Stolen History
Throughout time, the destruction and the preservation of historical artifacts have been a popular trend amongst many cultures globally. one of the more notorious pillagers' historical artifacts in Britain. Many of their Treasures and well-known exhibits have not come from art within their own culture but stolen from inferior, less-developed countries. What I focused on in this project is pillaging in the Middle East. As victims of their crime, any other treasures and precious art has been stolen due to multiple excavations over hundreds of years. Eventually, countries from the Middle East have been left with dust from their assault. My focus for this project was to understand the many motives and reasons as to why people feel the need to steal from countries, not of their own. Many routes to get exhibits up and running and popular with the public are illegal like the black market. The history of Black Market with the associations to Facebook and the British Museum is a big player in the game of stolen history. The Antiquity Marketplace is a worldwide phenomenon as many crave history to be preserved but many see it as merely a decoration for their homes. I delved into many perspectives from the victims of said pillages and pillagers. For history and art, I pulled stories and research from Iraq and Syria and used the destruction as building blocks to inspire more to acknowledge their fall. For English, I specifically focused on Egypt and how their constant attraction lures some very dangerous and destructive people into their most sacred halls. I hope to have done justice to these people in one form or another.
HistoryFor history, I focused on the Middle East and countries like Iraq and Syria. in my research I focused on looted artifacts that still remain and many popular museums like the Louvre and the British Museum. To study a perspective in which is not your own, you begin to question your own perspective as you get to understand what happens behind the glass and what you look through. When I was younger and went to museums, I always remarked as to how beautiful the exhibits were, but now after digging through multiple resources, and fixing my lens I have now realized how beauty only masks the pain within. To interpret the many perspectives of which are at play in looted artifacts, I delved into research to understand the perspective of a sculptor, an archaeologist, a Black Market dealer, and a curator. Now, those perspectives were turned into a historical fiction story surrounded around the Lamassu - an Iraqi sculpture of a man with wings and a body of a bull. If you care to read the story, click the button below to read this story unlike another.
|
EnglishFor my English side of the story, I focused on Egypt - one of the most pillaged and prized areas of historical significance in the world. My original idea for studying looted artifacts has come from Egyptomania – the obsession with Egyptian culture. upon further investigation broadening my ideas, I come across a very interesting story of the trade and the constant travel of a mummy. you see this story is what sparked my ideas of looted artifacts. One of the most pillaging times of art from other cultures that had come during a time of revolutionary in literary art: The Romantics era was the time of art and creation is celebrated. To bring the two together, I had studied the Romantics through the poetry of that time with some of the greats like Percy Bysshe Shelley and Lord Bryon (my two favorites). To connect that to the pillaging of looted goods was a bit of a challenge, but when I got back to the roots of the project, I had thought of the pillaged mummy. To take a twist on a classic, I wrote an ode from the perspective of the pharaoh mummy who had been stolen and goes through the life of a pillaged art. On the other side, I wrote a sonnet from the perspective of a rich pillager who -at a time - had the mummy and has a special need for it. Click the button below to see the work for yourself.
|
Art
To analyze and research different perspectives, not of my own, is a hefty task, but creating fictional perspectives and going through their minds is unique. Based on true events and real people, I had created a story of the life of a Lamassu. what it bears throughout time with different people from different cultures across our world. In my story, I showed the prospectus of four different people: the creator/sculptor, an assistant archaeologist, a Black Market dealer, and a curator from the British Museum. The main purpose of the story is to inform the reader of how much history means for different people. The biggest part of the story includes the foot of the fifth leg of the Lamassu. During my second point perspective, the assistant archaeologist takes it upon himself to destroy the Lamassu sculpture in which the strongest point is taken. By taking that hoof, it is now one of the most prized possessions hundreds of people have been looking for. In my piece, I show the perspective of the multiple pieces that make up this Lamassu. I crocheted each piece individually and sewn them together like a sculpture by taking a base and adding to that. I kept the color palette relatively similar to the pallet of the sculpture itself: very tan, beige, and golden hues in color. The two biggest parts of the sculpture are its wings and its body - specifically its legs. As one of the more prominent roles - the legs - place upon this creature, I only crocheted the wings and the face without that strong point for this creature it takes away the body of the sculpture. I cover the majority of perspectives I have written in my story as many people have seen the Lamassu without its hoof. This piece is more abstract as I had to manipulate a difficult medium to create more shapes and dimensions to fully embody such a majestic creature. Though once finished, I had some doubts but after further examination and reflection upon my work, I believe I've done justice to my story to my abilities as a crocheter.
|
|