BLOG PROMPT FOR WEEK 1
After setting up and personalizing your blogs, for your first blog, I want you to focus on something specific to you. What piece of art, music, literature or other art form helps you understand death? How does it help your conception? Do you see any connections with the ways the ancient people we talked about this week approached death? Why or why not?
In general, art helps me understand death. Since I was 5 years old, I started taking art classes where I learned how to use various art mediums to convey specific concepts, whether it be an inanimate object or an animate object. Usually, things that are alive tend to be more beautiful and fun to draw. For instance, I like sketching animals like dogs, or sketching varying human body parts like eyes. Life makes art more real. I prefer drawing things that are alive.
On the other hand, things that are not alive - dead - are more difficult to portray. At first, I thought that it would be easier to draw, since under most circumstances, it was dead and inanimate. However, because it was dead, it was harder to draw because there were much more wrinkles and creases, folds and shadows. Death is harder to illustrate than life.
Overall, art has helped me to not just simply accept life, but to be grateful and thankful for being alive. My conception is that when something is alive, it gives life to those around it.
As for the connections with the ways of the ancient people, as discussed in lecture, there are some, to an extent. Art is a form of expression, as is music, literature, and many more. Regardless of whether or not art was specifically mentioned in lecture is not essential. The ancient people we discussed in lecture included the Greeks and (a little bit of) the Romans. I view the portrayal and descriptions of the Greek gods and goddesses as art. The depictions of how these divine and immortal beings physically appeared is a form of art. When I read the literature, for instance, the Homeric Hymn to Demeter, I can imagine Demeter's depression and how her pain must have been expressed. I can draw what I believe Demeter looked when she was desperately searching for Persephone. My perception is art.
In conclusion, art in general, has helped me to understand death. Death is simultaneously complex and simple.
