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 2^nd 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. 

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

 

Video Post

I could relate to the "Prairie Style" video because obviously Frank Lloyd Wright has built houses in the Buffalo area, and I have been fortunate enough to see his talent in person.  The text also features Wright as an architect that made a profound imprint on the culture. I thought it was genius that he designed the one house with windows that followed the natural pattern of the sun during the day.

The "Architecture: The Science of Design" illustrates that there is a science behind the artistic design for indoor as well as outdoor structures. Understanding how different natural elements such as wind, water, and gravity affect a structure is imperative to building a successful architectural design. I found the wind tunnel tests to be interesting to watch.

After watching the "Classical Architecture" video I noticed that the three types of columns that were designed by the Greek, the Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian styles and post-and-lintel construction were the same that were touched upon in the text. The video seemed to stress the importance of the concepts of balance and harmony as well as proportion.  I guess they all related to one another. The video also touched upon how modern and classical architecture intermingle with the incorporation of different amenities such as skylights, arches, and solar heating.

I chose the video "Frank Gehry: Architecture as Art" and enjoyed learning about what kinds of different things inspired Gehry such as pop artists, museums, other paintings, he seemed to draw from such an array of people places and things. The quality of the video was alright, but it was hard to see his actual work because the speed of the clip moved along too fast.

Art Makinig/Material Exploration #3

1. Installation art is a 3D piece of work that defines the space. The space can be entered, explored, experienced as well as be reflected up.
2. Any material that the artist chooses may be used in an installation. The options are limitless.
3. I think that installations are created to transform the space of the inside or outside world to the viewer.  It may be used to change the perceptions of the space.
4. I found the most interesting installation was created by Richard Wilson, in the video "Installation Art," where he turned the entire Arch Art Center into an installation.

A. I felt a connection with the piece on pg. 245 "Conjoined" created by Roxy Paine. The way that the steel almost creates an electrical charge in the middle of the installation was intriguing to me. 
B. I am going to be working within the Looking Outward: The Here and Now theme. I want to portray the life of an art student, the pressures of deadlines, the creative process.The space in which in it occurs for me.
C. I will use objects such as sketchbooks, pencils, erasers, my desk, my eisle, any artworks, and any other utensils I use for my art projects.
D. I am going to use the space I am using as a studio for right now as would be the concept of my project. I want viewers to experience as much of the creative process as I am able to portray.

After completing this project I realize that installations take a lot of time and thought, and are not as simple as the end result may appear.

Review Peers Artwork

1. Hyperlink the Blogs you reviewed into your Blog
http://www.lkrug92.blogspot.com/http://lmccarthy56.blogspot.com


2. When looking at Project #1: (Elements and Principles), did you agree with the element or principle the artist listed with the images? Did you see other elements and principles in the images?
Yes, I think that this artist displayed a deep understanding for the elements and principles and displayed this through her work.  In the first image, I also see linear movement around the archway above the couple.

3. When looking at Project #2: Where there any images in the Peer Blogs the same as your own? If yes, what were they? Where the reasons the image was selected the same or different as your own?
Yes, we both chose to use "Pinwheel." Although she found it a piece that she wanted to know more about and I felt more of a connection to the piece, we both had a an extremely similar experience and impression of the work.

4. Where there any images that your Peers selected that pique your interest now? If yes, what are they and what is your connection with them? What would you want to know about them?
Yes, with project #1 she had a few images of different things that I wasn't sure what exactly they were.  It may have been jelly fish, not sure but I'd like to know where she took the photo and what it was.

5. What do you think about  the process of reading your peers reflection? Do you find this to be a valuable in your learning?
I think that this process is very helpful.  It is encouraging and allows for constructive criticism.  I think it is valuable in my own learning to see others perspectives.

6. Check your Blog and read comments posted by your Peers. Do you find their comments helpful?
I only had one comment, it was helpful. His comment made me recognize that I was drawn more to the sculptural works whereas he photographed more paintings.

Gallery Visit

The 3 artworks made an impact or impression on me were"
1. This piece caught my attention in the scale of the work alone, it is huge.  The color scheme, the vivid red and black strokes over a sky blue are hard to pass by without taking a minute to admire.  The downward direction of the line creates movement around the piece, and forces the eye to move across the entire work.  I also really appreciated how Furnas chose such a large scale and kept the context simple.  Sometimes less is truly more.

Artist: Barnaby Furnas
Title: Untitled Flood
Media: Urethane on linen
Scale: large, full wall piece
Year: 2007


2. The choice of materials that were used was interesting, stainless steel coil and clear plastic.  It created the illusion that the steal is a see through form, and all the edges appear soft and fluent.  The piece seems to be floating in mid air.  The shape of the object was intriguing to me and the symmetry and depth created a good balance.  The density and spacing of the coil over the plastic created many optical illusions, and in conjunction with the shape and scale created movement around the piece.

Artist: Naum Gabo
Title: Linear No. 2, Variation
Media: stainless steel coil on plastic
Scale: medium, about 3 1/2" x 2"
Year: 1962-65


3. In my opinion, this sculpture seemed to be ironically titled, "Woman's Head," although it seemed to exude an extremely masculine energy.  The bronze medium is very heavy and dark in emotion, and Picasso's deep sculpts appear anything but soft and feminine.  It caught my attention because when you are viewing the sculpture head on, the face is deformed, yet intention and you cannot immediately confirm male or female.  But, when you look at the profile you are about to see some rounded parts in the upper left of the sculpture which indicates the woman's hair pulled up in a bun.  I like the fact that it was intended to be a woman, yet it left a very masculine and hard impression on me.

