DISCUSSION 1

1. Peers who have an interpretation of a cultural work that might be different from your own.
2. What strikes you about Michael and Angelina chosen works below? How is your interpretation similar to or different from theirs?
3. What are some cultural events that you think might have influenced the artists?

Michael post

When I was in South Africa, I went to a sellers market where they sold various items including original paintings. I bought a large canvas black and white painting of the silhouettes of two giraffes eating some leaves from the branches of a tall tree. I don't know the artists name, which is signed at the bottom in his native language. I think perhaps his original motivation of creating the art was for creative expression and personal joy, however it could have changed into purposeful reasons of intentionally selling his artwork for his livelihood. Some characteristics of the painting I appreciated was the gradient gray colors to depict a sunset within a black and white piece. Also, the legs of the giraffes crossed each other which transformed the characters to almost appear like cartoons. I found that to be very creative method that made this particular artist's work stand out more than others at the market. I appreciated the creativity and also the way he was able to illustrate the scene in gray tones.

Angelina post

The cultural work I have chosen would be my mini angel statue. This statue was created by my late grandmother before her passing. She loved creating artwork and personally created this for me. Since my name is Angelina she called me her angel. Growing up me and my grandmother were glued at the hip; we had such a special bond, and she always made artwork for me or dedicated it to me. I value this memory so much because of all the time we spent creating our own creations and artworks together. 

The characteristic that moves me the most is the fact that it is an angel. She made this statue a month or two before she passed away; when I was younger, I didn’t see the value, but now I feel like it was her subtle warning from the universe, but it also leaves me with something so personal. Another characteristic about the statue I find of such value is that this statue has become a reminder to me when I’m feeling down or lonely that she is looking over me and always going to be here for me, as my angel. 

DISCUSSION 2

In this week's discussion, you will choose a cultural work from the twenty-first century to include in a time capsule. It can be an example that has had some widespread appeal like a recording of a favorite song, a work of art, or another piece of media that has had a cultural impact.

Create one initial post and follow up with at least two response posts.

For your initial post, address the following:

1. Describe your selected object. Consider including an image or a link, if possible. After you have described the object, answer the following questions:
   • In 500 years, what do you think would be the impact of this cultural work?
   • What is the impact today?
   • What is the value of this cultural work in culture today? Give some examples.