Leslie Gomez

[lutesm-blog]

week15 response

Is censorship in art/entertainment required? Why or why not?

I can see censorship needed in entertainment as in television and radio for younger children listening, although children should be obscured from fowler language, most often they are not, a way to “protect” them from such language and sexual context is to censor it.  As for art if we are talking in terms of gallery’s, paintings, drawings then I see where there many still need to be a warning, I know is some shows I’ve been in they ask for “child friendly” paintings or they will say “adults only “ preparing people for what they are to expect, is understandable but we also shouldn’t tell artist they cannot create such art or entertainment. A warning such as the ratings on movies should be put into place. Although we all know that children are not always protecting from such images, language, I feel as a overall society we try our best to “protect” the young.

Do you think ideas and concepts by artists can be dangerous? How?

When looking art thought the years many famous paintings have been controversial  and considered dangerous but as times changed and so did people the old piece becomes “normal” and new pieces became the dangerous ones, in all movements of art there will be something someone will have a problem with and if that did not exist then is the movement considered a movement? The idea and concept thought of my artists are parts of their lives their mind and no one’s mind is completely “happy” and to be honest are not the best piece created the most dangerous in the eyes of the artist. If you are not taking a leap into the dark side or dangerous side of being an artist, then are you truly an artist? If your not willing to create something just because others might not like it, the whole point of being an artist is to make people think and take a look at their lives, I think Vincent van Gogh said it best “ art is to console those broken by life.” We are all broken and the broken part of being and artist is creating the dangerous thoughts in hopes of consoling someone else life.

Where should the line be drawn with censorship?

I feel the line for censorship should be drawn  by the person creating such are what they choose to reveal because it is their art their vision, in showing such things like I said before their needs to be a warning / rating of the context and if it is child friendly or for adults only.

[gomezla98]

I can see what you mean when you say there should be censorship for children when it comes to certain paintings, but I do think that if there is going to be a censorship it has to be agreed up by people other than the artist. I say this because as you stated in your second question what may be explicit to some isn't to others. So maybe to the artist it is child friendly, but to others it may not be. You do make some great points though.

[gomezla98]

Week 15 Response

Is censorship in art/entertainment required? Why or why not?

No, I don’t think that censorship in art or entertainment is required because I think as an artist a person should be able to express themselves in the way that they wish to. It is their creative ideas that they come up with in order for the audience to interpret and grasp a sense of feeling for what the artist is trying to express in their paintings. As stated in the article what offends some does not offend others. So it is only fair for the artist to be able to express their creativity without censorship. 

 Do you think ideas and concepts by artists can be dangerous? How?

No, I don’t think concepts or ideas by an artist can be dangerous. As I’ve said before, I think that everything is up for interpretation, I don’t think it is fair or correct to think because of a painting or a movie that it is going to cause harm or danger to anyone. As stated in the article, Japanese television is pretty violent and Japan has the lowest crime rates compared to any other country. 

Is the perception of explicit content or violence relative to individual cultures?

Yes, I believe the perception of explicit content or violence is relative to individual cultures. In some cultures, a nude painting, photo, or movie with a nude female or male is ok to see, but in other cultures that is most likely frowned upon and would not get published to the public.

[hannahmtrimble]

