Gladiator-1106576 Kang Chai Yuen

The scene I like most is when the shot captured the Colosseum in Rome. The shot captured from outside to inside. The angle of showing the Colosseum is wonderful. There are many audience waiting for the competition. They are very exciting. The Colosseum is a symbol of Rome. Architectural design of the Colosseum is amazing. Three layers of cicular arcade, is the largest cicular arena in Rome.

 

The Colosseum can accommodate 87,000 people. They were seated in a tiered arrangement that reflected the strictly stratified nature of Roman society. Special boxes were provided for the Emperor and the Vestal Virgins, providing the best views of the arena. Nearby them was a broad platform for the senatorial class, who were allowed to bring their own chairs.

 

The tier above the senators was occupied by the non-senatorial noble class or knights. The next level up was reserved for ordinary Roman citizens and was divided into two sections. The lower part was for wealthy citizens, while the upper part was for poor citizens. Specific sectors were provided for boys with their tutors, soldiers on leave and priests. Stone seating was provided for the citizens and nobles, who brought their own cushions with them.

 

Another level was added at the very top of the building during the reign of Domitian. This comprised a gallery for the common poor, slaves and women.

The Colosseum was used to host gladiatorial shows as well as a variety of other events. The shows, called munera, were always given by private individuals rather than the state. Another popular type of show was the animal hunt. This utilized a great variety of wild beasts, mainly imported from Africa and the Middle East, and included creatures such as rhinoceros, hippopotamuses, elephants, giaffes.

During the early days of the Colosseum, the building was used for simulated sea battles. Accounts of the inaugural games held by Titus in AD 80 describe it being filled with water for a display of specially trained swimming horses and bulls. There is also an account of a re-enactment of a famous sea battle between the Corcyrean Greeks and the Corinthians.

[sources: wikipedia]


Ng Pei Keat 1006795 Plato's Allegory of the cave

In my research, i think that The allegory of the cave is implying that humans are blind, not physically, but mentally. We tend to not believe what is the right of reality in front of our very eye. the cave represents to somewhat corrupt or secluded world we live in. A dark world with nothing to be seen. in the story, when the humans finally escape from the cave where they face the sunlight, the sunlight represents truth. when the sunlight is shown it is then that reality is seen. while we human have different own perceptions, there is only one truth in our life and the one truth is always be present. 

Islamic Arts Museum_Kang Chai Yuen 1106576

The Islamic Art Museum Malaysia is one of the best collections of Islamic decorative arts. The museum is full of beautiful arts and crafts. The information cards for the artifacts are well written and full of interesting facts. The museum building is modern and quiet, which makes me pleasure.

 

When I am going into the museum, it is tranquil in the museum. I was attracted by the dome on top of me. It adorned with gold. I like the pattern of it, simple but noble. I also like the architecture inside the museum. I saw many mosque of different country. It has their own unique design. After my trip to the museum, I benefited much, I learn different culture between different races. Although the museum is big, if you spend some time to walk around you will have learn many knowledge. I was proud of Malaysia because it has such museum which is full of valuable knowledge.

Taj Mahal

Mughal India, Agra,

17th century AD / 11th century AH

 

 Selimiye Mosque

Edirne, Turkey

1569-1575 AD / 976-982 AH

 

Quba' Mosque

Quba', Saudi Arabia

7th century, 1st century AH

 

The MOsque at Daxuexi Lane

Xi'an, China

684 AD / 64 AH

 

Qur'an

Handwritten

Java

19th century AD / 13th century AH

 



Arch

This arch was part of the interior construction of a house once owned by a Muslim Indonesian aristocrat. It consists of five arches of which the central section is the main doorway flanked by four intricately carved screen panels. Each arch is crowned by a central wild violet medallion. It is a composition demonstrating s hybrid of cultural influences, reflective of Indonesia's cultural diversity-Malay, Chinese and Indian.

 

 I was attracted by its meticulous handwork of this big gateway. 

