Review of AED200

COURSE CONTENT
1. Which assignment did you ENJOY working on the best? Why?
The assignment that I enjoyed working on the best was creating my own logo. I love to creat things that represent me. It was a way to show my creativity and to show who I am. This project made me look deeper into myself and find out more about myself.

2. Which assignment did you ENJOY working on the least? Why?

The assignment that I enjoyed working on the least was creating my hand. I feel that it did not help me learn too much about line. It was an assignment that did not really interest me. It did make me look at my hand is a lot more detail than I ever would, but I feel that I did not learn as much from this assignment. I feel a different assignment would have helped me understand line a lot more.

 

3. How did you like using ANGEL?

I liked using ANGEL, even though there were some problems with it, I still enjoyed working on it.

4. If you had the opportunity to change this course:

What would you keep?

I would have kept the logo creation, the art exibit creation, the criticism article, and the video reviews.

What would you remove?

I would have removed the exploring line assignment, not as much reading and questions about the reading.

What would you add?

I would have added instead of doing the questions for each chapter, have the students do a summary about the chapter, it would actually make them read it more I feel.

5. Would you recommend this course to your peers?

I would recommend this course to my peers. I really enjoyed this class and I feel that I learned a lot from it.

6. Please list any other comments you would like to share.

I loved this course, even though there was a great amount of work and I felt that some of the quizes were hard, it really made you think. The creative side of a person came out with this class. It was a great class to take. Thank you so much for teaching me all this information and having me apprecaite and look at art in a different way.

Reflection of AED200

1. What were you expectations for this course and where they met?
My expectations for this course were tpo learn more about artists and art in different time periods. This expectation was definetly met. I feel that I have learned so much in this course, espcially about different artists, artists that I did not even know about, and the different art periods. There are artists and art periods that I never knew anything about and I have come to love them.

2. Now that you've been through this course, What is art? How would you define it now compared to your intial posting?
In my inital post, I defined art as being someones feelings and emotions. To me art now is everything and anything. Art can be anything, it can be painting, sculptures, photographs, drawings, anything. I feel like now any object that I see is art. Art is everywhere someone looks and goes. Art is architecture as well; therefore it really is everywhere someone goes.

3. Who was your favorite artist in your original posting and who is your favorite visual artist now? If there is a difference, why do you think so? If you have the same favorite artist, why do you think so?
In my original posting, I did not have a favorite artist. Now after I have taken the course, my favorite artist is Andy Warhol. He is amazing at what he does and by reading about Pop Art and his work as well as wathing the video about him, I have come to appeciate and love his art work.


4. Now that you've completed this course, how do you feel about taking an online course? Is your answer the same as it was in your first posting? How is it the same or different?
After completely this online course, I have realized that not every online course is the same. This course was a lot of work, but I loved this course. I would recommend it to anyone to take, even though it did include a great amount of work, especially with the readings. I still feel the same about online course, I still like online courses. The difference from my first posting was that an online course really is not easier than taking an actual class. I feel that this class contained more work rather than a class in a classroom. I do still feel like I learn a lot more from online courses. I truely did enjoy taking this course, like I stated before.

Art Gallery Visit #3

MY THREE INSPIRATIONAL IMAGES:

1. Frida Kahlo; Self Portrait with Monkey, 1938; Oil on Masonite

2. Joseph Josephs; Joseph Josephs, Captain of Lincoln Rail-Splitters, 1880; oil on canvas

3. William John Wilgus; Self Portrait 1837-1942; oil on canvas

MY SELF PORTRAIT

STEP 6:

1. Why did you select the inspiration pieces?

I chose these inspirational pieces because they are very forward. These pieces make a statement and are very strong. The stand of the people in the pictures, the colors used, and everything about them just inspired me.

2. Why did you select the media to create your self portrait?

I selected to use pencil. I did not want to have my picture have all the shading. I know how to shade, but sometime I feel that shading in the face it can make a person look dirty in the picture. I wanted to keep my portrait simple, but yet complex, and I feel that using pencil was the best way to do that. It gave a percise line that I loved.

3. What challanges did you face in creating your self-portrain and how did you over come them?

The challange I faced with creating my self-portrait was t rying to find a picture that I wanted to recreate of myself. I wanted to choose a picture that I loved and I was happy in. I wanted to keep it simple, yet complex. It was a challange, but I found one from summer that I loved and I decided to use that picture.

4. How does this piece represent you?

This piece represents me because it was me having fun. It was a piece taken during summertime, I was tan and so happy. This is an excellent piece to use to represent me at my happiest and I feel that the viewer would be able to notice that as soon as they view the piece.

5. What elements and principles of art did you apply in this work?

The elements and principles of art that I applied to this picture were line, shape, and unity. Line was demonstrated when I drew my hair. Shape was demonstrated with my face. Unity is when the artwork is a whole, which mine is.

6. Did you enjoy working on this project?

I did enjoy working on this project. I think it's always interesting to draw yourself. It was a very fun project I feel like. I do not feel so bad because I know that my artwork was not perfect, if it was of someone else I would feel bad because it was not the best artwork, but I am not the best drawer.

7. What did you think of your final artwork?

I thought that my final artwork came out pretty good, for not being a good drawer. I wanted to keep it simple with not a lot of detail; therefore I feel that it turned out pretty good.

Art Critiquing Article

1. Which projects did you review?
I reviewed Jenna Fanara's exhibit "Color Effects on Emotions", Emily Graham's exhibit "The Wonders of Life", Jenna Aiello's exhibit "A Closer Look", and Alexandra Damis's exhibit "The Power of Cupid".

2. Why did you select the Exhibit you critiqued?
I selected Jenna Fanara's exhibit because it really stood out to me. I loved her exhibit so much. It was very well put together and it all made sense. I reviewed a few of them and some just did not click with me like hers did.

