It’s all in the bag

Over the last few weeks the MOSI staff were tasked with a green themed contest entitled “It’s all in the bag”. The challenge was to create art from recycled plastic bags and other recycled materials. 13 MOSI staffers created items for the contest that included sculpture, jewelry, fashion, home decor and even science education!

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In a vote by the MOSI staff at our March staff meeting, winners for the contest were selected. Kelly C. took the 1st place in the contest with her fashion belt woven from strips of plastic bags. A second place tie was had between James W. and Steve A. James W. created a reproduction of DaVinci’s parachute and Steve A. sculpted a rose from recycled aluminum foil. Third place went to Adriana D for her creation of a fashion handbag.

Items created for the contest are currently on display in the Dr. Gladys Kashdin Welcome Center in front of the Science To Go store.

Special thanks to Laurie P. for creating and overseeing the entire contest process. Great work, great fun and great creativity from the MOSI/SSA staff!

Since joining the MOSI team in Oct 2009, SSA (which runs MOSI’s gift shops) has brought their nationwide reputation for ecological sustainability to its MOSI operation. The “It’s all in the bag” contest is a small part of the SSA/MOSI partnership’s initiative to enhance awareness of sustainability among MOSI staff members & guests.

Treasures of the Modern Renaissance: A 1471 Girdle Book

A girdle book was a small and portable leather bound book that would have been carried in the middle ages and Renaissance by clergymen and nobles. These books are bound in leather and the cover extends below the edge of the book and tapers to a point where it is tied into a knot. This knot could be tucked into the belt or girdle of an individual and would leave the book hanging upside down and backwards. From this position the book could be lifted right side up and opened by the wearer for use. These books often contained liturgy or daily prayers and were popular from the 13th to the 16th century. Although hundreds of these books are represented in art of the time period, only 23 known girdle books survive to the present day.

This particular book is designed after a book dated to 1471 and owned by Hieronymus Kress. The artist, Jill Voss, started with paper and built the book from the inside out. First, pages were gathered and folded over into individual sections called quires. The quires were fastened with waxed linen thread and bound into a group with hemp cord. The cords were then pulled through holes in wooden cover boards and laced tightly together to form a book of pages between two wooden covers.

Once the excess cords were cut, the remaining holes were plugged with wood to create a smooth surface on the outside of the cover boards. The book was then fitted with a leather cover that was finished with a knot at its tapered end. Lastly, brass fittings were attached to hold down the leather at the corners, decorate the cover and create latches for the book to be properly closed. The artist used the technique of sand casting to cast the bronze fittings for the book.

About the Artist: Jill Voss

Jill Voss is a native Floridian. She studied at various Universities including Savannah College of Art and Design, University of Georgia, Cortona, Italy and graduated from Florida State University with a B.F.A specializing in papermaking and bookbinding. During her travels she has the opportunity to study at the Cartiera Magnani papermill and Istituto Centrale per la Patologia del Libro. This artist has participated in juried shows and museum displays such as Miami Beach Art Festival, Scholastic Art Awards and Diocesan Museum, Cortona. Jill currently teaches and displays medieval papermaking and bookbinding for the Society of Creative Anachronism (S.C.A.) where she has received the accolade of Laurel - Master of the Arts. She is known as Mistress Hyrrokin in the Society for Creative Anachronism.

Treasures of the Modern Renaissance: Titian’s white gown.

Based upon a 1553 painting by Titian entitled Portrait of a Lady in White, this gown was created by local artisan Maureen Cox. Also known as Girl with a Fan, the portrait by Titian shows a young woman dressed in a sumptuous white gown, wearing pearls and holding a dainty fan. Using silver threaded brocade, silks, ribbons, lace and hundreds of hand beaded pearls, Maureen has created a snowy masterpiece of a gown.

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Titian was born Tiziano Vecellio (c. 1473/1490 – 27 August 1576) was one of the finest painters of the Venetian school of painting of the Italian Renaissance. In his later years Titian created many portraits of women, several of which used his beloved daughter Livinia as the subject. He died a victim of the plague in ravaged Venice and was interred at Basilica di Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari in the same city.

The painting Portrait of a Lady in White has been connected with Titian’s daughter Lavinia who may be the model for the lady in white. The portrait is now housed at the Staatlichen Kunstsammlungen Dresden (Dresden State Art Collections).

About the Artist: Maureen Cox

Maureen Cox is currently pursuing a dual Masters Degree from the University of South Florida in Art History and Library Science and resides in Land O’Lakes. Interested in medieval and Renaissance costuming, illumination, calligraphy, portraiture, the history of makeup, and medieval cooking, Maureen is also a fan of modern arts and film of all sorts. Maureen is known as Mistress Muirenn ingen Ui Ceilleachair, OL in the Society for Creative Anachronism.

Inspired by da Vinci- Art exhibition at MOSI

In 1508 da Vinci started a large sized cartoon sketch in charcoals as a study for a painting commissioned by King Louis XII of France. Now known as The Virgin and Child with St. Anne and St. John the Baptist, the painting in charcoals was created on eight sheets of paper that have been glued together to form one large sheet.