Blog Post Week 12

          This is “The Nightmare”, which is an oil painting finished in 1781, done by Henry Fuseli. This is a very popular and beautiful work, which is perhaps why it ended up catching my eye. It features a dimly lit room, with few inanimate objects around the main subjects.           The main thing that catches our eye, is the beautiful, yet quite distressed, woman stretching across the width of the painting. Her arm, in the true fashion of the era, brings this feeling of desolation off the bed, passing her discarded blankets, coming further into the foreground and into our space. It is obvious that she is sleeping, but there is a great amount of suffering shown in her facial features- indicating to us that her nightmare is ongoing and very real. Her mouth is slightly open, her eyebrows are furrowed greatly, and her hair is in falling tendrils as her head leaves the security of the bed. On top of the girl sits what looks to be a small demon-like creature, his body positioned to be facing away from us, only for his neck to crane around to reveal to us his face. We see his eyes bulging out of his head, showing his own crazed nature and expression, perhaps promoting the idea that emotion and fear are what drive this painting. He sits on top of her lungs with a great frown, shortening her breath and almost crushing her and her chances to escape. His shadow shows that he possesses horns, further perpetuating its devilish nature. To the left, we see a demented black horse that follows the theme of bulging eyes. It’s almost disturbing to look at, but only gives us a glimpse of what might be going on behind the woman’s eyelids. The blankets laying under the women are red, detailed intricately with gold. They appear to be scratched at, ripped probably from the lady or the demon within her dreams clawing himself into reality. As a whole, we find the structure of the main figures in the painting, made up of the woman and hermit-like man, form a triangle to create a sense of balance and order within the painting that counters the chaos within the girl’s mind.           This painting does not have a significant historical context that comes with it, other than the fact that it was very popular and inspired a great amount of literature in the time. This, I can understand. The painting is something you can look at seemingly forever, and inspires a lot of wonder and ideas. What is she dreaming about? Where do these fears originate? What does it say about the woman? This is probably one of the main reasons why I love the work so much. I have also mentioned in previous posts, I enjoy the darker themes of art quite a bit, and nightmares are included in that. The position of all the figures, the mixture of beauty and ugliness, terror and serenity, et cetera are stark but they compliment each other and work so well together to make such a great work.

[ajohnboyuniverse-blog]

The horse looks like it is in a trance like it’s being controlled by something. The demon sitting on her chest makes me think like something is holding her back. The way the demon doesn’t look at the lady but at myself, the viewer, it makes me think that he is behind everything. 

[gomezla98]

The name of this painting goes very well with what is being depicted. It is dark and sinister seeing the women dressed in white and looking as though she is in distress and can't seem to help herself because this demon is on top of her and has her in a deep slumber. 

[gomezla98]

This beautiful and captivating piece is called “ Gather Ye Rosebuds While Ye May” this is an oil painting created by the John William Waterhouse in 1909. This painting is the second painting inspired by the 17th-century poem “ To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time.”

In the painting we see two women picking flowers from a bush, we can tell it must have been a spontaneous idea from both ladies as neither of them has anything to put these flowers in. They are also both barefoot which makes me think it was probably their backyard where they are picking these flowers from for their home. In the background to the right, we can see two more women also picking flowers on the other side of the stream. In the background, there is a beautiful landscape of grass and trees that stretch back. You can definitely see the brush strokes on this piece in the women’s dresses and in the background, Waterhouse did not try to smooth out the painting, I think it was to give the dress and the tree more of a detailed look to them. He also uses pops of color with the color of the dresses and with the color of the sky. As mentioned before this painting is the second painting inspired by the 17th-century poem “ To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time.” which is a poem written by Robert Herrick and the poem is about seizing the day, taking a hold of your life and living for and in the moment. So in the painting, I think that message is captured beautifully where we see the women picking the flowers at the moment because they will soon die, we also see the sun setting in the distance. In this artwork, I enjoy the artist’s use of color and brush detail. I think it is a beautiful piece with calming colors and having the dresses be warm colors but also bright brings a calming sensation to this piece. I also love the fact that the artist does not hesitate with the brush detail I think this painting would have looked very different had Waterhouse smoothed out his brush detail. I think as I’ve said before the use of brush strokes really adds dimension to the piece. In the women’s dress it gives a wrinkled effect with the trees it gives dimension to the tree trunk. We can also see this in women’s hair. One thing I will say is that I wish the artist would have made the flowers stand out a lot more than how he originally painted them. In the painting, they are very small and somewhat subtle in color, I also believe that the painting should have had actual roses is that is what the painting is called in my opinion the flowers look nothing similar to that of a rose. He should have also made them a bit bigger in size because they are very tiny but I feel as though the artist did that on purpose as those to emphasize the women and the scenery.

