Questionnaire

COURSE CONTENT
1. Which assignment did you ENJOY working on the best? Why?

I loved the mask making project ~ because it was fun to create. I also really liked the critic assignment ~ It was fun to see other people's curator projects and I felt like I was given the freedom to express myself while giving constructive criticism.

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

Ironically enough, I didn't enjoy making the curator project or other project that required many pieces of artwork that needed to be found online. I found it very difficult to come up with the required amount of pieces that I needed to have in my presentations. I took my assignments seriously and ended up sitting for 13 or more hours at a time just scouring the internet for images that I was looking for.

3. How did you like using ANGEL?

Angel has great features for online classes and only remember minor annoyances (they might not have felt minor at the time of the occurrence though!)

4. If you had the opportunity to change this course:
What would you keep? Mask Making Project and Critic paper

What would you remove? I wouldn't necessarily remove anything as they all had their benefits, I would just scale back on the amount of items necessary for the projects. I think 15 pieces would have been sufficient for the Curator project, and 8-9 pieces would have been fine for the other PowerPoint project where we had to find the various artworks.

What would you add? Videos every week ~ I especially liked when I had a choice of what to watch.

5. Would you recommend this course to your peers?

Yes but I would make sure that they had time to devote to this class as it is VERY labor intensive! I would say it should be a 6 cr class, but maybe that is only because I took it in the summer?!?

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

Overall I learned a lot and it has definitely opened my eyes up. Great feedback from the professor ~ as well as rapid responses. If there were any issues that came up and you needed an extension, she was willing to give it to you provided you gave enough of a notice.

Custom Search

Expectations

1. What were you expectations for this course and where they met?

I think I expected to play with art materials a little more. I also didn't expect to have to read and entire textbook so quickly! I thought that the last chapters would have been spread out more ~ much to my surprise! Overall, I think my expectations were met and exceeded in some cases ~ I was surprised at how my art education has overflowed into other aspects of my life.

2. Now that you've been through this course, What is art? How would you define it now compared to your initial posting?

That's pretty interesting because I think I was very astute upon my first response. However, I will admit that I had NO understanding or appreciation for abstract art but it has grown on me throughout the course. Originally I said something about how almost anything could be construed as art depending on how it makes you feel. I was a little off on that as there are many more levels to art than what I had initially knew of. For example, I would never have thought that someone could take cigarette butts, paint them in varnish, and display them as a work of art! I now see harmony in the piece (even if I wouldn't want to have it hanging in my house as I HATE cigarettes!) I have to admit that the chapter on crafts kind of confused me as to if the book thinks that they should be considered fine art or not.

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?

Children were my favorite artists in my original posting, and while I still really love their work, I can also have a deeper appreciation of artists like Picasso who was incredibly talented and had the ability to paint such gorgeous realistic settings but due to the cameras spreading popularity and ability to capture the same images in drastically shorter time, I understand his artwork and others who chose to follow his cubism movement.

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?

I was definitely dead on ~ I appreciated all of the late night logins and unnecessary wake up early and sit in uncomfortable chairs, listening to a boring lecture when I was able to read the book, watch the related videos, and pretend I had artistic talents in my art exploration projects! I wasn't too impressed with some of the tests we had to take ~ especially #1 on the final... I found the options were conflicting in comparison to what the book had written.

Custom Search

Self Portrait

1. Why did you select the inspiration pieces?

Unfortunately, there wasn't much of a selection, and I photographed the only three self-portraits at Burchfield Penney Art Center.







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

It was through process of elimination that I decided to use graphite on Bristol. I would have loved to paint a self portrait, but I can barely draw, so I was thinking that I needed more practice before I attempted a self-portrait with paint. I chose graphite over coal because it is easier to erase mistakes than the less forgiving coal.

3. What challenges did you face in creating your self-portrait and how did you overcome them?

I originally did it with a different picture and it wasn't even close to the picture. While this drawing that I submitted isn't terribly close, at least there are some features that share a similar resemblance. I think that if I could have drawn a proper outline of my face, then the picture would have come out better, but I couldn't seem to master that.



4. How does this piece represent you?

HMMM ~ I would like to say that this piece is representational, but alas the drawing looks more like a guy than a girl!

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

I used value by using different degrees of black and white, and line by drawing the contours.

6. Did you enjoy working on this project?

Somewhat, I actually completed that drawing yesterday and planned on doing another today, but when I tried, my hands were shaky and I abandoned it for another day (that paper's expensive!)

7. What do you think of your final artwork?

I think it was the first representational drawing that I have ever attempted, and without ever having prior training, I think I did a decent job.

Curator Critique Reflection

1. Which projects did you review?

I looked at a total of 4 projects (it was really the first 5, but mine was in the line-up and I wasn't about to critique myself!) The first project I looked at my computer didn't recognize the format and said I had to download something for QuickTime. That quickly helped me to decide to check the next project. I was able to narrow the 4 down to 3, and weeded them out based on the fact I didn't like how they were set up in some way.

2. Why did you select the Exhibit you critiqued?

I ended up choosing Jason Petty's Exhibit because it made a great first impression on me. I loved his choice in background, his introduction made his show seem interesting to me, I love nature, and I loved his format on his slides showing a picture on one side and text on the other allowing you to switch quickly back and forth between what he had to say and the picture he was talking about.

3. What challenges did you face in writing the critique article and how did you overcome them?

I initially set the Word document up to the required specifications, and copied and pasted what was wanted on the title page. I filled out the obvious parts, but skipped the title until after I looked closely at Jason Petty's show and finished critiquing it. I made sure I put Title on the title page to remind me that I still needed to come up with a title. I used Jason's theme to help me come up with a title and wanted it to look more official, so I added Jason's name and title to his show.

I was overwhelmed when I started typing and quickly decided to take notes right in the PowerPoint that I was critiquing thanks to Joshua Nardolillo's choice of putting the text in the notes instead of the PowerPoint. Ironically enough, I didn't choose his because of that very reason, but ended up using it to help me in writing my critique!

4. How do you feel about critiquing your peers work?

I have mixed feeling about critiquing Jason's work. I stated many times how much I liked the pieces he chose, but felt like I was really hard on him at other times. I did make suggestions as to how he could improve his show, but I kept thinking of my own unfinished presentation. While my presentation was triple in slides from the ones that I saw, I feel bad for not finishing mine and critiquing his so harshly. I know that mine wasn't a finished product and therefore has several problems, especially with the slides I didn't finish, but used copy/paste to get the format done.

5. Would you like to read the critique your peers wrote about your Art Curation Project?

Absolutely! I am fully prepared to see what my peers may have wrote about my show.

6. On a scale of 1-10 how would you rate your finished article and why?

I would rate my article a 9 just because I think I put too many positive recommendations. I felt like I kept repeating myself, but I also feel I made very good points that could help make his show the best one ~ even better than mine!

7. Did you enjoy working on this project?

I actually liked the critiquing better than I thought I would. I thought it was going to be difficult, and it probably would have been if I would not have found the right presentation to critique ~ Thanks Jason!

I liked it better than making the show as I had great difficulty coming up with the required amount of pictures and didn't have time to finish it once I did finally find all of the pictures!

