Sunday, December 11, 2011
blog extra credit
I unfortunately joined the class in the second week and did not post a blog but did submit a drop-box. I know I said the reason I took this class was a requirement for my major, but I was also interested in art. I truly didn't expect to learn as much as I have or to enjoy it as much as I have. Therefore, I must say my expectations were not only met but surpassed what I expected. I am pretty sure my favorite artist was Joan Miro...again, I didn't post a blog. I will say he is still my favorite. I loved going to the Albright-Knox museum and actually seeing his work. I have always loved his art, before I even knew what it actually meant...but I have a new appreciation for it. Now I can look at the prints I have and understand what the shapes mean and how they correlate to each other. Art to me is an interpretation of a person's view of what they see. I love there are so many different ways to express the world around us. I love Realism for what it is..what you see and everyone else sees, but I am more drawn to the different views a person can show us about those things. I love to see a person's imagination, and what a better way than to physically see it. I love online courses. I am not one who fits well with regiment or requirements of attendance. With online courses I am in charge of making sure I do what is required when it is required. I always search out online courses for this reason. I don't feel we learn less, I feel we learn more...it is more one-on-one than a classroom of students. I enjoyed this course and learned a lot from this course.
Friday, December 9, 2011
Blog of peers exhibit
I can honestly say I watched everyone's slide show. There were a lot of great ones! I chose Andrew Reeds exhibit because I really love dogs and was anxious to see the images he included. The biggest challenge for me was, and always has been, how to phrase my sentences and put my thoughts into print. I have never been the best writer...too boring and simple. But I must admit that after all the writing we have done in this class I feel I am a little better! I just started writing and rereading and rewriting until I was happy with it. Andrews critique was easy to do because I thought he did a great job showing our love and admiration for our dogs. I couldn't really see anything to critique his exhibit except his font, not because I didn't like it, it was just hard to read sometimes. I would like to read my peers critique of mine, although I think I might already know what they will say after seeing some of the other exhibits! I will give my article a 7. I think I covered all the points...just wish I was more eloquent. I really enjoyed this project and learned a lot more than I thought I was going to! I admire female photographers, especially at the turn of the century when men dominated this art form. I even want to buy some of the prints to hang on my walls!
Thursday, December 8, 2011
week 15 self-portrait and art gallery
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| Vincent Van Gogh |
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| Francis Bacon |
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| Edward hopper |
Vincent Van Gogh "Self portrait with bandaged ear"
1889 oil on canvas 60x 49 cm Courtald Institute Galleries
Francis Bacon "Self-Portrait"
1971 oil on canvas dimensions unknown George pompidou Center
Edward Hopper 1925-30
oil on canvas 251/16 x 20 3/8 Whitney museum of modern Art, NY
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
week 15 video blog
This video was an interview with a prominent art critic, Greenberg, during the Modern Age movement. He described how he changed his view of critiquing art over the years. He explained how he had to let his own preference not decide what artworks were good or bad. He explained, just like our book , that after the World Wars there was a boom in the art world due to a boom in the middle-class in terms of money and culture and the freedom of art from the upper-class and the elite. He pretty much stated he didn't really care for Abstract art but realized it's influence on the 40's and 50's era. He didn't believe history had much to do with art, all that mattered was whether the art was good or not and he believed Abstract art was good. I haven't decided yet who I am going to use as my art critique, but this video definitely opened my eyes to the possibility that good art is good art. If a prominent critic can say he has changed his views over the span of his careers, then I can keep an open mind to everything i see.
The third video was An Introduction to the Italian Renaissance. Tere were so many things discussed in the video that we discussed about our readings. We talked about the ancient Romans and the way they incorporated nature in their artwork and the fall of Rome and how the artwok of ancient Romans was in a large part destroyed. The travel East by the Romans brought the Byzantine era and we learned the strict guidelines of religious subject matter only. We also learned of Giotto and his contribution to the rebirth of ancient Roman ideas, once again focusing on real people and nature and depicting their surroundings. I really liked the way the video introduced each artist and his unique contribution to the Italian Renaissance, such as Giotto and the architecture he included to show perspective, or Ghiberti and his sculptures and reliefs carved with such depth...Donatello and his "David" sculpture in contrapossto, giving the sculpture the idea of movement...and Michelangelo's stride for perfection. I really like Ghiberti's ability to create such realistic and life-like reliefs on such tiny panels of the North Doors, 21 years is a long time to work on anything but probably not something you are so dedicated to. I am intrigued by the Italian Renaissance artists and love the diversity and simiilarity between them. This video reminded me of what we have learned and I hope to see some of these artists in some exhibits.
I think Greenberg has really changed his point of views over the span of the 40's and 50's to the 80's. He moved from deciding art was good because he liked it to art is good when it's good. He said art shouldn't have demands. We should look at the discipline of art. We learned about Pollock in our readings, and he is a personal favorite of mine. I think people were trying to hard to define his work and couldn't open their minds enough to see how revolutionary his work was. I think it's terrible he never really got the recognition he wanted and that made him an isolated person. I appreciate his need for departure from the tidy, boxed-in paintings prior to him.he thought people could think on their own, create their own "borders" with the interpretation of the piece...and he was right...just a little to early. I know a few people were using Modern Art as their theme and from my personal viewpoint I hope there will be Pollock's because i believe he epitomizes Modern art...but I also know I need to be a critic. I agree with Greenberg that good art is good art and I believe his to be.
The Colonial Encounter brought to my knowledge facts that disturbed me. To think that a group of people could be displayed in such barbaric and uncivilized ways is awful...even going as far as caging nude Dahome's beside the animal exhibit, as if they themselves were animals. It is sad they were used in images as violent to eachother and thus instilling fear to the Paris World Fair. But yet Algerians were displayed in an inviting and friendly manner just to drum up tourism to the French colony. We learned a great deal of the Afican colonies in our book and a little about the Dahomes, but the video definitely went more in depth by describing the people and their art. I am glad that we are able to see the artwork of these cultures without negative images misleading our view of them.I definitely doubt i will see any racial comparisons in any exhibit...which I am happy about. I would probably be the most hated art critic if I did!
Michael Fried and T.J. Clark discuss Pollock's work in the last video. Although they both agree apollock was a modernist master, they disagree why. Fried is leaning toward the aesthetic quality of his work , while Clark is more interested in the quality of art to describe the human conditions of the time it was created. They both came to an agreement that history is important in describing artwork but also it's quality. The challenge lies in the inability to describe Pollock's work. Is it more important to focus on what he has done or why he has done it. I myself find his work calming and full of energy at the same time and admire his lack of fear to try something new and escape from what everyone else was doing. This video opened my eyes to the ways of getting to the same viewpoint. Are we to critic the exhibit or the art chosen for the exhibit?
I saved the Critics video for last because I found it very hard to get into. I appreciate critics and their volumes of understanding of the subjects they are critiquing, but like to make my own opinions. I do understand they are needed to help people see different perspectives and to explain certain aspects of the work. A review is different from a critic's view in the fact that reviews are created to help people understand a particular subject, whereas a critic assumes his audience already knows the subject matter and wants to explain his feeling on the subject, to create an argument for discussion. Superior criticism involves critical thinking and an ability to write, and write and write. Critics work in genres. and sometimes genres of genres, such as music and country music. We touched a few times on critics in our readings and I did find it interesting to hear different critics talk about their different subject matters. I realize it must be a difficult job and realize now that it isn't just a career but a passion the critics have probably had since childhood. I also appreciate that certain critics can help an artist get the break they need to "make it". They do help weed out the mass-production of art, good and bad.
The third video was An Introduction to the Italian Renaissance. Tere were so many things discussed in the video that we discussed about our readings. We talked about the ancient Romans and the way they incorporated nature in their artwork and the fall of Rome and how the artwok of ancient Romans was in a large part destroyed. The travel East by the Romans brought the Byzantine era and we learned the strict guidelines of religious subject matter only. We also learned of Giotto and his contribution to the rebirth of ancient Roman ideas, once again focusing on real people and nature and depicting their surroundings. I really liked the way the video introduced each artist and his unique contribution to the Italian Renaissance, such as Giotto and the architecture he included to show perspective, or Ghiberti and his sculptures and reliefs carved with such depth...Donatello and his "David" sculpture in contrapossto, giving the sculpture the idea of movement...and Michelangelo's stride for perfection. I really like Ghiberti's ability to create such realistic and life-like reliefs on such tiny panels of the North Doors, 21 years is a long time to work on anything but probably not something you are so dedicated to. I am intrigued by the Italian Renaissance artists and love the diversity and simiilarity between them. This video reminded me of what we have learned and I hope to see some of these artists in some exhibits.