3. What challenges did you face in writing the critique article and how did you overcome them?
The challanges that I faced in writing the critique article was that I felt the title of the exhibition really described the exhibition itself. I had a little trouble with describing the exhibiton, I did not want it to be repetitive. Other than that one challange, I did not find writing a critique challanging.

4. How do you feel about critiquing your peers work?
I like critiquing my peers work. I feel that it is very helpful hearing it from one of your peers viewpoint rather than a professor. With critiquing my peers work I feel that its easier to explain something and to understand your peer. It is also easier to relate to peers as well.

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 Exhibition. I feel that it would be very helpful and most relateable. I love hearing from my peers about my works and assignments, I feel that it motivates me so much more.

6. On a scale of 1-10 how would you rate your finished article and why?
I would rate my finished article about a 8. There were a few more things that I would have loved to elaborate on.

7. Did you enjoy working on this project?
I did really enjoy working on this project. In the beginning I was dreading it, then I started working on it and I really did enjoy it.

Week 15- Criticism Video Review

1. For each video list/discuss the key concepts you have learned.

Greenberg on Art Criticism: An Interview by T.J. Clark

Cement Greenberg quoted, “writing about visual art is much tougher than writing about literature or music”. He reads the works of music critic Tovey to remind himself about “how to e relevant”. Greenberg and Clark discuss art critics Ruskin and Degaro. They also discuss prejudices in art criticism and the best art of the last fifty years. Green berg feels it has been predominantly abstract. Greenberg discusses abstract art, which included David Smith and elitism in art. He commented on intuition, reasoning, and relevance in art criticism. He says the great critics of the past like Ruskin and Sylvester weren’t philosophical but knew the nature of the value judgment. He discusses if modern art has proved itself or not. He explained his reasoning behind his writing a book on aesthetics and his lack of desire to discuss history.

Greenberg on Pollock: An Interview by T.J. Clark
Greenberg remembers Jackson Pollock in the 1940s when he was told Pollock would one day be a great painter. In the summer of 1947, Pollock paints his first spatter-drip piece. He received the Guggenheim Award, Pollock explains that he will paint large, moveable pictures that will function between the easel and the mural. He has a disdain for easel paintings, but yet his own paintings were easel paintings. He knew that his own paintings were not murals. He knew hat his paintings were transitional works form the easel to a mural. The element of size was not critical to the historical placement of Pollock’s paintings. The most important part was his departure from the contained, boxed characteristic of modern paintings. He moved away from containment and orderliness. He was associated with Dionysian painting. Greenberg comments on the characterization. He argued that the only demand on art is that is to be good art. Pollock rejected some of his canvasses. Greenberg argued that the paintings simply failed not because of technique but because they simply failed to the eye. Pollock choose his particular way of applying paint to canvas because of the way the paint broke the plane or how the paint “cut”. The technique was a way to release the requirements of his wrist elbow and shoulder. His drip paintings can be characterized as Apollonian rather than Dionysian. No one has successfully explained what makes a painting succeed or fail. Pollock felt isolated and alone in the art world and the world at large. Artists of this era wanted fame and money. Fame meant the exposure in magazines and newspapers. Their desire for money was not mercenary, but a practical need to live better. Pollock did not achieve any fame as much as he did notoriety. He might sell one picture a year. He realized that his work would not be accepted as painting. His contemporaries put his work outside of what they called painting. At the end of his life, he said that he didn’t take enough time looking at the Impressionists. With having an early death, this was a romantic ideal for Pollock.

An Introduction to the Italian Renaissance (Giorgio Vasari)

The Renaissance is marked by a renewed enthusiasm in the arts and many Italian artists contributed to its development. Ancient Romans create art from natural beauty until Barbarians conquer the empire. Artistic endeavors travel east to the Byzantine Empire who focuses on religious themes. Giotto is one of the first artists to revive the realistic style to the Romans by using perspective found in architecture and landscape. Ghiberti creates beautiful door panels of Biblical scenes from the Book of Genesis with a realistic vision of the human form. Donatello’s sculpture, “David” is standing in “contrapposto”. Even though the figure is standing on one left, it appears balances. Nudes reflected the beauty of the human form. Uccello creates new views of human and animal figures. Masaccio’s figures reveal physical and psychological depth. Christianity was conveyed through art. “The Birth of Venus” celebrates the beauty of the human form and uses techniques learned from preceding artists. Da Vinci applied science and math into art. Raffaello is influenced by da Vinci. He is considered to be the master of composition. Michelangelo drives for perfection, creating a powerful symbol of the republic. The painted ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in Florence represents man’s relationships to God.

The Critics: Stories from the Inside Pages

Media artists express their negative opinions about critics. Critics get us to think. A Washington Post book critic sees hid job as “lighting the way” for readers. Fil critics help people get the most out of their film dollar. Criticism can also be fun for readers and viewers. Criticism of media arts improves the media in general. Critics can keep artists on their toes. Book critics are likely the most influential in their ability to benefit new writers. A New York Times book critic take pride in promoting new, good books, but asserts that there are many bad books being written. Critics who are successful enjoy their craft. Some critics develop their love of reading and enjoying plays and shows as very young children. A music critic, passionate about his work, wants the world to experience the same love for music that he has. Professional critics often find themselves acting as reporters. A review is an informed opinion, and criticism is more analytical. Reviewers write for audiences who are unfamiliar with a particular piece of work, where a critic expects that their readers are already familiar with the work. Criticism takes a wider view. Criticism is generally delivered by someone willing to take a stand and make an argument. Superior criticism is characterized by how well it makes its argument, how it touches on the human experience, and how useful are it touches on the human experience, and how useful are its insights. Emotional impact is part of criticism as it helps make a persuasive argument either in favor or against the art are artist. Effective criticism requires logic, emotional, and personal credibility of the critic. The best critics start with their depth and breadth of knowledge. Critics understand the media artists thy write about an help their readers come to those same understandings. Critics understand how to apply their critical tools appropriately, such as applying the elements of country music only to country artists not to hip-hop. Critics must break down their particular media art into components. Critics use six skills, which are critical thinking skills, critics then evaluate and draw conclusions, leaving the reader to agree or disagree, or to spark curiosity. Good criticism must e well constructed and well written. Critics often change voices when they write; they usually have a specific audience in mind when they write. Books, film, television and music critics share their personal approach to criticisms and specific techniques each uses. Critics study their medium carefully, take notes, and work to get their reviews or criticism correct. With media art, critics use platforms to widen their cultural issues. Media critics share the most challenging parts of their jobs. The economics of today’s newspapers often force the critic to also take the role of reported and the danger of this is called boosterism. Critics work in different media genre such as books or film, but also genres within a genre such as classical music, jazz, or country western. The internet provides a new and diverse forum for critics and their followers. The key to becoming a critic is to learn to write, to write and to write. Criticism is often associated with negativity, and is actually the practice of analyzing, classifying, interpreting or even evaluating literary or other artistic works.

