... Life with a POP...

The art curator is the medium between the artist and the viewers. You have to inform the viewers of what the artist means through their art. Communicate with an exhibition design team to design exhibitions. Curators do a lot of independent research to learn more about the art they are working with and the artists that made the art. This helps the curator understand the art and how to design it within an exhibition so it flows well. I thought the themes that Wayne Baerwaldt pointed out helped with my art exhibit because he outlined what a good exhibit would have, how it is organized, and what points to always keep in mind when setting up a design. Felicity Fenner discussed all the organization necessary to create and open an art exhibition. Fenner also talked about the choice and the meanings of the name of the exhibition. The name reveals what the art exhibition will be about before the viewers even see the art. The name also alludes to the theme of the exhibition. This is a key factor that must be thought out because without a proper name the exhibit may not feel coherent. Some curators deal with just the history of an artwork to set up an exhibit. Peter Alter is a curator for museums, so finding out all the history about a piece of art is a must.

This project opened my eyes to how much work an art exhibition could be. Since I based my theme off of an art movement and how it affected life I needed to know the reason why artists such a Lichtenstein and Warhol created these art works. It was also essential to know what time period these paintings were done in because Pop art is all about taking the normal and ordinary items at the time and turn them into something different. It was easy to find the paintings and prints, however it was difficult to connect them into one cohesive exhibit.

... Guess what!!...

Here are two more video reviews!

The video Expressionism explores the emotions that are expressed in the art style Expressionism. Many paintings such as Ashes, or Scream by Edward Munch, use colors and facial expressions to create emotions within the painting. This emotion is a pessimistic view of woman, passions, and the world. He once said “In my art I tried to clarify life and its meaning to me”. This is perfect example of the definition of Expressionism. Similar to Munch, the German artist Osloo Franz Marc’s uses color to express emotion. The Blue Horse is an example of color used to take a subject of out its natural environment and transport it into its own world. A blue horse is not natural in the real world, which is exactly what Marc wants to portray. Expressionism also uses abstract forms which can make objects resemble another symbolic object or to dull the shape to enforce the meaning behind the object. Die Brucke Kirchner’s work shows how an artist’s style is able to change throughout the years. A painting of his peers uses a blue color scheme and somewhat realistic faces. However when he moved to Berlin his style changed to short brush stokes as well as jagged and pointed forms as seen in Five Woman in the Streets. I chose this video because I wanted to learn more than what I read within the chapter. Also, I found it very interesting to see different artist pieces that use the same style. Comparing the art works make understanding expressionism easier because I am able to see how and why the artist chose to express himself in that way. I believe this video was very insightful.

The video Dada and Surrealism explores the two styles, the artist who created to art, the worldly situations that influenced the art, and the materials that were used. Dada is anti everything, especially war. Much of the Dada work was done in and after World War 1. Kurt Schwitter denied he was a Dada artist, however his work reflects the basic elements of the art style. His collage Merbild 25 used paper clippings, a name of a politician and an old tin can lid. Dada is used as a revolt against modern society and glorifies the everyday items. Schwitters used these objects not to conform to Dada but what he could find after Germany was brought to destruction because of the war. Surrealism is an art form that is unnatural and is meant to explore to deepest darkest layers of the human unconscious. This can be seen in Salvador Dali’s The Burning Giraffe. This painting is of abstract human forms with drawers on their legs and is held up by stick supports. This is a vision from a nightmare and pictures civilization as it reached decay. The landscape which is seen in many of Dali’s paintings derive from his own home in Northern Spain, however here it is turned into a barren waist land. I thought this video did a very good job in explaining the meaning and craziness behind the Dada and Surrealism movements. Every detail was examined and combined showed the hidden message behind the abstract paintings. The symbolism used in each movement reveal details about the artists feelings about the current time they were living in and their opinions. I thought this video did a great job taking the information within the chapter and relating it to various artists of the time. I like to gaze upon Surrealism paintings because they are always so mysterious to me and I like to try and figure them out. I though this video was very inspiring and I especially enjoyed the segment on Dali.

... Hands!...

For this project I was asked to sketch each of my hands. I am not a good drawer, however I do try! I created this picture with a charcoal pencil and a piece of computer paper. Here are my hands:

I started with the left hand because my right hand is the dominant hand. I think I did a pretty good job at getting the basic shape of my hand down. Drawing my right hand was very difficult. I do not have a strong control over my left hand and it was hard to begin drawing my right hand. I had to erase more than I had to when drawing my left hand. It was uncomfortable at first, however I was able to slow down and get a somewhat basic outline of my hand. I did a better job drawing when I was drawing with my dominant hand than when I was drawing with my non-dominate hand. I enjoyed the challenge of drawing with my left hand and I would like to start using it more so I can have more control over both hands.

