October 13, 2004

  • I want to live on an island in the Aegean sea in 1500 BC. I want to live on Thera. We just studied ancient Aegean cultures in Art History, and I found something about Minoan art that attracted me- something about the way it portrayed their lifestyle. (and I was surprised because Greek art has always made me think that they were hedonist pigs- Minoan art is very different from Greek art) I want to be a Minoan fresco painter.

    Now for those of you who know anything about the Minoans and about my personality, you would know that there is some major conlfict there. My teacher called them the hippies of the ancient world. Perhaps if I studied them in more depth, I would be repulsed, but as of now, they have shockingly won me over.

    What I liked so much about these frescos is how graceful and hopeful they are. This was a part of the world that was both tragic and beautiful. You have earthquakes, volcanos, tidal waves, famine, etc, but at the same time you have a sea so clean you can sea the bottom- you have beatiful mountain island paradises. Which did they dwell on? The beautiful. The simple. The optimistic. (I notice a similar thing in Polynesiac culture . . . those island people have so much faith and optimism)

    Minoan art is very hopeful. It portrays calm domestic scenes and nature. They created the first landscape (it looks like it inspired Dr. Suess). It is just so quaint and peaceful. The way they painted their life was so real it made me want to be part of it. I suppose that is the power of art, because one would think that I would be repulsed by a people who were so protective of nature, who glorified the human body, who were so peaceful they didn't even prepare for war, etc, etc. I mean come on, these are liberal things! Maybe it was even this "hippie" culture that created the foundation for later Greek hedonist and their obsession with the glorification of man.

    Maybe I am changing.

    (sorry for the lecture in history)

Comments (10)

  • i love history! dude, i think greek and roman and minoan  culture is so fascinating...cool stuff

  • oh! the spring fresco is what you are talking about when you talk about dr. suess, right? if not, you should check it out! Minoan art is so beautiful, I agree-there is a grace about it...I really like the Bull leaping and flotilla frecoes-it is so tragic that we have so little of their art and architecture left-they are such an interesting culture! sorry for the added art history lesson, but I guess since it is my major...lol! Cheers!

  • fun stuff! ;)

    hope you find success in whatever you do! I've seen your art work online (your family web page..) and i think they're way awesome! good work.

  • just browin lds blogring thingys.  so yea, i just like to talk to ppl.  um cheek out my xanga.  it boring, but thats ok!

    gabster

  • I love art. I love history. It's all good man.

  • dude i love u!  and i get the pleasure of seeing ur lovely face on a regular basis... what a lucky girl i am!

  • The Minoan civilization was on the island of Crete and thousands of years later, in the 1960's, hippies made homes in the caves on the south side of the island. I "stayed" in such a cave on Santorini, on the side of the cauldron. Of course my cave was furnished, had running water, and had natural air conditioning. When I sat on the stone patio, an old man on a donkey would pass on his way to Thira, the main city. Stunning views. You must go to Greece. cho

  • hey!!...go to "swishcheney"s xanga site...and give him a big welcome will ya?...its my big bro. -me-

  • found ur site thru the stevenson blog. im a freshman there.. yea so we just learned about minoan culture in world history.. aint that crazy??

    ~ALex~

  • How old are you?

    I'm thinking you're 20ish, but if you were 20ish you would be on your mission, and I'm thinking you're closer to being an RM than a preemie. 

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