ElidaVargas

MesoAmericanProjectReflection:CriticalThinking

CriticalthinkinghasbeingrainedintotheverycoreofmostifnotallAMESclasses, teachingustoquestionthingsandinvestigatethetruthsforourselves.Theideathatsomething maynotbewhatitseems,andthatweshouldnotjusttakewhatisgiventousasabsolutetruth, thatwemayquestionallthingsaroundusandmakeimportantconnectionswithallprevious knowledgeorexperience,seemsextremelypresentintheArtHistorylessons.Bystrong emphasisonviewingartworkswithadeeperunderstanding,findingoutsideconnectionsand creatingloopsconnectinghistoricalandcontextualideasoreventstoanartpiece,weare allowingourselvestobecomecertainofaspectsofthatartworkthatotherwisewouldhave seeminglynotbeenpresentorwouldhavebeenoverlooked.Thebiggestexampleofthis revolutionarywaytoquestionandevaluatetheworldcanbefoundwithinourmostrecentproject. Forthisprojectitwasrequiredofustolearnaboutartworksandarchitecturalstructures pertainingtoaspecificregionoutsideofwesterntradition,suchasMesoAmericawhichwasmy focus.Welookedthroughthewholespectrumofpossibleartworksandarchitecturalpieces foundanddisplayedasimportantorinfluentialtothatparticularregionduringthewholespanof itsregine.Thenaftercloseexaminationandinvestigationnotonlyofartworksbutalsoof historicalandreligiouscontext,theulteriormotivesofthosepeople,theirpatrons,aswellasthe stylestheyusedsuddenlyhadmoremeaningtome.ForexampleintheMesoAmericanregion, manyoftheartworksandarchitecturebuiltwasmadeinordertoperformintricateritualsand sacrificesinordertosatisfytheirdeities.Theirintellectandstrongsenseofbeingbroughttheir mathematicalandarealunderstandingaboveourown,evenatthesetimes.Slowlymyinitialidea

ofMesoAmericanculturewhichwasacompletelyignorantandquiteoffensiveviewwhich becameasortofmorbidfascinationwiththeirsacrificialrituals,turnedintoanunderstandingfor theirfearsandfaithintheirstrongdeities.Throughtheprocessofgettingtoknowthisculturefor whatittrulywasIbecamesomewhatamazedatmyselfforthewaymyunintentionalignorance ofagroupofpeoplemademethinkofthemasunpleasant.IlearnedthatMesoAmericancultures suchastheAztecs,wouldfindhumansacrificeassteppingstonesintoheaven,whichwas viewedasgiftstotheGodsinordertosatisfytheirneeds,andinfearofthewrathoftheGodsif suchneedswerenotfulfilled.Theirreligiousviewsweresuchthattheywillinglysacrificed themselves,theirfamiliesandfriendsandeventheirchildrenwithheartsfullofprideandjoy.I learnedabouttheirrituals,andtheimportanceofabalancedsociety.Theseconceptswereones Ihadheardbefore,thesesameideasofpleasingandprasingwhilemakingsacrificesallinthe nameoftheirreligionandsocialnormsarestillideaspresentandhighlyinfluentialinourownday andage,althoughnotasdrastic. AsIaddedthefinishingtouchestomyproject,rereadsomenotesandcameupwith imaginarystringsconnectingonepiecetoanother,Icametotheconclusionthatduetotheability toviewthingsinsuchawaywhereallpreviousknowledgeandeventshadpointsofintersection, wheretheywouldallrelateandcreatethiswebofwhatcouldbeideasandhabitsofpeoplein general.Theabilitytoviewthingsinsuchawaywasbestoweduponnotonlymebutmostifnot allofAMESstudentsthroughtherigorousandopenmindedwaywerebegintoincorporatethe basicprinciplesofCriticalThinking.Iseethisasanadvantagewhichcanposeasagreatasset infutureexperiences,beitatajob,collegeorevensomethingassimpleasdaytoday decisions.