[leslymgonzalez]

My first impression of Ai Wei Wei’s work was like, Wow who has the guts to stand out into public speaking out for themselves through artwork where many people could ignore it and not understand it. My second thought as I was seeing the video was wow how could could anyone dare to a piece of artwork have that out in the public. I personally think that its very funny he used a condom, even though he was sending a message out to people. What really surprised me was where or how in the world did he obtain and manage to get nine thousand back packs to make the wall sculpture. I could not imagine doing that my self. I would take too much time, effort, and strength, to hang all of those backpacks and writing a message with them. I personally would of have given up in displaying that message. I would have done something a lot simpler like spraying a wall or writing it on a poster board. I think that his artwork personally constitutes as both Art and activism because through his artwork he is expressing his self, his feelings, and his thoughts. I see his artwork as fine art. The reason why is because he uses recycled things to create artwork. Another reason why is because he uses his artwork to speak for him such as government wise. The narrative behind Ai Weiwei’s artwork involves government intervention and introduces concepts regarding individual freedom, I personally believe that this kind of messaging is still necessarily today. One because we have freedom of speech how ever the public authorities do nothing to help out nor do they listen to community members that are in seek of a change in today’s society. Sometimes when people use artwork in riots and to display or convey a message it often leads to fights, and negative outcomes. Many people may use music, dancing, poster boards, or colors to display a message. On a daily basis I think that people hiddenly use artwork to convey messages whether its towards the government or not. For example, clothing is a main piece of artwork that people use on a daily basis. Whether its from name brands or slogans, or derogatory remarks. I think that towards the government there’s always hidden messages with in artwork. One example is during election months. During election months there are many people that have bumper stickers on their cars what either degrade or are for a president.

[gomezla98]

I find it funny you say that about his book bag piece I thought the same thing. I know that must have taken him many hours to do, but I think what he did is honorable he cared that much to do the piece, that is very selfless of him. I also agree that his message is still important, today I think it is our job as citizens to speak up against injustices and honestly after seeing his work it makes me want to do just that. 

[gomezla98]

Week 11

I think Ai Weiwei’s work is phenomenal, it’s modern, it’s different, he adds a twist to tradition. His reinterpretation of the Chinese tradition I think was brilliant it really shows how things have changed, he shows the bowls destroyed the temple had Nike sneakers hanging from it. I think that was to show where china s society and traditions are at today. I think his work counts as both, he uses his art as his voice of activism like for example the 9,000 backpacks that were hung to symbolize the Sichuan earthquake. He uses his work and makes it unique and different to catch the people’s attention, but to also bring awareness to the situation. I see his work as fine art because he has an aesthetic of his art like marble and wood, he is also very creative and imaginative with his art. There is nothing like it and that is why I think it is fine are because it is unique and in ways leave you in awe or disbelief. I think this kind of message is necessary today, sometimes there are too many injustices going on around the world for us to just sit back and act like nothing is wrong or like we are not aware of the absurdities going on. The refugee crisis is going on all over the place and I think it is a sad situation, what the refugees have to go through in order to escape their situation and then come to a foreign land and find themselves in no better of a situation. For example, the refugee crisis that is happening here with the Mexican people being separated from their parents and families just to be locked in holding facilities that look like cages or concentration camps. I think what hinders humanity is having us be blinded by the injustices and telling us that they looked for it etc. And I especially think so with individual freedom we should be able to express ourselves so long as it does not harm ourselves or others. Society today has created these lines and rules where any individual who dresses differently, acts differently or does anything that isn’t in the “societal norms” is considered to be weird or crazy, etc. I think Ai Weiwei’s message is great.