I think Greenberg has really changed his point of views over the span of the 40's and 50's to the 80's. He moved from deciding art was good because he liked it to art is good when it's good. He said art shouldn't have demands. We should look at the discipline of art. We learned about Pollock in our readings, and he is a personal favorite of mine. I think people were trying to hard to define his work and couldn't open their minds enough to see how revolutionary his work was. I think it's terrible he never really got the recognition he wanted and that made him an isolated person. I appreciate his need for departure from the tidy, boxed-in paintings prior to him.he thought people could think on their own, create their own "borders" with the interpretation of the piece...and he was right...just a little to early. I know a few people were using Modern Art as their theme and from my personal viewpoint I hope there will be Pollock's because i believe he epitomizes Modern art...but I also know I need to be a critic. I agree with Greenberg that good art is good art and I believe his to be.
The Colonial Encounter brought to my knowledge facts that disturbed me. To think that a group of people could be displayed in such barbaric and uncivilized ways is awful...even going as far as caging nude Dahome's beside the animal exhibit, as if they themselves were animals. It is sad they were used in images as violent to eachother and thus instilling fear to the Paris World Fair. But yet Algerians were displayed in an inviting and friendly manner just to drum up tourism to the French colony. We learned a great deal of the Afican colonies in our book and a little about the Dahomes, but the video definitely went more in depth by describing the people and their art. I am glad that we are able to see the artwork of these cultures without negative images misleading our view of them.I definitely doubt i will see any racial comparisons in any exhibit...which I am happy about. I would probably be the most hated art critic if I did!
Michael Fried and T.J. Clark discuss Pollock's work in the last video. Although they both agree apollock was a modernist master, they disagree why. Fried is leaning toward the aesthetic quality of his work , while Clark is more interested in the quality of art to describe the human conditions of the time it was created. They both came to an agreement that history is important in describing artwork but also it's quality. The challenge lies in the inability to describe Pollock's work. Is it more important to focus on what he has done or why he has done it. I myself find his work calming and full of energy at the same time and admire his lack of fear to try something new and escape from what everyone else was doing. This video opened my eyes to the ways of getting to the same viewpoint. Are we to critic the exhibit or the art chosen for the exhibit?
I saved the Critics video for last because I found it very hard to get into. I appreciate critics and their volumes of understanding of the subjects they are critiquing, but like to make my own opinions. I do understand they are needed to help people see different perspectives and to explain certain aspects of the work. A review is different from a critic's view in the fact that reviews are created to help people understand a particular subject, whereas a critic assumes his audience already knows the subject matter and wants to explain his feeling on the subject, to create an argument for discussion. Superior criticism involves critical thinking and an ability to write, and write and write. Critics work in genres. and sometimes genres of genres, such as music and country music. We touched a few times on critics in our readings and I did find it interesting to hear different critics talk about their different subject matters. I realize it must be a difficult job and realize now that it isn't just a career but a passion the critics have probably had since childhood. I also appreciate that certain critics can help an artist get the break they need to "make it". They do help weed out the mass-production of art, good and bad.
Saturday, December 3, 2011
project 4
I was so confident with my original theme of contrasting Andy goldswothy and Isamu noguchi but I couldn't find any dimensions to Goldsworthy because he places his sculptures in nature, knowing that he makes sculptures that are made to be eroded. Then i went to photographs because my girlfriend loved Imogen Cunningham. Which brought me to my final exhibit...to explore women in photography. I learned so much about these women. What an amazing group of four! Julia Margaret Cameron was born in India and grew up in England, where she was a sought after photographer for the famous people in her era...and she didn't even pick up a camera until she was 48! Margaret Bourke-White was the first female photojournalist for Life magazine. She was also the first woman to be allowed in the Soviet Union after the war. She was also the only female allowed in the concentration camps after they were freed. She was a daredevil when it came to capturing the right photo. I love the picture I used as her self-portrait, sitting on the gargoyle of the Empire State Building! Imogen Cunningham is just fantastic. I love how much she changed her subjects, from dancers to artists to plants and later to nudes. She was a prominent photographer for 7 decades! And there really isn't anything I can say about Annie Leibovitz that her photos don't already say! What an amazing talent she has for capturing the soul of her subjects. I love to see her work. You can tell she has so much fun and so do her subjects! I am really happy with my exhibit. I am so glad I got to learn so much about these amazing women...I even want to buy some of their prints for my house...like Margaret Bourke-White's Cocktails on Gorky Street, moscow. The lines and perspective and composition are incredible! Oh No!! I just tried to look at my exhibit and realized all my Annie Leibovitz photos are gone! I am so mad!! They were there when I transferred power point to the assignment! I wonder if there are copyright laws that power point has to oblige? They were such great shots! I am very dissapointed!
Sunday, November 20, 2011
weeks 13 and 14 video blog
I am so accustomed to defining art as something a gallery would display, but this video, The Lowdown on Lowbrow , really opened my eyes to the fact that there are many different types of art which are worthy of recognition. here is this subculture of artists who are not classified as "fine artists" producing amazing works of art and not receiving the attention they deserve. We can enjoy comics and album covers and posters for upcoming shows but yet they are not art just announcements or leisure activity. However, the talent required to create these should be recognized. I think it's awesome that this society of artists has come together and opened their own galleries so that those who appreciate this genre can enjoy it. At first i just saw cartoons and rockabilly posters, but when you really take notice you can see the immense talent in every piece of art. I love the use of the Polynesian Tiki theme and the classic cars and the 50's kitch that many of these artists use as their themes. I was, and still am, a huge fan of rockabilly music... like the Stray Cats...and now I am asking myself how much would i love the music without the artwork that coincides with it, making it recognizable to everyone whether they like the music or not? Lowbrow is an important part of our society and culture and should be recognized for it's contribution to our generation.
The video about the Tate Museum of Modern Art showed a dynamic way to display art. I like the four sections-landscape, still-life, history and nude. I also liked the artists displayed with eachother in juxtaposition, Not only can one admire the artist's work but also try to make sense of why they are displayed together. I do believe that art should be categorized beyond Realism or Cubism or Expressionism. So many works correlate with eachother even though they are from very different movements. It's funny because I posted my discussion for my theme before I watched this video but that is precisely what I intend to do with my display. I figured it gives the viewer more depth to each artist if you show two vastly different but similar artists together. We shouldn't be told what we are seeing. We should use our minds and our own interpretations with a little bit of history. That is art to me.
Bones of Contention made me think alot about what is a scientists viewpoint and religious beliefs. Where do you stop? I found it apalling archaeologists have been keeping Native American bones without permission. Pretty sure they, as archaelogists, know the culture and meaning behind sacred burials. The Native Americans were here first, we took over, and didn't treat them well. I am part Cherokee and can't imagine what my ancestors went through. I am so glad there are repreation laws so the remains that are found can have the proper burial so that person can move to the next level.
I have known the name Kodak for years and also knew Eastman was part of the revolution of making cameras accessible for everyone. I think it's amazing that the 50 room house he built is now his museum. I would love to see the 5000 cameras, especially the 1905 cameras. Not only that, but the Daguerrotypes that are displayed there. And to be honest, I would just love to see the 50 room Colonial house. It is amazing that Eastman made photography available to everyone and what he did for the film industry. David Hockney even said there has always been a way to project images...only recently was there a camera to record it.
The video about the Tate Museum of Modern Art showed a dynamic way to display art. I like the four sections-landscape, still-life, history and nude. I also liked the artists displayed with eachother in juxtaposition, Not only can one admire the artist's work but also try to make sense of why they are displayed together. I do believe that art should be categorized beyond Realism or Cubism or Expressionism. So many works correlate with eachother even though they are from very different movements. It's funny because I posted my discussion for my theme before I watched this video but that is precisely what I intend to do with my display. I figured it gives the viewer more depth to each artist if you show two vastly different but similar artists together. We shouldn't be told what we are seeing. We should use our minds and our own interpretations with a little bit of history. That is art to me.
Bones of Contention made me think alot about what is a scientists viewpoint and religious beliefs. Where do you stop? I found it apalling archaeologists have been keeping Native American bones without permission. Pretty sure they, as archaelogists, know the culture and meaning behind sacred burials. The Native Americans were here first, we took over, and didn't treat them well. I am part Cherokee and can't imagine what my ancestors went through. I am so glad there are repreation laws so the remains that are found can have the proper burial so that person can move to the next level.
I have known the name Kodak for years and also knew Eastman was part of the revolution of making cameras accessible for everyone. I think it's amazing that the 50 room house he built is now his museum. I would love to see the 5000 cameras, especially the 1905 cameras. Not only that, but the Daguerrotypes that are displayed there. And to be honest, I would just love to see the 50 room Colonial house. It is amazing that Eastman made photography available to everyone and what he did for the film industry. David Hockney even said there has always been a way to project images...only recently was there a camera to record it.
