1 + 2. Describe two pieces of art that captured your attention today. What did you enjoy about these pieces?
I liked how the still lives in the European wing had gorgeous bouquets of flowers with heavy blossoms hanging over the sides of a vase and thousands of colors staining each pastel petal. But when I took a closer look, as instructed by Alice, Group 2's docent, I saw the red-ish brown petals dying in the shadows, a leaf with a tiny nibble along the edge where a ladybug perched, a snake intwining the handle of a elaborate blue and white vase, and a fly hidden in the explosions of flowers. These animals brought real life back into focus: nothing (so beautiful) is perfect. But the imperfections were always masked in the wild shadow of the bouquet, just hinting at a sliver of reality. I enjoyed these pieces because the artist painted exquisite facades of a florist's work gone crazy but when looked at closer, (to me) said, "nothing's perfect."
3. The following quote is from John Muir: What do you think animals different than ourselves provide to humans?
Animals different than ourselves provide food, comfort, a sense of "wild in the great outdoors" and materials to fabricate shoes, clothes, couches, Jello, and more. I think that animals different than ourselves are also very connected to us through indirect things, like if a person were to eat a steak, and then learn cows are endangered. The might only think, "Save the cows!" when really the grass the cows (used to) eat is so full of chemicals and toxic substances from humans' actions, the cows cannot eat the grass, or will die. This example shows how humans and their stuff greatly impacts the environment which in turn impacts the animals. If we (everyone in the world) don't protect the habitats of animals, no matter how many "Save the Bald Eagle" or "Save the Polar Bear" people give their money and/or their support to can't make a difference without peoples' support for a healthy environment.
4. Is it important to protect the habitat of animals? Why or why not?
I believe it is important to protect the habitats of animals because animals are a gargantuan part of humans' lives' (food, outdoor entertainment, studies, everyday things like clothes, sofas, etc.) but also because I think animals were meant to be on Earth to help create stability with the land and water. When humans take actions that destroy the environment chaos begins—and that's where we, the world, is now. Like in Niger, where there have been insane locusts infestations that ruin people's crops (food and money) that no one as ever seen before. Predators of the locusts can't keep up, so the balance between environment and animal has been upset. With humans' actions creating Global Climate Change, the balance between environment and animal is just tipping further and further every year. Scientists believe Global Climate Change is not natural, at least not at this pace, and therefore animals cannot react and adapt fast enough to help keep the balance that is being but into (sometimes literally) a tornado by humans' actions.
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