Category: Aesthetic

For early civilizations from Egypt, the Middle and Near East, and Crete, an architectural statement was their system of tombs, temples, or palaces, which varied over time due to changes in architectural styles. From the exterior, they appear strongly built, however, on the inside they had a layout of many open spaces that ranged in size. A larger number of concealed closed room-like spaces appeared claustrophobic. Moreover, in Egypt, the cult of the dead believed the more rooms you had in your burial chamber the wealthier you are, which shows that beliefs influenced Egyptian architecture. For most of these civilizations, these spaces were layered out in a regular pattern. To this day tombs, palaces, and temples still exist. However, the most repeated and used feature in the history of styles are the columns, as they originated from the classical Geek and Roman architecture.

Baumgart (1969, page 22) stated that no one truly knows when Greek architecture was invented. However, the most common assumption was that it was around the ninth century. The Greek orders are the most popular feature of Greek architecture that has been used in all kinds of architectural styles. For example, Greek architecture and Roman architecture are the styles that have been an inspiration for many future architectural styles, the Greeks focused on using columns as part of construction and Romans used them as decoration. Over the years the meaning of the columns started to change and their proportion, which originated from the human body, changed as buildings became not only habitable spaces but forms of art. This has enabled people to put aside the rules of proportion of the original Greek order and as time passes and architecture evolves, expression of art through building is seen more and more as not only architects but artists design buildings too, therefore the rules need to be bent to allow for creativity.

There are three main Greek orders the Doric (male), Ionic (female) and Corinthian (Androgynous) mainly used for building temples in Ancient Greek as usually the whole temple is surrounded by columns. They are still being used till this day, as you look around Greek architecture surrounds us.

the Greek temple starting from the space on the top there is a Pediment which is a triangular shape that is not officially part of the Greek order, sometimes filled with sculpture. Moving down there is the Entablature, which is the art of the Greek order, it’s split into the top part and the plain bottom part. The top is called the Frieze and is decorated in a specific way according to the Doric order using triglyphs and Metopes. Triglyphs meaning three is the recurring pattern of three vertical lines located in the Frieze and between the lines are the Metopes which just like Pediment are usually filled with sculptures. The Doric order started in the 7th century in the mainland of Greece. This column has no base going straight to the floor and its undecorated capital is located at the top of the column and consists of a slab that’s right underneath the Entablature, more over underneath the slab we have a simple flare. This order is the simplest one of all three. It has been referred to as the masculine column because it’s broad, quite short, and heavy looking. The column itself is also called a shaft which in the Doric order has vertical lines that have been dented, also called flutes. The ionic orders are more feminine as they look much more delicate, tall, and thinner compared to the Doric order. The most distinguished feature of the ionic order is the capital as you can see the scrolled shapes known as volutes. It also has different types of fluting and a base which is the same for the Corinthian order. The Corinthian order is much more heavily decorated at the capital than the last two Greek orders, with what looks like a wreath of leaves. They are taller than the Doric order however no one is a hundred percent sure of their origin. There is a story that talks about a girl who died at a very young age, with all of her possessions secured in a basket that was put on top of where she was buried underneath the basket a leafy plant started to grow, and with the basket having a tile on top of it resembles the Corinthian capital however no one knows if that story is a hundred percent true or just a myth.

Arches, Vaults, and Domes are also very common throughout the historical architectural styles. Arches are curved structures that are either free-standing or supporting some type of weight. Their form is pure compression without any tensions. The arches went through different forms such as the circular or also called the true arch which was common in Ancient Roman. The pointed arch was very so Gothic architecture the Parabolic arch was wider and mainly used for bridges. There are many types of arches because they were always used within styles but changed as new construction methods were discovered. Arches also led to vaults as they consist of arche though they provide a space with a ceiling or a roof. You can also have singular to multiple vaults some of which joined together becoming one bigger vault that has a mini vault within. Moreover, Domes that are quite popular in churches are rounded vaults that form the roof of a building or just a structure, usually with a base that is curricular.

Roman architecture was much larger in terms of scale than Greek architecture, including more supportive walls, domes, arches, and vaults. Moreover, the Greek order was still used however the purpose wasn’t the same as it was in Greek architecture where it was part of the construction whereas in Roman architecture it was merely used for decoration because of the new materials and constructing methods that were being used during that time allowing for bigger buildings to exists that had bigger open spaces inside them. Also developed were the engineering structures creating bridges and aqueducts. Roman architecture was a step up from the older civilization as it had things that didn’t exist before, new inventions but that is due to the discovery of new materials and methods. Just like the Greek orders Romans took the Doric, ionic and Corinthian orders but also developed two new columns that were inspired by the Greek order, creating the Roman orders. However, it wasn’t until the Renaissance that were named and official orders referred to as Tuscan and Composite which were even more plain than the Doric order. The Tuscan order is a simplified version of the Doric order. The differences are in that it has a base, but no fluting which is where you see one of the things being simplified. It’s similar in proportions however it looks much tougher than the Doric and the rest of the orders. The Composite order is a mixture of Corinthian and Ionic with the capital having both similar volutes to the ionic and leafy decoration like the Corinthian. It was never regarded as separate like the rest of the orders mainly because it was seen as a later Roman variation of the Corinthian order, but when the renaissance began, it was finally recognised as a separate order that fell into the category of Roman orders. Aside from the Roman orders the Roans also created the Superposed order which is an order that consists of columns that are spread out on the exterior of a building that has multiple floors. With Doric being at the bottom as it’s heaviest middle would be the ionic and lastly at the top it would be either the Corinthian or the composite order. This kind of order was also seen in the Renaissance.

Throughout the Early Christian and Byzantine architecture, the use of arches and vaults was kept just like in Roman architecture. One thing didn’t change and that was the use of the columns however their capitals were constantly changing. Byzantine architecture was also seen as the later Eastern Roman architecture and Byzantium was also referred to as the New Rome, later changed to Constantinople and currently called Istanbul. That specific style also really influenced medieval architecture across Europe and the Near East, later influencing the Renaissance and Ottonian architecture. Byzantine architecture was common in Rome and areas surrounding Rome and when Christianity was accepted as a primary religion in Rome just like the dead cults in Egypt influenced the architectural design the religion Christianity influenced a whole style as architects had to respond to the new religion changing the churches into two types the basilica and other church plans. The early churches were simple in design very functional and cost-efficient.

A big change was seen in Carolingian and Ottonian Architecture or other words early Romanesque architecture as their wall exteriors were plain. Just like previous styles the arches were heavily used however vaults were not so much. Moreover, columns were once again used but this time to support the building without the human proportions that were initially used for columns in the Greek order changing them even further from the classical order. Another refreshing change was that instead of domes, towers became more popular in early Christian and Byzantine architecture.

