Humn 100 Final

Question 1

Christianity

Answer 1

• Monotheistic religion
• based on life + teachings of JC as presented in NT(New testament)
• belief JC is son of God, fully divine and fully human
• 2.4billion adherents world wide
• professions of faith state: JC suffered, died was buried and was resurrected from the dead, in order to grant eternal life to those who believe in him
• JC will return to judge the living and dead granting eternal life (afterlife) to his followers
• 3 largest branches: Catholic Church, The Eastern Orthodox Church, and various denominations of Protestantism

Question 2

Tympanum

Answer 2

• is the semi-circular or triangular space over an entrance or portal, bounded by a lintel and arch
• it often contains decoration or some sort of imagery, usually relief sculpture.
• in religious buildings.. An important visual field, teaching aspects of the faith and symbolically preparing the viewer to enter the space

Question 3

Pilgrimage

Answer 3

• journey to a sacred place, often as a spiritual journey
• hardship and sincerity are part of the journey (more difficult journey = grater chances for the remission of sins or desire)

Important sites:
St. Peter’s and St. Paul’s in Rome, the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem and Santiago de Compostela in Spain.

Question 4

The Crusades

Answer 4

• a “holy war”, or military campaign
  
  • sanctioned by the Roman Catholic Church during the Middle Ages
  • goal of restoring Christian access to holy places in and near Jerusalem
• the first Crusade proclaimed in 1095 by Pope Urban 2, between then and 1291 there were 7 major Crusades and numerous minor ones.
• cultural impact of the Crusades was profound, bringing Christian + Islamic cultures into contact and spurring on trade and exchange

Question 5

Relic

Answer 5

• comes from Latin, “remains” or “something left behind”
• part of a deceased holy person’s body or belongings, kept as an object of admiration or reverence
• important to world of religions.. Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism
• a reliquary is a shrine that houses one or more relics

In Christianity: 3 classes of relics:

• 1) part of Saint (bone, hair)
• 2) something owned or worn by a saint
• 3) something that has touched a 1st or 2nd class relic.

Question 6

The Decorative Arts

Answer 6

• term for design + manufacture of functional objects
• to decorate or embellish an object that has a practical purpose
• in the West, from early 16th C onwards, conceived as opposite of fine arts (exists as an end in itself, cultural production not tied to functional purpose)

The distinction between decor arts and fine arts is less meaningful when applied to art from other cultures (eg Islamic, Chinese, and Japanese art)

Question 7

Installation Art

Answer 7

• 3D, environmental production that is site-specific and designed to transform one’s perception of a space
• term often applied to interior spaces, while exterior interventions are often called public art, land art, etc.
• into account broader sensory experience as the viewer is placed inside the work, in a real time and space.
• often incorporates broad range of everyday materials, chosen for their evocative qualities, and new media, including video, sound, performance,
  immersive virtual reality.

“Gesamtkunstwerk”,
- total work of art. Immerses the viewer in a sensorial, aesthetic experience.

Question 8

Islam

Answer 8

• monotheistic religions articulated by the Qur’an (a sacred text, thought to be the literal world of God (Allah) and by the teachings of the prophet Muhammad (c. 570-632)
• considered complete version of a faith revealed through prophets including Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses and Jesus
• Qur’an is thought to be the final revelation of God
• religious concepts and practises include the five pillars of Islam:
  - no God but Allah
  - pray 5 times a day facing Mecca
  - fast during month of Ramadan
  - give a percentage of savings to the poor
  - make one pilgrimage to Mecca
• Most Muslims are of two denominations: Sunni or Shia
• 1.62 billion followers globally (2nd largest world religion)

Question 9

Mosaic

Answer 9

• creating images on walls or floors with small pieces of glass, stone or other materials
• made of small, flat geometric pieces of stone or glass in different colours known as tesserae
• started in Mesopotamia in the 3rd century BCE and popularized in patterns and pictures became widespread in Ancient Greece and Rome
• common practice in religious art (Christian basilicas, Jewish synagogues, and Islamic mosques)
• envisioned as part of the architecture

Question 10

Arabesque

Answer 10

• Decoration based on rhythmic linear patterns of scrolling and interlacing foliage, tendrils, or plain lines, sometimes combined with other materials
• usually consists of a single design which can be seamlessly repeated as many times as desired
• important to Islamic Art possibly due to the move away from figuration
• often appears at the framing edge of the decoration without ending, implying the pattern is infinitely extendable

Question 11

Motif

Answer 11

• a single or repeated design or pattern
• a dominant idea or central theme
• an important idea or subject that is repeated throughout a book, story, work of art, etc.

Play a significant role in defining the story or the course of events

Question 12

Calligraphy

Answer 12

• “beautiful writing”
• type of visual art, related to the writing, design and execution of lettering with a broad tip instrument or brush in one stroke
• pre printing press, books were handwritten, calligraphy used specifically for copying sacred texts
• often used in Islamic decoration in both religious and secular objects

Question 13

Phenomenology

Answer 13

• philosophical study of the structures of subjective experience, phenomena, and consciousness + the objects of direct experience
• understanding that subject’s consciousness is always acting in relation to objects
• mind is determined by body, no experience outside of body
• prioritizes issues of embodiment