Clare Vestal's Portfolio
Hello! I teach high school social studies. The classes I’ve taught include American History I and II, World History, and AP Human Geography. My only international excursions have been to Italy and Mexico. I am fascinated with the world around us, and would love to explore it more!
I also love the performing arts; I’ve been singing, dancing, and acting from a young age. When in Italy, I toured with the NC State Chorale where we performed in Assisi, Florence, Rome, and the Vatican. I continue to sing in a local civic choir, and I dance with a group called The Dancer’s Workout. I also love animals; I volunteer with the SPCA and have two cats at home.
According to Pottermore I'm a Hufflepuff and my patronus is a badger.
Hello! I teach high school social studies. The classes I’ve taught include American History I and II, World History, and AP Human Geography. My only international excursions have been to Italy and Mexico. I am fascinated with the world around us, and would love to explore it more!
I also love the performing arts; I’ve been singing, dancing, and acting from a young age. When in Italy, I toured with the NC State Chorale where we performed in Assisi, Florence, Rome, and the Vatican. I continue to sing in a local civic choir, and I dance with a group called The Dancer’s Workout. I also love animals; I volunteer with the SPCA and have two cats at home.
According to Pottermore I'm a Hufflepuff and my patronus is a badger.
Cultural Connections Project 1: Global Collaborative Project (Video Synopsis)
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Cultural Connections Project 2: Scripted Duologue Based on Meetup Group or AirBnb City Experience (GoAnimate)
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Cultural Connections Project 3: Experience-Based Travel Writing Based on Meetup Group or AirBnb City Experience (Post on Travel Blog)
Yoga in a Gothic Cellar - Airbnb Experience
I love to dance. I searched for dance classes or dance meet-ups in Prague all over the internet but didn't find any viable options. What I did find was "Yoga Session in a Gothic Cellar" on Airbnb. Yoga and dance are closely related so I was happy to find a yoga class, and as a self-proclaimed history nerd, ecstatic to hear that it was housed in a 12th century Gothic cellar. It was also conveniently located close to the Franz Kafka head statue, which is accessible directly from the B-line of the Metro. I was extremely excited to see that other members of our group, Meg and Tabitha, signed up for the class with me. Yoga is wonderful for relaxing your muscles and your mind, so I decided to schedule my yoga experience for the second week of our trip for some much-needed relaxation after taking many adventures across our trip.
Sure enough, by the time Wednesday July 18 rolled around my lower back ached and my hamstrings were strained. Yoga class is exactly what I needed to get my body and mind in a healthy place. The ambiance the cellar provided only enhanced the relaxation experience. Going down into the cellar was interesting; we descended from a seemingly modern office space into a medieval cellar illuminated with string lights and lanterns. Once in the cellar it was if the hustle and bustle of Prague in the middle of tourist season didn't exist and we were in our own relaxation oasis. We were the only ones there to take the class, which made for a more intimate and relaxed experience with the instructor. Without other people around us I felt more at ease and reassured that the instructor could give us greater attention throughout the class.
Our instructor, Ramona, was very caring and helpful. She made sure to ask about our experience with yoga so as to make the class an enjoyable and beneficial experience for everybody. We began class with working through isolation movements with different parts of our body. I liked this because it was a nice way to ease into a physical activity that would deeply engage a lot of different muscles. Then we went through a couple of "sun salutations". These are common forms of yoga that are series of movements that build up in complexity and which you pair with the rhythm of your breathing in order to maximize the stretch of your body. These focused mainly on the upper body. Then we moved on to the lower body where we worked through our legs and feet. At one point we laid on our backs with one leg bent and the other in the air while we circled our ankle. This worked on my especially tight hamstrings, which I desperately needed. After all of the stretches and forms, the instructor had us lie down and relax. As we did so she laid blankets on each of us to keep warm, and encouraged us to relax our whole body and close our eyes. She then came around with incense and some chimes to deepen our relaxation.
Upon finishing class my mind and body felt more at ease. To add to this lovely and relaxing experience, Ramona offered us tea and water following class. While we sipped our tea we talked with Ramona about our most surprising experience in the Czech Republic. It was interesting to talk with Ramona because she grew up during the Communist regime and so was able to make some connections between our observations and the impact of Communism on the Czech Republic.
I thoroughly enjoyed my experience with this yoga session in a Gothic cellar, and would love to revisit it if I travel to Prague again. I didn't take any pictures because the space seemed almost like a sanctuary and that I might tarnish it by requesting to take a picture. However I included a picture provided by the group to provide a visual for the atmosphere given by the cellar.