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Week 12 video blogs
I first watched Power of Art: Mark Rothko. I have seen his Color Field paintings and knew there must be artwork that he painted that were different from those, and there were. Surprisingly, our book barely touched on Rothko. Basically, we learned that he started the Color Field style and that he thinned his paint to depart from the color. However, his paintings were extraordinary. The video explains his pain and angst towards the modern world with it's pettiness and desire of consumption. He believed art should show human values, express human emotions, transcend us out of this world, help us escape. He was a troubled artist who struggled financially and mentally. He was commissioned by Seagram's, the liquor company, to create paintings for it's New York headquarters, more precisely The Four Seasons restaurant in it. He almost didn't take the job because he didn't care much for American capitalism, but decided to anyway. He was to be paid $35,000 in 1958 for his work, the equivalent of 2.5 million today. He wanted to create paintings that wouldn't invoke hunger but rather doom and despair and a feeling of being trapped. He didn't want them to enjoy themselves while dining under his paintings. He created the pictures we see today, like Orange and Yellow on page 499. After dining at the Four Seasons he determined that his work would never hang in that restaurant because he didn't want those kinds of overindulgent people to see them. He wanted his paintings to relate to the viewer. He wanted them to experience the same emotion while looking at them that he had felt painting them. His work prior to the Four Seasons murals were his Subway Paintings. I really like them alot. They are full of emotion and despair. The figures almost look scared and unsure, which is how he saw the people in the world. He took his own life in 1970 but left an incredible legacy and through his art a chance for us to open our minds and transcend to a different place.
The next video I watched was Andy Warhol: Images of Images. I think everyone, whether an art-lover or not, knows Andy Warhol...partly due to his use of iconic imagery and partly due to his eccentricity. He is most famous for his portraits of Marilyn Monroe, Elizabeth Taylor and Jackie Kennedy ,as we learned from his profile in our book. He wanted to show us how much we rely on mass-production and label recognition and did this through repetition of well-known movie stars and commercial products such as Coca-Cola and Campbell's soup. He chose to reproduce the reproduced items with the media silkscreen, which is itself a reproduction. He would allow the silkscreen process to manipulate the original image and allowed the flaws to remain, just as in mass-production. He became as famous as the people and consumerist objects he was replicating...a media sensation...just like what had happened to our society. That was brilliant. Great video and an even greater artist. Both the book and the video quoted his statement that if you wanted to know Andy Warhol just look at the surface of his work...there's nothing behind it. He created images of images of images, and according to him, nothing more.
I thought I had never heard of Isamu Noguchi until I started watching the video and saw one of his sculptures. It is the Red Cube on page 116. I really loved it's minimalist and modern style. I loved that it was outdoors among skyscrapers. I loved the color choice. It was interesting to see the many different types of sculpture he does. He said in 1933 he had a revelation that the Earth was a sculpture and started creating sculptures that recreated the landscape of Earth and using the elements of Earth as his sculptures, which he called garden sculptures. They were amazing. They were earthworks with mixed media of rocks and water and trees. Beautifully put together to honor the Japanese gardens he had visited on his travels. All of his sculptures are outside. he either carved them and placed them there or he created them from the environment. His carved sculptures are very minimalist and modern. Some he left as sculptures and some he made into fountains with designs cut into a large shaped rock right where the water would hit to create another aspect of the sculpture. I loved the simplicity, not over-dramatic, just what is needed, as in Minimalism. He, like so many of the artists in our readings, was aware of space, both the object itself and it's surroundings. He was accepted to the Guggenheim Art school in Paris but when he returned to America he was broke and creating Abstract sculptures that were ahead of their time and not selling. That is what led him to his garden sculptures and thus began his career. He was commissioned to update Bayfront Park in Miami, 26 acres, and after much fight with the council over funding even got them to tear down a perfectly good library and other buildings because they weren't aesthetic to his design! That is dedication to the arts...and especially his.
I knew of David Hockney as a painter but not as a photographer so I wanted to learn more. I have seen his California paintings and his use of bright vibrant colors. I knew of his realistic yet Pop style in his paintings that were also Expressionistic because he painted them subjectively rather than objectively. He made parts of Los Angelos that most found drab and gloomy look perfect and beautiful. I was very taken by his photograph collages. He uses many different pictures of many view points of the same object and puts them altogether in a sort of Cubism style, but without losing the original image. There is no confusion in his final work, we are just able to see the whole image taken through a camera lens, which you couldn't do by simply standing in front of the subject and taking a picture. He is very aware of space and movement and wanted to show that through still images...and how do you do that? With many different photos put together to create one. he was able to take the limited amount of space offered through a camera lens and restore it to it's whole glory. I called it Pop even though there really is no use of commercial labels or comics, but because of the bright colors and settings he used. He has overcome what many artists have tried to accomplish...to show space and perspective in the natural sense on a one-dimensional plane. What an interesting artist and a great video.
The next video I watched was Andy Warhol: Images of Images. I think everyone, whether an art-lover or not, knows Andy Warhol...partly due to his use of iconic imagery and partly due to his eccentricity. He is most famous for his portraits of Marilyn Monroe, Elizabeth Taylor and Jackie Kennedy ,as we learned from his profile in our book. He wanted to show us how much we rely on mass-production and label recognition and did this through repetition of well-known movie stars and commercial products such as Coca-Cola and Campbell's soup. He chose to reproduce the reproduced items with the media silkscreen, which is itself a reproduction. He would allow the silkscreen process to manipulate the original image and allowed the flaws to remain, just as in mass-production. He became as famous as the people and consumerist objects he was replicating...a media sensation...just like what had happened to our society. That was brilliant. Great video and an even greater artist. Both the book and the video quoted his statement that if you wanted to know Andy Warhol just look at the surface of his work...there's nothing behind it. He created images of images of images, and according to him, nothing more.
I thought I had never heard of Isamu Noguchi until I started watching the video and saw one of his sculptures. It is the Red Cube on page 116. I really loved it's minimalist and modern style. I loved that it was outdoors among skyscrapers. I loved the color choice. It was interesting to see the many different types of sculpture he does. He said in 1933 he had a revelation that the Earth was a sculpture and started creating sculptures that recreated the landscape of Earth and using the elements of Earth as his sculptures, which he called garden sculptures. They were amazing. They were earthworks with mixed media of rocks and water and trees. Beautifully put together to honor the Japanese gardens he had visited on his travels. All of his sculptures are outside. he either carved them and placed them there or he created them from the environment. His carved sculptures are very minimalist and modern. Some he left as sculptures and some he made into fountains with designs cut into a large shaped rock right where the water would hit to create another aspect of the sculpture. I loved the simplicity, not over-dramatic, just what is needed, as in Minimalism. He, like so many of the artists in our readings, was aware of space, both the object itself and it's surroundings. He was accepted to the Guggenheim Art school in Paris but when he returned to America he was broke and creating Abstract sculptures that were ahead of their time and not selling. That is what led him to his garden sculptures and thus began his career. He was commissioned to update Bayfront Park in Miami, 26 acres, and after much fight with the council over funding even got them to tear down a perfectly good library and other buildings because they weren't aesthetic to his design! That is dedication to the arts...and especially his.
I knew of David Hockney as a painter but not as a photographer so I wanted to learn more. I have seen his California paintings and his use of bright vibrant colors. I knew of his realistic yet Pop style in his paintings that were also Expressionistic because he painted them subjectively rather than objectively. He made parts of Los Angelos that most found drab and gloomy look perfect and beautiful. I was very taken by his photograph collages. He uses many different pictures of many view points of the same object and puts them altogether in a sort of Cubism style, but without losing the original image. There is no confusion in his final work, we are just able to see the whole image taken through a camera lens, which you couldn't do by simply standing in front of the subject and taking a picture. He is very aware of space and movement and wanted to show that through still images...and how do you do that? With many different photos put together to create one. he was able to take the limited amount of space offered through a camera lens and restore it to it's whole glory. I called it Pop even though there really is no use of commercial labels or comics, but because of the bright colors and settings he used. He has overcome what many artists have tried to accomplish...to show space and perspective in the natural sense on a one-dimensional plane. What an interesting artist and a great video.