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Artist: Pablo Picasso
Title: Woman's Head
Media: Bronze
Scale: small, about 2sq.ft.
Year: 1909

The artworks I felt a connection with were:
1.  This is a simple piece that spoke a million words to me.  The rhythm of the subject, the white mold of a hand, is consistent, yet every hand is different in its own respect, which I felt created a good balance of unity and variety.  Some of the hands appear to be young, old, female, male.  I felt a connection to this piece because of the way that each hand is touching and a in a circular arrangement, it gives me a feeling of unity, of coming together, and possible a helping hand of sorts. It left me with a very positive feel.

Artist: John Ahearn
Title: Pinwheel
Media: plaster
Scale: medium/large, about 4" round
Year: 1998

2. From one angle the long vertical piece of driftwood resemebles a simple human-like figure that is almost in sort of a fallen back and is sitting in a downward slouched posture.  It looks as if the other flat painted piece of wood is lodged in a part of what could symbolize the lower arm, and it seems like it is wounding the figure.  It provoked an emotion of guilt, sorrow, and made me feel empathy for the subject which created a connection to the work.

   

3

3. The way the woman is reassuringly embracing the young boy who is comfortably hanging onto the woman, and the strewn way he holds onto her while sitting in her lap, instantly reminded me of the motherly instinct to nurture her son.  Although there is nothing that says "this is a mother and son," the artist was able to create the feeling.






Artist: Oretta Pecori
Title: Maternity
Media: painted plaster
Scale: medium, about 2"x1"
Year: 1950

The artworks that I would like to know more about were:
1. The engraved symbols, objects, and animals remind me of Aztec and Mayan carvings and made me wonder about the origins and time of creation.  The gold latches add rustic character and hold the tops to the piece which clearly was made to put things in.  It makes me question if there was a special purpose for this work, or if there was some kind of spiritual ritual behind it.

Artist: Paul Gauguin
Title: Carved "Coco de Mar"
Media: carved (and painted) double coconut
Scale: small, about 1sq.ft.
Year: 1901-03

 2. This painting made me question how Warhol created each soup can in such a way that everything appears so balanced.  The rhythm creates great unity.  I also want to know if it was used for the marketing of Campbell's soup.

Artist: Andy Warhol
Title: 100 Campbell"s Soup Cans
Media: oil on canvas
Scale: large wall piece, 45 x 63cm
Year: 1962

 3. This piece made me wonder what Longo's inspiration was.  I also wanted to know how long did it take to create, and how was it moved from location to location.

Artist: Robert Longo
Title: Hum (Making Ourselves)
Media: plastic, Formica, wood, audio, jacks, chrome-plated steel aluminum, plastic bonding, and lacquer
Scale: large, wall piece
Year: 1988

Logo

1. When I was creating my logo my first consideration was the name of the logo and what it was going to represent.  I wanted to make it as clear and concise as possible.  My concept was a glass headshop logo.  The name, Skunktail.  I then decided what type of lettering, and the size I wanted it to be.  Then when I began sketching different lettering, I came up with the idea to add an skunk animation to the logo.  When I started playing around with that, I figured I could combine the "s" and the skunk into one and it worked out. 
2. The creative thinking process was interesting for this logo.  My logo awareness was definitely heightened everywhere I went before I locked a concept down.  I felt like no matter what I was doing, getting gas, going tanning, I was critiquing and analyzing every local business's logo.  Once I chose a logo, I tried to pick colors that would elude to the headshop theme, and I chose black and green, which I feel were appropriate.
3. The most important discovery I made while creating this logo was that it was much more difficult to scale down and make all the lettering appear balanced.  I created it over and over, and it took a while for me to get the scale correct and uniform.

4. The most important information I learned from the media were found in the powerpoint project because it was a useful tool I could quickly refer back to while creating the project.  I liked the videos, but I forgot most of the information after I watched them.

First Blog- AED redu

Well I got a little ahead of myself in the first blog, got excited, and clicked "publish post" before I actually answered the necessary questions. Wups.

1. So, the whole process of setting up my gmail account was nothing I was not familiar with as I already had a gmail account.  But, as for the process of setting up my blog, which I have no experience using or doing or anything...I was completely blown away with how simple it was to create my own blog. 
2. As for what I expect to learn, I am trying not to set many expectations and just be open minded to whatever the class has to offer.  I am a pretty creative person, I love all forms of art and look forward to learning new material.
3. To be perfectly honest, I'm experiencing mixed feelings about taking online courses.  Part of me thinks, it will be an enjoyable experience because I won't be commuting back and forth to campus in the cold.  Yet the other part of me is apprehensive and a bit nervous about the work, in terms of basically having to teach myself.  But, overall, I am staying optimistic and open-minded and will deal with the challenges as they come.

First Blog...AED 200

Well here goes nothing...this is the first blog I have ever used, much less created myself!! If I knew it was this easy I would have created a blog ages ago.