1) Initially, I expected to learn about art origins, and how to appreciate art more...these goals were met and exceeded.
2) I thought art was just looking at paintings, now i realize art can take many forms, for ancient sculptures to modern abstract painting, to something as strange as drip-art . Art appreciation is in the eye of the beholder, based on individual value judgements.
3) I did not have a favorite artist before this class, never really though about it. Now, my favorites are the classics. The effort and beauty of Michalangelo's work, and the Greece and Roman sculptors, are still unmatched in my opinion.
4) This on-line class was much harder then i expected. A lot of work, but I also learned a lot that I did not think I would.
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Week 15 Self-Portrait Blog
Went to the A-Knox museum to find some self portraits. The first picture is "Self-Portrait With A Monkey", by Frido Kahlo, from Mexico, 1938, Oil on Masonite. The second is "Monsieur X" by George Rouault, from France, 1911, oil on paper. The third picture, I thought I should include a famous Van Gogh self-portrait off the internet. The fourth picture is one taken of me at the dinner table. I selected my inspiration pieces at the A-K museum by finding and taking a pic of the famous monkey picture by Frido Kahlo. I selected simple pencil and paper to do my self-portrait, the biggest challenge is that I am not a good artist. Maybe I should have done abstract, but the way i overcame the challenge is to use my photograph as a guide. The elements I used were mostly lines and shapes, and shading. How are eyes and teeth made to look realistic? In the end, it was kind of fun doing this, and it came out OK.
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Week 15 Criticism Reflection Journal
Written Reflection After Evaluating:
I enjoyed doing the critique. I looked carefully at each item in the exhibit, trying to find elements of art in each painting or sculpture. I wrote comments on about 2/3 of the paintings. I think the exhibit was excellent, with a few small changes that i mentionned. I am an easy grader, I give it an A !
Written Reflection Before Evaluating:
I took a look at 3 art projects to determine which one I wanted to download, then do the critical review of it.
The first one I opened is "Wildlife Encounters", by Willie Wimes. This is a pretty impressive powerpoint exhibit, all about animals. He used some nice background gray, I should have done that. The pictures all look good, with references, a nice job.
The second one I opened was "Gruppo Project #4". It was "Art in the Life of Trees". by Katie Gruppo. She looks to have followed instructions exactly, with references, and also Interpretation and Explanation. There is some old work, new work, abstract work. She does a real nice job with display and interpretation.
The third one is "Abate Project #4". , the title is "Youthful Innocence Caught In The Moment", by Abbey Abate. A very professional exhibit, with title, author, date, medium, style, and the interpretations included. Sweet dreams is appropriate as the final slide. A real nice job.
But I am going to select project of "Wildlife Encounters" to review. I like animals, and I liked looking at those pictures. I cannot get very excited about trees, or little kids blowing bubbles. So I will try to look close at the animal exhibit and apply what I have learned. I just made a value judgement to help decide and pick that exhibit. The challenges I face is that all the slides pretty much show the same thing...how do I make different views of each slide, or maybe I do not have to. I don't mind critique my peers work, I am am easy grader! I am not sure if I want to read anybody who reviewed my work, because I think they did a better job than me.
I enjoyed doing the critique. I looked carefully at each item in the exhibit, trying to find elements of art in each painting or sculpture. I wrote comments on about 2/3 of the paintings. I think the exhibit was excellent, with a few small changes that i mentionned. I am an easy grader, I give it an A !
Written Reflection Before Evaluating:
I took a look at 3 art projects to determine which one I wanted to download, then do the critical review of it.
The first one I opened is "Wildlife Encounters", by Willie Wimes. This is a pretty impressive powerpoint exhibit, all about animals. He used some nice background gray, I should have done that. The pictures all look good, with references, a nice job.
The second one I opened was "Gruppo Project #4". It was "Art in the Life of Trees". by Katie Gruppo. She looks to have followed instructions exactly, with references, and also Interpretation and Explanation. There is some old work, new work, abstract work. She does a real nice job with display and interpretation.
The third one is "Abate Project #4". , the title is "Youthful Innocence Caught In The Moment", by Abbey Abate. A very professional exhibit, with title, author, date, medium, style, and the interpretations included. Sweet dreams is appropriate as the final slide. A real nice job.
But I am going to select project of "Wildlife Encounters" to review. I like animals, and I liked looking at those pictures. I cannot get very excited about trees, or little kids blowing bubbles. So I will try to look close at the animal exhibit and apply what I have learned. I just made a value judgement to help decide and pick that exhibit. The challenges I face is that all the slides pretty much show the same thing...how do I make different views of each slide, or maybe I do not have to. I don't mind critique my peers work, I am am easy grader! I am not sure if I want to read anybody who reviewed my work, because I think they did a better job than me.
