Impressions

Colourful Lady Liberties

NYC of course!

Well, I’ve been busy talking about everyone else.  So here’s just a very few of my favourites – a quick rush, a few brain freeze moments and lots of memories.



UN Building

Textile Town

And lastly...


Beep Beep

Even More Who did what when...

Greco-Roman Period 30 BC – 640 AD

Cornucopia.  Egypt came under Roman patronage and was ruled from 27 BC.  This once great realm was reduced to the fate of a Roman outpost; its bountiful harvests providing Rome with sustenance. 

Coptic Christianity is said to have been introduced by St Mark in Alexandria during the reign of Claudius in 42 AD.  The religion gained a strong following and quickly spread throughout Egypt.  By the 3^rd century, Christians constituted the majority of Egypt’s population.  In 384 AD, Egypt’s “pagan” temples were ordered closed or converted and adherence to Christianity endorsed.

Muhammad "Ali Mosque

Medieval Egypt 641 - 1517 AD 

Medieval Egypt.  The initial Islamic incursion into Egypt came after defeat of the Byzantine army by Caliph Umar’s army.  Alexandria was surrendered to him under treaty on Nov 8, 641.  Taxation of the Copts led them to revolt against their Arab rulers and by 706 Arabic became the official language of the government. 

This was the start of a complex and turbulent period.  In 969 the city of Cairo was founded as the royal city of the Fatimid Dynasty.  Years later, the “Lion”, Saladin, fortified Cairo building a massive citadel in 1174 that overlooked the city.  Egypt became part of the Ottoman Empire in 1517.  This is the start of Egypt's Early Modern period.

More Who did what when....

Middle Kingdom 2025 – 1773 BC

Reunification.  After a series of conflicts, Mentuhotep II controlled all of Egypt from the City of Thebes (Luxor).  It was to become the centre of power of a reunited Egypt and launched a flourishing Middle Kingdom.  The State made a rapid recovery under his strong leadership, trade revived and the unified county prospered.  This period saw the rise of a middle class and widespread patronage of art and culture encouraging classical forms to take shape.  Kings ruled due to the nature of their personality and politics rather than divinity alone. 

Colossi of Memnon

Rock cut tombs replaced pyramids in large and elaborate burial grounds (necropolis, usually sited across the Nile to separate the cities of living and dead.  Essentially this was to deter plundering of tombs and the vast wealth buried with them.  Walls were covered with reliefs and frescoes as in former times and subjects were much the same.  However, narratives of warfare replaced scenes of country life as military campaigns surged into Nubia to secure gold deposits and trade routes.  These renditions were lively and linear.

Painting was still bound by convention but there were some daring attempts at depicting foreshortening, shoulders and backs.  We begin to see the use of tempera as a medium – ground pigments and a binding agent such as egg white.  Portrait sculpture extended into expressions of personality and mood; the results were often introspective and severe. 

A period of instability followed as invaders from Asia moved into the Delta and the kingdom divided again.  However advantages were apparent, including exposure to chariots, composite bows and bronze weapons.

New Kingdom 1550 – 1069 BC

Pharaoh is introduced.  The New Kingdom will become 500 years of settled progress and advancement.  The term Pharaoh is coined for its rulers and reflects the elaborate administrative system that had been built up around the king.  Whist his power was absolute and strong, rulers dispensed law and order in more personal fashion. 

Most impressive monuments of this period are the grandiose temples.  Burial still demanded elaborate care and temple plans evolved from ritualistic requirements.  This was workmanship on a grand scale; columns were cut from single pieces of rock, plans were still bi-laterally symmetrical, and architects made use of clerestory lighting.  Despite their massive size, columns were decorative rather than functional.  The Temple of Ramesses II and Mortuary Temple of Queen Hatshepsut (not the first queen to rule but the first to make herself a pharaoh) are classic examples of this period.  During the New Kingdom, most of the pharaoh’s tombs were constructed in the Valley of the Kings. 

Thebes

Under the pharaoh’s patronage, craftsmanship reached new levels of technical skill and sophistication.  Conventions are broken and frontal poses were attempted. There was a relaxation of stiff rules and rigid themes - informal and intimate poses contrast strongly with traditional formality; rigid lines become free-flowing and there is more realism in detail – a freer expression.  Proportions of work no longer depend upon rank and stature.  Figures showed an emphasis on movement and action.  However, as is evident in the statue of Akhenaton and portrait bust of Queen Nefertiti, sensitivity of facial expression is still hampered by a standard of spiritual beauty which they adjusted to the likeness of their subjects. Ritual simplification of form in painting and sculpture however eventually led to a cubic block look.  This period is characterised by a fondness for volume enclosed by flat and unambiguous planes.  Despite this there was still no use of perspective.

