Chapter 4.3: The Cycle of Life: Nature and Time

What makes this pfemba figure unusual?

the child is not being nursed

Which subjects does Motoi Yamamoto's work symbolize?

the elaborate organization of the brain, the loss of a loved one, life and death

Which symbols or characteristics in this artwork remind viewers of the passage of time and the fleeting nature of life?

timepiece skull instrument food and wine glass ball

Which are purposes of creation and destruction myths expressed through art?

to capture the cyclical and transformative power of nature, to symbolize the creation of humans

The illuminated manuscript Très Riches Heures was created by the Limbourg Brothers.

true

This sculpture depicts the dance that balances creation and destruction.

true

In what way did the maker of this sculpture indicate that it represented more than a routine daily event?

by painting it white to connect it with nature spirits and ancestors

Jillian Mayer's I Am Your Grandma video features members of the artist's own family playing various characters in costume.

False

Match the correct art movement and the relation to cycle of life to each image.

- painting of thin man in bed= renaissance, passing of the earthly body - multiple faces= shows a future self portrait, contemporary -mountain with sand= contemporary, expresses painful death - man in a white body bag= finality of death, contemporary

Which artworks deal with topics of creation, destruction, and renewal?

-Hindu sculpture -man on fire/ water - myan/Aztec rock

For which reasons might viewers find this image particularly disturbing?

-Strong lighting and deep contrast add impact to the work. -The subject in the photograph was murdered. -Images of death are not as common now as they were in the Renaissance.

Which are some of the meanings communicated in Bill Viola's The Crossing?

Fire and water have the ability to renew and destroy, the cyclical and transformative power of nature

In which ways is this sculpture associated with the cycle of life?

It shows multiple generations. It serves as a role model. It honors the ancestors.

Christian Marclay's video artwork The Clock marks ______ time by showing a 24-hour cycle of hours, minutes, and seconds.

Linear

Match the correct word, description, or characteristic to the appropriate artwork

Multiple images of clown faces: decedents, play wooden sculpture of a woman: pfemba, wood, maternity

Match each description or characteristic with the appropriate artwork.

Picture of man covered in white bandages with body bag: > death of an anonymous subject > identified only by the manner of death > uses foreshortening > Contemporary Painting of old guy laying: > emphasizes the importance of eternal life > death of an identified subject > uses foreshortening > Renaissance

At what moment was this photograph taken, and how does it compare to typical mother-and-child imagery?

The image makes public a time normally considered private and personal, This artwork was made right after this woman gave birth to her baby, The composition and setting are starker than traditional mother-and-child imagery.

According to Aztec beliefs, if a woman died in childbirth, she would be as revered as a warrior who lost their life on the battlefield

True

Which influences and references have a role in this artwork?

characters from art history, popular culture, family genealogy

Which subjects are featured in the narrative scenes of the illuminated manuscript Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry?

crops being planted, the grape harvest, prayers,

Which deity is centrally depicted in this artwork, and what is she known for?

eating filth, tlazolteotl, giving birth to maize god

Match each term to the correct definition.

extremely detailed representation intended to create the illusion that what the viewer sees is real= trompe l'oeil a hand-lettered text with hand-drawn pictures= illuminated manuscript artworks or symbols in art that serve as a reminder of the inevitability of death and human mortalty=memento mori type of art that emphasizes transient nature of earthly materials and beauty=vanitas a scene of inanimate objects= still life perspective technique that shows objects at sharp angles so that they appear to project or recede in three-dimensional space = foreshortening

For what reason did the artist Motoi Yamamoto choose salt as his medium for Labyrinth (Return to the Sea Project)?

it is symbolic

Match each term with the appropriate definition.

low relief: the design stands out only slightly from the background surface vanitas: type of art that emphasizes transient nature of earthly materials and beauty still life: a scene of inanimate objects memento mori: label for artworks and objects that symbolically refer to the transience of life on earth trompe l'oeil: extremely detailed representation intended to create the illusion that what the viewer sees is real foreshortening: perspective technique that shows objects at sharp angles so they appear to project or recede in three-dimensional space

Who commissioned the Taj Mahal, and what was it used for?

mausoleum, Shah Jahan