Custom Search

Video Review Week 10

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

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

~Greenberg says that writing critically about the fine arts is much more difficult than the other arts.
~He states that the best criticism he read was about music.
~Greenberg and Clark disagree with whether or not another critic was able to keep their political opinion out of his criticism.
~He claims that his generation was brought up badly with the idea that money solves everything.
~Greenberg knows that he has prejudices, but he accepts the fact that good art can come from anywhere and despite your personal preferences, art will continue on the path that you may not want.
~He claims that artists can prove themselves, not the movement.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Greenberg on Pollock: An Interview by T. J. Clark

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

~Pollock ran into trouble in 1945.
~Summer of 1947 was the first spattered painting.
~Pollock repeated one of Greenberg's quotes and Greenberg said that he had been wrong.
~Some of Pollock's works "failed" according to Greenberg.
~Pollock used a dripping technique to save his shoulder, arm, and wrist.
~Nobody can say what makes a work of art fail.
~If the work doesn't "sit," then it "failed."
~Pollock and other artists like him felt isolated until the 1950's.
~Pollock was still considered an outsider.
~There were many people who didn't consider Pollock's works as "real" paintings.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
An Introduction to the Italian Renaissance (Giorgio Vasari)

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

~1560's ~
~Giotto brought back Roman styles and influenced many artists.
~Ghiberti entered a contest and won. He was a goldsmith.
~Guilds train apprentices to learn different trades.
~Donatello's David is primarily stading on one leg, but because of his bent leg he looks relaxed.
~Paolo Uccello showed new ways to paint.
~Masaccio brought drama into his paintings.
~Piero della Francesca plays with light to add depth to his paintings.
~Botticelli painted himself into one of his paintings. People were starting to appreciate the human bodies again.
~Leonardo da Vinci applied what he knew to his art. He took things apart to see how they work. He disected human and animals. He blended the edges so that there wasn't a contour line.
~Raffaello balanced his paintings. He died when he was 37 years old.
~Michelangelo died when he was 89 years old. Was a religious man. Believed in perfection in his work.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Critics: Stories from the Inside Pages

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

~Good critics will give suggestions and get you thinking.
~Gives people things to talk about.
~Good criticism gives the consumer the best value for your money.
~Is it worth your money? Also can give a report card grade because people understand that.
~Watching or listening to criticism should be fun.
~If you watch a movie and keep thinking about it, really shows how good the movie is, but it is hard to write about.
~Critics can keep artists on their toes.
~Can give aspiring artists their big break.
~Critics can help your artists to gain viewers/watchers/readers.
~Successful critics are good at what they do, and they really enjoy it.
~You have to be a fan in order to be a good critic.
~There are subjective and objective critics.
~One critic says that objectivity means that you are being fair.
~Subjective is your tastes according to another critic.
~Review is an informed criticism. Tells whether or not you should see/read the piece.
~Critic is expected that you have already read the book/watched the movie etc.
~Criticism uses the bigger picture rather than just a single piece.
~Critics will take a stand.
~Includes emotion, logic, and personal credibility to be a good critic.
~Good critics employ critical thinking skills which are: knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation.
~Sometimes you need to be a type of reporter to be a good critic.
~Most critics take notes in some fashion that helps you create what you are trying to say.
~Superior criticism uses these skills: critical thinking, good writing, choose the right media, and make good connections.


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


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

~At the 1900 World's Fair in France, "France's colonies" were misrepresented. They made it look like their presence was necessary in Dahomian because they were "barbarians." Algeria on the other hand, a colony that was in France's occupation since the early 1800's was displayed in a grand way making it seem like France's occupations of these colonies are very beneficial.
~People were put in caged displays next to exotic animals to be viewed at the World's Fair!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jackson Pollock: Michael Fried and T. J. Clark in Conversation

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

~Critics disagree on how the material should be discussed.
~They continued throughout the video to agree and disagree with each other on everything they said.

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

I have a hard time relating the first two videos, but the third one on the Italian Renaissance was so much better! The first two video were hard to understand Greenberg and I kept getting distracted by his chain smoking! The videos were old and not very interesting.

The Italian Renaissance was like a breath of fresh air ~ and I certainly needed it after inhaling all that smoke frim Greenberg!



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

I really didn't get that much out of the first two videos. I was a little more interested in Pollock's life story that was talked about than in the critique stuff. As I said before, it was really hard to not get distracted from his smoking as I am an ex-smoker and even when I did smoke, I could NEVER smoke as much as he inhaled in such a short time!


One question that I have after watching The Critics: Stories from the Inside Pages is that how can an art critic like Greenberg critique art that he doesn't enjoy? The main consensus in this video is that you must be passionate about the medium in which you are critiqueing and Greenberg truly does not like non-traditional art.

Custom Search

Video Review ~ Week 9

The Lowdown on Lowbrow: West Coast Pop Art

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

~Lowbrow has a negative connotation to it.
~It was originally know for it's pornography.
~Surrealism artists had a strict codification and would have mock trials to decide whether or not to throw an artist out.
~Rock posters was how Lowbrow art became accepted.
~It was first accepted in Europe and was snubbed in the US.
~Cartoons and comics were a huge influence to Lowbrow.
~Internet opened up opportunities for artists to reach a global population.
~Lowbrow artists are accessible to the public, unlike other genres of artists, and interaction with them can add to the public understanding and interest.
~Canadian artists often need to visit the US to become recognized.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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

~In 1897 the Tate Gallery opened.
~The collection is fragmented.
~I like the cut up house from Niagara Falls called Bingo, Niagara Falls.
~Tate curators have selected 4 organizational themes with categories added to each theme.
~The intention of the Tate Gallery is to be temporary.
~Their is a contrasting display between Monet's "Water Lilies" and Richard Long's three works being displayed in the same room.
~Monet's "Water Lilies" have an almost calming effect while looking at them, in contrast, Long's work seems to almost be screaming at you.
~Each room is self-contained and has nothing to do with the room you just left.
~By breaking the art down into themes/categories, it makes it much easier to start, stop, and return to the place in which you left off.
~Categories are meant to have most pieces move interchangeably between the rooms.
~Pieces are hung deliberately so you challenge their placement.
~Design of the Tate's rooms and pieces are almost as though put together for people with short attention spans.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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

