Finishing Up The Course

This will be our final week in Humanities 220, so we have been asked to give an overview of what we have learned throughout the class. Overall, I have learned a lot! I came in knowing near to nothing about poetry and art. It was rough at times, but I have enjoyed learned about something that was out of my comfort zone.

So here are some of the things that I learned:

1. What we bring to the conversation of a piece of art work is based on our background.

Throughout our class we were asked several times to give our opinions on the poems we read and the paintings that we looked at. Throughout our conversations it became very evident that looking at a picture would bring several different views and opinions of what was going on separate from what we all saw visibly in front of us.  An example of this came up when we discussed "I Saw the Figure Five in Gold" by Charles Demuth, or any of the paintings we looked at during this class for that matter. What I saw in this painting was just a bunch of number 5's while others could pick out specific things they thought the picture was representing. At the end of the class it became evident that everyone is going to bring a different view to the discussion based on their background of the topic and things that they have experienced in their lives.

2. I learned how to describe a poem and painting based on the characteristics.

More than once we were asked to give a visual description of a painting or describe a poem based on its characteristics. By using John Blosser's powerpoint, I learned how to give a visual description using words such as line, mass, texture, value, color and space and describe each of those elements based on the piece of art that I was looking at. I also used the powerpoint 'How to Read a Poem' and was able to describe a poem based on the characteristics and what I read. Examples of both of these can be found on my blog and in my final project.

3. Objectification of women in mass media is viewed different based on gender

It was obvious based on our conversation in the class about objectification of women that there were very different views. Our discussion tried to differentiate what is appropriate and what is not. Do women have the right to walk around in what they want with out being judged based on what they are wearing, or does that make them more 'vulnerable' because of it. Also, who is to decide what makes a women 'beautiful' or 'vulnerable'? Or what is 'appropriate' and 'not appropriate'. Several things that were discussed in that conversation I did not agree with, but I value the opinion of what others think and it was nice to hear the opinion of someone of the opposite sex.

Overall I learned a lot in this class about a subject that I had absolutely no background in. It was nice to take a step back from what I am comfortable with and discuss something completely different. I think that from now on I will take a closer look when I run into artwork or poetry.

For this weeks blog I have chosen to write an ekphrastic poem about a piece of art. This weeks piece of art that I will be using is a piece done by my sister, Ashley, in her graphic design class. This is one of several different pieces that she has created throughout her high school career.

 

 

 

"Through My Eyes"

 

 

I look upon a world full of different stories.

I see those who are happy,

energetic, and on the right path.

Well fed people with expensive clothes.

Those same people have families falling apart.

 

I look in the other direction

and I see poverty.

Children living on the streets.

Mothers and fathers working multiple jobs

just to put food on the table.

Those same people have a very close family.

 

I look around the area I live

and see children running and playing.

While at the same time,

just down the street another shooting occurs

taking another life of someone too young.

 

I look around and see the young girl

with the big smile on her face

who looks like she has it all together.

She then goes home and cries because

she doesn't feel good about herself.

 

I see the young boy who isn't as strong or tall

as the rest of the boys around him.

Little do the people bullying him realize

he is going home to an abusive father.

 

I see different people, with different stories.

I see happiness and sadness.

I see healthy children and starving children.

And today I realize how imperfect

the world around me really is.

 

Never judge a book by its cover,

for you have no idea the story that lies behind it.

 

By Kelsey Smucker

 

 

 

 

Today You Gained Your Wings

For this assignment I was asked to write a poem about a painting. As school approaches and my final clinical rotations will start for my senior year, this picture reminded me of my first clincial experience I ever had in which my young cancer patient died during the two days I spent with her and her family. This is dedicated to her as I know she is an angel in heaven now.

