As for worldviews, the four to be discussed here are collectivity, reciprocity, transformation and essence. By collectivity one means that the group is placed above the individual. A good example is the fact that their lives depended on groups working together for the whole, as in when the groups would need to travel across resource lines to trade with one another. As far as art, artists did not sign their pieces as we do today and are just now being separated by modern historians. The acts of individuals often meant very little as well, the art focusing on a person's role or the supernatural.
Reciprocity is very similar to the example previously used of the inter-resource zone trade. It means that one part is connected to and the counter piece of another. Much like the saying "you scratch my back..." Often times the art is focused on opposites that somehow connected. The fact that they viewed the night sky as both dark patterns and corresponding star patterns is amazing and is something I wish more cultures would do.
Transformation is easily seen in the picture provided by the book where the crab with claws included "transforms" as well as connects to the snake. This also includes the cyclical idea, that all things cycle around. The seasons cycle, the stars and planets, and even life and death are seen as a cycling, a transformation from one part to the next.
Next comes the worldview of essence, more specifically the idea of "essence over appearance". I can clearly see this concept in the "mummy" creation by the Andean people. Surely a skeleton sewn into a human shaped case is more a matter of essence than appearance. The basic human instinct is to turn from death and bodies, not transform them into "art" as some would call it and keep it above ground in everyday life. However the essence of the lost, beloved would override the need to turn from death.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Masks
We all wear masks most of the time. Don't believe that? Women wear make-up and often times I see that the less secure the person is with themselves the more make-up they wear. Men will often put up a strong front, even when they truly feel sad or hurt. Parents will hide fights from their children with forced smiles and cheer. Even authority figures put on a uniform, be it a police officer or a politician in his suit or a doctor in her scrubs, to "hide" the fact that they are no more or less than the rest of us. It is part of life to hide behind a mask of some kind. It is hard to understand why we all choose to wear our masks instead of putting ourselves out there, or maybe it's just that simple: we don't want to put ourselves out there. My biggest fear (and I have a strong feeling I'm not alone) is rejection. What could be worse than being rejected and pushed away from our fellow man? So we hide what we really feel, generally to more closely match what the majority seems to feel. But what if everyone is feeling the same way underneath those masks? Maybe it'd be a fun thing to try not wearing a mask so often, to let our true selves out more.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Maya Life Today
It upsets me that I was one of the people who viewed the Mayan culture as one of the past. I suppose I hadn't really thought about whether the culture had survived into the present or not. It also makes it so much the worse to know that those people are treated so poorly and that, more than once, they have been stuck in the middle of a conflict and forced into horrible situations. I think the worst part of this is the shock that I didn't know, didn't have a single inkling. I feel like our media keeps so much of what happens elsewhere in the world out of our news and entertainment, but that is another story.
On a lighter note I am fascinated by the religious aspect of the Mayan culture today. The idea of a mixture between Catholicism and their ancient beliefs sounds both beautiful and awe inspiring. I'm a little intimidated by the idea of chicken sacrifices at shrines but the more I think about it I shouldn't be. I grew up Catholic at a private school and is taking the wafer and wine not like a sacrifice depending on how you look at it?
Also the weaving is both gorgeous and interesting. The fact that one could look at the patterns in clothing and know what specific group they are from is very cool. The weaving is so colorful and eye catching, it verifies what I mentioned in the previous post about thinking of color when I think of our southern neighbors.
The pure fact that there are still Mayan people around is news to me and so learning about their life in today's world was both wonderful and horrifying. It's terribly sad to know that a people with such lovely weaving skills and a rich culture are in some cases treated so inhumanely.
On a lighter note I am fascinated by the religious aspect of the Mayan culture today. The idea of a mixture between Catholicism and their ancient beliefs sounds both beautiful and awe inspiring. I'm a little intimidated by the idea of chicken sacrifices at shrines but the more I think about it I shouldn't be. I grew up Catholic at a private school and is taking the wafer and wine not like a sacrifice depending on how you look at it?
Also the weaving is both gorgeous and interesting. The fact that one could look at the patterns in clothing and know what specific group they are from is very cool. The weaving is so colorful and eye catching, it verifies what I mentioned in the previous post about thinking of color when I think of our southern neighbors.
The pure fact that there are still Mayan people around is news to me and so learning about their life in today's world was both wonderful and horrifying. It's terribly sad to know that a people with such lovely weaving skills and a rich culture are in some cases treated so inhumanely.
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Mexico Experience- Sam Fairley
I've never been there myself but my parents are heading down to Mexico next month (Needless to say I'm jealous!). I did however take Spanish classes from first to eighth grade which were instructed by someone from Mexico. The very first thing that comes to mind as I think of Mexico is just the colors! The yellows and greens and blues of the beautiful garments and dances. I used to see the dances performed at school and the music was always so pretty. I even learned a dance or two myself though I only got to wear one of the skirts one time and only for a brief school performance.
The second thing I think of is perhaps a very common thing to relate Mexico with and that is El Dia de los Muertos or The Day of the Dead. It's the day after my birthday so it's always been a day I relate to. The whole concept of the celebration of life and remembrance of those lost is so wonderful to me. It's a much better way to deal with death then the fear we've instilled into our culture of graveyards and resting places for the dead, at least in my opinion. Instead of spending the day in somber quiet ways there is a parade and food and candy. It was a day my Spanish class looked forward to every year (Me especially as it meant my birthday).
The third thing to come to mind is the Revolution. Perhaps a little lame and dorky on my part but eight years of classes will do that to you. We spent every anniversary of the revolution learning and relearning the facts of it. We would often do art projects or the likes on this day and I remember how difficult it must have been to stand against an army backed with money when you had none.
So really my experiences with Mexico are not from physically being there, but still they relate to the culture in that I would often partake in the celebrations and often on the same days that people in Mexico were celebrating. That's comparable to being there at least.
-Sam Fairley
The second thing I think of is perhaps a very common thing to relate Mexico with and that is El Dia de los Muertos or The Day of the Dead. It's the day after my birthday so it's always been a day I relate to. The whole concept of the celebration of life and remembrance of those lost is so wonderful to me. It's a much better way to deal with death then the fear we've instilled into our culture of graveyards and resting places for the dead, at least in my opinion. Instead of spending the day in somber quiet ways there is a parade and food and candy. It was a day my Spanish class looked forward to every year (Me especially as it meant my birthday).
The third thing to come to mind is the Revolution. Perhaps a little lame and dorky on my part but eight years of classes will do that to you. We spent every anniversary of the revolution learning and relearning the facts of it. We would often do art projects or the likes on this day and I remember how difficult it must have been to stand against an army backed with money when you had none.
So really my experiences with Mexico are not from physically being there, but still they relate to the culture in that I would often partake in the celebrations and often on the same days that people in Mexico were celebrating. That's comparable to being there at least.
-Sam Fairley
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