M10 - Mask Making

Better late than never? I started this project when it was initially due and then grew frustrated that I couldnt get it to appear on paper as it did in my head. I used three different masks as inspiration,

I really loved the colors and symmetry in this Dayak mask from Borneo, and the small horns at the side. It reminds me of something you might see on a totem pole and I appreciate the simple colors and lines that still manage to create an interesting mask. I felt like the teeth they carved into this one looked really different from most of the other masks so I included a bit more of a cartoon-y version of them on mine.

This Javanese mask had a similar color pallet to the mask from Borneo, and even some of the lines and patterns they used seemed like one may have inspired the other but theyre still both very different. This one comes off as a little softer and more similar to a human face where the mask from Borneo is sharper and more geometric looking.

This Maori mask from New Zealand was really my favorite, and a lot about their culture has always interested me. Im a fan of symmetry and am really intrigued by these symmetrical tattoo carvings this mask has, especially the carvings on the nose. This one also has interesting teeth as the Borneo mask above does, but the eyes are much more realistic looking.

Now that I see this guy I've created next to the others, he seems to look too much like a cartoon character but I feel like it gets some of my ideas across. I wanted some of the symmetry and line work that the Maori mask had, I like how the lines on that mask really help the viewer move through the whole thing, but I didnt want him to have as much of a "warrior" look as that one did. If I were able to actually craft this one in 3d, I'd love for his eyes to be made of gold and the teeth to be made of bone. I wanted to make sure he stayed symmetrical but that one side of his face was just a little bit different than the other.

M15 Extra Credit

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

My favorite assignment was definitely from M13 where we got to "curate" our own exhibit. This one was the easiest and most fun for me to get through since it allowed for some level of creativity and I could explore artists that I liked rather than just the ones that were assigned.

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

 I dont think I had a least favorite assignment, but the ones that required us to watch really old videos weren't at the top of my list. I do realize that sometimes that's just what is available as far as educational content, just some of the old white dudes were really annoying to listen to (please insert a shoulder shrug here)

3. How did you like using BLACKBOARD?

Blackboard is not awful. For the most part its pretty easy to navigate and I didn't have any technological issues with it this semester.

4. What is your opinion of the Discussion Groups in this course?

I do not love discussion groups online in general. I understand the point behind them and that with an online class there;s no other option, I just feel like tone and intention are much different on there than they might be in real life.

5. Did you participate in any of the extra credit projects in previous modules? If so, what was your opinion of them? (mandala, elgin marbles, culture, art critics)

I did participate in a few and I really enjoyed both. I liked having a project that sent me out to do my own research rather than just regurgitating information from a video.
6. If you had the opportunity to change this course:

What would you keep? I enjoyed all of the topics we covered, and definitely the curator project.

What would you remove? I did not love having to comment on fellow students blogs and thought that it just felt phony and insincere.

What would you add? I really enjoyed the art critic extra credit assignment and feel like that's something that should be chatted about more in class

7. Would you recommend this course to your peers?

For sure, as long as they are comfortable with an online class. I truly struggled with a lot of different aspects of this class (most of them were my own issues with self motivation and had nothing to do with the actual course/instructor/content)

Reflection

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

I didnt have too many expectations for this course, and mostly took it because it fulfills a requirement but I was interested to learn a little more art history. Now that the semester is about over, I do wish I would have participated a bit more and read the material more thoroughly but I do feel like I have a better handle on different concepts and elements and principles of design.

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

I initially said that art is whatever a person says as art, and to some extent I still believe that to be true. I think its hard to put a real-life definition to the word "art", a urinal in an art gallery is art and a banana taped to a wall is art so at that point, pretty much anything the creator decides is art, is.

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?

 I have spent more time in this class and in another focusing a lot on female artists and their lack of representation in art galleries, and since we've been trapped at home I'm re-watched Beautiful Losers multiple times just to see Margaret Kilgallen and Barry McGee in action so I still hold them toward the top of my list. I appreciate that they worked so well together as a team, and that even after Margaret passed away, Barry included some of Margarets work in some of his exhibits. Graffiti is always something that interests me and I feel like they truly did it/do it the right way. In the movie "Beautiful Losers" Margaret talks a lot about how she paints and what she focuses on, how she can go over a line again and a again to try and make it straight, "When you get up close you can always see theline waver & I think thats where the beauty is". 

