Elements of Art & Design_Mindmap

Elements of Art & Design by Salad Group :)

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Why Graphic Design?

Graphic Design & Multimedia
is what I studying now

Actually
Graphic Design is not my 1st choice
I wanted to go for Fine Arts since I was in primary school
But,
When comes to decide what to do for my degree course,
I thought about many factors.

By having a Fine Arts cert,
Can I really survive in this realistic world?
By having a Fine Arts cert,
Can I support my family?

I heard that Fine Arts graduates encounter problems to get a job.

So,
I decided to choose UTAR which offer a more affordable fees,
To study Graphic Design & Multimedia.
I quite interested in Multimedia,
Although I not really good in dealing the software yet.

I do hope that I can learn something which I never know before.
Design is truly a big challenge for me,
As I always never have a new, unique idea,
And I also do not dare to try new stuff.

I need to change myself,
But I need time to change myself.

Will I change to become better in future?
I do hope so.


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History of Art & Design
Is a bit difficult for me
Because I can't really remember about the history.
However,
I will try my best to learn it,
Since this subject is more interesting than the History we learn during the school time.
I think so.
:P

Pyramids_Giza, China, Ur

This is what I found out about Great Pyramid of Giza, Qin Shi Huang Mausoleum, and the Great Ziggurat at Ur.

Retrieved June 12, 2011 from : http://good-wallpapers.com/pictures/4418/Great_Sphinx,%20Chephren%20Pyramid,%20Giza,%20Egypt.jpg

The most famous pyramids are the Egyptian pyramids — huge structures built of brick or stone, some of which are among the world's largest constructions. The Great Pyramid of Giza is the largest in Egypt and one of the largest in the world.

The Great Pyramid of Giza is one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. It is the only one to survive into modern times. The Ancient Egyptians covered the faces of pyramids with polished white limestone, containing great quantities of fossilized seashells.

The pyramid has three burial chambers. The first is underground, carved into bedrock. The second, above-ground chamber was called the queen's chamber by early explorers. The third is the king's chamber, which held a red granite sarcophagus placed almost exactly at the center of the pyramid.

Retrieved June 12, 2011 from : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyramid

I wonder how the people last time have the idea of making pyramid in triangle shape.

The structure inside the pyramid also make me curious.

However,

do I have the chance to see and even touch the pyramid?

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Retrieved June 12, 2011 from : http://i.images.cdn.fotopedia.com/flickr-12138066-original/World_Heritage_Sites/Asia/East_Asia/China/Mausoleum_of_the_First_Qin_Emperor_Terracotta_Army/Terracotta_Army-original-14.jpg

The mausoleum of Qin Shi Huang is the largest preserved one in China. It is a unique architectural ensemble whose layout echoes the urban plan of the capital, Xianyang, with the Imperial Palace enclosed by the walls of the city, themselves encircled by other walls. The mausoleum is also associated with an event of universal significance: the first unification of the Chinese territory in a centralized state created by an absolute monarch, in 221 BC.

The first Emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang (Ying Zheng: 221-210 BC) arranged for his burial place long before his accession to the seat of supreme power. When he became king of Qin in 247 BC, Zheng had his geomancers choose a favourable site at the foot of Mount Li. Work was commenced and was carried out more energetically with each new political and military success over his rivals Han, Zhao, Wei, Chu, Yan and Qi. Following the proclamation of the Empire of Ten Thousand Generations in 221, work at the burial place took on extraordinary dimensions.

According to current estimates, the statue army of the Qin Shi Huang Mausoleum must have represented the exact number of the imperial guards. Over the past thirteen years, discoveries have revealed the dimensions of the mausoleum, and the site constitutes one of the most fabulous archaeological reserves in the world.

Because of their exceptional technical and artistic qualities, the terracotta warriors and horses and the funerary carts in bronze are major works in the history of Chinese sculpture prior to the reign of the Han dynasty. The army of statues also bears unique testimony to the military organization in China at the time of the Warring Kingdoms (475-221 BC) and that of the short-lived Empire of a Thousand Generations (221-210 BC).

Retrieved June 12, 2011 from : http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/441

Mausoleum is a great sculpture in China.

Although I have been knowing about "mausoleum",

but I never go into any research about it.

I did not even ask anything about it when I knew about the existence of mausoleum.

Even though now I have did some research on it,

I still not really understand the concept of mausoleum.

Maybe I should read the history of mausoleum in Chinese version since this sculpture is from China.

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Retrieved June 12, 2011 from : http://userdisk.webry.biglobe.ne.jp/022/913/74/N000/000/000/130518993599816419033_Ancient_ziggurat_at_Ali_Air_Base_Iraq_2005.jpg

The Ziggurat at Ur, a massive stepped pyramid about 210 by 150 feet in size, is the most well-preserved monument from the remote age of the Sumerians. It consists of a series of successively smaller platforms which rose to a height of about 64 feet, and was constructed with a solid core of mud-brick covered by a thick skin of burnt-brick to protect it from the elements. Its corners are oriented to the compass points, and like the Parthenon, its walls slope slightly inwards, giving an impression of solidity.

The ziggurat was part of a temple complex that served as an administrative center for the city, and it was also thought to be the place on earth where the moon god Nanna, the patron deity of Ur, had chosen to dwell. Nanna was depicted as a wise and unfathomable old man with a flowing beard and four horns, and a single small shrine—the bedchamber of the god—was placed upon the ziggurat's summit. This was occupied each night by only one woman, chosen by the priests from among all the women of the city to be the god's companion. A kitchen, likely used to prepare food for the god, was located at the base of one of the ziggurat's side stairways.

Retrieved June 12, 2011 from : http://www.amazeingart.com/seven-wonders/ziggurat.html

Seriously,

I do not know anything about ziggurat.

Am I really an Art student?

:(
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Ai Wei Wei_Sunflower Seed

Retrieved June 12, 2011 from : http://www.tempi.it/sites/default/files/medium_110409-150945_To090411est_963.jpg

Ai Wei Wei is a well-known Chinese artist and activist, recently more because of his arrest as a part of the Chinese government’s crackdown. He is active in architecture, photography, film, curating, social and cultural criticism.

Retrieved June 12, 2011 from : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ai_Weiwei
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I do not know this artist until I was asked to find out who is this artist in my History of Art & Design lecture class. I don't even know the story of Ai Wei Wei's arrest.

Retrieved June 12, 2011 from : http://se7enthirty.files.wordpress.com/2011/06/2ewx.jpeg

Retrieved June 12, 2011 from : http://arrestedmotion.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/img_2001.jpg

One prominent piece of his work was the Sunflower Seeds, an installations at the Tate Modern art gallery.

A sea of seemingly identical sunflower seeds, handcrafted by nearly 2,000 workers over a period of 2 years, it’s not just the scale of the piece that is impressive but its socio-political and historical scope that baffles. Each seed, each process and each hand that has gone to making these seeds has a meaning behind it and no detail has been left to chance. Each one was handcrafted by an artisan in one of the small-scale workshop, carefully selected by Wei Wei.

When I saw the articles about this artwork, I was surprised that the visitors are encouraged to touch, walk on, and interact with the seeds. This is because we are usually not allowed to touch the artworks in gallery. The use of seed in artwork has inspired me to be more creative in my artwork. I have to explore more to have more new, creative ideas.

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