Josh Taylor: MY FINAL VIDEO

It was a pleasure class! Thank you Mr. Deskin and Thank you Mrs. Sydnor for the experience!

Josh Taylor: Houston ZOO Attendance 11/27/2013

Joshua Taylor Houston Zoo

Josh Taylor: My thoughts on the class and the MAFIA

 Life long friendships is not something any of us were expecting to acquire from this humanities class. We all thought we would just pass the class and then leave. Little did we know, we started our own version of the Breakfast Club. French Toast Mafia is the name. This group is full of wonderful people that all have their diversities and insanities. One of us wears skinny jeans on a daily, another wears baggy pants and goes clubbing every weekend. As for the other two, one is a half Mexican, half Arab ninja that destroys everyone in his path. Last but not least, there is the funny guy; the one that wanted nothing to do with the group when it first came about. He soon came around after getting to know the other three. Now we are all good friends and we hang out outside of class. We had our moments in class that were just hilarious and outrageous but that is just us. We photo bomb every group's photos, we do handstands in the middle of everything, we say "thats what she said", and we just enjoy life and have fun. What more could you ask for in a special group of friends? Friends that you can depend on for anything and everything. That is who the Mafia is!

When I first enrolled in this class I would've never imagined how fun it would be. Most college students don't look forward to their next class, but that is the opposite of what I felt. I'd wake up groggy and in a bad rump but it would eventually go away knowing my class was going to be fun. I wasn't going to the same old college classes, no it was much more than a class. This class taught me to appreciate all diffrent kinds of art not just traditional paintings, murals, and statues. Art also comes in forms of grafiti, paintings not found on canvas but walls, ceilings and even doors! The artists creativity truly is awe inspiring and quite a sight to behold. The folk trip we took to see the decorated houses was one of my favorites. Inside of the houses at the folk trip we took were much more diffrent than I expected. Before we arrived the thoughts going through my mind were funky indoor decor for some reason, not really anywhere near what they actually were. When we arrived to the houses I was quite anxious to finally see them. Fom the side view that I saw them they looked like plain white houses at first. As we neared them the art was just plain to see, I felt a bit dumb, blind and childish for a bit. I felt childish, the reason for that was because the art made me feel like a kid in the candy store.
 The bright and vibrant colors just attracted your eyes to them. It was like looking at something so beautiful that is was difficult to look away from. My favorite trip we took this semester was definetly the museum of fine arts. When I was younger in fourth grade we took a trip to this museum, I was young and i didn't much know anything about anything. We walked around the museum and I looked at sculptures and paintings and thought they were neat because of the pretty colors. I never once thought the amount of time, creativity and soul the artist put into it, all I thought back then was about candy, milk and playing video games. But on my second visit to the museum I definetly recall what I saw that day back in fourth grade, the one sculpture that hasn't left my mind. This time I visited I made sure I saw every detail that was put into the pieces of art being displayed. They were simply outstanding! I loved and embraced every second that I spent in the museum. There was an abundance of Roman, Greek, those two types being some of my favorites.

In a journey into the unknown-Emmanuel Trejo

In a journey into the unknown our hearts and minds were exposed to new ideas about the nature of art. Art wasn’t just a simple painting on a mural or a simple porcelain sculpture; instead what we witnessed is that art is alive and vivid with the captured imagination of the artist’s soul. Humanities on the go was a great guide into discovering the art that was hiding in plain sights all of these years. 

This class led us to discover how an art once considered vandalism could reflect many thoughts of a shunned society.  Their valuable work is overlooked an underappreciated, but can depict a valuable inside into our own modern society. For example the “all American eagle” has its wings proudly flexed to fly but it is chained to a weight. The eagle is a great representation of we call our self’s the land of the free, but we are too limited to actually calls ourselves “free.”  

            Through our ventures we traveled to the heart of the beast, we went deep into its belly to see how life was still in full motion even several feet below our feet. We go to admire the towering buildings that seemed to challenge the gods of Olympus. With access to a vantage point high above the streets, we got a first-hand view of the majestic view only relished by winged beast such as birds. Our venture by foot brought witness to many pieces of art laid out in the city streets that are not often appreciated by the common city inhabitant. Each piece of art stood as a speckle of creativity in a loud and busy city street.