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 honestly dread the day I have to take another online course but Im sure this is probably the direction a lot of classes are heading. I've learned that if Im not in a classroom, Im not very self-motivated and I really struggle to get things done on time. Hopefully the next time around Ill tackle assignments when theyre due instead of 5-10 days later.

M14 - Self Portrait

Andy Warhol - Self-Portrait 1978
Salvador Dali - Soft Self-Portrait with Grilled Bacon 1941
David Hockney - Self-Portrait - 1954

1. Why did you select the inspiration pieces?
I felt like I wanted to collect a variety of styles of self-portraits, and these were three that I wasnt very familiar with before this assignment. All three are different mediums as well which I found interesting.
2. Why did you select the media to create your self-portrait?
Honestly, being at home for this long I've mostly run out of a lot of materials with the exception of the magazines that show up that I never throw away. Collage has never been something I was great at and it looks a bit like something a 4th grader might make in a craft class, but in my dream land it would have turned out more like David Hockney's piece.
3. What challenges did you face in creating your self-portrait and how did you overcome them?
Lack of materials. I usually have a lot of paint on hand but have run out of most everything in the last few weeks. Even with the stack of magazines I did have to go through, it was really hard for me to find large sections of the same color to kind of build something a little more realistic.
4. How does this piece represent you?
Well since its a collage of stuff I've cut out of the food magazines I get, I feel like it covers a lot of bases for me. There's a bit of a face in it, as well as some really great modern furniture and a lot of food, including waffles. A pile of my priorities in a mish-mosh of cut of magazine pages.
5. What elements and principles of art did you apply in this work?
I did try to make sure it had some balance to it, and worked to continue to lines throughout so it has more of a shape.
6. Did you enjoy working on this project?
I actually really did. Though I didnt have all of the materials I would have liked, it was a really calming thing to work on so it did a nice job to really keep me distracted from chaos for a bit.
7. What do you think of your final artwork?
I think it turned out alright, though I've got no plans to show it off to friends and family.

Week 13 Video Review

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

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

The videos defintely relate to the creation of my Art Exhibition project. I feel like it was helpful to see and hear the whole process they go through in deciding what pieces to purchase for the gallery and in choosing which ones make their way into a show. 

I found the woman at MoMA much more interesting and easy to listen to, and I appreciated the questions she answered at the end of the video. I feel like thats an important thing to do, to include people that may not have otherwise stopped into a gallery or thought twice about art. The curator at the Met, Montebello, was a little harder to relate to. I do appreciate all of the work that hes done and cant imagine the wealth of knowledge he has but was much more intrigued by the "trip" to MoMA.

the 'Lowbrow" art documentary was very cool, and touched on different art and artists that I never would have thought even fit into that category. I do feel like some of the things the artists in that video talked about had a bigger impact on the decisions I made for my "art exhibit" than the other two videos. Something about cheering for the underdog.

Week 13

Not that I havent enjoyed some of the things we've done in this class, but any chance to be creative and get to dig around and look for art that I like is fantastic especially after being trapped at home for six weeks and with zero ability to focus on anything Im not interested in.

I probably should have mentioned my theme at the start of my powerpoint but it felt more important to leave it until the end. I dont know that I've even noticed the lack of woman-made art work the last time I went to a big gallery, but the more I read about it the more it seems like something that really needs to be fixed. It's not even a matter of the quality of work, women are making art that IS as good or better than men. I even read about an experiment they did, creating a large group of computer-generated art and showing it to a bunch of volunteers. The volunteers assumed that the more compelling art was made by men, and the less interesting pieces by women, even though every piece was actually created by a computer. Im not sure what the solution is to this problem, as its been going on for so long and there are so many moving parts, but it doesnt seem like a lot of important parts of art history might be forgotten if women dont start showing up on gallery walls.
I really enjoyed the opportunity to search for some of my favorite artists, and then find some others that I had never heard of to include alongside them. I tried to pick a variety of styles of pieces and a mix of paintings and sculptures and installations as well. Discovering so many of these women in my "exhibit" for the first time makes it more apparent that they really arent getting enough coverage, and I feel like now I need to spend the time to get to know more of their work on my own.

module 12

 I really enjoyed the videos in this module. I feel embarrassed to say that I havent heard of a few artists that came up in this section, so the videos were really helpful and now I feel like I need to do more research on them and their work.I appreciated the background that Jacob Lawrence gave, talking about what it was like to be making art during the great depression and being raised in Harlem, the art centers that opened and the "positive effect it had on the spirit of the people". They did also touch on his work and how content is an important element for him when creating.