Yoga in a Gothic Cellar - Airbnb Experience
I love to dance. I searched for dance classes or dance meet-ups in Prague all over the internet but didn't find any viable options. What I did find was "Yoga Session in a Gothic Cellar" on Airbnb. Yoga and dance are closely related so I was happy to find a yoga class, and as a self-proclaimed history nerd, ecstatic to hear that it was housed in a 12th century Gothic cellar. It was also conveniently located close to the Franz Kafka head statue, which is accessible directly from the B-line of the Metro. I was extremely excited to see that other members of our group, Meg and Tabitha, signed up for the class with me. Yoga is wonderful for relaxing your muscles and your mind, so I decided to schedule my yoga experience for the second week of our trip for some much-needed relaxation after taking many adventures across our trip.
Sure enough, by the time Wednesday July 18 rolled around my lower back ached and my hamstrings were strained. Yoga class is exactly what I needed to get my body and mind in a healthy place. The ambiance the cellar provided only enhanced the relaxation experience. Going down into the cellar was interesting; we descended from a seemingly modern office space into a medieval cellar illuminated with string lights and lanterns. Once in the cellar it was if the hustle and bustle of Prague in the middle of tourist season didn't exist and we were in our own relaxation oasis. We were the only ones there to take the class, which made for a more intimate and relaxed experience with the instructor. Without other people around us I felt more at ease and reassured that the instructor could give us greater attention throughout the class.
Our instructor, Ramona, was very caring and helpful. She made sure to ask about our experience with yoga so as to make the class an enjoyable and beneficial experience for everybody. We began class with working through isolation movements with different parts of our body. I liked this because it was a nice way to ease into a physical activity that would deeply engage a lot of different muscles. Then we went through a couple of "sun salutations". These are common forms of yoga that are series of movements that build up in complexity and which you pair with the rhythm of your breathing in order to maximize the stretch of your body. These focused mainly on the upper body. Then we moved on to the lower body where we worked through our legs and feet. At one point we laid on our backs with one leg bent and the other in the air while we circled our ankle. This worked on my especially tight hamstrings, which I desperately needed. After all of the stretches and forms, the instructor had us lie down and relax. As we did so she laid blankets on each of us to keep warm, and encouraged us to relax our whole body and close our eyes. She then came around with incense and some chimes to deepen our relaxation.
Upon finishing class my mind and body felt more at ease. To add to this lovely and relaxing experience, Ramona offered us tea and water following class. While we sipped our tea we talked with Ramona about our most surprising experience in the Czech Republic. It was interesting to talk with Ramona because she grew up during the Communist regime and so was able to make some connections between our observations and the impact of Communism on the Czech Republic.
I thoroughly enjoyed my experience with this yoga session in a Gothic cellar, and would love to revisit it if I travel to Prague again. I didn't take any pictures because the space seemed almost like a sanctuary and that I might tarnish it by requesting to take a picture. However I included a picture provided by the group to provide a visual for the atmosphere given by the cellar.
Cultural Collections Project 1: Mapping Culture (Google Maps)
Art Nouveau and Cubism are two styles of art that appear very different but are alike in their messages and historical context. These styles are relatively contemporary with one another, occurring in the late 19th - early 20th century. The Czech Republic, Prague in particular, was a major location for both as well. These two seemingly unrelated styles rebel against traditional artistic conventions of the time, each in their own way. |
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Cultural Collections Project 2: Timelining Culture (MyHistro)
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Cultural Collections Project 3: Curating Cultural Objects (Voicethread)
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Cultural Reflections Project 1: The Last Word, Czech education articles
The Education System in the Czech Republic
“Regions are given a high degree of autonomy. They are responsible for education on their territory. Regional authorities formulate long-term policy objectives for their territory every four years in compliance with national objectives. Regions are also organising bodies in particular for upper secondary and tertiary professional schools.” P. 8
This quote highlights the level of control each region has over its education. This is in slight contrast to some practices in the United States, such as standardized tests to which all states are held accountable. Although each state, and each county, has some unique educational practices there are still some expectations that apply to all regions within the country. I think that a higher degree of autonomy has the potential to better tailor the educational experience for each region's unique profile.
Profile of the Czech Republic’s Education System
“Higher education is the sector that has been most dramatically reformed, with the creation of autonomous institutions and the creation of a non-university sector for vocational training. Enrollment in higher education, while still quite low by EU standards, has doubled since the 1990s.” p. 5
A central theme throughout this article has been the changes and reforms within the Czech educational system. I found this point particularly interesting because it marks the decisive increase of enrollment in higher education in the Czech Republic. It mentions that part of this reform has been the creation of autonomous institutions and a non-university sector for vocational training. I like that there's a greater degree of autonomy and that people have more paths to follow. I think that there's a connection between these reforms and the higher enrollment in higher education. Similar to the quote I chose from The Education System in the Czech Republic I think that there are benefits from higher degrees of autonomy and accommodating for different strengths within the educational system.