Art is not just found in picture but in architecture. Architecture is perfect representation of a community. Urban decay is a sign of a struggle and deterioration of hope of the people, but what we saw in Galveston on that cold Friday morning was restoration. Restoration is sign of positive change, restoration is sign of hope, and restoration is a sign of a community blooming to become a spot light for others to follow.  Even with the icy cold winds flowing into our exposed skin that felt like a river flowing through land, I could feel the warmth of the newly restored buildings as a sign of gratitude for a new lease on life.

  In this past semester I have observed so much that few have, or will ever get the chance to see and truly connect with the art that stands before them. Each trip was always a new and exciting way of seeing something innovative. Each trip was revealing of what we are all capable of accomplishing if we set our God given creativity into an art master piece. This class served its purpose in showing us that there is more than what meets the eye. 

Ode to Humanity by Georges Boulos (final article)

Georges Boulos

Ode to Humanity

What is humanity? Well, we are humanity. Should we disappear from the world humanity would be


what is left behind. So what will be left behind from us? Will what is left behind be considered good? Beautiful maybe? Worthy of preserving? I for one believe so. Our art and our architecture and whatever else we will be able to leave behind of our lives will both literally and figuratively, should they stand the test of time, stand as a monument to everything that we are, what we will be, and what we have ever been.
We have been given examples, we have seen art, contemplated it, we have seen the architecture wrought from the hands and minds of those who wished to leave something greater than their name, and we have looked into the very depths of one of the greatest tragedies that our world has and will ever experience in the course of human history. What we have seen are the constructions and destructions of humanities that live in our present and by extension into our futures. We have been shown clearly how these constructs persist though their creators are either long past, or not long for this world either in mortality or in their endeavor for work. That is reality. We have seen what others created and after having been pushed to take picture of all the things that move us, however I think it is time that we all take a new prerogative should we be so inclined. We are now the creators, or at least we should be. We study history not just so that we may avoid making the mistakes of the, but also to repeat its successes. So we must all become creators. It doesn’t mean we all need to have a painting in an art gallery, though creating artistically is considered to be one of man’s purest forms of creation. We must create with all the things that make us human, we must all create using our humanity and we must do it for all of humanity. I will even take for the first step though I am more inclined to the artistic route, I fancy myself a poet. Now picture yourself a Rose facing the turning of the world, or better yet, let me show you my metaphor through a rose’s eyes, that despite all the happenings around us there has been beauty created and it deserves our attention regardless. Maybe one day we will be regarded the same

Rose:

It is Winter

And I am cold,

I am a rose growing cold

I endure the cold, with bold

But my petals still fall,

 

The petals are my hope,

My life’s last breath,

I cling to my final petal

As it is spring’s final jest

 

The petal will fall though

And I will fall,

It is springtime’s set

And winter’s rise,

And though we treat it as a surprise

It is a time where all roses must die,

 

Though the spring abandoned it

And the winter brings its demise

The rose falls seeing the beauty of the wintertime

 

And though I must watch

As my last petals touch the earth

And though I can feel my last breath escaping

I will fall as though it were the first day of spring

For there is beauty in every season our world brings

George Boulos Hugo Final video

Make up assignment: Josh Taylor's trip to the zoo 11/27/2013

I arrived at the Houston Zoo at about 3pm to notice that there was little to nothing there. It was freezing cold and not much to enjoy due to the fact that all of the animals were sheltered away. I tried to have as much fun as possible but like I said before. There was nothing. Im lying! There was a humungous squirrel that was the size of a large beaver! I caught it eating a cheeseburger! Who knew that squirrels get that big???!

