Module 8 Video Review

1.   Explain why you selected the video you choose from the selection listed above.

The Measure of All Things: Greek Art and the Human Figure – I chose this video because I have always been fascinating with Greek society and Greek art.  I was hoping this video would help me learn more about art and the reason why Greek artists created art the way they did.  

2.   For each video list/discuss the key concepts you learned.

Video 1: More Human than Human – Some key things I learned from this video was I don’t think we will truly ever know what our ancestors were thinking when creating carvings, paintings and other artworks in our past.  We can speculate and try and understand it as best we can, but we will never know the truth.  And I think that’s okay because we’re able to make our own meaning out of it, make meaning that is important to us.  

Video 2 – I think it in interesting how the spoke about how the figures with big stomachs were pregnant, but if they had stripes, then they had already given birth.  I have always found in intriguing the way art historians can find meaning in the small details of all artwork.  Obviously that comes from studying art for a long time.  I would think art historians have to spend so much time studying artwork to find similarities and connections they can make between them to come up with what they believe is being represented in them.  

3.   How do the videos relate to the readings in the text?

I think they relate to the tex because they talk about the meaning behind the body language and symbols that we have found in ancient art. We can assume what we want about these and make informative ideas about them.  

4.   What is your opinion of the films? How do they add depth to understanding of the readings and art concepts?

I think the films were both very informative because like I said before, we never will truly know what these artworks mean.  We can make connections and create ideas about what different styles mean but will we truly ever know for sure the meaning behind these artworks. The thing we can pull out of these artworks of figures is, this is what we can assume are images of their everyday life.  I believe they were documenting what was going on around them and the created what the people around them were doing.  Regardless of what people believe the meanings to be, these artworks are something so great, considering the materials they had to use to create art. They couldn’t go to the store and pick up paints they needed and knives they thought would be easiest to use, they creating these tools and materials themselves to artwork.