Just like in Roman architecture, Romanesque architecture was very well known for the various types of vaults that were used as well as the strong walls. Columns are once again used without its classical proportion only this time called half columns as they have completely lost the proportion they originally had.

In opposition to Greek architecture, symmetry in Early and High Gothic architecture wasn’t of great deal but there were still some Greek proportions that remained. This type of architecture was indeed very similar to Roman because it introduced new architectural elements. Unnoticed goes the increased height of the buildings. The later Gothic architecture was much improved in terms of proportions as they were clearer and more precise but moved even further away from the classical styles. It is also very rich in decorations.

The Renaissance brought back more features from classical styles, keeping the classical proportions, but just like the Roman architecture they weren’t part of the construction as much as they were important construction-wise in Greek architecture. Nevertheless, they were much smaller compared to the columns used in Roman architecture. A collection of architects in the Renaissance period came up with the Giant order which was used to extend the height of a minimum of 2 or more floors using columns.

Baroque architecture construction was carried from the Renaissance; however, it was also the early start of Neoclassical architecture which was fully brought back around the 1800-1900 centuries. This is one of the most popular types of architecture. Fairly used in Britain, in places such as London a closer example to me is the New Walk Museum in Leicester, which shows great examples of Greek symmetry and proportions. Moreover, the Neoclassical architectural style evolved in Italy and France with the base of the three Vitruvian principles of quality, beauty, and usefulness, which goes back to the Greco-Roman classic architectural style, with the help of the Italian architect Andrea Palladio was a very influential in his time. Neoclassical architecture is everywhere around us and is still being used but probably being referred to New classical architecture rather than Neoclassical.

Bibliography:

1. Baumgart, F.B (c1970). A History of Architectural Styles.
2. Kostof, S; Tobias, R; Castillo, G (1995). A history of architecture: settings and rituals.
3. Lawrence, W; Tomlinson, R. A. (1996) Greek architecture
4. Jones, M. W. (C2000) Principles of Roman architecture

Art education can also benefit mental health. While schools mainly focus on academics, the mental health of students is often left to the wayside. School can be a stressful environment for many students. It’s a critical time in human development. Human brains generally aren’t fully developed until we’re around 25, the rational part of the brain coming last. That’s why teens are so overwhelmingly emotional. They’re not thinking as much as they are feeling. Coupled with the stress of school, sleep deprivation, and new social discoveries and experiences, it can be a recipe for disaster. According to the US Department of Health and Human Services, in 2017 thirty-one percent of high school students identified as depressed or showed major signs of depression. And this is where art and creative expression can really help students. The positive effects of creative expression can often go unnoticed or overlooked in the discussion of art in schools. Art provides a creative outlet for students to express themselves. For example, while music education improves auditory skills, pattern recognition, and coordination, it also encourages student engagement within the classroom and helps build students’ self-confidence. It has also been proven that drawing and painting can greatly improve memory and problem-solving skills while creating emotional outlets for stress.

So far, we’ve talked about the emotional benefits, but what about the benefits in the classroom? Over the years, we’ve discovered many different types of learning styles. There are Visual, Aural, Verbal, Physical, Logical, Social, and Solitary to name a few. In the blanket standards of curriculum that have been placed, these styles of learning are not always taken into account, which is not in the best interest of students. As a student, I struggle to fully retain information from textbooks because I’m an Aural learner. I understand information better when it is read and explained aloud. Throughout school, I thought there was something wrong with me because no matter how many times I read the material, I couldn’t fully grasp it. Diverse learning styles are not supported by public education. It is nearly impossible to retain information when it is not taught in a way that students are able to digest. So where does art education fit in? Each one of these learning styles can be represented and implemented in an artistic environment. Let’s say you wanted to learn the violin for example. First, you’d learn how to read music by seeing (Visual) the note on the page and translating it to your instrument. Then, you’d listen (Aural) to the note to see if it’s in tune. If you were learning an instrument as part of a high school orchestra, your conductor would give you Verbal instructions on what you need to do. Learning an instrument is very Physical in the sense that you develop muscle memory in order to remember where notes are on your instrument and to associate those notes with what’s on the page. If you were a Logical thinker, you would understand the music theory behind difficult passages in your music and that would help you process and work past them. Orchestras are very Social as well as they’d force you to work together, listen, and communicate to produce a song. Lastly, you would have to practice Solitarily to fully learn the instrument as much of the learning happens individually. In representing these learning styles, art classes can be used as a reset during a student’s day. Having students participate in a creative interactive activity awakens the part of the brain that helps the student process information the best.

So, what’s the issue here? If art education is so beneficial, why is there a debate about whether it should be included in schools? We understood the importance of the arts in schools and communities since 1965 when Lyndon Johnson signed the National Endowment for the Arts. We started out with the grand idea that it’s important to support creativity and innovation in schools. So, what happened? When did we decide that nationally accepted and encouraged art programs just didn’t make the cut anymore? Well, let’s rewind back to the economic crash of 2008. Due to the rise of unemployment and lack of income, tax revenue dropped significantly. As public budgets shrunk, it caused budget cuts to roughly eighty percent of school districts. Things looked rough for schools at this point, there had to be a solution. Along came 2010 and the implementation of Common Core Education. Common Core was a set of guidelines to get students ready for college and the workforce. It did so by raising academic standards in math and language and incentivizing schools with a way to get out of the No Child Left Behind requirements. If states participated in common core, they were given the opportunity to win federal grants to fund their schools. Desperate to abide by Common Core, administrators slashed budgets in subjects that were not covered by STEM. School districts cut the funding of non-tested subjects. Music and other arts were the first to go and have been fighting for a spot at the table ever since.

The Renaissance was filled with new ideas and scientific advancements. Many of the artists and architects of the 15th through the 18th centuries employed these new forms of thought in their artwork. Mathematics gave a new perspective to art by creating lines that could deceive the eye. The developments in the science of anatomy allowed artists to give figures more realistic appearance. The invention of the printing press allowed art to be distributed to a more diverse group of people furthering the knowledge to a broader population.

