Module 12

1. Explain why you selected each of the TWO videos you choose from the selection listed above.

I selected “Abstract Expressionism and Pop: Art of the '50s and '60s” because I have a fascination with the changes which occurred in those time periods especially the differences in all the arts. It is interesting to see how people went from something conservative to loud and expressive in just a couple decades and how it grew to be something completely different.

The second was “Andy Warhol: Images of an Image”, which I chose because I have heard of him and everyone knows at least on f his works, so figured I’d get some background on him.

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

In “Abstract Expressionism and Pop: Art of the '50s and '60s” I learned about artists who make abstract art and how abstract represents feelings and emotions through colors and movements. It seemed that many of the artist were focused on feeling and were able to express this through abstract rather than realism.

“Andy Warhol: Images of an Image” was about how he went from a commercial artist to an advertising artist. Also how he was inspired by famous icons and the current events of his time and expressed them through his special way he created images.

3. How do the videos relate to the readings in the text?

The videos explain abstract art and how it was a movement. It explains more in depth the meaning of their art and why specific things are designed that way they are and how it is more about emotion.

4. What is your opinion of the films? How do they add depth to understanding of the readings and art concepts?

I thought the films were very informative. The Andy Warhol one was ok, but the other was especially interesting as it went through multiple pieces of art and explained them and what they meant. I am not really a person who understood abstract art, but the “Abstract Expression” video helped me a lot to look at it, interpret it, and understand its meaning.

Module 11

1. Explain why you selected each of the TWO videos you choose from the selection listed above.

I chose Dada and Surrealism because I have heard of Dada but didn’t know much about it, so I figured that I’d chose that video to get some background information and understand what it was.

The second video I chose was expressionism. There really wasn’t a particular reason for my choosing it other than it was an art form and tied in with the pervious video I watched.

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

The key concept for the video on Dada and Surrealism explains how both reject the idealism of their societies, instead they capture thoughts and ideas by taking images and reimaging them as chaotic shapes and ideas.

The Expressionism video explains and show that expressionism is just to express emotions and be able to convey them. For emotions to be the main focus of the image rather than the object of the painting.

2. How do the videos relate to the readings in the text?

These relate to the reading in the text because it explains these art types more in depth and shows how they work by using works of art and explaining the symbolism behind them, and shows the thinking process that may have been behind it.

3. What is your opinion of the films? How do they add depth to understanding of the readings and art concepts

The films were interesting because they explain the concepts by showing you with the works of art that fit into the genre or type they were talking about. IT then explained how it fits in that category and why it was painted in a specific way. Also way certain elements were used and others weren’t. 

Art Gallery Visit 2

Step One: The Exhibit

1)      “The Gazing Ball” is the title.

2)      The theme of the exhibit is poverty, as the statue is base heavily on Pablo Picasso’s work during his blue period an especially a painting of a child reaching for a bowl.

Step Two: The Gallery

1)      The lighting is bright, with lightings not directly overhead but set to the sides at an angle point to the art works.

2)      The colors of the walls are all white.

3)      The materials seem to be regular building material of drywall and plaster, painted white.

4)      The movement is a mix of easy due to the open space but slightly confusing due to the maze like set up of the walls.

Step Three: The Artwork

1)      The art works seem to be organized by their genre. I noticed abstract and more modern art is put together, where older art and realism are kept together.

2)      The art works are similar in their painting style and colors as well as genre. The more modern arts all have bright splashes of color, where the older things seem to have a more grey or darker color scheme and aren’t as starkly bright as the modern ones.

3)      The artworks are different because they are by different artist and styles so though they have similar color schemes they are different and of course depict different things.

4)      Modern art work is framed in regular metal frames that complement the art work because of its modern nature where the older portraits and artworks have frames which are carved wood or metal and are quite large.

5)      The artworks are labeled with a small sign about a foot to the right of the artwork.

6)      The artworks are about five to six feet apart so one doesn’t get in the way of the view of the other artworks.

Step 4: Art Criticism Exercise

GEORGE SEGAL (AMERICAN, 1924–2000) CINEMA, 1963 plaster, illuminated Plexiglas, and metal overall: 118 x 96 x 39 inches (299.72 x 243.84 x 99.06 cm) 

The sculpture is of a man, done in white plaster, with an illuminated screen behind him. It is a sculpture of a man putting up the sign that displays the movies playing at a movie theater. The bright lighting of the screen behind him makes him have a silhouette when there are no bright lights being put on the sculpture. 