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Gallery visit 2
Thursday, November 10, 2011
week 11 video blogs
I have always been very interested in Picasso and Matisse and was excited to see a video about them both. I didn't know they were such good friends. Like our book the video explains the differences and similarities between the two. I definitely understand both much more. The video describes the nature of both men, like our book, describing Matisse as organized and Picasso as "flighty" . These personalities are apparent in their works. The video further explains how the artist created his work, Matisse with a plan, an idea, and Picasso just doing whatever came to his mind, emerging himself in the piece. We learned about Cubism through our readings, the cutting up of images, introduced by Picasso. Also the calm,beautiful effects of Matisse' works. The video showed the progress of each artist side by side and the tauntings of eachother, as well as the borrowing of styles from eachother. I really enjoyed the play between the two art giants, how well they got along although they were complete opposites, how each one pushed the other with their new ideas. Both needed anguish in their lives to create their masterpieces. Matisse kept his inside and only painted beautiful things to make people happy and Picasso painted the world as he saw it, beautiful and ugly. Matisse always needed a model when painting his Odalisque series and Picasso rarely used a model, getting his image from his memory. Picasso didn't want to paint realistic things, he wanted to remove the viewer from his world and force him to enter Picasso's. Matisse was nearly a recluse and Picasso very flamboyant, in need of attention but somehow the two remained great friends until Matisse's death in 1954. I didn't realize that Matisse's later works were actually collages because he couldn't paint any longer. It is significant to me because Picasso invented the collage, they came full circle together.
Because I had learned so much about Picasso and Matisse I wanted to learn more about the next movement, Dada and Surrealism, but got more than I bargained for because this video highlighted 6 different artists. All shared the common idea that art should imitate itself, stand on it's own, not a representation of anything real. Dadaists believed in finding nonsense with everything, as we learned in our reading. The book mentioned Hannah Hoch, who was one of the featured artists in the video but I learned alot about her and her movement from the video. She was the founders girlfriend and ended up being the most influential Dadaist. She invented the photo montage and spoke volumes about her distaste of the world around her through this media. Not only are her pictures a mockery of evil persons in power they are also a history of the times she lived in. I hadnever heard of Kurt Schwitters but recognized his "house in a house", a collection of things he had acquired to be shown in his house and how he chose to display them. Both movements weren't really movements at all, as the video and book both explained, but rather a feeling. Dadaists were playful, almost absurd. Surrealists were more focused on the dreams and psychlogical interpretations of people. They would create pictures of realistic and natural objects in unnatural settings, causing the viewer to make sense of the painting. Two of the most famous Surrealist artists were Joan Miro and Salvador Dali, both learned about in our readings. Miro's paintings were colorful, playful shapes of realistic items put together in such a way they are almost indistinguishable. Dali's work is macabre, dark, eerie. He wanted to delve into the psyche of the human mind. Although his subjects are more recognizable he distorts them in such a way that the viewer is left to try to figure out why.
I remembered from our quiz that Georges Seurat created pointillism but didn't really know much else. I have seen his painting A Sunday on La Grande Jatte-1884 a million times but never put the name with the work. I learned so much from this video. I had no idea there was so much controversy surrounding it. It's meaning or theme is constantly argued about. What do the women signify, the monkey, the fishing pole. Where these hints during the time it was painted towards the women being prostitutes, as was famous on the island at the time he painted it, or just mere ladies enjoying a leisurely Sunday. Did he intend for the "dots" to blend completely or not? Our book touched on him slightly, describing his techniques with conte-crayon to achieve texture and his use of light for dramatic effects. The video focused more on his pointillism technique and what he achieved with that, I love there is so much controversy about it. Not only is it an amazing impressionistic painting but it is also a departure from that and an invention entirely his own. Unfortunately, his career as a painter lasted only 10 years as he was struck with diptheria and died at a very young age. It would have been great to see what other inventions he may have created.
The fourth video I watched is The Mystical North. This video displayed tons of artists in our book. Goya, valesquez, Dali were all mentioned. They were the forefront of modern art. A pleasant surprise was Gaudi, the architect. I know that our culture uses the word gawdy to explain something that is too much or not right, however, we use the word and explanation incorrectly. His designs are amazing and modern before their time. I didn't know that Picasso ever painted religious paintings, but learned from this video that he designed his own museum and gave tons of his work to it. I also learned that Dali built his own crypt , in the way that he would , and is buried underneath. I would love to go see both. I was most impressed to learn about gaudi as I have already learned Miro, Picasso, Goya and Valesquez. I do believe Spanish painters don't get the recognition they deserve. They were the start of modern art. Goya with his "Black Paintings", which were called so due to the use f black paint and disturbing images, Gaudi who was commissioned to design a cathedral during a time when religion was changing, and Dali who didn't follow anyone. What an amazing group of artists.
Because I had learned so much about Picasso and Matisse I wanted to learn more about the next movement, Dada and Surrealism, but got more than I bargained for because this video highlighted 6 different artists. All shared the common idea that art should imitate itself, stand on it's own, not a representation of anything real. Dadaists believed in finding nonsense with everything, as we learned in our reading. The book mentioned Hannah Hoch, who was one of the featured artists in the video but I learned alot about her and her movement from the video. She was the founders girlfriend and ended up being the most influential Dadaist. She invented the photo montage and spoke volumes about her distaste of the world around her through this media. Not only are her pictures a mockery of evil persons in power they are also a history of the times she lived in. I hadnever heard of Kurt Schwitters but recognized his "house in a house", a collection of things he had acquired to be shown in his house and how he chose to display them. Both movements weren't really movements at all, as the video and book both explained, but rather a feeling. Dadaists were playful, almost absurd. Surrealists were more focused on the dreams and psychlogical interpretations of people. They would create pictures of realistic and natural objects in unnatural settings, causing the viewer to make sense of the painting. Two of the most famous Surrealist artists were Joan Miro and Salvador Dali, both learned about in our readings. Miro's paintings were colorful, playful shapes of realistic items put together in such a way they are almost indistinguishable. Dali's work is macabre, dark, eerie. He wanted to delve into the psyche of the human mind. Although his subjects are more recognizable he distorts them in such a way that the viewer is left to try to figure out why.
I remembered from our quiz that Georges Seurat created pointillism but didn't really know much else. I have seen his painting A Sunday on La Grande Jatte-1884 a million times but never put the name with the work. I learned so much from this video. I had no idea there was so much controversy surrounding it. It's meaning or theme is constantly argued about. What do the women signify, the monkey, the fishing pole. Where these hints during the time it was painted towards the women being prostitutes, as was famous on the island at the time he painted it, or just mere ladies enjoying a leisurely Sunday. Did he intend for the "dots" to blend completely or not? Our book touched on him slightly, describing his techniques with conte-crayon to achieve texture and his use of light for dramatic effects. The video focused more on his pointillism technique and what he achieved with that, I love there is so much controversy about it. Not only is it an amazing impressionistic painting but it is also a departure from that and an invention entirely his own. Unfortunately, his career as a painter lasted only 10 years as he was struck with diptheria and died at a very young age. It would have been great to see what other inventions he may have created.
The fourth video I watched is The Mystical North. This video displayed tons of artists in our book. Goya, valesquez, Dali were all mentioned. They were the forefront of modern art. A pleasant surprise was Gaudi, the architect. I know that our culture uses the word gawdy to explain something that is too much or not right, however, we use the word and explanation incorrectly. His designs are amazing and modern before their time. I didn't know that Picasso ever painted religious paintings, but learned from this video that he designed his own museum and gave tons of his work to it. I also learned that Dali built his own crypt , in the way that he would , and is buried underneath. I would love to go see both. I was most impressed to learn about gaudi as I have already learned Miro, Picasso, Goya and Valesquez. I do believe Spanish painters don't get the recognition they deserve. They were the start of modern art. Goya with his "Black Paintings", which were called so due to the use f black paint and disturbing images, Gaudi who was commissioned to design a cathedral during a time when religion was changing, and Dali who didn't follow anyone. What an amazing group of artists.
Sunday, November 6, 2011
Mask
Thursday, November 3, 2011
week 10 video blog
I was very interested by our readings about African art and I believe I am going to use their ancient culture for my extra credit so I chose both the videos about African art to write my blog. The first video I watched was African Art: Legacy of Oppression. I was at first amazed by the huge amount of African artifacts in the Belgium museum until I realized how they were acquired. I didn't even know the devastation incurred by the Africans at the hands of the Belgium people. Congo , in central Africa, was the biggest massacre during the holocaust...10 million people killed....and I never heard a word about it. King Leopold wanted the area for himself to make a profit from the rubber that grew wild there and used it's inhabitants as slaves to get it. He also admired their art and took it from them and brought it back to Belgium to be displayed during a fair...along with live Africans whom he displayed like oddities or animals. Our readings touched on a lot of facts I learned in the video. The Africans had many different forms of art...the museum alone houses 250,000 pieces from 250 cultures. One such form of art is called "Magical Art" and it was used to show respect towards mothers or chiefs. It was also used to show revenge or to invoke fear. The most common "Magical Art" were masks, as our book described very well. Africans would wear these to tell stories or explain maladies of the wearer, or invoke fear to those who saw them. Most of the artwork was very abstract, telling the viewer what needed to be said with very little or in an obscure manner.I was saddened by this video to learn the hardships these people endured but also learned alot about the meanings behind their artwork.