During the early Renaissance, Brunelleschi, who was a goldsmith, architect, engineer, sculptor and mathematician, discovered principles of linear perspective. Using mathematics, he was able to create an illusion of three-dimensional space on a two-dimensional plane. He started with a horizontal line at a vanishing point and converged that line with other lines to make objects seem close or farther away. (Renaissance Art, n.d.) Brunelleschi was also famous for creating a massive dome for the Florence cathedral without the use of scaffolding or flying buttresses to support the weight of the structure. This technique of using mathematics to create a vanishing point and an illusion of three-dimensional space was used by many artists including Donatello, Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci, to name a few. The linear perspective draws the eye of the viewer to the focal point of the art and creates an illusion of depth. Galileo used mathematics to show structure of physical space and motion, which he showed can be mathematically analyzed. (Dauben, Joseph, n.d.) A great example of this technique was done by the artist, Raphael, in his fresco painting of School of Athens. This work of art is a depiction of the greatest thinkers of all time, with Aristotle and Plato at the center of the work.

During the Baroque period of the Renaissance, artists focused on creating more naturalistic and humanistic figures in art. The layers of muscle and bone structure of the human form was studied by the Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci, who observed physicians. Artists were also contracted to illustrate texts in the field of anatomy. (Righthand, Jess., October 18, 2020). The study of anatomy can be seen in the works of art during the Baroque period. The men and women illustrated during that period are very realistic and engaged in some movement, where the muscles are tense, drawing an emotion from the viewer. There are many examples of this understanding of the human anatomy. Bernini’s sculpture of David is the depiction of David engaging in the act of fighting with Goliath. Every muscle is tense and the facial expression is unmistakably focused on the fight. The sculpture evokes emotion within the person viewing it. (Harris, Beth and Zucker, Steven, n.d.)

Another invention important to the Renaissance was Gutenberg’s printing press. Art, literature, pamphlets and texts could now be reproduced to circulate throughout the population. No longer does the average person have to travel to see the great works of art, now the art was reproducible and could be brought to different regions more easily. The printing press was invented in Germany around 1450. It was used during the Protestant Reformation to print books and illustrated pamphlets and ultimately motivated migration to the New World. (Noble, Bonnie J., n.d). Albrecht Durer was a successful painter who created both woodcut and engravings to mechanically reproduce art to disperse ideas. Durer studied art in Italy and brought the ideas home to the North. His most famous work was Melancholia, done in 1514 as an engraving. The art depicts the personification of melancholy. The figure is brooding with all the tools to create work, the figure is experiencing writer’s block.

In conclusion, advancements in mathematics and science are evident in the artwork of the 15th through 18th centuries. Inventions and new ideas are more easily dispersed and more diverse in the depictions of paintings, sculptures and architecture. The art is more expressive and realistic, evoking emotion within the viewer. There is a greater understanding for artist and art.

Architecture’s output is a delicious recipe served on a plate that has different materials, colors, textures, purposes, and content. You simply can’t separate any of these ingredients. The purpose of architecture is not to create a monument to help elect someone or to get them on a front cover page. It is about imagining a space, visualizing form, blending it with nature, inculcating light and shadows, using new techniques, and bringing it into existence. Architecture is called the mother of all arts.

If one goes to see the travel history of architecture which has been deciphered right from the Stone Age when man took shelter in caves, and today has reached upright standing Burj Khalifa which is 829.8 m high, to 12,200 m deep borehole underground, and has been improving by connecting people, exchanging knowledge, learning new technology and making life more easier day by day.

Architecture gives birth to places on a private and public level, where people live and learn, work and play, hospitals that heal us, and houses of worship that sustain us. Its role includes the provision of services like mobility, transportation, access, and enabling people to move around. Architecture continues going through our infrastructure from bridges to public spaces and even our own city layouts.

Good design and planning speak of a well-oiled machine that allows humanity and productivity for all professions to soar. What if the hospital spaces were arranged horribly? Then, no matter how good the doctor is, the patient’s life would be in danger. Just as a doctor can’t fix the plumbing lines. Planning and designing cannot be done by an engineer the way architects do. No one’s job can be done by someone else, that’s the reason we say, “The work suits in the hands of the one skilled to do it”.

The development of society’s environment and providing vital human needs, housing, and constructing infrastructure, taking into consideration errors of the past, is the main role architecture plays in nation-building. In the process of nation-building, the preservation of society’s culture and heritage is necessary, and architecture gives this acknowledgment. Architecture is a science and an art form that easily integrates itself into every aspect of our lives. Hence, it makes sense that it plays a significant role in building a nation of inspired and empowered citizens.

By writing our fate in cement, we are erasing our fate from our soil, our land, and our ecology. Building a structure without disturbing the pre-existing nature is a big challenging task for an architect, but in return, the final product turns out to be a marvelous design. For instance, Frank Lloyd Wright’s 1935 masterpiece ‘Falling Water’, built into a hillside without disturbing its surrounding, including a waterfall that runs under it, or Renzo Piano’s California Academy of Science, well-known for its ‘living roof’, an actual garden that helps reduce building’s carbon footprints. Architecture provides a design solution to space and plays a role in achieving stability and creating consciousness and sensitivity towards enhancing nature. It encourages shaping society and presents their similarities to promote unity.

Architecture’s output provides society a reason to ponder, smile, celebrate, and be proud of the beauty of their country. For instance, ‘The Book Stop’, a pop-up library project headed by WTA architecture and design studio by Architect William Ti, the principal architect. This project is a way of bringing people together, says architect Ti. It has also been helping kids get off the streets, even just for a while. This is how architecture’s creation contributes to this little moment and helps develop a positive culture in society. Sometimes, this makes a difference in driving a nation forward. This was just an instance, the same way there are many creations of architecture, after all, the Seven Wonders of the World are also introduced as a contribution of architecture.

And in conclusion, I would like to quote the words of the architect Bernard Tschumi: “Architecture is not so much a knowledge of form, but a form of knowledge”.

Introduction

Renaissance is a name given to a period in history where many changes were witnessed in an otherwise stagnant society. It is a French word which can be construed to mean a new start or a rebirth (Klaus 4). Renaissance means many and diverse changes that happen at a given period and their end result is the change in the prevailing ways of doing things. Historically, the 12th century is taken to mean the time span between the 11th, 12th, and the 13th century. The 12th century is considered as a part of the high middle ages or the age of the Cistercians.

Varied changes especially in the social, religious, political and economic spheres of life were witnessed during this period. There was also an increase in the desire for and the perception of philosophical and scientific knowledge which was used to rejuvenate the Western Europe intellectually. In Europe, the 12th century was a time of new and more forceful outlook on life although the trend had began in late 11th century (Trinkaus 5).

Before the onset of the 12th century, small but many changes were seen in Western Europe which included changes in the fields of social organization, advent and use of technology, and the conscious and rational search for knowledge. These changes, though subtle, were continued into the 12th century at an increased pace. The people were flexible and were ready to experiment with new ideas and organizations. In addition, they were committed and determined in all their activities and spheres of their lives. There was a form of political cooperation in which the leaders were supported by the public opinion and leaders who emerged from this helped fulfill their dreams.

