Sunday, April 17, 2011

Had an issue with the images appearing in the first post.

 
Delaunays geometric style was unique and of its own entity.


This is Barnaby Furnas piece, Untitled Flood.  He used urethane on linen and created the piece in 2007.  It is so large it immediately commands your interest.  The artists chooses red color, using a slight emphasis on the texture and large composition.


 Andy Warhol created this piece, 100 Campbell"s Soup Cans, using oil on canvas in 1962.
This is a large wall piece, and the soup can is emphasized by the repetition and rythym in the piece. 

Gallery Visit #2

Step 1: The Exhibition
Questions about the exhibit:
1. What is the title of the exhibit?

The one exhibit was titled: Spotlight on the Collection
Artists in Depth: Picasso, Braque, Léger, Delaunay.

2. What is the theme of the exhibition?

The theme of the exhibition was the abstract artists Pablo Picasso, Pablo Picasso Georges Braque Fernand Léger and Sonia Delaunay.
Step 2: The Gallery
Questions about the physical space:
1. What type of lighting is used?
There were rows of recessed, circular lights that were strewn up and down the ceiling throughout the hallways.

2. What colors are used on the walls?

The color on the wall was a flat, plain, white.

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

The materials used on the interior architecture were very basic

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

The movement works well and seems to fluently move in a circular path up to the 2nd floor and back down around to the front entrance.
Step 3: The Artwork


Questions about the artwork:
How are the artworks organized? Proximity?
The artwork is organized along the wall about 1-1/12 ft apart from one another unless the exhibit is so large it consumes an entire wall space.  In some areas the works are organized by artists, others by style or technique.

How are the artrworks/different?
Different areas present different similar pieces according to artist, period, style, whether or not they are painting, or sculpture.

How are the artworks framed?
All pieces seem to have their own unique frame, depending on what the artists wanted the end piece to look like.

How are the artworks identified and labeled?
Every piece was accompanied by a small, white, rectangular tag that was posted on wall to the right. It was printed in legible black ink and read vertically down the small side of the card as follows: Artist, Title & Year, medium, and where the piece was obtained from.

Step 4: Art Criticism Exercise



Delaunays geometric style was unique and of its own entity.

This is Barnaby Furnas piece, Untitled Flood.  He used urethane on linen and created the piece in 2007.  It is so large it immediately commands your interest.  The artists chooses red color, using a slight emphasis on the texture and large composition.


 Andy Warhol created this piece, 100 Campbell"s Soup Cans, using oil on canvas in 1962.
This is a large wall piece, and the soup can is emphasized by the repetition and rythym in the piece. 

Friday, April 15, 2011

Video Review

Matisse and Picasso
I chose to watch Matisse and Picasso  because I have always been drawn to Picassos style.  After viewing this video is that these two artists were friends but also rivals.  Picasso had created the birth of collage. Matisse was emotionally disturbed and Picasso was intrigued by the female mystery. The video showed that Picasso painted from memory and in contrast Matisse painted models.
The video correlates well with the text and goes deeper into the relationship between these two artists and the relationship between their work.
I enjoyed this video because I found the interviews with people that knew and had lived with the artists interesting because it gave us true insight into their lives.

Expressionism
I chose to watch the Expressionism video because when I was younger and first learned about Expressionism in art class I was intreagued.  I learned that one of the most important factors in this style is symbolism through color, not necessarily through perfection.  Monets work aimed to show a sensation/impression of a scene rather than showing every detail.  Monet exhibited this through the bright palettes and "smudgy" techniques.  This film helped reinforce what I learned about expressionism from the text.

The Impact of CubismI chose to watch The Impact of Cubism randomly. This video discusses Cubism and how it influenced Europe. It discusses how it offered nonclassical ways to represent form and space. This video gave me a better understanding of what Cubism is and how it changed art within Europe. This video showed me a new type of art that I have not yet experienced. I enjoyed this video and felt it went father into Cubism than the text and found it informational and helpful.

A Sunday on La Grande JatteI also chose A Sunday on La Grand Jatte randomly and because I had no idea what it was about. After viewing I learned how Seurat developed the technique of Pointillism. I also learned that there are many interpretations of the subjects in the painting and found them to be entertaining.  I also learned this painting was the subject of many "cartoon's" and comics.   Seurat's exploration of the way colors work next to each other, not mixed was very interesting. The video supports the text but I think I got a better feel for the topic and enjoyed the video.

Friday, April 8, 2011

Video Reviews African Art, Buddhism, Hinduism, African Art: Legacy of Opression

African Art
 I choose to watch was African Art because I have always been interested by the culture.  The video also talked about perceptual and conceptual art.  It shows us that many of their statues are the foundation for the government and several tribes throughout Africa.  Some of their statue are spirtual and religious. Most of the African art comes from conceptual art which means that the artist uses more of their imagination when creating the piece. The video relates to the concepts that are explained in the text as far as conceptual and perceptual.  The video goes further into African art and has many more visual examples than the text.  I enjoyed this video.

Buddhism
I choose to watch Buddhism because I have always been drawn to learning about achieving Zen and imporving your quality of life.  This video discusses how Buddhism began in India.  It touched on the art and architecture throughout India. and Sanchi being the center of Buddhist art and architecture. Through watching this video I realiezed the significane of art is to Buddhism followers.  The worshiping shrines are beautiful. Buddhists also posses great sculpture pieces and other structures.   The video relates to the text but gives us a more in depth look at their art.  After already having an interest in Buddhism I enjoyed this video.