[sharacota]

Week 8 Blog Post

The artist I decided to go with was Caravaggio whose full name is Michelangelo Merisi de Caravaggio. The artist I was intrigued by was Caravaggio because of the way his art turned out into the end. I feel Caravaggio used many dark colors and covered deep topic through his art. Another thing I noticed if he was not painting dark and gloomy he was painting portraits of people of the time. The image I chose is called Narcissus. Caravaggio painted it in 1599 and it is being displayed in Galleria Borghese.

The image I thought was very interesting. This image how I preserve it is a young boy looking into a puddle and what is looking back at him is what he looks like as an older version of himself. I think that this painting is one of his lighter pieces of work that is not of someone decapitating someone else. I noticed a lot of his work involved the death of someone. I enjoyed this image because it was very different than most of his other work that he painted.

I believe the story that he was telling through this work was that you have to look and see the bigger picture of what life truly has in store. That you have to see the bigger picture that even though your young you will grow into the person that you want to be. On the other side of this, it could be a man looking in on his past. He could be reminiscing on his youth; maybe what he could have done different with his life, or remembering past memories about life. This artist is very talented in all of his artwork. If you are ever in Rome, Italy and are around the Galleria of Borghese, you can look at this image and see it in person!

[ariee-xoxo]

Even though I prefer Bosh’s artwork, I admire some of Caravaggio’s well-known pieces. One thing that always stood out to me was his use of very light colors against a dark background to achieve maximum effect and contrast. It created a bold, naturalistic style. Caravaggio perfected this style and is considered one of the best and most well-known artists in using it to create a strong atmosphere in his paintings. Not to mention, the way he emphasized common roles of the humankind in his works created an unforgettable story. Which is why he was both highly admired and highly controversial among his contemporaries.

I have a very similar view of the painting as you did. I also want to add a thought that maybe he does not know who he wants to be yet.

[gomezla98]

I also think is painting is a lovely one. The way Caravaggio had a way with painting people, they are almost calming when you look at them and very detailed when it comes to the lighting and shadow. Your perception of the painting was very lovely as well that is nice to think that when he sees his reflection what he really sees is a bigger picture of life.  

[gomezla98]

For this assignment, I chose the artist Artemisia Gentileschi. The title given to this painting is Corisca and the Satyr. The title given to this name really binds together with what the Satyr represents. Satyrs represent the immoderate appetite. This painting was created around 1630 and 1635. As far as elements in the painting we can see the use of line as both the Satyr and Corisca are diagonal, we can also see the light and value where the light is mostly shining on the women and her path of escaping versus the heavy shadow being cast on the Satyr. There is a lot of dark emphasis on the Satyr and the wig that he holds in his hand. I think this painting we can immediately tell the woman is in distress by her facial expression and the way she is painted running away from the Satyr, we can also see in his expression that he is upset that his idea did not go as planned. I wonder if the dark clouds are to emphasize the darkness of the situation? I think in this scene the woman was going to be raped by the Satyr but she was able to escape before anything serious happened. The artist is telling us a story by the manipulation of her shadow and lighting, as well as the gestures of the Satyr and woman.

[leslymgonzalez]

The first picture was very interesting to me. The painting is a painting of Jesus, Adam, Eve. I like the balance with in the picture with the different types of animals. One reason why I chose this image was because I liked the contrast and balance between animals. I like how the artist managed to have everything in one picture from the story of Adam and Eve. For example, it has Jesus bringing in Eve to the Garden of Eden. Eve is standing very provocative as she is being presented.

Her long hair represents her beauty and her face is kind of a smerky look.  In the back ground it has apple trees. Which later in the story shows that Adam and Eve were caught eating fruit from the tree that was not allowed to be eaten from which then expelled them from the Garden. This painting was created in 1940 by Bosch. Bosch artwork was collected in Netherlands. Most of his artwork was about religious concepts and narratives. Hieronymus Bosch painted his works mostly on oak panels using oil as a medium. 

