1. Looking back at my first post, this was what I wrote my expectations of the course to be: In this course
"I expect to learn a lot about visual art, artistic techniques, artists and their works, and other things of this nature. I'm more of a musician (I've played the violin for 13 years now and am teaching myself to play piano), so this is definitely a different form of art than what I am used to, but I am still interested nonetheless in learning about the different ways people use art to express themselves."
I have to say that my expectations were met, I learned about everything I expected and more, including delving deep into the history of art and architecture and learning how and why different forms of art exist.
2. The first week when we posted in the discussion forum, I defined art like this: "Art can have many definitions. To me, art is anything a person does/creates that expresses themselves, their feelings/emotions, etc."
I have to say I still agree with my initial definition. I believe, and have been shown throughout this course, that there are many different types of art. Despite their differences, they all come back to representing an idea or thought or vision the artist had.
3. In my original posting I stated how I have a difficult time picking a "favorite" in anything but that I really admired Leonardo da Vinci. I have to say I was intrigued even further throughout my studies in this course. Learning about what a true Renaissance man he was and that not only was he an amazing artist, but an inventor, a scientist and many other things (and did spectacularly in all these fields) just made me want to look further into this artist.
4. I said that I had taken online courses before and that they could be very demanding. I have to say I agree even moreso taking not only this course but two other online courses this semester along with three classes on campus. I feel like this course had quite a few demands (watching several lengthy 40+ minute videos for a blog review on top of answering questions for chapters, responding to peers feedback and usually a project or quiz thrown in there too). I have to say I spent more time in this course and one of my other online courses more than I have ever spent on a course before (and that is including in-class time plus homework/studying). The load was very demanding and I felt overwhelmed at times. Nonetheless, I still like online courses because they are convenient and give me a more open schedule for work.
Monday, December 12, 2011
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Art Gallery Visit #3/Self Portrait
TOP: Frida Kahlo, Self-Portrait with monkey 1938, Oil on Masonite
MIDDLE: Paul Cezanne, Self-Portrait, ca. 1898-1900, Lithograph
BOTTOM: Ivan Mestrovic, Sculptor at Work, 1925, Crayon on Paper
1. Two of the inspiration pieces were actual self-portraits from the Albright-Knox art gallery. I went through the entire gallery, both upstairs and down looking at all the artworks and only found these two that were described as being a self-portrait of the artist. The third piece I selected I don’t believe is a self-portrait of the artist themselves, but then again, in a way it is; the artist is depicting their thoughts and feelings and emotions onto the canvas. It might not be what they physically look like, but it is a glance into their mentality and how they perceive the world around them.
2. I selected pencil to create my self-portrait because I thought that a classy pencil realistic self portrait would be good. I’ve always wanted to do a more realistic self-portrait. I have done self portraits that actually look nothing like me but show who I am on the inside and thought that I would use this opportunity to show both inside and out.
3. The first challenge I overcame was deciding whether or not I wanted my self-portrait to be more realistic or more representational. I decided to do a more realistic approach.
4. This piece represents me because it is showing me the way I am now looking at the way I used to be. As I depicted in a previous assignment, I am extremely proud of who I have become. Not only on the outside by losing a lot of weight but on the inside as well: when I was heavy I was extremely self-conscious, and even had low self-esteem. I always thought people were judging me because I wasn’t as skinny or as pretty as I viewed other people. Now that I have lost a lot of weight and have been keeping it off not only have I gained some self-confidence and most definitely gained self-esteem, I also discovered that I am a very determined person and I proved to myself that if I truly set my mind on something, am persistent and don’t give up, I can accomplish anything.
5. I applied line, shape and mass, time, emphasis, and scale and proportion to my artwork
6. I did enjoy working on this project. It helped me realize how far I’ve come and made me see not only is my accomplishment seen from the outside, but from the inside as well.
7. I really like my final artwork. I wanted to show how I was and how my hard work and dedication paid off.
TOP: Me, summer 2010
MIDDLE: Me, summer 2011
BOTTOM: my self-portrait
Saturday, December 10, 2011
Art Criticism Reflection
1. Which projects did you review?
As suggested, I reviewed three art criticism projects that were in the drop box. The ones I reviewed were Man's Best Friend by Andrew Reed, Life and Death by Andrew Klin, and Emotions by Nicole Annalora.
2. Why did you select the Exhibit you critiqued?
I selected Emotions by Nicole Annalora because of the three I reviewed, it appeared to have the most information included in it (artist, title, medium, size and date). I didn't feel that the other artists in the other two projects were as consistent and thought this would be a more complete project to review.
3. What challenges did you face in writing the critique article and how did you overcome them?
The challenges that I faced were that I did not want to be too harsh and not only constructively criticize the project but look for the good aspects of it as well. I had to make sure that I balanced each negative with a positive so as not to sound so compeltely critical of the artwork because although there were some negative aspects of this project, there were also several positive aspects of it as well.
4. How do you feel about critiquing your peers work?
I think that constructive criticism is good and I take constructive criticism openly and like both giving and recieving criticism because I feel that it keeps you more open minded about things. Something that you are thinking might be percieved differently by someone else. Overall, I felt comfortable writing this critique.
5. Would you like to read the critique your peers wrote about your Art Curation Project?
I would love to read the critique my peers wrote about my Art Curation Project if there are any. I think that criticism can be very constructive and may help with a project in the future if they point out some things that I was not aware of or if they thought my work needed clarification. Sometimes seeing something in your head and putting that idea down for someone else to see can not come out the right way.
6. On a scale of 1-10 how would you rate your finished article and why?
I would rate my finished article as a 7 because I think I was a little repetetive in it, but I felt I had to be because some of the different questions warranted similar responses. I think overall I did a good job because I did not only point out negative but positive aspects of the project as well.
7. Did you enjoy working on this project?
I did enjoy working on this project because I liked the process of creating my artwork and having the chance to look at my peers' artwork so that I could see how mine compared to theirs.
As suggested, I reviewed three art criticism projects that were in the drop box. The ones I reviewed were Man's Best Friend by Andrew Reed, Life and Death by Andrew Klin, and Emotions by Nicole Annalora.
2. Why did you select the Exhibit you critiqued?
I selected Emotions by Nicole Annalora because of the three I reviewed, it appeared to have the most information included in it (artist, title, medium, size and date). I didn't feel that the other artists in the other two projects were as consistent and thought this would be a more complete project to review.
3. What challenges did you face in writing the critique article and how did you overcome them?
The challenges that I faced were that I did not want to be too harsh and not only constructively criticize the project but look for the good aspects of it as well. I had to make sure that I balanced each negative with a positive so as not to sound so compeltely critical of the artwork because although there were some negative aspects of this project, there were also several positive aspects of it as well.
4. How do you feel about critiquing your peers work?
I think that constructive criticism is good and I take constructive criticism openly and like both giving and recieving criticism because I feel that it keeps you more open minded about things. Something that you are thinking might be percieved differently by someone else. Overall, I felt comfortable writing this critique.
5. Would you like to read the critique your peers wrote about your Art Curation Project?
I would love to read the critique my peers wrote about my Art Curation Project if there are any. I think that criticism can be very constructive and may help with a project in the future if they point out some things that I was not aware of or if they thought my work needed clarification. Sometimes seeing something in your head and putting that idea down for someone else to see can not come out the right way.
6. On a scale of 1-10 how would you rate your finished article and why?
I would rate my finished article as a 7 because I think I was a little repetetive in it, but I felt I had to be because some of the different questions warranted similar responses. I think overall I did a good job because I did not only point out negative but positive aspects of the project as well.
7. Did you enjoy working on this project?
I did enjoy working on this project because I liked the process of creating my artwork and having the chance to look at my peers' artwork so that I could see how mine compared to theirs.
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Week 15 Video Review
Greenberg on Art Criticism: An Interview by T.J. Clark1. Greenberg stated that "writing about visual art is much tougher than writing about literature or music". He said he believed in modern specialization and that criticism can be relevant, not merely scientific.
2.Yes, because my project contains many different pieces, from sculptures to realistic paintings to fantastical paintings, but they all have a common theme nonetheless.