 

 

 

Qur'an

Czechoslovakia

20th century AD / 14th century AH

I found this Qur'an very interesting. It is small and cute. I wonder how they read the word inside.

 

Ng Ai Yee 1201591 - Borobudur as Hero's Journey

Ng Ai Yee 1201591 - Borobudur as Hero's Journey

Borobudur is indeed a fascinating monument. It has six square platforms topped by three circular platforms, and is decorated with 2,672 relief panels with 504 Buddha statues of various types.
At the center of the top platform, there is the main dome and it is surrounded by 72 Buddha statues seated inside perforated stupas. 

To have visit this monument would be an amazing experience. The visit to this monument would be a journey as well. To reach to the top one has to take an effort in climbing up the structure. The monument is made dark stone and these stones absorb the sun’s heat rapidly during the early afternoon. Therefore, climbing and walking on the monument would be of a great challenge to an individual. This could be relate to the hero’s journey, as the path up on the monument is full of challenge that has to be overcome by oneself in order to reach the top of the monument. In this challenge, the individual has to overcome the obstacles with modest stamina or high tolerance towards heat and the individual would have to wake up and start climbing as soon as possible. Similar to what a hero have to gone the journey. The hero have to undergone trials with patience and high tolerance in order to overcome the challenges and trials he faces.

The Borobudur monument can be a huge teaching graphic the relates about passions of an individual towards their goals in life. In the hero’s journey, the hero would be reaching a certain level where he has successfully obtained a gift. In relate to this building, it has many levels of platforms and towards the top it means that it is at the highest point. Therefore, climbing up to the highest platform is somehow similar to the hero who is trying to reach the highest perfection in his life.


**Read more : http://wikitravel.org/en/Borobudur

Ng Pei Keat 1006795 islamic museum

^_^ prepare to go in !!!! (with friends )

Add caption

Beautiful chess set in the museum

The thing i learnt in the Malaysia islamic museum is the patience of the old times people. The clothes, guns, bows and many-many more that they made by their hand are full of beautiful pattern and texture. I cant believe that they actually creating the pattern on the gun with their hand to create the texture instead of the machine nowadays. The pattern they created is so unique and cannot produce by machine. the pattern they created is the islamic pattern. We can see the islamic pattern all over their clothes, weapon, furniture, pottery and utensils. Those beautiful islamic pattern is mean to be their culture and art. i which i can doing my design and drawing with the patience they had, i would able to produce a wonderful artwork.

Chia Zhen Yan 1002831 Islamic museum

This is the first time I went to museum... I did surprised Malaysia has a beautiful museum. First, the service worker is so friendly so I took a photo with him. He accompany me visit the museum.

There is different kind of architecture in Islamic Museum. The housetop represent different cultural style which under islam, buddha and so on. I was suprised of the beutiful model architecture. From the models I learn more structure of foreign architecture, I also seen the foreign architecture like Pilgrimage to Mecca builidng.

Next, antique and clothes also can found in the museum. I more like watching the clothes part than antique part. This is because clothes there I can understanding the history traditional with their fashion design in that time. Under that images, yes having fun at islamic museum. Life is wonderful !~

Plato's Allegory of the cave_Kang Chai Yuen 1106576

 

The Allegory of the Cave, also known as the Analogy of the Cave, is an allegory used by the Greek philosopher Plato in his work The Republic to illustrate "our nature in its education and want of education".

 

There are a group of people who lived all of their lives in a cave like a prisoner. The cave has a long channel go through to the ouside. Their necks and feet are chained and they can't look around but facing the blank wall. Behind them there is a fire in the combustion. Some people are holding objects passing in front of the fire behind them. The people see the shadows cast on the wall in front of them. They can't look back so they do not know the reason of the image, they think that those shadows is real, so they use different names to call them and they get used to this kind of life. One day, when a prisoner occasionally to break free of the shackles, he looking back to the fire, he realizes the images he had seen before rather than physical. When he contnues to walk out of the hole, his eyes were stimulated by the sun, as a result, he can't see anything. He had to go back to the cave, but he regret. He hated to see through anything because it brought him more pain.

