Classes start tomorrow at WFU and HPU, so we've designated it as b-t-s day for Stratford Grammar School too. The schedule is still sort of in flux, but Dagfari is auditing an art history class at WFU this semester, and he'll go to the first class tomorrow. He's very excited about it, if a little apprehensive. I'm very happy that he'll have access to someone who knows more than he does about art history.
The WFU class meets MWF, so we aren't scheduling too many other classes until we get a feel for how much time the reading will take. Of course, D will still get at least one Albanian lesson per week by default. And we're hoping our lit tutor can fit us in again this semester. We're also going to force D to keep doing Teaching Textbooks Math 7, preferably with one of his homeschool friends.
Dagfari has been doing a lot of art again lately. This week it's been pastel chalk still lifes of pottery vases. They're quite nice, IMO, but of course the artist is unsatisfied with most of them.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Monday, August 17, 2009
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Upon Being Asked to Clean His Room...
Dagfari wrote a little essay, from which this is excerpted:
"The creation of art and literature are not to be countered by rules of cleanliness. The current home-school environment is not to be used as an excuse for the unlawful destruction of artistic or educational work-spaces. This should allow the student to move with complete freedom from one certified work-space to another. In other words, the education and enrichment of the members of this household is of greater importance than the enforcement of arbitrary rules of cleanliness.
Therefore, in the course of cleaning, this enrichment is still to be respected. The process of tidying should enhance it. The cleaning experience should be educational. This is the responsibility of the government, to step away from the current approach to sanitary enforcement. "
And so on. And he wonders why I give him the "just wait until you have kids of your own" speech at least once per week.
Thursday, August 13, 2009
American Art, Ballet Blues
Summer camp season came to an abrupt end last week, as Dagfari bailed on NCSA ballet camp after two days. Five solid hours of nothing but dancing was not his cup of tea, and it didn't help that he was once again the only boy there. NCSA is a pre-professional program, and, as D put it, "They make you feel like ballet has to be the most important thing in your life." Which is does, if you want to be a professional dancer. But Dagfari doesn't. D's teacher from last year told us we really needed to put him in the ballet prep program, but I think it's clear that this would not be a good fit.
Everyone says that it's great to be a boy in ballet, since boys are scarce. I guess this is true if you're a boy who is very serious about ballet. But the downside, we've found, is that a boy who's even mildly talented will find it hard to pursue a casual interest. If Dagfari were a girl, no one would be pushing him ahead into advanced classes or mentioning a professional career!
At any rate, he now wants to take a break from ballet this fall. I hate to see him quit completely, but I can understand why he feels the way he does.
The July Writing Adventures camp at Reynolda House Musem was more successful. Dagfari didn't love every aspect (especially not the group writing activities-- can't blame him!), but ended up having a good experience. The teachers were good and the museum staff were happy to have a kid who was so intensely interested in art. Many of the Reynolda House staff know him on sight now, which he hopes will serve him well when he goes looking for an internship in a few years.
ProfDad and I are hurtling toward the fall semester now, and there are some interesting things in the works for Stratford Grammar School too!
Everyone says that it's great to be a boy in ballet, since boys are scarce. I guess this is true if you're a boy who is very serious about ballet. But the downside, we've found, is that a boy who's even mildly talented will find it hard to pursue a casual interest. If Dagfari were a girl, no one would be pushing him ahead into advanced classes or mentioning a professional career!
At any rate, he now wants to take a break from ballet this fall. I hate to see him quit completely, but I can understand why he feels the way he does.
The July Writing Adventures camp at Reynolda House Musem was more successful. Dagfari didn't love every aspect (especially not the group writing activities-- can't blame him!), but ended up having a good experience. The teachers were good and the museum staff were happy to have a kid who was so intensely interested in art. Many of the Reynolda House staff know him on sight now, which he hopes will serve him well when he goes looking for an internship in a few years.
ProfDad and I are hurtling toward the fall semester now, and there are some interesting things in the works for Stratford Grammar School too!