Daniel Moran

When I first enrolled in this class I would've never imagined how fun it would be. Most college students don't look forward to their next class, but that is the opposite of what I felt. I'd wake up groggy and in a bad rump but it would eventually go away. I wasn't going to the same old college classes, no it was much more than a class. This class taught me to appreciate art like traditional paintings, murals, or statues. Art also comes
When I first enrolled in this class I would've never imagined how fun it would be. Most college students don't look forward to their next class, but that is the opposite of what I felt. I'd wake up groggy and in a bad rump but it would eventually go away. I wasn't going to the same old college classes, no it was much more than a class. This class taught me to appreciate art like traditional paintings, murals, or statues. Art also comes

Attendance :D

9/20 Street art Georges Boulos Emmanuel Trejo

9/27

Public-Georges Boulos Emmanuel Trejo Josh Taylor Daniel Moran

10/04 Fist Juries-Georges Boulos Emmanuel Trejo Josh Taylor Daniel Moran

10-11 Folk-Georges Boulos Emmanuel Trejo Josh Taylor Daniel Moran

10-18 Georges Boulos Emmanuel Trejo Josh Taylor Daniel Moran (and some random guy)

10-25 folk Georges Boulos Emmanuel Trejo Josh Taylor Daniel Moran

11-1 MFA  Georges Boulos Emmanuel Trejo Josh Taylor Daniel Moran

11-08 Juries 2 Georges Boulos Emmanuel Trejo Josh Taylor Daniel Moran

11-15 Holocaust Georges Boulos Emmanuel Trejo Josh Taylor Daniel Moran

11-22 Galveston Georges Boulos Emmanuel Trejo Josh Taylor Daniel Moran

Fine Arts Museum: Josh Taylor

What to say about the Fine Arts Museum....How about AMAZING? The museum made me appreciate my religion far more than I ever have before. When we arrived at the museum, like always I was expecting something boring. Well, my view on that was completely changed immediately! I went into a deep culture shock because of the fact that I have never seen actual paintings of Lord Jesus before. I couldn't believe that someone so historically huge could be painted so visually. The paintings really told a story.

 The story that I got from them is that Jesus went through so much pain and agony just so that we as people may live a better life after death. May he forgive our sins and lead us to everlasting life. This was definitely an enormous blast of a spiritual journey for me.

 These beautiful paintings really took me by surprise!The Last Supper being put into perspective is crazy. It goes to show that everyone has a different outlook on things. The three little angels above the table are calling Jesus back to his kingdom of Heaven. They are telling him that the supper they are enjoying, will none the less be the last. So "take the bread" and "take the wine" because it is now Jesus' time. Everyone at the table has a grand purpose in life and whether its good or bad they must fulfill it.

I like this picture A LOT! I like how it shows that Jesus and God are the almighty beings and that us mortal humans are sheep while they are shepherds. God put every individual on Earth to serve a sole purpose. Those who disobey shall be punished. Sounds like normal day society right? When I came across all of these pictures in the gallery, I took a moment, stopped, and starred. The reason for that was because I have been raised and taught that God is important, but just like every other human being on Earth, I had a right to be skeptical. It wasn't until this moment that my personal skepticism was freed and I became at peace with myself.

HUGO1301: Georges

Scars and Art: A metaphor for society

Georges Boulos

Scars and Art

          What are scars? A remnant from skin, your flesh and muscle, rendered and torn, leaving nothing but some hideous deformity or discoloration in your skin once it has healed. That is a common conception. Society shows magazines with scantily clad women and men, covered in makeup, airbrushed, using only whichever camera lenses, angles and lighting make them look the absolute best. We are shown the ‘Hollywood’ version of perfection, actors and models that make up far less than one percent of the world, and we are pressured to look that way and act and dress as they do. This is the reality of our society. So how these would admires of these magazines, of this illusion of society, look at the women of the Scars Program? Would they see an operation such as a mastectomy as a lifesaving necessity or would they call it a mark on the beauty that is expected of women. Most people do not have the capacity to see scars as beautiful, to see the meaning behind the marks, and as people cannot literally or figuratively see scars with any sort of beauty, then, except to the few who make the attempt to see and expand their vision, the program will be seen in the same way.

             Our society’s vision of beauty has changed. How can we ask people to see scars as beautiful or as having a beautiful meaning if people cannot appreciate what has been considered traditionally beautiful for centuries? If not for our class and few other groups such as our being guided through then the art museum would have been largely devoid of life. People aren’t independently venturing to places, such as the museum of fine arts, to look at beautiful things. We have come to a world where we are so used to instant gratification with the use of Google and other information sights, our social media, television and the pressures it has invaded our rooms, homes and places of leisure with. It has brought us to a time where we are now quick to judge and due to the availability of information, we don’t take the time to understand. Only a few people today look at a painting, a Picasso, a Rembrandt, Monet, and don’t see beauty or value, either intrinsic or extrinsic, the rest don’t see beauty at all.