The second video I watched was African Art: It's cultural Meaning. It, like our book, described the tradions behind African art and how they were used in ceremonies or rituals or everyday life. All African art has a meaning or purpose behind it. Whether it is a sculpture or haircomb or mask it was made to represent something...either a king or ancestor or spirit. The Africans weren't just making representations of these but actually bringing the dead back amongst the living. The only art that actually resembled the subjects were those made of kings. All others were abstract and shouldn't represent an actual living thing. This is done in a conceptual way...what the artist sees rather than what is really there. This type of art influenced Western abstract artists like Picasso. I learned from the video more of the techniques required when the Africans make their artwork...traditions must be followed. It is okay to deviate or embellish the piece but the piece must be created traditionally first to keep the traditions of that culture alive. A great artist is one who can make the piece traditionally but better than other artists. Masks are worn for many reasons and are but one part of the ritual. Music, costumes and dance are also part. When a person dons a mask they are giving up thier individuality and becoming one with the spirit they are trying to get in touch with. The traditional art of Africa is still being created, however, in some areas it is being produced for the International market for profit rather than rituals but this is keeping the skills and traditions of the African past alive.
The third video I watched was Buddhism: Heaven on Earth. There was alot of information in this video that was also in our readings, such as how Buddhism was born after the prince Siddhartha Guatama saw the real world with all it's suffering and questioned 'is that all there is" and seeked to find an answer. That answer was that if we continue to desire things we will never be enlightened and awake and will continue in the cycles of life and death until we are enlightened. The video talked a bit more about this by explaining Buddha's ideals ...how he didn't want to be seen as a god but simply a messenger of his belief. He knew that "some will understand" what he was saying...and he was right. The architecture of the Buddhists tells a story and has a meaning at every level. The lotus flower is the symbol of Buddhism and is used to decorate the temples or even as the shape of the temples. The carvings around the Buddhists temples do not show Buddha but symbols of him for he is no longer here. The architecture is simple yet extravagent. The largest Buddhist temple is Borobudur in Java, Indonesia. It took over 100 years to build and was a pilgirmage of Buddhists for only 60 years before it was covered by a volcanic eruption. It has since been uncovered and restored and is still a mecca for Buddhists pilgrims. Another aspect of Buddhism I learned from the video is that Buddhism is embraced everywhere but India where it originated. And the teachings of Buddha-there should not be a personal god or rituals or prayers or questions-are all now embraced in Buddhism. However the true meaning still exists...you must find your own path to enlightenment, now Buddhists just have mentors and helpers to find it.
Because the video about Buddhism mentioned that Hinduism replaced, for the most part, Buddhism in India I wanted to learn more about it. Although quite different the two have many similarities. As mentioned in our book hindus also believe in the cycles of life. Both also believe in treating everything kindly. However Hinduism belief is that your freedom will be granted by a god only after your devotion. Hinduism has many gods for different purposes. The video explained this further by explaining the gods that are primarily worshiped. Also the place of worship is important because they represent different gods, such as the Ganges River in Varanasi, India. This river is in the oldest inhabited city in the world and is thought to be the Mother Ganges, the female part of the god Shiva. A temple in Khajuraho, India is home to a temple for Shiva, giver of life. Hindus flock there to receive the life-giving forces of the lingan, a phallic symbol representing Shiva. All the gods in Hinduism lead to one thing, Brahma, who can grant you eternal life through reincarnation. This video taught me alot about the two "religions" of India, born of the same idea but worlds apart.
The second video I watched was African Art: It's cultural Meaning. It, like our book, described the tradions behind African art and how they were used in ceremonies or rituals or everyday life. All African art has a meaning or purpose behind it. Whether it is a sculpture or haircomb or mask it was made to represent something...either a king or ancestor or spirit. The Africans weren't just making representations of these but actually bringing the dead back amongst the living. The only art that actually resembled the subjects were those made of kings. All others were abstract and shouldn't represent an actual living thing. This is done in a conceptual way...what the artist sees rather than what is really there. This type of art influenced Western abstract artists like Picasso. I learned from the video more of the techniques required when the Africans make their artwork...traditions must be followed. It is okay to deviate or embellish the piece but the piece must be created traditionally first to keep the traditions of that culture alive. A great artist is one who can make the piece traditionally but better than other artists. Masks are worn for many reasons and are but one part of the ritual. Music, costumes and dance are also part. When a person dons a mask they are giving up thier individuality and becoming one with the spirit they are trying to get in touch with. The traditional art of Africa is still being created, however, in some areas it is being produced for the International market for profit rather than rituals but this is keeping the skills and traditions of the African past alive.
The third video I watched was Buddhism: Heaven on Earth. There was alot of information in this video that was also in our readings, such as how Buddhism was born after the prince Siddhartha Guatama saw the real world with all it's suffering and questioned 'is that all there is" and seeked to find an answer. That answer was that if we continue to desire things we will never be enlightened and awake and will continue in the cycles of life and death until we are enlightened. The video talked a bit more about this by explaining Buddha's ideals ...how he didn't want to be seen as a god but simply a messenger of his belief. He knew that "some will understand" what he was saying...and he was right. The architecture of the Buddhists tells a story and has a meaning at every level. The lotus flower is the symbol of Buddhism and is used to decorate the temples or even as the shape of the temples. The carvings around the Buddhists temples do not show Buddha but symbols of him for he is no longer here. The architecture is simple yet extravagent. The largest Buddhist temple is Borobudur in Java, Indonesia. It took over 100 years to build and was a pilgirmage of Buddhists for only 60 years before it was covered by a volcanic eruption. It has since been uncovered and restored and is still a mecca for Buddhists pilgrims. Another aspect of Buddhism I learned from the video is that Buddhism is embraced everywhere but India where it originated. And the teachings of Buddha-there should not be a personal god or rituals or prayers or questions-are all now embraced in Buddhism. However the true meaning still exists...you must find your own path to enlightenment, now Buddhists just have mentors and helpers to find it.
Because the video about Buddhism mentioned that Hinduism replaced, for the most part, Buddhism in India I wanted to learn more about it. Although quite different the two have many similarities. As mentioned in our book hindus also believe in the cycles of life. Both also believe in treating everything kindly. However Hinduism belief is that your freedom will be granted by a god only after your devotion. Hinduism has many gods for different purposes. The video explained this further by explaining the gods that are primarily worshiped. Also the place of worship is important because they represent different gods, such as the Ganges River in Varanasi, India. This river is in the oldest inhabited city in the world and is thought to be the Mother Ganges, the female part of the god Shiva. A temple in Khajuraho, India is home to a temple for Shiva, giver of life. Hindus flock there to receive the life-giving forces of the lingan, a phallic symbol representing Shiva. All the gods in Hinduism lead to one thing, Brahma, who can grant you eternal life through reincarnation. This video taught me alot about the two "religions" of India, born of the same idea but worlds apart.
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Hand drawings
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Week 9 Video Blog
I chose the video about Michelangelo as my first video. I have seen a few of his drawings but didn't know so many existed as he is better known for his sculptures and the Sistine Chapel. I wanted to know more about his drawings. I didn't know he taught himself to sculpt...wow....and just look at the masterpieces he created. The video related to our readings through discussion of his sculpture David and the frescoes of the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. The video showed a poem he had written describing his distaste for the project and the book tells us he hated painting and there is a verse from the poem on page 371. I didn't know he was such a prolific architect as well. He designed the interior of the Medici families tomb, including the furniture, and also created the framework of the Sistine Chapel's ceiling to better show his different scenes. I certainly learned alot about the final works we know so well after watching this video. I am amazed to see the sketches and beginnings of such masterpieces. His knowledge of the human body is incredible...even when quickly sketched by him. What a genius.
I was interested in Albrecht Durer when I read his profile in our book on page 177 so I chose the video about him to learn more. I was very drawn to his woodcut Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse on page 176. How can someone have the talent to create such a delicate and intricate woodcut? I was very happy to see many of his other prints in the video. I learned he is considered the first landscape artist in Europe and that he got his inspiration from traveling to Italy, where he spent alot of his time. Both the video and our readings describe how he would create his works with a combination of Northern features and Southern features. He would include naturalistic figures as well as idealized beauty in his paintings. He made most of his money from the sale of his prints but was also appointed the court painter of the Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I. The book and video mentioned his arranged marriage and the video showed drawings he had made of her. I really enjoyed the video because I was able to see how his artwork changed throughout his years. He was talented in so many different aspects of art and his work trully revolutionized Renaissance art, which means "rebirth" and was a revival of ancient Greek and Roman culture.
