James Miller's Blog

    Plank Mask (Nwantantay) Bwa people, made in Burkino Faso According to Dr. Peri Klemm from khanacademy.org, the mask is likely from the 18th and 18th century.  The Bwa people are located in the country of Burkino Faso, which is in West Africa (metmuseum.org).  The masks of this type had many purposes, one of the uses was to honor the deceased and guide their spirit to the afterlife (metmuseum.org).  The art elements of the mask that I like is the texture, the patterns and the balance.  I enjoy the texture of the wood, it appears to be smooth around the face and more coarse around the mouth.  I noticed the patterns of each eye, which is concentric circles.  The mask posses balance, which is the symmetrical face. Nuna Chameleon Mask, ca. 2000 located in Burkino Faso The Nuna people are located in Burkino Faso (maskmuseum.org).  The ceremonial Nuna Chameleon Mask purposes include "Adult Initiation; Divination; Entertainment; Funeral; Purification; Spirit Invocation" (maskmuse

In 2011, the state of California sued the Electronic Merchants Association for the sale or rental of violent video games to minors (Brown).  The case went up to the Supreme Court and they ruled in favor of the Electronic Merchants Association (Brown).  The reason behind the ruling was of the protection of free speech from the first amendment (Brown).  The Supreme Court also deemed that video games are art, because they are a form of expression (Brown).   Forest of Illusion, 1995 by Hisashi Nogami from Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island In 1995, Nintendo released Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island.  While many artists worked on the game, Hishashi Nogami was credited for the marker art style.  I grew up playing this game, I consider it a masterpiece.  The game has its own unique art style.  I adore the living picture book art style.   The art elements I like about the Forest of Illusion is the line work, the shapes and the patterns.  The line work is exquisite, each line