Greenberg on Pollock: An Interview by T.J. Clark
1. In this video, Greenberg talked about Jackson Pollock. I liked how his ideas from the first video can be seen in this video (saying that although a little out of the norm even for the Avant Gard.
2. Just like I said about the first video, this pertains to my art criticism project because there are a few "unusual" pieces in there that, although not to the extreme as Pollock's, would probably not fit in quite so easily to contemporary ideals of a painting.
An Intorduction to the Italian Renaissance (Giorgio Vasari)
1.Talks about how the great works are all intertwined because each great artist built upon the ideas/woks of their predecessors.
2. Yes because my pieces range from over 20,000 BCE to only a few years ago and in all of the artworks that I chose, they depict horses. Although for many reasons, these reasons all in the end point to their importance. The earliest forms of art have the basic shape of the animal while later ones can be more precise due to technology and innovation.
The Critics: Stories from the Inside Pages
1.Talks about how critics serve the public because they get the public to think, and that art criticism is in and of itself a form of art.
2. I definitely agree with this video in saying that art criticism is a form of art. They have to eloquently word their criticism and are trying to perusade someone to think or to share their view of a piece. Everyone is going to have a different opinion, and I think my art criticism project holds into account the fact that others are going to be viewing it.
The Colonial Encounter: Views of Non-Western Art and Culture
1.This video talks about how western ideas have influenced the true authentic cultural interaction.
2.This could possibly pertain to my art criticism project: while the oldest pieces don't really have any western influence on them (because of their age), any one of the other pieces may have had influence from another culture (not only Western).
Jackson Pollock: Michael Fried and T.J. Clark in Conversation
1.Critic Michael Freid is a proponent of aesthetically based views of painting and sculpture. However, some works, such as Jackson Pollock's, might be more abstract and not particularly aesthetically pleasing. I agree with the point made in the video that the art critics during the time the art was made will have a different view than a critic in the future because the work might not be applicable anymore during that time period.
2.The cave painting might have been a great masterpiece back then, but today although it is very important, some critics might say it is not as detailed or refined as more current works depicting horses.
3. I think the films do add depth to understanding art criticism; I especially liked the idea that over time, critics' views of an art are going to change (like I stated in the last review, under question 2). I think history does play a role in art criticism, and that we might not take that into consideration as much as it should be. I also learned about how wester art is influencing the art of other cultures and that might not be a good thing because it detracts from their traditional/cultural artistic ways and value.
2.Yes, because my project contains many different pieces, from sculptures to realistic paintings to fantastical paintings, but they all have a common theme nonetheless.
Greenberg on Pollock: An Interview by T.J. Clark
1. In this video, Greenberg talked about Jackson Pollock. I liked how his ideas from the first video can be seen in this video (saying that although a little out of the norm even for the Avant Gard.
2. Just like I said about the first video, this pertains to my art criticism project because there are a few "unusual" pieces in there that, although not to the extreme as Pollock's, would probably not fit in quite so easily to contemporary ideals of a painting.
An Intorduction to the Italian Renaissance (Giorgio Vasari)
1.Talks about how the great works are all intertwined because each great artist built upon the ideas/woks of their predecessors.
2. Yes because my pieces range from over 20,000 BCE to only a few years ago and in all of the artworks that I chose, they depict horses. Although for many reasons, these reasons all in the end point to their importance. The earliest forms of art have the basic shape of the animal while later ones can be more precise due to technology and innovation.
The Critics: Stories from the Inside Pages
1.Talks about how critics serve the public because they get the public to think, and that art criticism is in and of itself a form of art.
2. I definitely agree with this video in saying that art criticism is a form of art. They have to eloquently word their criticism and are trying to perusade someone to think or to share their view of a piece. Everyone is going to have a different opinion, and I think my art criticism project holds into account the fact that others are going to be viewing it.
The Colonial Encounter: Views of Non-Western Art and Culture
1.This video talks about how western ideas have influenced the true authentic cultural interaction.
2.This could possibly pertain to my art criticism project: while the oldest pieces don't really have any western influence on them (because of their age), any one of the other pieces may have had influence from another culture (not only Western).
Jackson Pollock: Michael Fried and T.J. Clark in Conversation
1.Critic Michael Freid is a proponent of aesthetically based views of painting and sculpture. However, some works, such as Jackson Pollock's, might be more abstract and not particularly aesthetically pleasing. I agree with the point made in the video that the art critics during the time the art was made will have a different view than a critic in the future because the work might not be applicable anymore during that time period.
2.The cave painting might have been a great masterpiece back then, but today although it is very important, some critics might say it is not as detailed or refined as more current works depicting horses.
3. I think the films do add depth to understanding art criticism; I especially liked the idea that over time, critics' views of an art are going to change (like I stated in the last review, under question 2). I think history does play a role in art criticism, and that we might not take that into consideration as much as it should be. I also learned about how wester art is influencing the art of other cultures and that might not be a good thing because it detracts from their traditional/cultural artistic ways and value.
Saturday, December 3, 2011
Project 4 Reflection Journal
For my art curation project, I chose Horses in Art as my theme. I love horses and think they are beautiful animals and think it is interesting how there are so many ways they are depicted in art. Sometimes they are depicted by themselves in a peaceful beautiful setting, are depicted as being wild and free, as being useful (i.e. as a means of transportation, pulling something), as entertainment (racing, rocking horse), and everything in between. I ordered my project so that similar works of art went next to each other. For example, the first three images are of two actual rocking horses and then an image of a child on a rocking horse. These three artworks go together and I would display them that way as well. I didn't want all of the artwork in my exhibit to be paintings, so I included several other ways horses were portrayed; as a decoration on a fan, on a ring of a Pharaoh, a statuette, and even as an ancient cave painting (I'm not quite sure if that painting has been removed and is on display or if it still sits in the cave, but I would probably get the image blown up and spread across a wall in a matte ink to try and keep it as true to the natural way it was painted on the wall. I found many artworks with the horse as the focus, and I found ways to show through all of these works of art in my exhibit just how important the horse has been to man throughout history.
Friday, November 18, 2011
Week 12 Blog Video Review
Andy Warhol: Images of an Image
1. I chose this video because I wanted to learn more about Andy Warhol, the guy behind the famous campbells soup painting.
2. Andy Warhol liked repetition in his artwork: This is seen in many of his works such as the Campbell soup and the Ten Lizes. He saw his silk screen images as a way to make money. He photographed and filmed hsi friends, and started adding paint to his silk screen images. Andy Warhol was also a narcisistic artist, producing dozens of self-portraits. His art journalism has been compared to Manet (cultural revolution in China, Race Riots, etc.).
3. Warhol's work is of modern art, which the book discusses. This video helps see the depth of a modern artist's work.
Abstract Expressionsim and Pop: Art of the '50s and '60s
1. I chose this video because I wanted to learn more about Abstract Expressionsim and Pop Art
2. Abstract Expressionism was born from bringing together the ideas of American art and European avant-garde art, but was later rejected for its nonfigurative and seemingly egocentric character in favor of the ultra-objective phenomenon known as Pop Art.. The film compares Abstract Art vs. Figurative Art,
3. I like how this video compared the different forms of art and made a little more clear distinctions between the different kinds of these modern arts than the book.
Uncertainty: Modernity and Art
1. I chose this video randomly because I didn't know much about the other titles of the remaining videos so I clicked on this one!
2. Talks about how modern art communicates chaos, anxiety, and, most importantly, uncertainty. The video describes modern art as documenting the metamorphis of mankind, and that something broke hundreds of years ago and there is no certain "code" we should live by that previous cultures thought, but rather uncertainty. I found this aspect very fascinating. Unlike many forms of previous art, modern art does not depict any god or higher intelligence, but rather it comes to no conclusions. Pop art describes civilization relaxing.
3. This video went more in depth than the book and gave me a greater understanding of modern art.
The Art of Henry Moore
1. I chose this video randomly because I didn't know much about the other titles of the remaining videos so I clicked on this one!
2. This video talks about Henry Moore, a mid-20th century modern artist. He thought people placed too much emphasis on his coalmining background. He believed that sculpture was a mix of visual and tctile experience, and that art is not an escape from life but rather an expression of the significance of life. He drew for his own enjoyment, and also used drawings to plan out his sculputres.