I didn't know anything about Valazquez and therefore wanted to watch this video to learn about him. I am glad I did! He was a Spanish painter during the Baroque era. He was the appointed court painter of King Philip IV of Spain and who was also, according to the video, his only friend. He painted many portraits of the Royal Family but had his own unique style...somewhat Baroque with his use of light and space but also very independent of any other art movement. He wasn't interested in creating pleasing works of art but rather "real" works. He was able to capture the true spirit of his subjects. His most famous works were of the court jesters with whom he spent much of his time. These pieces are called the Baffoon Portraits and they captured the opposites of Baroque, the beauty and opposite of Baroque, the flaws. He painted the person just as he was, with his flaws apparent, but was able to give his subjects a transport from their daily lives to rise above their afflictions. He was able to capture the "human" in his renderings. Both the book and the video gave alot of detail of his most famous piece Las Meninas, which is a painting so involved but yet so organized due to his genius in the organization of his paintings. I really like Valazquez' work and can't believe I didn't know anything about him until the book and this video.
I chose Leonardo Da Vinci: The Mind of the Renaissance as my last video. Although he was a painter, most famous for The Last Supper and the Mona Lisa, I am amazed by how many other things he undertook. His drive to understand everything around him was unstoppable. The inventions of things we use today like the submarine and airplane were just a bit too early to be executed then. He was so well-rounded but after watching the video I don't think he ever gave his intellect enough credit. As with every video we have seen a particularly like to see the not-so-famous works of art. I didn't know that there weren't many of his paintings remaining, nor did I know he left most of them unfinished. I had never heard that he was looked over twice by the King to become the new court painter, losing the position first to Botticelli and then Michelangelo. He was forefront in a particular technique of combining different parts from different people to create one true beauty, the perfect man. Perfection and beauty were embodied in the Renaissance Period and Leonardo found a way to acheive this. I liked this video but it seemed to say to me that Da Vinci may have led a sad life which is something I never would have figured given he was so talented.
I was interested in Albrecht Durer when I read his profile in our book on page 177 so I chose the video about him to learn more. I was very drawn to his woodcut Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse on page 176. How can someone have the talent to create such a delicate and intricate woodcut? I was very happy to see many of his other prints in the video. I learned he is considered the first landscape artist in Europe and that he got his inspiration from traveling to Italy, where he spent alot of his time. Both the video and our readings describe how he would create his works with a combination of Northern features and Southern features. He would include naturalistic figures as well as idealized beauty in his paintings. He made most of his money from the sale of his prints but was also appointed the court painter of the Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I. The book and video mentioned his arranged marriage and the video showed drawings he had made of her. I really enjoyed the video because I was able to see how his artwork changed throughout his years. He was talented in so many different aspects of art and his work trully revolutionized Renaissance art, which means "rebirth" and was a revival of ancient Greek and Roman culture.
I didn't know anything about Valazquez and therefore wanted to watch this video to learn about him. I am glad I did! He was a Spanish painter during the Baroque era. He was the appointed court painter of King Philip IV of Spain and who was also, according to the video, his only friend. He painted many portraits of the Royal Family but had his own unique style...somewhat Baroque with his use of light and space but also very independent of any other art movement. He wasn't interested in creating pleasing works of art but rather "real" works. He was able to capture the true spirit of his subjects. His most famous works were of the court jesters with whom he spent much of his time. These pieces are called the Baffoon Portraits and they captured the opposites of Baroque, the beauty and opposite of Baroque, the flaws. He painted the person just as he was, with his flaws apparent, but was able to give his subjects a transport from their daily lives to rise above their afflictions. He was able to capture the "human" in his renderings. Both the book and the video gave alot of detail of his most famous piece Las Meninas, which is a painting so involved but yet so organized due to his genius in the organization of his paintings. I really like Valazquez' work and can't believe I didn't know anything about him until the book and this video.
I chose Leonardo Da Vinci: The Mind of the Renaissance as my last video. Although he was a painter, most famous for The Last Supper and the Mona Lisa, I am amazed by how many other things he undertook. His drive to understand everything around him was unstoppable. The inventions of things we use today like the submarine and airplane were just a bit too early to be executed then. He was so well-rounded but after watching the video I don't think he ever gave his intellect enough credit. As with every video we have seen a particularly like to see the not-so-famous works of art. I didn't know that there weren't many of his paintings remaining, nor did I know he left most of them unfinished. I had never heard that he was looked over twice by the King to become the new court painter, losing the position first to Botticelli and then Michelangelo. He was forefront in a particular technique of combining different parts from different people to create one true beauty, the perfect man. Perfection and beauty were embodied in the Renaissance Period and Leonardo found a way to acheive this. I liked this video but it seemed to say to me that Da Vinci may have led a sad life which is something I never would have figured given he was so talented.
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Week 8 video discussion
In the video More Human than Human I learned alot about human psyche and how it relates to the ways we make and perceive art. I think it's fascinating that we are drawn to exagerrated images and we don't know why. I didn't realize that the Egyptians maintained the same human form drawings for 3000 years...that's mindboggling! The video related to the readings by talking about the Egyptians and the continuity in their artwork. Also the Greeks and their temples and sculptures were found in the readings and explained even more in the video We even have a picture of the Greek bronze Warrior sculpture,which was found by an Italian tourist, on page 335. Our book talks about the venus of Willendorf and what her purpose may have been and the video took it a step farther, trying to explain other reasons she may have been carved, such as our fascination with exagerrated features of the human form that may very well be hard-wired in our brains. I really enjoyed this video and learned more from this one than others I have watched. I only wish it would have been longer!
I chose Cataclysm: The Black Death visitsTuscany as my first video because I knew a little about the plague but wanted to know more about it and how it affected the art of the times. Until this video I never thought about the religious implications the Plague would have or that it would change the artists depictions of religion. It makes perfect sense now that these would have been the major outcomes of such a devastating event in such a religious era. It was interesting to learn that these two major cities had such an enormous uprising and even more dramatic fall due to debt incurred from just trying to maintain the growing population. Two of the artists talked about in the video are also mentioned in our readings; Duccio from Sienna and his contemporary from Florence Giotto. Our readings described their use of space in their paintings...the placement of the walls and people giving movement to the artwork. Duccio's use of architecture to dictate space rather than a backdrop and Giotto's faces full of emotion were the two major contributions given by these artists. Both were alive before the plague and the video gave us more information of their views through their artwork after it. I liked this video because it explained the artwork and how it had changed due to different events but it didn't focus only on the artwork produced but also why it was produced. I learned from this video that many inventions arose from the Renaissance period: modern cities, modern banks, universities, eyeglasses fireplaces and paved roads. I also learned that the vanishing point was developed in the 1400's...what that must have done to the artworld!
My second video is The Greek Awakening: Art from the 5th century BC. I have always admired the Greeks and all the accomplishments they created that we still implement today. This video touched on many of them...art, science, philosophy, math and politics. I was hoping this video would provide more information on the architecture of the Greeks because I knew from our readings that not many paintings during this period remain...and it did. I am sad, however, that there aren't many paintings to study. Although I am amazed by architecture I feel I learn more about a culture through it's paintings. I learned both from the readings and this video that Perikles basically turned Athens from a city of wood to a city of marble. What an enormous feat that must have been! And what a testament to Phidias, Pericles friend and overseer of the Acropolis' construction, that it still stands today. Both the video and our readings informed us that there are no straight lines in the Parthenon, though we can't tell by looking at it...they planned it that way. I enjoyed the indepth explanation of the sculptures around the frieze of the Parthenon. It is amazing how much thought went into what they placed where and for what reasons. I wouldn;t have known what a frieze was if I hadn't learned it in our readings! This video renewed my life-long dream to go to Greece! I loved how the people and their culture are portayed in the video...as alive and vibrant as those centuries earlier and just as integral to the history and future of Greece.
Cairo Museum is my third video. There wasn't much that related to the readings except a few explanations of what the art meant and where it was found. There was a mention of King Tutankhamun's tomb in the readings and more in-depth explanation on the video. 3500 objects were found in King Tutankhamun's tomb...wow. I did learn from the readings that his father tried to change the style of art in Egypt, as well as their religious beliefs, but this didn't last. This video was still extremely interesting to me, however. I can't even begin to imagine how difficult it would be to choose which artifacts to display, especially when choosing from 80,000 of them. The basement houses these artifacts...as many as are in the museum itself. one piece I really liked was an ivory carving of a gold fish that was used to mix cosmetics that dates back 3000 years. It is great to see the colors and gold and jewels they used. I would really love to visit this museum.
