Waiting for Harry

The film "Waiting for Harry" is quite interesting, the process of the burial is like nothing I have ever seen before. I find it very interesting because I just attended my grandfather's funeral and the ceremonies are very different of that of Harry's tribe. The ceremony itself is a much longer process than that of a catholic american. My grandpa's arrangement was finished with in a week, this ceremony took more than three weeks. This a lot because they were waiting for harry to bring people for the ceremony and harry was the one who was kind of the head of everything and gave permission to do certain things. The coffin that was use was a hollowed out log, painted beautiful to tell a story. This was my favorite part of film, the coffin was so incredibly beautiful, every little detail had to be perfect. Another tribe even came to give their two cents and painted on the coffin as well. The story of the honey bees waiting in a line and coming in the log  to procure life once again is very interesting to me. The fact they are continuing life, where as in western funerals you continuing life but as yourself in another world.  This I believe is an art form in itself, the creative expression that goes into painting the coffin take much time and effort.   The dance that contributes to the ceremony is also a form creative expression, it is really interesting how the men, women, and children are involved. Most western funerals there is no form of ceremonial dancing, we do not celebrate the life that have been lost we mourn.  It is so very interesting to see how different cultures have different funeral practices.

Human Like Figures

“As the boys set out on their hike, their dogs followed along. One, named Robot, was about to become famous” (Curtis, 82). Can you imagine going out into the woods for a nice hike with your friends and end up finding treasure? What sort of treasure you might be thinking, right? This was no ordinary treasure, not something that you could put in your pocket and take back home with you.  This group of young boys, with Marcel Ravidat being the eldest and also the group leader, chased his dog to a cave that ended up have remarkable treasure.  Cave paintings, of bulls and horses and what is really interesting to me is a human figure painting. “A human figure, the only one in the cave, seemed to be falling over backwards. It was a man with the head of a birds and hands with only four fingers. He had apparently been knocked over by a bison that was standing beside him” (Curtis, 86).  This painting is spread over 6 feet if the cave wall.  This really just blows my mind, not only the sizes of these cave paintings, but that it is a human like figure.  From what I have been reading in The Cave Painters by Gregory Curtis and what I been learning in my classes is that human figures where not as important or tended to than the animals that were painted.  Yet we have this figure here that is not entirely human, but resemble closely to a human. Was this some sort of spirit that was being worshipped? Being that both the bison and the human figure are spirits and they are fighting with one another or one is making fun of the other.  Was it some sort of animal that was of great importance in ritual or for food?  It seems that way for a lot of the animals that are painted. But it could have just been a mere doodle as it was down a second passage of the cave. The fact is we may never know, I just find it so interesting that in most caves animals is the predominate theme but in this cave that could be argued as not so.  I wish that I could go and see this with my own eyes; I would love to experience it. Any cave paintings for that matter.

Rebecca said after watching Exit Through the Gift Shop this friday, "Is this just a put on by Bansky or is it the real thing?" That question would of never crossed my mind. I don't even know what my answer would be because it could easily be a real documentary or it could be a big joke about street becoming more a art gallery kind of art. How that people are fall so easily for something if there is big hype attached to it.  I will probably be thinking about this question all weekend.