Keith Haring
Juan Gris (1887-1963)
The Modern Art Movement – 1900’s
Historical Artifact
If Darwin was right, we’ll probably figure it out in a few million years….
CHARLES DARWIN’S ON THE ORIGIN OF SPECIES PUBLISHED (1859)
Have you ever wondered where your favourite animals, flowers, or even people originated from?? Well, Charles Darwin and his book On the Origin of Species tells us exactly how!
Charles Darwin is a pretty famous guy, and deservedly so. This guy revolutionized biology by explaining how life evolves and diversifies, and still continues to remain relevant today.
Charles Darwin’s book introduced the scientific theory that populations evolve over the course of generations through a process we call natural selection. This book presented a body of evidence that the diversity of life arose by common descent through a branching pattern of evolution. Darwin went on a big trip, collecting evidence in the 1830s on the Beagle Expedition, and his subsequent findings from the research included evidence of this theory.
FUN FACT: He liked to eat exotic animals, but not owls.
While on his journey, according to the records, Charles Darwin’s favourite meal was a 20-pound rodent believed to be an agouti. He describes it as the “very best meat he’s ever tasted”.
Arguing wth the Critiques!
Darwin at first SHOCKED religious Victorian society by suggesting that animals and humans shared a common ancestry. I mean, making the statement that wild monkeys were related to us as human beings, was a crazy idea to people who never would have imagined. However, his nonreligious biology appealed to the rising class of professional scientists, and by the time of his passing, evolutionary imagery had spread through all of science literature and politics.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evolution
Nature and structure of Darwin’s Arguments in his writing
Darwin’s aims were twofold: to show that species had in fact not been separately created and that natural selection had been the chief agent of change. The first couple of chapters in his book lay out his case that selection in nature, caused by the struggle for existence, is analogous to the selection of variations under domestication, and that the accumulation of adaptive variations provides a scientifically testable mechanism for evolutionary speciation.
The Modern Influence
Yes, he established a philosophy of biology by introducing the time factor, demonstrating the importance of chance and contingency, and showing that theories in evolutionary biology are based on concepts rather than laws. But furthermore-and this is perhaps Darwin’s greatest contribution – he developed a set of new principles that influence the thinking of every person: the living world, through evolution, can be explained.
To now summarize our findings, no educated person questions the validity of the theory of evolution, which we now know to be a simple fact. Likewise, most of Darwin’s particular theses have been fully confirmed, such as that of common descent, the gradualism of evolution, and his explanatory theory of natural selection.
References.
Pierre-Auguste Renoir (1841-1919)
Born in Limoges, France, this French painter was originally associated with the Impressionist movement. Renoir’s earlier works were typically Impressionist pictures of real life, being full of sparkling colour and light. However, around the mid-1880’s he had branched away from the movement to apply more of a formal technique to portraits, nudes, and figure paintings, particularly with women.
Not only was he a painter, but he was also a founding member of the impressionist movement, he ceased to exhibit with the group after 1877. Renoir developed a monumental, classically inspired style that influenced avant-garde giants such as Pablo Picasso. Renoir painted alongside Monet at La Grenouillère. I think their sketch-like technique of broad, loose brushstrokes and their brightened palette attempted to capture the effects of the sun streaming through the trees on the shimmering, rippling water. As soon as I saw his style and his works, I fell in love with them.
Rational – Typography Zine
What led us to write essays in school.
Starting from the beginning
Bi Sheng (990-1051) created the first known movable type structures and systems in China around 1045 AD using ceramic materials made of a mixture of clay and glue which would harden by baking. Movable type was never widely used in China because whole-block printing was less expensive. However, movable type revolutionized the communication of ideas int Europe during the 15th century.
Moving on to movable type! Moveable type advanced to cast-metal movable type and began to be used in Korea in the early 13th century. It is believed that the first of font making to have been started and cast there in the 1230’s. Typography wasn’t developed too much while Bi Sheng was alive but started developing in the West later on.
Brush strokes are trendy and in!
Before mass production, in China, calligraphy was the mainly used for writing. Calligraphy was mainly practiced by scholars and was one of the six arts to be mastered in order to be the Chinese equivalent of a Renaissance man. Calligraphers would paint in styles the emperors liked.
We have a printing machine it’s not witchcraft! – In Living Colour
The first known colour printing is used in “Mainz Psalter” put together around 1450, which was a book containing a collection of psalms. Colours in this time were not yet bright, extravagant, or full, but just additional aspects to books. In the Psalter, black, red, and blue ink were used. The use of colour was added to highlight some words, or paragraphs!
This invention of colour printing is eventutlly led to the creation of the the Gutenberg Bible. Gutenberg (who was first man to make press print) finishes printing around 160 and 185 copies of his first 42-line bible, which is referred to as the Gutenberg Bible, since he is the one in creation of it. The test is set using a Gothic type font, a style which mimics handwriting. Movable type had already been used in the East, however, what Gutenberg did was bring relief printing, woodblock printing, and movable type together.
Isn’t it amazing how these aincent methods turn into the modern technology we know today? From the creating the first movable type to typewriters, then moving to computers and keboards.
Francesco Guardi: 1712-1793
Neoclassicism, Romanticism, & Rococo
Veduta di Piazza San Marco – Francesco Guardi
A rider, a laundress and a musician at a fountain – Francesco Guardi
Venetian Piazzetta – Francesca Guardi
Francesco Guardi, born into a family of artists in Venice, Italy 1712. He was a refined Italian painter, very well known for his outstanding Venetian Landscape paintings throughout the Rococo period. Francesco as an individual artist had not initially gained his own reputation until the 20th century, since he was associated with his family’s workshop.
Guardi started to really focus his studies at the workshop of Michele Marieschi. This studio is where his first works in the Vigo di Fassa were painted. While in Marieschi’s workshop, he also worked alongside his brother Gian Antonio, who ran the family studio. Together they painted religious works, but it wasn’t until his brothers’ death that Guardi began to create his Veduta paintings.
I personally love his works because as his style evolved, Guardi embraced a more free-hand approach to his cityscapes in comparison to the common style of spatial detailing, which is a style I take on with my pieces. I feel that this loose style he portrays is atmospheric in a way that still captures the mood and the essence of the views of Venice.
Artnet.com, http://www.artnet.com/artists/francesco-guardi/.
“Francesco Guardi.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 2 Mar. 2021, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francesco_Guardi.
“Francesco Guardi.” Artist Info, https://www.nga.gov/collection/artist-info.1363.html.
“Francesco Guardi.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., https://www.britannica.com/biography/Francesco-Guardi.
Why is it hard to read hieroglyphics inside the pyramids?
Because they’re encrypted!
The first storytellers:
Communication, the first of things that naturally developed since that day everything started! Humans have been drawing and depicting images since the beginning of time, the first form of ‘writing’ dating back to nearly 32000 years ago! While we may not be able to understand and decipher everything about ancient prehistoric art, these symbols called hieroglyphics were the building blocks to the start of today’s languages, writing, and communication.
Hieroglyphics had to start somewhere!
Cave paintings are the oldest known form of communication. Following closely behind cam pictograms which later evolved into ideograms. After this is when hieroglyphics came into play. Egyptians used hieroglyphics to capture ideas, as well as a way to write down religious scripts, create the first governmental documents, and record-keeping. Something I find interesting is that the term hieroglyphics is the translation for “sacred carving”.
Handprint, bird, leg, silhouette, squiggly-line, a diamond with arms riding a broomstick???
Egyptian hieroglyphic writing was composed entirely of pictures.