The second picture that I chose was because it shows the world during creation, probably on the Third Day, after the addition of plant life but before the appearance of animals and humans. If you look closely on the left top corner there is an angle in the clouds over seeing everything. To me that is the main important thing of this picture, because I personally believe that God oversees everything on earth.  I think that the artist did a great job displaying and balancing the amount of trees and plants with out making the picture overwhelming. One thing I disliked about this painting is that there is not a lot of color. I like seeing Colorful things. 

[gomezla98]

I like your interpretation of the first scene of Adam and Eve is shows you paid great attention to the details in the painting. I love the way Bosch made every other panel in the painting beautiful and simple yet in his interpretation of hell, it is very bizarre and peculiar. I would have to agree though he painted Eve to be very beautiful with her long hair and sensual figure.  

[gomezla98]

When analyzing The Garden of Earthly Delights the first panel makes me think of the beginning of everything that came to be on earth. For example, their standing in the painting is adam, standing in the middle is Jesus himself, and to the right is eve. You can also see a hole in the ground wherefrom this there is life coming through. It is so peaceful so simply and beautifully painted with no chaos even being thought of. In the middle panel, we see lots of human interaction as well as more animals and more of the objects evolving. It’s in this panel where we start seeing more chaos and no more of the simple, peaceful, and calm side like in the first panel. Lastly, in the third panel, we can see what looks almost as though the destruction of nature. This painting really gives off the notion that what is to be depicted is that humans have a way of destroying what is simple and beautiful like nature for instance. In the last panel, it is dark, gloomy, chaotic, we no longer see the beauty and simplicity like in the other paintings this panel is the closest resemblance to hell as it seems the humans have become corrupt. The painting now has animals and humans morphed together having said that to me that would be the interpretation that there is no real distinction now between the two. In the two scenes that I have chosen the first one is Adam and Eve. Adam representing the human world and Eve the human soul. The second scene I chose is of the bird that is seen swallowing the human to later have them dropped into a hole in the ground. This scene to me almost represents the life being sucked out of them as they no longer are pure like they once were because we can see the birds leaving the person’s body as he enters the bird’s mouth. We can also see that the humans are later dropped in a hole in the ground where one human is defecating and the other is vomiting.

[ariee-xoxo]

Protesters’ mini Stonehenge rockblock in Hong Kong. Photo: Vivienne Chow.

In Vivienne Chow’s article, I found her perspective very captivating and truthful. I was not aware of the current internal conflict occurring in Hong Kong. In the face of those living in a world so corrupt, many artists used their creativity to protest.

When artists come together to confront a situation, they spark interest and form visual content to extend awareness of their cause. “These creative outputs transformed public spaces into a living gallery of visual culture” (Chow). The art is a power within itself to show the fears, hopes, and dreams of the people living these day-to-day nightmares. The post-its, graffiti, and posters spelling out protest slogans all create an important role in keeping the movement vital and engaging.

Abby Chen, the head of contemporary art at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco, once said “This is about being human, and the kind of resistance and resilience that we are seeing … Hong Kong artists are at the forefront in terms of thinking about their global identity in this rapidly shifting world,” she said.

In my opinion, she meant through all of the pain and trauma that the government has caused it never once held back the artists from being a continuous light throughout the protest. Even if it is a never-ending battle, they are always putting their lives in jeopardy to be the voice for everybody.

[gomezla98]

I like your perspective of what Abby Chen meant. I did not think of it like that so yes you could be right. The artist could be seen as a light for the other in the middle of all the chaos. I also enjoy the piece you included that was in the article I find it beautiful the way the light is shining in the corner of the photograph and the pieces of glass all scattered on the ground like that along with the Stonehenge that was created. Overall it is a beautiful yet sad photograph.   