Faith Ringgold is much more my style. Her work is very folk-y and fun, the story-quilts are interesting and some of the figures she paints remind me of Margaret Kilgallen. Romare Beardens work really tells a story from beginning to end,and I appreciate that the speakers in the video gave a sort of run-down on so many of them, explaining the different myths he was drawing inspiration from as some of them are not too fresh in my head. The shapes he creates in his collage work really is impressive, I feel like its hard to imagine a shape like that and cut it out without sketching it first so Im curious to know a little more about his process. The blues and greens he uses really give his pieces a lot of definition and depth, and since so many of them include a landscape it helps to show distance and space in the piece. 

"Classical Art/Modern Dress" and the two videos that went with it were hard for me to get into.Though the last interview with Norma Kamali was really neat and I think its nice to hear a fashion designer with views like hers, a little more focused on the actual person rather than just the people filling the seats at a fashion show. 

FAUVISM, now this I can get into. Finally, in 1900, artists started to dive into bright expressive colors. Color exists for these painters as an independent element instead of just something that describes an object or space. Their work feels more emotional to me than that of the impressionists. Brighter, bolder brushwork really changed the game moving forward.

mod 11 - art visit

Questions about the Place:
1. What is the name of Gallery/Museum you visited? The Solomon Guggenheim Museum in New York City
2. What is the URL of the Gallery/Museum you visited? https://artsandculture.google.com/partner/solomon-r-guggenheim-museum

3. Why did you select this Gallery/Musuem? I've been to New York City a few times and somehow have never visited this museum.

Questions about the physical space. (You must use Google Street View to "walk" through the gallery to observe the gallery space.)1. What type of lighting is used? There's sufficient, soft overhead lighting and small spotlights to highlight some of the works on the walls
2. What colors are used on the walls? White
3. What materials are used in the interior artchitecture of the space? The Guggenheim is a very modern building, and its spiral shape really helps visitors move through the space. This design seems interesting because it gives the curators and gallery owners a lot of control over how the viewer is seeing works and in what order.
4. How is the movement of the viewer through the gallery space? Same as 3.

Questions about the artwork:1. How are the artworks organized? It looks like the artwork is organized my style, pieces that are similar or artists that have common themes are placed next to each other which makes the visitors travels throughout the gallery a little smoother.
2. How are the artrworks similar? It seems like newer more contemporary works are placed near each other, and those are all pretty similar in style.
3. How are the artworks different? The larger exhibits look like they get the larger spaces in the museum and are pretty different from the works that take up the walls on the walk through the museum.
4. How are the artworks framed? The artworks that have frames seem to all have pretty similar and simple black or white frames, they almost blend into the wall so Im not sure I would notice them if someone didnt mention it which i suppose is how it should function.
5. How are the artworks identified and labeled? The labeling they use is the same as what I remember seeing at Albright Knox, just a small simple post on the edge of the wall neareset to the pieces, but so all of the labels are next to each other instead of right underneath the appropriate art work. I think this is a nice way to keep the viewer from getting distracted so they can enjoy the piece and then read after, or vice versa.
6. What is the proximity of the artwork to each other? The ones by all the same artist look like theyre all right next to each other, generally close together if theyre small enough and can be.

Artist Do Ho Suh

Title of work Blue Green Bridge

Media Plastic figures, steel structure and polycarbonate sheets

Date 2000

Size 51inx24inx37ft

Source of picture (URL) https://www.guggenheim.org/artwork/9424

 Describe what you see.  (subject matter)? A bridge from once space in the museum to another

What principles and elements were used and how are they used? Space. Do Ho Suh really does that well with a lot of his work, this one literally moves the viewer from one space to another.

Is there anything in or about this work that reminds you of anything else? Do you see any symbols, metaphors, or allegories?  None that are really literal, maybe there are some symbols in there for the artist himself that are too personal to make sense to the viewer.

What do you think the artist was trying to say? 