Bones of Contention: Native American Archaeology
~During a new highway construction, the remains of 26 white people and 1 Indian mother and child. The white people were put into caskets and reburied into a local cemetery, and the Indian mother and child were taken by archaeologists for further study.
~Maria Pearson went to her "Chief," the Governor of Iowa, and asked that the remains of Indians stopped being dug up and be returned to them for a proper burial.
~After that law passed, laws in other states popped up all over, but California was especially sensitive to Native Americans and their plight and carried stiff penalties for those who have human bones in their possession.
~David Van Horn spent $18,000 to defend himself after finding bone fragments at an archaeological site and then identifying those as human bones. After the lawsuit, he got out of archaeology and opened up a bar on the east coast.
~Museums and colleges across the country were ordered to give back the bones of Native Americans.
~Samuel Morton was a racist doctor who studied the skulls of different races. He measured the sizes of the skulls and concluded that Caucasians had the biggest skull thereby making them the "most intelligent," and African Americans had the smallest, and therefore were the "least intelligent," Native Americans fell into the middle.
~4000 skulls were obtained from Native Americans in 1868 and given to museums.
~18,000 Native American remains were discovered in the Smithsonian. In 1990 there was a law passed that said the remains must be returned to the Native Americans for proper burial.
~The Lakota tribe will take any and all remains that can't be identified based on their skull measurements. They feel that the remains should be handed over to them right away without any documentation.
~Due to their oral traditions, Native Americans don't need to know what the archaeologists are trying to provide.
~Rheumatoid arthritis was thought to be a fairly modern disease, but ancient tribes located along the Tennessee River showed signs of having the disease, and then it seemed to spread to Europeans probably through trade routes. It is possibly caused from a microorganism or maybe an allergen. The source is still unknown.
~Scientists and doctors are coming together to study the bones to try and compare it with modern diseases.
~ There does seem to be evidence that rheumatoid arthritis was around long before trade routes between the Americas were established. This throws out the previous theory.
~Not every tribe is against the archeologists' studies. The Omaha tribe had a partnership with the college so as the college learned from the remains, that knowledge was shared with the Omaha. All of the remains have since been buried, but the Omaha felt as though they learned about their past. The Omaha were part of the widespread "boarding schools" where the children were ripped away from their families and punished severely if they were caught talking in their native language, or doing anything "Indian." The archaeological studies that were conducted, gave them back a part of their history that was missing.
~There is now a Native American museum that has opened in NYS.
~I will visit that museum!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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

George Eastman House: Picture Perfect
~The whole history of the camera to video is in one building, the George Eastman House.
~The museum is located in Eastman's 35 (*conflicting information ~ later on in the film it says that he constructed a 50 room... Not sure which is correct*) room mansion and you can see the story of his life unfold before your eyes.
~14,000 photographers work are contained in this museum.
~William Jennings was the first person to capture lightning on a camera.
~The first camera to be sold in the US was bought by a doctor in 1840 for $76.
~The progression of the camera to make it user friendly and a household item.
~Kodak was a name Eastman came up with by using the first letter of his mother's maiden name, which was Kilbourn. He used that as a first and last letter, and then played around with vowels and consonants until he found a name that was east to pronounce.
~Kodak is an internationally famous product.
~In 1888 he produced a pre-loaded camera with the ability to take 100 photographs that costs $25.
~In 1900 he invented a camera that cost $1 called the Brownie.
~The brownie was made for 70 years and had 150 different styles.
~Items have been restored as what it would have been like in his time.
~Films are not forever, and need to be restored.
~Color videos were made by making 3 videos at the same time ~ red, blue, and yellow.
~George Eastman took his life in 1932 after finding out that he had a debilitating disease.

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

The way the videos relate to the project is showing us that there are more options available to us if we just look for them. It also shows the trials and tribulations that artists can experience when trying to find a museum or show for their work.

The Tate video was especially interesting because they had categories within their themes, which is almost what I am doing. It also reinforces what one of the people said on the YouTube videos that we had to watch.

George Eastman House: Picture Perfect is more like what I want to do. Ultimately, I would like to combine professional and up-and-coming artists in my show.

3. What is your opinion of the films? Do they add depth to understanding of the art concepts you practiced while creating your curator project?

I really liked the Lowbrow video, it showed interesting bits of information that I didn't know.

The most powerful video for me was: Bones of Contention: Native American Archaeology. The problem with this video is that I don't relate to it in an art sense, but rather relate to it in a deeper way. I understand all sides, but one of the first things that jumped out at me was that the white people were dug up, put into caskets, and reburied right away. In contrast, the Native American mother and child were sent away to have her bones studied. I really don't understand the logic in that. If you want to learn more about your "past" ancestors, then why would you not look at ALL bones that are come across? This video while I truly liked it, I simply don't relate to it from and art perspective.

I really liked "George Eastman House: Picture Perfect" and definitely want to visit that museum too! I looked up the cost of a membership, and it is only $35 for students for the year! It also includes a members only tour in August that you can go up into the attic, and down into the basement. The video was really interesting because it showed mostly archived footage both in photograph, as well as, video format.

Reflection Journal

On July 22, 2010, I began my journey in learning about Art Curators. Up until this point, I had always thought of Art Curators as being a necessary part of a museum. I wasn't actually sure what their job duties were, but I knew that they were important. What I didn't know, was that in addition to Art Curators gaining employment through museums, they also can open their own "gallery" and research, select and sell art.

I didn't realize all that went into their daily duties up until the night of the show. To think that it is not just a random bunch of art from a particular artist, that there is actually a long thought out theme to the show was news to me!

After watching the YouTube videos on Art Curators, I started coming up with possible themes that I want to look into, and they are:

~native
~door
~opening
~nature
~environment
~reflection
~roots
The next two, I thought of as I was getting ready to fall asleep. I was going to just wait until morning to write them down, but I figured that I would probably forget them if I did that. Instead, I grabbed my cell phone and programmed the last two words as an event for when I would be awake.
~slip
~fall
Ironically enough, as soon as the alarm went off, I instantly remembered them and didn't need to look to see what they were. I guess I could have just set the alarm...

While coming up with these words, I was also thinking which of these words would be easier to have a "play on words." For instance, opening has many different meanings that can be paired with it, and is one of my final words that I chose. There can be a flower opening, opening of a wound or heart, opening of your mind, opening in time etc. Another word that I liked was native. For native, you can have Native Americans, other indigenous peoples, native plants, native species etc.

I haven't totally written any of the words out, but I have decided that door is probably not going to make it in my "show."

Today is technically July 24, 2010 as it is after midnight. I plan on starting to look for possible images for the themes that I have come up with, make different folders for each one, copy the links only (as I don't have much room on my computer and want to be as efficient as possible). Once I have gathered enough links ~ or I get too tired, I will put my project on hold while I think about the design portion.

Well it is now August 1, 2010, and I have been scouring the internet for transitional images to place in my show. I have decided to take a little different approach to how I am presenting my pieces. Instead of bracketing my pieces, or putting them in a chronological order, I am having my pieces tell a story. I think it would be interesting to go to a show that has a story to follow, making it more interesting for those with little to moderate knowledge of art. By creating a sort of "storyline," I am giving meaning to the pieces that could spark some kind of interest that wasn't previously there.

The biggest problem that I ran into was finding pieces that worked, and could be referenced. There were several times that the pieces that I was looking at didn't have the appropriate reference, and therefore I couldn't use them. I was also unsure of the progression I wanted to go in.

August 2, 2010
I finally found all of my paintings, but was unable to finish writing about all of them. This project was brutal because of how many piece were required.

Video Review Week 8

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

I chose Matisse and Picasso as my first video because when I was reviewing it, I loved how it had authentic footage from a long time ago.