Historical causes of renaissance and its effects on culture

According to the Kreis (2000), people’s beliefs and desires were the main sources of power, and in extent, opportunities to lead. The public opinion became the basis on which the ability to lead was gauged and even great churchmen like St. Bernard and peter Abelard together with kings like Henry of England depended on the opinions of their subjects in order to coagulate power and become better and more influential leaders.

Charlemagne was one of the Frankish rulers in 800 and had consolidated most of the Italian territory to be under the Frankish rule. However, his death brought about lawlessness and disorder as a result of the collapse of the government. This led to the division of power between the remaining nobles and the church leaders.

Since the church leaders were the overseers, the nobles often asked them for help and in return allowed tax collection from their people by the priests. This method of cooperation needed an official body to oversee the relationship and the result was the establishment of the judicial system with judicial rights and courts. Court arbitration meant the parties had to pay some money as the court fee (Revival of the West, n.d.). The tax collection led to increment in the power of the bishops, a situation that the bishops did not like. They rebelled in order to detach themselves from the bishops’ control. They cut free and established independent government houses and largely invested in businesses. Establishment of peace led to increased growth of the stalled cities and the nobles merged with the middle class to form a new form of nobility.

Italy by then existed as fragmented groups of different independent and competing states; these states pioneered the way for the rest of Europe to move forward as they acted as an example to the rest of the European countries. The means for survival were underdeveloped up to this period in Europe. The major occupation of the people in Europe before this time was hunting and gathering, farming or looking after livestock. Due to the increased mobility and levels of thinking and reduced opposition to change, there was surplus production which led to these people being freed to engage in other activities. This resulted in the emergence of cities and towns (Classen 42).

In Europe at around 1000C.E, the peasants worked for their masters and lived in poorer conditions than their masters. They had no connection to the outside world since their owners regulated the extent of their travels. The Vikings, neighboring nobles and other raiders who often terrorized them made them choose to stay with their masters since so that they could be protected against the aggressors. The lack of movement meant that the levels of trade would decline to almost non existent levels hence a need for an action to contain the situation and ensure survival (Ralph, N.d).

The means of cultivation were also underdeveloped. The fallow method meant that only half of land could be under cultivation at any given time. The farming inputs were also not suitable for large scale production resulting to low levels of outputs. These communities were characterized by low levels of population and this affected the supply of labor and the markets (Hattedndorf & Unger 25).

There were changes in climate in the 800 which made the area warmer. This increased the lengths of the seasons leading to better harvests. Better production meant the population had more foodstuffs and this led to increase in population and the people became healthier. The increased population offered labor and markets and this resulted in more production.

With the emergence of the feudal system in Europe, a form of political stability emerged. Invasions were reducing in frequency and this helped the people to settle down and concentrate on production and reproduction leading to increased population and economic growth. The feudal system eliminated the threats caused by the Vikings and the Arabs raiders.

The changes in the agricultural methods enabled the locals to harness the full potential of the climate and the environment. The two field system was exchanged for three fields which were more economical and productive. There was also the advent of intercropping in order to re-manure the fields. This led to the increased production resulting in surplus hence the people in the towns could be fed (Benson, et al, 1991).

There was also better and more refined inputs which led to less and less time used in the field to produce the same amounts as before. The use of the larger plow led to cooperation among the small villages so as to be able to effectively share the ox teams. This form of cooperation led to the formation of communities and other social groupings.

The increase demands led to a demand for a more efficient farming method. This led to the need for a faster and more economical means of plowing and the result was the use of horses. The invention of the horse shoe and collar earlier on enabled them to work longer and at a higher speed than the ox and this led to increased production.

The advent of crossbreeding helped the farmers have stronger and faster horses for plowing (Thomson, 1998). Horses were also used for the distribution of the products in a more efficient way than before and this was made more effective by the invention of the four wheeled cart.

The emergence of the feudal system coupled with the increased agricultural production led to the development of towns. The feudal systems brought about some order and did away with the raids from the Vikings, and the Arabs; thus opening up the interior areas to mechanics of trade, while the need for a central trading place led to the development of town centers. Increased agricultural production meant that there would be enough food to support other people who lived in towns engaging in other modes of production.

This can be seen from what was happening in champagne where trade fairs were organized with the idea of exploiting the flourishing trade. The traders were charged for the use of the stores, foods, accommodation, and protection. These fairs brought together people from the surrounding areas, thus facilitating the flow of goods and information to different areas. The nobles and courts based in the areas where the fairs were held benefited from the revenues they got from the traders.

The need for more security to the traveling traders resulted in improved law and order in the surrounding areas because the leaders in these areas also wanted to attract the traders to their domains so that they could benefit from the commissions they would charge them.

The trade fair later led to settling down in permanent towns as the traders sought for more permanent bases for their trade due to the need for storage spaces.

The Flanders had towns developed as a result of the monks’ trade with the Flemish where they sold them wool which they used to start a textile industry and later led to development of towns. This also increased trade because some of the materials the company needed were not produced locally, hence the need to trade with the outsiders.

The rise of towns led to a new breed of people who are prominently towns’ men and also the rise of the use of money as the measure of value and worth hence the emergence of money based economy. This is because of the increased trade relations due to the increased security as the towns grew. The emergence of money was also instrumental in the abolishment of the feudal system; the increasing money supply destabilized the markets for the nobles and the church men and this reduced their power for they sold to their subjects their freedom for a large sum of money, thus wrecking their control over the peasants (Brentano 32).

The growing of powers of the money based economy, freeing up of the servants also called the serfs, rise in the predominant towns men and the increased powers of the king as the judge and a ruler chosen by God led to the diminishing of the hold the church had on the people as this hold was transferred to the king, with whom they formed allegiance against the nobles and the church leaders (Pater 49).

The instability of the markets led to the situation where the merchants had to do something if they wanted to remain influential. At the start, the local nobles controlled much of the trade through instituting tax on the goods to be traded. This, together with the adverse weather conditions, drove up the costs of these goods and led to the traders forming associations and coming together as a group in an effort to protect and promote trade. They also did this in order to defend their interests. They also established a standard unit of weights and measures.

The increased corruption in the churches and the decreased money in supply topped up with the decreased public support for the church led to its reform whereby the churchmen sought to separate themselves from the nobles who were using them to further their political agenda. This they did by putting themselves away from the lords and putting themselves under the pope’s power. Therefore, the church and the empire were once again in good terms for the emperors were using the church to weaken the nobles while the church saw the emperors as their protectors from the nobles (Bishop 120).