Depictions of the Virgin and Child separately with either St. Anne or St. John the Baptist were popular themes during the Italian Renaissance. As with many of Leonardo da Vinci’s later works, the cartoon remains unfinished and now hangs in the National Gallery in London.

In honor of the da Vinci: The Genius exhibition at MOSI, we asked local artists of all ages to contribute pieces of art inspired by the works of DaVinci. This cartoon was the inspiration for two very different interpretations of DaVinci’s work.

The first of the pieces inspired by this work was painted by a local Tampa Artist named Greg Latch.

About the Artist: Greg Latch

Greg Latch liberated his aspirations of becoming a basketball player at a young age upon noticing the attention that artist’s received. His skill has evolved from triumph in a 6^th grade art competition, to drawing for his church at an older age to his da Vinci inspired work displayed at MOSI today. You can view more of his work at latchart.com.

The second piece was created by a 12th grade high school artist named Cady Gonzalez from Wiregrass Ranch High School. This inspired piece of art was created using a selection of charcoals, just as Leonardo da Vinci would have done.

These two very different interpretations of the same piece of art help to show how the work of a Renaissance master still influences the art of our modern age. Leonardo da Vinci was considered one of the finest painters of Renaissance Italy and was known for his subtle shading and careful treatment of faces to bring forth all of the beauty of the human form into his art.

The two interpretations of da Vinci’s creation can be seen in the MOSI Founder’s Hall before you enter the da Vinci: The Genius exhibit.

da Vinci: The Genius- Breathing Under Water

Around 1500 Leonardo da Vinci moved to Venice which was at war with the Ottoman empire. There he devised an underwater breathing system to be used as a means of raiding the Ottoman fleet so that divers could drill holes in the bottoms of the enemy ships.

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Housed now in the Codex Atlanico, da Vinci created a sketch of a system that employed a floating bell made of cork, tubes crafted from hollow cane reeds, and a bag-like hood to cover a divers face. The floating bell of cork kept the ends of the reed tubes above water so that the diver below could breathe air from the surface. The plans included weights to help keep a diver below water and a valve adjustable bag that could fill with air to assist in resurfacing. da Vinci even planned for divers to stay submerged for some time, as the leather suit plans also contained a pouch for the collection of urine.

Leonardo also worked on plans for diving bells, life saving flotation devices, dams, double hulled ships and a host of bridges designed for all sorts of water crossing needs.

About the Codice Atlantico: Pompeo Leoni, a 16th century sculptor collected Leonadro da Vinci’s notebooks and drawings and bound them into a collection. The Codice Atlantico is a twelve-volume set of 1,119 pages dating from 1478 to 1519 and consists of all sorts of drawings attributed to da Vinci. The Codice is currently housed at the Biblioteca Ambrosiana, Milan.

2009 National Medal for Museums

MOSI is excited to share with you that we have received the nation’s highest honor for community service - the 2009 National Medal for Museums, presented by the Institute of Museum and Library Services. Out of 17,000 museums in the country, we are one of only 5 to receive this award!

We have now received our medal and plaque and the staff of MOSI would like to present them to you in this photograph.

We couldn’t have achieved this without the support of our members, visitors, donors and board members. Thank you for making MOSI one of the best Science Centers in the Country!

da Vinci: The Genius- Carro Armato

From 1482 to 1499 da Vinci lived in Milan under the patronage of Duke Ludovico Sforza, known also as il Moro. During this period Leonardo da Vinci created masterpieces of both art and science which help to demonstrate the breadth of his accomplishments. Many of his machines we designed for defense of Milan or to increase her military strength against enemies.

In an introductory letter to Duke Ludovico preserved in the Codex Atlantico, Leonardo wrote “I can make armoured cars, safe and unassailable, which will enter the serried ranks of the enemy with their artillery, and there is no company of men at arms so great that they will break it. And behind these the infantry will be able to follow quite unharmed and without any opposition."

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One of da Vinci’s incredible military designs is the armored vehicle. This turtle-like device allows for eight men inside to move through enemy lines without injury. Inside, four wheels can be powered by cranks to move the tank without the need of horses. Small cannon are spaced around the edge of the tank allowing the soldiers inside to fire upon enemies while remaining protected.

The original plans for this design have front and back wheels geared in opposition which renders the tank unable to properly move. It has been suggested that da Vinci designed the flaw purposely so that if his plans were stolen the machine would be unusable.

The first modern tank was not realized until WWI with the premier of ‘Little Willie’, a 14 ton armored vehicle that could carry three men in cramped conditions at a top speed of two to three miles per hour. You can learn more about the development of the modern tank at this link.

A beautifully constructed model of da Vinci’s armored tank design can be seen inside the da Vinci: The Genius exhibit. Through an open door you can see the crank driven wheels and other innards of the design.