... My Mask...

These are the masks that I found inspirational:

When I was looking for masks I googled American Indian Masks. I did this because I am a Tuscaroran and when I have an opportunity to explore my roots more I go for it. I like these masks because the bold, outlined color on the mask gives it body and livelihood. The lines used on these masks are thick and each mask is symmetrical which gives the pieces balance.

For my mask I decided to do a turtle mask. The turtle is a part of my clan and is a part of my life through my Grandmother and my father. Here is my sketch:

Here is my final mask:

I made this out of a paper plate and smaller paper plates. Then I painted it with acrylic paints. I liked the dark think lines present on the inspirational masks so I used them to highlight the eyebrows and mouth. I used green, phyllo green, and lemon yellow to shade the mask. I put phyllo green semi-circles around the edge of the mask to create texture, they are supposed to resemble scales. I made each side as symmetrical as possible to create balance within my mask.

I have never made a mask before so this is my first experience. I like to express my ethnicity through my artwork, however I feel this resembles a mutant ninja turtle more than a Native American mask. I am fine with this because I used to watch that show all the time so this mask is also embracing my past. I love being creative and this project was fun to complete!

... My thoughts about the Universe...

JUST KIDDING! Here are some more video reviews:
  The video Buddhism is about the conception of the religion, the sacred places and objects that were created by people of the past, and how to reach enlightenment through the eightfold path. Buddhism is a religion that practiced attachment to material goods which will enlighten the soul and end the cycle of life, death, and rebirth into nirvana. My favorite quote from Buddha was “all compounds will wear out, walk out your own way with diligence”. Buddhist art and architecture played an important role in Buddhism because temples were used to pray and meditate and stories where told through reliefs and sculptures. Temples would often use gate ways to tell stories of Buddha, who was mainly shown in animal form, and stories of his life and journey to enlightenment. The reliefs were supported by two wooden post that gave the structure support. I thought this movie helped support the information within the chapters and it made understanding the connection between the art and architecture used and the religion of Buddhism. I chose this video because I am very interested in the religion. I believe detaching your self from all the material goods that are offered today can bring enlightenment. Cell phones, televisions, and computers are all objects that distract people from everyday life. Without these distractions one is able to see the beauties and wonder of the nature world and are one step closer to enlightenment.

The video Hinduism discussed the origin of Hinduism, religious ceremonies, and art and architecture that is connected to this religion. Hinduism is a polytheistic religion which can be seen by sculptures, murals, and paintings that tell the story of the gods and goddess. Hindu temples are small and are more like shrines; however they are always decorated with sculptures of gods and goddesses. Similar to Buddhism, Hinduism believes that life has been going forever and will continue with birth, death, and reincarnation and detachment to the material world will release you from this cycle. Everything in Hinduism is symbolic, such as the Ganges River symbolizes life and death, the endless cycle. At the end of the Ganges River there is a relief that describes the story of the miracle. This story is about a holy man asking the goddess Shiva to bless the people of Earth with a river that will nourish them. This is carved right into the rock face and contains sculptures of people, animals, and the goddess herself. This symbolic stone sculptures continue into caves where the natural formation of the rock is turned into Hindu art. A major leap forward in Hindu architecture is when shrines were made out of stone instead of wood. Many of the techniques of building and ornaments such as reliefs were translated into stone work. I found this video to be very insightful when relating the art and architecture to the Hinduism. It was nice to read about this religion in the book and see how the sculptures directly relate the Hinduism in the video. I chose this video because I did not know much about this religion and I found it very interesting and insightful.

... Videos continued...

After watching the video Leonardo da Vinci: The Mind of the Renaissance, I am able to understand the impact the Renaissance had on da Vinci and how da Vinci have an influence on the Renaissance. Leonardo da Vinci was born in 1452, on the 15^th of April, which was in the midst of the Renaissance. From a very early age he began to show desires of comprehension and studies nature, human movement, and the motion of the soul. He was the first to make a landscape the focal point of a painting. Da Vinci goes from the fine arts to mechanical arts, studying machines in order to make them better. He illustrated the machines and its parts then builds them. Da Vinci was able to be a complete artist, learning drawing, painting, sculpture, and mastering mechanics. Music also played an important role within da Vinci’s life. I found this movie insightful and allowed me to get into the mind of a Renaissance artist. Leonardo da Vinci was an incredible man with many talents which he expressed through every medium. I found this movie gave me the inspirations and muses that the Renaissance artists used during this time. Hearing personal accounts straight from the writings of da Vinci allowed me to understand what type of person he was and how he was able to conceive such a large collection of writings, paintings, and blue prints. I picked this video to watch because I have always been interested in da Vinci and his life.