 

After reading this allegory, I know that Plato wants to tell us, of course, truth and justice is hard to find but we cannot give up. The prisoner is certainly contrary to justice, but when the justice itself is a kind of nihilism, itself is a distant which difficult to reach, how can we easily give up the side we have? Therefore, the important is not the other side but is pursuit itself. Besides, back to the cave is not terrible, terrible is when we clearly understand the reality outside of the cave and then back to the cave.

  

Plato's Allegory of the Cave and the Matrix relate to each other because both involve prisoners in their own world. Society is controlled by the thinking that others have laid before them. Looking through the reality and truth are difficult and painful. Sometimes, there is dilemma in our life. In Plato's Allegory of the cave, the prisoner wanted to walk out from the cave but when he realize the reality outside the cave, he shrink back. In the Matrix,  everything Neo thought he had come to know and believe what was real it was astually wiped away.

 



Borobudur_ Kang Chai Yuen 1106576

 

Borobudur is a Mahayana Buddhist monument in Indonesia's Central Java. It was the world's largest Buddhist building in 9th century. By the end of June 2012, Guinness World Records recognized it as the largest Buddhist temple in the world. Borobudur built in 9th century during the region of the Sailendra Dynasty. The name Borobudur is likely come from the Sanskrit "Vihara Buddha Ur", means "The mountain of combined virtues of the ten stages of Boddhisattvahood". Borobudur, the Great Wall of China, the Egyptian Pyramids and Angkor Wat in Cambodia are four great miracle of ancient oriental.

Borobudur is built as a large stupa, when we looking down from above, it looks like a giant tantric Buddhist mandala, it represents the Buddhist cosmology and the nature of mind. the foundation is a square, 118 metres, side length about 118 metres. It has nine platforms, the lower six are in square, the upper three are in circular. The upper platform has seventy-two small stupas surrounding one large central stupa and each of the stupa is bell shaped, pierced by numerous decorative openings. Inside there sit a statues of the Buddha. The design of Borobudur is actually the form of a step pyramid.

The three parts of the stupa symbolize the three realms of Buddhist cosmology, which is Kamadhatu, Rupadhatu, Arupadhatu. Kamadhatu represented the base, Rupadhatu represented the five square platform and Arupadhatu represented the three circular platforms and the large stupa. [Square and detailed decorations in the Rupadhatu disappear into plain circular platforms in the Arupadhatu to represent how the world of forms – where men are still attached with forms and names – changes into the world of the formless.]

There are many carved rellief on the wall of Borobudur temple. We can do more research about the significant of the carved on the wall and even go there for a look to have depth understanding of Borobudur temple. It is worth for us to go there have a visit since there is a spectacular building in Indonesia.

I found it related to hero's journey. For the first part, ones received a call to enter a world and he or she would face tasks and challenges either alone or with assistance. The second part, ones must solve the problem and survive in challenges. The third part is ones must then decide whether to return to the original world or stay. 

Islam museum Chen Chu Han 1003943

Manuscript

keris

national mosque model
This is my first time to enter this unique Islamic Art Museum . The entrance fee was reasonable  and  it cost only 5 dollar. I also found out the counter guys was very polite . Inside the museum i found out many ancient manuscrpit , craft , utensil food , weapon and buidling model . From there i discover that most of the manuscript described historical islamic culture. Besides, the keris of malay culture as main weapon for man to symbolize honor , responsibility and courage. The buidling model was attracting me by their unique architecture.

 

Chen Chu Han 

1003943

Borobudur_ Ng Yi Ting 1107345

Pyramid of the Cosmic Buddha

It located in close proximity of the geographic center of the Island of Java in Southeast Asia, the man-made pyramid-mountain of Borobudur has puzzled archaeologists and scholars alike since the very day that the western world rediscovered it during the early nineteenth century. Comparable in size to the Egyptian pyramid at Saqqara, this enigmatic structure contains more than 1.6 million stone blocks and measures more than 400 feet along either axis.