[gomezla98]

Week 4

I think what Abby Chen means when she is quoted saying “This is about being human, and the kind of resistance and resilience we are seeing…” I think this means that the artist from Hong Kong will use this traumatic experience and make it into something that is their own. By this I mean they will add their perspective of the riots, their emotions, their statements and the messages they are trying to convey for their people of Hong Kong and others globally. Some will interpret this riot and turn it into a beautiful abstract work of art or others will create a dark and most likely violent piece. I think art holds a great deal of power in this confrontation since there are artist already at the forefront of the riots they are using their art to convey what they are trying to say, what the people are rioting for. After all is said and done it is the art that is created in the midst of all this that will leave a great impact on what the riot really was. This is not to say that the riot is not a big deal, it is. But art has a way of reaching out to people’s emotions and memories and it will create a symbol for the people to never forget what happened.

[craftyrockermom]

The Northern European Renaissance began around 1430 when artist Jan van Eyck began to use similar techniques that the Italian Renaissance used. Some of the techniques van Eyck used were linear perspective, naturalistic, and a realistic approach for his pieces of work. The Northern Renaissance also wanted to express the importance of humanism and it’s values.  Some other pieces of artwork that were well known during this time were paintings on wooden panels or other forms of printmaking.

There were many famous artists who helped make the Northern Renaissance important, and one of those artists were Jan van Eyck. Jan van Eyck was very important during this Renaissance because he helped create a new way of art form. Van Eyck helped in the technique of the oil-glaze. This was very important because many of the artists were using a much different technique previously before van Eyck started to use his oil glaze technique.

Jan van Eyck is known for many of his pieces of artwork, but one of his most famous is called the Arnolfini Wedding. Another one he is famously known for is the “Adoration of the Lamb,” which was created in 1432. Van Eyck’s brother also helped created this piece of artwork, but little artwork is known from his brother. Both of these pieces of artwork done in an oil painting technique. Jan van Eyck has been known as the “father of oil paintings”.

The painting I chose was the, “Adoration of the Lamb” which was created in 1432. I choose this painting because it was one of van Eyck’s paintings that he was known most for. This painting was created by using Northern European Renaissance style by using wooden panels, held by glue, as the canvas. Van Eyck then created the painting by using layers of oil paintings. The eighteen pieces of wood paneling this painting was created on was made of solid oak, causing it to weigh a significant amount of weight. He was able to use balance and contrast with his technique of oil painting, but the painting still holds more or a darker hue. He captures the city of Ghent, in which some of the pillars/towers are still standing today. The lamb is surrounded by angels, and the animal shows signs of injuries. Many believe this could be a sign and remembrance of Christ’s sacrifice. The fountain is the main center point of the painting, and many believe it to be signifying life itself. The amount of detail in this painting is breathtaking. Van Eyck painted all of his pieces of artwork with such realism and detail. He wanted to ensure that his paintings provided the importance of humanism, realism, but also Christianity.

http://www.jan-van-eyck.com/adoration-of-the-lamb/

[gomezla98]

I can see what you were saying when you said he used balance and contrast as his techniques. You are able to visually see the balance because he has groups of people in the four corners of his painting and then has the angels around the lamb and lastly the lamb as the main focus. I can see why you say the painting as a dark hue to it but I would say the painting has more natural light to the painting as in the background you are able to see the clear blue sky and the sun shining bright on the people and the angels. However, I think the dark hue that you mentioned could be due to the fact that the artist used dark colors for some of his scenery like the trees and in some of the clothing.

[gomezla98]

Pietà at the Foot of the Cross - Ambrosius Benson - Google Arts & Culture

Donated by Antonio Plasencia in 1935

For my Northern Renaissance Research, I chose the painting “ Pieta at the foot of the Cross.” This painting was developed by Ambrosius Benson in 1530. 

In this painting, there is a great detail that has gone into the work that is to be admired. In this painting, the artist clearly demonstrated asymmetrical balance by adding a similar reflection on one side and a beautiful view of the castles and landscapes on the other side of the painting. There is also a demonstration of movement in the painting in the foreground of the painting is the capturing of Jesus Christ and the Virgin Mary. Later in the back, we also see another image of Jesus Christ being laid to rest and lastly, we focus on the castles and the landscape in the background. 

