Light of Divinity

Since the post about Islamic art, architecture and sacred space seems to have been a hit, and for good reason, I decided to include some of the West's finest offerings, that of stained glass murals and geometric designs. I searched around for a good film or documentary on general cathedral design and adornment, but haven't yet found one to my liking. The search will continue, however!

In the mean time, please enjoy these amazing images, as well as a paper on Gothic cathedrals and the evolution of stained glass! As always, thank you for reading. Check out the visuals tab, aka my Tumblr, for more cathedral imagery!

Development of Stained Glass in Gothic Cathedrals 

Jesse Byock is one of the big names in Viking age archaeology and history, with numerous books, translations and papers published on the subject in addition to his lecturing at UC Los Angeles. His translation of the Volsung's Saga is one of my favorite books dealing with the literature and lore of the Viking age, and I highly recommend it to all English readers!

Spending too much time on medievalists.net, as I often do, I came across this little video featuring professor Byock and Adam Fish, discussing the iconic Viking long house.

Jump to http://www.medievalists.net 

From out the steppe...

One of the biggest factors in the political, social, cultural, economic and military development and historical narrative in all of Eurasia are the various waves of people coming out of the central steppe, bent on conquest, trade, colonization and new pastures. The ancient kings of the fertile crescent and China, the Romans and their subsequent inheritors, the Christian kingdoms and Islamic sultanates  of medieval Europe and the Middle East and even Russian Communists would all face their wrath, and be left changed in the wake of contact.

This subject is one of my personal favorites, so I should really leave this nice documentary as an introduction and write about some of the literature and such later on. So, for now, I leave you to your viewing pleasure!

Watch it on Youtube

The stylings of paradise

Whatever you make think of the religion, the region, the people or the tenants of Islam, it's hard to argue against the beauty, intricacy and fascinating pattern work of Islamic art and architecture. From the high domes of the grand mosques to the swirling and dizzying line work of calligraphy and interior decoration, Islamic art can't help but affect the viewer and impress the power and majesty of the religion and its buildings onto them.

It is well known that Islam is preoccupied with attainment of paradise in the afterlife, but the mosque is designed to convey that sense to the living worshipers here on earth. Having seen a few mosques myself, such as the grand mosque in Najaf, Iraq, I can only say that they must be seen to be fully understood and appreciated. Words, pictures, and even this film cannot compare.

So, I leave you with this well done and compelling documentary about Islam's quest for paradise here on earth, all through the employment of art, architecture and spacial planning. Enjoy!

And in case you're still curious, here are a few links to further information about Islamic art, pattern work and architecture.

Patterns in Islamic art
Introduction to Islamic Architecture
Images of Islamic art

Beach Weather II

After a nice bike ride yesterday, as I just mentioned, I can't help but be excited about someday becoming part of such a scene. Looking at the tar stones in the cliff side, I was impressed to think that all of the plants and animals that had once lived in the area were now there, hanging in the sandstone, still a part of the landscape. Now, I understand that it's more likely that those life forms came from all over the place and the oil composing their current state merely seeped up to that spot, but bare with me.  This year has been on of personal loss and death in the family, so my thoughts have often been on pondering those mysteries.

Back to what I'm getting at. When everything dies, it goes through a series of biological, chemical and erosive processes until, finally, its matter becomes integrated into landscape in which it fell. Our recent flurry of scientific inquiry and discovery has only affirmed the centuries old knowledge that all things are reintegrated into the whole, and that death is merely a transition. Just like the seasons, the tides and the sky, all things process forward with the great cycle, ever onward.

I hope that, someday, I get to be part of a wicked rad crystal. That would be cool.

Beach Weather

Being from Southern California and right on the coast, our winter weather is much more amicable to a long, leisurely bike ride. In fact, our weather usually lends itself to being out and about. Thus, the lack of activity around here. My apologies, and my thanks for all your visits and interest. You've no doubt noticed the changes, and rest assured they will continue until I get this place to where I'd like it.

Please do enjoy the new tabs, where I will be posting more music centered material and media as well as sharing the internet's imagery with Tumblr. There could even be more tabs in the future....

Orson Welles and Modern Art

I happened upon this classic 1977 documentary by Herbert Kline, narrated by Orson Welles, covering all the major movements and phases of Modern Art.

Delightfully stodgy and filled with a myriad of accents, ideas, styles and mediums, this in depth film highlights past and contemporary artists with ease and clarity, bringing this multi-faceted art style out from its own self designed obscurity and confusion. Enjoy!