3. I think that this video goes in depth into the mind of a 20th century modern artist. It helps tie in the concepts that the book teaches about modern art.
4. For all of the vidoes, I think that it adds a little extra in depth understanding of each concept and goes further into the mind of a particular artist (like Henry Moore) so that I can better see the examples they give to reinforce what I read in the textbook.
1. I chose this video because I wanted to learn more about Andy Warhol, the guy behind the famous campbells soup painting.
2. Andy Warhol liked repetition in his artwork: This is seen in many of his works such as the Campbell soup and the Ten Lizes. He saw his silk screen images as a way to make money. He photographed and filmed hsi friends, and started adding paint to his silk screen images. Andy Warhol was also a narcisistic artist, producing dozens of self-portraits. His art journalism has been compared to Manet (cultural revolution in China, Race Riots, etc.).
3. Warhol's work is of modern art, which the book discusses. This video helps see the depth of a modern artist's work.
Abstract Expressionsim and Pop: Art of the '50s and '60s
1. I chose this video because I wanted to learn more about Abstract Expressionsim and Pop Art
2. Abstract Expressionism was born from bringing together the ideas of American art and European avant-garde art, but was later rejected for its nonfigurative and seemingly egocentric character in favor of the ultra-objective phenomenon known as Pop Art.. The film compares Abstract Art vs. Figurative Art,
3. I like how this video compared the different forms of art and made a little more clear distinctions between the different kinds of these modern arts than the book.
Uncertainty: Modernity and Art
1. I chose this video randomly because I didn't know much about the other titles of the remaining videos so I clicked on this one!
2. Talks about how modern art communicates chaos, anxiety, and, most importantly, uncertainty. The video describes modern art as documenting the metamorphis of mankind, and that something broke hundreds of years ago and there is no certain "code" we should live by that previous cultures thought, but rather uncertainty. I found this aspect very fascinating. Unlike many forms of previous art, modern art does not depict any god or higher intelligence, but rather it comes to no conclusions. Pop art describes civilization relaxing.
3. This video went more in depth than the book and gave me a greater understanding of modern art.
The Art of Henry Moore
1. I chose this video randomly because I didn't know much about the other titles of the remaining videos so I clicked on this one!
2. This video talks about Henry Moore, a mid-20th century modern artist. He thought people placed too much emphasis on his coalmining background. He believed that sculpture was a mix of visual and tctile experience, and that art is not an escape from life but rather an expression of the significance of life. He drew for his own enjoyment, and also used drawings to plan out his sculputres.
3. I think that this video goes in depth into the mind of a 20th century modern artist. It helps tie in the concepts that the book teaches about modern art.
4. For all of the vidoes, I think that it adds a little extra in depth understanding of each concept and goes further into the mind of a particular artist (like Henry Moore) so that I can better see the examples they give to reinforce what I read in the textbook.
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Art Gallery Visit #2
Step 1: The Exhibition
Questions about the exhibit:
1. What is the title of the exhibit?
Full Color Depression: First Kodachromes from America's Heartland
2. What is the theme of the exhibition?
Depression, images of people /places during the depression. Team from FSA took over 175,000 black and white photos. Some of those were taken in kodachrome (we don't know exactly how many), but only 1,615 of the kodachrome photos taken survived.
Step 2: The Gallery
Questions about the physical space:
1. What type of lighting is used?
Spot lighting to illuminate all the artwork on the walls and banners hanging from the ceiling.
2. What colors are used on the walls?
White
3. What materials are used in the interior artchitecture of the space?
Invisible string to hang the banners with the artwork in the center of the room. Neutral grey/brown marbeled floor. Walls-crowning and baseboards all same shade of white. Security camera, spot light encasing and speakers all white as well.
4. How is the movement of the viewer through the gallery space?
First thing you notice is the banners hanging from the ceiling in the center of the room. Then the slideshow on the television mounted on the wall and around the room from there.
Step 3: The Artwork
Questions about the artwork:
1. How are the artworks organized?
Some single column, some doubled up. The TV with the slideshow playing on it was on its own wall with the description/information about the exhibit on its own wall.
2. How are the artrworks similar?
All were photos of older buildings/people in the early 40's.
3. How are the artworks different?
Some look bleak and dreary, others the colors in them just pop.
4. How are the artworks framed?
All have same matte black 1/4 inch frame (except banners-no frames). Even the TV is black, giving the impression of a thin black frame around the photos on the slideshow.
5. How are the artworks identified and labeled?
Small white cards next to the piece (the group of cards on the wall next to doorway identified the banners).
6. What is the proximity of the artwork to each other?
About 16 inches apart horizontally, or 6 inches apart for the ones that are stacked 2 in a vertical row.
Step 4: Art Criticism Exercise
Select three of the artworks from the show and use the Art Criticism worksheet to desribe, analyze, bracket and interpret the work using the 5-step Art Criticism Process described.
Description: Photo by Marian Post Wolcott. Shacks Condemned by Board of Health, formerly (?) occupied by migrant workers and pickers, 1941. Digital file from original slide.
Old rundown shacks that were used to house migrant workers. Probably lived in deplorable conditions (since they were condemned). This (living in sub-standard living conditions) was probably something you saw every day during the depression. This is very realistic because individuals actually lived in these shacks.
The photograph is very striking. I was drawn to it at first because the color of the sky was such a vibrant blue and it just popped and caught my eye. When I looked at the photograph and read the title of it, the contrast of the bright cheery blue sky against the rundown shacks is striking, casting eachother in shadow making them look gloomy and uninviting.
(Next two steps same for all 3 pieces) This actually was everyday life. The artist was documenting how people lived during the Depression. It reminds me of when my grandfather would tell me stories of "back in the day". You think some of the things they exaggerate (walking to school up hill barefoot in snow both ways), but seeing this made me think about how most of these "stories" were their everyday norm.
I think the artist intended for this piece of art to be a true account/documentation of the lives of people during the Depression. My reaction was probably exactly what they intended: a mixture of shock, horror, sorrow, sadness and incredulity that people were expected to live like this. No matter how long ago these photos were taken, I think anyone who would have looked at them whether it be from back then or fifty years from now would have some of those emotions, but they probably get stronger and stronger as time passes because most people (especially people going to art galleries to view this art work) don't know or will never know the hardships these people lived thru.
The top photograph is by Jack Delano. It is a photograph in the roundhouse at a chicago and Northwetern Railroad yard in Chicago, Ill., December 1942 (Digital file from original transparency).
The bottom photograph is two employees at the roundhouse at Proviso yard, C & NW RR, Chicago, Ill., December 1942 (Digital file from original transparency).
Both works are realistic. The artist's goal is to portray the realities of the Depression and both photographs do a great job doing so. The darkness of both photographs definitely makes them appear gloomy and, well, kind of depressing, which was probably the goal of the artist in the first place. The darkness and shadows casted in both photographs helps make the photos appear realistic like the artist intended.
Step 5: Document Your Visit
See photos above
Answer this question: What did you think of visiting the Gallery and purposefully looking at the exhibition from a different perspective - the physical space, the architecture, theme, etc.?
I never really paid any attention to the physical space, architecture, theme, etc. but looking at these aspects made me see that it appears that the objective of the gallery is to not distract the viewers by using any ornate decorations or anything that might distract the attention away from the artwork that is being displayed. They want all the attention of the viewer to be on the artwork and keeping everything the same color and using simple architecture within the room the exhibit was shown in helps do that very well. I have been to other galleries such as the MFA in Boston when I lived there and I recall some of the rooms were elaborately decorated as works of art themselves, and I feel like there was just so much to look at at once that it kind of distracted the viewer from focusing on one artwork at a time.
Questions about the exhibit:
1. What is the title of the exhibit?
Full Color Depression: First Kodachromes from America's Heartland
2. What is the theme of the exhibition?
Depression, images of people /places during the depression. Team from FSA took over 175,000 black and white photos. Some of those were taken in kodachrome (we don't know exactly how many), but only 1,615 of the kodachrome photos taken survived.
Step 2: The Gallery
Questions about the physical space:
1. What type of lighting is used?
Spot lighting to illuminate all the artwork on the walls and banners hanging from the ceiling.