The church later separated itself from the state in an effort to seek autonomy in the appointment of bishops and election of the pope. These powers led to the churches back tracking to where they were before – into their corrupt ways.

Conclusion

All these factors led to the emergence of a new outlook to the world and a change or had an effect on how the people lived. Basically, culture is the way of life of people including their beliefs, knowledge, arts and any other capabilities acquired by men as members of the society (Renaissance: Out of the middle Ages 2010). The increased movement of people led to adoption of other people’s ways of doing things through the processes of assimilation and acculturation. This led to a change or modification of the already existing ways of doing things. Moreover, the spread of the new agricultural technologies and farming methods led to the modification of the existing practices hence a change in culture of producing only for subsistence to large scale production.

Trade changed the dependence on land and the serfs as the measure of power to the development of money based economy. The 12th century saw the development of roman art, law, architecture, Universities and the emergence of vernacular literature (Januszczak 20). This shows the development of the people thinking processes and their desire for knowledge. There was a change in the building structures made of stone, building of vaults and the carvings of monumental stone sculptures (Nauert 36).

The renaissance brought about cooperation among the people in their agricultural activities as they plowed together so as to access the improved ox plows. Cooperation was also seen in the sharing of knowledge. The sculptors, architects, traders, farmers and the artists frequently traveled and shared the knowledge they had attained bringing about conformity and uniformity to the communities through the emergence of similar ways of doing things. This can be seen in the uniformity of the shapes and modes of construction of churches and the design of the churches (Silder 101).

The forms of leadership and laws also changed with the emergence of the 12th century. There was a need for control of the emerging divisions and some kind of guidelines to dictate how the people should relate with one another. These laws were enforced by the kind of authority that was functioning at the time in certain areas. They were recognized as the ultimate authority and where not, they were ousted from power to be replaced by more legitimate authorities.

The emergence of the predominantly urban people was also the effect of the renaissance. This is where people started to live in towns with occupations that were not agricultural in nature and depended on the farming communities for the provision of the food and the agricultural products. The modes of production changed from being predominantly agricultural based to incorporate the industrial and service sector due to the emergence of institutionalized industries.

The renaissance of the12th century brought about many changes to the ways of life of the people as a group and individually. These changes led to the development of a new thought process that led to a period where the communities re-established themselves in order to accommodate these changes. This is what led to and is renaissance.

Art education can also benefit mental health. While schools mainly focus on academics, the mental health of students is often left to the wayside. School can be a stressful environment for many students. It’s a critical time in human development. Human brains generally aren’t fully developed until we’re around 25, the rational part of the brain coming last. That’s why teens are so overwhelmingly emotional. They’re not thinking as much as they are feeling. Coupled with the stress of school, sleep deprivation, and new social discoveries and experiences, it can be a recipe for disaster. According to the US Department of Health and Human Services, in 2017 thirty-one percent of high school students identified as depressed or showed major signs of depression. And this is where art and creative expression can really help students. The positive effects of creative expression can often go unnoticed or overlooked in the discussion of art in schools. Art provides a creative outlet for students to express themselves. For example, while music education improves auditory skills, pattern recognition, and coordination, it also encourages student engagement within the classroom and helps build students’ self-confidence. It has also been proven that drawing and painting can greatly improve memory and problem-solving skills while creating emotional outlets for stress.

So far, we’ve talked about the emotional benefits, but what about the benefits in the classroom? Over the years, we’ve discovered many different types of learning styles. There are Visual, Aural, Verbal, Physical, Logical, Social, and Solitary to name a few. In the blanket standards of curriculum that have been placed, these styles of learning are not always taken into account, which is not in the best interest of students. As a student, I struggle to fully retain information from textbooks because I’m an Aural learner. I understand information better when it is read and explained aloud. Throughout school, I thought there was something wrong with me because no matter how many times I read the material, I couldn’t fully grasp it. Diverse learning styles are not supported by public education. It is nearly impossible to retain information when it is not taught in a way that students are able to digest. So where does art education fit in? Each one of these learning styles can be represented and implemented in an artistic environment. Let’s say you wanted to learn the violin for example. First, you’d learn how to read music by seeing (Visual) the note on the page and translating it to your instrument. Then, you’d listen (Aural) to the note to see if it’s in tune. If you were learning an instrument as part of a high school orchestra, your conductor would give you Verbal instructions on what you need to do. Learning an instrument is very Physical in the sense that you develop muscle memory in order to remember where notes are on your instrument and to associate those notes with what’s on the page. If you were a Logical thinker, you would understand the music theory behind difficult passages in your music and that would help you process and work past them. Orchestras are very Social as well as they’d force you to work together, listen, and communicate to produce a song. Lastly, you would have to practice Solitarily to fully learn the instrument as much of the learning happens individually. In representing these learning styles, art classes can be used as a reset during a student’s day. Having students participate in a creative interactive activity awakens the part of the brain that helps the student process information the best.

So, what’s the issue here? If art education is so beneficial, why is there a debate about whether it should be included in schools? We understood the importance of the arts in schools and communities since 1965 when Lyndon Johnson signed the National Endowment for the Arts. We started out with the grand idea that it’s important to support creativity and innovation in schools. So, what happened? When did we decide that nationally accepted and encouraged art programs just didn’t make the cut anymore? Well, let’s rewind back to the economic crash of 2008. Due to the rise of unemployment and lack of income, tax revenue dropped significantly. As public budgets shrunk, it caused budget cuts to roughly eighty percent of school districts. Things looked rough for schools at this point, there had to be a solution. Along came 2010 and the implementation of Common Core Education. Common Core was a set of guidelines to get students ready for college and the workforce. It did so by raising academic standards in math and language and incentivizing schools with a way to get out of the No Child Left Behind requirements. If states participated in common core, they were given the opportunity to win federal grants to fund their schools. Desperate to abide by Common Core, administrators slashed budgets in subjects that were not covered by STEM. School districts cut the funding of non-tested subjects. Music and other arts were the first to go and have been fighting for a spot at the table ever since.

The Renaissance was filled with new ideas and scientific advancements. Many of the artists and architects of the 15th through the 18th centuries employed these new forms of thought in their artwork. Mathematics gave a new perspective to art by creating lines that could deceive the eye. The developments in the science of anatomy allowed artists to give figures more realistic appearance. The invention of the printing press allowed art to be distributed to a more diverse group of people furthering the knowledge to a broader population.

