Non-Western: The Ishtar Gate

I took these pictures in 2007 at the Pergamon Museum in Berlin, Germany.

I personally consider the Ishtar Gate to be one of the most amazing pieces of architecture in the entire world. I’ve adored it since early childhood, I visited the gate while living in Germany, and I even have a copy of one of the dragons tattooed onto my wrist.

The gate was built around 575 BC by the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar II, one of eight to the inner city of Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar II built it in an effort to beautify his capital and as a tribute to the goddess Ishtar. The base of the wall was first excavated by the German archaeologist Robert Koldewey in 1902, and the bricks he uncovered during the excavation have been used to reconstruct the wall in the Pergamon Museum in Berlin, Germany. The giant blue gate is covered in bas-reliefs (dragons, lions, and aurochs) and opens to the Processional Way—a long road bordered by walls that match the gate—which was used in ceremonies and other important events.

The Ishtar Gate is absolutely amazing to behold! The entire gate almost glows—it’s a brilliant glazed blue with white flowers and amazingly detailed bas-relief creatures. One of the creatures is particularly fascinating to me because of the mystery surrounding it: the sirrush/mushhushshu, or dragon. The significance of the dragon has been debated since before the gate was recovered. In some ancient text, including books which did not make it into the modern Bible, the mushhushshu was actually a living create which Nebuchadnezzar II actually kept and forced his people to worship as a living god. Cryptozoologists are particularly encouraged in this possibility by its depiction among known animals. Other scholars assert that the mushhushshu is merely a symbol of the Babylonian god Marduk and was meant as a symbol of divine protection. One of the most interesting hypotheses asserts that the Babylonians got the idea for the mushhushshu from equatorial Africa. It is said that the Congo is home to a dragon known in the region as Mokele-Mbembe. It is believed by some that the Babylonians not only saw this legendary creature of Africa but also captured one and brought it back to the city of Babylon where it was kept in the temple under the command of Nebuchadnezzar II.

I love everything about this gate. It’s beautiful and imposing and has an absolutely fascinating history!

Works Consulted

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ishtar_Gate

http://www.bible-history.com/babylonia/BabyloniaThe_Ishtar_Gate.htm

http://www.ishtartemple.org/IshtarGate.htm

Non-Western: Ming Dynasty

Jar, Ming Dynasty, Xuande mark and period (1426-1435) China

The kilns of the Jinagxi Province and Jingdezhen were exceptionally important during the Ming dynasty and much of the pottery of this time period we are familiar with today was produced in these areas. Pottery of this era is particularly fascinating because it represents the fusion of traditional technique with influence from the western regions of Asia. As trade increased between China and the western areas of the continent this relationship became more evident in artistic representation. The use of blue and white colors on pottery is a demonstration of increased contact and influence from the Islamic regions of western Asia. At the same time the brushstrokes and subject matter of Jar remain traditional; including the name of the emperor (a trademark of the time).

I’m fond of this particular piece of Ming Pottery for several reasons. The dragon depicted on the jar is fluid and elegant, and at the same time a very strong and powerful figure. The detail depicted in Jar is amazing and expresses a need for extreme refinement on the part of the artist. Additionally, I’m fascinated by the influence other cultures had on Ming art works and the other cultures in general. This is a great example of our interconnectedness.

References:

https://classes.uaf.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_id=_2_1&url=%2fwebapps%2fblackboard%2fexecute%2flauncher%3ftype%3dCourse%26id%3d_60839_1%26url%3d

https://classes.uaf.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_id=_2_1&url=%2fwebapps%2fblackboard%2fexecute%2flauncher%3ftype%3dCourse%26id%3d_60839_1%26url%3d

A Contemporary Virtual Exhibit

Art has often been used to express social criticisms; concerning war and the importance/influences of tradition and many other social aspects. In more recent years social criticisms have come to focus on the development of a corporate society and advances in technology; the extent to which corporations, technology and money influence society have been the subject matter of many artists’ works. These criticisms have been expressed through various forms of artistic medium and can be quite paradoxical–intentionally.

Repo: The Genetic Opera is a twist on several classical styles. It was written and composed by Darren Smith and Terrance Zdunich and directed by Darren Lynn Bousman. The film adaptation incorporates aspects of opera, drama, musical, graphic novel and theatre. The core theme of this modern Goth chic piece is the concept of captivity and longing for freedom. The story follows the lives of several individuals who all experience captivity to some degree and who represent the greater captivity of society to the ominous Gene Co.—a company previously praised for saving humanity after a devastating organ failure epidemic. All the characters are linked to Gene Co. and all of their misfortunes can be linked to the company’s founder. Repo examines the influences massive corporations have on society, from the effects they have on government policy, social norms and even the concepts of aesthetics. Ultimately in Repo the world is at the mercy of this major corporation which dictates all aspects of everyday life and even has the legal authority to kill (Repo men are essentially legal assassins that reclaim organs for the company). The piece invites the audience to examine this hyperbolized reality and to think critically about the current state of affairs. I personally adore this work! The music is brilliant (Sarah Brightman is fabulous in this film), the story is exciting and critical and the visuals are absolutely stunning. The piece in general is very witty and cynical.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zPq17mVbauw
Darren Smith and Terrance Zdunich Repo: The Genetic Opera (2008)