The Colonial Encounter: Views of Non-Western Art and Culture

Dahome art is visually beautiful, but it is often ignored as art and treated as a craft. The 1900 Paris World Fair ran for 8 months. The colonial factions exposed the underlying nationalism of the even. Half the area was devoted to the French imperialism while the rest represented other nations’ colonies. The image of the colonies in the late 19h and early 20^th centuries was not coherent or consistent. While most countered were symbolized b famous monuments of each country, the Dahomian exhibit consisted of a group of thatched structures that suggested that there was no civilized infrastructure. Images of the African people showed violent behavior toward each other, fostering the notion that they are savages who might also turn against Europeans. Colonialism was justified this way. Three figures from the 1900 Paris World Fair represent the three aspects of African people. A symbolic image from Dahome displayed at this exhibit is the form of stylized shark. The shark symbolized Dahome’s determination to protect its shores. At the 1900 world fair Algeria was treated differently from Dahome. Algeria has much longer history of colonization than Dahome. The country’s exhibits are displayed on two palaces. The Algeria exhibit is symptomatic of a much larger transformation that took place at the end of the 19^th century. This transformed travel into tourism. The proliferation of portraits of Algerian women insured their familiarity to a broad public. This promotes the conflation of dance with promiscuity in Arab women. Naked African men and women in caged enclosures along with exotic species of the animal kingdom was considered nudity. Europeans justify the pornographic nature of photographs of indigenous as scientific and artistic study. In the eves of the women, it is a refusal to appear satisfied with their treatment. The Trocadero Museum is the French monument at the heart of the colonial exhibition in the 1900 world fair. Th French created a dichotomy between the Dahome and Algerian exhibits. Today the former French colonies are independent; they are still linked politically and economically with the west. Colonial material culture is elevated to the level of art in the colonial exhibits at the 1900 world fair. The exhibits are devoid of information about the cultural meaning these objects have within the indigenous cultures. Exhibitions of material culture are displayed throughout the West. They show no connection with cultural meaning, and are evaluated through the eyes of western viewers who believe they are seeing art rather than material cultural objects. In contemporary display of Palestinian costumes, the contemporary political context is integral to the display. The display exposes cultural erosion as well as resilient transformation in light of the Palestinian/Israeli conflict. Indigenous material culture on display as art in Western collections can be tied to an appreciation by descendants of the original objects.

Jackson Pollok: Michael Fried an T.J. Clark in Conversation

Fried and Clark agreed that Pollock is an enormously important modernist mater who raises many questions with his work. They also acknowledge that he has been used as a negative point of reference for modern art. They also agreed that Pollock’s importance in modern art but have offered conflicting reasons. Clark has an emphasis on the historical role of modern art while Fried focused on the independence of its aesthetic. Fried explains his opposition to art news in and the rhetoric of art in the art news written in the 1950s. He strongly dislikes the description of art in vulgar existentialist terms. Fried’s early modernism stemmed from a rejection of the existentialist concept of action painting. Clark is weary of existeritial melodrama but as a social historian has been concerned with relating art to other human action. Clark discusses the quality of Pollock’s Lavender Mist. He defines quality as the ability of a painting to articulate the conditions of human beings at a particular movement. Fried and Clark find what makes Pollock’s work critical cant be disentangled from describing what he has done. In this way the concentration his work requires challenges the distraction endemic in the wider culture. They discuss Pollock in front of Autumn Rhythm. They both agree on the need for historical accounts of Pollock’s radical abstractions but also that its historical significance cant be separated from it pictorial quality. Clark and Fried are both committed to a historical way of looking at art and realize that they are redefining the terms with which they speak of Pollock’s work to reach a place of agreement over his historical importance.

2. Do the videos relate to the creation of your Art Criticism project? If yes, explain how. If no, explain why not.

The videos relate to the creation of my Art Criticism project. The videos discuss art criticism as a term and all the type of criticism there is. It gives a lot more background information about this topic.

3. What is your opinion on the films? Do the films add depth to understanding art criticism?

I thought the films were very helpful and added a lot more depth to the understanding of art criticism. The films described criticism as a term but also the different types and the way a person goes about criticism. They definitely taught me a lot more about this topic than I knew already. These videos were very useful.

CITYSCAPES: Around the World

I chose to do cityscapes for my theme of my art exhibition because I have always loved big cities and I find them to be beautiful. I did not want to stick to one paticular city or part of the country; therefore I chose cities around the world. I wanted to explore cities that I have never been to before. I feel as if this project was a learning experience to me. I found it very difficult to find a theme because there are so many different themes of art that I did not know which one to choose. When I found my theme I found this project to be very fun. It was interesting to interpret these artworks, it makes these artworks have a deeper meaning to them unlike when someone just looks at a picture, they do not recieve the full effect of the picture.