2. What colors are used on the walls?
White
3. What materials are used in the interior artchitecture of the space?
Invisible string to hang the banners with the artwork in the center of the room. Neutral grey/brown marbeled floor. Walls-crowning and baseboards all same shade of white. Security camera, spot light encasing and speakers all white as well.
4. How is the movement of the viewer through the gallery space?
First thing you notice is the banners hanging from the ceiling in the center of the room. Then the slideshow on the television mounted on the wall and around the room from there.
Step 3: The Artwork
Questions about the artwork:
1. How are the artworks organized?
Some single column, some doubled up. The TV with the slideshow playing on it was on its own wall with the description/information about the exhibit on its own wall.
2. How are the artrworks similar?
All were photos of older buildings/people in the early 40's.
3. How are the artworks different?
Some look bleak and dreary, others the colors in them just pop.
4. How are the artworks framed?
All have same matte black 1/4 inch frame (except banners-no frames). Even the TV is black, giving the impression of a thin black frame around the photos on the slideshow.
5. How are the artworks identified and labeled?
Small white cards next to the piece (the group of cards on the wall next to doorway identified the banners).
6. What is the proximity of the artwork to each other?
About 16 inches apart horizontally, or 6 inches apart for the ones that are stacked 2 in a vertical row.
Step 4: Art Criticism Exercise
Select three of the artworks from the show and use the Art Criticism worksheet to desribe, analyze, bracket and interpret the work using the 5-step Art Criticism Process described.
Description: Photo by Marian Post Wolcott. Shacks Condemned by Board of Health, formerly (?) occupied by migrant workers and pickers, 1941. Digital file from original slide.
Old rundown shacks that were used to house migrant workers. Probably lived in deplorable conditions (since they were condemned). This (living in sub-standard living conditions) was probably something you saw every day during the depression. This is very realistic because individuals actually lived in these shacks.
The photograph is very striking. I was drawn to it at first because the color of the sky was such a vibrant blue and it just popped and caught my eye. When I looked at the photograph and read the title of it, the contrast of the bright cheery blue sky against the rundown shacks is striking, casting eachother in shadow making them look gloomy and uninviting.
(Next two steps same for all 3 pieces) This actually was everyday life. The artist was documenting how people lived during the Depression. It reminds me of when my grandfather would tell me stories of "back in the day". You think some of the things they exaggerate (walking to school up hill barefoot in snow both ways), but seeing this made me think about how most of these "stories" were their everyday norm.
I think the artist intended for this piece of art to be a true account/documentation of the lives of people during the Depression. My reaction was probably exactly what they intended: a mixture of shock, horror, sorrow, sadness and incredulity that people were expected to live like this. No matter how long ago these photos were taken, I think anyone who would have looked at them whether it be from back then or fifty years from now would have some of those emotions, but they probably get stronger and stronger as time passes because most people (especially people going to art galleries to view this art work) don't know or will never know the hardships these people lived thru.
The top photograph is by Jack Delano. It is a photograph in the roundhouse at a chicago and Northwetern Railroad yard in Chicago, Ill., December 1942 (Digital file from original transparency).
The bottom photograph is two employees at the roundhouse at Proviso yard, C & NW RR, Chicago, Ill., December 1942 (Digital file from original transparency).
Both works are realistic. The artist's goal is to portray the realities of the Depression and both photographs do a great job doing so. The darkness of both photographs definitely makes them appear gloomy and, well, kind of depressing, which was probably the goal of the artist in the first place. The darkness and shadows casted in both photographs helps make the photos appear realistic like the artist intended.
Step 5: Document Your Visit
See photos above
Answer this question: What did you think of visiting the Gallery and purposefully looking at the exhibition from a different perspective - the physical space, the architecture, theme, etc.?
I never really paid any attention to the physical space, architecture, theme, etc. but looking at these aspects made me see that it appears that the objective of the gallery is to not distract the viewers by using any ornate decorations or anything that might distract the attention away from the artwork that is being displayed. They want all the attention of the viewer to be on the artwork and keeping everything the same color and using simple architecture within the room the exhibit was shown in helps do that very well. I have been to other galleries such as the MFA in Boston when I lived there and I recall some of the rooms were elaborately decorated as works of art themselves, and I feel like there was just so much to look at at once that it kind of distracted the viewer from focusing on one artwork at a time.
Monday, November 7, 2011
Mask Making
My Mask -->
My Sketches -->
Inspirational Masks:
Question 1 and 2: I selected the first piece because I thought that it was very abstract and different: there was use of a lot of different colors, textures and I loved how there were pieces flying this way and that from the mask.
The second piece I selected because I thought it was interesting in its simplicity. It is a carved mask and very sparsely painted. Unlike the first one, this one portrays a sense of realism in the animal. The colors are very neutral, not overly bright, making the mask more realistic as well.
The third piece I selected because I love how simple it is color-wise, but when you look at the detail to the pieces that are coming out of it, even though they are the same color they add the three-dimensional aspect to it and make it come alive. The sharp lines draw the eye to the detailed 3-d pieces.
Question 4: I took some inspiration from each of the masks: I didn’t want a full face mask, I thought a half face mask would be interesting because it hides enough of the face so that the person who is wearing it would possibly be difficult to recognize. I always found something romantic about the idea of being able to see part of the person’s face but not enough to recognize them per se. I took the abstract coloring from the first mask and used geometric shapes on my mask. I also combined it partly with the simplicity I found in the second mask by not making my entire mask filled with crazy colors and leaving parts of it untouched by color so that it wasn’t too busy. I took parts of the third mask for inspiration and cut out eyelashes for my mask as well to emphasize the eyes of the mask. I also added a quasi beak-like nose to the mask so that it covered more of the face. I feel like these 3-dimensional aspects add a little to the mask and make it a little more interesting.
Question 5: I liked the outcome of my mask: I thought at first to create more of an elegant masquerade-type mask, because I love the shape of that mask, and in the end I incorporated that shape into my mask but made it more abstract and what I think interesting rather than creating the elegant formal mask I had first had in mind. If I had time I would have thought it would be interesting to create a papier mache mask.
The second piece I selected because I thought it was interesting in its simplicity. It is a carved mask and very sparsely painted. Unlike the first one, this one portrays a sense of realism in the animal. The colors are very neutral, not overly bright, making the mask more realistic as well.
The third piece I selected because I love how simple it is color-wise, but when you look at the detail to the pieces that are coming out of it, even though they are the same color they add the three-dimensional aspect to it and make it come alive. The sharp lines draw the eye to the detailed 3-d pieces.
Question 4: I took some inspiration from each of the masks: I didn’t want a full face mask, I thought a half face mask would be interesting because it hides enough of the face so that the person who is wearing it would possibly be difficult to recognize. I always found something romantic about the idea of being able to see part of the person’s face but not enough to recognize them per se. I took the abstract coloring from the first mask and used geometric shapes on my mask. I also combined it partly with the simplicity I found in the second mask by not making my entire mask filled with crazy colors and leaving parts of it untouched by color so that it wasn’t too busy. I took parts of the third mask for inspiration and cut out eyelashes for my mask as well to emphasize the eyes of the mask. I also added a quasi beak-like nose to the mask so that it covered more of the face. I feel like these 3-dimensional aspects add a little to the mask and make it a little more interesting.
Question 5: I liked the outcome of my mask: I thought at first to create more of an elegant masquerade-type mask, because I love the shape of that mask, and in the end I incorporated that shape into my mask but made it more abstract and what I think interesting rather than creating the elegant formal mask I had first had in mind. If I had time I would have thought it would be interesting to create a papier mache mask.
Saturday, November 5, 2011
Week 10 Video Review
Islamic Art at the V&A 1. I selected this video because I wanted to have at least one of the Islamic Art videos and was wondering what the "V&A" was (Victoria and Albert Museum, for the record).
2. -Art is not a part of Islamic religious rituals.
-The Qur'an is their religous text and one form of their art is reproducing it using elaborate manuscripts.
-There are a lot of intricately crafted carpets and textiles in Islamic Art, unlike art in many other cultures/religions.
-The artists of Islamic art are hard to trace.
