Baltimore Museum of Art

Though the Baltimore Museum of Art displayed many thought-evoking works of art, my favorite was  "Physiological Diagram", a synthetic polymer paint by Andy Warhol. This was my favorite art piece due to the history behind it. Warhol produced this piece in the 1980's, a time where the public had a growing fear of HIV/AIDS, and a time during his aging. In the 1960's Warhol suffered gunshot wounds from the attempt to take his life, and was left with scars on his stomach for the rest of his life. In the 80's, he became interested in new age medicine. As one can see, the painting focuses on the abdominal area where Warhol suffered wounds for the rest of his life. This was my favorite work of art that I saw because it allows the viewer to step into the artist, Andy Warhol's thought process. The viewer is allowed to see what he was thinking of throughout that era.

I also find the colors to be interesting. He paints the body a shocking red color, such as the color of blood. I believe he could have done this to grab the viewers attention, but also to relate it to HIV/AIDS, which can be transmitted through blood. This makes the painting much more universal because it shows that everyone has blood, and is at risk for HIV/AIDS.

I believe "Physiological Diagram" resembles what art truly does, which is unify and relate.

Julio Fine Arts Gallery

Last Friday, I went to the Julio Fine Arts Gallery located in the Andrew White College Center. Though this was not my first time attending the gallery, it was my first time focusing in on the work's meaning. A piece that especially caught my eye was called "White Noise: Lulu." The artist provided meaning behind the painting. She includes the aspect of music through a different medium. Her piece of art was supposed to show the different reactions each person has to music. I found this to be an interesting topic because all feel music in different ways. Music evokes emotion to everyone, but in different ways. She showed two different people listening to the same piece of music, and there is a distinct difference in their facial expressions.

I related this to myself because I feel different emotions than others when I listen to a certain song, and vice versa. I especially find art that shows human emotion to be interesting because everyone can connect to it. In result, this piece of art stood out to me the most. 

Italo Calvino- Visibility

Italo Calvino points out the idea that imagination has two modes of thought. One, is that imagination is an instrument of knowledge, while the other argues that imagination is the identification with the world soul. Calvino sides with imagination as the identification as the world soul.
 He does so because imagination is a way if gaining knowledge outside the individual. He mentions the Neo-platonics originating the idea of imagination as a communication with the would soul romanticism and surrealism I agree with Calvinos stance on imagination being the identification of the world soul because unlike reading and writing, it isn’t learned. Image is charged with meaning, which is universal. He furthers his point by stating that even while reading a scientific technical text, the reader still will unexpectedly create an imagine in their head based off of imagination.
Furthermore, because everyone has a different imagination or vision, it unify the world because it helps us see things from a different perspective. We all have future images, which connects the world in a more empathetic way.
 I find this to be a unifying concept because every person in the world does this without any control. It is natural that this occurs no matter what the text, language, or person. In result, imagination ties the world together in a universal and natural language. It is not an instrument of knowledge, yet a tool for the universal soul.

The Whole Ball of Wax by Jerry Salz- Review

After reading "The Whole Ball of Wax", by Jerry Salz, the importance of what art can do to shift society stuck out to me from a different perspective. I now believe that art can be used as a medium of change. Salz refers to art as a bridge to a new vision, and the vision itself. By reading this, related this to the saying "Life imitates art." In the sense that art is the idea, while the vision itself is the reality, blemished and imperfect.
Another point that Salz puts into perspective is that art cannot be observed objectively. Like most things, art is based off of experience. Taking his input into consideration, I agree that everybody has different experiences and opinions. In result, it is impossible for art to have a singular and objective meaning. With that being said, a piece of art can never be understood.
Salz claims that art is a way of having empathy for others, gaining knowledge that one didn't think they needed, and learning more about yourself. When observing art, one is looking past the canvas itself, and getting a glimpse of what the artist intended. The way they interpret that, and the way the art makes them feel is based off of perspective. Art teaches one pieces of history, or bits of man -kind that they never knew, or wanted to know. He uses the Vietnam War Veterans Memorial to bring this idea to light. The memorial is supposed to channel the unified remorse by using the one thing American Society loathes, which is abstract.
In conclusion, Salz stresses that art can be anything that is the bridge or medium to a new vision and the vision itself, because is is a form of communication that makes one feel, relate, and react.