During the early Renaissance, Brunelleschi, who was a goldsmith, architect, engineer, sculptor and mathematician, discovered principles of linear perspective. Using mathematics, he was able to create an illusion of three-dimensional space on a two-dimensional plane. He started with a horizontal line at a vanishing point and converged that line with other lines to make objects seem close or farther away. (Renaissance Art, n.d.) Brunelleschi was also famous for creating a massive dome for the Florence cathedral without the use of scaffolding or flying buttresses to support the weight of the structure. This technique of using mathematics to create a vanishing point and an illusion of three-dimensional space was used by many artists including Donatello, Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci, to name a few. The linear perspective draws the eye of the viewer to the focal point of the art and creates an illusion of depth. Galileo used mathematics to show structure of physical space and motion, which he showed can be mathematically analyzed. (Dauben, Joseph, n.d.) A great example of this technique was done by the artist, Raphael, in his fresco painting of School of Athens. This work of art is a depiction of the greatest thinkers of all time, with Aristotle and Plato at the center of the work.

During the Baroque period of the Renaissance, artists focused on creating more naturalistic and humanistic figures in art. The layers of muscle and bone structure of the human form was studied by the Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci, who observed physicians. Artists were also contracted to illustrate texts in the field of anatomy. (Righthand, Jess., October 18, 2020). The study of anatomy can be seen in the works of art during the Baroque period. The men and women illustrated during that period are very realistic and engaged in some movement, where the muscles are tense, drawing an emotion from the viewer. There are many examples of this understanding of the human anatomy. Bernini’s sculpture of David is the depiction of David engaging in the act of fighting with Goliath. Every muscle is tense and the facial expression is unmistakably focused on the fight. The sculpture evokes emotion within the person viewing it. (Harris, Beth and Zucker, Steven, n.d.)

Another invention important to the Renaissance was Gutenberg’s printing press. Art, literature, pamphlets and texts could now be reproduced to circulate throughout the population. No longer does the average person have to travel to see the great works of art, now the art was reproducible and could be brought to different regions more easily. The printing press was invented in Germany around 1450. It was used during the Protestant Reformation to print books and illustrated pamphlets and ultimately motivated migration to the New World. (Noble, Bonnie J., n.d). Albrecht Durer was a successful painter who created both woodcut and engravings to mechanically reproduce art to disperse ideas. Durer studied art in Italy and brought the ideas home to the North. His most famous work was Melancholia, done in 1514 as an engraving. The art depicts the personification of melancholy. The figure is brooding with all the tools to create work, the figure is experiencing writer’s block.

In conclusion, advancements in mathematics and science are evident in the artwork of the 15th through 18th centuries. Inventions and new ideas are more easily dispersed and more diverse in the depictions of paintings, sculptures and architecture. The art is more expressive and realistic, evoking emotion within the viewer. There is a greater understanding for artist and art.

Introduction

Renaissance is a name given to a period in history where many changes were witnessed in an otherwise stagnant society. It is a French word which can be construed to mean a new start or a rebirth (Klaus 4). Renaissance means many and diverse changes that happen at a given period and their end result is the change in the prevailing ways of doing things. Historically, the 12th century is taken to mean the time span between the 11th, 12th, and the 13th century. The 12th century is considered as a part of the high middle ages or the age of the Cistercians.

Varied changes especially in the social, religious, political and economic spheres of life were witnessed during this period. There was also an increase in the desire for and the perception of philosophical and scientific knowledge which was used to rejuvenate the Western Europe intellectually. In Europe, the 12th century was a time of new and more forceful outlook on life although the trend had began in late 11th century (Trinkaus 5).

Before the onset of the 12th century, small but many changes were seen in Western Europe which included changes in the fields of social organization, advent and use of technology, and the conscious and rational search for knowledge. These changes, though subtle, were continued into the 12th century at an increased pace. The people were flexible and were ready to experiment with new ideas and organizations. In addition, they were committed and determined in all their activities and spheres of their lives. There was a form of political cooperation in which the leaders were supported by the public opinion and leaders who emerged from this helped fulfill their dreams.

Historical causes of renaissance and its effects on culture

According to the Kreis (2000), people’s beliefs and desires were the main sources of power, and in extent, opportunities to lead. The public opinion became the basis on which the ability to lead was gauged and even great churchmen like St. Bernard and peter Abelard together with kings like Henry of England depended on the opinions of their subjects in order to coagulate power and become better and more influential leaders.

Charlemagne was one of the Frankish rulers in 800 and had consolidated most of the Italian territory to be under the Frankish rule. However, his death brought about lawlessness and disorder as a result of the collapse of the government. This led to the division of power between the remaining nobles and the church leaders.

Since the church leaders were the overseers, the nobles often asked them for help and in return allowed tax collection from their people by the priests. This method of cooperation needed an official body to oversee the relationship and the result was the establishment of the judicial system with judicial rights and courts. Court arbitration meant the parties had to pay some money as the court fee (Revival of the West, n.d.). The tax collection led to increment in the power of the bishops, a situation that the bishops did not like. They rebelled in order to detach themselves from the bishops’ control. They cut free and established independent government houses and largely invested in businesses. Establishment of peace led to increased growth of the stalled cities and the nobles merged with the middle class to form a new form of nobility.

Italy by then existed as fragmented groups of different independent and competing states; these states pioneered the way for the rest of Europe to move forward as they acted as an example to the rest of the European countries. The means for survival were underdeveloped up to this period in Europe. The major occupation of the people in Europe before this time was hunting and gathering, farming or looking after livestock. Due to the increased mobility and levels of thinking and reduced opposition to change, there was surplus production which led to these people being freed to engage in other activities. This resulted in the emergence of cities and towns (Classen 42).

In Europe at around 1000C.E, the peasants worked for their masters and lived in poorer conditions than their masters. They had no connection to the outside world since their owners regulated the extent of their travels. The Vikings, neighboring nobles and other raiders who often terrorized them made them choose to stay with their masters since so that they could be protected against the aggressors. The lack of movement meant that the levels of trade would decline to almost non existent levels hence a need for an action to contain the situation and ensure survival (Ralph, N.d).

The means of cultivation were also underdeveloped. The fallow method meant that only half of land could be under cultivation at any given time. The farming inputs were also not suitable for large scale production resulting to low levels of outputs. These communities were characterized by low levels of population and this affected the supply of labor and the markets (Hattedndorf & Unger 25).

There were changes in climate in the 800 which made the area warmer. This increased the lengths of the seasons leading to better harvests. Better production meant the population had more foodstuffs and this led to increase in population and the people became healthier. The increased population offered labor and markets and this resulted in more production.

With the emergence of the feudal system in Europe, a form of political stability emerged. Invasions were reducing in frequency and this helped the people to settle down and concentrate on production and reproduction leading to increased population and economic growth. The feudal system eliminated the threats caused by the Vikings and the Arabs raiders.