The principles of form,space, and emphasis were put to use in this artwork. Form in that it is 3-D, space is used as the figure is off to that side therefore leaving the screens wide open, and then emphasis due to the back-screen being lit up therefore cause emphasis on the figure.  The figure just reminds me of those signs at movies theaters, which I think is what it was suppose to represent. I think the artist was just trying to convey a memory of the fun of going to the movies and the work that goes into making the presentations of the movies for people to enjoy them. 

Jeff Koons (American, born 1955). Gazing Ball,  2014. Plaster and glass, 70 x 77 5/8 x 40 3/16 inches (177.8 x 197.2 x 102.1 cm).

This is a sculpture of a woman and child. The child is reaching for the bowl of food that the adult is giving to her. There is a gazing ball in between them and the woman has multiple purses on her arms.
The elements used are form, contrast, proportion and balance.  Form is because of course it is a 3-D artwork. Contrast in that the purses and gazing ball have color where the rest doesn't. Proportion in the size different of the woman and child. And balance in that the woman an child are in balance with one another in the way they are built. It reminds me of someone giving charity to another. I think that is to show charity an how those with greater means, hence the woman having multiple purses to show her money and she is giving  a meal aka charity to someone with less. 

JEAN METZINGER (FRENCH, 1883–1956) DANSEUSE AU CAFÉ, 1912 oil on canvas framed: 63 x 50 5/8 x 3 1/2 inches (160.02 x 128.59 x 8.89 cm

This painting is of cafe, it shows the chaotic and cluster of the building. 

The principles used here are shapes, color, and movement. The image is cut into triangles with small areas without. The colors are brown soaked with swatches of blue and red and white. Movement is from how the female to the right looks like the woman is walking or dancing an that a man is watching her. There also looks like there are people in the background. 

I think the painting is showing a tavern and all the goings on in it. It is showing the culture of it with smokey white patches almost like tobacco smoke, the drinks showing alcohol consumption and the people all there for the entertainment, whihc is taking the form of a dancing woman. 

http://www.albrightknox.org/

Visiting the museum mainly to look at the architecture was an interesting because you were looking at the way people put art together therefore how the human mind compares and contrasts art work and groups them in a way. Also how the specific way something is set up allows for greater understanding of the artwork. It also allows a better view of the artwork and to see it how the artist meant.

Module 10

1) I selected the video Hinduism and the video Buddhism. These were chosen because in my global studies class we never went into detail about these religions where we did get in depth with Islam and Christianity.  Therefore I decided I wanted to learn more about these two religions instead of reviewing the others.

2) The Hinduism video explains how their religion is show through their art and architecture. Also how they accept other religion and worship many gods which they display in their art work. They do not build large temples because they believe they can worship anywhere, but they do build many small monuments covered in art work.  

Buddhism explains the origin of the religion. Much of their art is a step or a stupa, into enlightenment which is the point where all earthly wants are let go and you are content. The person going on this journey is known as the pilgrim. Also a great deal of Buddhist art is very symbolic and has many meanings designed into them.

3) The videos relate to the reading in the text because the text explains how the religion uses art and how it affects their religion, where the videos explains in depth the and how it relates to the religion. These two concepts being brought together help a person understand the religion and their art much easier.

4) The videos were interesting. They helped me because I can visually see the people practicing their religion in the videos instead of it just being described in words. And how they use the art and see it, compared to my own view of it, which is two completely different ideas. 

Mask Making

 These are the masks I used for inspiration. I chose the blue Chinese mask and South American mask because they reminded me of cartoons from when I was younger, those being Avatar the Last Air bender and Emperor's New Groove. The other two  I chose because I just found them interesting to look at, and I liked the animal like detail they have in them.
The blue Chinese mask is demonic type mask, that uses large teeth, large horns, and a wrinkled brow to express angry and violence. Deer Dragon mask is a dragon like mask that has a built with a muzzle to make more dragon like look, where the deer aspect comes in in the way the antlers are built. South American mask  is a human like face that is male going by the beard-like structure. The final mask is obviously suppose to be a hybrid of human an animal with the slit nose but human mouth and brow.
The elements that I found to be in the masks were balance, all of them are very symmetrical. They also used texture, for instance in the silver Chinese mask, the lines that are engraved in the mask help make the mouth snarly and the nose like an animal's.  The South American Mask also used texture to show what I believe to be a beard.  On the Deer Dragon mask pattern is used to show scales of the dragon, but there are also patterns used on all of them to keep them balanced. There is also a great use of form to make them 3 dimensional and more realistic. Color is also used to show contrast between pieces of the masks and bring forth certain aspects, such in the blue Chinese mask that white of the eyes and teeth immediately shows contrast of the blue skin, making you notice them. Shape is also used in the South American mask.