Week 13 & 14 Video Blog

For each video list/discuss the key concepts you learned.
The Lowdown on Lowbrow: West Coast Pop Art
Lowbrow has a different meaning to every artist. The dictionary definition is a person regarded as uncultivated and lacking in taste. Artist Robert Williams says her invented this term but doesn’t care for its meaning. Some believe Lowbrow Surrealism is a more fitting term while other still embrace Lowbrow. Pop culture, car culture, and folk art have both major influences in the genre. Lisa Petrruci says the art is more relatable that esoteric art. After World War II, this was known as “Atomic Age” which was another important part of the genre. Art covers so many different things ranging from concept art to paintings. Anthony Ausang, who was an artist, says it is the job of critics to categorize the art. Robert Williams was an original Lowbrow artist. Ausang was introduced to Zap Comix. Robert Crumb inspired rock poster artists to start doing underground comics. There was a point when galleries were not willing to display Lowbrow. Artists in the 50s and 60s drew upon the tiki theme and incorporated it into their art. Conceptualism brought thought to art it excluded audience members who were not trained in art history. Williams thinks the established art world is set up to promote only certain types of art like minimalism and abstract. The unaccepted artists created their own art scene after being shut down from museums and galleries. Females became interested in Lowbrow art as well. The Internet had a great effect on this. The punk rock generation propelled Lowbrow art culture. Artists were able to get their work to the masses in the form of album covers and fliers. In Vancouver, the Pop Tarts opened the Tart Gallery. They gained more recognition and acceptance after being featured in a book about female Lowbrow artists. Juxtapose magazine has made it possibly for people worldwide to stay in tune with the Lowbrow art scene. Before Robert Williams couldn’t get anyone to show his art work and now he is in demand all over the world for his work. Lowbrow has gained more recognition and acceptance in the past ten years.

Displaying Modern Art: The Tate Approach
Modern Art in the MOMA from 1929 onwards was displayed primarily in chronological order, representing each art movement. Art is displayed on white walls with flexible lighting. By the 1970s, traditional ways of displaying modern art are question. Art came off the walls to become busy and noisy. Artists explore the political and ideological contexts of the museum itself. The Tate Modern display its modern art if four sections. Each section is an overarching principle providing a theme for the selection and exhibition of the selections of modern art. The Tate thematic approach to displaying art prompts controversy when three works by Richard Long are put together with Monet’s “Water Lilies”. Unlike MOMA’s original concept of displaying art is chronological order, visitors to the Tate are provided with striking and often abrupt transitions between the individual display rooms. Critics say that the viewers should have no knowledge of art; art should be entertainment. Many of the abstract artist’s tried to make paintings that were not dependent on figuration. They wanted to convey emotions, aesthetic effects or social vision. The Joseph Beuys room in the Tate Museum creates a church-like atmosphere. Visitors do not materially understand what they are looking at. They transition to the next room where art will consist of waste and junk.

Bones of Contention: Native American Archaeology
Native American’s bones were collected as a scientific curiosity during the US genocide against the Indians. Anthropologists differ on whether or not they remain should be returned to their ancestors. Maria, a Yankton Sioux, fights for the bones of a Native American who is taken for a study after a road construction crew discovered the body. The Anglo bones are reburied by Native bones are studied. David Van Horn, who is a field archaeologist, is charged with criminal possession of Native human bone fragments. He avoided jail but loses his livelihood as a result of his prosecution. The Europeans encounter the Native Americans and remove them from their own land. Burial mounts are through to be too civilized to have been built by Native American. In the 19^th century, Samuel Morton MD studies brain size and concluded that the size of someone’s brain is related to intelligence. The Native American skulls are collected and stored in museums. Susan Harjo who is a Cheyenne and Muscogee leads the flight for Native people’s objects of worship to be returned. Dr. Barnes, a physical anthropologist, is prevented from doing her research of Native American migration because of the new law. This was called the Grave Protection and Repatriation Act. Bones with similar defects suggests shared genes and origins. Bronco Lebeau, a Lakota Sioux, rejects theories of the evolution and migration held by the dominate US. The Sioux people emerged from the Black Hills and didn’t migrate from somewhere. Repatriation requires that scientists first determine the bones tribal affiliation. Skull measurements help to identify where the bones should be returned. Conflicts of interest are rampant. The Native Americans have ceremonies to discover whether the bones are their ancestors or not. Their past is conveyed through an oral tradition. Scientist’s learned a lot about today’s health problems by studying the remains of human beings from the past. Scientists can benefit future knowledge by studying the past. Bruce Rothschild is an arthritis research. He theorizes that arthritis is a new disease that trigger may come from the Tennessee River region. Natives as well as scientists are skeptical. British researchers of DNA test bones infected with TB. They claim research benefits understanding how man changes from the ancient to the modern. Native Americans are still skeptical. Maria Pearson continues to represent the right to an undisturbed Indian burial ground. The holy areas are avoided by construction crews and archeologists do not excavate graves. Change in diet and lifestyle is related to high rates of diabetes. Omaha women, die earlier due to small pox and a change in their daily life. Their bones reveal that hard work by manufacturing furs worn them down and led to a lower birthrate and life expectancy. The Native Americans in the 20^th century are stripped of their tribal identity at the US boarding schools. Dennis Hastings, an Omaha, is satisfied with the reburial of his ancestors’ remains. Both the tribe and scientists have gain new knowledge of having the bones analyzed prior to the burial.  Native Americans design the exhibits in New York’s Native American Museum. The Ancestors’ bones continue to be brought home. Archaeology must share the responsibility for stewarding the past.