Artist Henri Matisse

Title of work Nude in a Forest

Media Oil on canvas

Date 1909

Size 16x12

Source of picture (URL) https://www.guggenheim.org/artwork/2830

 Describe what you see.  (subject matter)? A nude figure in the middle of some trees

What principles and elements were used and how are they used? This piece is pretty well balanced, the light and dark areas work with each other very well. He does also sort of imply the size of the space by creating taller trees at the front and shorter tree at the back.

Is there anything in or about this work that reminds you of anything else? Do you see any symbols, metaphors, or allegories?  (iconography)

What do you think the artist was trying to say? I'm honestly no too sure. I chose this one since I watched the video on Matisse, and it almost seems like a starting point for him for a larger piece, like maybe he meant to come back to it or was using it to build up to something bigger.

Artist Hannah Wilke

Title of work S.O.S. Starification Object Series

Media Gelatin Silver Print

Date 1974

Size 40x27in

Source of picture (URL) https://www.guggenheim.org/artwork/9640

 Describe what you see.  (subject matter)? The artist, Wilke, posed with tiny vulva shaped sculptures stuck to her body. ( I did have to look it up but based on what I already know about her work I assumed it would be something of this nature )

What principles and elements were used and how are they used? Light and line are really important elements in this piece, the curve of her spine and the contrast of the black and white really draws attention

Is there anything in or about this work that reminds you of anything else? Do you see any symbols, metaphors, or allegories?  (iconography)

What do you think the artist was trying to say? Wilke tends to make art that comments on womens rights and feminism, this one definitely seems to have a similar tone and is a comment on how women are objectified

Mod 11

I watched the video about Abstract Expressionism and Pop: Art of the '50s and '60s, and the one on Picasso and Matisse. I selected the one about abstract expressionism since I am generally drawn toward that kind of artwork, and I chose the other about Picasso/Matisse since I feel like my knowledge on both of their backgrounds is lacking a little bit.

The video about abstract expressionism/pop art started off at a much different point than what I expected. Some of the artists seemed hard for me to connect to what I think of what I hear the words "Pop Art", but they did all eventually tie together and relate to one another. Jasper Johns was interesting to me, I've seen his word at a gallery before though I cant think of where and I dont know that I looked twice at it since I didnt know much about him as an artist or his process. Knowing how much goes into his seemingly simple looking works makes it much more meaningful to glance at. Encaustic painting is not something I really knew about but seems like a really neat technique, the texture that John's had in his pieces when working this way really made a great impact on the final results. Andy Warhol was obviously featured on this video as well, since Pop Art cant be mentioned without mentioning him. They spoke a lot about his techniques and specifically the piece he did with Robert Rauschenbergs image, The Texan. A quote they mentioned really stuck with me, "I dont know where the artificial stops and the real begins", and I feel like thats something that can really be seen and felt in a lot of his work.

The video on Matisse/Picasso really covered a lot on their backgrounds and their careers from start to finish. It was interesting to see how different they were style-wise when they both started out, and how they eventually really started to feed off of and learn from each other even borrowing techniques and "lines" in some cases. 

Both films were pretty interesting and informative, though the one about Picasso/Matisse was much easier to watch and follow. Seeing real footage of both artists was very cool, and almost makes it easier to connect to their work once you know a little more about their past. Matisse working on the Chapel at the end really wow'ed me, and Im curious to know more about that and whether or not it still exists. 

Module 10

I think these videos really showed the different ways cultures in the past approached art and creativity, just by the simple act of carving and crafting masks for different purposes. Some of them were very ornate and detailed and had lots of materials added to them like feathers and raffia where some other cultures were more focused on actually carving the masks. The ones I thought were most interesting were by the Bundu/Sande people, the helmet masks were carved by men and worn by women during the females initiation ceremonies. The Mende people also crafted VERY beautiful masks, theyre detailed and ornate and the facial features are all carved with purpose. Though some cultures created masks to honor women or a spirit, some also used them as a way to mourn the dead or for funerary rites, and some of them just for entertainment. The portrait masks that the Moya Yanso people made were especially detailed, and made to represent specific individuals.

18th and 19th Centuries

For each video list/discuss the key concepts you learned. (please categorize the comments for each video/reading)

The video about early photography and Daguerreotype was very detailed and very confusing, as a person who doesnt have much experience with photography. It was interesting to learn how it all works and though I knew it required the subject to sit still for quite a while I didnt realize all of the steps that took place just to prepare the plate they used. Industrial age production made this a popular technique, and in the 1850s about 7.5 million dollars was made creating daguerrotypes. 