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Summer 09
I'm not quite sure how it got to be July already, but here we are. SGS is in summer session, which means that Dagfari gets to spend time at his old school doing some day camps. This year it's been all movie-making camps with the longsuffering Mrs. M., who takes 18 kids and makes a semi-coherent movie with them in the space of a week. The results are quite entertaining, if you're the parent of one of said kids. D is doing his third and last week this week. Then we have few weeks off (i.e. Albanian and Library Camp). At the end of July D is doing a camp at Reynolda House. I think he's planning on using the opportunity to lobby for an internship.
Dagfari rounds out the summer with two weeks at UNCSA Ballet Camp. If he likes it and they like him, he'll probably audition for their Ballet Prep program in the fall. His teacher at WFU strongly encouraged us to transfer him there. I'm still a bit wary-- a pre-professional program??I just planned on using ballet as homeschool P.E., since D hates team sports. So I figure the summer camp is a good way to test the waters.
No real vacations planned for this summer, since we're ripping off the back of our house for a remodel/addition. We did spend the better part of a week in Charlottesville last month. Dagfari and ProfDad had a good time bopping around Monticello and UVA while I was in RBMS meetings.
Dagfari is still updating his art website this summer. Scroll down for some previews of coming exhibits.
And if you need to track us down this summer, we're probably at the pool or Home Depot.
Dagfari rounds out the summer with two weeks at UNCSA Ballet Camp. If he likes it and they like him, he'll probably audition for their Ballet Prep program in the fall. His teacher at WFU strongly encouraged us to transfer him there. I'm still a bit wary-- a pre-professional program??I just planned on using ballet as homeschool P.E., since D hates team sports. So I figure the summer camp is a good way to test the waters.
No real vacations planned for this summer, since we're ripping off the back of our house for a remodel/addition. We did spend the better part of a week in Charlottesville last month. Dagfari and ProfDad had a good time bopping around Monticello and UVA while I was in RBMS meetings.
Dagfari is still updating his art website this summer. Scroll down for some previews of coming exhibits.
And if you need to track us down this summer, we're probably at the pool or Home Depot.
Friday, April 10, 2009
Spring 09
I've gotten behind, as usual. Have been spending most of my home screen time helping Dagfari with his new website: http://sites.google.com/site/dagfariproject/ . He provides all the content, but I was doing the formatting, etc. at first. But he's catching on very quickly and now does most of the updates all by himself. So I figure we can add Website Design to our list of spring classes.
It's been a very busy and somewhat stressful semester for ProfDad and me, so we've pretty much outsourced all of D's formal classwork this spring. Which has actually worked out great. He's making good progress in Latin, taking two ballet classes per week (had to give up on the violin idea, since there really wasn't time), and learning some basic computer programming in Scratch with a HPU student.
He's also started tutoring sessions in literature. We were lucky to find a master teacher who is now a stay-at-home dad and part-time tutor. He and Dagfari are starting with the KJV old testament. This has been interesting, although the content is kind of questionable. For example, today D is reading Judges, and he asked me what was the point of the story about the Levite and his concubine (Judges 19, if you're interested). The point, as far as I can see, is that life in the Bronze Age really sucked, especially if you were female. I'm hoping Mr. B can offer more in the way of literary/historical context!
In his spare time, D is putting up art exhibits in his bedroom and writing a script for a film he's planning to make with two of his friends this summer.
We made a (long-overdue, in D's opinion) trip to New York last month and spent four days at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Whew. And now he's asking when we can go back...
It's been a very busy and somewhat stressful semester for ProfDad and me, so we've pretty much outsourced all of D's formal classwork this spring. Which has actually worked out great. He's making good progress in Latin, taking two ballet classes per week (had to give up on the violin idea, since there really wasn't time), and learning some basic computer programming in Scratch with a HPU student.
He's also started tutoring sessions in literature. We were lucky to find a master teacher who is now a stay-at-home dad and part-time tutor. He and Dagfari are starting with the KJV old testament. This has been interesting, although the content is kind of questionable. For example, today D is reading Judges, and he asked me what was the point of the story about the Levite and his concubine (Judges 19, if you're interested). The point, as far as I can see, is that life in the Bronze Age really sucked, especially if you were female. I'm hoping Mr. B can offer more in the way of literary/historical context!
