Christine De Pizan

Essays:

1. The text defines 'selective perception' as focusing on the visual information we need to accomplish the task at hand. This can be influence by mood, our knowledge, and our experiences. People see different things when looking at the same picture because their personality influences what their eye is drawn too. In Audrey Flack's Wheel of Fortune (1977-78, oil over acrylic on campus), my eyes aren't drawn to the bright or shiny colors, it's drawn immediately to the skull. This could be because I love bright colors and since I'm use to seeing them, the skull immediately pops out as unusual. To someone who is into the supernatural, the skull may be passed over for the tarot card. Or maybe someone with a brunette mother/girlfriend/etc would be drawn to the picture in the upper left hand corner.

2. Art has always been used as a means of representing power and social order. In Francis de Goya's Third of May, he uses art to address the invasion of Spain by Napoleon. Art can trigger an emotional and psychological response to political issues, and this painting illuminates the injustice of one particular event. This is a very effective method, because while not everyone could have read an article, everyone can appreciate a visual representation.

3. Fresco is a medium where plaster is painted, wet or dry. Traditionally, wet plaster or 'buon fresco' is considered true fresco and it dates back to ancient Mediterranean civilizations. It was most popular during the Italian Renaissance, but continued into 20th century Mexico. The most famous of fresco's is probably Michelangelo's 'Sistine Chapel.' The ceilings of the Sistine Chapel were painted at the rate of one square yard a day during the Italian Renaissance and covered a range of religious themes.

4. I do not agree with Albrecht Durer's statement about creating beauty in a work of art. Rarely, if ever, will an artist be able to produce something that every person who views it will see as beautiful, and since beauty is in the eye of the