-Other important artwork includes ceramics and architecture
3. The video discussed Islamic art and the type of architecture that they used for their Mosques. It helped reinforce when the book talked about how some cultures' artwork was not the same as the prominent artwork that is found in other cultures. European art focused more on paintings and sculptures and architecture where Islamic art focused more on what the Europeans thought of as "lesser" decorative arts.
4. See end of posting
Buddhism
1. I selected this video because I wanted to learn more about the different religions
2. Buddhism looks to destroy all desires and all things that feed the ego. These things are all obsticles that must be overcome to reach enlightenment.
-The elaborate Bodi Tree is used to symbolically represent Buddah in Buddhist art.
-Buddhism has evolved and actually shares a lot in common with Hinduism.
3. This video discussed Buddhism a little more in depth and gave me a greater knowledge of what their beliefs are. Seeing all the great monuments dedicated to Buddah was very interesting. They give off a different feeling than that of a huge ornate cathedral.
Hinduism
1. I selected this video because I wanted to learn more about the different religions
2. -Cremation is an importent aspect of Hinduism: it is believed that cremation provides the deceased with direct access to heaven
-Their gods and goddesses are very similar to the Saints that can be found in Catholocism: Each of them has a purpose and represents something that is important.
-Their palaces are extremely decorated (I felt, almost to the point of it being overdone).
3. I never really thought of Hinduism gods and goddesses as being similar to the Catholic Saints. The video pointed this out and I think it helps me understand/relate to the religion better. The book talks briefly about Hinduism and this video definitely gave me a stronger understanding of the religion because I could tie it into something that I know.
Chinese Art: Treasures of the National Palace Museum
1. I selected this video because I wanted to see what the National Palace Museum was like because all museums are so different.
2. -The collection of pieces featured span over 5,000 years of history. The collection was very diverse and showed artwork from pottery, carvings, cabinets, ink drawings, and much more..
-Many of the works of art here you have to go and see at the museum
3. I found many of these works of art very intersting because of how different each of the works was from one another. The video had such an array of different items and forms of art that it kept my interest in each piece. The book can only have so many pictures, and seeing such a diverse collection helped me see that Chinese art is not so focused on a few forms of artistic craft (like I found European art to be), but many different forms of art.
4. I thought the films were all interesting. I think that they went more in depth than the book and helped me take a deeper look at each of these cultures/religions and better understand not only the concept of the religion (in the case of Buddhism, Islam and Hinduism), but I could better understand why they portrayed their artwork the way they did. I was also able to make a connection with Hinduism by relating it to Catholocism and it made me think how similar some aspects of religions can be to eachother.
2. -Art is not a part of Islamic religious rituals.
-The Qur'an is their religous text and one form of their art is reproducing it using elaborate manuscripts.
-There are a lot of intricately crafted carpets and textiles in Islamic Art, unlike art in many other cultures/religions.
-The artists of Islamic art are hard to trace.
-Other important artwork includes ceramics and architecture
3. The video discussed Islamic art and the type of architecture that they used for their Mosques. It helped reinforce when the book talked about how some cultures' artwork was not the same as the prominent artwork that is found in other cultures. European art focused more on paintings and sculptures and architecture where Islamic art focused more on what the Europeans thought of as "lesser" decorative arts.
4. See end of posting
Buddhism
1. I selected this video because I wanted to learn more about the different religions
2. Buddhism looks to destroy all desires and all things that feed the ego. These things are all obsticles that must be overcome to reach enlightenment.
-The elaborate Bodi Tree is used to symbolically represent Buddah in Buddhist art.
-Buddhism has evolved and actually shares a lot in common with Hinduism.
3. This video discussed Buddhism a little more in depth and gave me a greater knowledge of what their beliefs are. Seeing all the great monuments dedicated to Buddah was very interesting. They give off a different feeling than that of a huge ornate cathedral.
Hinduism
1. I selected this video because I wanted to learn more about the different religions
2. -Cremation is an importent aspect of Hinduism: it is believed that cremation provides the deceased with direct access to heaven
-Their gods and goddesses are very similar to the Saints that can be found in Catholocism: Each of them has a purpose and represents something that is important.
-Their palaces are extremely decorated (I felt, almost to the point of it being overdone).
3. I never really thought of Hinduism gods and goddesses as being similar to the Catholic Saints. The video pointed this out and I think it helps me understand/relate to the religion better. The book talks briefly about Hinduism and this video definitely gave me a stronger understanding of the religion because I could tie it into something that I know.
Chinese Art: Treasures of the National Palace Museum
1. I selected this video because I wanted to see what the National Palace Museum was like because all museums are so different.
2. -The collection of pieces featured span over 5,000 years of history. The collection was very diverse and showed artwork from pottery, carvings, cabinets, ink drawings, and much more..
-Many of the works of art here you have to go and see at the museum
3. I found many of these works of art very intersting because of how different each of the works was from one another. The video had such an array of different items and forms of art that it kept my interest in each piece. The book can only have so many pictures, and seeing such a diverse collection helped me see that Chinese art is not so focused on a few forms of artistic craft (like I found European art to be), but many different forms of art.
4. I thought the films were all interesting. I think that they went more in depth than the book and helped me take a deeper look at each of these cultures/religions and better understand not only the concept of the religion (in the case of Buddhism, Islam and Hinduism), but I could better understand why they portrayed their artwork the way they did. I was also able to make a connection with Hinduism by relating it to Catholocism and it made me think how similar some aspects of religions can be to eachother.
Saturday, October 29, 2011
Exploring Line
2. I selected charcoal because I think that it is easier/faster to add shading with it. With pencil you have to build it up gradually to get a good shade but with charcoal you can build it up or give harder strokes and then rub it to lighten/darken areas without making it look smudgy (like I found happens with pencil). Also, I like the not-so-crisp line charcoal gives as opposed to always-crisp line that pencil leaves.
3. I think this is a successful study: my drawing with my dominant hand (with my right hand of my left hand) is much more detailed and properly shaded than the drawing with my non-dominant hand (the drawing of the right hand). I felt like the proportions, as well as the lines and shading were a lot easier to control with my dominant hand than with the other.
4. I don't think I would use my non-dominant hand to create artwork in the future....it felt funny holding a pencil in my left hand and I can draw a lot more accurately and quickly when I use my dominant right hand. I did think it was interesting to go through the process of using my left hand tho, I've never thought of doing that with my artwork.
Friday, October 21, 2011
Week 8: Video Reviews
More Human Than Human
The major thing that I learned from this video is how no matter how developed society has gotten from the Ancient Greeks, Romans and Egyptians and many other societies, we all have some sort of idealized version of the human body, and it is portrayed in that idealized way in art. It is very interesting to see how no matter how the times have changed, some things that we do stay the same. This video relates to the reading in the text because many of the statues used as example were in the textbook as examples of the art of those times as well. I never really thought about how societies idealize the human body and like I said before, I found it really interesting how back then they were portraying idealized forms of the human body, what they thought was attractive, and how it is so similar to nowadays how the image of the "perfect" body is portrayed by society through the media and art as well.
Cataclysm: The Black Death Visits Tuscany
I chose this video because for some reason the plague has always fascinated me in a weird way and the title caught my eye. I learned that the plague hit Siena and Florence so hard and fast that the people did not see it coming, and that when they emerged from this gruesome tragedy, their outlook had completely changed, including the way they looked at/created art. Their artwork depicted more gruesome scenes, scenes of hell, something they most certainly felt they were in during the black plague. This video relates to the reading in the text because when the book talks about realism, I realized that an artwork from this time might look like it was just a gruesome painting out of someone's head when it realy was someone's reality. I think this film helped me realize how a tragedy can change peoples perspectives so much that it completley changes the content of their artwork prior to the event.
A World Inscribed: The Illuminated Manuscript
I chose this video because my best friend had do do an art exhibit and her first art show was Illuminated Manuscripts at the Karples Museum on Elmwood. I thought it would be interesting to learn more about it. From this video I learned while illuminated manuscripts can be very beautiful pieces of art, they are extremely labor intensive, especially because someone might be making dozens and dozens of copies of one page, and that kind of repetitious work, bent over and detailing the paper can really take a toll on someone. When literacy started becoming the norm, this just made even more work for the illuminators and scribes. The invention of the printing press and moveable type took the jobs from the scribes and illuminators. This only makes it easier for people to obtain copies of a text, but the art of an illuminated manuscript can not be copied by the printing press and owning one of these artworks is a privelage. I thought this film did a great job of describing the long process of creating one of these manuscripts.