Heavenly Hope by Fawn McNeill

"Today You Gained Your Wings"

Today you gained your wings

There was nothing more we could do

You fought so hard for so long

Taken too soon from the ones you loved

Today you gained your wings

I sat by your bed watching and hoping

That you would say one last word

As your breathing started to slow

Today you gained your wings

I sat by your side as you took your last breath

I checked your heartbeat

There was silence

Today you gained your wings

Your mother held you 

Tears streaming down her face

As she whispered my baby girl you're in a better place

Today you gained your wings
And started your journey in heaven

By Kelsey Smucker

"Indigenous Arts of Africa"

"Mother of Twins, Fertility Sculpture"

Republic of Cameroon, West Africa

62"H x 29" Dia

Bronze

Mid 20th Century

For this assignment we were asked to go to a museum, exhibit or gallery and find a piece of artwork that caught our eye. I chose to go somewhere local. I went to the Goshen College Music Center's Hershberger Art Gallery. On display from June 2 - September 22 is a display by Keith and Ann Graber Miller. The pieces in this gallery are from their personal art gallery, Found, which is an international art gallery located in downtown Goshen, Indiana. As you walk into the gallery, you are immediately surrounded by the beautiful scenery of what feels like a new world. Between the bright colors, sculptures and beautiful cloths, I was overwhelmed by the beauty that surrounded me. It was hard to pick just one piece to focus on, but there was one piece towards the back that caught my eye. This sculpture (pictured above) is called "Mother of Twins, Fertility Sculpture". It stands about 5 feet tall and is bronze. This piece is actual mass. I believe I was drawn to this naturally due to the fact that the name itself, can be tied into the medical field. As I stood and studied this piece of art, I kept picking up on more details as the time went by. The top of this statue obviously represents the title. The main figure is the mother and she is holding her twin babies. If you look at the piece around her neck closely, you can see the amazing detail of different lines that were handcrafted. Just the detail work alone on the neck piece, stomach and hair on the top of her head, probably took hours! Her earrings remind me of the fish symbol that most Christians are very familiar with. The overall texture of the statue reminds me of a marble type look even though it is not. Her face was also interesting to study because it is not something that you would see on a contemporary piece from artists in our culture.

The next thing that caught my eye was the bottom of the statue. After studying it in person for several minutes, and then for another good amount of time tonight, I have come up with a few different possibilities of what the bottom might represent. I did a small amount of research on fertility sculptures and read that some women used to believe that simply being around a statue such as this one, could one day help them get pregnant. So my original thought was that maybe the babies or small figures at the bottom are babies that have yet to be born, that are acting as support for the current mother. My next thought considered the gender of the small figures below. They seem to all be male, so my next thought was that possibly this could represent that men are the support systems during the time of birth for the mother. And finally, my last thought was that maybe the small figures, or children, at the bottom could represent the strength that a child can give to their mother. Women feel fulfilled by the fact that they are able to produce something amazing and through that they gain strength and love. Whatever it may be that the bottom of this statue is supposed to represent, in the end it is still a magnificent piece of art.

Next we were asked to create a poem as a response to our piece of artwork. I decided to use William Carlos Williams poem "The Listening Room" to guide me in doing this. 

A mother's arms

spread open

wide

her young

embraced

sweet coos of babies

are heard

comforting

the new mothers

nerves.

-- by Kelsey Smucker

If you would like more information on this exhibit, or would like to see a short video of the different pieces in the gallery, here is a link to it. 

African indigenous art featured in Goshen College exhibit

The Voice by Shel Silverstein

From Shel Silverstien's Book Falling Up, page 38

The Voice by Shel Silverstein

For this week’s assignment, I will be doing a poem explication. I chose to do this poem because I grew up reading poetry by Shel Silverstein. I remember as a child having the books around my house as well as a lot of my relative’s houses. Back then I didn't understand the meaning behind those poems. Today however, I am able to look at them at a much deeper level. I chose The Voice because I am at an important time in my life and I believe that there is no better time than now to listen to your heart to lead you down the right path.

This poem is fairly short and skinny. It is only 8 lines long and each line is no more than 5-8 words.  The poem has both rhyme and meter. The second and fourth line rhyme as well as the sixth and eighth line. The language of this poem is simple. I like this because it allows a variety of age groups to read and understand it. Silverstein starts off right away making the poem personal. He does this by using the word “you”. “There is a voice inside of you” starts out the poem and immediately makes it personal. It made me sit down and think back to all the times when there has been a tough decision I had to make and my heart told me one thing, while my head told me another.