Education and Training Monitor 2016 – Czech Republic
“The Czech Republic is one of the few EU Member States that still do not have a structured induction programme for new teachers. Authorities are piloting a project and adapting legislation to introduce a long-awaited new career system for teachers. The system aims to link professional development, career and remuneration. It introduces three standards for the profession and three possible career paths (based on roles, specialisations such as ICT coordination, and improving skills.) The planned support for beginning teachers may help reduce the current high proportion of teachers who leave the profession. For the new system to produce tangible results, sufficient and sustainable funding to meet the cost of increased salaries will be essential.” P. 6
This quote stood out to me because it is contrasted with practices in North Carolina, and more specifically (in my admittedly limited experience) in Wake County. The quote mentions a lack of "induction programme for new teachers", and that this may contribute to the high rate of teachers who the teaching profession. It also mentions the importance of funding to meet the cost of increased salaries for teachers. In North Carolina there is a Beginning Teacher Support Program in place for new teachers, and in Wake County they apply a high local supplement to the state salary schedule and now, possibly as a result of these measures, the teacher retention rate in North Carolina has increased over the years. I like that they are focusing on making the teachers' experiences better through more instructional support and higher salaries. This can help lead to not only teacher retention, but retention of high-quality teachers.
The Education System in the Czech Republic
“Regions are given a high degree of autonomy. They are responsible for education on their territory. Regional authorities formulate long-term policy objectives for their territory every four years in compliance with national objectives. Regions are also organising bodies in particular for upper secondary and tertiary professional schools.” P. 8
This quote highlights the level of control each region has over its education. This is in slight contrast to some practices in the United States, such as standardized tests to which all states are held accountable. Although each state, and each county, has some unique educational practices there are still some expectations that apply to all regions within the country. I think that a higher degree of autonomy has the potential to better tailor the educational experience for each region's unique profile.
Profile of the Czech Republic’s Education System
“Higher education is the sector that has been most dramatically reformed, with the creation of autonomous institutions and the creation of a non-university sector for vocational training. Enrollment in higher education, while still quite low by EU standards, has doubled since the 1990s.” p. 5
A central theme throughout this article has been the changes and reforms within the Czech educational system. I found this point particularly interesting because it marks the decisive increase of enrollment in higher education in the Czech Republic. It mentions that part of this reform has been the creation of autonomous institutions and a non-university sector for vocational training. I like that there's a greater degree of autonomy and that people have more paths to follow. I think that there's a connection between these reforms and the higher enrollment in higher education. Similar to the quote I chose from The Education System in the Czech Republic I think that there are benefits from higher degrees of autonomy and accommodating for different strengths within the educational system.
Education and Training Monitor 2016 – Czech Republic
“The Czech Republic is one of the few EU Member States that still do not have a structured induction programme for new teachers. Authorities are piloting a project and adapting legislation to introduce a long-awaited new career system for teachers. The system aims to link professional development, career and remuneration. It introduces three standards for the profession and three possible career paths (based on roles, specialisations such as ICT coordination, and improving skills.) The planned support for beginning teachers may help reduce the current high proportion of teachers who leave the profession. For the new system to produce tangible results, sufficient and sustainable funding to meet the cost of increased salaries will be essential.” P. 6
This quote stood out to me because it is contrasted with practices in North Carolina, and more specifically (in my admittedly limited experience) in Wake County. The quote mentions a lack of "induction programme for new teachers", and that this may contribute to the high rate of teachers who the teaching profession. It also mentions the importance of funding to meet the cost of increased salaries for teachers. In North Carolina there is a Beginning Teacher Support Program in place for new teachers, and in Wake County they apply a high local supplement to the state salary schedule and now, possibly as a result of these measures, the teacher retention rate in North Carolina has increased over the years. I like that they are focusing on making the teachers' experiences better through more instructional support and higher salaries. This can help lead to not only teacher retention, but retention of high-quality teachers.
Cultural Reflections Project 2: Czech Book Club
The Golem by Gustav Meyrink
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I chose to read The Golem because I was fascinated by the mystical connections to stories like Frankenstein, and the origin fable of the Golem itself. However this book, though mystical at times, presents very little perceptible manifestations of the Golem. The writing style is also dense, and cyclical, which presents a very confusing plot line. In a group discussion of this book, our group spent much of the time speculating about the characters and sequence of events in the book. Nonetheless there were times that I admired the romanticism applied to some of the smaller moments in the book. The juxtaposition of the morose life of the narrator with the glimmer of hope from fragmented clips of memories provided some relief from the complex prose. I wish there had been more of these breaks within the book and more tangible relations to its central figure of the Golem, as it would have made it much more readable.
View all my reviews
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I chose to read The Golem because I was fascinated by the mystical connections to stories like Frankenstein, and the origin fable of the Golem itself. However this book, though mystical at times, presents very little perceptible manifestations of the Golem. The writing style is also dense, and cyclical, which presents a very confusing plot line. In a group discussion of this book, our group spent much of the time speculating about the characters and sequence of events in the book. Nonetheless there were times that I admired the romanticism applied to some of the smaller moments in the book. The juxtaposition of the morose life of the narrator with the glimmer of hope from fragmented clips of memories provided some relief from the complex prose. I wish there had been more of these breaks within the book and more tangible relations to its central figure of the Golem, as it would have made it much more readable.