As Egypt’s wealth grew, so too did the religious orders.  However, a break from orthodox religion was instituted by Akhenaton (1379 – 1365 BC) during his reign.  He married beautiful Nefertiti and promoted Aton as single god.  His career ended in political strife and military coup and a gradual decline became evident until the reign of the Ramesses Dynasty.  Ramesses II is considered one of Egypt’s greatest builders and is known to have signed the first recorded peace treaty.  Despite this reinstitution of stability, it checked the development of artistic expression and workmanship. 

The period ended with powerful Theban priesthood controlling the upper Nile and the last of the 20^th Dynasty Pharaohs ruling from the Delta.  By the end of the New Kingdom, Egypt was almost bankrupt. 

Late Dynastic Period 712 – 332 BC

Breakdown. This was a period of warfare but it did see some prosperity due to trade. There was a short period of Egyptian revival but in a rapidly changing world, the old ways could not flourish.  Ultimately, Egypt continued to suffer from invasions and this instability did little to promote culture.  It became a period of decline in all fields and the last Persian invasion of 343 deposed Nectanebo II.  He was to be the country’s last Egyptian ruler until 1952. 

Macedonian & Ptolemaic Period 332 – 30 BC

Honour, Infamy then Scandal.  In 332 BC Alexander the Great made his move on Egypt.  The relationship was one of mutual acceptance and whilst Alexander ordered the restoration of all temples destroyed by the Persians, he was busy building the Mediterranean cosmopolitan city of Alexandria. 

Would Alexander recognise his city today?

Following his death in 323 BC, one of his generals, Ptolemy, became the first in a long line of Ptolemaic rulers.  Alexandria flourished and became famous for its Great Library and Lighthouse.  One of the Ptolemy kings even started a canal to join the Nile to the Red Sea (270-269 BC) to open up the trade route to India.

Cleopatra became famous for her collusion and double-dealings with the Caesars.  Her relationship with Marc Anthony led to their downfall and the end of the Ptolemaic Dynasty.

Who did what when......

Egypt's Chronology

Dynasties are periods of rule by successive members of the same royal family.  Ancient Egyptian dynasties begin with Menes about 3100 BC and end with the conquest of Egypt by Alexander the Great in 332 BC.  In addition, modern researchers refer to important phases of development, some of which are listed below in chronological order.  Dates are only certain after 664 BC and vary depending upon scholastic source. So, in summary we have:

Prehistoric Egypt 5000 – 3100 BC

Prehistoric Times. This early period was a transition to a food producing economy on fringes of the Nile.  These Neolithic cultures, African in affinity, cleared, irrigated the land and domesticated animals. By 3500 BC, Hierakonpolis in Upper Egypt was the largest settlement.  It spread some 3km along the Nile.  The Nile supported two kingdoms; the red crown of Lower Egypt (delta) with Horus, the falcon god as its principle deity and the white crown of Upper Egypt. Seth, the god of storms and chaos, was its prime deity.  Burial mounds were little more than subterranean tombs with rectangular timber and brick structures with sloping sides covering them, called mastaba.

Early Dynastic Period 3100 - 2686 BC

Unification.  Menes reign begins with unification of these two lands.  As hieroglyphs first appear, this signalled the start of Egypt’s recorded history and the beginning of the Dynastic Periods.  Kings ruled as divine beings.  Menes established his capital at Memphis near the apex of the Nile delta.  It was to become one of the ancient world’s greatest cities.  Lavish tombs were constructed at nearby Saqqara. 

A pre-curser to the Book of the Dead, a funerary text, was composed about 2400 BC.  Wall paintings in tombs were first created 2700 BC; painted relief sculptures first appeared 2660 BC; and the first seated and standing statues were produced at this same time.  This was a period of wealth accumulation and skill building.  Writing, painting, time, and mathematical concepts became apparent.

Giza

Old Kingdom 2686 – 2180 BC

A Golden Age & Pyramid Cult.  Kings by now were considered reincarnations of the god Horus and the son of Re (the sun god).  Pyramids were lavish tombs and were symbolic of Egypt, wisdom and eternal stability.  These massive tombs had a dual function which was to protect the mummy and possessions and symbolise the absolute, god-like power of the king.  They did not evolve out of necessity but were inspired by religious demand. 

What is clear however, is that the king was able to command and effectively organize labour for their construction, fitting the task in with the demands of seasonal work.  Initially step pyramids were constructed, the largest at (2630 BC) at Saqqara.  Its construction was simply a piling of mastabas of diminishing size with a sandstone facing - big but rather impractical.