Cairo Museum
I chose this video because I thought it would be interesting to see this museum! I learned that like many other museums, they have many many more pieces than they can display at one time and more than half of the pieces they own are in storage. The museum houses some of the most interesting and beautiful and very old relics of the past. Although they probably have an inventory of every piece in there in storage, a piece may be forgotten about until the curator rediscovers it. This vidoe relates to the study of ancient Egypt in the book because most of the artifacts in here are Egyptian. I think this was a good video because it gave me a look of what the museum had to offer and made me think it would be a fascinating and great destination to visit one day
The major thing that I learned from this video is how no matter how developed society has gotten from the Ancient Greeks, Romans and Egyptians and many other societies, we all have some sort of idealized version of the human body, and it is portrayed in that idealized way in art. It is very interesting to see how no matter how the times have changed, some things that we do stay the same. This video relates to the reading in the text because many of the statues used as example were in the textbook as examples of the art of those times as well. I never really thought about how societies idealize the human body and like I said before, I found it really interesting how back then they were portraying idealized forms of the human body, what they thought was attractive, and how it is so similar to nowadays how the image of the "perfect" body is portrayed by society through the media and art as well.
Cataclysm: The Black Death Visits Tuscany
I chose this video because for some reason the plague has always fascinated me in a weird way and the title caught my eye. I learned that the plague hit Siena and Florence so hard and fast that the people did not see it coming, and that when they emerged from this gruesome tragedy, their outlook had completely changed, including the way they looked at/created art. Their artwork depicted more gruesome scenes, scenes of hell, something they most certainly felt they were in during the black plague. This video relates to the reading in the text because when the book talks about realism, I realized that an artwork from this time might look like it was just a gruesome painting out of someone's head when it realy was someone's reality. I think this film helped me realize how a tragedy can change peoples perspectives so much that it completley changes the content of their artwork prior to the event.
A World Inscribed: The Illuminated Manuscript
I chose this video because my best friend had do do an art exhibit and her first art show was Illuminated Manuscripts at the Karples Museum on Elmwood. I thought it would be interesting to learn more about it. From this video I learned while illuminated manuscripts can be very beautiful pieces of art, they are extremely labor intensive, especially because someone might be making dozens and dozens of copies of one page, and that kind of repetitious work, bent over and detailing the paper can really take a toll on someone. When literacy started becoming the norm, this just made even more work for the illuminators and scribes. The invention of the printing press and moveable type took the jobs from the scribes and illuminators. This only makes it easier for people to obtain copies of a text, but the art of an illuminated manuscript can not be copied by the printing press and owning one of these artworks is a privelage. I thought this film did a great job of describing the long process of creating one of these manuscripts.
Cairo Museum
I chose this video because I thought it would be interesting to see this museum! I learned that like many other museums, they have many many more pieces than they can display at one time and more than half of the pieces they own are in storage. The museum houses some of the most interesting and beautiful and very old relics of the past. Although they probably have an inventory of every piece in there in storage, a piece may be forgotten about until the curator rediscovers it. This vidoe relates to the study of ancient Egypt in the book because most of the artifacts in here are Egyptian. I think this was a good video because it gave me a look of what the museum had to offer and made me think it would be a fascinating and great destination to visit one day
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Step 3: Reflect
A. What is installation art?
Instillation art is art that is in a specific space. The art is everything in that space, including that space. Some installation pieces had been created for only one specific place and when they were taken down, they were never installed for viewing in any other location (a one-time deal). The viewer enters the space, and gets to enter, explore and experience the artwork.
B. What materials are used in installation art?
Anything/anyone can be used in installation art. There can be items specifically purchased to make the art, materials/objects found lying around or abandoned, or the artist who created it or people recruited to be a part of it.
C. Why make installation art?
Because it lets the viewers come into a space and interact and examine the art from different angles/viewpoints. Something you may see from one end of the space the installation art is in may not be visible from the other end of the space. I think installation art lets the artist incorporate more than they would be able to in any other art form. Installation art has a lot more space for the artist to work with and express their thoughts/ideas than more traditional forms of art as well.
D. Which artist/installation did I find most interesting?
I found Ann Hamilton’s mantle installation art as well as herself very interesting. I thought it was really unique that she incorporated herself into her installation art, I had never seen anything like that and thought it was so interesting. If I was at that art gallery viewing this installation, I don’t think that at first I would have realized she was a part of the art and would have felt awkward staring at her wondering what she was doing before realizing she was a piece in her own art. I also think it shows how dedicated to her art she is by putting herself into it like that because while it was on display she had to be there when the art was being viewed or the installation wouldn’t be complete.
Step 4: Plan
A. From the material reviewed, is there an inspiration piece that I feel a connection with?
I felt a connection with and took inspiration from the Frida Kahlo. The inspiration I took from Frida Kahlo is actually kind of the opposite of her feelings about her self-portraits: she painted many self-portraits after a terrible streetcar accident that left her body irreparably broken in a way that made her unable to have children and caused her severe pain for the rest of her life. Like Kahlo, I have undergone a transformation, but instead of a tragic one, mine is one that I am very proud of: my dedication and hard work to changing my lifestyle by choosing to eat healthy and making exercise a daily habit helped me transform myself from being over 200 pounds at my heaviest to being within 5 pounds of my goal. I have lost 53 pounds (and counting…almost there!) since the beginning of this February. Like Kahlo, I wanted to express my experience.
B. What theme do I want to explore in my installation? Refer to your textbook if youneed to review Themes of Art. (chapter 3 in text) (Nature, Environment, Self, Mass Media, Consumerism, etc.)
The theme that I want to explore in my installation is a mix of history and the here and now.
C. What materials will I use?
I will use my gym bag (which always has workout clothes in it), my running shoes, my yoga mat, hand weights, measuring cups, my water bottle, cupcake,
Where will this installation be located and why?
This installation is located in my living room because it is where I started my workout journey: I began with DVDs in my home and progressed up to a gym with a personal trainer when I felt comfortable and knew that this time I was really sticking with it.
Describe your installation. Be sure to use the worksheet from Project #3 as your guide.
In my installation, there are many of my typical home health and fitness items that surround me on a daily basis. Off to the side on the ground, there is a cupcake. It is off to the side by itself in the dark, and my workout stuff is over toward the light because it is where I am now. Not saying that I don’t indulge every now and then, but that kind of junk food used to be a part of my daily life and now it isn’t and all the things gathered with my gym things are.
Analyze your installation. Be sure to sue the worksheet from Project #3 as your guide.
In my installation, the principles/elements I used are asymmetrical balance (the pile of things on one end and the lone cupcake on the other), mass (the different objects), and unity (all the objects, like my work out equipment, running shoes, gym bag, measuring cups are all part of health/fitness scene).
What are your thoughts on the planning and creation of a site-specific installation?
I think that site-specific installations are fun to plan and create because they let your imagination run wild of different ideas and objects to incorporate. As soon as I had an idea of what I wanted my installation to be about, I started getting so many different ideas of different locations I could use for my installation, but each location that I thought of had a different set-up and incorporated more items or less items than the place I chose in the end (either because of space, or because I thought simplicity worked best in a different area, etc.).
A. What is installation art?
Instillation art is art that is in a specific space. The art is everything in that space, including that space. Some installation pieces had been created for only one specific place and when they were taken down, they were never installed for viewing in any other location (a one-time deal). The viewer enters the space, and gets to enter, explore and experience the artwork.
B. What materials are used in installation art?
Anything/anyone can be used in installation art. There can be items specifically purchased to make the art, materials/objects found lying around or abandoned, or the artist who created it or people recruited to be a part of it.