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

~That Gertrude Stein was determined to have Matisse and Picasso meet.
~She felt that the two were both geniuses and should get together.
~Picasso had a short fuse, and Matisse was a stubborn man.
~Matisse thought about his work while he was constructing it and Picasso was impulsive, trying things as he went.
~I found it interesting how Picasso chose the painting of Matisse's daughter, probably threw darts at it, but kept it all of his life. That he was fascinated by the innocence that was captured.
~Picasso seemed to get bored with different styles and jumped into new ones like forgoing fauvism and being the "leader" in cubism.
~When Matisse was around 50, he left his wife and kids taking only a suitcase, violin, and his paintbox.
~In Nice, he lived like a foreigner.
~In 1929, Picasso marries a Russian Aristocrat and moves into a fancy apartment. He changes his painting style to please his wife. She bears him a son.
~Matisse makes several painting of nude woman with silk fabrics surrounding them. Picasso, when he sees these paintings, makes parodies of them to provoke Matisse and his wife who he finds repulsive in her nature.
~While Matisse was busy traveling around the world, Picasso stayed where he was because he didn't need to travel.
~Matisse works all day long with only an afternoon nap to split up his day.
~Matisse has a love-hate relationship with Nice.
~Picasso and Matisse are both fascinated by women, but while Matisse uses models, Picasso uses a vision inside of himself.
~Matisse uses Latin models and Picasso uses northern women.
~Matisse "erased" his paintings with turpentine and started over several times, but Picasso would just paint over the subject until he was satisfied.
~Both Matisse and Picasso stay in France during the German invasion.
~Matisse's wife is put into prison and his daughter is arrested for helping in the resistance.
~Picasso had bouts of depression. There were many times that he imagined that he was sick, when in fact he was quite healthy and lived into his 90's despite the fact that he smoked a lot.
~Picasso did not have good self esteem and needed reassurance
through his art even agreeing to an exhibition.
~At 70, Picasso father's 2 more sons, Claude and Paulo.
~Matisse had cancer, was operated on successfully, but could no longer paint. Instead of painting, he cuts strips of paper into what he would want to paint and then glue it.
~Picasso begins to play around with ceramics.
~Picasso and his family would go visit Matisse.
~Picasso didn't go to Matisse's funeral and was very distraught by his death.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I chose Dance at the Moulin de la Galette because the idea that there are 2 copies of the same painting, made by the same artist, just different sizes, one on display in a museum, and the other hidden away in an unknown location is fascinating to me, and I wanted to learn more. I had no idea that there was any controversy surrounding this painting.

In our book, it mentions about the lighting on the people being filtered in through the leaves on the trees and how he was the first artist to create this style.

~This controversial painting was painted during a tumultuous time in France, despite the cheerful appearance it gives.
~Renoir created two paintings of the "Dance at the Moulin de la Galette," one was 6 feet long that currently is housed in a museum, and the other about 3 feet long that is in a secret location and hasn't been seen in public since 1919.
~It had a different feel than the rest of Paris.
~This was a popular dance hall of the time.
~When Paris was rebuilt, Renoir's family house was lost.
~One of his models died of small pox a couple of years after he painted her, and he paid for her funeral.
~The people pictured in the painting were friends and acquaintances of his.
~Classically, dance halls were known for their prostitution circles.
~He recorded a fantasy world in this painting portraying more of an innocence.
~Renoir organized a charity ball to help children whose parents were away at work and they were left to their own devices.
~This painting might have been Renoir's way of saying that he wanted things to go back they way they used to be.
~The way people are touching each other shows a sort of sensuality.
~Other artists create a much different view to Renoir's painting, most depicting a negative view.
~The way light was used is what makes his painting stand out from the others of his time.
~A friend of Renoir's explained that Renoir always went to the site to paint. Unfortunately, this was not a reliable source, possibly because the statement was given 45 years later.
~Experts can't agree which painting was made first and that is when the 2 paintings were brought together in 1919.
~The gap that Renoir left, creates a sense of movement, where the viewer could actually step into the painting.
~Another artist bought Renoir's painting..
~The smaller painting has been bought and sold several times. In 1990 it was sold for $71 million.
~It was put into a climate controlled warehouse in Japan.
~In 1997 it was sold secretly for $57 million.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


I was immediately intrigued by this film: The Mystical North: Spanish Art from the 19th Century to the Present. I think a large part of it is how the narrator is so passionate about what he is showing and how he is explaining it, that it makes me want to learn more about the Spanish Artists. I am most impressed with Gaudi's flats that he created. I can't think of anywhere that I have seen that pulls me in as much as Carmen's tour of his flat that he created. I also really liked her, she was an added bonus!

~Goya became deaf and his style of art changed drastically.
~Goya was witness to the inhumane atrocities that occurred during the war. He illustrated these and after his death, his illustrations were published.
~He painted the "black paintings" directly on the wall where he lived. It appears as though he never intended for others to view them, but after his death, somebody transferred them onto a canvas.
~Goya's sight went and then he died.
~Gaudi was the next great artist to come out of Spain. He used the natural environment as his canvas.
~Gaudi, unlike Goya, was very religious and used this in his work.
~Gaudi made flats for everyday people.
~It is said that Picasso had his first sexual experience at 14 years of age in Barcelona's "Red Light District."
~The video suggests that Picasso never lost his religion and the undertones could be seen in his paintings.
~Dali was known for his "dream" works.
~Picasso made "Guernica" because of the Civil War in Spain.
~Great artists did survive in Spain during the Franco years, but the were in exile.
~Gheary was an architect from the US but his work can be seen in Spain.
~It is thought that the building has Picasso influence.
~Calatravia is another architect that uses a combination of abstract art, traditional, and futuristic art. His amazing architecture seems to blend in with it's surroundings.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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

I chose Uncertainty: Modernity and Art because the other videos had hosts that were HORRENDOUS! This was the only host left that seemed interesting enough to watch. Sometimes no matter how much you want to learn about a certain topic, the host can ruin it for you!

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

~The video brings up a good point, in that the Industrial Revolution, further separated man from nature.
~"We live with uncertainty, because we've become part of a system..." A very interesting concept when compared to modern art.
~When referring to Picasso's first cubism painting, the narrator explains it by saying that there are "...unpredictable shapes for an unpredictable reality."
~Hitler used modern art as part of his propaganda.
~Nothing is real in modern art.
~Consumerism produced doubt and that created "pop art."
~There are many modern art piece that give a feeling of despair.
~While we are connected globally, there is a disconnect within ourselves!

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

All of the videos that I watched enhanced the chapters, but I was surprised at how much more in-depth the films take you!

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

I have 2 favorites out of these 4 films, and the 3rd was really good too. The last one that I watched on Modern Art was interesting, but I think it could have been better with the narrator from The Mystical North. He was such a fun guy, I liked how he brought humor into a possible dry subject. His enthusiasm carried over and infected me! My favorite part was when he visited Carmen. I would recommend this video to everyone wanting to learn more about the Spanish artists that he covered. Even people who didn't know they wanted to learn about the Spanish artists! I also really like the Matisse and Picasso film because of the original footage. It was nice to be able to watch home movies of them. Picasso was much different than I expected! It definitely clarified some misconceptions that I had!

Art Gallery 2

Artist: Julian Montague

Title of work: Stray Shopping Cart Identification System Chart/Version 3

Media: Digital Print

Date: 2006-2007

Size: unknown

Source of picture (URL): Pictures taken at Albright Knox Art Gallery 2010


1. Be receptive - Collectively, this piece makes you feel empathy for the stray or broken shopping cart. It almost makes you want to go collect all of the strays so that they don't meet a short life on the streets or in the water.


2. Description – The 10 digital prints that were hung in the gallery are just a sliver of a much larger series that took six years to accumulate all of the data. Each shopping cart tells a story. The artist came up with a classification system that has a possible explanation on how the cart came to be at that destination depicted in the pictures. Montague uses humor in some instances but when you look at the pictures as a whole, it is almost a sad documented story. The images are representational, and not modified.