George Eastman House: Picture Perfect
George Eastman is the creator of the first affordable, user friendly camera. He became the father of popular photography. The museum established at his home celebrates the contributions he and the company he founded that have made to the advance of art, science and the phenomenon of photography. The photography collection at the George Eastman House is a visual history of photography that represents that works of 14,000 amateur and professional photographers. This collection includes all types of photographs, famous and obscure, including documentary to fine art. The technology collection at this house contains about 16,000 objects, including around 5,000 cameras. This holds the largest Daguerreotype collection outside of France. Eastman worked to make photography accessible to everyone. He creates the first affordable, user-friendly camera and founded the Eastman Kodak Company. His “Brownie” camera revolutionized photography and the motion picture film stock he invented with Thomas Edison became the industry standard. The 50 room colonial revival estate George Eastman began building in 1902 serves as the centerpiece for the museum. Along with his works there are personal possessions in this house. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences made Eastman a lifetime member to honor his contributions to the film industry’s development. Today the George Eastman House is one of the world’s premiere motion picture archives. In 1996, the George Eastman House established the first school in North America to teach the restoration, preservation and archiving of motion pictures. His world revolved around his work and around philanthropy. The museum offers a variety of means to access collections which include online times, that celebrate the art, technology and impact of photography and motion pictures.


 Do the videos relate to the creation of your Art Exhibition project? If yes, explain how. If no, explain why not.
The videos do relate to the creation of my Art Exhibition project. An art curator is someone who is showing the relationship between the art and the viewers, that person has to know. This is like the same thing with creating an art exhibit. The person has to know what is going to draw the viewers to that exhibit, and what is so different about this exhibit that people are willing to come to it. I believe that it definitely relates. I feel as if we are going to be acting as the art curators for this project, which will be really interesting and fun, in my opinion.


 What is your opinion of the films? Do they add depth to understanding of the art concepts you practiced while creating your curation project?
The films definitely add a lot more depth into the curation project. When I first read the project I was a little confused, now after watching the films I have a better understanding. I thought the films were very helpful, although I am a visual person, so any visual helps me so much more rather than just reading something.

Video Reviews

1. Explain why you selected each of the FOUR videos you choose from the selection listed above.
The four videos I selected are: Andy Warhol: Images of an Image, Abstract Expressionism and Pop: Art of the ‘50s and ‘60s, Uncertainty: Modernity and Art, and Hockney on Photography. I chose these four videos because these are the ones that caught my eye first. I always loved Andy Warhol and his work. The Movie Factory Girl was a film about him, since I saw that movie, I have always admired his work and thought so highly of him; therefore I was very interested in watching this film. Since I always admired Andy Warhol, I wanted to watch the film about Pop art because that is what he was known for. Uncertainty: Modernity and Art sounded interesting and I wanted to know more about this film and what it was about. Hockney on Photography, I chose because photography was always an interested of mine and I thought it would be interesting to hear and watch about the life and the starting up of an actually photographer.


2. For each video list/discuss the key concepts you learned.
Andy Warhol: Images of an Image
Andy Warhol was a very famous artist. Many people know him based on his Marilynn Monroe work or the Campbell soup cans. He was known for doing Pop Art. This video explores the Pop Art movement and the life of Andy Warhol through a penetrating investigation of his deadpan Ten Lizes. This is a painting that exemplifies his fascination with celebrities as objects no less commodified than a simple can of soup. Warhol first started off working as a commercial artist until the 1960s. this is when he began to experiment with advertising images. He worked hard and strong until he died in 1987. Marilyn Monroe and Elizabeth Taylor were fascinating to him. He was very woman inspired. August 1962, Marilynn Monroe had died. He always uses to collect pictures of celebrities out of magazines, cut, and crop and save them. His famous work of Marilynn Monroe was produced by using silk screen. The photographs are blown up and developed onto silk screens. They are then transferred to paper and canvas by ink and paint. Ten Lizes was his work that featured Elizabeth Taylor which was created in 1963. This work also used silk screen as well. Warhol became known for doing silk screen and people liked it; therefore he saw this as a way for him to make some money and he kept on doing it. After silk screening, he went into photography. He started with his friends and soon after he began to film as well. He shot about 100 films. He wanted to change up his silk screen works, so he decided to add some paint to them as well. This was the time of Warhol’s evolution. He produced dozens of self portraits. He labeled himself as an artist journalist. His work addressed race riots, the conquest of the mood, the Cultural Revolution in China and the universal reign of the dollar. Andy Warhol was an amazing artist who never let any of his viewers down. He was a dedicated hard worker who loved what he did.

Abstract Expressionism and Pop: Art of the ‘50s and ‘60s
Abstract expressionism was born form a joining of attitudes in American art and European avant-garde art. Later it was rejected for its nonfigurative and seemingly egocentric character in favor of the ultra-objective phenomenon known as Pop Art. Using Franz Kline’s painting “C&O”, abstract art is being compared to figurative art. The filled space of the canvas is distinctively different in these two styles, abstract art and figurative art. Kline initially injects his work with mood and expression but he moves towards painting colors in undefined spaces therefore it leaves the viewer to imagine. He used shapes to evoke the emotions. The use of action painting reveals a process of constant discovery and leads us into a world of color and form. Helen Frankenthaler was another artist who created “Mountains and Sea” which causes her to energy on the artistic scene and influences a generation of artists. This creates a fundamental change in the way we look at a picture from her straight vision. Her goal was to have the viewers envision and interpret a picture different than her. Her works were both feminine and mystical. The observer will receive a warming sense of fruitfulness in her work. Willem de Koonig was the artist of “Morning: The Springs”. This work expressed movement as an echo of sensations and is evocative of plant forms, light, and falling water. This is a momentary gift of light with a calligraphic quality. In 1952, he made his name with “Women One”. He embraced a passionate and instinctive approach to painting, which created action painting. Jasper John was another artist that is discussed in this film. His paintings undermine our assumptions and make up think. He makes his common subject visually seductive and to deceive our senses as a coherent system of information.