In his spare time, D is putting up art exhibits in his bedroom and writing a script for a film he's planning to make with two of his friends this summer.
We made a (long-overdue, in D's opinion) trip to New York last month and spent four days at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Whew. And now he's asking when we can go back...
Monday, February 16, 2009
February Art Exhibit
LOVE ON CANVAS: A SPECIAL VALENTINE’S DAY EXHIBIT
by Dagfari
The Venus de Milo marks the height of the Hellenistic period, in its monumental form, the dramatic swirls of the drapery, and the sense of awesome power it contains. The figure comes forth in all her glory, yet with a sort of deliberateness that is not found in the Renaissance.
A thousand years separate this from the next great revival of classicism, led in part by the artist Alessandro Botticelli. And even now, Botticelli paints with classical subjects, not classical style. In his La Primavera, Venus gazes slightly downward, with the oval face and eyes of a typical portrayal of the Virgin Mary. This is emphasized by the appearance of Cupid, who may allude to the Christ Child. If these attributions are correct, then Venus here takes on the role not of a pagan goddess, but of a symbol who represents all spiritual love.
This whole picture is packed with allegorical scenes which symbolize, in one way or another, the many forms in which love is shown. On one side, Zephyr, the west wind, grasps the nymph Chloris with a firm, strong hand, representing a distressed lover’s last resort to violence. This particular section indicates that the work was meant to hang in the bedroom of a newly wedded couple. This conclusion may be at first astonishing to some, yet images of ill-matched lovers eventually coming together, as these do when Chloris, now transformed into the goddess Flora, agrees to marry Zephyr, were thought to soothe the young bride, in the notion that even the messiest pairings turn out in the end.[1]
But who would be able to afford such a large and detailed painting as a wedding gift? The answer is, of course, one of the wealthiest men in Italy: the great Lorenzo de Medici, known to most as Lorenzo the Magnificent. It is believed that he commissioned it in order to encourage his nephew’s marriage to Semiramide Appiani which was to create a significant political alliance.
Another great portrayal of renaissance romance hangs in the form of a small engraving, in a museum in Vienna entitled The Triumph of Love. Depicted here is a four-wheeled parade float, on top of which stands the familiar Cupid, who has just fired an arrow into the crowd of spectators. In some depictions of this same subject, such as the one in the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, smaller cupids stand in for the flames shown here, creating a sort of army of love.
Real parade floats of this type would have been wheeled throughout the city streets, for a man to celebrate she who he loved, and hopefully to win over her hand. The lover would have masqueraded as Cupid, with wings pinned to the back of his shirt. One such float, made for the Medici family, is described by Rosella Bessi:
…Each side is five braccia high from the bottom, and is decorated with so many ornaments that it seems impossible to me that it could ever be made. There are many things worked in silver and gold, with so many enamels and pieces of glass crystal that one can see oneself reflected in it as in a mirror. It shines like the sun on all sides, and at the summit, in the four corners, there are four singular spiritelli…[2]
Vermeer’s The Love Letter contains more subtle symbolism, with paintings and maps which seem like they could be found in any ordinary Dutch house. We will begin to decode the painting with the objects closest to the viewer, in the dark, shadowy room which opens up onto the main space. The most prominent of these is the map of Holland which drips as though bleeding. This may be a key to the whole painting, which shows Vermeer’s defense of Catholicism, a faith which was outlawed in Holland during the end of the 1600s.
The ‘bleeding’ map could indicate that Holland had been severely wounded by the rise of Protestantism; however this dark, gloomy world where we the viewers stand gives way to the bright scene in the tiled room with the fireplace which draws us in toward the warmth.[3] But we, assumed to be protestants, can neither enter the room, nor see the source of the curious light which comes, not from the side as is typical with Vermeer, but from the heavens, revealing that love is portrayed in this picture as a catholic virtue.