View all my reviews
Cultural Reflections Project 3: Czech Film Club
I chose to watch Kolya, which was released in 1996. It won several awards, including Best Foreign Language Film. It is described as a heart-warming story about a man who undergoes a drastic transformation in his life. The beginning of the movie is slightly jarring because we are introduced to the main character, a struggling concert cellist, through his "bachelor" lifestyle. As we discussed the movie in our small group we acknowledged our discomfort with his treatment of women, however we also recognized the difference in the context of 30 years ago versus today's world. However, the shocking introduction to this character played into his transformation throughout the movie. Through several twists and turns in the movie, the main character, Louka, is suddenly stuck with caring for a small boy, Kolya. It is possible that the relationship that blossoms between Kolya and Louka, and Louka's discovery of his ability to care for others, would not have been as impactful had it not been juxtaposed with Louka's womanizing lifestyle in the beginning of the movie. This transformation, along with beautiful cinematography and other light-hearted elements, made this movie a joy to watch.
I chose to watch Kolya, which was released in 1996. It won several awards, including Best Foreign Language Film. It is described as a heart-warming story about a man who undergoes a drastic transformation in his life. The beginning of the movie is slightly jarring because we are introduced to the main character, a struggling concert cellist, through his "bachelor" lifestyle. As we discussed the movie in our small group we acknowledged our discomfort with his treatment of women, however we also recognized the difference in the context of 30 years ago versus today's world. However, the shocking introduction to this character played into his transformation throughout the movie. Through several twists and turns in the movie, the main character, Louka, is suddenly stuck with caring for a small boy, Kolya. It is possible that the relationship that blossoms between Kolya and Louka, and Louka's discovery of his ability to care for others, would not have been as impactful had it not been juxtaposed with Louka's womanizing lifestyle in the beginning of the movie. This transformation, along with beautiful cinematography and other light-hearted elements, made this movie a joy to watch.
Cultural Reflections Project 5: Urban Neighborhood Analysis (from Field Research)
At first glance outside of the metro station, this neighborhood is surprisingly devoid of buildings and activity. The Don Giovanni Hotel stands without many comparable surrounding buildings. This painted a stark picture for me, which made me think the hotel may be less desirable of a place to stay than others. However upon more research I discovered that the Don Giovanni Hotel is displayed as a luxurious hotel with many amenities and a very high online rating. Online reviews show that although sometimes the distance from the city center is somewhat frustrating, it is more than made up for by the proximity of the metro station to the hotel. Subsequent photos (of other buildings and the community board) highlight a similar theme of bareness. There are a couple of apartment buildings contrasted with what appears to be a business building of some kind. The community board perhaps parallels the level of activity in this part of the city; I observed very little perceivable action occurring in this neighborhood. The second picture shows a crosswalk which is usually a place where many people can be found in Prague, however only one person can be found at this crosswalk. This was typical of what I could observe about the level of activity in the neighborhood because there were very few people around, and those that were appeared to be natives possibly residents of the apartment buildings nearby.
One of the most notable features of this neighborhood is the presence of several large cemeteries including the New Jewish Cemetery. The entryway is marked with a souvenir shop, a small garden with several older grades, and a beautiful ceremonial hall. I was particularly interested in visiting the New Jewish Cemetery because I had discovered that there were some art nouveau architectural elements throughout the cemetery. We were unable to find many of what I was looking for because of the sheer size of the cemetery, it is meant to hold 100,000 graves and has been active since 1890. However we did find some intricate graves with many different artistic elements tied to art nouveau, art deco, and Renaissance styles. These artistic elements were most noticeable on what I'm assuming are mausoleums in the cemetery. The significance of the mausoleum is probably tied to the family's status in life, if they had more money in life they were able to pay more for their grave markers. This connects to the intricacy of different pieces of each mausoleum. For example the columns are Corinthian columns which has its roots in ancient Greece and Rome, of these types of columns Corinthian columns are known as the most fancy due to their leafy and flowery tops. Art nouveau elements of these structures include contrasting colors in the building materials used and organic artistic conventions such as the flowers on the gate of one of the mausoleums.