3. Formal analysis – Most of the prints shown have lines going in various directions. Some of the lines are obscure and hard to see because they are submerged in water.









In several pictures the focus is on shape such as the wheel on the shopping cart.

Space is used in several pieces, however, one in particular stands out. The picture that I am referring to is the one with the shoping cart buried in the snow with only the wheel letting you know that something else is there.





Texture can be seen especially from the submerged shopping cart that had marine life growing on it.












The artist definitely uses emphasis to draw your attention to what he wants you to see. This can be seen when the broken shopping cart is sandwiched between 2 that are in working order.






Balance is created by seeing all of the pieces grouped together and reading the diagram. If you only saw the shopping cart holding all of the chairs, you wouldn't know that it is actually part of a series and has a deeper meaning.

The artist creates harmony by photographing one subject matter and grouping those pictures together.




Despite using the same subject matter, one could argue that variety is created by capturing images of shopping carts in various circumstances i.e. the broken piece of a shopping cart in a marshy area, and the broken cart on the side of the road that was scraped against the pavement.















4. Bracketing - Montague uses shopping carts as Andy Warhol used repeated images of the Campbells Soup cans.

5. Interpretation - Based on Montague's focus of misused and abused shopping carts, I would argue that he is trying to show what happens to people in a commercial society ~ that we are all broken and disposable, to be thrown away and forgotten about.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Artist: Roy Arden

Title of work: The World as Will and Representation ~ Archive

Media: DVD

Date: 2007

Size: Played on a flat screen television

Source of picture (URL): Video clip taken from Albright Knox Art Gallery 2010 visit


1. Be receptive - The artist was only 17 when he started collecting images. When Arden came up with his themes, if he didn't have a picture already captured, he would have to go and either find images that would fit into the various categories throughout the 2 hour movie, or take the pictures himself. The amount of time and effort that was put in to this piece is of great value in and of itself.

2. Description – This video is approximately 2 hours long, and has approximately 32,000 images that are flashed about every half a second based on the beat of music repeating itself every 45 seconds or so. The images that are captured are grouped together in sections like currency, drugs, and JFK's assassination.


3. Formal analysis – Form, line, shape, color, and texture are all recurring elements that can be seen in the images as they speed by.

Each new theme has a sort of balance by creating the same shapes like in the video clip with the origami in it.

Harmony is achieved by having the pictures continuously change to the beat of the recurring music.

4. Bracketing - I have never personally seen a piece that was set to music before, but I have read about them and seen pictures in our textbook.

5. Interpretation - I think the artist wants us to stop and look at our surroundings. Life is passing us by and he is reminding us by flashing the images at such a rapid rate almost like telling us we are moving to fast and we need to slow down and appreciate animate and inanimate beings/objects around us. The images that he depicts are not all flowery and nice, some are of war, poverty, and criminals.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



Artist: Kara Walker

Title of work: Emancipation Approximation

Media: Portfolio of 27 silk screens, edition 15/20

Date: 1999 - 2000

Size: Unknown

Source of picture (URL): Pictures taken at Albright Knox Art Gallery 2010


1. Be receptive - Walker expressed herself by creating a piece that is shocking to look at. If you know that it is about the atrocities that occurred usually between slave women and their "owners." Greek mythology knowledge would enhance the viewers experience as Walker uses Zeus taking the form of a swan.

2. Description – Walker uses either a white or black ground and the silhouette are usually in the opposing color (black or white). The mural is cut apart into 27 silk screens. It is hung using 3 walls, and it is the only thing located within the exhibit. There is a sign warning that you are about to enter a room with sexually explicit material. Walker also uses specific characters to get her message across.



3. Formal analysis – Walker utilizes space by starting her work on one screen and finishing it on the next.

Value can obviously be observed by the contrasting black and white images on the screens.

Emphasis, harmony, and movement can be seen in the screens.



Rhythm can be seen through the continuous nature of the screens, as well as, the alternating light and dark.

I would also argue that Walker created unity by making each screen dependent on the one before and/or after.

4. Bracketing - This mural of silk screens is a story of the American South pre-Civil War. I don't know of any work, but I am sure this is not the only piece depicting the atrocities of this era.

5. Interpretation - I would say Walker is trying to shock people essentially by slapping them in the face by the truth that has been buried.

Mask Making

Artist: Classic Noh Mask
Title of work: Classic Noh Mask
Date: unknown
Size: 8 inches
Source of picture (URL):
Classic Noh Mask

1. Description – This mask is very smooth in appearance. The features are realistic. It has a white ground with a contrasting black for the eyes, nostrils, and hair and red lips that stand out. Her mouth is open and you can see her teeth. She has holes in her eyes so that the person wearing the mask can see through it.

2. Formal analysis – There are horizontal lines created from her eyes, and mouth, with an implied line from her nostrils. Another implied line can be seen vertically down her nose, to the dimples above and below her lips.

I would argue that color is shown by the overall contrasting colors from the black and white, with the shocking splash of red.

The mask has a smooth texture to it.

The artist achieves harmony because it has an uncomplicated feel to it.



I chose this mask as part of my inspiration because of the natural beauty that it exudes.



























~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Artist: Jean Claude Velasquez
Title of work: Untitled
Media: Hand-made leather mask
Date: unknown
Size: unknown
Source of picture (URL):
Hand-Made Leather Mask

1. Description – I see a rich tan, realistic facial features, with a vertical spike protruding through her forehead and chin. I say "her" because the features on the mask look feminine. Her eyes are closed, and she doesn't have any hair, unless you consider the braided leather surrounding her face to be hair. She has two leaves painted on her chin, as well as, a black shape painted outward from her chin. There is a beaded necklace connecting one side of the braided "hair," through a hole on the "spike," continuing on to the other side of the braided "hair."

2. Formal analysis – Elements on this mask include: line ~ because of the vertical line of the "spike" with the nose continuing the vertical line and the gentle curved shapes of the "eyebrows" which almost create a stopping point coupled with the slits of the masks eyes. It also shows texture both in the braided leather surrounding the face and the smoothness of the face itself.

I would say that it has emphasis because through the lines, the artist created points of interest in a cross-like pattern from top to bottom and across the eyes.

Balance is created by having a symmetrical pattern from side to side along the vertical line.

I would say that harmony is created because it has the same features throughout, and does not have a complicated feel to it.

Variety is shown by having the contrasting smoothness of the face, and the rough texture of the braided leather. It is also one solid color until you reach the lips where there are dark browns, blacks, yellows, and orange.

There is rhythm that can be seen on the braided leather.




This mask is nice to look at because of the symmetry created by the line that can be seen separating the two sides of the face.












~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Artist: Kuba Kingdom, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Title of work: Ngady amwaash ~ Royal Sister and Wife
Media: Wood, paint, beads, cowrie shells, and fabric
Date: Unknown
Size: Unknown
Source of picture (URL):
Ngady Amwaash ~ Royal Sister and Wife


1. Description – I see a realistically shaped face decorated in various lines and shapes. I see what appears to be hair, and an ear with red material hanging down from between the eye and the ear. I see bead work surrounding the upper portion of the mask.

2. Formal analysis – There are several lines going in different directions, but primarily diagonal and horizontal. There is also a line that is outlining the top part of the mask, separating the flesh from the "hair."