I chose Cataclysm: The Black Death visitsTuscany as my first video because I knew a little about the plague but wanted to know more about it and how it affected the art of the times. Until this video I never thought about the religious implications the Plague would have or that it would change the artists depictions of religion. It makes perfect sense now that these would have been the major outcomes of such a devastating event in such a religious era. It was interesting to learn that these two major cities had such an enormous uprising and even more dramatic fall due to debt incurred from just trying to maintain the growing population. Two of the artists talked about in the video are also mentioned in our readings; Duccio from Sienna and his contemporary from Florence Giotto. Our readings described their use of space in their paintings...the placement of the walls and people giving movement to the artwork. Duccio's use of architecture to dictate space rather than a backdrop and Giotto's faces full of emotion were the two major contributions given by these artists. Both were alive before the plague and the video gave us more information of their views through their artwork after it. I liked this video because it explained the artwork and how it had changed due to different events but it didn't focus only on the artwork produced but also why it was produced. I learned from this video that many inventions arose from the Renaissance period: modern cities, modern banks, universities, eyeglasses fireplaces and paved roads. I also learned that the vanishing point was developed in the 1400's...what that must have done to the artworld!
My second video is The Greek Awakening: Art from the 5th century BC. I have always admired the Greeks and all the accomplishments they created that we still implement today. This video touched on many of them...art, science, philosophy, math and politics. I was hoping this video would provide more information on the architecture of the Greeks because I knew from our readings that not many paintings during this period remain...and it did. I am sad, however, that there aren't many paintings to study. Although I am amazed by architecture I feel I learn more about a culture through it's paintings. I learned both from the readings and this video that Perikles basically turned Athens from a city of wood to a city of marble. What an enormous feat that must have been! And what a testament to Phidias, Pericles friend and overseer of the Acropolis' construction, that it still stands today. Both the video and our readings informed us that there are no straight lines in the Parthenon, though we can't tell by looking at it...they planned it that way. I enjoyed the indepth explanation of the sculptures around the frieze of the Parthenon. It is amazing how much thought went into what they placed where and for what reasons. I wouldn;t have known what a frieze was if I hadn't learned it in our readings! This video renewed my life-long dream to go to Greece! I loved how the people and their culture are portayed in the video...as alive and vibrant as those centuries earlier and just as integral to the history and future of Greece.
Cairo Museum is my third video. There wasn't much that related to the readings except a few explanations of what the art meant and where it was found. There was a mention of King Tutankhamun's tomb in the readings and more in-depth explanation on the video. 3500 objects were found in King Tutankhamun's tomb...wow. I did learn from the readings that his father tried to change the style of art in Egypt, as well as their religious beliefs, but this didn't last. This video was still extremely interesting to me, however. I can't even begin to imagine how difficult it would be to choose which artifacts to display, especially when choosing from 80,000 of them. The basement houses these artifacts...as many as are in the museum itself. one piece I really liked was an ivory carving of a gold fish that was used to mix cosmetics that dates back 3000 years. It is great to see the colors and gold and jewels they used. I would really love to visit this museum.
Thursday, October 13, 2011
videos
The first video i loved! I have always been amazed by Frank Lloyd wright and to see his architecture was great. I didn't know he created the 'open-space" idea or placing the fireplace in the middle of the room rather than the end. He can actually be labeled in our times as a true "green architect because he designed his homes, for the everyday person, to extend from nature..an extension. He used the environment as his palette when creating his designs.
I was kind of disapointed by the second video. I was expecting to understand more about the process of using concrete and steel to make skyscrapers but found it more concentrated on the computers used to control a rooms environment. I did learn that skyscrapers have to have a foundation and one way to do that is to form a pile that is used to dig into the earth's surface until it hits rock, thus securing the structure. This video related to our readings because it used Steel and Concrete....necessary to create skyscrapers. I didn't know that buildings have sway or that there is an allowed amount of sway to them.
The video on classical architecture was really interesting. I can look around everywhere and see the designs of the greeks and romans. I learned that the romans originally used columns for structural support but also used it as ornamentation. I learned that their buildings were proportionate and balanced and that is why they are reused in architecture. I can admit that I could recognize the different styles of the columns...my favorite is Corinthian.
I chose the Frank gehry video because I knew his name from the guggenheim museum. I learned that he started by designing residential housing. He unlike green architects likes to make a statement. he will incorporate his structure with it's surroundings but uses them to make his structure stand out. I learned that architecture is in the architects mind....it can be done. His museum design proves that...gone are the conventional lines and now there is flowing movement to a once stable structure. I really liked the interviews with him...I love to see the artist..or architect...and hear what they have to say.
I was kind of disapointed by the second video. I was expecting to understand more about the process of using concrete and steel to make skyscrapers but found it more concentrated on the computers used to control a rooms environment. I did learn that skyscrapers have to have a foundation and one way to do that is to form a pile that is used to dig into the earth's surface until it hits rock, thus securing the structure. This video related to our readings because it used Steel and Concrete....necessary to create skyscrapers. I didn't know that buildings have sway or that there is an allowed amount of sway to them.
The video on classical architecture was really interesting. I can look around everywhere and see the designs of the greeks and romans. I learned that the romans originally used columns for structural support but also used it as ornamentation. I learned that their buildings were proportionate and balanced and that is why they are reused in architecture. I can admit that I could recognize the different styles of the columns...my favorite is Corinthian.
I chose the Frank gehry video because I knew his name from the guggenheim museum. I learned that he started by designing residential housing. He unlike green architects likes to make a statement. he will incorporate his structure with it's surroundings but uses them to make his structure stand out. I learned that architecture is in the architects mind....it can be done. His museum design proves that...gone are the conventional lines and now there is flowing movement to a once stable structure. I really liked the interviews with him...I love to see the artist..or architect...and hear what they have to say.
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Questions
Installation art is created around a surrounding, incorporating the art with the surroundings. As the video stated it forces the viewer to interact with the piece. There is no limit to what can be used to create installation art. It can be small or large. It can be inside or outside. Some people have even wrapped mountains as their installation. I suppose you would make installation art for the same reason as you would make any art...to say something....express your views visually.
Installation
I felt a connection with the bedroom scenein the video. I like reality and that to me embraced that. I like when art is recognized through everyday common objects. I wanted to use environment as my theme...not like mother nature but surroundings. I used my girlfriends stuffed animals and her dog Romeo. I was trying to combine alive with a semblance of life. I didn't want to place this outside because I didn't want to get it confused with nature.
peer comment
Kate and I used the same picture. We both chose Andy Warhol's 100 cans. But other than that there were no similarities. I could definitely see that each girl's pictures represented the elements they said they were. Eleanor's picture for color could have also been symmetry. Of course, we could see many different principles and elements in each picture we took. It was so hard to decide what element to use for each picture. I really look forward to reading comments. I am quite pleased with what everyone says.
Although Kate and I used the same picture it wasn't for the same reason...mine was used as a connection and hers was wanting to know more about. She also used a Van Gogh that I alsmost used.
Thursday, October 6, 2011
sculpture, glass and installations
I absolutely enjoyed the video about sculpture. I have always wondered how an artist could take a block and remove pieces to create the final sculpture. I didn't know that many people actually work on each sculpture...such as artisans who just carve hair or faces or ornaments of the sculpture. I always assumed it was the artist alone. Knowing that gives me more appreciation for the sculpture that so many could put their minds together for each artists ideas. I also didn't know that marble is a product of limestone...although I knew both were used for carving. As amazed I am about the final carving I learned that there are many steps prior to this. The sketches, the half-size clay model, the silicone mold, the life-size clay model and the life-size plaster model...wow!!!
I have worked with clay before and found it quite challenging. I never, however, considered there are so many different types of clay used for so many different things. I certainly didn't know that ceramics were used in car mufflers or medical purposes. After watching the different objects made with clay I realized that porcelain is another type of clay, comprised of different elements. I now know how tempered glass is made! I have heard the name so many times. I thought a film was placed on the outside of the glass but it is just fired differently and shocked by different temperatures. I also learned that glass tarnishes due to iron oxides. I have been in many old buildings and thought it was just the process of glass-making at that time that colored it.
Before the video on installation art I only had a vague idea what installation art actually is. I now know that arrtists create it to make the viewer an active part of the piece itself. I also learned that the art can't work anywhere else...the surroundings chosen are so integral to the piece. i wasn't aware that it is a s popular as it is. I saw alot of it at the Albright-Knox but I now know that it is the most popular form of artwork now.
The videos certainly related to our readings and also provided a little more. They showed us the crafts of the artist and described the history about various medias. I liked the interviews with the artists and curators. that is something we didn't get from our readings. I find it easier to learn from videos with people that I can see and hear and music than from reading so I definitely learned more from the videos.
I enjoyed the video of sculpture the most. Watching the process of creating a marble sculpture is remarkable. All three definitely taught me a great deal about each of these different forms of artwork. I am not a big fan of video installations but hearing the artists describe how and why they made them helped me to appreciate them more.