The changes in the agricultural methods enabled the locals to harness the full potential of the climate and the environment. The two field system was exchanged for three fields which were more economical and productive. There was also the advent of intercropping in order to re-manure the fields. This led to the increased production resulting in surplus hence the people in the towns could be fed (Benson, et al, 1991).

There was also better and more refined inputs which led to less and less time used in the field to produce the same amounts as before. The use of the larger plow led to cooperation among the small villages so as to be able to effectively share the ox teams. This form of cooperation led to the formation of communities and other social groupings.

The increase demands led to a demand for a more efficient farming method. This led to the need for a faster and more economical means of plowing and the result was the use of horses. The invention of the horse shoe and collar earlier on enabled them to work longer and at a higher speed than the ox and this led to increased production.

The advent of crossbreeding helped the farmers have stronger and faster horses for plowing (Thomson, 1998). Horses were also used for the distribution of the products in a more efficient way than before and this was made more effective by the invention of the four wheeled cart.

The emergence of the feudal system coupled with the increased agricultural production led to the development of towns. The feudal systems brought about some order and did away with the raids from the Vikings, and the Arabs; thus opening up the interior areas to mechanics of trade, while the need for a central trading place led to the development of town centers. Increased agricultural production meant that there would be enough food to support other people who lived in towns engaging in other modes of production.

This can be seen from what was happening in champagne where trade fairs were organized with the idea of exploiting the flourishing trade. The traders were charged for the use of the stores, foods, accommodation, and protection. These fairs brought together people from the surrounding areas, thus facilitating the flow of goods and information to different areas. The nobles and courts based in the areas where the fairs were held benefited from the revenues they got from the traders.

The need for more security to the traveling traders resulted in improved law and order in the surrounding areas because the leaders in these areas also wanted to attract the traders to their domains so that they could benefit from the commissions they would charge them.

The trade fair later led to settling down in permanent towns as the traders sought for more permanent bases for their trade due to the need for storage spaces.

The Flanders had towns developed as a result of the monks’ trade with the Flemish where they sold them wool which they used to start a textile industry and later led to development of towns. This also increased trade because some of the materials the company needed were not produced locally, hence the need to trade with the outsiders.

The rise of towns led to a new breed of people who are prominently towns’ men and also the rise of the use of money as the measure of value and worth hence the emergence of money based economy. This is because of the increased trade relations due to the increased security as the towns grew. The emergence of money was also instrumental in the abolishment of the feudal system; the increasing money supply destabilized the markets for the nobles and the church men and this reduced their power for they sold to their subjects their freedom for a large sum of money, thus wrecking their control over the peasants (Brentano 32).

The growing of powers of the money based economy, freeing up of the servants also called the serfs, rise in the predominant towns men and the increased powers of the king as the judge and a ruler chosen by God led to the diminishing of the hold the church had on the people as this hold was transferred to the king, with whom they formed allegiance against the nobles and the church leaders (Pater 49).

The instability of the markets led to the situation where the merchants had to do something if they wanted to remain influential. At the start, the local nobles controlled much of the trade through instituting tax on the goods to be traded. This, together with the adverse weather conditions, drove up the costs of these goods and led to the traders forming associations and coming together as a group in an effort to protect and promote trade. They also did this in order to defend their interests. They also established a standard unit of weights and measures.

The increased corruption in the churches and the decreased money in supply topped up with the decreased public support for the church led to its reform whereby the churchmen sought to separate themselves from the nobles who were using them to further their political agenda. This they did by putting themselves away from the lords and putting themselves under the pope’s power. Therefore, the church and the empire were once again in good terms for the emperors were using the church to weaken the nobles while the church saw the emperors as their protectors from the nobles (Bishop 120).

The church later separated itself from the state in an effort to seek autonomy in the appointment of bishops and election of the pope. These powers led to the churches back tracking to where they were before – into their corrupt ways.

Conclusion

All these factors led to the emergence of a new outlook to the world and a change or had an effect on how the people lived. Basically, culture is the way of life of people including their beliefs, knowledge, arts and any other capabilities acquired by men as members of the society (Renaissance: Out of the middle Ages 2010). The increased movement of people led to adoption of other people’s ways of doing things through the processes of assimilation and acculturation. This led to a change or modification of the already existing ways of doing things. Moreover, the spread of the new agricultural technologies and farming methods led to the modification of the existing practices hence a change in culture of producing only for subsistence to large scale production.

Trade changed the dependence on land and the serfs as the measure of power to the development of money based economy. The 12th century saw the development of roman art, law, architecture, Universities and the emergence of vernacular literature (Januszczak 20). This shows the development of the people thinking processes and their desire for knowledge. There was a change in the building structures made of stone, building of vaults and the carvings of monumental stone sculptures (Nauert 36).

The renaissance brought about cooperation among the people in their agricultural activities as they plowed together so as to access the improved ox plows. Cooperation was also seen in the sharing of knowledge. The sculptors, architects, traders, farmers and the artists frequently traveled and shared the knowledge they had attained bringing about conformity and uniformity to the communities through the emergence of similar ways of doing things. This can be seen in the uniformity of the shapes and modes of construction of churches and the design of the churches (Silder 101).

The forms of leadership and laws also changed with the emergence of the 12th century. There was a need for control of the emerging divisions and some kind of guidelines to dictate how the people should relate with one another. These laws were enforced by the kind of authority that was functioning at the time in certain areas. They were recognized as the ultimate authority and where not, they were ousted from power to be replaced by more legitimate authorities.

The emergence of the predominantly urban people was also the effect of the renaissance. This is where people started to live in towns with occupations that were not agricultural in nature and depended on the farming communities for the provision of the food and the agricultural products. The modes of production changed from being predominantly agricultural based to incorporate the industrial and service sector due to the emergence of institutionalized industries.

The renaissance of the12th century brought about many changes to the ways of life of the people as a group and individually. These changes led to the development of a new thought process that led to a period where the communities re-established themselves in order to accommodate these changes. This is what led to and is renaissance.

Architecture’s output is a delicious recipe served on a plate that has different materials, colors, textures, purposes, and content. You simply can’t separate any of these ingredients. The purpose of architecture is not to create a monument to help elect someone or to get them on a front cover page. It is about imagining a space, visualizing form, blending it with nature, inculcating light and shadows, using new techniques, and bringing it into existence. Architecture is called the mother of all arts.

If one goes to see the travel history of architecture which has been deciphered right from the Stone Age when man took shelter in caves, and today has reached upright standing Burj Khalifa which is 829.8 m high, to 12,200 m deep borehole underground, and has been improving by connecting people, exchanging knowledge, learning new technology and making life more easier day by day.

