Arboretum

To be completely honest I didn’t know what I was expecting when I found out that we were going to have class at the arboretum. I remember coming to State for my orientation, and having the biggest desire to visit the, what I knew then as “the awesome looking garden.” I have always been interested in botany, specifically carnivorous plants; I’ve found just the idea of them to be so mind boggling.  

It was really interesting to find out what was hidden back there, for example there was a pumpkin relative vegetable that was growing on the ceiling of this arched structure above a white bench, which was in a way pretty romantic. Also there was a remarkable floor sculpted map of “Happy Valley.” This was an extremely detailed and accurate depiction of the Valley. The garden had such a variety of flowers and plants; this was especially evident in a path where for a good 50 yards is just covered in different types of flowers. One plant that especially stood out to me was this minute jalapeno pepper shrub. I found their bright red and yellow color to be so appealing, and also I had never given much thought to how peppers grow, so this was an eye opening experience. At the end of the flower path there’s an enormous stone marble sun dial, with large marble stones in front of the sun dial aligned in three rows. Near the center of the arboretum there’s a cabin, and in this large cabin there’s sort of an open area that opens up to a beautiful view of Happy Valley. This made me think about how people probably have wedding services here, as there are white ceremonial like tents that open up. Towards the far side of the arboretum a good sized portion of land has been planted with bamboo. I don’t know how this subject was brought up along the walk, but a group of us were told that the ancient Chinese civilizations perfected a torture method which was actually attempted by Discovery Channel’s Myth Busters. This torture method consisted of lying someone down on a patch of soil which had been planted with bamboo. Then slowly but surely the sharp bamboo edges would sprout out from the ground and penetrate the person’s body.

On a happier note, this field trip brought back some nostalgia for me. Some years ago while in Brazil I went to visit my cousins in Rio de Janeiro, and while I was there they made the effort to take me to all the touristy spots, as I am from Sao Paulo, therefore it was my first time there. During the visit they took me to the national botanical gardens of Brazil. This place is miles long filled with a ridiculous amount of plant life variation. Also there was a lot of animal life, especially monkeys, which just so happened to be the nicest wild animals I’ve ever encountered.

All in all, I thought going to the arboretum for class was a great change of pace, as it can get very repetitive and dull having a lectured class every day, which thankfully doesn’t happen in an English class as small as ours. If there is a day where there is nothing to do I could fathom taking my family to the arboretum, but it certainly wouldn’t be my first choice to take my friends or family, just because there are a lot of better places to go in state college.

Palmer Museum: Learning the Past So We Can Understand the Future

The piece I have chosen is a wood block print called Fugaku sanju-rokkei, by Japanese artist Katsushika Hokusai in 1830. This work of art is one of many in Hokusai’s series Thirty-six Views of Mt. Fuji, the most notable would be The Great Wave off Kanagawa which most people are familiar with. The intriguing thing about Japanese wood block prints is that they are extremely under appreciated by the general public, who are not art aficionados. Especially in terms of the effect that they have had in the Impressionist and Post-Impressionist movement. The notable artists of the former movement whom have been influenced by wood blocks are Monet, Degas, Renouir, Van Gogh, and many more. The point I am trying to make with this is that once you know the past, you can understand the future.

The Japanese aesthetic used in these prints is called the Ukiyo-e, “floating world,” which accentuates fleeting moments of Japanese culture. The qualities of wood block prints are represented by the acronym C-FID. C; stands for cropped: the designs in the prints have cropped edges. F; stands for flat: the prints do not demonstrate any depth; instead they use steep angels to give the impression of profundity. I; stands for intimate moments: the images depicted in the prints are usually of small groups interacting in private. And D; stands for decorative patterns: in this particular print Hokusai used the technique of Aizurie where the surface of the print is primarily shades of blue ink.

This piece portrays a Japanese valley, and in the distance Hokusai portrays Mt. Fuji. Like I said before Hokusai uses the technique of Aizurie where he shades the valleys and the bottom of the mountain blue, but he uses different shades of blue for the valley which is more of a teal, whereas the bottom of the mountain is a navy blue. Hokusai uses white on the mountain to represent the snow thereby giving the image of the mountain a sense of extreme height. The sky is in a light gray color showing a cloudy day, giving off a peaceful tone.

This work of art was created in 1830, about the same time as Japan opened up trade to foreign nations for the first time in its history. I feel like this piece tries to make people remember the traditional aspect of their culture, where there was less outside influence, and corruption. By depicting the countryside Hokusai demonstrates the simplicity of how the country was before it opened up to the outside world. Thus I believe he is making a political stand against his countries new policies, by trying to ignite a nostalgic feeling within his fellow countrymen.

When looking at this piece the colors and scenery give a soothing and calming effect. It makes me question who am I as an individual and the society in which we live in. It offers a transcendentalist ideal that we as a society should stop stressing on the trivial things in life and learn to appreciate the love and good in the world.

            Katsushika Hokusai along with Suzuki Harunobu were the founding fathers of wood block printing. Therefore there is no debate in whether or not he is credible. Also Hokusai created the most famous wood block print called The Great Wave off Kanagawa. Even if someone has never heard about the technique of wood block printing there is a great possibility that they have seen the piece.

            My Mother is a history teacher; therefore I have been showered with trips to museums my entire life. Even though this may be construed as me being shallow, there isn’t significant money to be made and advancement opportunities in the field of history. If there were I would major in it in a heartbeat. Unfortunately I haven’t come across anything that fits my financial goals so I will just be a history aficionado. This was my first time visiting Palmer, and if they have an interesting collection I would definitely go again.