C. Why make installation art?
Because it lets the viewers come into a space and interact and examine the art from different angles/viewpoints. Something you may see from one end of the space the installation art is in may not be visible from the other end of the space. I think installation art lets the artist incorporate more than they would be able to in any other art form. Installation art has a lot more space for the artist to work with and express their thoughts/ideas than more traditional forms of art as well.
D. Which artist/installation did I find most interesting?
I found Ann Hamilton’s mantle installation art as well as herself very interesting. I thought it was really unique that she incorporated herself into her installation art, I had never seen anything like that and thought it was so interesting. If I was at that art gallery viewing this installation, I don’t think that at first I would have realized she was a part of the art and would have felt awkward staring at her wondering what she was doing before realizing she was a piece in her own art. I also think it shows how dedicated to her art she is by putting herself into it like that because while it was on display she had to be there when the art was being viewed or the installation wouldn’t be complete.
Step 4: Plan
A. From the material reviewed, is there an inspiration piece that I feel a connection with?
I felt a connection with and took inspiration from the Frida Kahlo. The inspiration I took from Frida Kahlo is actually kind of the opposite of her feelings about her self-portraits: she painted many self-portraits after a terrible streetcar accident that left her body irreparably broken in a way that made her unable to have children and caused her severe pain for the rest of her life. Like Kahlo, I have undergone a transformation, but instead of a tragic one, mine is one that I am very proud of: my dedication and hard work to changing my lifestyle by choosing to eat healthy and making exercise a daily habit helped me transform myself from being over 200 pounds at my heaviest to being within 5 pounds of my goal. I have lost 53 pounds (and counting…almost there!) since the beginning of this February. Like Kahlo, I wanted to express my experience.
B. What theme do I want to explore in my installation? Refer to your textbook if youneed to review Themes of Art. (chapter 3 in text) (Nature, Environment, Self, Mass Media, Consumerism, etc.)
The theme that I want to explore in my installation is a mix of history and the here and now.
C. What materials will I use?
I will use my gym bag (which always has workout clothes in it), my running shoes, my yoga mat, hand weights, measuring cups, my water bottle, cupcake,
Where will this installation be located and why?
This installation is located in my living room because it is where I started my workout journey: I began with DVDs in my home and progressed up to a gym with a personal trainer when I felt comfortable and knew that this time I was really sticking with it.
Describe your installation. Be sure to use the worksheet from Project #3 as your guide.
In my installation, there are many of my typical home health and fitness items that surround me on a daily basis. Off to the side on the ground, there is a cupcake. It is off to the side by itself in the dark, and my workout stuff is over toward the light because it is where I am now. Not saying that I don’t indulge every now and then, but that kind of junk food used to be a part of my daily life and now it isn’t and all the things gathered with my gym things are.
Analyze your installation. Be sure to sue the worksheet from Project #3 as your guide.
In my installation, the principles/elements I used are asymmetrical balance (the pile of things on one end and the lone cupcake on the other), mass (the different objects), and unity (all the objects, like my work out equipment, running shoes, gym bag, measuring cups are all part of health/fitness scene).
What are your thoughts on the planning and creation of a site-specific installation?
I think that site-specific installations are fun to plan and create because they let your imagination run wild of different ideas and objects to incorporate. As soon as I had an idea of what I wanted my installation to be about, I started getting so many different ideas of different locations I could use for my installation, but each location that I thought of had a different set-up and incorporated more items or less items than the place I chose in the end (either because of space, or because I thought simplicity worked best in a different area, etc.).
Saturday, October 8, 2011
1. Hyperlink the Blogs you reviewed into your Blog
http://nicoleannalora.blogspot.com/
http://katrondinelli.blogspot.com/
2. When looking at Project #1: (Elements and Principles), did you agree with the element or principle the artist listed with the images? Did you see other elements and principles in the images?
For both of the blogs, I agreed with the elements and principles both individuals chose to assign to their photograph. I feel like many of the photographs taken had qualities that could be applied to more than just the element/principal they chose them to represent, and I even commented that and gave an example in each blog comment.
3. When looking at Project #2: Where there any images in the Peer Blogs the same as your own? If yes, what were they? Where the reasons the image was selected the same or different as your own?
I don't have any images because I wasn't able to get to the art gallery due to work and having trouble finding a ride up there.
4. Where there any images that your Peers selected that pique your interest now? If yes, what are they and what is your connection with them? What would you want to know about them?
I really liked the Andy Warhol Campbell Soup image. It reminds me of art class way back in elementary school. My art teacher had a picture of it on the wall and I could remember me thinking "I could do that!". I had a plan to do an image of a ton of cans of soup, only a different brand, and then I would make money off of that! I can't believe I thought I could do that, it makes me think of 7-year-old me thinking that every time I see that image and makes me laugh.
5. What do you think about the process of reading your peers reflection? Do you find this to be a valuable in your learning?
I liked reading my peers' reflection, and I do think it is valuable in my learning because I feel like giving and recieving feedback from peers is essential in the learning process because they might have the same thoughts/questions as me or even different perspectives and hearing them can help either reinforce my thinking or make me look at something in a new light.
6. Check your Blog and read comments posted by your Peers. Do you find their comments helpful?
No comments-I didn't complete project 2 so nobody could comment on my first one because they needed 2 projects to comment.
http://nicoleannalora.blogspot.com/
http://katrondinelli.blogspot.com/
2. When looking at Project #1: (Elements and Principles), did you agree with the element or principle the artist listed with the images? Did you see other elements and principles in the images?
For both of the blogs, I agreed with the elements and principles both individuals chose to assign to their photograph. I feel like many of the photographs taken had qualities that could be applied to more than just the element/principal they chose them to represent, and I even commented that and gave an example in each blog comment.
3. When looking at Project #2: Where there any images in the Peer Blogs the same as your own? If yes, what were they? Where the reasons the image was selected the same or different as your own?
I don't have any images because I wasn't able to get to the art gallery due to work and having trouble finding a ride up there.
4. Where there any images that your Peers selected that pique your interest now? If yes, what are they and what is your connection with them? What would you want to know about them?
I really liked the Andy Warhol Campbell Soup image. It reminds me of art class way back in elementary school. My art teacher had a picture of it on the wall and I could remember me thinking "I could do that!". I had a plan to do an image of a ton of cans of soup, only a different brand, and then I would make money off of that! I can't believe I thought I could do that, it makes me think of 7-year-old me thinking that every time I see that image and makes me laugh.
5. What do you think about the process of reading your peers reflection? Do you find this to be a valuable in your learning?
I liked reading my peers' reflection, and I do think it is valuable in my learning because I feel like giving and recieving feedback from peers is essential in the learning process because they might have the same thoughts/questions as me or even different perspectives and hearing them can help either reinforce my thinking or make me look at something in a new light.
6. Check your Blog and read comments posted by your Peers. Do you find their comments helpful?
No comments-I didn't complete project 2 so nobody could comment on my first one because they needed 2 projects to comment.
Saturday, October 1, 2011
Logo
2. I was very open minded while I was creating my sketches. Some of the works I used an element of balance (such as in my final drawing), and some of them emphasized one letter or a certain group of letters over the others.
3. The most important discovery I made in the creation of my logo is that it is a LOT different doing calligraphy with a pencil and colored pencils. Usually when I do calligraphy I use different sized nibs and an inkwell. The ink flows extremely smoothly and my lines are fluid. While the plus about using a pencil is that I can erase if I make a mistake and not have to start all over again, you don't get those crisp lines that I would if I were using a nib and ink. The reason I didn't use a nib and ink for this complex one is because I had to incorporate color for the project, and I only have black and gold ink on hand. I wanted to use the same medium throughout and thought it would look weird with the crispness of the ink and the softness of the colored pencil.
4. The most important thing that I learned from the materials provided to use as reference for this project is that designing a logo is very labor intensive and a lot of thinking and research goes into making a logo before one final one is chosen. I thought it was interesting how such a small change to a logo like adding two rings to a bullseye and making it 5 instead of 3 for the company logo was such a big decision. I really liked the repackaging the brand video: when they said that they had to bring in scientists and researchers and this huge team of lots of people just to repackage the Marmite (something I thought would have been simple and quick) was very labor intensive and took a lot of time. I had no idea that would have been such an intense process!
