That obscure desire of objects!

A Collection a Day blog: click HERE!

Click HERE to read a Wikipedia article on collecting!

Click HERE to read a Wikipedia article on the psychology of collecting!

To do:

1. Make a list of your favorite objects and/or describe your collection(s).
2. Describe one of your favorite objects, tell us its history and why you like it so much.
3. Start a collection of objects and take a photo of it in the style of "A Collection a Day."

Why do we prefer the original to a fake?

Click HERE to watch a TED talk by Paul Bloom!

This world is but a canvas to our imagination...

Carnaval

1. Describe the watercolour above and explain why you like (or do not like) it.
2. Who was Romanin?
3. What did Jacques Martel mean by: "ce qui est le plus voyant demeure le plus invisible..."?
4. What other World War II leaders were also amateur artists?

Banquet démocratique

"C’est le buste de Platon, celui qui a fait Le Banquet."

"Vous faites bien de m’en parler, je dirai quelques mots dans mon discours pour le féliciter. Son canard aux navets est vraiment réussi."

1. Translate the dialogue of the (1920s?) editorial cartoon by Romanin above.
2. Describe and comment the cartoon.
3. Translate the dialogue of the 1917 editorial cartoon by Romanin below.
4. Describe and comment the cartoon.

À la curée

Aigle: « Au secours, ma chère colombe ! »

Colombe: « Ouais ? Et qui m’a coupé les ailes il y a trois ans ?! »

Zoom in on the future of comic strips!

Who is Zoom?

Article from The Guardian
Zoom website

1. Who is Zoom?
2. What is The Zoom?
3. Who is Boris Johnson?
4. Who was top of the Vogue 2013 Hot List?
5. Who lives at 10 Downing Street?
6. Which is your favourite sitcom?
7. What would you have preferred your forename to be?
8. What is the Beano?
9. What is your favourite comic book (describe why you like it so much: characters, stories, art work, etc.)?
10. Do you like to draw and/or write stories?

Our Nation's Sons...

Drawing on Trinity College, Dublin, by Joe Caslin

One Young World?

Cette oeuvre a été créé par Joe Caslin, jeune artiste irlandais acclamé, à l'occasion du One Young World Summit, que l'Irlande accueillera en Octobre 2014.

Joe considère que, en tant que nation, nous avons marginalisé nos jeunes hommes et créé chez eux des sentiments d'abandon et d'apathie. Il est temps de redonner confiance à ces jeunes gars et de leur donner un sentiment d'appartenir. C'est une génération qui cherche l'espoir, qui cherche un leadership.

Une oeuvre d'art comme celle-ci a le pouvoir de résonner, de perturber le paysage visuel de la ville. C'est l'idéologie de One Young World que d'encourager les jeunes à bouleverser la façon habituelle de penser et d'apporter des solutions qu'ils pourront appliquer aux problèmes dans leurs propres pays.

Renaissance Man...

15th April is Leonardo's birthday!

Questions:

1. How "old" is Da Vinci?
2. What is a "Renaissance Man"?
3. What do you most admire about Da Vinci?
4. If you were a polymath, what would your areas of interest be?
5. Who is today's greatest polymath?

Vitruvian Man

Questions:

1. Why is the man in the drawing above called "Vitruvian Man"?
2. Why did Da Vinci draw both a circle and a square around the man known as Vitruvian Man?
3. Do you think Man is at the centre of the Universe?

World Art Day

International Association of Art

Questions:

1. Who created World Art Day, when and why?
2. Why has April 15th been chosen as World Art Day?
3. What would be a good theme for a World Art Day drawing competition (open to everyone on the planet)?

Drawing of a dragon and a lion by Da Vinci 

To do:

• Describe and comment one of Da Vinci's lesser-known paintings.
• Write a short story using one of Da Vinci's drawings.
• Draw a background picture for the International Association of Art website!

Ten of the best

Which are YOUR ten favorite works of art? Click HERE!

i don't like art at all... click HERE to read an article from the NYT!

Questions/to do:

1. Click on the first link above, and translate the introductory paragraph to the article by Jonathan Jones (entitled "The 10 greatest works of art ever").
2. Read the comments Jones makes about his favourite works of art (note useful vocabulary!).
3. Rank from 1 to 10 Jones' choice, 1 being your favourite and 10 your least favourite.
4. Describe and comment your top choice among Jones' selection (how much do you agree with Jones' assessment?).
5. Which are YOUR ten favourite works of art?
6. Describe and comment your all-time favourite work of art.
7. When was the last time you went to an art museum?
8. How often do you go to art museums or galleries in general?
9. Why do you think people go to look at works of art?
10. What works of art that you’ve never seen in person would you most like to visit (why)?

Assignment:

maro, in the comments page of the article from the NYT (click on the second link above), says "i don't like art at all"... Write a fifty-word paragraph to maro explaining why he should reconsider is position on art!