The true pyramid follows design principles of permanence and regularity.  The ancient Egyptians used cubic measurement and preferred the heavier post & lintel even though they knew of the arch and vault.  They preferred static form with a finishing layer of either red granite or white limestone.  Hemon designed the Great Pyramid of Cheops at Giza 2550 BC and Kharfe built the Sphinx at Thebes in 2515 BC. This beast with its organic form makes an interesting contrast to the surrounding geometric tombs.

Temples too were built with similar geometric severity.  Their massive size reassured the populace of the might of their nation and assured the king’s eternal & changeless power. 

Even so, internal stability began to teeter with the rise of Nobles’ power.  They began to build great tombs for themselves.  Furthermore, these tombs were located within their own family districts rather than around the pyramid of the king.  It was the beginning of decentralisation of his absolute power.  Consolidation of local control eventually saw the demise of the king.  Civil war broke out, there was a breakdown of the king’s pivotal authority and chaos ruled as the Old Kingdom vanished.

Egypt: River of Life

Insight

When we visited Egypt in 2004, we drank from the Nile.  Locals told us this meant we would return some day.  So, here I am – in spirit if not in body. The first few posts will be a little dry (ha ha!) but I like to know something of the people and their culture before I visit.  I did rather laugh when I read Paul Theroux* who described his lack of enthusiasm for old monuments.  I find it fascinating that we have so much left to us yet know so little about this enigmatic period of our history.  Yet having visited you can be, after fighting off crowds and spirited shopkeepers, left with a sense of it all being so unreal.  Now, our felucca for a fascinating tour along the Nile is boarding…

Although it is believed people settled the Nile from about 6000 BC (Mesolithic Era), Ancient Egyptian art and civilization as we know it emerged under the guidance of Menes in 3000 BC.  He established his capital at the head of the Nile delta in Memphis.  Whilst cultural influences from nearby Sumer seemed to have stimulated development of the peoples settled on the Nile, Egypt’s isolation, relative internal stability and prosperity allowed it the freedom to flourish independently.

As the Nile flooded annually bringing nourishment to the delta, it was considered vital to Egyptian welfare, wealth and unity.  Egypt’s surplus produce ensured a flourishing trade and natural reserves of gemstone (diamonds, rubies) and precious metals (including gold, silver and copper) ensured a material wealth.  Building materials such as marble, alabaster and granite could be readily quarried and coloured stones including lapis lazuli and turquoise were obtainable.  This substantial affluence was greatly reflected in their art works.  The ancient Egyptians believed in the superiority of their own civilization and were therefore resistant to change.  Lasting massiveness was quintessential to their civilization and belief.

Religious practice was vital to the Egyptians.  The king was the divine being; a living god.  He could govern, at his own will, the wealth and services of his people.  Deities relevant to daily life and survival such as the sun, snakes and crocodiles were also worshipped to bring prosperity to the land.  All people centred their beliefs on the “life here-after”.  They believed that Ka (the soul) would return and therefore built elaborate tombs, lavishly decorated and well equipped for the soul until it returned.  Bodies, generally of the wealthy, were embalmed with preservatives such as spices and herbs and bound with cloth.  The resulting “mummy” was then put into a coffin of gold that was almost the perfect shape of the body.  Wooden caskets were used for less wealthy patrons.  Statuettes of gods and other requirements to ensure a smooth passage to the after-life, including slaves, animals, chariots and food items, were placed with the body into the tomb. 

The hot dry climate of Egypt ensured their architectural style changed little over the centuries.  Early constructions were made of timber (despite its scarcity) and later domestic architecture, flat roofed houses, and tombs were built from of sun dried bricks.   The more impressive temples and tombs were built from stone (granite and sandstone) which was quarried from the upper regions of the Nile.  This stone was  shipped down to the delta region, or necropolis location, on flat barges.  

All Ancient Egyptian art is funerary; to do with the after-life.  The Book of the Dead is a collection of funerary texts and magic beliefs from the pre-dynastic period.  It is the life story of Ka, “life spark” or soul, and provides instruction for mortals.  Walls of the tombs provided suitable backdrops for stories of gods and the occupant’s heroic deeds to inform the soul of its former life on earth.  These scenes were carved in low relief on the walls of tombs. Some were painted on dry plaster, fresco style.  Colour too, was not applied in a naturalistic way but in a strict symbolic code.  Numerous small carved statuettes were included inside the tomb.  Often, large sculptures of the occupant or gods presided on the outside. 