Geometric shapes are seen throughout the mask from circles that have homes on various areas of the mask, to cylindrical beads on the upper part of the mask, to a painted triangle, to half moons

The artist shows texture from the smoothness of the face, to the bumpiness of the beads and shells, to the roughness of the "hair," and the red fabric looks soft or velvety.

Emphasis is created by the diagonal lines that pull you through the face, starting at the top of the head, and moving down.

Balance is created by the repeating patterns.

The artist uses variety by putting different textures around the mask, and using different items i.e. beads, shells, and fabric.

Rhythm is created by the alternating black and white, and the repeating lines and circles.



I went outside the box a little with this mask as it is a little more abstract than the other two that I chose. I decided that while I want beauty and simplicity, I also want something that creates a rhythm or shape to my piece.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I knew I wanted a light ground, so I chose yellow, as I knew the other colors would show up nicely against it. The zigzags represent energy flow to me. I experimented with the blue, purple, and red, but ultimately decided against all 3. I knew that I wanted rhythm and shape, hence the repeating pattens and shapes.











My final mask I decided that I wanted to create balance, shape, and rhythm. I also decided that I wanted harmony and ultimately ended up with creating line too. While the ground stayed yellow, it wasn't the same hue and I was initially disappointed. However, after adding the green and orange, I felt better about the shade of the ground. As I said before the zigzags represent energy flowing both into and out of the the mask. I had the orange circles represent the entrance and exit points. I wanted to show that there was more energy coming into the "brain" and than what was exiting. The wavy lines under the eyes represent the sleep cycle a person undergoes daily, just as the waves have a cycle. The blue diamonds help create a vertical line and the semi-circle blue curves on the side of the face along with the "waves" help create a horizontal line conducive to calmness and sleep. I wanted the focus to be on the zigzags and the energy flow of the mask.

I like the finished product much more than the one that I drew and experimented with. However, I do see the value in drawing and coloring the first mask, because I would have been very disappointed had I not done this step before doing the final decoration on my plaster mask. I had a lot of fun creating the mask and bought enough plaster strips to do 1 or 2 more! I would recommend this to anyone who is looking for something different to do with their kids. The model for the mask was my daughter. I put Vaseline all over her face, and really thick on her hairline and eyebrows. I didn't do the strip between her nose and mouth until after I took the mask off. It hardened rather quickly while it was on her face, but took awhile to dry. I was surprised at how much yellow (acrylic) paint it took to create the ground.

Video Review ~ Week 7

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

I chose Islamic Art at the V&A because I wanted to learn more about Islamic art. When I previewed this video, I noticed an immediate contradiction from our book which further peaked my interest.

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

~Islamic art changes over time based on when countries were included (conquered) or discluded.
~Islamic art doesn't have anything to do with the religion.
~I want to see how they make a crystal ewer, like the one that was on display.
~On the ewer there was a gazelle which is typical of hunting scenes made for the court.
~This video claims that the Islamic religion doesn't have much say in art.
~Mosques tend to be very richly decorated, they are just not filled with animate objects. Inscriptions on the Mosque were usually quotes from the Qu'ran.
~Qu'ran is made beautifully through calligraphy, because if it was sloppily written, it would be an insult.
~The only way the museum knows anything about Islamic art is through inscriptions on the piece itself.
~They don't know what the caskets held or what purpose they had.
~Islamic art tends to decorate everything.
~Animal and human figures are included from the Islamic court. Avoiding animals and humans are part of the Islamic religion.
~The Sunni Muslems use people in their art.
~Poetry is important and can be seen on different fine art pieces.

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

This video contradicts the text because it seperates Islamic art and Islam the religion. I tend to put more emphasis into the video, because the information came from a museum in London.

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

I chose "Chinese Art: Treasures of the National Palace Museum" because I love Chinese art. I also previewed it, and liked the format that it was given in.

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

~The cylindrical curio cabinet is pretty impressive the way it opens up to create a mini screen or all the way to create a square. The bamboo decorated outside is absolutely gorgeous and the inside is just as beautiful, with shelves and drawers.
~The perfumer held fresh flowers that could be smelled because of all the open holes throughout the vessel.
~Wine vessels commonly were marked on the inside showing ownership
~Different colors of glaze were attained by people who mastered the art of glazing.
~The vase is made from four seperate pieces. The inner vase can be rotated and you can see the goldfish pattern move through the four openings on the outer vase.
~Carvings can be made from a stone of a black olive!
They can tell where certain pieces are from based on what they are holding. Some items are broken off, but you can see enough that allows you to make an educated guess on what that object was.

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

This video goes into much more depth than reading the text alone. I was able to get a larger overall sense of Chinese art.

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

The next video I chose was "African Art: Legacy of Oppression." I was curious because of the title and when I previewed it, I was interested in the content. I liked how it went into the history of the Congo.

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

~Some pieces had a place that you could place a magical potion inside them.
~Other art was made for revenge, like the one with all the nails sticking in it.
~Masks were the most common magical item made.
~The mask that is white on one side and black on the other is portraying healthiness and sickness. Where the white side represents healthiness, and the black side with sickness.
~There was no mention of the bloodiest battle in the Congo at the art gallery; thereby taking away the meaning behind some of the works like the mask that was meant to scare westerners.

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

I found this video to be informative, but a little too short. I was disappointed because I thought there would be a large display, but it seemed like it was rather small. The book seemed to go into greater detail when it came to African art compared to this video. The video did show different African art than our book.

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

The last video that I chose was Hinduism. I chose this video because I don't think that the book gave that much detail to Hinduism. I wasn't sure when I first previewed the video if I was going to use it because it seemed like it was more of a video on the religion than on the art. I continued watching it because I thought it was interesting. I ended up finding out a lot of things, although I am not positive if I am completely accurate on all the details.

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

~The temples are very frequently small, almost like shrines scattered throughout the city.
~Despite their size, they are richly decorated by the many Gods that they believe in.
~Hinduism can be practiced anywhere, it does not have to be done inside a temple.
~Hindus believe that to die in the holy city will bring about a better life in their next life.
~A devout Hindu can't touch a dead body, so the processing of these bodies falls to the untouchables or "outcasts".
~The story of the Ganges River is carved in stone.
~Underground caves were carved from rock that are still in existence today.
~They started out using wood and then began to use stone for above ground temples.
~The largest of the 5 stone temples is three stories high!
~Shiva is the God of the mountain, so the temple was made to model after a mountain. This is by far, the most impressive temple that I have ever seen! This was one of the only temples that wasn't destroyed when the Muslems came in and destroyed all of their temples. The reason for this was its' remoteness. It was located within a dense forest hidden away. Surrounding the outside of the temple are erotic sculptures. Sex is represented to honor the Hindu God Brahma who gave life to everyone.

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

The video gave a much more in-depth history of Hinduism than the book did. While the book showed a picture of the massive temple that was hidden away, it didn't show it in as much detail as the video did, and the video took us inside to see how people used the temple.

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

Most of the film did a great job enhancing my learning. Only one video was a bit of a disappointment, but it was only because of the brevity of the film that made it disappointing. All had something to offer when it came to adding depth to the art concepts that we learned about in those three chapters.