Week 15 Video Review Blog
Below are the reviews from 6 videos for week 15. I learned some things that can be used in my art criticism assignment. There is really an 'eye test' that must be passed to qualify art, that means personal value judgements can be used. I like that the way to be a critic is be properly trained, that is to write, write, and then write some more.
1. Greenberg on Art Criticism, and Interview With T J Clarke. Clement Greenberg says that "writing about visual art is much tougher than writing about literature or music". Greenberg thinks the best art in the last 50 years has been abstract art, ever since America's culture boom in the 1940's. Great past critics like Ruskin and Sylvester were not philosophical, but used value judgements, like using intuition. They discuss value judgements in modern criticism.
2. Greenberg on Pollack, an Interview with T J Clarke: Greenberg and Clark discussed Pollack 25-years after his death. Greenberg likes Pollack's practical approach, even though it was greakish, from the mid-40's on. Pollock claimed his technique of drip-art the the "end of easel painting", but it was not actually true. Pollack moved away from containment and orderliness. Greenberg says that some of Pollack's works indeed failed the "eye test", a value judgement. Pollack ultimately realized his work would not be accepted as true painting by the historical view.
3. An Introduction to the Italian Renaissance, by Giorgio Vasari: Giorgio Vasari wrote "Lives of the Artists" in the 16th centruy, probably the first actual art criticism. All the great masters developed techniques passed on to them from the work of previous artists. Vasari reveals the innovations of old artists Griotto, DaVinci, Michalangelo, and others. Vasari did a lot of interpretation of the works of the artists in his criticism.
4. The Critics: Stories From The Inside Pages: Dr. Dwight DeWerth-Pallmeyer took an in-depth look at art criticism as an art form, including social value, and their individual careers. He interviewed famous critics like Joel Siegel, Richard Schickel, Bill Friskies-Warren, Maureen Corrigan. Critics are supposed to get us to think, and to 'light the way', for books, movies, art exhibits. But effective art criticism takes logic, emotional support, and personal credibility. The key to training to becoming a good critic is the write, then to write, and then to write some more.... a good philosophy.
5. The Colonial Encounters, Views of Non-Western Art and Culture: The 1900 Paris Workd Fair was an example of how the Western world was prejudice against underdeveloped countries. They did not seriously include art from anywhere outside European culture. The African Dahome art was not taken seriously, and mostly French art was on display for the exhibit, even though it was a "world fair". Colonialism in Africa was portrayed as justifed with the images shown in the exhibit. Racism and colonialism was running wild in those days, for both black Africans, and also northern Africans, like the Algerians.
6. Jackson Pollack: Michael Fried and T J Clark in Conversation: Fried and Clark have argued in the past about art criticism. They discussed two of Pollack's works, and tried to find some common agreements. They reviewed "Lavendar Mist" and also "Autumn Rhythm". They both agree that Pollack is an important artist, but with a lot of negatives about him. They agree on his value for different reasons. They argue about action in art, value in art, and optical and tactical aspects. But they both are committed to a historical way of looking at art, but Pollack's work, unfortunately cannot qualify as historical art. There lies the problem with judging Jackson Pollack.
1. Greenberg on Art Criticism, and Interview With T J Clarke. Clement Greenberg says that "writing about visual art is much tougher than writing about literature or music". Greenberg thinks the best art in the last 50 years has been abstract art, ever since America's culture boom in the 1940's. Great past critics like Ruskin and Sylvester were not philosophical, but used value judgements, like using intuition. They discuss value judgements in modern criticism.
2. Greenberg on Pollack, an Interview with T J Clarke: Greenberg and Clark discussed Pollack 25-years after his death. Greenberg likes Pollack's practical approach, even though it was greakish, from the mid-40's on. Pollock claimed his technique of drip-art the the "end of easel painting", but it was not actually true. Pollack moved away from containment and orderliness. Greenberg says that some of Pollack's works indeed failed the "eye test", a value judgement. Pollack ultimately realized his work would not be accepted as true painting by the historical view.
3. An Introduction to the Italian Renaissance, by Giorgio Vasari: Giorgio Vasari wrote "Lives of the Artists" in the 16th centruy, probably the first actual art criticism. All the great masters developed techniques passed on to them from the work of previous artists. Vasari reveals the innovations of old artists Griotto, DaVinci, Michalangelo, and others. Vasari did a lot of interpretation of the works of the artists in his criticism.