HinduismI wanted to watch this video because I do not know much about Hinduism. This video discussed the practice of Hinduism through the use of architecture and art in India. I thought it was interesting that Hinduism as a religion really does not have a founder, profit and do not even try to make anyone convert over. This related to the text as they both touched on the fundamentals of Hinduism.  The video gave me a pretty good idea of what Hinduism is all about and I liked watching it.

African Art: Legacy of Opression
 
I chose to watch African Art: Legacy of Opression randomly.  Modernists, like Picasso, drew inspiration from African sculpture and masks.  I learned how the Belgian people came to own the African artifacts that are part of the Turveren Museum in Belgium and that there was much abuse. I also learned that African Art can be extremely symbolic.  The video does relate to the text but it expands on the topic of African art, and covers an area of historical oppression that is not covered in the text.

Saturday, March 26, 2011

Hand Exercise

1. What was it like using your hand as subject matter for a drawing?
It is a a bit challenging, and hard to stay focused without moving.  I have done this before and I know it helps you to use both sides of your brain, but, it is a bit difficult. 
2. What media did you select - pencil or charcoal? Why?
I chose pencil, simply because the work space I was in was not appropriate for the mess that charcoal would bring.

3. How did it feel to create a drawing with your non-dominant hand?
It felt like I had little to no control. It took a whole lot more focusing on my hand eye coordination.  It definately took a bit longer also. 
4. Compare and contrast your final drawings. Do you think they are successful studies?
Yes, although the pics came out a bit blurry...not enough light...and with the flash it washed out the graphite...but I believe they came out pretty well.
5. Would you consider using your non-dominant hand to create artwork in the future?

No, not unless I was using paint, and creating something abstract.

Friday, March 25, 2011

Video Blogs

1. Explain why you selected each of the FOUR videos you choose from the selection listed above.
2. For each video list/discuss the key concepts you learned.
2. How do the videos relate to the readings in the text?
3. What is your opinion of the films? How do they add depth to understanding of the readings and art concepts?

Drawings of Michelangelo 
Michelangelo is a modern day legend, and and I chose this video because he is one of the artists I am most familiar with. He worked from the epicenter of the human figure and contoured out from that.  This style and technique was not the norm for periods before.  A few facts about Michelangelo that I was not aware prior to watching this video were his fascination with the male form, and how highly religious he was.  This related to the text pretty well, except I think that this video focused more primarily on Michelangelo himself and his own personal accomplishments. I found watching the video interesting and actually learned more than from the text.


The Night Watch (Rembrandt). 
I wanted to view this clip because like the other I do not know anything about Rembrandt or the Night Watch and the name was intriguing.  It is a painting that is a depiction of Frans Banning Cocq’s militia company. This work became distinguished for its attention to detail and expression.  This video didn't really relate to the text, although I did see this piece in the book and a brief paragraph that explained it. The video explains the the piece in depth and that is not explained in the textbook.  I enjoyed viewing this video because it outlined a major historical time period and highlighted the famous people that were relevant from that time.  


Leonardo da Vinci: The Mind of the Renaissance
There was no in particular reason I chose this video.  I know that Da Vinci is a famous artist, but did not know that he was such a jack of all trades.  His skill level far succeed that of his peers. He was a painter, a sculptor, scientist, engineer, inventor, just to name a few of his skilled crafts.  I learned that he designed many warfare tools.  This video related to the text, but the text only lightly touched on him. I thought this video was alright, not my favorite.




In Albrecht Durer: Image of a master
I chose this video because I didn't know anything about him. After watching this video really I recognized Durer as an amazingly talented artist, who I was not familiar with prior to watching. It gave me insight into the art and history of the Northern Renaissance. He had several creatively inspiring influences throughout his lifetime. Durer's father was a goldsmith. This video did not relate to the text, although I found it extremely helpful and informative.


Sunday, March 20, 2011

In the video More Human Than Human we learn that our ancestors had a natural stimulation to the body parts that they believed to be most important.  This is why in the beginning portraits, human portrayals were not in fact realistic. They were more idealistic. The portraits that were created back then, were not a true depiction of what the person looked like in real life. It discussed how as time has passed, and portraits have evolved, they are now almost identical replicas of the human subject. This video related to our text very well because we read about how the  Ancient Egyptians portraits or humans were idealistic and did not represent the real human figure. And, as time went on we saw how the Romans style evolved into a more realistic portrayal of the human subject.

Cairo Museum
I decided to watch the Cairo Museum for no in particular reason, it was actually kind of a random selection.  After viewing it I found the Ancient Egyptian artifacts and their history and story to be the most interesting. The key concepts revolved around the museum.  The museum is constantly receiving new artifacts from excavations, and at times there are so many pieces that it is hard to choose which ones to actually display.  I think that this video relates fairly well to the text.  Although the video did go farther into the history of the artifacts. I enjoyed this video because I have always been curious about what they use to preserve the artifacts.

Beyond the Classical: Byzantine and Later Greek
I chose this video  because the Greek art was intriguing to me in the text. I learned that it was actually before the Renaissance that classical art was born.  Architects in the 19th century developed from the inspirations of the ideas and designs of classical Greece.  In our modern world, pretty much everywhere we turn, there are elements of Greek architecture around us. I feel like another key concept was how the Byzantine Empire separated from the Catholic church to form the Orthodox religion.
 
The Measure of All Things: Greek Art and the Human Figure
After viewing this clip I learned more of the transformation that Greek influence had on art.  It truly made a significant shift to capturing and expressing movement and naturalism and realism.  I think that this video related to the text as far as Greek architecture goes. It gave me a much better understanding of what a great influence the Greeks had on art.
After watching any video after reading the text, I always leave with a deeper understanding of the topics discussed. It helps me to make connections and see things in a way I would not have usually seen them.