I must say that my Art appreciation class was one of the most demanding in terms of the requirements. Every meeting requires a different skill, from evaluating a movie to building a 3D structure of a mall. Obviously, it is NOT one of those floating subjects that you can take for granted. Honestly, I felt anxious at first because I don’t have the skills of an artist. How can I pass an art appreciation class without these skills? Then again, my professor proved me wrong. All the hard work that I did for this subject was paid off. I learned a lot of things, not just about art but practical things that I was not aware of. In our lecture about visual arts, I was enlightened by the fact that up to now, a woman’s life is dependent on how a man sees him. It was clearly seen in magazines, advertisements and other forms of media. The model’s pose is situated to attract or seduce the viewer especially the men. Also, I am very thankful that we had a lecture about Mona Lisa’s mysteriousness. I must admit that prior to the lecture I find Mona Lisa dull and boring to look at. I was naïve of why this painting became so famous. But now, I am bombarded with information. This information made me more confident to intellectually talk about this work of art. I would say that my favorite part of the course was building a 3D structure of a mall. It is in the activity where I was able to showcase all the skills that I learned in this class. I was able to come up with the conceptualization and at the same time, explain how I came up with this concept. We were also able to maximize the limited resources we had. This activity made me feel like a real artist!

Architecture

All this time, I was oblivious to the fact that Architecture plays several roles in our life. I always thought that structures like buildings are constructed for the own benefit of the capitalist not until we had our activity in ARTAPRE. We were tasked to build a futuristic mall using limited resources. Our professor gave us only a spread of Manila paper, scissors, marker, tape and illustration board. Honestly, we were complaisant at first because sketching a futuristic mall is not that hard, we just have to work our imagination. But there was somewhat a catch; we had to create a 3D diagram of the mall! I said to myself , how can we create a 3D diagram with just limited resources and time? After a few minutes, I had a fantastic idea. Since we live in a tropical country, why not create a mall that would make the Filipino people experience the 4 seasons (winter, spring, summer and fall)? Eventually we were able to make a 3D diagram of a mall with this concept using limited resources. But the story doesn’t stop there. We had to take into account the lifestyle of the people, the economy and what we want the Filipinos to feel whenever they go to “our” mall. Since it is a futuristic mall, we assumed that by that time the Philippines is already a first world country. I feel that that there is nothing wrong in hoping for the best that is why we made this assumption. Also, instead of going to other countries just to experience the coldness of the snow, we created a place wherein Filipinos would feel that they are in another country. This mall that we envisioned would also benefit those who don’t have enough resources to travel out of the country.

After having a discussion based on our output, it was revealed that Architecture is a big part of our life. It reflects the people’s lifestyle, cultural heritage, economy, values, wants & needs and many more. Therefore, we can say that Architecture is holistic Art.

Our group’s creation of the futuristic mall reflects the needs and wants of the Filipino people.

Living in a 3^rd world country is sometimes a frustration to most of us. We have so many want that we could not get because of our condition. Like for instance, we only get to experience summer or rainy season. Unlike in Dubai, a desert country, they built a place called Ski Dubai that has artificial snow to keep up with the people’s want. It is sad for us because we have don’t have resources to build like the one they have.

Micro-city

This week's lecture is once again an eye-opener for me.

For the past several years, I have witnessed the emergence of "micro-cities". Examples of these are Greenbelt and Eastwood. Micro-city is becoming a popular theme in designing malls. In a micro-city, everything is in your reach. The main mall is sorrounded by condominiums. You can also spot several gimmick spots as well as restaurants. Who wouldn't want to live in a micro-city? It is like stepping into a fantasy world, away from the harsh reality. But little did we know that this micro-city creates a greater differentiation between the rich and the poor. We get isolated to the point that we ignore the people who are suffering from the harsh reality. It is sad to know that the educated have the power to iniatiate the change but they remain aloof. And I think I'm one of those educated ones that couldn't care less on what is happening out there... I don't know if I sholud feel ashamed for being detached to the outside world or I should just accept the fact that some are born rich and some are not :(

This learning that I acquired only proves that Art Appreciation is not just looking at paintings or evaluating other forms of art BUT it enables us to see what is outside, the REALITY.

Malls Malls Malls!!!

They say that diamonds are a girl’s best friend but in my case, malls are what I consider my best friend. I believe that life would be so much different if malls were not created. It is where my family and I go to spend time together on Sunday afternoons. When I go out on a date with my boyfriend, malls are on top of the list of places to go. Malls are also the usual places where my friends and I go to for some catching up. We shop, watch a movie or simply, chitchatting at a coffee place in the mall. Given the fact that Malls are a huge part of my life, I must say I was oblivious of how malls are designed… not until I read the article of RolandoTolentino entitled “Sa Loob at Labas ng Mall Kong Sawi Kaliluha’y Nangyayaring Hari”. This reading is certainly an eye-opener for me!

