Author: Carter Alvord

I really enjoyed the documentary because the narrator talked about both science and art. Immediately, I began to think about a voyager, Christopher Columbus, who sketched many of his findings down in his personal journal. As he traveled to North America, he would sketch birds, rocks, shells, and almost any new species which he had not seen before. While his drawings purpose were for scientific purposes, I would still describe them as pieces of art. Without skillfully depicting and drawing each animal and organism adroitly, it would be hard for others to comprehend what the animals purpose was. Furthermore, I found Haeckel’s life story to be extremely intriguing. His battle between matter and religion was quite interesting. Moreover, I found the narrators description of society’s perception of sciences, and how Haeckel changed peoples perception of the world, and, in specific, water to be fascinating. Overall, I found the documentary exceedingly alluring and I enjoyed learning about how Haeckel used art to bring his scientific discoveries to life. 

Tony Cragg

Immediate Response:

I find this sculpture to be extremely unorganized. It seems to be extremely sporadic and there is no certainty to its pattern. However, while the piece is chaotic, the materials used, and the way it’s sculpted, makes it exceedingly satisfying to view. In certain areas, the piece becomes narrow, while at other sections, it becomes very large and almost spherical. The piece, made out of stainless steel, almost looks to be made out of different slabs molded together in no specific order.

Objective Description:

First, I see a large steel structure. At the base, it starts in a small cylinder, until slowly shifting off to the right. Once it branches off to the right, it becomes almost like a small skipping stone that you would throw across the water. From there, it moves back to the left, with the same skipping stone shape. Then, for the majority of the sculpture it stays with an unpredictable pattern going back and forth until reaching it’s peak where it creates an awkward spherical shape. Overall, the sculpture, while sporadic, is extremely smooth and interesting to look at.

Technical Decisions:

the composition of this piece created by Tony Cragg is exceptionally dynamic. When starting from the base pedestal of the sculpture and moving upwards, your eyes sway back and forth as you follow the intrigue and almost unthought out path that Cragg has chosen to make. As a viewer, it keeps you both intrigued and entertained by the unruly path that the sculpture takes.

The work in the World:

In my opinion, this sculpture, which was entirely crafted out of steel, intrigues any veiwer. In turn, all of Cragg’s artwork uses one core medium. For some, the artist uses wood, plastic, or even Plexiglass to create extremely vivid and dynamic images. I feel as if Cragg likes the simplicity of single material sculptures because they don’t distract the viewer from the actual artwork being presented.

The Story It Tells:

I feel as if Cragg yearns to illustrate the unpredictable nature of life. Like his sculpture, life is remarkably erratic, and no matter what, you never know what may come your way. As you grow, there are sure to be bumps and obstacles along the way in which you must surpass. I feel as if Craggs dynamic and chaotic sculpture helps present that nothing is garuanteed.