In the video The Drawings of Michelangelo, went through the drawings that Michelangelo did in order to start his master pieces. These drawings were the beginning stages of his master pieces, however they reveal more than the finished pieces of art. Michelangelo destroyed many of his drawings because he was a perfectionist and he did not want anyone to see his hesitations and mistakes. Through his drawings I am able to see the influences and similarities Michelangelo had with other artists of his time. The drawings open up the mind of Michelangelo. They show how he thought, prepared his works, and how he liked to draw. This video related to the chapters because it discussed the ideal body, the preparation and execution of a piece of art, and how the artist was influenced by many people and cultures when training and producing art. I picked this video because like da Vinci I am very interested in Michelangelo’s work because he was such a talented man. He was able to draw, paint, and sculpt a human body so life like as well as taking careful consideration about where the sculpture will be placed and the light that will hit the piece.

... even more VIDEOS...

The video A Word Inscribed: The Illuminated Manuscript discussed the tradition and importance of monks, artists, and booksellers in medieval times. Many people could not read or write in the middle ages, except for monks. The only ones that could read and write were monks because the monasteries were the intellectual centers within the time. Each book was copied by hand in bad conditions. The main objectives of the monks were to preserve and pass on the information within the books saying, “Writers write so the future may learn”. Reprinting a book would take years and the monks had to withstand sitting for hours. Books did not only contain writings of past and present knowledge, but were decorated by artists of the time. The pictures in the luxury books would depict riddles and situations the artist found fitting. The scribes, artists and booksellers had a playful and symbiotic relationship. Each book was carefully written, decorated by scenes, and sold by popular booksellers. This movie was insightful when it can to the passing of knowledge from one age to the next. I chose this movie to watch because I was aware that these fancy books that were created but I was unaware of the history behind them. I now see how the monks dedicated their lives in order to complete books in perfect form. Artists were able to create humors scenes and poke fun at the scribe in some books. This view inside a monk’s world and reading chapter 14 and 15 in the book allows me to have a better appreciation for what they went through in order to make these works of art.

More Human Than Human is a video about the relationship between art and humans. Art is an expression of feelings, reality, and the spiritual world. The perception if the human eye and the vision the human brain allows us to see is what makes art so fascinating.  The Venus of Willendorf is a prime example of how early humans made unrealistic representations of other humans. This figure is very non proportional, having the woman’s mid-section and breasts are emphasized and the arms and face are nonexistent. One theory for this exaggeration in the human form would be to emphasis the desirable body parts. Since the hunters and gatherers were living in an ice age, larger, fattier bodies were more desirable. Egyptians were the next civilization that used the human body in most of their art pieces. However, the Egyptian depictions of humans were very proportional to the natural human body. This being said the drawings of Egyptians are still very unrealistic when it comes to the human body. Egyptian painters and carvers would carve each limb, head, and body in its clearest form. The head is profile while the fount of the body is shown. This is because each human figure was designed and produce by a grid system. When many different carvings were compared using the same grid, they all matched. This is consistent with the order and consistency the Egyptian people lived their life with. This is different from the Paleolithic interpretation of the human figure because this way of designing was based from the Egyptian culture. The Ancient Greek civilization developed a whole new vision of the human body. They believed that gods and goddesses took human form and when they did they have perfect bodies. Therefore people of that age were not shy about showing they figures, which can be seen in many realistic sculptures. It was not until the Greeks and the Egyptians started trading and exchanging ideas such as masonry when the ancient Greek sculptures began to become life size and more realistic then ever. But when realism became too boring it was only natural for the Greeks to exaggerate the human form. This led to sculptures that were well defined, muscular, and detailed, but in no way could ever be a real human form. I thought this movie explained the evolution of the human form in an artistically way in a very different approach. Picking up on key details and thinking like the people who made the art pieces reveal what kind of culture they live in and how they view the natural world. I think this evolution of art was complimentary with chapters 14 and 15 in the book. Reading the history behind the art works and seeing the theories and developments within the human race make understanding the value of art much clearer.

... More MOVIES...