Uncertainty: Modernity and Art
Modern art was an instrument of the chaotic 20th century, which communicates chaos, anxiety and uncertainty. The video will be comparing and contrasting works of Pablo Picasso with the abstracts of Paul Klee and Piet Mondrian and the architecture of Le Corbusier. This tells how the Nazis tried to eradicate modern art’s uncertainties with some crushing certainties of their own. It also shows how modern art’s relationship with modern life changes. It started with the rise of Abstract Expressionism, and then continued with Pop Art. Greek statues were a reflection of Man as an idealized version of himself, with a spark of divinity within. Modern art was concerted contemporary society’s version of the Delphic Oracles. Art has a memory of its own. It documents the metamorphosis of mankind. The Industrial Revolution came along in the 19th century. During this time period man was separated from nature, machines ruled the work, and science was a challenge against religion. The underlying message of modern art is uncertainty. Uncertainty is a term used in subtly different ways and in numbers of different fields. This includes physics, philosophy, statistics, economics, finance, insurance, psychology, sociology, engineering, and information science. This applies to the predictions of the future events and to the physical measurements that are already made or even to the unknown. Modern art is a complete break from art of the past and was inspirational to people as well as idealized. Art is the key for changing values. The Tate Modern Exhibit gets about five million visitors in a year. It is misunderstood pieces is a sculpture made of 120 bricks laid out in a rectangle. In Tate, art moves from the margins of the social life to the center. Art is basically praised in this exhibit. The early 20th century was marked by speed and mass production. It feels shallow for many people. Life becomes fragmented. Picasso was a famous artist during this time period. He made art as an antidote to mass culture. In the early 1930’s, Nazism came into force. This was a new political force. Nazism was led by a man named Hitler. He wanted to kill all the Jewish people; therefore he came up with concentration camps. Modern art compared to Nazism is degenerated and impure. With the Nazi regime, no one will be uncertain. In modern life, people now live in doubt. Someone is never sure of one’s true identity. Reality is different, different points of views come together. Nazi Art was a big deal in this time period because of everything that was going on. Hitler stages annual exhibitions of Nazi art. It was radical. The presence clothed in the golden age. Modern art has become an icon for modal goodness. Picasso’s work, “Guernica” is anti-German. It illustrates fractured reality. Cubism fights anything recognizable or rounded. With abstract art, the surface appearance, the look of the world, is left behind. These artists present an experiment, that viewers participate in. it also asks questions and will provide no answers. It is considered to be open-minded. Paul Klee was one of the original creators of abstract art. This type of art tests out modern changes, but no conclusions come out of this. Modern materialists get happiness from the urban environment. It is to a delight in its elegance and shimmer. Piet Mondrian was a modern materialist. His straight lines, rectangles, and flat colo0rs are all in the look of the modern world. He has no living in the material world, but he lives in the immaterial world. He tests the idea that society can be perfected and experiments with searching for purity. The living spaces take on the appearance of a Mondrian painting. People live in the modular homes and have modular experiences, as well as live modular lives. Jackson Pollack and Mark Rothko were abstract expressionists. The abstract expressionists invite the viewers to look into the void. The arts were considered to be outcasts because they wouldn’t accept the values of consumerism. It is unknown what these artists are expressing; an example is they could be telling society off. Usually the artist’s realities attack society’s falseness. The future observers will see uncertain atmospheres, and artists with attitudes, fighting for meaning. Willem de Kooning’s style of art is characterized by a battered compact look. With every stroke of his brush there is a morally fraught one. Mark Rothko’s paintings are a looming void, the edge fuzzy and an incredible vibration of color. Bigness, broadness, and high energy coming at audiences can be something heroic in abstract expressionism, but the morality is relentless. In the 1960s, consumerism is the dominating value among people. People reflect themselves back to themselves through the material objects in life. In the 1950s there was a change from the belief in higher values. Pop Art came about in the 1960s. It represents a change in thinking from the 50s to the 60s. These artists look at their own disillusionment. Andy Warhol was a very famous artist for Pop Art. Pop Art suggests that things and people are thrown away because things keep changing. The Pop Artists wanted to be the opposite of everything that happened in the past. It is a way of describing civilization relating. In the

Trafalgar Square

, there is a statue of a “Modern Woman”, she was born without arms and stubs for legs. This is in the company of British heroes. It is an ironic comment on established values, the values that we no longer believe in. Art expressed aspiration ideals that were slightly unreal in the past. People recognized a better version of themselves. Today things are completely different, people wonder if there really is a better self. Art gave hope to audiences. Art mirrors what people are on the level they are already at. Art is about the impulse, whim, and casualness. Audiences are suspicious of art, it is a mass fascination. China’s economy grows at 10% per year. Chine ahs about 20 of the world’s 30 most polluted cities. China’s art has rushed to embrace Western avant gardism. A 1950s designed factory for making military weapon parts is now an art center. With China’s art, the viewer finds ironic, deadpan, slightly inexplicable human and the same icons and photos that are seen everywhere else in the world. The world is more interconnected with market forces, but everyone still seems less connected with others and with themselves. Traditional images are re-stages top express new global conditions in China. The Chinese experience a loss of identity as they respond to Westernization. People are only what consumers tell them they are. Watteau who was a painter left a message for future art audiences. A painting show the rising elite in an art gallery, one man sneers at nude figures, and a women looks into a mirror instead of at the paintings.