4. The Critics: Stories From The Inside Pages: Dr. Dwight DeWerth-Pallmeyer took an in-depth look at art criticism as an art form, including social value, and their individual careers. He interviewed famous critics like Joel Siegel, Richard Schickel, Bill Friskies-Warren, Maureen Corrigan. Critics are supposed to get us to think, and to 'light the way', for books, movies, art exhibits. But effective art criticism takes logic, emotional support, and personal credibility. The key to training to becoming a good critic is the write, then to write, and then to write some more.... a good philosophy.
5. The Colonial Encounters, Views of Non-Western Art and Culture: The 1900 Paris Workd Fair was an example of how the Western world was prejudice against underdeveloped countries. They did not seriously include art from anywhere outside European culture. The African Dahome art was not taken seriously, and mostly French art was on display for the exhibit, even though it was a "world fair". Colonialism in Africa was portrayed as justifed with the images shown in the exhibit. Racism and colonialism was running wild in those days, for both black Africans, and also northern Africans, like the Algerians.
6. Jackson Pollack: Michael Fried and T J Clark in Conversation: Fried and Clark have argued in the past about art criticism. They discussed two of Pollack's works, and tried to find some common agreements. They reviewed "Lavendar Mist" and also "Autumn Rhythm". They both agree that Pollack is an important artist, but with a lot of negatives about him. They agree on his value for different reasons. They argue about action in art, value in art, and optical and tactical aspects. But they both are committed to a historical way of looking at art, but Pollack's work, unfortunately cannot qualify as historical art. There lies the problem with judging Jackson Pollack.
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Week 13 -14 Project #4 Reflection Journal
Almost done with the project. Seems like all the old Greek bronze sculptures ended up getting lost, decaying, rotten, and being melted down for the metal...but many of them were copied in marble by the Romans. So a lot of my pics were actually Roman reproductions of the original Greek bronze art. Also, a lot of my report may seem to be a history lesson, since so much of the Greek artwork is part of our history, and even our pop culture. I am also having a little trouble with PowerPoint formatting.
I am mid-way through the PowerPoint project #4 art exhibit presentation. Working on ancient Greek sculpture. My best souces of artwork are Google search, with Images. I use "Ancient Greek Sculpture" in the search engine. That shows a lot of pictures of sculpture. From there, I can get the name of a sculpture, then usually go the Wikipedia for more details. The problem is that a lot of this old sculpture does not have a specific date and artist for it, it's too old. Just a general time frame, like 100 BC. Also, as it turns out, these old Greek bronze statues did not last very long, and many of them were copied in marble, by the Romans, and the originals were melted down for the metal value. So a lot of my pictures are simply the Roman copies made of marble, not bronze.
I am mid-way through the PowerPoint project #4 art exhibit presentation. Working on ancient Greek sculpture. My best souces of artwork are Google search, with Images. I use "Ancient Greek Sculpture" in the search engine. That shows a lot of pictures of sculpture. From there, I can get the name of a sculpture, then usually go the Wikipedia for more details. The problem is that a lot of this old sculpture does not have a specific date and artist for it, it's too old. Just a general time frame, like 100 BC. Also, as it turns out, these old Greek bronze statues did not last very long, and many of them were copied in marble, by the Romans, and the originals were melted down for the metal value. So a lot of my pictures are simply the Roman copies made of marble, not bronze.
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Week 13 and 14 Video Review
Video review of the 4 videos for week 13 and 14. Videos were good, but I probably will not use the format for my PowerPoint. Most exhibits do a chronological order of artwork. My PowerPoint will be of Ancient Greek sculpture, and in my opinion, cannot be done in chronological order. But I did learn from the videos.
George Eastman House: Picture Perfect: By creating the first affordable, user-friendly camera, George Eastman became the father of popular photography. The museum established at his home celebrates his contributions to advance the art and science of photography. The photography collection at George Eastman House is a history of photography that represents the work of 14,000 photographers. The technology collection at George Eastman House contains about 16,000 objects, including about 5,000 cameras. The Eastman House holds the largest Daguerreotype collection outside of France. George Eastman worked to make photography accessible to everyone; he created the first affordable, user-friendly camera and founded the Eastman Kodak Company. Eastman's "Brownie" camera revolutionized photography, and the motion picture film he invented with Thomas Edison became the industry standard for movies. The 50 room colonial estate George Eastman began building in 1902 serves as the centerpiece for his museum. In addition to photography-related artifacts, the museum houses many of Eastman's personal possessions. Today the George Eastman House is one of the world's premiere motion pictures archives. In 1996 the George Eastman House established the first school in North America to teach the restoration, preservation, and archiving of motion pictures. The George Eastman House offers a variety of means to access collections, including 140,000 online images, that celebrate the art, technology, and impact of photography and motion pictures.