   In 1814, Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles — acting in his capacity as the British Empire’s Lieutenant Governor on Java — they sent a survey team to investigate incredible rumors about a great ruined sanctuary located deep within the island’s interior. It took six weeks for a crew of two hundred men to clear away the soil, volcanic ash and vegetation that had embraced the monument for centuries. Upon clearing the site, the discoverers were able to discern the foundations of a stepped pyramid, which provides the framework for a series of galleries that collectively contained 1,300 beautiful base-relief carvings that if placed end-to-end would span a distance of more than 1.5 kilometers. The walls of the monument’s galleries in turn were designed to support no less than 432cave-like niches, each of which contained a stone image of the Buddha. Near the top of the pyramid, the exploration team uncovered three round terrace platforms, each of which supported a series of bell-shaped chambers called stupas. Residing within each of the half-dome shells was a statue of a Buddha displaying the symbolic hand gesture known as the ‘Turning of the Wheel.’ 

From the extract, Borobudur is a Buddhist temple created by using repetition of stupas which look like a bell-shaped and  statue of Buddha to form a wonderful pyramid tower.

I'm excited with its form of Buddhist architecture and monumental arts.

The building structure in Borobudur seems to express a complex meaning as the buddha gesture hand like showing something in it, perhaps a code that has to be cracked by someone. However, till now nobody have solve it as it is too difficult.

My opinion for Borobudur in hero's journey is the step of the Borobudur till the top of the temple are connected with the Hero's journey stages changing. You don't know what is it until you reach a stages.

BLOG DUE DATE CORRECTION

*FINAL DUE DATES*

***CORRECTION: All blogs must be completed and up on line before 12 MIDNIGHT (23:59:59) FRIDAY 31 AUGUST . 

Get your missing assignments together and on-line on your blog. I am extending the due date one more week. We will discuss in class.

NEEDED: Much more writing, discussion , photos and sketches.

ISLAMIC MUSEUM TRIP: What did you find interesting and what did you learn INSIDE the Islamic Museum? Your sketches and statement should be about the same objects.

***ALL SKETCHBOOKS TO BE HANDED IN 4 SEPTEMBER MAKEUP CLASS. 

Thank you, 

Ray 

Islamic Art museum - winnie wong wei ni 1101745

Winnie Wong Wei Ni 1101745 Islamic art museum day ~

The things i found most interesting is the Islamic architecture around the world.Most of the architecture built based on their country style, for example, The Great Umayyad Mosque, their design is more to western design which located at the site of church St.John The Baptist. The arch they used in the architecture are mostly rounded arch instead of using pointed arch. This is what i found interesting, before it, i thought all the mosque is totally looks alike like what we can see in Malaysia. Another architecture i found it interesting is the Southeast Asia's architectures, they used the pyramid roof construction for their mosque. This is totally different from the others which always include few domes in their mosque. 

Besides the architecture, the element used in the architecture also interesting. The element of water serves as practical, symbolic as immutable force,fluid and fluctuating, static at the same time and decorative function.There are few more elements like caligraphy, light and etc.

There is another thing i found interesting is the Miniature Qurans. It is normally design for soldiers because it is in small size, the soldiers can bring it everywhere. The Qurans housed in attractive cases, works with art with great personal significance. It is so creative, with a magnifying glass some more.

Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia - Pang Nian Ching 1201143

Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia--Kang Chai Yuen 1106576

Islamic Museum _ Ng Yi Ting 1107345

The things that i found it interesting is the mosque that constructed for the Muslim Islamic cultural identity for prayer. The architectural material that build the shape of the dome. And between i found that our petronas twin tower the surface also created with the pattern of the mosque.

Next is the quran and manuscript by the Islam, the words are coated with gold completely as a decoration of the book. I found that Islam also good at calligraphy in term of their form of writing. They have their own style too. Other than that they also contribute some philosophy and science. 

after the visit, I feel that we should have bad views of other races but try to learn more of other race culture is a good way to explore more and without any bad views on other. 