I have worked with clay before and found it quite challenging. I never, however, considered there are so many different types of clay used for so many different things. I certainly didn't know that ceramics were used in car mufflers or medical purposes. After watching the different objects made with clay I realized that porcelain is another type of clay, comprised of different elements. I now know how tempered glass is made! I have heard the name so many times. I thought a film was placed on the outside of the glass but it is just fired differently and shocked by different temperatures. I also learned that glass tarnishes due to iron oxides. I have been in many old buildings and thought it was just the process of glass-making at that time that colored it.
Before the video on installation art I only had a vague idea what installation art actually is. I now know that arrtists create it to make the viewer an active part of the piece itself. I also learned that the art can't work anywhere else...the surroundings chosen are so integral to the piece. i wasn't aware that it is a s popular as it is. I saw alot of it at the Albright-Knox but I now know that it is the most popular form of artwork now.
The videos certainly related to our readings and also provided a little more. They showed us the crafts of the artist and described the history about various medias. I liked the interviews with the artists and curators. that is something we didn't get from our readings. I find it easier to learn from videos with people that I can see and hear and music than from reading so I definitely learned more from the videos.
I enjoyed the video of sculpture the most. Watching the process of creating a marble sculpture is remarkable. All three definitely taught me a great deal about each of these different forms of artwork. I am not a big fan of video installations but hearing the artists describe how and why they made them helped me to appreciate them more.
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Museum
I really enjoyed my visit to this museum. I was surprised there were so many pieces from artists I know about. I liked the Joan Miro exhibition alot...he is one of my favorite artists. I have always had a connection with him...the colors he uses and the shapes are so unique. I also felt a connection with Roland Flexner and his bubble drawings. What a great idea using soapy water mixed with sumi ink. They were each one individual but yet connected to eachother. I decided to use Gianfranco Foschino's The Window as my third connection piece. I was really drawn to the color of the wall and couldn't stop watching the video of the people in the room just going about their daily lives.
My choices for making an impression was first the Andy Warhol oil on canvas titled 100 cans. I couldn't believe he painted every can himself. I always thought it was a printed image that he duplicated. They were all so perfectly done! I also liked theAlexander Calder Composition in Red and Black. The movement he achieved through the contrasting colors and the curves make the image look like it's going to walk right off the page. My third choice is by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner titled Portrait of a woman. I liked his use of proportion and the bold colors he used to give her importance.
I was really intrigued by Salvador Dali's The Transparent Simulacrum of the Fatigued Image. His artwork is so involved...always so much going on! I would love to know more about his thoughts when he created the piece and what he wanted it to mean. I also enjoyed the bronze figure by Alberto Giacometti called Invisible Object. The way he made her eyes different from eachother and the distant stare she has and the expression on her face made me wonder if she was troubled by something or missing whatever was in her hands. And, of course, I would like to know more about Joan Miro. To some his art must look like just a bunch of shapes but I know there is meaning to them. His style of abstraction has always interested me. I would love to know more about his pieces so I could learn what he was trying to convey in the piece.
Saturday, October 1, 2011
logo
Sunday, September 25, 2011
my thoughts on color wheel assignment
| VALUE SCALE AND COLOR WHEEL |
| Submitted by Smith, Jesse (smithjd03) on 9/24/2011 10:51:17 PM |
| 1. I FOUND THE COLOR WHEEL MUCH EASIER THAN THE VALUE SCALE. I COULDN'T GET THE RIGHT RATIO OF VALUE AND KEPT HAVING TO DARKEN THE FIRST BOXES I DID! IT IS INTERESTING TO SEE HOW THE DIFFERENT COLORS ARE CREATED THROUGH MIXTURE. 2. I ENJOYED THE ACRYLICS MUCH MORE. THEY WERE SO MUCH EASIER TO BLEND AND MANIPULATE TO ME. PERHAPS I CHOSE THE WRONG GRADE PENCIL...I JUST COULDN'T GET ENOUGH VARIATION OR VALUE. 3. PROBABLY THE MOST IMPORTANT DISCOVERY I FOUND WAS THAT EVEN THE VALUE SCALE CHANGED MY MOOD. THE DARKER VALUES WERE MORE SOMBER AND EERIE AND THE LIGHTER VALUES WERE MORE AWAKENING, MORE INVITING. 4. I DIDN'T KNOW THAT RED AND BLUE ARE CONSIDERED TOO DARK TO BE PRIMARY COLORS AND THAT MAGENTA AND CYAN ARE USED NOW. I LIKED THE VIDEOS. THEY WERE VERY INFORMATIVE IN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIme |
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Saturday, September 17, 2011
PHOTO ASSIGNMENT
I at first began looking outside for my subjects but then I realized that there were so many of the principles and elements right in my own room. I discovered that I prefer taking pictures of everyday objects and shooting them from different angles and up-close in order to distort them into my own sculptures. I like the idea of a photograph raising the question in the viewer “What is that?” I did include a few 'realistic' photos but I found myself more drawn to the unusual angles and patterns and textures that we see everyday but probably show little attention to because we are so used to seeing them.
Friday, September 16, 2011
BLOG COLORS
http://my-spot-jd.blogspot.com/
1. Color is light. Color is refracted light rays. Objects appear to have a particular
color because all the light rays are absorbed except the color you are seeing.
There are 3 primary colors. primary means they cannot be created by mixing
2 colors together. They are red, yellow and blue. There are also 3 secondary
colors-created by mixing 2 primary colors, which are green, orange and violet.
Some colors are considered warm colors-red, orange and yellow. And the others
are cool colors-blue, green and violet.
Colors have 3 properties. Hue is the name of the color. All colors have a value,
how light or dark they are. A normal value is the value we expect to see that color.
The third prperty is intensity. Intensity refers to the purity of the color. They can
be saturated and pure or dulled. Artisits usually dull a color by adding grey to it.
Colors definitely evoke emotion. We all have favorite colors so it's impossible to
say we all get the same emotional feeling from the samee color, however, overall the
emotional experiences are veru similar. Blue is definitely a peaceful, calming color
to me. Yellow is alive and moving. Purple is soothing and spring-like. Red is loud
and alarming. I tend to like the cool colors more.
2. A theoritical aspect of color that fascinates me is how a color can affect our
appetiite. I can understand colors affecting our moods and emotions but it's hard
for me to grasp that red can create hunger or an increased appetite! I am going to
have to test this theory!
3. Bold colors express strong emotions. I really loved how Monet didn't paint
objects but rather colors. And the colors he chose to use were so calming and
relaxing. I noticed that all the artists featured in this video used red for anger, or
discomfort or as a focal point. If red was used it seemed to be the highlight of the
painting.
4. What fascinated me most about the colors in the artwork was not the use of
the color itself but the intensity of the colors themselves. Pure blues and reds
created feelings of respect or admiration. In contrast, the colors used to show
suffering or sadness are less intense-even greys and blacks are dulled. I definitely
felt what the artist was conveying simply through the use of vibrant, pure colors or
murky greys or blacks or yellows.
1. Color is light. Color is refracted light rays. Objects appear to have a particular
color because all the light rays are absorbed except the color you are seeing.
There are 3 primary colors. primary means they cannot be created by mixing
2 colors together. They are red, yellow and blue. There are also 3 secondary
colors-created by mixing 2 primary colors, which are green, orange and violet.
Some colors are considered warm colors-red, orange and yellow. And the others
are cool colors-blue, green and violet.
Colors have 3 properties. Hue is the name of the color. All colors have a value,
how light or dark they are. A normal value is the value we expect to see that color.
The third prperty is intensity. Intensity refers to the purity of the color. They can
be saturated and pure or dulled. Artisits usually dull a color by adding grey to it.
Colors definitely evoke emotion. We all have favorite colors so it's impossible to
say we all get the same emotional feeling from the samee color, however, overall the
emotional experiences are veru similar. Blue is definitely a peaceful, calming color
to me. Yellow is alive and moving. Purple is soothing and spring-like. Red is loud
and alarming. I tend to like the cool colors more.
2. A theoritical aspect of color that fascinates me is how a color can affect our
appetiite. I can understand colors affecting our moods and emotions but it's hard
for me to grasp that red can create hunger or an increased appetite! I am going to
have to test this theory!
3. Bold colors express strong emotions. I really loved how Monet didn't paint
objects but rather colors. And the colors he chose to use were so calming and
relaxing. I noticed that all the artists featured in this video used red for anger, or
discomfort or as a focal point. If red was used it seemed to be the highlight of the
painting.
4. What fascinated me most about the colors in the artwork was not the use of
the color itself but the intensity of the colors themselves. Pure blues and reds
created feelings of respect or admiration. In contrast, the colors used to show
suffering or sadness are less intense-even greys and blacks are dulled. I definitely
felt what the artist was conveying simply through the use of vibrant, pure colors or
murky greys or blacks or yellows.
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