Within the cemetery the natural world is quite present with many plants including trees, flowers, and vines throughout the grounds. This creates a contrast between the stark industrial nature of the surrounding buildings with the peaceful serenity of nature that can be found within the cemetery. The theme of contrast seems to be central of this neighborhood. Although contrasting architectural elements is a central theme of Prague in general, this particular contrast in is more about modern industrialism versus organic greenery. I was able to capture this contrast in the last two pictures of the slideshow. The next-to-last picture I took while inside the New Jewish Cemetery. You can see the ceremonial hall framing two modern buildings just outside the walls of the cemetery. In the last picture you can see the reflection of a modern building in the window of a flower shop. There were several flower shops on the same street in this neighborhood. At first I couldn't quite figure out why there would be so many flower shops in a small area, especially when I hadn't seen any flower shops in Prague yet. Then after returning it occurred to me that the flowers could be bought to place at the graves in any of the 3 cemeteries that were nearby. However, the flowers shown are not what I picture as memorial flowers, although this could be a cultural difference in the Czech Republic that I'm not familiar with. In any case it was quite interesting to find this many flower shops and the cemeteries across from what appeared to be a neighborhood still in development as highlighted by the modern buildings, construction sites, and older apartment buildings.
At first glance outside of the metro station, this neighborhood is surprisingly devoid of buildings and activity. The Don Giovanni Hotel stands without many comparable surrounding buildings. This painted a stark picture for me, which made me think the hotel may be less desirable of a place to stay than others. However upon more research I discovered that the Don Giovanni Hotel is displayed as a luxurious hotel with many amenities and a very high online rating. Online reviews show that although sometimes the distance from the city center is somewhat frustrating, it is more than made up for by the proximity of the metro station to the hotel. Subsequent photos (of other buildings and the community board) highlight a similar theme of bareness. There are a couple of apartment buildings contrasted with what appears to be a business building of some kind. The community board perhaps parallels the level of activity in this part of the city; I observed very little perceivable action occurring in this neighborhood. The second picture shows a crosswalk which is usually a place where many people can be found in Prague, however only one person can be found at this crosswalk. This was typical of what I could observe about the level of activity in the neighborhood because there were very few people around, and those that were appeared to be natives possibly residents of the apartment buildings nearby.
One of the most notable features of this neighborhood is the presence of several large cemeteries including the New Jewish Cemetery. The entryway is marked with a souvenir shop, a small garden with several older grades, and a beautiful ceremonial hall. I was particularly interested in visiting the New Jewish Cemetery because I had discovered that there were some art nouveau architectural elements throughout the cemetery. We were unable to find many of what I was looking for because of the sheer size of the cemetery, it is meant to hold 100,000 graves and has been active since 1890. However we did find some intricate graves with many different artistic elements tied to art nouveau, art deco, and Renaissance styles. These artistic elements were most noticeable on what I'm assuming are mausoleums in the cemetery. The significance of the mausoleum is probably tied to the family's status in life, if they had more money in life they were able to pay more for their grave markers. This connects to the intricacy of different pieces of each mausoleum. For example the columns are Corinthian columns which has its roots in ancient Greece and Rome, of these types of columns Corinthian columns are known as the most fancy due to their leafy and flowery tops. Art nouveau elements of these structures include contrasting colors in the building materials used and organic artistic conventions such as the flowers on the gate of one of the mausoleums.
Within the cemetery the natural world is quite present with many plants including trees, flowers, and vines throughout the grounds. This creates a contrast between the stark industrial nature of the surrounding buildings with the peaceful serenity of nature that can be found within the cemetery. The theme of contrast seems to be central of this neighborhood. Although contrasting architectural elements is a central theme of Prague in general, this particular contrast in is more about modern industrialism versus organic greenery. I was able to capture this contrast in the last two pictures of the slideshow. The next-to-last picture I took while inside the New Jewish Cemetery. You can see the ceremonial hall framing two modern buildings just outside the walls of the cemetery. In the last picture you can see the reflection of a modern building in the window of a flower shop. There were several flower shops on the same street in this neighborhood. At first I couldn't quite figure out why there would be so many flower shops in a small area, especially when I hadn't seen any flower shops in Prague yet. Then after returning it occurred to me that the flowers could be bought to place at the graves in any of the 3 cemeteries that were nearby. However, the flowers shown are not what I picture as memorial flowers, although this could be a cultural difference in the Czech Republic that I'm not familiar with. In any case it was quite interesting to find this many flower shops and the cemeteries across from what appeared to be a neighborhood still in development as highlighted by the modern buildings, construction sites, and older apartment buildings.
Cultural Reflections Project 6: Czech Education Analysis (from Field Research)
Post your analysis here...
Post your analysis here...
Cultural Reflections Project 7: Czech Literature Analysis (from Field Research)
Assignment Choice: Kafka Art Piece
I went in to the Kafka Museum knowing that I wanted to create a piece of art, but I couldn't yet figure out the mood or setting for it. I found that inside the Kafka Museum one could find many different pieces of multimedia art that served as inspirations for my piece. Even the lighting in the museum served the mood of "Kafkaesque"; all of the light in the museum came from indirect sources, making it dim and eerie throughout the space.