I did enjoy the video about the Death of Marat painting by Jacques Louis David. Marat was a hero, a political martyr and French Revolutionary. The letter hes holding days "My great unhappiness gives me a right to your kindness", and this Neo-Classical work shows a great contrast between light and dark as well as David's attention to detail when it comes to anatomy. 

The Great Wave by Katsushika Hokusai is a piece I've seen so many times but never knew much about. Hokusai is considered the most iconic Japanese artist and this piece is used today on everything from prints to coffee mugs and tshirts and I cant help but wonder what an artist with his wisdom and age would think of that now. 

Manet's A Bar at the Folies-Bergere shows great open brushwork and a real focus on space and dimension. The mirror in the background might not be something a casual art browser would ever noticing when passing this piece at a museum but the mirror really becomes the most important part of this painting. 

Liberty Leading the People was an important piece/idea during the French Revolution. Liberty was a personification of an idea and her anatomy and the angle of her face is a nod back to classical antiquity. Light and space really helps the viewers eye travel throughout this piece, as Liberty is clearly the main object but upon looking at the space around her we see how much more detail Delacroix added to create this "spectrum of human emotion"

Monet and Cassatt (Poplars and The Childs Bath) are both very different paintings though created around the same time. Monet was more focused on light brushwork, and the literal light in the painting, as he created pink tree that almost look like they're floating in a sunny breeze. Cassatt uses foreshortening to tell this story, of a mother bathing her child, with great attention paid to the childs skin and body and the interaction between mother and parent. 

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

The reading gives a more broad idea of what the videos talk about, describing the move from Enlightenment to Roccoco, to the French Revolution and Neo-classicism and breaks down what differentiates an Impressionist work from a Neo-classical work.

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

For the most part I feel like these videos helped to further elaborate on the information in the readings, while focusing a little more on the actual themes and techniques in the artwork rather than just a history of the time period it took place in.

M8

Explain why you selected the video you chose from the selection listed above.

The first video I watched was Art & Life in the Middle Ages : The Luttrell Psalter, which I picked because I've never heard of it and was curious to see what it was.

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

The Luttrell Psalter is an "illuminated manuscript", essentially a very lengthy, ornate, and unique book created/commissioned by Geoffrey Luttrell who was a wealthy knight during Medieval times. It details life during medieval times, including the duties of the peasants who lived on his farm land, some images of Luttrell and his family, and the life of Christ. Some unusual creatures are also included in this text, the monsters that the speaker mentions are the most interesting part of the book in my opinion.

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

 I did not expect to be interested in this when the video started, but the detail and different styles included in this manuscript are very strange and unique. So many stories are told, including that of Luttrell, and the birds are creatures that take up the sides of the pages are spooky but intriguing.

Explain why you selected the video you choose from the selection listed above.

The second video I watched was Florence: Heart of the Renaissance which I chose because I love and have a great appreciation for renaissance artwork and sculpture.

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

The Italian Renaissance started around 1400 and was a rebirth of cultures, a return to domes and columns and arches. Capitalism replaced Feudalism and Realism became important to artists during this time. I've never seen Donatello's wood sculpture of Mary Magdalene which I think is rather eerie looking. The Uffizi Gallery is featured during this gentleman's tour through Florence, and it holds the finest collection of Italian paintings anywhere in the world, thanks to the Medici family. 

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

Though I'm not sure I needed to see his pit stop for dinner while we're all trapped at home, I did enjoy the brief tour through Florence. the gold-heavy altarpieces and gothic inspired works of this time are beautiful and interesting and Botticelli's Birth of Venus and Primavera are classic important works from this period.

Judaism/Shinto/Daoism

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

I watched the videos on Judaism and Shinto/Daoism, both spoke about the architecture of their religious buildings though the video on Judaism was a little more detailed. In Daoism, a mountain is the main object of worship. People who follow this religion have a great connection to nature, so a lot of their buildings and beliefs are centered around that. They believe in the idea of morality and the ways of nature, and their temples/caves/arches fit into nature without looking like bulking structures blocking the views beyond them. Judaism does have some similarities, Masada is an outdoor structure on the top of a mountain where King Herod built a fortress. This space has since been excavated and reconstructed as needed and is still used as a synagogue space today.

