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.
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