The shoes which have been discarded and left in the entrance, are typical in northern scenes of romance and wedding ceremonies. In Jan van Eyck’s famous ‘Arnolfini portrait’, they represent the couple’s acknowledgement of the holy ground on which this event took place. This aspect may have appealed to Vermeer, but to the eyes of the patron, the pearls which embroider the shoes were the most significant touch, emphasizing the woman’s purity. A pair of shoes such as this, although, for practical reasons lacking in pearls, is shown in the exhibit.
The second northern work shown here is the Ill Matched Lovers of Quentin Massys. This great artist of the 16th century, seems to have been fascinated by money, wealth, and the human desire for them. Even here, in a painting which would seem to represent romance, there is an underlying theme of greed. The woman embraces the man for the sole purpose of slipping his sack of coins into the hands of her goblin-like accomplice.
Images of ill-matched lovers first appeared in engravings and woodcuts around the 1400s, and slowly made their way into paintings of greater importance, such as Lucas Cranach the Elder's 1530's work, also titled Ill-Matched Lovers. These pictures were inspired by many different literary sources, the earliest of which was written by the Roman poet, Plautus, when he warned older men not to court young women.
Gustav Klimt’s The Kiss is a fitting conclusion to this exhibit, for it captures the spirit of fulfillment in this single moment when the world glimmers with gold. The gold gives a sense of idealization to the picture, taking inspiration from gothic altarpieces. Klimt may have learned the techniques of gold plating from his father, a goldsmith. This gives the gold more character and liveliness than is shown in the gothic, where the painter and goldsmith were usually separate people.
Like the earlier Primavera, Klimt’s figures are set upon a flourishing field of flowers. Although these plants are described in very little detail compared to Botticelli’s photo-like rendering, they create the beautiful, swirling, natural backdrop, established hundreds of years earlier. The figures also add to the idealized, perfect quality of the painting. The man is strong and firm, whereas the woman has soft, pale skin, and red lips. It seems only right that The Kiss should be adapted into a ballet pas de deux later in the 20th century.
[1] This was especially significant in the 15th when marriages due to love were almost unheard of.
[2] Rossella Bessi-“Lo spectacolo e la scrittura”.
[3] The curtain is drawn back in a way which recalls the actions of Mercury warding back the clouds in La Primavera. Barriers such as this, being removed from the scene were common in Dutch allegories of love at this time.
by Dagfari
The Venus de Milo marks the height of the Hellenistic period, in its monumental form, the dramatic swirls of the drapery, and the sense of awesome power it contains. The figure comes forth in all her glory, yet with a sort of deliberateness that is not found in the Renaissance.
A thousand years separate this from the next great revival of classicism, led in part by the artist Alessandro Botticelli. And even now, Botticelli paints with classical subjects, not classical style. In his La Primavera, Venus gazes slightly downward, with the oval face and eyes of a typical portrayal of the Virgin Mary. This is emphasized by the appearance of Cupid, who may allude to the Christ Child. If these attributions are correct, then Venus here takes on the role not of a pagan goddess, but of a symbol who represents all spiritual love.
This whole picture is packed with allegorical scenes which symbolize, in one way or another, the many forms in which love is shown. On one side, Zephyr, the west wind, grasps the nymph Chloris with a firm, strong hand, representing a distressed lover’s last resort to violence. This particular section indicates that the work was meant to hang in the bedroom of a newly wedded couple. This conclusion may be at first astonishing to some, yet images of ill-matched lovers eventually coming together, as these do when Chloris, now transformed into the goddess Flora, agrees to marry Zephyr, were thought to soothe the young bride, in the notion that even the messiest pairings turn out in the end.[1]
But who would be able to afford such a large and detailed painting as a wedding gift? The answer is, of course, one of the wealthiest men in Italy: the great Lorenzo de Medici, known to most as Lorenzo the Magnificent. It is believed that he commissioned it in order to encourage his nephew’s marriage to Semiramide Appiani which was to create a significant political alliance.