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

What is your opinion of the films? How do they add depth to your understanding?

I wish that the video on Shinto/Daoism talked more about architecture like the Judaism one did, though covered a lot but I still have a lot of questions about the construction and design of the buildings they use. Regardless, I learned a lot more in general about the beliefs of each of these religions.

Why did you choose the films that you watched?

I am always interested in learning more about Japanese culture in general, and think the way they use design in architecture is very appealing and quite different from what we see in the states. I am interested in Judaism as whole, so learning more about how theyve created the many different synagogues mentioned in this video was neat. I appreciate the fact that they pull so much inspiration from other cultures and religions to help create the spaces they worship in. The ornate ceilings, stained glass and floors are just phenomenally beautiful. Bright, symmetrical designs from the top of the synagogue to the bottom.

Peer Responses

https://kimberlingomez.blogspot.com/2020/02/module-5.html?showComment=1583720124931#c7122324974519804459

https://kimberlingomez.blogspot.com/2020/02/art-slideshow.html

2. When looking at Project #1: (Elements and Principles), did you agree with the element or principle the artist listed with the images? Did you see other elements and principles in the images?

I agree with the photos she chose to use, some of them probably could have even been used to show more than one principle or element. She did a great job of working with her surroundings and finding all of these things close to home.

3. When looking at Project #2: Where there any images in the Peer Blogs the same as your own? If yes, what were they? Where the reasons the image was selected the same or different as your own?

Sadly, I have yet to complete this assignment so none of them were the same as the ones that I have not posted.

4. Where there any images that your Peers selected that pique your interest now? If yes, what are they and what is your connection with them? What would you want to know about them?

I'd like to know more about Charles Burchfield so i guess those were most interesting for me. I don't dislike his work but I've seen a few in person and they just never seem to keep my attention so perhaps if I knew more about him or his process it would have more of a lasting impact on me.

https://findingsthroughart.blogspot.com/2020/02/module-5.html?showComment=1583720409099#c6133590424011219846

https://findingsthroughart.blogspot.com/2020/02/blog-post.html?showComment=1583720694922#c7543758801115339788

2. When looking at Project #1: (Elements and Principles), did you agree with the element or principle the artist listed with the images? Did you see other elements and principles in the images?

The images she used were fantastic and I defintely agree with the elements and principles they chose to use for each image. Some of them had more than a few elements in each photo but I think they chose the strongest ones for each.

3. When looking at Project #2: Where there any images in the Peer Blogs the same as your own? If yes, what were they? Where the reasons the image was selected the same or different as your own?

Again, I'm behind and have yet to complete this assignment but the pieces she chose from the Andy Warhol Museum were very interesting and always seem to stick with me. 

4. Where there any images that your Peers selected that pique your interest now? If yes, what are they and what is your connection with them? What would you want to know about them?

I would like to know more about the "Skulls" painting or to see it in real life, I feel like that tends to make more of an impact than seeing a photo of a work. 

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

As soon as I catch up I'll be sure to update this.

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

M6 : Video Review

3. What is your opinion of the films? How do they add depth to understanding of the themes/topics for this week?

1.

Beyond the Classical : Byzantine and Later Greek Art

This video spoke about churches and Greek Orthodox and it's affect on the culture of the country. Icon's were popular during this time, and religious paintings were a bulk of what was being created. Paintings had a lot of 2 dimensional elements and artists in that area still practice and perfect this style of painting.the temple of zeus and other structures in the area were popular visit spots during "Grand Tours" rich folks would take during this time. Neo-classical architecture-> authority and grandeur. The Royal Exchange and Bank of England were built in this style.

The Greek Awakening : Art from the 5th Century BC

The 6th and 5th centuries were when the Great Awakening took place. The people of Greece won against eh Persians and had a newly found sense of confidence that was reflecting in the work that they made. The Parthenon was always a religious place, whether it was a Christian Church or an Islamic Mosque. In 1975 they began construction and preservation work to try and save some of these larger structures. The Parthenon was a symbol of humanism, rationalism, and idealism in 5th century Greece.

