Assignment 5c

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:RodolfoMoralesAngeldeAnoranza.jpg

The MoLAA stands for the, Museum of Latin American Art.  The MoLAA is a museum with an extensive collection of Latin American art featuring many different exhibits.  The knowledge I have gained this semester has opened my eyes to the underlying meanings in the artwork found at the MoLAA.  Much of the artwork features people and places from the cultures, civilizations and countries we have studied.  The pieces reflect a part of history vital to understaning what the artist is trying to depict.  Freire's ideas and teachings allow us to contemplate the artwork found at the MoLAA with hightened senses.  Every portion of every piece of art depicts the emotion and care from which Latin America has thrived.

I chose a piece of artwork by, Rodolfo Morales from Mexico.  Rodolfo Morales was a Mexican surrealist painter.  His work relates to the topics we've studied this summester because he involves the expressions and colors of Latin America.  Latin America and the Caribbean's history include both turmoil and triumph and Morales does an excellent job of capturing the two extremes.  We have studied and learned about the importance religion and rituals have played in Latin America's history, Morales isn't shy about letting us know.

The specific piece I chose is titled, Angel de Anoranza.  I came aross this piece while researching Rodolo Morales by way of the MoLAA.  It connects to our study of humanities because it displays the importance of religion and religious figures in Latin American cultures.  

In this painting I see an angel hoviring over a city or town surrounded by a cloud.  The subject of the work is the angel.  One's eyes are drawn to the face immediately.  It appears this piece is made of oils or pastels on a thick canvas.  There are cool and warm tones, the cool including blue, white, green, purple and green.  The warm tones encompase yellow, brown, orange and black.  The painting is roughly balanced from left to right, with diagonal and horizontal lines.  It is comprised of square and oval shapes.  

The artwork is about the love and friendship the town below the angel was built with, she is thanking the people for thier peaceful demeanor.    

I was drawn to this work of art because of its simplicity and the beautiful contrast of colors used by Morales.  This piece of art is open to a lot of different interpretations and sparked my curiosity.  In this work of art I feel that the angel is opening her arms up to humanity and showing that the world is capbable of peace.  She is sending down her compassion hoping it will reach the souls and hearts of the individuals whom lerk below her outstretched arms.  

I would like to know the inspiration for this work of art, if there was any inspiration at all?  Is this a specific angel important to a city or country in Latin America?  Did Rodolfo Morales do any other paintings outside of the surrealist realm?  This piece depicts a building below the angel, is that a specific building in Mexico or Latin America. 

Assignment 5b

 http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1b/Confirmación_de_Bolívar_by_Tito_Salas.jpg

I chose to research a piece of artwork titled "Confirmación de Bolívar" by Tito Salas.  I came across this piece in component B while researching Simon Bolivar.  I was stuck by this painting because of its simplicity and importance in the life of Simon Bolivar.  This illustration connects to my study of humanities because it represents a part of history, both religiously and culturally.  The day of confirmation is a great moment in the Catholic faith and different cultures celebrate the day in unique ways.  Latin cultures tend to have large gatherings for an individual's confirmation into Catholisism.

In Tito Salas's painitng I see Simon Bolivar receiving confirmation at a local church in Caracas, Venezuela.  It almost appears as if the crowd surrounding Bolivar know that he will be a special person in the years to come.  They are very engaged in this event.  The subject of the work is Bolivar's confirmation and acceptance as a life long memeber of the Catholic religion.  Bolivar is in deep concentration or perhaps praying.  

The artwork is made of oil or pastles.  Cool and neutral tones comprise muh of the painting and a warm red color can be seen on the child in the lower right half of the painting.  It is balanced from left to right and uses thin lines, both horizontal and diagonal.  The artists mainly uses oval and square shapes.  Their is rough texture on the walls and taberancle and smooth on Bolivar.  Both rough and smooth textures comprise the rest of the painitng particularly some of the women's dresses and the other's clothing.    

This piece of artwork is a represention of the confirmation of Simon Bolivar.  It is fairly obvious this is what is being depicted in the painting, due to the crowd surrounding Bolivar and the priest bearing over him.  Everyone is starring at Bolivar leading the viewer to believe it is a momumentous moment.  

I was lead to this artwork because it has a lot of emotion in it.  Despite this being a somewhat emotional moment, every face in the painting has a distinct expression, which contributes to the overall emotion.  I feel that Tito Salas tried hard to depict each individuals personality.  Even though Bolivar is the focal point of the painting, many others have a lot to say about his confirmation.  I feel this way because of the detail in this piece.  The women in the black dresses in the front of the crowd on the right have expressions on their faces as if they know Bolivar is a special person.  

While examing this paitning and other paitnings by Tito Salas I noticed he mainly crafted only significant events in Bolivar's life.  He constructed paintings such as, Bolivar's wedding, and many of his famous battles.  Why did Salas find it neccessary to only paint Bolivar in these moments?  Why didn't he do more paintings of Bolivar's everyday life?  How many battles was Bolivar engaged in during his career?