Architecture gives birth to places on a private and public level, where people live and learn, work and play, hospitals that heal us, and houses of worship that sustain us. Its role includes the provision of services like mobility, transportation, access, and enabling people to move around. Architecture continues going through our infrastructure from bridges to public spaces and even our own city layouts.

Good design and planning speak of a well-oiled machine that allows humanity and productivity for all professions to soar. What if the hospital spaces were arranged horribly? Then, no matter how good the doctor is, the patient’s life would be in danger. Just as a doctor can’t fix the plumbing lines. Planning and designing cannot be done by an engineer the way architects do. No one’s job can be done by someone else, that’s the reason we say, “The work suits in the hands of the one skilled to do it”.

The development of society’s environment and providing vital human needs, housing, and constructing infrastructure, taking into consideration errors of the past, is the main role architecture plays in nation-building. In the process of nation-building, the preservation of society’s culture and heritage is necessary, and architecture gives this acknowledgment. Architecture is a science and an art form that easily integrates itself into every aspect of our lives. Hence, it makes sense that it plays a significant role in building a nation of inspired and empowered citizens.

By writing our fate in cement, we are erasing our fate from our soil, our land, and our ecology. Building a structure without disturbing the pre-existing nature is a big challenging task for an architect, but in return, the final product turns out to be a marvelous design. For instance, Frank Lloyd Wright’s 1935 masterpiece ‘Falling Water’, built into a hillside without disturbing its surrounding, including a waterfall that runs under it, or Renzo Piano’s California Academy of Science, well-known for its ‘living roof’, an actual garden that helps reduce building’s carbon footprints. Architecture provides a design solution to space and plays a role in achieving stability and creating consciousness and sensitivity towards enhancing nature. It encourages shaping society and presents their similarities to promote unity.

Architecture’s output provides society a reason to ponder, smile, celebrate, and be proud of the beauty of their country. For instance, ‘The Book Stop’, a pop-up library project headed by WTA architecture and design studio by Architect William Ti, the principal architect. This project is a way of bringing people together, says architect Ti. It has also been helping kids get off the streets, even just for a while. This is how architecture’s creation contributes to this little moment and helps develop a positive culture in society. Sometimes, this makes a difference in driving a nation forward. This was just an instance, the same way there are many creations of architecture, after all, the Seven Wonders of the World are also introduced as a contribution of architecture.

And in conclusion, I would like to quote the words of the architect Bernard Tschumi: “Architecture is not so much a knowledge of form, but a form of knowledge”.

My aesthetic experience is about the World of Coca-Cola Museum in Atlanta, Georgia. This is a museum that showcases the history of the Coca-Cola company dating back to 1886. During this time, a pharmacist by the name Pemberton from Atlanta created a soft drink that became popular. The museum relocated into its present facilities, the Pemberton Place, in 2007 (World of Coca-Cola, n.d). In this paper I will share my experience at the museum, my evaluation, and interpretation of the quality of what I encountered, and the relation of my encounter to the subject matter of the course.

The Facts, Evaluation and Interpretation of My Encounter

I was happy to have the chance to explore the fascinating history of my favorite beverage brand Coca-Cola on a Friday afternoon. I generated my ticket from the e-ticket kiosk and was ready for the unique experience. In the waiting area, I could hear some of my favorite Coca-Cola jingles through the speakers, which held my attention as I looked at other displays in the room. At the center of the lobby is an international display of seven sculpted wooden bottles, each depicting a different country. When my turn came to visit the exhibits, only the first 15 minutes were guided. A brief history of the Coca-Cola company was told, and I got the chance to peruse through several souvenirs. My next stop was into the fascinating screening of ‘The Happiness Factory’, a documentary about the making of Coke. After the movie was over, it was time to enter ‘The Hub’. My face lightened up when I met the infamous Coca-Cola polar bear, and I stopped for a minute to take a photo with him. The next stop was the ‘Taste It’ exhibits where guests get the chance to taste more than 60 different Coke products from around the world. Each tasting station was separated by continent. I was thrilled to see that Japan had a veggie flavor, which was quite tasty. Next up was the vault, where the ‘secret formula’ for coke is supposedly under lock and key. This secret formula has been guarded since Pemberton created it in the 19th century (World of Coca-Cola, n.d). Next was the ‘Milestones of Refreshment’ exhibit, which is a bunch of memorabilia from Coke’s branding and marketing over the years. I then stopped at the bottle works where I got a glance of the bottling process. A bottle of coke is available for all guests and is picked at the exit. I also visited the massive museum’s souvenir shop, where I got my younger sibling, a Coca-Cola branded polar bear. With that unique experience, I was ready to head home.

Evaluation and Interpretation

From a first-time visitor point of view, the World of Coca-Cola Museum is an exciting place. Apart from the impacting visuals created by some such as paintings and bottles, the cultural aspects inspired me significantly. In my interpretation, the Museum is all about showcasing to the customers and to the world, what has inspired Coca-Cola and its taste. It is not a promotion of art but the use of art to promote the company.

Relation of My Encounter to the Subject Matter of the Course

Through my aesthetic experience at the museum, I was able to immerse myself in visual art. Some of the art present at the museum include the sculpted wooded bottles at the lobby representing different countries, a stature of Pemberton mixing coke ingredients in a bowl, hand-carved bottles by David Olyman, and other artistic drawings on the walls. Through the course, I have learned how to perceive and interpret art. The two stages are generating a global impression of art and aesthetic processing (Bell, 2017). The first process included my first impression of the art. This revolved around the elements of art, namely, line, color, texture, space, light, and shape (National Gallery of Art, n.d). The second process was to develop an aesthetic appreciation of the work. This process expanded my knowledge concerning the work’s compositional features and organization.

Conclusion

Visiting the World of Coca-Cola Museum presented me with a unique aesthetic experience. Some of the experienced include an international display of seven sculpted wooden bottles, a stature of Pemberton, hand-carved bottles by David Olyman, the pop culture gallery, and drawings on the wall. This encounter made me immerse myself in various works of visual art.

References

1. Bell David R. (2017) Aesthetic encounters and learning in the museum. Educational Philosophy and Theory, 49(8), 776-787, DOI: 10.1080/00131857.2016.1214899. Retrieved from https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00131857.2016.1214899
2. National Gallery of Art (n.d.). The Elements of Art. Retrieved from https://www.nga.gov/education/teachers/lessons-activities/elements-of-art.html
3. World of Coca-Cola (n.d.). Explore Inside. Retrieved from https://www.worldofcoca-cola.com/explore/