Blog # I lost count

This week was pretty intresting learning more about the Maya. I always knew they were from Guatemala, but that was all.
I didnt know that Teotihuacan was so much of an influence, I mean I knew that it was but only to a limited extent.
The pictures in the book were amazing! It did kind of remind me of the pyramids I saw when I went to Monte Alban but I believe these were even more elaborate. Dismanteling Structure E VII layer by layer was something that left me impressed and I thought it was intresting how the pyramids each revealed a diffrent building phase. Maya structres and such seemed quite complex to me I had a bit of trouble understanding but Im getting there. Im looking forward to reading about their second phase.

Blog

I thought the article about Wal Mart and Teotihuacan was really intresting and something that I guess one can say I have experienced. I went to Wal Mart when I went to Puerto Vallarta and it was so werid because the one I went to had everything located in the exact place as the one I go to here in San Jose does. I didn't have to look around all crazy because I already knew where everything was! But the employees there were LITTLE KIDS!!! It was SO odd because they were kids who looked like they were at least 13!

I believe that ancient items, and locations should be preserved. So I disagree with the fact that Wal Mart has decided to plop down in an area that can teach us a lot about our ancestors and where we came from for the sake of making money. As stated many times, not everything in these areas has been dug up or found and Wal Mart being built on top of these territories obviously doesn't make things easier.

On another note, while at SFO today, I saw this advertisement for AT&T:

I saw it and it immideatly caught my eye! I saw it and immideatly thought Mexico, I then read the caption which said "Working in over 200 countries, like Mexico". This symbolic art was most likely used in order to immideatly connect ATT with Mexico without having to read the caption. I think its a very creative ad campaign. Instead of going with something stereotypical having to do with Mexico and its people, it opted to go for something very cultural in a very creative way.

Election Post

My voting experience was an easy one. I got my ballot in the mail so I got it a few weeks ago and sent it right in! I did not have to stand in the long lines. This is my first time voting in a presidential election. In the election of 2004 (Bush, Kerry) I was 16 and unable to vote. For THIS presidential election to be my first is very exciting! Having an African American running for president, and a woman as vice president is something that I thought I would never EVER see in my life time. I feel this election brought out the political side in many of my friends. Politics was something that we NEVER talked about, even with people I had been friends with for years. Despite some being Democrats, and others Republicans it made for great conversation and finally, something new to talk about something that I feel actually mattered.

Blog # 4

The video on the pyramids were so intresting. At first I thought I would have to see them in in parts at diffrent times but I watched it all in one sitting. I learned more about the god Quetzalcoatl which I had seen on an everyday basis due to the fact that I would pass by that statue of it downtown quite often. I was also glad to know the reason why Moctezuma would think that Hernan Cortez was Quetzalcoatl. In the film, it states that it was because he was light skinned and matched a discription of him so I got quite confused because I thought Quetzalcoatl was a snake.

The decline of Teotihuacan due to the distruction of its natural resources brings be back to one of Darwin's postulates I learned in Anthropology: The ability for the population to expand is infinite, but the ability for the environment to support the population is finite. Populations can expand infinetly, but yet the earth does not have enough resources and such to be able to maintain these populations. Such happened in Teotihuacan , its residents used up the firewood for preparation of their art supplies. The deforestation lead to droughts and crop failures (Miller). The enviornment had reached its toll, thus not being able to support the population of Teotihuacan.

Blog #3

I enjoyed reading about Monte Alban this week mainly because my family is from Oaxaca. I visted Monte Alban about 10 years ago when I was 10. Of course being so young I really didnt listen to the tour guide because I was running around with my cousins.











This is a picture of my cousins, brother, and I resting on the stairs of one of the monuments. It was quite a long climb!


























(Sorry for the very small pictures, these were taken with a film camera)
I couldnt seem to find Mound J in these pictures. But anyways now that I have more bakground on Monte Alban, I wish I had payed attention as a kid because its very intresting how they may have used a mound for astronomical functions. I wasnt aware that there was 2 phases to Monte Alban and how each consisted of diffrent types of art. I find it quite odd that people were able to reside here since it is said that there was no natural source for water. Hopefully when I go visit my family in Oaxaca, I can go back to Monte Alban and be able to enjoy it more because of my new found knowledge of it!

Frida Khalo Blog

My experience at the SFMOMA was great! It was VERY crowded though becuase we went on a Thursday (the 18th) and the exhibit was at half price. In addition to her art they had photographs and a section on when Frida came to San Francisco. I liked it A LOT and learned so much. The only problem was that is was crowded and I'm short so I had to wait awhile to get to the front to see the paintings.





Proof I was there!

.. I just thought those mirrors were cool..



















This painting was one of my favorites. Moses was painted by Khalo in 1945. I loved the details and color. I'm not good at interpreting art so I read the program and It stated that this painting was a response to Freuds essay "Moses and Monotheism". This painting shows how Frida was looking for a certain belief system. It includeds many familiar historic/ religious figures such as :Hitler, Moses, Jesus, and Zeus. I thought it had A LOT of deep meaning and it really made me think.










This painting was on a vary big canvas and really caught my eye. "The Two Fridas" was an amazing piece! The program explains that the Frida in white represents the Frida Diego abandoned, and the one in the blue blouse is the one he loved. I liked the little detail of the locket with Diegos picture in it. Its very creative. When I read that the shes holding her own hand because shes her only companion, and then looked at the painting again it made me sad. She had a very tragic life, an abortion, a divorce, her husband cheating on her with her sister. I felt this painting was a good representation of how she felt.


I think Mesoamerican art influenced Kahlo in some ways. For example, in the painting Moses I noticed some type of art work that resembled that of the carved rocks in La Venta. The Olmec had 3 realms to their art work, and again in Moses, I saw that there was a spiritual world surrounding what seems to be a human enviornment shown by the baby Moses.

Blog #2

The second blog: choose several images that illustrate the "image " of Mexico. Discuss how you feel the pieces you chose define the image.





I see Mexico as a place that is full of culture and art. This picture is from my personal collection and I took it while on vacation in Puerto Vallarta. I saw that many of the people of Mexico took various things and items and made beautiful creative things. This is the Virgin Mary made out of nothing but sand, it has incorporated dyes and flowers that add more to it. In addition to sand, I saw items made out of tin cans, shells, and beads.I feel this picture represents the creativity and art of Mexico.













This is another picture I took while in Queretaro, Mexico. I think it paints a happier nicer picture of what Mexico is. Before I visited, I would see on the news the violence and poverty of this country. But when I got there, I saw something completely different. There was so much color, music, and happiness. This picture is very colorful, and I feel gives Mexico a good feel to it!






This picture from Flickr shows how Mexico mixes the new, with the old. The American Express building in the backround with the Angel of Independence in the front shows a mixture of the old and new worlds. Although Mexico City is very urban, it is still surounded with many old buildings and statues.