The Story Behind my Artwork!

By: Brooklyn

Art and Explanation

 

For my artwork the criteria was to find artwork which represented geography, time, society, values, beliefs, economy and knowledge during Medieval times and incorporate myself into it. I was alIowed to find artwork online or use the ones I had already found and explained in my Artwork Choice Chart that I had created in a previous assignment. I decided to use the art from the Artwork Choice Chart and placed the images into a PLP app called SuperimposeX. This was much more challenging than you would think because I needed to combine all these pieces of artwork together while still making my own personal image the primary focus. By layering, erasing, smudging and masking the photos I was able to blend my artworks together in a way that looked cohesive and made sense.


 

The Process I Went Through to Understand the Learning and Create the Product



As I worked through this project, I learned how to operate SuperImposeX, and all the functions it had to offer. In class we watched a tutorial on how to use all the basic functions of this app and I had the teacher and classmates to help me if there was something I didn’t understand. Throughout this project I learned more about  medieval artwork and how it connects to my worldview.

 

Reflect on How I was Proficient 



I believe I demonstrated a number of qualities in my artwork that showed my proficiency. For example, in the “processing” part of this project I made notes in class about the historical information being shared. This helped me deepen my understanding about Medieval times as the project progressed. In addition to this my in class learning and participation showed that I can successfully communicate and collaborate with my classmates when needed. Throughout the making of my artwork I have reflected and revised my initial artwork, deepening my understanding of what proficiency looks like. By making my artwork, I got the chance to get a better understanding of how worldview can be recognized in medieval art, as well as further reflecting on myself as a high school student.


Paragraph to Explain my Art


By knowing about the medieval times and how it connects today, I can learn a lot about how it relates to me and realize how fortunate I am to live in the society I do. Learning from the past is very important because it helps me understand where we come from and why things are the way they are today. By studying history, I can learn from the successes and mistakes of those who came before us. It gives me valuable insights into different cultures, societies, and events that have shaped our world. Three important aspects of the past that have positively changed in today’s world are women’s rights, understanding of geography, and beliefs.

 

 In the Medieval times, society acted very poorly to one another, especially women. For example women and girls were sold or married off at extremely young ages. They had no consent or control over this whatsoever.  I am very lucky to live how I do now because of women’s rights specifically, and also human rights in general have gotten a lot better. I have opinions about my future that are recognized and heard. My future is determined by me, and me alone. 

 

Secondly, in the time we live in now our knowledge of geography has become increasingly better than in the Medieval times. For example, we know that sea monsters and things of that sort don’t exist. This was a key factor that stopped people in Medieval times from exploring the world as much as they could have. We now know about weather patterns and cause and effect for many events that can take place.

 

Finally, although many people now still have strong beliefs, such as in Christianity, our approach to beliefs is very different. I am allowed to be a part of any religion, or none at all, without punishment. I feel very safe knowing that I am allowed to express my opinions without having such severe consequences. Today’s world allows for more free thinking and acceptance. 

 

Throughout this assignment, I’ve learned a lot about the past and how it applies to me today. I know my life is much better than what it would have been if I lived in the Medieval times. “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” This quote is most likely written by writer and philosopher George Santayana. Our world would be much different now if no one had spoken up for what was right.