Hockney on Photography
This film describes the career of one of Britain’s greatest pointiest. It tells about his great skill with a camera as his facility with a brush. This man’s name was David Hockney. This film shows his journey of discovery that traces the evolution of his photographic work. He used photography in related media, such as drawing painting, fax art, and photocopying and it is explored in detail. The camera was not invented in the 19th century, just the chemical process was. Painters used the “camera obscura” to create an image to paint from. He discusses the void between the person behind the camera and the subject. He aims to take away the void. He used photographic images to create something more to the condition of painting. Hockney experiments with photgraphy7 over a five-year period in the 1980s. he claims to have made a lot of discoveries, including some about himself. He shows and explains some of his first experiments with Polaroid collages. When he created his Polaroid collages, he carefully examined each print before taking the next picture. He composed the fined product in his mind as he photographs. He uses the Polaroid to create a grid-like collage; later his collages were more free-form and not limited to a grid. He superimposed images over each other. He explains a large photographic collage that features people looking at other people who are looking at a garden. A large version of his photographic collage creates interest because of its perspective of perspective. Hockney fought against the “tyranny” of single-point perspective. The cubists wanted to see an object form all sides simultaneously, he photographs present that same multi-perspective philosophy. Cubism is an acknowledgement that it is only perceptions of reality that are pictures. The Cubist artist’s pictures were the first pictures that actually confused the viewer. When Hockney was a child, he went to the cinema often and came to the conclusion that a different world existed outside of his hometown. He asserts that the camera is not capable of showing grandeur. He plays with different ways of presenting space, which included reverse perspective. In 1985, he does a 20 pages spread for a famous and well-known magazine, Vogue. In this spread he explained the perspective in ways that most people have not considered. He paints a chair for a van Gogh foundation. This chain is similar to the original one painted by van Gogh. This perspective is one gained by walking by a chain and not by standing and looking at the chair. There is not a hierarchy of importance regarding the compositions and objects of his photographs. Everything is supposed to be related to everything else. The fax machine to Hockney represented a machine that is both considered a camera and a printer. People were able to have these in their homes as well. He painted a bouquet of flowers for a friend and he photographed the painted and stands it next to the real bouquet. The real flowers look unreal and the unreal flowers looked real. It was crazy to see that. Most people would think the opposite. The one-point perspective established in the Renaissance limits Hockney. His photography portraits in close-ups are reassembled into a final version. The Grand Canyon is one of the largest of all spaces that people can look into. The concept of edge defines space in this condition. Hockney changed from his Polaroid camera to a 35-mm and others. He has to keep his compositions in his head. He no longer had the same opportunity to examine each photo as he did before when he would examine it then take another photograph. Technology has changed drastically. The cost of reproducing the photographs have changed but what is possible to create in size has changed as well. Hockney photographed the Grand Canyon in 1980. He exhibited his unique, large montages; therefore he decided to paint the Grand Canyon. By painting something he receives the look that he truly wanted. The Grand Canyon has no focal point, it is a huge space. When looking at this, the viewer has to look in all different directions. When he painted his picture, he has to do the same exact thing, which was visual appreciation. When he created his second painting of the Grand Canyon, he used color in this one. His point in doing the Grand Canyon was for the viewer’s eye to be going in all different directions, just like viewing the actual Grand Canyon in person. When Hockney creates his collages, anything would go. He used anything and everything to create his works of art. Hockney was described as “gone hot and cold about photography all his life”; this was said by an art historian. Hockney compares a painting style of his with the art of the Chinese scroll. David Hockney decided to paint Los Angeles. When he did this he showed the city as being very vibrant. He used bright colors, stucco houses, crisp edges, azure skies, and tall palms. Theater is considered to be about illusion, perspective, dreams and beyond, and so much more. Hockney describes how and why he created the painted staging for “Tristan and Isolde”. His talents and interests are so diverse that even he doesn’t know exactly what his next project will be.


3. How do the videos relate to the readings in the text?
The videos relate to the reading in the text because the videos show a picture. With the text the viewer is trying to visualize what is going on and such. I feel like the videos add more depth to the text. A person or viewer is able take the information in better when seeing the films because it is giving such great detail.


4. What is your opinion of the films? How do they add depth to understanding of the readings and art concepts?
My opinion of the films is that they teach me so much more rather than just reading the text. I feel as if the information stays with me. The films add depth to understanding of the readings and art concepts by actually being able to see what went on and the artists and their works. I am a visual learner therefore I feel the films have a greater affect on me rather than just reading the text.

Art Gallery Visit #2

STEP 1: THE EXHIBITION:

1. What is the title of the exhibit?

The title of the exhibit that I went to see was called REMIX: Sol LeWitt.

2. What is the theme of the exhibition?

The theme of REMIX: Sol LeWitt is to compliment the ongoing installation of the artists graphite wall drawing on the walls surrounding the stairwell which connects the 1962 Albright Knox building and the 1905 Albright Knox building. This consists of a range of works on paper and books by the artist which are contained in the exhibit. This provided additional context for the wall drawing and reflects the museum’s longstanding interest in collecting these works in depth by Sol LeWitt. This exhibit was organized by Curator Heather Persanti. Sol LeWitt quotes, “No ideas an be works of art; they are in a chain of development that mat eventually find some form. All ideas need not be made physical.”

STEP 2: THE GALLERY:

1. What type of lighting is used?

The type of lighting that is used are spotlights which are shining on each of the individual works.

2. What colors are used on the walls?

The colors used on the walls in the gallery were a gray to off white color.

3. What materials are used in the interior architecture of the space?

The materials that are used in the interior architecture of the space are shelves, lighting, sculpture posts, and cases for the artworks.

4. How is the movement of the viewer through the gallery space?

The movement of the viewer through the gallery space is an organic flow, it is very spacious which leaves the viewer to be very comfortable and not so crammed in the area.

STEP 3: THE ARTWORK:

1. How are the artworks organized?

The artworks are kind of scattered all around the gallery. They do have a sculpture court which is on the upper level of the gallery. On the first floor a lot of them are scattered all over, it looks very organized though. They have some paintings on the walls, some sculptures in the middle of the floor and some pieces hanging from the ceiling. It is very interesting and the way they have it set up really catches my eye.

2. How are the artworks similar?

The artworks in the REMIX: Sol LeWitt exhibit were all very similar, they all compliment the ongoing installation of the graphite wall draws on the walls that surround the stairwell in the gallery.

3. How are the artworks different?

The artworks are different in the REMIX: Sol LeWitt exhibit because they are in different colors and developed in different ways. Some are paintings on the walls, some are books in a case, and some are actual sculptures.

4. How are the artworks framed?

The artworks are framed all a little differently. Most are hanging on the walls in frames and some are in cases, also some of the bigger pieces are either hanging from the walls or ceiling or the sculptures are on posts on the floor. Most of the artworks in the REMIX: Sol LeWitt exhibit were framed hanging on the walls, or in cases. There was one artwork that was a sculpture that was hanging on the wall.