The sketches are above.

This is the finished mask. In it I used balance, unity, color and lines to make it. Lines were used in the eyebrows, golden strip from his mouth and the hair at top. Unity is used in the colors as the black, red and god seem to go very well together. The balance comes from me attempting to make it as systematical as possible like the rest of the masks. I used color ti make certain things stand out, like the white teeth and horns. The bright gold to make detail stand out against the black.
I like my mask. It's kind like a demon but more playful. I really thought about the two Chinese masks when creating and wanted to keep in with their theme. But I also wanted to add my own twist which is why he is smiling and looking rather jovial. I also made him black to nod to the blue mask, but gold to add an element of  South American Mask.

Module Nine

1) I chose “Leonardo da Vinci: The Mind of the Renaissance” because of the first chapter for this section was about the Renaissance and Da Vinci goes hand and hand with that period. Also I never really studied him in depth so it was interesting to learn about him. The second was The “Drawings of Michelangelo”, which chose because he is my favorite Renaissance artist so I picked that to learn more about him. Also to see how he approached making his master pieces.

2) In “Leonardo da Vinci: The mind of the Renaissance” he shows about Da Vinci’s life. How he was encourage from a young age to use his skills and how he studied not just art but all areas. Also he considered himself a military tactician and weapons creator, and displays his ideas for structures in Milan, where continues to do works. He creates inventions and paintings, but he more often is experimenting with his sciences, and creates entertainment with them at Milan. Here he studies architecture and studies anatomy. He eventually returns to Florence and here unveils many of his most known master pieces like “Mona Lisa”, he died at 63.

“Drawings of Michelangelo” explains his life and the difficulty he faced as he planned and painted the Sistine chapel. How he had a fascination with the male body and his drawings showed the ‘perfected’ male body. Also shows his drawings of the paintings and sculptures he created. It fascinates artists looking at the beginning drawing and the complete art work. His art also displays a movement that few others can replicate.

3) The videos relate to the reading because the reading explains how there was a return to showing humanity and its beauty that the Romans and Greeks had, that seemed to disappear for a time. In the videos it show the masters are studying the body attempting to show it in all its glory and how beautiful it is. The videos show the return to trying to recreate the human body with that spark of life in artwork that occurred during the Renaissance. Also how the masters were fascinated by this and pushed it further by exaggerating figures like the Romans and Greeks to create the perfect human and show their beauty.

4) I liked the films. I especially like the Michelangelo one, it is reassuring to see that the masters also struggled sometimes and had to try again. It adds depth by explaining through visuals what the reading tried to do in words. By seeing the concepts compared to real artwork and ideas it is much easier to understand.

Art Making/Materiel Exploring Drawings

1) It wasn’t really different from what I am use to since I have drawn my dogs from looking at them, not from pictures. Although it was nice to be able to not have to refigure the drawing because the subject kept moving.

2) Pencil because I figured when I switched to my left hand it would give me more control to make nicer lines, also I figured that that the drawing done with my left would smear if I used charcoal because of how much my hand rubbed on the paper. I stayed with the pencil with my dominate hand so that the images would be comparable.

3) To create a drawing with my left hand was odd because my left hand shakes a little and of course doesn’t have the muscle control that my right has so the line wouldn’t come out straight. This meant instead of doing longer lines I just drew short lines and did not get as in depth with the shading.  I kind of had to rethink my method of drawing, which was confusing and I also kept wanting to switch to my right for finer outlining and things, but I had to remind myself not to.

4) The drawing done with my right is obviously the better of the two, but I do like how the drawing done with my left came out, it is sketchy but looks like the subject. I would say they are successful in seeing how motor control in the hands works, but not of what my hands look like, as the drawing with my left doesn’t have the detail that the other does.

5) I’d use for drawing plants and trees since the lines wouldn’t be as controlled but that is ok for drawing like that as it gives it a more real feel. I wouldn’t for things like faces or bodies due to the fine detail needed to make it look right.

Drawing with non-dominant hand

Drawing with dominant hand