Response 5- Dublin

Pic 1: these are pictures of Chinese manuscripts seen in the Chester Beatty Library in Dublin. The the aim of this exhibit is to preserve and share the heritage of the collections with the public. A Board of Trustees maintain the library, which holds a variation of works collected by Chester Beatty (1875-1968); everything from manuscripts and early paintings to printed books and icons from all over the world are on display here. There are pieces found on various continents including: the Middle East, Asia, North Africa and Europe. The art pieces seen in the pictures are part of Beatty's East Asia collection found on a trip to China and Japan from 1917-1918. Despite being monochromatic in coloration, the first painting is beautiful and has a delicate feel. Your eyes are drawn to the three women between the trees; in other words there is a unique "emphasis" given to this area. In the second painting there is a larger contrast in coloration. The use of complimentary harmony (ie: the use of green and red, which are opposite each other on the color wheel), adds a unique contrast. Both pieces are beautiful for different reasons. The use of colors in different ways make each one unique.

(http://www.cbl.ie/Collections/The-East-Asian-Collection.aspx)



Pic 2: These are photographs taken inside the Long Room at the Berkeley Library at Trinity College. This library is the largest in Ireland. Founded in 1592, Trinity College itself is founded upon protestant principle and is modeled after Cambridge and Oxford in England. The library became the home of the Book of Kells, a rare illuminated manuscript of the Gospels, when a man named Henry Jones presented it in 1661. Although unorganized, the also famous Long Room (built between 1712-1732), houses the oldest books in the college. The beautiful rounded arch and vault seen in the ceiling seen in the first picture creates a barrel vault throughout the room. This type of architecture was unique to the romanesque period. In the second picture, you can see an example of corinthian style columns. This type of post and lintel structure displays the third type of Greek column. You can see the carved acanthus leaves at the top, or capital.




Pic 3: The first picture below is a photo of the Italian sculpture Arnaldo Pomodoro (1926-present). On the right, is a photo I took of the statue he created, called "Sphere with Sphere," that sits outside of Trinity College's Berkeley Library. Similar sculptures made by Pomodoro are also resting outside of Vatican City and NYC in the United States. Made of bronze, the most common casting material, this structure takes on a unique, abstract shape. The way the actual light shines on it allows you to see a reflection. The inside appears mechanical or industrial, which contrasts the smooth outer sphere. Also, the structure is interactive since you can spin it with your hand. Although it may not be considered an "environment" you can experience, it almost seems like a piece of installation art you are meant to interact with.

                              

( http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=&imgrefurl=http://www.vitodibari.com/en/arnaldo-pomodoro-italian-sculptors-observations-life-observed-sculpture-surroundings.html&h=0&w=0&sz=1&tbnid=2l-4uExMElU9_M&tbnh=183&tbnw=275&zoom=1&docid=YANR_wzH_gDCOM)