5. How are the artworks identified and labeled?

The artworks are identified and labeled by a piece of paper next to each artwork which lists the artist’s name, title of the work, and the year.

6. What is the proximity of the artwork to each other?

The artworks were not that close to each other. It gave the viewer enough time to actually go through and see each individual artwork. There are some that are scattered, but it is not in a disorganized fashion, they are very organized.

STEP 4: ART CRITICISM EXCERSIZE:

Sol LeWitt

2 Part Composite

Serigraph edition 59/60

1971

There was no size listed

BE RECEPTIVE- Keep and open mind. Look for what is good. No put-downs allowed.

DESCRIPTION- Describe what you see. (Subject matter)?

In this art work, the 2 Part Composite there are two different drawings. The top one is all done on a gray scale and the bottom one was done in color. There are fifteen boxes in each of the different drawings. The bottom one has fifteen different colors. In both you can see the different line directions as well.

FORMAL ANALYSIS- (form) What principles and elements were used and how are they used?

The elements of art that are used in this artwork are form, line, shape, color, and value. These are enclosed cubes, which demonstrate form. Looking at the picture, the viewer is able to see line. Line refers to the continuous mark made on some surface by a moving point. It can be two dimensional, like this artwork or it can be three dimensional. Line is clearly demonstrated in this work, the viewer is able to see the direction in which the line was going. Shape is demonstrated because these are square cubes. Color is demonstrated on the bottom one, there are various different colors. Value is demonstrated in the top one, the viewer is able to see the difference between light and dark. The principles of art that are demonstrated are harmony, variety and balance. Harmony is demonstrated because all the colors on the bottom one all go together, they do not look weird put together. Variety is displayed because of all the different colors that are used in the bottom work. Balance is when both sides are equal, which is demonstrated in this particular work. For both the bottom and the top, both sides are equal.

BRACKETING - Is there anything in or about this work that reminds you of anything else? Do you see any symbols, metaphors, or allegories?  (iconography)

With this particular work there was not anything that reminded me of something else. I do not see any symbols, metaphors or allegories that are in this work.

INTERPRETATION - (content)  What do you think the artist was trying to say?

I think that the artist was trying to show the viewers the different between artworks in color and in black and white. The black and white is like a balance scale.

Sol LeWitt

Brick Wall

Paper (fiber product)

1977

There was no size listed

BE RECEPTIVE- Keep and open mind. Look for what is good. No put-downs allowed.

DESCRIPTION- Describe what you see. (Subject matter)?

This artwork, Brick Wall, is really of a Brick Wall. It looks like there are little stone pieces that are put together to create a wall.

FORMAL ANALYSIS- (form) What principles and elements were used and how are they used?

The elements of art that are used in this artwork are texture. Texture refers to the surface quality or feel of an object. The texture in this artwork is amazing. It looks as if the viewer can really touch it. Just by looking at this, the viewer can see that it has a rough surface. The principles of art are harmony and unity. This artwork goes together are one; therefore unity is demonstrated. Harmony gives the artwork and uncomplicated look, this work does not look complicated at all; therefore harmony is displayed.

BRACKETING - Is there anything in or about this work that reminds you of anything else? Do you see any symbols, metaphors, or allegories?  (iconography)

To me, this symbolizes how strong a brick wall really it. It seems like by creating a brick wall, the artist is trying to protect itself from someone or something because brick walls are usually used in defense.

INTERPRETATION - (content)  What do you think the artist was trying to say?

I think that the artist was trying to show how strong a brick wall is. The artist was trying to tell the viewer, in my perspective, the beauty of a brick wall. People believe that a brick wall has no beauty to it, but really from this picture a brick wall has a lot of beauty to it. It can be various different colors, textures, and so much more.

Sol LeWitt

Lines and Color

Paper (Fiber Product)

1975

There was no size listed

BE RECEPTIVE- Keep and open mind. Look for what is good. No put-downs allowed.

DESCRIPTION- Describe what you see. (Subject matter)?

This artwork is of two squares that are full of color. They are two squares that are next to each other.

FORMAL ANALYSIS- (form) What principles and elements were used and how are they used?

The elements of art that are used in this artwork are form, shape, color, and space. Form and shape are displayed by the two enclosed cubes. Color because the cubes are painted in. The colors that were used are known as hues. Space refers to the distance or area between, around, above, or within things. The space between these two enclosed cubes is very small. There really is no space that is demonstrated. The principles of art that are used in this artwork are emphasis, variety, and unity. Emphasis refers to developing points of interest to pull the viewer’s eye to the important parts of the work. The emphasis in this artwork is the red cube. The viewer’s eye is drawn directly to it. Variety is displayed because there are two different colors that are used. Unity is when there is no confusion in the artwork and in this one there is no confusion; therefore unity is displayed.

BRACKETING - Is there anything in or about this work that reminds you of anything else? Do you see any symbols, metaphors, or allegories?  (Iconography)

There is nothing that this artwork really reminds me of, besides color blocking. There are really no symbols, metaphors or allegories that are demonstrated.

INTERPRETATION - (content) what do you think the artist was trying to say?

I think that the artist was trying to tell the viewer the importance of these two colors. The colors were used for a reason; therefore I believe that these colors were meaningful to him otherwise he would not have used them. There is a reason for everything, so there is a reason on why yellow and red were used and why they were enclosed cubes.

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.?

From visiting the Gallery and purposefully looking at the exhibition was very interesting. I never really looked at an exhibition that much in detail, or even a gallery. Now I feel as if the way the gallery is set up with its works and the colors and such are so meaningful to the viewers. It sets the scene and the way the viewer’s should feel. The theme of the exhibition means a lot, it sets the tone for the exhibition. It is interesting to see how all the artworks all follow the one theme and are so similar but yet so different as well. I feel as if the gallery was not so open, then I would feel too congested and it would be very uncomfortable. This gallery visit really made me look at the gallery and the exhibitions in a very different perspective.