Ng Ai Yee 1201591 - Islamic Arts Museum

What I have learned from this museum is that the art has already started even in the ancient times. The fusion of culture in art has already happens even when it was dated back in the history

The trading and business done among the countries have indirectly transfers their art culture into another country. I find this fascinating and interesting.

borobudur Ng Pei Keat 1006795

Borobudur is a famous buddhist temple whic located in java. It is believed to be existed during 9th century. It built during the reign if Sailendra Dynasty . In Indonesian, locals called ancient temples as candi, thus refer to orobudur temple as Candi borobudur.

My research has found that the borobudur is located between two twin volcanoes and two rivers. It was discovered that the three buddhist temples in the region, which is Borobudur, Pawon and Mendut, they are positioned in a straight line. A ritual relationship between the temples must have existed, but the exact ritual process is still unknown. another unknown facts is the abandonment of the temple.  Borobudur lay hidden for centuries under layers of volcanic ash and growth of the jungle. There is 160 hidden panels that do not form a continuous story but each panel provides a complete illustration of cause and effect, which known as ''Karma''. Which used to be remind people that do not do something bad because what u did to people will come back to you. This is the law of karma (karmavibhangga). There is many various Buddhas statues can be found in the Borobudur temple. I personally believed that the Borobudur had it's brilliant time in the region before. But why it had been abandoned, it is still a unknown, i hope that one day it will be found out.  A lot of questions are waiting for us to discover, i believed a lot of myth must be hidden behind the story of this temple. Me, as a chinese , i think i should go there to explore in some day.

burlington house holy family- Pang Nian Ching 1201143

This is another Leonardo da Vinci's artwork -  

Madonna and Child with St Anne and the Young St John

is also referred to as Burlington House cartoon. 

In this drawing, they are showing a strong peaceful, calm and love feel to me. 

There are 4 characters in this drawing, 2 women and 2 children are hugging together.

That 2 women are smiling and play with those children.

This drawing is shown a very happy family in a group.

When I saw this painting, it gives me a feel want to take good care to my family.

Family is the best friend in life. 

Therefore, we must give all the love to them. Don't hurt them.

 

 

 

Vitruvian Man by Da Vinci _ Pang Nian Ching1201143

This is Leonardo’s famous drawings of the Vitruvian proportions of a man’s body first standing inscribed in a square and then with feet and arms outspread inscribed in a circle provides an excellent early example of the way in which his studies of proportion fuse artistic and scientific objectives.

 In my opinion, it is a drawing that showing perfect interest in proportion. And in this picture represents a cornerstone of Leonardo's attempts to relate man to nature. Leonardo is using square and circle to draw the whole body proportion and clear to draw it. He is using square to accurate the human arms positions, and using circle to make sure the legs proportion.

winnie wong wei ni 1101745

Vitruvian Man_Kang Chai Yuen 1106576

Vitruvian Man, Leonardo da Vinci, c. 1487,

pen and ink with wash over metalpoint on paper,

34.4cm x 25.5cm



 

Vitruvian Man is da Vinci famous artwork. This painting is about human perfect proportion. From the painting, actually we can see human body is symmetrically balance. Human body can be symmetrically inscribed within both a circle and a square.

 

Leonardo's drawing combines a careful reading of the ancient text with his own observation of actual human bodies. In drawing the circle and square he observes that the square cannot have the same center as the circle, the navel, but is lower in the anatomy. He departs from Vitruvius by drawing the arms raised to a position in which the fingertips are level with the top of the head, rather than Vitruvius's much lower angle, in which the arms form lines passing through the navel.

The drawing itself is often used as an implied symbol of the essential symmetry of the human body,

 

We can see that, when the arms and the feet are straight, it will be inscribed in the superimposed square. However, when the arms and feet are spread out, it will be inscribed in the superimposed circle.

 

In my opinion, proportion is very important when drawing, whether it is a human, still life or building.