                Don’t pity the women of the Scar’s project, they are strong, have endured through constant tribulations, and made decisions that would adversely affect their lives in ways that most will never have to consider. Pity the rest of the world, the youth, my and our peers and constituents for they are the ones who are losing out in life. If I was forced to make the decision of losing a part of myself that endeared me to my peers, who are fleeting anyways in every aspect of their attachment to my life, or if I could have my eyes opened to how much beauty exists everywhere, in lighting, shading, brushstrokes, photographs, nature, the city, buildings and lack thereof, and every overlooked minuscule aspect of life, then give me the scar. Let the world think I’m deformed and give me the ability to look among that world, see what my accusers ignore as they look ill upon me, and see life and beauty.

November 15. Holocaust museum

Josh Taylor, Daniel Mora, Emmanuel Trejo, Georges Bulous

november 8

Emmnauel Trejo. Georges Boulos. Daniel Mora. Josh Taylor

Museum of fine arts Daniel Moran

Before arriving at the museum of fine art in downtown Houston i expected to see great pieces of art. The trip seemed normal like any other trip we've taken. As soon as we arrived there was amazing artwork like id never seen up close and personal. There were amazing sculptures in the outside of the museum that would blow anyones socks off.

The first piece that truly captured my eye was this Greek sculpture. Although missing both hands the level of detail in this sculpture is undescribable, for the artist in his days to achieve this it must've took weeks if not months to complete. they were modeled after Roman statues but they werent made with bronze which can oxidize and completley ruin the artists work. they were made with stones found around the area.

As we carried on through the museum The artwork everywhere just sought to capture my atention. We ended up walking through the painting gallery and my jaw dropped at some of these paintings and sketches. One could tell how precious these pieces of artwork are, not just because how beautiful they are but also its because the artist painted or sculpted what he or she wanted to do. Art is a form of expressing oneself, Abstract art leaves the mind questioning ourselves trying to figure out what the artist was going for when making that piece of art.

The Houston Experience (EMMANUEL TREJO)

Countless years of living in this great city of Houston and never have I stopped to appreciate the artistic nature that is found with it streets and walls. Every tour we took and my eyes witnessed the talents of local Houstonian.  We got to see art not found in any other corner of the world. I felt a sense of pride in my city such art is just masked by the Juggernaut of the petrochemical industry.  

            Through our venture of Houston I admired the fact that not all art is simple or is found on a mural in some five star facility, but I can be found anywhere and be anything that catches the imagination of a person. We came across a wall of collection of arts. Each section of the wall pertained to a different artist. They each depicted their own imagination. The one that caught my zeal was a top hat armadillo playing a guitar. So much work devotion had gone into the detail of the armadillo. He seemed human like in size but realistic in the detail of his appearance. The guitar was vibrant with color and well finished.

            My personal favorite spot to date was off the highway. It was a simple yet majestic center for pieces of art made of cold steel and human ingenuity. The pieces where gigantic in size and structure. Each piece appeared to weigh in the tons and the hard word and labor to build such magnificent creations is inconceivable. Every piece was a testament to the industrial might of this city. It portrayed a lighter side to the cold hearted nature of steel industry. The spider was the center of attention to me. It was very elaborate and colossal in size. 

            On our final tour we went a place more in touch with traditional art. The paintings sculptures in the art gallery all told tales of times past. Many famous artist through the ages had come to one place to show what human creativity could accomplish. Many paintings portrayed important battles or just simple portraits of important historical figures. What caught my enthusiasm was an eagle trophy celebrating the defeat of an enemy. The eagle was made of copper and made to appear made of gold. It was very impressive with the appearance that the eagle was coming to life. Such art is very rare and was truly appreciated that day.

EMMANUEL TREJO

Houston art gallery trip. November 1

                            Emmanuel Trejo,Gorges Boulos,,,Josh Taylor, Daniel Mora,