The Lowdown on Lowbrow: West Coast Pop Art:
Artist Anthony Aussang says Lowbrow, West Coast Art, is essentially a reaction to highbrow culture. The dictionary definition of Lowbrow is, "a person regarded as uncultivated and lacking in taste”. Artist Robert Williams says he invented the term but doesn't care for its meaning. Some believe Lowbrow Surrealism is a more fitting term while others embrace just ‘Lowbrow’. Lowbrow art appeals to the masses. Pop culture, car culture, and folk art have both had major influences in Lowbrow. Robert Williams, the original Lowbrow artist, discussed his early career as a Lowbrow artist. At a time when galleries were not willing to display Lowbrow, the Laguna Art Museum put on a show featuring Williams and others. MAD Magazine had an impact on Lowbrow art culture. Artist Anthony Ausgang says, "Lowbrow blitzkriegs the idea that high culture requires a certain level of intelligence." Robert Williams thinks the established art world is set up to promote only certain types of art like minimalism and abstract, and the mainstream world will not accept Lowbrow. These unaccepted artists created their own art scene after being shut out from museums and galleries. The punk rock generation propelled Lowbrow art culture, with album covers and fliers. Artist Nicole Steen and other members from the Pop Tarts discussed the parallel underground art scenes in Vancouver and California. The Pop Tarts gained more recognition and acceptance after being featured in a book about female Lowbrow artists. Twenty years ago Robert Williams couldn't get anyone to show his art work, and now he is in demand all over the world.
Bones of Contention: Native American Archaeology: Native Americans' bones were collected as a scientific curiosity during the U.S. genocide against Indians. Anthropologists differ on whether or not the bones should be returned now. Dr. Samuel Morton studies brain size and concludes that the size of one's cranium is related to intelligence, and he stores Indian skulls in museums. The Smithsonian's inventory shows 18,000 Native's bones are stored there. Repatriation requires that scientists first determine the bones tribal affiliation. Skull measurement helps to identify where the bones should be returned. Scientists learn a lot about today's health problems by studying the remains of human beings from the past, including Indian remains. Bruce Rothschild, an arthritis researcher, theorizes that arthritis is a new disease whose trigger may come from the Tennessee River region. British researchers claim research helps understanding how man changes from the ancient to the modern man. For example, changes in Indian diet and lifestyle is related to high rates of diabetes. Dennis Hastings, an Omaha Indian, is satisfied with the reburial of his ancestors' remains. Both the tribe and scientists have gain new knowledge by having the bones analyzed prior to burial. Now, Native Americans design the exhibits in New York's Native American Museum. Ancestors' bones continue to be brought home and re-buried.
Displaying Modern Art: The Tate Approach: Modern art in the Museum of Modern Art from 1929 onwards was displayed primarily in chronological order. Art is displayed on white walls with lighting. By the 1970s, traditional ways of displaying modern art are questioned. Art came became busy and noisy. Artists explored the political and ideological context of the museum itself. The Tate Modern displays its modern art in four sections. In each section a principle provides a theme for the selection and exhibition of the art. The Tate's thematic approach to displaying art is controversial with three works by Richard Long and Monet's "Water Lilies." But the connections among the artwork is justified . Unlike the Museum’s original concept of displaying art in chronological order, visitors to the Tate are provided with transitions between the individual display rooms. Many abstract artists tried to convey emotions, aesthetic effects, or social vision. The Joseph Beuys room in the Tate Modern creates a church-like atmosphere. Visitors do not materially understand what they see. They transition to the next room where art consists of waste and junk.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Week 12, Review of 4 Videos
I reviewed 4 videos. It was all about Andy Warhol, the other 3 videos were just random selected. I learned a lot about Andy Warhol, he was really a trend setter, a good video. I did not like the videos of Isamu Naguchi, way too much talking. I did not like the Mark Rothko video, I just do not see how he could be considered such a great painter for his work. Pop art of the 50's and 60's video was good, I like the comic book paintings.
1) Andy Warhol started out in the 1960's working for advertising, but was experimenting with advertising images such as the soup can. He did a lot of silk-screen work with Marilyn Monroe in 1962, especially after her death. He did a lot of work with Elizabeth taylor in 1961-1963, especially after her breakup with Eddie Fisher. Andy would crop pictures to silkscreen. He did "10 Lizes" of Liz Taylor. He made a lot of money reproducing silk screens. He moved into a studio called The factory, a cool hangout for artists. Warhol filmed about 100 movies, and made some people famous. He said "everyone will have 15 minutes of fame". A true leader in pop art, he also did dozens of self-portaits.