Ancient artisans had set limitations on their work and yet managed to develop extensively.  This framework ensured control and restraint in both method and presentation.  The result was purposeful narrative ensuring consistent representation.  Natural shapes were formalised into simple poses, attitudes and actions using a conceptual rather than optical approach.  Pictorial narrative became symbolic and almost purely decorative.  Beetles, winged globe (emblem of royalty), feathers, lotus lilies were all deeply religious symbols.  There was no use of perspective – their world was a simply a two dimensional picture plane with figures sized according to rank and consequence.  Other art forms included papyrus, glassmaking, pottery and literature.

Our understanding of hieroglyphs on ancient manuscripts, and therefore knowledge of the lives of these people, was greatly enhanced with the discovery of the Rosetta Stone (196 BC) in 1801.   The same paragraph has been written in hieroglyphics, an oriental form of hieroglyphics and Greek, allowing almost direct transcription.  We are fortunate indeed that the Ancient Egyptians carefully recorded all aspect of their lives.  We continue to be amazed at their urban, civilized society which flourished when most other people in Stone Age times (Neolithic, Bronze and Iron) were living in cultures with less developed attributes. 

*Paul Theroux “The Pillars of Hercules” 1995 (A great read if your exploring the Med.)

From World of Ancient Times Carl Roebuck

New York = Shopping

Quilt (or Guilt) Tripping No#3

Looking for quilting shops in NYC?  Then don’t go past these offerings. 

CityQuilter is my favourite and what’s more its new gallery opened on 5^th April 2011 as a textile art (contemporary art quilts) just next door.  On the day I visited I was lucky to have caught the fabulous work of Japanese artist, Noriko Endo.  Her exhibition entitled “ImpressionistQuilts” describes intricate fabric placement and subtle colour treatment.  Noriko works in what has been described as fabric confetti – a challenging way of working and rather radical if you think about the way we traditionally piece.  Needle and thread out the door!  Templates to the four corners of my earth!  Now where’s that glue gun?  Silliness aside, well done to City Quilter and here’s wishing the Gallery a long and bright future. 

While there, I added to my stash of NYC prints (as one must) and now the product of my purchase is under Bertie Bernina getting a good all over quilt.  Photos eventually – work progresses slowly.  Four bobbins a day, for 2 solid days of work and only a ¼ of the way done….

Purl Soho.  Purl brings new meaning to the word haberdashery.  This little store is jam packed with modern, fresh fabric designs and loads of bright colourful yarns and sewing accessories.  Their web site is as bright and upmarket as the shop.  The ladies are especially helpful and I found a great George Washington print to add to my NYC collection.

SewMaterialistic, Brooklyn.  I didn’t visit unfortunately so I can’t recommend this store first-hand.  However, I was told it was worth making an effort and is in easy reach.  Just gotta make it over that bridge.  Well, maybe on my next visit?  Meanwhile, there’s always the internet to ogle at their fabric range…

Out & About at MOMA

Washerwomen by Gauguin

I’ve tried to get into MOMA before.  On the first occasion it was closed due to a changing exhibition and on the second, an exhibition was about to open.  Crowds spilled out onto the footpath and I slunk away not wishing to fight off the masses to see those tempting treasures within. 

So, when I finally made it past the front door, I didn’t rush and happily browsed old masters (like Matisse and Odilon Redon) and new works alike. 

For once though, I didn’t take notes, just enjoyed being there, letting it wash over me; taking it all in - a lot to see and do and in only one day. 

Symbolist, Odilon Redon

I did take a few photos but missed getting a few from Boris Mikhailov in the Case History exhibition.  I thought his work, almost larger-than-life, was particularly stunning.  Graphic though.  I felt at times to be too exposed as the viewer.  I wanted to peek through my fingers to somehow escape his world.

 
I also found the contemporary drawing exhibition, I Am Still Alive, to be oddly compelling but it too wasn’t textile related. I did like the basic concept however that linked art and writing, then twisted it DNA fashion to give it a new character. 

Finally, I found paintings with textile references which inspired me.  Firstly this one by Romare Bearden (1911-1988) entitled Patchwork Quilt (1970).  The background is collaged fabric and there is a certain pharaonic feel about the piece. Love it!

Patchwork Quilt by Romare Beardon

Then Robert Rauschenberg’s (1925-2008) not so cosy, quilt covered Bed (1955) took my eye. 

The texture on this sculpture below put me in mind of some embroidery I had seen once.  Nice big stitches, a bit of discharge dyeing and a few exposed seams.  Back to the drawing board for me then!

 Finally, a fantastic Matisse to learn a lot about using colour with zing.  Wandering a gallery can be such an inspiring thing!  I always leave full of great ideas and new techniques to try or apply to my quilting.  So I highly recommend a visit.