Gerald Laing was a well known Pop Artist in the 1960s and is now reviving the style in response to the war in Iraq. His piece Repetition, which resides in the Sims Reed Gallery, depicts Andy Warhol’s famous Campbell’s soup can image above a field of soldiers. His piece criticizes the capitalistic nature of modern war which views soldiers as assets or commodities as opposed to living individuals.

Gerald Laing Repetition (2005)

Mika is a pop artist known for his extraordinary vocal range. Several of his songs are criticisms of current social trends. “Grace Kelly” is a criticism of the music industry which commonly requires artists to “reinvent” themselves. This results in an identity crafted by the music industry and doesn’t actually portray the artists beliefs/ideas/etc. In this song Mika challenges the conflict between industry and personal identity and encourages the audience to think about the influence such industries have on us in regards to personal thought. Similarly, Mika’s song “Big Girl (You are Beautiful)” challenges the common social perception that glamorizes skinniness. Mika’s music is both thought provoking and easy to listen to. His vocal range is quite impressive and his personal style of blending classical rock and pop music is ingenious!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zjxDRWiyMbU
Mika “Grace Kelly” (2007)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89GB7z_Ogt0&feature=channel
Mika “Big Girl (You are Beautiful)” (2007)

BioArt is a very new style of art combining scientific methodology with artistic representation. It is generally restricted to living creations/manipulations, but can include non-animate subjects. It tends to question the extent to which our society manipulates the living world around us and the ethics of such actions.

Eduardo Kac is a world famous Bio-artist who works mostly with genetics and biotechnology. Originally from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, he now lives in Chicago. One of Kac’s most fascinating pieces is entitled Time Capsule. For this piece Kac had a microchip implanted in ankle—the part of the body commonly branded on slaves. This work was meant to encourage people to consider the affiliation they have with technology. Another work which encourages such personal reflection is entitled Teleporting an Unknown State and consists of a plant grown in a dark room with light that has been channeled around the globe through the internet.

Eduardo Kac Teleporting an Unknown State (1994/1996)

Eduardo Kac Time Capsule (1997)

References:

http://www.ekac.org/teleporting.html

http://gallery.simsreed.com/artists/laing/index.php?stkID=1449

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/this-britain/laing-revives-pop-art-as-weapon-against-war-in-iraq-403664.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bio_art

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eduardo_Kac

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grace_Kelly_(song)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Repo_the_genetic_opera

Early Modern: Dorothea Lange

Toward Los Angeles, California, 1937

Dorothea Lange was an amazing photographer who captured both beautifully artistic and journalistically informative photographs. Her photograph Toward Los Angeles, California, 1937 is a prime example. In the picture two migrant workers are depicted hiking to California along a dusty, empty road, alongside which can be seen a billboard with the phrase “Next time try the train. Relax”, above an illustration of a man in a reclining chair (Yahoo! Inc.). She captures the hardships of the Great Depression so artistically and yet realistically in this photograph. The contrast between the two focuses of the photograph—the migrant workers walking all the way to California and the billboard advertising comfort—play off of each other so well. Her photograph is almost satirical in this way; the billboard is almost a sick joke as the men face an empty country still yet to cross on foot in the hope of actually finding some comfort at the end of their journey.

Lange’s photograph Toward Los Angeles, California, 1937 was actually photographed under the employment of the Farm Security Administration in March of 1937 (Yahoo! Inc.). Her intentions were specifically to highlight the misfortunes of migrants and Americans during the Great Depression, in the hope of encouraging others to try and improve the awful conditions of the 1930s (Library of Congress). I think Toward Los Angeles, California, 1937 is wonderfully done and inspiring.

I personally appreciate the somewhat dark humor associated with this photograph because it so effectively gets across the idea of desperation. These people have no option other than to walk to California because things are really that bad. I’m also drawn to this photograph in particular because the scenery reminds me of the stories my grandparents told me about their experiences during the Great Depression and the photographs they took themselves at the time as well. Having heard their stories makes Lange’s picture even more amazing to me.

References:

Library of Congress. (2009). Dorothea Lange. http://www.americaslibrary.gov/cgi-bin/page.cgi/aa/lange

Yahoo! Inc. (2009). Dorothea Lange: Toward Los Angeles, California, 1937. http://www.flickr.com/photos/trialsanderrors/2891351477/

Picture:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3168/2891351477_527fbb52e3.jpg