The key concepts in the movie Last Call for Planet Earth: Sustainable Development and Architecture are the fight against global warming and how through architecture we can stop this change in climate and destruction to our planet. Energy can be reduced by 20-30% by building energy efficient buildings out of planet friendly materials and energy efficient equipment. Green architecture is the only way we as humans can continuing living on this planet because it will ensure harmony between humans and Earth. By building homes that have strategically placed windows to follow the pattern of the sun in order to heat the structure is a simple way to build green. However the modern technology we have to capture solar or wind power should be used in every building, because the way we harness and use energy currently is killing out planet. The green architecture movement can be applied to homes as well as cities. As stated in the movie 75% of all carbon emissions happen within cities. In order to stop this, a city must be conceptualized to be a city that works from the planet, being charged by the sun capturing solar energy and understanding that sustainability is the balance between what is saved and what is wasted. I thought this movie was very insightful expressing ideas on how to become a sustainable race, and all the different techniques and innovations architects have thought of which will bring us closer to symbiotic relationship with our planet. I chose this video because I agree very much with the idea of living with and from the planet. I believe our race has separated itself from the planet, being trapped by all the material goods and useless technology we have created. Planet Earth is the only planet that humans are able to survive on; therefor it is all of our jobs to keep this planet healthy and living. The road we are on now is destroying our only home we have in this universe. By living a simpler life, using less and reusing more, and buying and selling locally will help our planet recover from the destruction we have caused.

The second video I have chosen to watch is called Architecture: The Science of Design. The key concepts within this movie are the development of cities in response to new materials, over population, and techniques of constructing. The sky scraper is made up in two parts, the super structure, which is the main part above the ground and the substructure, which is the support system in the foundation. The substructure must support the deadweight, which is the weight of the interior shell, and the living weight, the items that fill the spaces, as well as battle the outside environment. This movie also bright to light the technologies and techniques used to plan and develop a high rise building within a certain area. One technique used in planning a high rise building within a city is to build a small scale model of the building and the city. With this the building can be tested to see if it will be able to with stand winds and other natural occurrences it might have to undergo within that area. A probe is then circulated around the building and its surroundings to collect data which is then transferred to a computer to be analyzed. This technique is used to find out what structural form the building must have and any other characteristic the building must have in order to be safe and sound. I found this movie helped reinforce the principles of architecture described in the book and bring to life the ideas and conceptions behind ancient and modern day architecture.   

... Peer Review...

These are my peer’s blogs I reviewed for this blog post:

http://romonelewis65.blogspot.com/2013_06_01_archive.html

http://kubikbblog.blogspot.com/search?updated-min=2013-01-01T00:00:00-08:00&updated-max=2014-01-01T00:00:00-08:00&max-results=7

After looking at two of my peer’s blog post and reviewing the two projects, a picture slideshow on the elements and principles of design and the art gallery visit, I feel as if I am on the right track. I thought the slideshows I reviewed were unique to the individual, as well as expressive both personally and academically. The first slideshow I viewed used household objects to express the elements and principles of design. I thought every picture that was paired with and element or principle was successful. I also like how the pictures were of everyday objects. The second slideshow I viewed was worldlier, since most of the pictures were taken in Europe. I thought this was a great idea because Europe is where many of these elements and principles were used, especially in the time of the Renaissance. What was even more spectacular was the fact that many of these pictures contained thousands of years old artifact and building, all of which have a story behind them. It was very inspirational to view the pictures and make the connection between them and the element and principle they were paired with. Many of the pictures did contain many examples of different elements and principles; however the one they were paired with was the most prominent characteristic within the picture.

For project two I was only able to view one blog posting, my other peer has not published her work yet. The one I did view did not have any pictures that were the same as mine, which made me very happy because I found some art work that I very much enjoyed and have never seen before.  I do not think the reasons these pictures were selected were the same as mine because we are two different people and have different reasons and opinions for our thoughts and reasoning. I do understand why he picked the piece of art he did and I think the reasoning behind his choices reveal more about him as a person, mainly his likes and dislikes. I enjoyed the pieces of art he connected to because many of them were very detailed and pleasing to look at. I thought Untitled, by Charlotte Spaulding Albright was the print I connection to the most. I like how I can look at this picture then see the backyard at my father’s house, and where I grew up for 20 years of my life. It also intrigued me that this print had no title. I think the artist left this print untitled because there is and there cannot be a title for this. It is a picture that is intended to bring up memories which will be unique to everyone. If you put a name on this print it will identify a certain place, and the nostalgia of remembering a place like this in your childhood would be lost. With more information about the artist and inspiration behind this piece I could see if my hypothesis is correct or not.

