things.