The Measure of All Things : Greek Art and the Human Figure

The Acropolis was built and there was an explosion of philosophy, art and architecture. Artists finally discovered the natural form and started creating realistic sculptures rather than stylistic. The Cycladic sculptures are particularly interesting and look very similar to contemporary paintings and sculptures that are familiar to me. This period of time was considered a turning point in western art, a "revolution". The Calf Bearer was an interesting sculpture during this time because it was one of the first to convey movement, he is smiling and spooky but you can tell then what he was intact he and the calf were in motion. Contrary to everything I thought I knew, a lot of Greek sculptures were painted very brightly.Greek culture was the most dominant in the Mediteranean, this was a revolution in art, architecture and humanism.

2.

The videos and readings were slightly similar, though I feel like the readings were a little more detailed about certain information that the videos were not. They touched a lot on cave paintings, the Neolithic Revolution, Ancient Egypt and its influence on Greek and Roman culture.

3.

The films were interesting and slightly familiar to something I've seen in a different class. They spoke a lot about Greek and Roman architecture and how it affected so many cultures after their own, and I think its very apparent that those styles are still seen in a lot of architecture today.

Paint/Pigment Primary Colors

I feel like I've made dozens of color wheels in my life but it has been a bit, it was a nice flashback to Intro Art classes. I don't know that I have a preference, acrylic over pencil, since they're both so different. Paint is definitely much easier to work with but I enjoy the more meticulous and detailed process that a gray-scale requires. The most important discovery during this activity was probably the realization/remembering that "yellow" and "process" yellow etc will yield different end results.I'll be honest, I don't know that much of the information in the video was new but I suppose it was a good way to bring up old ideas that I haven't had to think about it a bit.

Color is the hue,tint,shade,tone etc of an object. I guess after watching this video I know that there is much more to it than that, that science/location/language/age have a big impact on this as well. 

The fact that the people organizing the blocks of color on the wall in any pattern they chose was interesting. Though Beau Lotto didnt mention much about the decisions that people made he did say that he could predict what they were going to do, and I feel like even if the average person didnt think they were putting thought into the spots they were placing the color blocks, even a person without an art degree knows that certain colors look better next to each other than others. That complementary colors exist even if they dont know which ones are which, and that contrasting colors look nicer together. I'd be curious to know the results of this particular experiment.

The part of the video that interested me the most was the experiment they did with the produce and the different blocks of color on the wall behind them. I've definitely seen things like this on social media before, where the color of the light in the space changes and it makes it look like the colors of the object have changed as well, but I've never thought about WHY these things work. It was interesting to hear the a person still sees the banana as yellow because of "object knowledge". We make the banana yellow because we know its supposed to be yellow.

The first video starts off speaking about Picasso's Guernica and whether or not it is art. The gentleman speaking then goes on to discuss different philosophers and their ideas about art and aesthetics. When he got to Plato he mentioned that this philosopher wasn't very interested in art which I guess I was surprised at until I learned more about each of them ( I have zero knowledge of most things having to do with the history of philosophy so this was all new information for me ). He also listed a few quotes that really stuck out to me.

"An artist is an exceptionally sensitive and superior individual" Kant

"Art makes us more human" Schiller

This video does also mentioned 'institutional art'.

The second video was much easier to follow as Ramachandran seemed much more enthusiastic about his work and the research he was presenting. Ramachandran speaks about art and science and their connection and said "Art is about asserting individuality, science is about discovering universal principles". I also thought his research about which areas of the brain react to what sort of stimulation when it comes to a work of art was interesting.

The article speaks very specifically about different works of art and explains why we see certain things differently. Why Mona Lisa's smile appears to move, why shadows and mirrors need to be represented differently ina painting than they are in real life, why value is so important and became such a big part of works that were being made. They also mentioned the importance of symmetry and mentioned that anything that is symmetrical is usually alive, and our systems are hard-wired to alert us to the possibility of a living thing. 

Some of it was difficult for me to grasp, I do think that Kant's theories on aesthetics seemed most important, though the quote that Changeux presented with is really what Im basing it on when it comes to this 18th century philosopher.

Ramachandran was much easier to follow and seemed to be tackling a lot of interesting research as he related his background in neuroscience to art and aesthetics.

The first video was rather dry and hard to follow as a person who doesnt know much about philosophy, but overall the topics they covered were interesting. Its never crossed my mind to think more about the question "What is art?" or "What makes this art?" but both Changeux and Ramachandran are both trying to answer that question with science as best they can.