I knew that my art piece had to play off of light and dark somehow. I was also inspired by the tortured nature of Kafka himself. It seemed he was constantly at odds, internally and/or externally, for all of his life. During his early years he seemed to be struggling with his father who proved to be a domineering and overwhelming figure in Kafka's life. During his time as a writer he was constantly struggling with his identity in Prague as a Jew whose primary language was German. As he tried to find love in his later years he went back and forth on several women, often writing to them about his own inadequacy. It seemed that he could never achieve something akin to happiness. It's almost as if his life was marred from the beginning. I'm not sure if there's any one thing that this can be attributed to, but it's what stood out to me the most about Kafka's life.
In the Distance...
I envision a long, spiraling, sparkling crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling. One that is marred with black paint in random areas throughout. You can see up into the spiral of splattered crystal chandelier into the space where the light should be. However there is no light. Instead, there are a pair of eyes up in the top of the chandelier. Or are there? Are they human? It's hard to tell. Are they friend or foe? Judging or loving? Curiosity propels closer investigation through the ruined chandelier, but one can never see clearly what is inside.
This is my art piece that represent Kafka's perspective throughout his life. In my mind the chandelier represents the setting of Kafka's life. Though he enjoyed school, Prague, etc. to some degree and although he found beauty in it, for him it was always muddled with some unpleasantness. He attempted to find some meaning in it all, some joy, but was never able to truly achieve but through writing. And even through his writing he was still tortured. Thus the pair of holographic eyes in the top of the chandelier is never clearly seen or understood, but will remain mysterious to the passersby. I'm not sure of the exact location of this chandelier, perhaps a modern art museum, but I do think it should be placed at or near an exit so that those who see it can ponder it as the last thing they see in the exhibition.
Assignment Choice: Kafka Art Piece
I went in to the Kafka Museum knowing that I wanted to create a piece of art, but I couldn't yet figure out the mood or setting for it. I found that inside the Kafka Museum one could find many different pieces of multimedia art that served as inspirations for my piece. Even the lighting in the museum served the mood of "Kafkaesque"; all of the light in the museum came from indirect sources, making it dim and eerie throughout the space.
I knew that my art piece had to play off of light and dark somehow. I was also inspired by the tortured nature of Kafka himself. It seemed he was constantly at odds, internally and/or externally, for all of his life. During his early years he seemed to be struggling with his father who proved to be a domineering and overwhelming figure in Kafka's life. During his time as a writer he was constantly struggling with his identity in Prague as a Jew whose primary language was German. As he tried to find love in his later years he went back and forth on several women, often writing to them about his own inadequacy. It seemed that he could never achieve something akin to happiness. It's almost as if his life was marred from the beginning. I'm not sure if there's any one thing that this can be attributed to, but it's what stood out to me the most about Kafka's life.
In the Distance...
I envision a long, spiraling, sparkling crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling. One that is marred with black paint in random areas throughout. You can see up into the spiral of splattered crystal chandelier into the space where the light should be. However there is no light. Instead, there are a pair of eyes up in the top of the chandelier. Or are there? Are they human? It's hard to tell. Are they friend or foe? Judging or loving? Curiosity propels closer investigation through the ruined chandelier, but one can never see clearly what is inside.
This is my art piece that represent Kafka's perspective throughout his life. In my mind the chandelier represents the setting of Kafka's life. Though he enjoyed school, Prague, etc. to some degree and although he found beauty in it, for him it was always muddled with some unpleasantness. He attempted to find some meaning in it all, some joy, but was never able to truly achieve but through writing. And even through his writing he was still tortured. Thus the pair of holographic eyes in the top of the chandelier is never clearly seen or understood, but will remain mysterious to the passersby. I'm not sure of the exact location of this chandelier, perhaps a modern art museum, but I do think it should be placed at or near an exit so that those who see it can ponder it as the last thing they see in the exhibition.
Cultural Reflections Project 8: Czech Art/Visual Analysis (from Field Research)
Jiri Kolar's Venus
I'm always fascinated with media manipulation. I feel like adding texture or different mediums to an art piece can give it more depth. Jiri Kolar seemed to be a master of the collage. He layered words, music, images in different arrays to convey different messages. One piece of his art that stood out to me was Venus (pictured). This artwork was of Titian's Venus, which is a very famous Renaissance painting. It's interesting that Kolar chooses to deconstruct Renaissance paintings, because they are known to be quite realistic and very detailed. I think this choice is purposeful and plays on perspectives in art. The way that he manipulated Venus was by cutting it into very thin trapezoid pieces, and placing them in the shape of a circle. The artwork was recognizable upon close inspection, but was more a mish mosh of colors and patterns from afar. The shape is what caught my eye in particular; I thought that it resembled a fan from the 18th century, thus possibly playing on the femininity of the shape and the subject matter of the painting (the goddess of love). Others commented on it's kaleidoscope appearance, which I hadn't thought about. I think that the circular shape of the artwork had a different, though similarly significant, impact on other members of our group. I liked that Kolar got us to discuss his work and the original painting in so many different contexts.