This painting does a great job of showing emphasis by having Jesus Christ and the Virgin Mary in the foreground is the first thing that catches the eye.  I chose this piece of work because I find this painting to be sad and beautiful. This painting is able to make you feel what the artist was trying to show you. By looking at this painting you are able to feel sadness and beauty together. Sadness because of the crossing of Jesus christ and beauty because of all the beauty that they are surrounded by in nature. You are able to see the sadness that the Virgin Mary was feeling and the others as well. But by having the beautiful castles in the background as well as beautiful landscapes to go with it we were able to feel the beauty of the moment. 

What describes this work of art as something to be associated with traits of the Northern Renaissance is first the most obvious is that this work of art is a religious one. This painting is of when Jesus Christ was removed from the cross. You can also notice how the artist tried to add more light, space, and volume to the painting to try and make it as natural as possible. Another trait within the painting was the detailed realism the artist added the crown of thorns, the blood dripping from where the crown is, the details on the human faces of each person. You can also see the details in how skinny Jesus was by slightly exposing his ribs, collar bones, and the girth of his arm. 

https://www.radford.edu/rbarris/art216upd2012/Northern%20europe%20in%20the15th%20century%20s11.html

[gomezla98]

Week 2

The article “Why was Cimabue so important?” spoke about how the renaissance was a time of rebirth. How the cultural elements of western civilization, like art and philosophy, were evolving and transcending the dark ages. During the renaissance era, the life that humans lived was vastly more sustainable than today, I do not believe they could even fathom the idea that humanity could be the reason for the end of humanity. 

The most influential change that has taken place in the last 50 years is the solidifying of the information that we are in a new era, this era is called the Anthropocene. This era is marked by the transformation industrial capitalism, specifically, fossil capitalism in the 50s has had in the environment. This era is marked by the existential threat of climate change. The influence it has had in our recent past is an influence that has been felt mostly by the communities who have not been an agent in the producing of this effect of climate change. These happen to be the poor, and indigenous communities all over the world. Who have lost lakes, rivers, that have been in those areas for hundreds or even thousands of years. The poor have lost environments which have been used for cultivation for many years. In recent years what we have seen is that these effects of fossil capitalism have started their disastrous result primarily in the poorest communities. As for the future were in a pivotal point in human existence, there are only two options. One is the continuing of business as usual with the couniting of fossil capitalism. Which would lead us to a point where human civilization is going to be impossible to maintain with the conditions that we will put the planet in. The second option we have is to imagine what seems inimaginable Mark Fischer has a quote that says “it is easier to imagine the end of the world than to the end of capitalism.” With that being said the second option would be the ending of capitalism itself, imagining a world that is not dictated by constant accumulation of capital. Rather a world that is dictated towards meeting the basic needs of human beings and realizing that the planet we live in is not there for us to exploit its resources just so that a small group benefits off of it. But rather the planet we live in is something that is connected to us, that we are a part of not separate from and that we must take care of. A and ensure we keep in good condition for the civilizations that will come in the future.  We need to realize that the only way to move forward if we are to have a civilization of humans in the future is through a radical transformation of our economic core. Making sure we move into an ecosocialist society and then everything else will fall into place.   

[craftyrockermom]

Van Gogh has always been one of my favorite artists as early as I can remember. I have always loved that his artwork shows texture because it makes the piece stand out more. One of my favorites is Starry Nights.

[gomezla98]

I also love this piece. I think the way, Van Gogh decided to paint the stars are a beautiful way of representing how they were glowing in the sky. I also think it is fascinating that he decided to use a lot of cool colors in this painting.

[gomezla98]

This is my favorite work of art because of the colors that were used in the painting are very bright and compliment one another.