Videos Module 8

The first video “More Human than Human” was required, and the second video, which is titled “Cairo Museum” I chose because the opening imaged was aesthetically pleasing. The image was bright, sunny, and seemed to be talking more about things in the present than way back in history. I chose it based on my first impression!

In the first film, it is discussed that the human mind chooses the images that it likes. We do not look like the images that we see in everyday art, but we continue to create human images in that way. The images that are created are not realistic, and this “ideal” looking person is created due to the fact that we like to enhance parts of the body that we are interested in. These body parts are different in cultures all across the world. Images are often shown to show humans with no wrinkles, being beautiful, fit, and young. This is exactly as art was always created until the Romans made that change.

The second film showed all of the items and artifacts in the museum. There are many thousand objects within the museum. The video was all about Egyptian art, and various works of art have been created. This included sculptures, paintings, and architecture. It is here in the museum that artifacts are restored and put onto display. There are so many artifacts on display, yet many are still not out for the public. Everything within the museum is about eternal life, as well as death.

The videos helped to add depth and understanding to the text. The first video related to the reading in Chapter 14 about art before the Romans, and how humans were often perceived as flawless. The second video did not relate as much, but still was represented with the text. The videos discussed architecture, and religion, just like the text.