Another great portrayal of renaissance romance hangs in the form of a small engraving, in a museum in Vienna entitled The Triumph of Love. Depicted here is a four-wheeled parade float, on top of which stands the familiar Cupid, who has just fired an arrow into the crowd of spectators. In some depictions of this same subject, such as the one in the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, smaller cupids stand in for the flames shown here, creating a sort of army of love.
Real parade floats of this type would have been wheeled throughout the city streets, for a man to celebrate she who he loved, and hopefully to win over her hand. The lover would have masqueraded as Cupid, with wings pinned to the back of his shirt. One such float, made for the Medici family, is described by Rosella Bessi:
…Each side is five braccia high from the bottom, and is decorated with so many ornaments that it seems impossible to me that it could ever be made. There are many things worked in silver and gold, with so many enamels and pieces of glass crystal that one can see oneself reflected in it as in a mirror. It shines like the sun on all sides, and at the summit, in the four corners, there are four singular spiritelli…[2]
Vermeer’s The Love Letter contains more subtle symbolism, with paintings and maps which seem like they could be found in any ordinary Dutch house. We will begin to decode the painting with the objects closest to the viewer, in the dark, shadowy room which opens up onto the main space. The most prominent of these is the map of Holland which drips as though bleeding. This may be a key to the whole painting, which shows Vermeer’s defense of Catholicism, a faith which was outlawed in Holland during the end of the 1600s.
The ‘bleeding’ map could indicate that Holland had been severely wounded by the rise of Protestantism; however this dark, gloomy world where we the viewers stand gives way to the bright scene in the tiled room with the fireplace which draws us in toward the warmth.[3] But we, assumed to be protestants, can neither enter the room, nor see the source of the curious light which comes, not from the side as is typical with Vermeer, but from the heavens, revealing that love is portrayed in this picture as a catholic virtue.
The shoes which have been discarded and left in the entrance, are typical in northern scenes of romance and wedding ceremonies. In Jan van Eyck’s famous ‘Arnolfini portrait’, they represent the couple’s acknowledgement of the holy ground on which this event took place. This aspect may have appealed to Vermeer, but to the eyes of the patron, the pearls which embroider the shoes were the most significant touch, emphasizing the woman’s purity. A pair of shoes such as this, although, for practical reasons lacking in pearls, is shown in the exhibit.
The second northern work shown here is the Ill Matched Lovers of Quentin Massys. This great artist of the 16th century, seems to have been fascinated by money, wealth, and the human desire for them. Even here, in a painting which would seem to represent romance, there is an underlying theme of greed. The woman embraces the man for the sole purpose of slipping his sack of coins into the hands of her goblin-like accomplice.
Images of ill-matched lovers first appeared in engravings and woodcuts around the 1400s, and slowly made their way into paintings of greater importance, such as Lucas Cranach the Elder's 1530's work, also titled Ill-Matched Lovers. These pictures were inspired by many different literary sources, the earliest of which was written by the Roman poet, Plautus, when he warned older men not to court young women.
Gustav Klimt’s The Kiss is a fitting conclusion to this exhibit, for it captures the spirit of fulfillment in this single moment when the world glimmers with gold. The gold gives a sense of idealization to the picture, taking inspiration from gothic altarpieces. Klimt may have learned the techniques of gold plating from his father, a goldsmith. This gives the gold more character and liveliness than is shown in the gothic, where the painter and goldsmith were usually separate people.
Like the earlier Primavera, Klimt’s figures are set upon a flourishing field of flowers. Although these plants are described in very little detail compared to Botticelli’s photo-like rendering, they create the beautiful, swirling, natural backdrop, established hundreds of years earlier. The figures also add to the idealized, perfect quality of the painting. The man is strong and firm, whereas the woman has soft, pale skin, and red lips. It seems only right that The Kiss should be adapted into a ballet pas de deux later in the 20th century.
[1] This was especially significant in the 15th when marriages due to love were almost unheard of.
[2] Rossella Bessi-“Lo spectacolo e la scrittura”.
[3] The curtain is drawn back in a way which recalls the actions of Mercury warding back the clouds in La Primavera. Barriers such as this, being removed from the scene were common in Dutch allegories of love at this time.
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