Here are some of my favorite insights from the reading:

Ang mismong artifisylidad ng kapaligiran sa Megamall ang nagbigay sa atin ng tilamas makakbuting opsyon mula sa kapaligiran ating nararanasan sa labas.

I can still vividly remember the first time my heart was broken, I immediately called up my friends and invited them to go with me to the mall. Going to the mall alleviates the pain I’m experiencing. Though I still can’t rationalize how this happens but when I’m in the mall, my problems are forgotten. It’s like magic! Poof! No more problems!

Ang mall ay ang modernong plaza ng mga bayan.

Long before the construction of malls, there were already plazas. I love it how they modernized the concept of plazas into a more sophisticated structured malls. On the other hand, I am also concerned of the risk that malls can wipe out one important part of our culture which is the Plaza.

Itong dating ng karanasan sa mall ang siya ring nagtatakda ng sentralidad ng lugar sa usapin ng modernisasyon ng bansa.

Although it is a sad thing that Filipinos are little by little forgetting plazas like the Luneta Park, at least we are preparing ourselves to the concept of globalization through the help of Malls. Globalization is a big step towards a more modernized country.

Bakit habang tumataas sa Megamall ay lalong uunti ang tao nagiging mas spesyalido angmga tindahan?

This line really struck me to the point that I thought of the answer the whole afternoon. My hypothesis is that they placed the regular shops on the first 3 floors so that the consumers won’t have to go up to the highest floor just to avail of the common products. In short, the specialized shops were situated on the last floor for the convenience of the customers.

Vanity.

As much as I want to deny the fact that women live to be desired, I can’t. I plead myself guilty of this statement. Being a woman is no joke. I want to look good most of the time and this entails a lot of effort. Dressing up, for instance, is one way to make myself feel good. I wear clothes that will compliment my body maybe to impress my boyfriend. Sometimes I wear makeup to emphasize my features. Although they say natural beauty is better, its undeniable that make up helps to emphasize your beauty. Furthermore, to keep me updated on the latest fashion trend, I read women’s magazines like cosmopolitan, mega, vogue etc. These magazines feature women that are close to perfect in terms of physical beauty. The models have everything you wish for like long legs, glowing skin, voluptuous body and more. Sometimes I question myself for reading these kinds of magazines. The more I fantasize about how perfect they are, the more I feel ugly, the more I feel imperfect. But what makes me subscribe to these materials? As of now, my only hypothesis is that I don’t want to lose track of the latest trends or in simply, I don’t want to be out of fashion ( which only shows how I am concern on how I look and how might judge me for my physical aspect) . Certainly, being a woman entails a lot of effort though most of the time we deny it.

Do you see what I see?

The entire week was devoted to Mona Lisa. At first, it was pretty interesting but then it became tiring. Mona Lisa this and that… Only to find out that there is no single explanation of the real identity of Mona Lisa. Despite of my disappointment, I came to realize that I appreciate it better if Mona Lisa’s mysteriousness won’t be revealed. It’s what keeps it special.

Anyhow, what amazes me is that how we have different interpretation of Mona Lisa despite the fact that we get the same lecture. We were tasked to choose any object that will describe our “re-interpretation of Mona Lisa”. Different groups produced different outputs. It struck me how wild my classmates’ imagination can be! I did not expect that anyone from our class can think of putting Mona Lisa’s face on boxer shorts! Or even to advertise a medicine brand that relieves upset stomach! It’s mind-blowing how they can connect these objects to Mona Lisa and being able to present a valid explanation. This only proves the fact that though we see the same object, we perceive it differently. And these differences in our interpretation may be accounted from our unique personalities that were shaped by diverse environments.

Mona Lisa

Everyone knows Mona Lisa UNLESS you’re living under a rock! This art piece by Leonardo Da Vinci is everywhere. From book cover to lamp shade to flashlight! Anything that you can imagine! She has also been made into a movie portrayed by Julia Roberts. It gets me thinking why this painting is famous? What’s the fuzz all about? Who is the girl behind the controversial smile? I know that most of us throw the same questions but do we search out for answers?

Personally, I never even bothered to find out the answer for Mona Lisa’s fame. All I just see is a girl with a weird smile but nothing beyond that. Not until, we had a discussion about this famous painting. I suddenly became curious of Mon Lisa’s identity. I was really keen in knowing the truth behind this painting. A lot of possible theory was discussed in class only to find out that there is no single explanation that can prove the identity of Mona Lisa. I was disappointed at first but then I realized that my appreciation for this painting might change if the mystery of this painting would unravel. I think it’s better to leave the questions unanswered because these questions are what make the painting special. The more we question this art piece, the more we get attached to for the reason that our life is also full of questions that cannot be answered and these questions give meaning to our existence!