The first four lines of the poem start by providing a very common situation that most people have gone through. It makes the reader think back to times in their life when they have had to decide what was right. The next part of the poem says how there are going to be all sorts of people who try and give you advice on what is the right decision. And the poem ends by encouraging the reader to “listen to the voice that speaks inside”. This gives emphasis that it is important to listen to your inner voice and that no matter what people tell you, you are the only one that can make the decision.

I like this poem a lot because it can be applied to many different situations and to a wide range of people. Although it may be simple and short, it has the ability to speak to a lot of people. All in all, remember no matter what happens and what you are faced with, always base your decisions on what you want to do and what you think is right. Only you can make the right decision for yourself.

Nurse, Wounded Soldier and Child by William Hatherell
Photo Credit: IWM

Today I will be giving a visual description of the painting Nurse, Wounded Soldier and Child by William Hatherell constructed in 1915. Being that this is the first time I will be writing a visual description and formal analysis, I ask that you bare with me! With that being said, I chose a painting that I could relate to; nursing.This painting resides in the Imperial War Museum and is a 45.7 x 32.3 cm, oil on canvas.

At first glance, you notice the immediate white, floor length dress of the central figure that seems to stand out compared to the darkness of the background. Marked vividly, in red, is a cross suggesting that she is a nurse.It resides in the middle of her chest. She wears a white medical cap on her head, that has flaps that hang down just below her ears covering most of her blonde hair. Her facial expression seems strong, which seems to be appropriate due to the two figures standing next to her. She supports a young child with her left hand. This young child comes up to about the height of her hip. Her hair is blonde and seems to be in place. She wears a long, orange dress with no shoes. The expression on the child's face is one of sadness or fear. As she leans against the nurse, and lies her head on her, her hands are cupped together just below her face on the nurses leg.

On the left side of the painting, there is a man dressed in an olive green military suit. He is slightly hunched over, putting weight onto a crutch on his right side that he grips strongly with his right hand. It appears that one of this legs is wounded due to him putting all of his weight on his left leg, which is stretched out straight to the ground like normal. The other is pulled back slightly behind his body in a partially bent position.  His other arm locks arms with the nurse. He looks to the ground with no facial expression, although you could assume that he is in pain. A white bandage is wrapped around most of his head covering all of his brown hair except for a small part on the very top of his head.

The background of the painting is low keyed, with a dark area taking up half of the picture. The bottom half of the background, which includes the ground that they are standing on,could be considered more middle keyed. It is several different colors of tan, whites, dark yellows, etc. There are no outlines of any figures in the background. Instead, there are several colors mixed together and painted in different directions. It enhances the three characters that stand prominently in the middle, making them the focus of the picture.

Although I do not know the reason for the painting or the message that was supposed to be portrayed, I can relate to the nurse in the middle. I think that she is depicted as strong because she is the support system for the young child and wounded soldier next to her. A nurses responsibility is not only to take care of those in need, but to be a strong figure they can look to and lean on in times of trouble. I can also see her being a beacon of light in a time of darkness, which could have been portrayed by the dark figures all around her, yet she stands out in white.

Welcome!

Welcome to my blog! This blog is for my online Humanities course on art and literature. This course is taught by Ann Hostetler and is provided by Goshen College. Ann is the author of Empty Room with Light and editor of A Cappella: Mennonite Voices in Poetry. I am enrolled in this course to meet my general education requirements. Here you will see and read about some of my favorite poetry and artwork.

My name is Kelsey Smucker and I am a senior nursing major at Goshen College. I was born and raised in Goshen, Indiana. I have a younger sister who will be attending IPFW this fall majoring in graphic design and photography. Throughout the years, I have grown up surrounded by my sisters artwork, pottery and photographs. I have come to love and enjoy the creativity she has acquired and look forward to seeing how she will continue to blossom over the years to come. Through her I have learned to appreciate the art that surrounds me and through this class I am eager to learn more about a subject that to me, is very foreign.