This might seem like a really, really random thing to make a blog on, but Gaudi enjoyed making lamppost. This one in particular is really cool. They are called Viv Lamp-posts.

In early 1910 a friend of Gaudi's recommended that he should take a vacation in the nearby town of Vic, 37 miles or so from Barcelona. Gaudi stayed in Vic for 3 weeks during the month of may in 1910. His friend meant for Gaudi to be on vacation and only be relaxing, but once Gaudi learned that Jaume Balmes (the famous Catalan Philosopher) was going to be celebrated over his birth, Gaudi planned to make celebratory lamp-post just for the occasion. He sketched 2 lamp-post with iron arms, and the common four-armed Gaudinian cross on the top. The plan went through and the lamp-post were honored on September 7th 1910.

*Sadly in 1924 it was decided, that they needed to be demolished.

Above Left the lamp-post being celebrated Above Right The lamp-post being torn down

Sources: http://www.gaudiclub.com/ingles/i_vida/fotobras/vic/vic02.jpg

http://www.gaudiclub.com/ingles/i_vida/fotobras/vic/vic01.jpg

http://www.gaudiclub.com/ingles/i_vida/farolvic.html

Architecture, Gaudi, His works

Gaudi, has made many famous buildings, gates/walls, lamppost and other architectural designs in Spain. A few are: Casa Calvet, Palacio Episcopal de Astorga, Schools of Sagrada Familia, Casa Vicens, Finca Güell, Finca Miralles,Casa Batlló, Park Güell and La Pedrera (This was his last great work). In this blog I was going to focus on one of my favorite buildings Gaudi made called Casa Vicens. A stock broker named Señor Manuel Vicens I Montaner, had wanted Gaudi to build a house on the lot that he acceded from his mother. Gaudi built the house against the wall of another house and it left plenty of room for a large garden. For the garden Gaudi made a large fountain, but sadly it is no longer standing today, because someone bought some of land and it was destroyed. The garden is surrounded by a wall made of stucco and the entrance is a gate made from Iron molded to look like a palm leave. The house and garden were finished in 1883

First Pictuere is Casa Vicens Second picture is The garden gate

sources: http://www.gaudidesigner.com/data/file/77.jpg

http://www.cocoonbarcelona.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/casa_vicens-Gaudi.jpg

http://www.gaudiclub.com/ingles/i_vida/vicens.html

Spain, Architecture, Antoni, Gaudi

Before I start this blog I would like to announce that the 2 pictures on my first blog seem to be the only ones I could find. The reason for this is that, he avoided cameras so there are few pictures of the famous architect.

Gaudi was in the military from 1874 through 1877. he enlisted at the age of 22, and was never in combat, during the time he served for Army Infantry in Barcelona. He was a very good student in school (as a child when he was able to go) and did very well in geometry. For his university years Gaudi attended, the Providencal School of Architecture. He often missed classes here, but he periodically went to the library. Gaudi's mother died a little while after he began to study for his architecture degree in 1876.

Spain, Architecture, Antoni Gaudi

Antoni Plàcid Guillem Gaudí was born on June 25, 1852. Some people say he was born in Baix Camp, In the Tarragona Providence, others say he was born halfway between Reus and Riudoms in his family's home in the country. No one knows for sure. His father was Francesc Gaudí Serra a blacksmith. His mother, Antonia Cornet Bertran the daughter of coppersmiths. Antoni was the 5th child in his family, and ended up living the longest. Antoi had a rheumatic disease that restriced him to moving about on a donkey or to stay at home (it hurt for him to walk). He didn't play with other kids and missed a lot of classes (at school). ABOVE LEFT, PICTURE OF GAUDI ABOVE RIGHT, GAUDI AND FAMILY sources: http://www.gaudiclub.com/ingles/i_vida/i_menu.html http://blogs.vassar.edu/envisioningspainsborder/files/2011/02/antoni-gaudi.jpg http://www.gaudiclub.com/esp/e_update/jun09/Gaudi_familia_Alpiste_low.jpg

Dominique, Art, Kahlo

I will focus on another famous self portrait by Frida Kahlo in this post but, this one shows her love/hate relationship between Diego (her husband) and her. The painting is called Diego and I it was made in 1949 using oil paints on a medium canvas. As I mentioned in my first post Frida and her husband had a lot of conflict throughout their marriage. This portrait shows her pain in their marraige, but she still loved him. She once said "I suffered two grave accidents in my life. One in which a streetcar knocked me down....the other acciedent is Diego." This shows how much she thought about Diego, and even though they got divorced, remaried and a lot of other problems Frida still stuck wih Diego untill she died.

THE SOURCES BELOW ARE FOR ALL MY POST THAT FOCUS ON 1 PAINTING:
http://www.writedesignonline.com/history-culture/Kahlo/works_diegoandi.jpg
http://www.pbs.org/weta/fridakahlo/

Dominique, Art, Kahlo,

I am going to focus on 1 painting in this post because it shows something that has been a struggle between Mexico and the U.S. for a long time. This is another famous painting by Frida Kahlo called Self-Portrait on the borderline between Mexico and the United States. It was finished in 1932 and is a oil painting on a medium sized canvas. Khalo painted this 2 years after her husband Diego had a few commissions to paint murals in the United States. She and her husband stayed there for 4 years. She hated it living in the U.S. and got homesick, so she created this portrait to show her pain.

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Dominique, Kahlo's paintings

The most influenced cultures in Kahlo's work are Mexican and American which is characterized with folk art. She once said "I never painted dreams. I only painted my own reality." Kahlo uses bright colors and symbols to show what she feels in each painting. Lots of her paintings include pictures of monkeys, which is a symbol of lust in Mexican mythology, but she uses them as a protective symbol. Kahlo has created over 200 paintings, sketches and drawings that show her physical  and emotional pain in her life.55 of her paintings are self portraits. 

Viva La Vida was Kahlo's finnal painting, made in 1954

Self Portriat with Monkeys was made in 1940

Frieda y Diego Rivera 1931

Links for pictures:

http://www.artquotes.net/masters/frida-kahlo/frida-diego.jpg

http://overheardinthesacristy.files.wordpress.com/2008/05/frida-kahlo-viva-la-vida-2.jpg

http://fullmoonfever.files.wordpress.com/2007/11/460px-frida_kahlo_self_portrait.jpg

Sources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frida_Kahlo

http://www.fridakahlo.com/