Video Response Week 6

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

The Power of Art: Caravaggio was the first video that I chose because I remembered reading about something "Caravaggio," but I couldn't remember what it was. Imagine my surprise when I realized that Caravaggio was an artist!

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

~ Caravaggio was born in a small town called Caravaggio.
~ His father and grandfather died when he was 5 years old.
~ His mother died when he was 19 and they sold off what little was left of the farm and he moved to Rome to become a great artist.
~ He had a lot of tragic life experiences so he couldn't relate to advice he was given when told to paint heavenly scenes.
~ Caravaggio lived in a rough section in Rome and hung out with ruffians.
~ He eventually killed someone and was wanted for murder.
~ He left town traveling to Naples where he became famous there too.
~ While in Naples some of his work suggests that he seems to have regretted murdering that man.
~ Shortly after being knighted, he was arrested again.
~ Caravaggio was able to escape where he fled to Sicily.
~ He receives a message stating that he was to be pardoned.
~ He makes the David and Goliath self portrait.
~ On his journey back to Rome, he gets thrown in prison and his "offering" sails away.
~ While trying to regain his paintings, he gets malaria and dies.

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

Watching this video makes me appreciate Caravaggio's art more by getting an in-depth look into his life, something the book only briefly mentions.

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

I chose Leonardo da Vinci: The Mind of the Renaissance because I am fascinated by da Vinci and wanted to learn more about him.

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

~ When writing, da Vinci "mirror writes."
~ He was probably a homosexual based on people analyzing what he wrote.
~ He was tried for sodomy, but was let go due to lack of evidence.
~ He had a love for animals and didn't like how people treated them so cruelly.
~ Da Vinci disagreed with the notion that things that were mechanized were not considered fine art.
~ He spent a lot of time reflecting on his work
~ He was a perfectionist, and didn't get many commissions because he is known to not complete his work or relinquish the "unfinished" product to those who commissioned it.

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

The book went more in-depth into da Vinci's life than it did Caravaggio's. However, I did not get as much out of this movie as I did the movie on Caravaggio.

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

After watching 2 videos, one that I really enjoyed, and the other that I didn't like, I decided to preview the rest of the videos before watching them. It didn't take long to get the feeling that this promised to be interesting.

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

~Botticelli was called to Rome to work on the Sistine Chapel.
~He might have portrayed Lorenzo the Great in La Primavera.
~Nymphs are not real, therefore it was considered OK to paint them in that revealing manner to show off their beauty, but they wouldn't have spurred any "naughty" thoughts because they weren't real.
~In 1498 La Primavera was inventoried and given a price of about 100 lires.
~That inventory also provided the address of where it was housed.
~La Primavera was probably a wedding gift.
~It appears as though it was hung in the newly married couple's bedroom above a sofa bed.
~LaPrimavera has sexual undertones, including what appears to be a rape that is about to occur, and then what becomes a happy wife.
~Egg tempera was used to give it a transparent look.
~Despite the title, the flowers don't all bloom in the spring.
~The flowers have a meaning that people have tried to interpret.
~Boticelli died in poverty.
~In 1743 the last of the Medici line died and bequeathed this painting (and others) to Florence, where it lay hidden for another 150 years before finally being brought out to be displayed in 1856.
~Females in Boticelli's works always seem like they had too much responsibility and were sad.
~The flowers tended to be in the process of decaying.
~There seems to be a recurring sense of foreboding in his works.
~He gained popularity through the Pre-Raphaelites.

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

This video goes into much more depth than the book did. I learned a lot more about this painting, making me like and appreciate it even more! I am truly fascinated by the process in which it was made. It makes me want to try my hand at egg tempra paint!



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

The Drawings of Michelangelo is the last video that I viewed. I chose this video because it was interesting to me to see how people were able to study Michelangelo's drawings for free!

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

~David was carved within 2 years!
~His drawings show a progression to his final work, often working and reworking a drawing.
~Michaelangelo paid attention to detail on Day's back because the priest would be the only one viewing the statue and he wanted that portion to be perfect.
~The texture on the marble statues have been chiseled in such a way as to look like real flesh.
~Veins are even present in the drawings and the sculptures.
~Michaelangelo went into hiding due to his political ties.
~In his old age, his eyes were failing, his hands didn't work the pen in the same sure lines. This is why the intensity that he was trying to portray wasn't there in his final drawings.

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

This video focused more on Michaelangelo's drawings than on his other works, and the book referred to his other works and not so much on his drawings.

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

The best film that I watched was the one with Caravaggio. That was such an interesting video, that it should have been the last one so that the others would have been easier to watch. I also really liked the Primavera video as it brought me a knew understanding of the painting. I was fascinated by all of the complexities surrounding the allegory of this painting. The video on Michaelangelo was interesting, but I found myself paying attention more to the video and forgetting to take notes. The video that disappointed me was the one on da Vinci. I expected more than what it gave me. I couldn't seem to stay awake on that one but was too far invested to switch movies, and I really did hope that it would get better. I would not recommend that video to anyone!

As stated earlier, for the most part I gained a deeper knowledge from watching the videos, thereby helping to cement my knowledge of the various artists. I don't think I could ever forget Caravaggio again!

Installation Art

A. What is installation art?

Installation art is art that uses space that you can enter, explore, experience, and reflect upon (47).

B. What materials are used installation art?

The materials that can be used are whatever the artist deems necessary to their installation. Some examples could include: lighting, videos, oil, fruit, metals etc.

C. Why make installation art?

To push the door open to what defines art.

D. Which artist/installation did I find most interesting?

I really liked the installation that used people in their work. I don't remember the artist, or title of work, but it was in the video that we watched where people were getting body painted!

A. From the material reviewed, is there a inspiration piece that I feel a connection with?

I definitely got my inspiration from Thomas Hirschhorn's Jumbo Spoons and Big Cake (2000) on page 254 of our textbook. I can't say that I necessarily felt a connection to this piece because of its' overload to my senses, but I will say that I was sitting at my desk looking at the different installation pictures when I said "Why Not?" So I rearranged my desk to focus on what is a huge part of my life right now ~ AED200! I am forever being consumed by this class, and thought it only fit to show that.

B. What theme do I want to explore in my installation? Refer to your textbook if you need to review Themes of Art.

(Nature, Environment, Self, Mass Media, Consumerism, etc.)

I used the Here and Now category, because this class consumes so much of my time, it is definitely what I am doing almost every day of the week for hours on end! My PowerPoint project where we had to look up 10 works of art took me 12+ hours to complete!


C. What materials will I use?

I used my notes, my book, my folder, and my computer.

D. Where will this installation be located and why?

This is located at my desk, because that is where I spend the bulk of my time for this class! I have the candle going in the background, but I didn't take a video so you can't hear it. The candle is special because it has a wooden wick with natural wax that crackles as it burns. The scent is refreshing and helps keep me up during those long Art hours! The crackle of the wick makes me feel like I am sitting outside at a campfire ~ very soothing!







Artist: Shirley Newland
Title of work: Passing of Time
Media: Everyday objects
Date: 2010
Size: 3 inches high
Source of picture: My home

Description ~ I see a computer monitor that is using FireFox web browser with many tabs. I see Angel open to the project page. I see several sheets of paper with Art Education notes on them. I see an open Art textbook sitting on a binder and laptop. In the background I see a blue candle. I see a dark area surrounding the monitor, with a hot pink paper bag standing up next to the speaker.