Frantisek Kupka's Circulars and Rectilinears
What first drew me to the work of Frantisek Kupka was the colors. There were so many colors in every single one of his works in the museum. While I appreciate the drama of black and white, I really love the expressionism color can bring to a work of art. There are many things happening in Circulars and Rectilinears. Judging just from the title there are curved and sharp elements in this painting. Unfortunately I could not find an image of this painting to help in my description, but I found a couple of pictures that echo some pieces of this work to help with the visuals. In addition to the variety of shapes in this painting there are also different colors and techniques going on. Although the majority of the painting incorporates sky blue hues and reds, there is a large purple rectangle down the left side of the painting, which is very striking. In addition to the crisp lines (even in the circles) found in the example paintings, the bottom section of the painting incorporates his more water color-esque techniques in the same color scheme. I saw within this painting some patterns of 1950's art and architecture, which told me this artist was quite ahead of his time. Traci seconded my 1950's impression of the painting, and added that the painting seemed multidimensional to the point of almost looking like different textiles on the canvas. I had not seen this before but it did add on to my thoughts about the juxtapositions of the colors and techniques; this painting just has so much going on it's hard to describe sufficiently. This is part of what drew me to the painting upon first inspection.
Jiri Kolar's Venus
I'm always fascinated with media manipulation. I feel like adding texture or different mediums to an art piece can give it more depth. Jiri Kolar seemed to be a master of the collage. He layered words, music, images in different arrays to convey different messages. One piece of his art that stood out to me was Venus (pictured). This artwork was of Titian's Venus, which is a very famous Renaissance painting. It's interesting that Kolar chooses to deconstruct Renaissance paintings, because they are known to be quite realistic and very detailed. I think this choice is purposeful and plays on perspectives in art. The way that he manipulated Venus was by cutting it into very thin trapezoid pieces, and placing them in the shape of a circle. The artwork was recognizable upon close inspection, but was more a mish mosh of colors and patterns from afar. The shape is what caught my eye in particular; I thought that it resembled a fan from the 18th century, thus possibly playing on the femininity of the shape and the subject matter of the painting (the goddess of love). Others commented on it's kaleidoscope appearance, which I hadn't thought about. I think that the circular shape of the artwork had a different, though similarly significant, impact on other members of our group. I liked that Kolar got us to discuss his work and the original painting in so many different contexts.
Frantisek Kupka's Circulars and Rectilinears
What first drew me to the work of Frantisek Kupka was the colors. There were so many colors in every single one of his works in the museum. While I appreciate the drama of black and white, I really love the expressionism color can bring to a work of art. There are many things happening in Circulars and Rectilinears. Judging just from the title there are curved and sharp elements in this painting. Unfortunately I could not find an image of this painting to help in my description, but I found a couple of pictures that echo some pieces of this work to help with the visuals. In addition to the variety of shapes in this painting there are also different colors and techniques going on. Although the majority of the painting incorporates sky blue hues and reds, there is a large purple rectangle down the left side of the painting, which is very striking. In addition to the crisp lines (even in the circles) found in the example paintings, the bottom section of the painting incorporates his more water color-esque techniques in the same color scheme. I saw within this painting some patterns of 1950's art and architecture, which told me this artist was quite ahead of his time. Traci seconded my 1950's impression of the painting, and added that the painting seemed multidimensional to the point of almost looking like different textiles on the canvas. I had not seen this before but it did add on to my thoughts about the juxtapositions of the colors and techniques; this painting just has so much going on it's hard to describe sufficiently. This is part of what drew me to the painting upon first inspection.
Cultural Reflections Project 9: Czech Site Analysis, Site-Based Travel Writing (Post on Travel Blog)
Alphonse Mucha's Slav Epic at the Municipal House
When Kathleen mentioned that part of Mucha's Slav Epic was on display at the Municipal House I was excited that I would get a chance to see more of Mucha's work. I had no idea how epic the Slav Epic truly was. And to be placed in the Municipal House was just perfect. As I'm sure people are tired of hearing me explain, the Municipal House is the best example of Art Nouveau architecture in the world. Not coincidentally Mucha was commissioned to decorate the Lord Mayor's Hall in the Municipal House with several murals. These murals had a strong Slavic theme throughout, and so were kind of previews to the Slav Epic.
I had a Mucha-themed day, and it was awesome. First I went to the Mucha Museum Gift Shop to pick up some postcards and a magnet for my Mom and sister. I know they would love his art just as much as I do, so I wanted to bring some Mucha merch back to them. I met the rest of the group outside of the Municipal House. We all shambled in exactly on time at 1:14 pm (we were meeting our tour guide at 1:15 pm). Our tour guide, Marketa, was there waiting for us outside of the ticket office. At first there was some confusion about our ticket price, we thought we each had to pay 130 czk for entrance and the tour, but apparently we only had to pay 110 czk. That's like $6, how fabulous! We also got to be inside the Municipal House, which was insanely elaborate and ornate, so even the walk to the exhibition was gorgeous.