2) Isamu Naguchi had a vision, that the earth was sculpture. He sees sculpture as different than painting. His vision led him to create gardens with stone, hills, water, such as the UNESCO garden in France, a beautiful job. Noguchi started under scholarship, then had to sculpt to make a living. He designed Miami's Bayfront Park in 1980, but had problems with the existing building, so he destroyed a library. he did a water sculpture in Osaka for expo 1970. He did the Billy Rose sculpture in Isreal, perfect for the area, with a large circular wall and 3 hills. His final work was in 1988 for the 400 acre Moere Numa Park in japan. Naguchi was famous for Land Art, or Installation Art.
3) Mark Rothko was an abstract painter. Being an abstract painter in the 1970's was not easy with Andy Warhol leading the pop art scene. Rothko was called the "Greatest Living American Artist", but i do not really see it. He was hired to do the art for Seagrams' headquarters, but he never had his work displayed there. He hoped his work would make the restaurant customers sick! He did the subways series, a strange doomed look at subway people. His paintings gave feeling of human tradegy. His murals were just colors of various tones. They are meant to evoke extreme sensations. Eventually, Rothko's drinking, smoking, divorcing, and too much competitio from PopArt, led to his suicide. His last works were in black and gray, very depressing.
4) Abstract expressionism and Pop Art of the 50's and 60's. American Franz Kline is an abstract artist, he likes to display mood and expression, and also likes colors and shapes. Helen Frankenthalen did "Mountains and Seas" and influenced other painters with the subtle effects of her work, which was very feminine and mystical. She painted with a cotton cloth. DeKoonigs abstract paintingwas "Morning: The Springs" which give a feeling of light, and falling water. DeKoonig also did "Woman One", which shows dominance by women, and he had hundreds of rejected versions, and became an action painting. I like the "Flag" by Johns, a strange way to show the flag. Andy Warhol is pop art's most famous artist, but the father of the movement is Robert Rauschenber. Pop art reflects modern city life. I like the Lichtenstein artwork that uses comic book forms.
1) Andy Warhol started out in the 1960's working for advertising, but was experimenting with advertising images such as the soup can. He did a lot of silk-screen work with Marilyn Monroe in 1962, especially after her death. He did a lot of work with Elizabeth taylor in 1961-1963, especially after her breakup with Eddie Fisher. Andy would crop pictures to silkscreen. He did "10 Lizes" of Liz Taylor. He made a lot of money reproducing silk screens. He moved into a studio called The factory, a cool hangout for artists. Warhol filmed about 100 movies, and made some people famous. He said "everyone will have 15 minutes of fame". A true leader in pop art, he also did dozens of self-portaits.
2) Isamu Naguchi had a vision, that the earth was sculpture. He sees sculpture as different than painting. His vision led him to create gardens with stone, hills, water, such as the UNESCO garden in France, a beautiful job. Noguchi started under scholarship, then had to sculpt to make a living. He designed Miami's Bayfront Park in 1980, but had problems with the existing building, so he destroyed a library. he did a water sculpture in Osaka for expo 1970. He did the Billy Rose sculpture in Isreal, perfect for the area, with a large circular wall and 3 hills. His final work was in 1988 for the 400 acre Moere Numa Park in japan. Naguchi was famous for Land Art, or Installation Art.
3) Mark Rothko was an abstract painter. Being an abstract painter in the 1970's was not easy with Andy Warhol leading the pop art scene. Rothko was called the "Greatest Living American Artist", but i do not really see it. He was hired to do the art for Seagrams' headquarters, but he never had his work displayed there. He hoped his work would make the restaurant customers sick! He did the subways series, a strange doomed look at subway people. His paintings gave feeling of human tradegy. His murals were just colors of various tones. They are meant to evoke extreme sensations. Eventually, Rothko's drinking, smoking, divorcing, and too much competitio from PopArt, led to his suicide. His last works were in black and gray, very depressing.
4) Abstract expressionism and Pop Art of the 50's and 60's. American Franz Kline is an abstract artist, he likes to display mood and expression, and also likes colors and shapes. Helen Frankenthalen did "Mountains and Seas" and influenced other painters with the subtle effects of her work, which was very feminine and mystical. She painted with a cotton cloth. DeKoonigs abstract paintingwas "Morning: The Springs" which give a feeling of light, and falling water. DeKoonig also did "Woman One", which shows dominance by women, and he had hundreds of rejected versions, and became an action painting. I like the "Flag" by Johns, a strange way to show the flag. Andy Warhol is pop art's most famous artist, but the father of the movement is Robert Rauschenber. Pop art reflects modern city life. I like the Lichtenstein artwork that uses comic book forms.
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