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.
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