Marketa informed us that the exhibition housed 11 pieces of the Slav Epic, which is over half of the frames, so I was very excited. I knew from my own research that Mucha's Slav Epic highlighted several episodes in the history of the Slavic peoples, beginning in the 4th century and ending just after WWI (which was present day for Mucha when he completed the set in 1926). What I wasn't aware of was Mucha's ingenious twist on composition to emphasize the story of the Slavic people even when they weren't the main character in a frame. Marketa made sure to explain Mucha's artistic conventions throughout the frames to help us better understand Mucha's intentions in each piece of the story. Mucha's creations were made even more impactful through their massive size. Each one stood at least at an intimidating 15 feet tall, and at least 15 feet wide. I could've stared at each of them for half an hour and still find new things to analyze.
We learned a lot about the history of the Slavic peoples, and it was interesting to see a visual history from the perspective of a Bohemian native. We all thought that the experience was really illuminating, especially with the tour guide, we thought it would have been beneficial for us to go as a class but the exhibition only started on the 19th so it wouldn't have been practical. I was able to chronicle our time there through pictures, however, so now I'm very excited to be able to share them with everyone. My personal favorite was no. 17 "The Holy Mount Athos". I love Mucha's use of color in this piece, he shrouds angels in a bright green glow, which dominates the painting. According to my research, Mucha believed that Mount Athos was an important spiritual location for the Czech people. This painting shows Russian pilgrimage to this holy site. The composition of this piece is so overwhelming and beautiful. The overall experience was just as overwhelming and beautiful, and I am extremely grateful I was able to go through it with friends and with a knowledgeable tour guide at the helm.
Alphonse Mucha's Slav Epic at the Municipal House
When Kathleen mentioned that part of Mucha's Slav Epic was on display at the Municipal House I was excited that I would get a chance to see more of Mucha's work. I had no idea how epic the Slav Epic truly was. And to be placed in the Municipal House was just perfect. As I'm sure people are tired of hearing me explain, the Municipal House is the best example of Art Nouveau architecture in the world. Not coincidentally Mucha was commissioned to decorate the Lord Mayor's Hall in the Municipal House with several murals. These murals had a strong Slavic theme throughout, and so were kind of previews to the Slav Epic.
I had a Mucha-themed day, and it was awesome. First I went to the Mucha Museum Gift Shop to pick up some postcards and a magnet for my Mom and sister. I know they would love his art just as much as I do, so I wanted to bring some Mucha merch back to them. I met the rest of the group outside of the Municipal House. We all shambled in exactly on time at 1:14 pm (we were meeting our tour guide at 1:15 pm). Our tour guide, Marketa, was there waiting for us outside of the ticket office. At first there was some confusion about our ticket price, we thought we each had to pay 130 czk for entrance and the tour, but apparently we only had to pay 110 czk. That's like $6, how fabulous! We also got to be inside the Municipal House, which was insanely elaborate and ornate, so even the walk to the exhibition was gorgeous.
Marketa informed us that the exhibition housed 11 pieces of the Slav Epic, which is over half of the frames, so I was very excited. I knew from my own research that Mucha's Slav Epic highlighted several episodes in the history of the Slavic peoples, beginning in the 4th century and ending just after WWI (which was present day for Mucha when he completed the set in 1926). What I wasn't aware of was Mucha's ingenious twist on composition to emphasize the story of the Slavic people even when they weren't the main character in a frame. Marketa made sure to explain Mucha's artistic conventions throughout the frames to help us better understand Mucha's intentions in each piece of the story. Mucha's creations were made even more impactful through their massive size. Each one stood at least at an intimidating 15 feet tall, and at least 15 feet wide. I could've stared at each of them for half an hour and still find new things to analyze.
We learned a lot about the history of the Slavic peoples, and it was interesting to see a visual history from the perspective of a Bohemian native. We all thought that the experience was really illuminating, especially with the tour guide, we thought it would have been beneficial for us to go as a class but the exhibition only started on the 19th so it wouldn't have been practical. I was able to chronicle our time there through pictures, however, so now I'm very excited to be able to share them with everyone. My personal favorite was no. 17 "The Holy Mount Athos". I love Mucha's use of color in this piece, he shrouds angels in a bright green glow, which dominates the painting. According to my research, Mucha believed that Mount Athos was an important spiritual location for the Czech people. This painting shows Russian pilgrimage to this holy site. The composition of this piece is so overwhelming and beautiful. The overall experience was just as overwhelming and beautiful, and I am extremely grateful I was able to go through it with friends and with a knowledgeable tour guide at the helm.