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Color wheel and shading
2. I enjoyed working with the acrylic paint the best. I paint ceramics and have tons of colors and really love painting, but it was different painting on a flat piece of paper for a change. I love mixing the colors and seeing what you will get.
3. I think that the most important discovery in the creation of these studies was that you can create value and color variation with any medium, wet or dry.
4. The most important information that I learned in watching the videos is that blue yellow and red are in fact NOT the primary colors and that cyan, magenta and yellow are the true primary colors. I like how the video showed the color wheel using what most people are taught and then using the real primary colors, it is definitely quite a distinct difference.
Saturday, September 17, 2011
Project #1: Photobucket slide show
This is my slideshow of the 14 elements and principles.
The image of shape is a leaf floating in the water; I took this for shape because I thought the flat shape and color against the background of the water emphasized the points of the leaf.
The next image is for balance. It is a dish called "arroz chaufa", or chinese rice. The serving sits center of the plate and is very symmetrical.
For proportion, although I took this photo in the beginning of June when I went to Peru to visit family. It is a picture of the little town where my mom was born and raised called Bolognesi. I can remember thinking how tiny the village looked against the towering mountainous landscape. Even though I didn't know it at the time, I was taking a photo with a principle of design in mind.
This is also a picture from when I was in Peru of my cousin's Macaw. I also remember thinking how bright the colors were of the bird and how he stands out from everything around him because of the color of his feathers.
For emphasis, I used a photograph of my cousin in Peru's monkey. I thought this was a good picture for emphasis because I remember wanting to get up close to the monkey so he could be the focus of my photograph.
For rhythm I used a picture of place settings at a party; the place settings at all of the numerous seats are exactly the same, forming a pattern.
In the value photograph, I took a picture of the different shades of the clouds in the sky.
For variety, I placed a flower amongst pebbles to break up the monotony of the grey.
The shape/form photo is a picture of large boulders, something with an organic shape.
For unity I used a photograph of a small man-made waterfall and it's surroundings. The scene gave me a sense of peace/quiet tranquility and its surroundings come together well.
For texture as I was walking along a path outside I saw this strange looking flower-type plant that had these little berries all over it. The "bubbles" that make up the flower are clearly defined and has a bumpy texture to it.
The trees in my space photo are far apart with nothing but field in between, showing the negative space where there is the distance between them.
For lines I took a picture of the inside of a shelter at a park; the straight lines of the wood are clearly defined.
For my last picture, movement, I took a picture of my friend as we were finishing a 5k mud race. You can tell that she is running by the splashing of the water as she ran toward the finish line, and she is in midstride, depicting her in action.
Friday, September 16, 2011
Color-Week 3 Post
1. Color and it's effects on emotions
Color is probably the visual element that gives us the most pleasure. Almost everybody has a favorite color, a color that they are drawn to.
Color can have a powerful effect on a person's body and brain in many ways. Many studies have found that color affects a wide range of our phsychological and physiological responses. For example: red is said to increase appetite, blue is said to lower bloodpressure, pulse, and respiration rate. Color can have a culturally conditioned response (green light means go) as well as a deeply personal response .
2. The thing about color theory that intrigues me the most is the fact that nothing is actually a color. The way I see it, things are every other color BUT the one we percieve it to be. The reason I look at it this way is because when we see a red object for example, the object is not red in and of itself, but it is absorbing all of the other colors in the light spectrum except red, and reflecting the red, therefore that is the color that we see. I have herad this time and again ever since I was doing art in elementary school but it always seems to fascinate me.
3. The thing that made the biggest impact on me in regards to color and its effect on emotions in the Color video was the fact that when June was talking about her finished painting and it was showed, she talks about the feeling and emotion that Venice evoked in her. She wasn't looking to capture the exact image of Venice, but the emotions it made her feel. She talks about how psychological and emotional color is, and I agree with her, and her kind of painting is something that could evoke different emotions from different people because different people can associate one color with a multitude of different emotions.
4. In the feelings video, the thing that made the biggest impact on me in regards to color and its effect on emotions was much of David's work, especially the Oath of Horatio; when the speaker goes into detail about the painting and gives you a little bit of background and then says now pretend you didn't know that, what would you see? The emotion that the painting conveys by using color to make the painting so lifelike and very realistic makes you feel the tenseness and almost desperation of the warriors in the painting. The shadows darken the painting, which darken the mood and make you feel the sense of doom and gloom. Noble virtue was the mind of the French Revolution, and David did a fantastic job immortalizing that emotion.
Color is probably the visual element that gives us the most pleasure. Almost everybody has a favorite color, a color that they are drawn to.
Color can have a powerful effect on a person's body and brain in many ways. Many studies have found that color affects a wide range of our phsychological and physiological responses. For example: red is said to increase appetite, blue is said to lower bloodpressure, pulse, and respiration rate. Color can have a culturally conditioned response (green light means go) as well as a deeply personal response .
2. The thing about color theory that intrigues me the most is the fact that nothing is actually a color. The way I see it, things are every other color BUT the one we percieve it to be. The reason I look at it this way is because when we see a red object for example, the object is not red in and of itself, but it is absorbing all of the other colors in the light spectrum except red, and reflecting the red, therefore that is the color that we see. I have herad this time and again ever since I was doing art in elementary school but it always seems to fascinate me.
3. The thing that made the biggest impact on me in regards to color and its effect on emotions in the Color video was the fact that when June was talking about her finished painting and it was showed, she talks about the feeling and emotion that Venice evoked in her. She wasn't looking to capture the exact image of Venice, but the emotions it made her feel. She talks about how psychological and emotional color is, and I agree with her, and her kind of painting is something that could evoke different emotions from different people because different people can associate one color with a multitude of different emotions.
4. In the feelings video, the thing that made the biggest impact on me in regards to color and its effect on emotions was much of David's work, especially the Oath of Horatio; when the speaker goes into detail about the painting and gives you a little bit of background and then says now pretend you didn't know that, what would you see? The emotion that the painting conveys by using color to make the painting so lifelike and very realistic makes you feel the tenseness and almost desperation of the warriors in the painting. The shadows darken the painting, which darken the mood and make you feel the sense of doom and gloom. Noble virtue was the mind of the French Revolution, and David did a fantastic job immortalizing that emotion.
Monday, August 29, 2011
Week 1-First post!
I already had a Gmail account, so I didn't have to go thru that. Creating the
blog was simple. As I was exploring the blog website (since this is my very
first blog) I found out that I could link my cellphone to my blog so that I can
text something and it will be published on my blog. Awesome! Talk about
convenient! Of course I set that up right away (which, by the way, is very
simple).
In this course I expect to learn a lot about visual art, artistic techniques,
artists and their works, and other things of this nature. I'm more of a musician
(I've played the violin for 13 years now and am teaching myself to play piano),
so this is definitely a different form of art than what I am used to, but I am
still interested nonetheless in learning about the different ways people use art
to express themselves.
This is not my first online course, and it is one of 3 that I am taking this
semester. I know that they're a lot of work but the fact that I can do them at
my own pace and work them around my schedule (I work part time) is really
convenient for me. Also the fact that I don't have to drive to campus from the
southtowns for class will definitely save me some money on gas, which is a
definite plus for a poor college kid! But all online courses are unique in their
demands and I am very interested to see what this one will bring.
blog was simple. As I was exploring the blog website (since this is my very
first blog) I found out that I could link my cellphone to my blog so that I can
text something and it will be published on my blog. Awesome! Talk about
convenient! Of course I set that up right away (which, by the way, is very
simple).
In this course I expect to learn a lot about visual art, artistic techniques,
artists and their works, and other things of this nature. I'm more of a musician
(I've played the violin for 13 years now and am teaching myself to play piano),
so this is definitely a different form of art than what I am used to, but I am
still interested nonetheless in learning about the different ways people use art
to express themselves.
This is not my first online course, and it is one of 3 that I am taking this
semester. I know that they're a lot of work but the fact that I can do them at
my own pace and work them around my schedule (I work part time) is really
convenient for me. Also the fact that I don't have to drive to campus from the
southtowns for class will definitely save me some money on gas, which is a
definite plus for a poor college kid! But all online courses are unique in their
demands and I am very interested to see what this one will bring.
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