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Monday, March 24, 2014

Episode 99: UVU's Possible BA in Art History

Recently Julia and Lauren met with Dr. Steven Bule and Associate Professor Courtney Davis to talk about the Bachelor of Arts in Art History that is in the works at UVU.

Utah Valley University

Tuesday, March 18, 2014

Episode 98: A&F Top 10 Churches




This week Carrie and Alisha list their Top 10 churches in an eclectic tour of the world.

Number 1: Crystal Cathedral (Christ's Cathedral)



The Crystal Cathedral, is known as Christ’s Cathedral
This modern beauty is a sight to behold in California. Designed by Philip Johnson in 1981, it is one of the largest glass buildings in the world!

We proudly award this church: Best Bling



Number 2: Salt Cathedral in Wieliczka Salt Mine, Poland



Yes that’s right, we said SALT Cathedral! This flavorful mine has an actual cathedral located inside, carved out of the walls of the mine. Life size statues and chandeliers of rock salt decorate the mine.

This cathedral earns the award of: Most Edible, yummm!

 In case you were looking for other buildings you can lick, here is a link for you:

 

Number 3: San Diego LDS Temple





This picturesque temple belongs to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and is located in San Diego. By day the temple seems to sit like a delicate cloud on the beautiful manicured grounds. The stark white exterior lights up when the sun goes down and looks like a halo in the middle of the city!


We bestow upon this temple the award of: Most Heavenly


Number 4: Washington National Cathedral




While part of the cathedral was under construction in the 80’s, a contest was held for school children to design Gargoyles and Grotesques to adorn the towers. One of the winners was Christopher Rader and his Darth Vader drawing, and then turned into a sculpture by Patrick J. Plunkett


Most Sci-Fi award we grant this


Number 5: Santuario de Las Lajas (The Shrine of Our Lady of Las Lajas) Columbia


The Shrine of Our Lady of Las Lajas
This Neo-Romanesque masterpiece was designed by the architects J. Gualberto Perez and Lucindo Espinosa and built between 1916 and 1949

We give this one the award of: Most Epic!


Number 6: Svyato-Spassky Convent in Kostomarovo 



Two churches are located in these caves, a Spassky temple and a smaller St. Seraphin Sarovsky church.  These churches dig deep into the cliff to provide surprisingly open interiors. These churches were also built as a way to protect parishioners in case of sieges or attacks

This cleverly disguised location earns it the Best Camouflage Award

 


Number 7: Hallgrimur Church, Iceland




This tall glass of water was designed by Guðjón Samúelsson who found inspiration from the basalt lava flows found throughout Iceland. The church is 244 feet tall.

We give this beauty the award of: Tall Awesomeness 



Number 8: Musée Le Secq des Tournelles, France




An ancient church turned museum of antique ornamental wrought iron? Talk about a dream come true! This church now houses a collection of wrought iron amassed by Jean-Louis-Henri Le Secq des Tournelles who was one of France’s leading architectural photographers to the 19th Century.


This amazing museum/church is granted the Sweet Transformation award


Number 9: Mont Saint-Michel


This miraculous monastery fortress is located on a tidal island in Normandy. The city plan of the island is based on the medieval feudal system, with God (the monastery) at the top, then the great halls, then shops and stores, and without the walls, the farms.

Obviously we have awarded this one: The most medieval town on an island looking!


Number 10: Süleymaniye Mosque in Istanbul



This amazing mosque houses the tombs of the Sultan Süleyman his wife Roxelana.
Roxelana was a highly influential and powerful woman in her day.

We give this Mosque the award for Inspiring Carrie’s future interior design projects!


Thanks for joining us today! Come back next week for Julia and Alisha's episode on Fairy Painting.
Have a great week!

Tuesday, March 4, 2014

Episode 97: Irish and Celtic Art



Happy St. Patrick's Day one and all! This episode focuses on the rich history of Irish and Celtic art. You may not know this, but there is more to Celtic art than just the color green, leprechauns, and the four leaf clover. Irish and Celtic art is full of intricate patterns and symbols. Its' art tells many wonderful stories and is beautiful in its own unique way.

There are four main identifiable patterns in Insular Art: Spiral, Key, interlace and knot work, and zoomorhic images. You will see these designs in almost all Celtic and Irish art especially in the High Crosses, and Book of Kells.
Zoomorphic Image
Key Design

Spiral Design

Irish Knotwork



 The Irish Trinity Knot has several meaning to many different people. To the Christians, it represents the Godhead: Father, Son and Holy Ghost. To the Pagans, it can represent the three main earthly elements being earth, wind, and fire.


Trinity Knot




 he Claddagh ring has a rich history with a heart warming love story. The heart symbolizes love, the hands symbolize friendship and the crown symbolizes fidelity. This ring has a very specific way of being worn and can identify a persons relationship status.


Claddagh Ring


 These crosses can be up to 20 feet high. They are filled with detailed designs and will be found in many mosque courtyards and cemeteries. They show the intermingling designs of pagan Celtic art and early Christian Insular art.

High Cross of Muiredach

The Book of Kells is perhaps one of the most celebrated books in all of history. It contains hundreds of full-page illuminations which are often painted with gold. It is essentially a book of illustrations. This particular page from the book is the opening page to the gospel of Saint Matthew. It is the initial letters of Christ's name in Greek. This page literally reads: "Now this is how the birth of Christ came about."

 
Chi-Rho-Iota, from the Book of Kells
Zoomorphic Design
We hope you enjoyed this episode. We will have a Bonus Episode going up next week with Dr. Bule and Courtney Davis from the School of the Arts at UVU with some exciting information about the future of our Art History program! See you next week.