Formal analysis ~ I see line both in the diagonal direction of the paper, and the horizontal lines that are on the paper. I see vertical lines on both the hot pin bag and the monitor. I also see shape (of the monitor and candle), value by the darkness that surrounds the monitor providing depth, and color with the contrasting white/black and royal blue/hot pink. I almost see balance with the blue and pink being on opposite sides, and the black monitor with the darkness around it, contrasting all of the surrounding white. There is also hot pink writing on the one paper that is sitting next to the blue candle. The diagonal of the paper suggests movement that isn't there, but it guides your eyes over to the candle off to the side which creates emphasis and there is movement from the fire.

I found it very difficult to decide what to do. I originally wanted to play with clay and recreate one of my dog's heads, but I didn't think that I could get that done in time, and I have never used clay so I didn't know if I would get the results that I would expect during a replica. I would expect perfection like the sculptor from the movie that we watched. When I finally decided on this installation, I was afraid that it was kind of cheesy and wouldn't be taken seriously. Once I decided what I was going to do, I cycled through the steps really fast.

Video Review

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

Through the Eyes of the Sculptor ~ I learned that there isn't any marble wasted in a quarry. Marble can be ground down to be used as smaller decorative stone, or used in foods or pharmaceuticals because it is made out of calcium carbonate. I was surprised to find out that artists would physically go to the quarry to pick out the marble. I thought they would just purchase a particular size/color via phone/internet and have it shipped to them. I also saw the lengthy amount of time that it can take to create a sculpture. This would require an artist who is committed to follow-through to the finished product.

Glass and Ceramics ~ I was surprised to see the guy use his bare hands when working with the leaded stain glass. I also didn't know that when glazing dishes, someone would have to dunk their arm in a glaze, holding the dish, bring it back up, and swirl it around before depositing it onto the conveyor belt. The fact that ceramics are durable enough to be used inside our bodies is shocking to me. I have a hard time believing that there isn't an impact risk of the porcelain breaking/chipping off. A porcelain engine seems like the next greatest development in automobiles, so what is the hold-up in production? I thought it was neat to find out that ferrous oxides can be removed from glass keeping it from changing colors.

Installation Art ~ My favorite installation art is when the audience participates. I was wondering if people were supposed to be taking oranges as they walked by, or if the oranges just looked irresistible.

Prairie Style ~ I love how Frank Lloyd Wright's Prairie Style houses have so many windows, but I don't think I would want to live in that environment. I would feel to vulnerable to what was outside. I think I would be terrified if I was left alone at night in this style of house. I couldn't imagine having to clean all of those windows on a regular basis! I wonder if there is an echoing in the houses that were featured because of the large, open rooms.

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

The videos went into depth on the topics that they were about. By reading the chapters and then watching the videos, I got a lot more out of it than I would have by only reading the chapters. The architecture chapter went into a much broader view than the video, giving us the background information on how architecture has changed over time, instead of focusing on one architect.

3. What is your opinion of the films? How do they add depth to understanding of the topics: Sculpture, Installation, Architecture, and Craft?

I got the most out of the sculpture video. I found it fascinating to see a step by step process on what it takes to create a sculpture. The installation video had some interesting components too, and I was surprised that the 20/50 idea was bought to be displayed elsewhere. My favorite house in the architecture video wasn't a Wright house, but was the one that used the cliff as part of the house (I would never want to own that house, I would be afraid of the house ending up in the ravine!) I also really liked the last house that was featured with all of the "skylights". I believe by "craft" you are referring to the Glass and Ceramics video. That video was interesting to see the science portion added to how they make glass and ceramics. All the videos helped cement what was learned in the chapters by bringing us a deeper understanding of the subjects.

Peer Review

The peers that I commented on were:

Joshua Nardolillo : Joshua's Elements and Principles
Joshua's Albright Knox
and Sarah Bojak: Sarah's Elements and Principles
Sarah's Albright Knox

2. Were there any images in the Peer Blogs the same as your own? If yes, what were they? Were the reasons the image was selected the same or different as your own?

Joshua and I had a couple of the same images: "The Wedding" ~ different reason, he had a more personal one than I did, and "Dinamismo di un Cane al Guinzaglio" we had the same reason.

My final selection didn't include any of the same pieces as Sarah's did, but I almost chose several of hers!

3. Were 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?

Joshua chose "Kill Yourself," as one he would like to know more about. When I originally looked at it, I was repulsed. After reading his reasons for why he wanted to know more about it, I too was intrigued! Like Josh, I would like to know what was going on in the artist's life to compel her to write that.


4. What do you think about the process of reading your peers reflection? Do you find this to be a valuable in your learning?

I enjoy this more than responding to the questions from the book. All too often I find that people are copying the answers directly from the book and unless there is some kind of opinion related question, then it is not as rich of a conversation. Besides this way you get to see what other people are creating which makes it much more interesting!

5. Check your Blog and read comments posted by your Peers. Do you find their comments helpful?

I enjoyed reading the comments, whether I agreed with them or not! Art is the only subject that I know of where somebody somewhere will love what you have done and someone else hates it!

Logo

Discuss what you thought about creating your logo.

I was initially excited, but also nervous. I didn't know if I could get something that I was satisfied with and I thought it was going to take a long time. Surprisingly, I actually like it and am completely satisfied with it!

What is the most important information you learned from watching the videos, powerpoint, and reading material for this project? What is your opinion of the videos?

The first video I watched was the one where the company hired somebody to create a new logo. The guy in that video who was deciding what would be good or not, to me, he had better options. I felt that the final product was mediocre at best. I understood their dilemma about reproduction purposes, but I felt like some of the options presented were really good! The PowerPoint would have been nice to watch before I watched the movie and read that section in the book as it was a great introduction to Logos. The first page of the reading material I could read, but the second page had a good chunk that was unreadable. I am thinking that the resolution wasn't high enough when it was scanned. I got frustrated when I couldn't read big portions of it and just scanned the rest. I liked the cropped dog, and I could read what it said about cropping.



Initially I was thinking of a flower with a lot of layers. That wasn't working so I thought of an onion, but that wasn't even close to what I was trying to express! I started out wanting to use pastel, but the pastel crayon that I had in a kit I had bought for my daughter years ago was HORRIBLE! It didn't blend at all, but flaked off. I tried just a regular crayon, and that didn't work either. So I finally turned to markers (the only thing that worked well in that kit). I then thought that maybe mixing the primary colors using circles would bring about the look I was trying to achieve, but that didn't work either.



So then I turned the paper over and tried to make a bunch of scribble marks that I was going to fill in with a bunch of different colors. I might have liked that, but I couldn't get the lines to stay within a certain boundary so I had to abandon that possibility. Next I was trying my special star, but after a full day of nothing but
Art homework, my eye-hand coordination wouldn't cooperate. Then I realized that the "special star" that I was trying to make was actually more like a flower, I returned to that possibility. After writing my name however, I realized that what I was really looking for was a butterfly!




The butterfly symbolizes the metamorphosis that I have gone through ~ from high school ~ to having my first child ~ to starting college ~ to buying my first house ~ to almost being done with my undergrad! I have come a long way and overcame many obstacles that have been thrown in my path, but most of, all is the change that has come about from my education and life experiences.