1. What and when was the Industrial Revolution?

'The industrial revolution may be defined as the application of power-driven machinery to manufacturing. it had its beginning in remote times, and is still continuing in some places. in the eighteenth century all of western Europe began to industrialize rapidly, but in England the process was most highly accelerated.'

2. Research both Modernist paintings in order to comment on the subject matter, form and style used to celebrate the machine and motion in each painting. Answer the question in 2 parts for each painting.

                                       

                                            

In this painting 'Dynamism of a Dog on a Leash' the subject matter of the moving dog is used to celebrate machine and motion as you are able to visually see a motion on a still image. This was very advanced at the time this was painted as it was very unsual to be able to see motion on a still canvas. This painting was created by multiple strokes to show each motion that would have taken place with the movement of the dogs lega and tail, along with the lead and the walkers feet.  

                                                                       

'The City Rises (or La città che sale in Italien) is a vibrant, colourful Futurist work by Umberto Boccioni from 1910 to 1911 and is painted in oils. It depicts the labours of men on a construction site utilising the power of horses in their labours. It is this power that appears to be the central focus of the painting as the strong horse in a dominating position filling the centre of the composition.  While the construction of a new modern building is the theme of this work, shown by the partially completed building visible in the top right hand corner, it is the strength and energy of the work that comes through. The colours are bold and dramatic, typical of Futurist artworks, shifting from the light yellows of the men in the bottom left to the dark shadows of the central horse. These shadows draw the viewer’s eye into the painting and their mind into the action. Like many other of Boccioni’s paintings The City Rises is energised by the quick successive brushstrokes.'

This painting similar with the form and style as 'Dynamism of a Dog on a Leash' as it also it created to show movement and motion but with a different subject matter. This painting is to show a construction by horses and men. The short brush strokes show the motion as there are so many it comes together as a blur creating the rush that would have been captured within this painting. 

3. Research Cao Fei's RMB City (2007-9)  in order to comment on this work in more depth.
i.e describe the images that has she used in her digital collage that refer to China's present and history, and explain why has she used these images.

                                                                           

                                  Cao Fei's RMB City (2007-9) refers to China's recent rapid industialisation and urbanization.
                                                                (www.artspace.org.nz/exhibitions/2009/cafeintopia.asp)

'Named after Chinese money,RMB City shows a perverse view of Beijing—a blend of communism, socialism, and capitalism. Like Beijing itself, it is constantly under construction, candy-striped smoke stacks suggest continuous industrial production and ships move goods swiftly in and out of port. A giant shopping cart, filled with skyscrapers and religious monuments, floats nearby...Her work is timely and responds to Chinaʼs rapid urbanization and the giddying pace of social and economic development experienced there and ask us to think about the reorganization of social interactions through online and social networking sites' taken from www.scoop.co.nz

This artwork has the subject matter of a view of Beijing. Obviously not a realistic view but more of a symbolic view, it is the artists interpretation of the city. The form and style of the work in my opinion helps to show a celebration to new technology/machinery as it almost looks like a carnival. The bright colours, and the cluttered look help to make it look like things are happening and changing. It shows movement and motion with the smoke in the air giving us a sign that things are being manufactured and with other parts looking like they should be in motion, all of this gives a sense of the industrial revolution.    

4. RMB City is described as a utopia/dystopia. Comment on what these terms mean, and how they can be applied to the work.
According to the online dictionary 'utopia' is a perfect place, especially in social, political and moral aspects, and dystopia is the opposite with everything being as bad as it could possibly be. These can be applied to the work as two different view point. The first being utopia, this work could be viewed in this way as it is a movement towards greater things, it holds a bright happy future with lots a manufacturing and things going on. It shows a successful place as the is happening going on. The opposite view point being dystopia could be applied to the work as it may be looked at as to commercial. Too many machines and manufacturing could be viewed as a negative as the world has become to materialistic and needs to get back to the basics. But both views can be argued for and against the work depending where you come from. 

5. Although the Modernist paintings and the contemporary digital work have emerged from
different contexts, there are also many similarities. Comment on the similarities that you can see in the work. Look at the moving digital image at vimeo.com/4272260, if you have not
already researched it.
I am able to draw comparisons between the works as they both contain a modernistic view in their works, they are just to different extremes. They are both study's showing different changes/movement/motion that are happening. All the artists have captured the movement and have shown them in different forms but all for the same reason of changes. 
6. Comment on other student's blogs.

Rempel, G. (n.d). The Industrial Revolution. Retrieved 29 May, 2006 from http://www.ecology.com/archivedlinks/industrialrevolution/index.html

http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/CU0906/S00212.ht
http://jade-wildy.suite101.com/futurism-and-umberto-boccionis-the-city-rises-a280519

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/utopia

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/dystopia