I thought the peer reflections were very mind opening and enlightening. After reviewing all of this art and seeing and felling the art, I want to share this experience with other people, as well as hear about their experience. I believe this is a good way to really understand meanings behind the art and validate your impressions on the art. Examining art is a good way to analyze your impressions on the world and it

Unfortunately I have not received any comments, however I am looking forward to them!

... Videoooos...

The video Through the Eyes of the Sculptor, follows a master artist and his developing a passion for sculpting throughout his life, as well as reveals the mass amounts of work that has to be done in harvesting the marble. Quarrying is the act of extracting stone out of the Earth. In order to sculpt a whole work force of quarry men are needed. When the stone is extracted the artist must come and choose the right block, banging the marble block can revel cracks within the stone therefor a skilled ear is a must. Then the sculpture travels among many sculptures hands, first being small clay sculpture to plaster, and finally marble. The video also discussed the relationship between the quarry men, the marble, and the sculpture. Reading chapter 11 allowed me to see how each item used reacts and changes during the sculpting process and paired with this movie I am able to see how everything comes together in order to make a beautiful piece of fine art. I thought this video gave a deeper look into the passion and inspiration the sculptor feels about his work. I have always seen marble sculptures and thought they were all mass produced therefor I did not look into them very much. Now that I know how much work goes into harvesting the stone, then going through the whole process from clay to plaster ending in marble is I have a new appreciation for the sculptures.

The film Glass and Ceramics, discusses the difference and similarities of glass and ceramics, and the origin and development of these two materials. Glass is made from silica, which is sand, and is heated up to a molten state. From here additives such as oyster shells can be added to help stabilize the glass crystallization structure as it cools. Molten glass is then shaped into the desired form through blowing or hand shaping with tool such as a marver. Then the glass is cooled within a kiln until all the crystal structures have reformed, producing a hard, and durable glass sculpture. Ceramics is similar to glass in which it must be heated up to break down the crystals. Ceramics are made from clay which is a rock which is grinded down and mixed with water, producing slit. It is pressed and rolled into lags which are then ready to be molded or sculpt. The item must be fired or heated to a high temperature which is very important in giving the item their durable and strong characteristics. Glass and ceramics play of vital role in our lives affecting almost every aspect such as technology, architecture, and the medical field. Chapter 11 and 12 gave me more insight on where these items originated and how these items are fine art as well as crafts.

The video Installation Art discussed the evolution of instillation art through the years. How taking everyday objects and see them as fine piece of art, changing facade of building to create a moving piece of artwork and how this fascination with the ordinary everyday life led to art movements such as pop art. As see in chapter 11 instillation art can be draping a nylon curtain between two mountains in Colorado like Christo and Jeanne- Claude did. Video instillation is becoming very popular as well. Site specific art is a form of art where the meaning would be useless if that art piece was not in that specific location.  Video and visual performances are used to invoke emotion by showing everyday objects or situations or streaming a video on a corner distorting the images. I have seen this style of artwork at the Albright Knox on my visit and I did not understand them. However, after reading these chapters and watching the video I have a better understanding of the vision and creativity these artist have and the amount of determination to succeed in this labor demanding art form. I also realized that I was supposed to interact with instillation art in order to understand it. After see the example in the video I see how my interactions with the artwork while viewing the artwork will help me develop a meaning to the piece.

... Pears...

For this project I was asked to make a logo that best expressed me. After watching the videos I realized how each company wanted to stick to their original, unique identity. The video, Graphic Design: What's in a Logo, showed me how hard it is to make a logo that represents the company. I see how hard it is for people to create ideas for companies then get turned down instantly because it was not what the company wanted. However, for this project it was easy for me to create my own logo because I knew exactly what would express my identity and my unique personality. In the video, Bottled Up: Repackaging the Brand , helped me understand how you can take an original idea and jazz it up to make it even better. Both of these movies opened my eyes up to the creative and development process.

Therefore, I began brainstorming ideas. After visiting the Albright Knox gallery, I was feeling very nostalgic. As I wrote my other blog, as well as this one, I remembered a time in 2003 where I painted a very special painting to me. I always had a thing about drawing pears. I love the shape, the curves and the look of it. It feels good and easy draw and it is my favorite color: green. The first thing I thought of when I was asked to design a logo was this picture I did in my 8th grade studio art class:

This was one of my first paintings of a pear! I do not know why I like painting pears so much but I remember this day perfectly. I was very proud that I was able to paint such a lovely looking pear. Then I was inspired to paint another:

These two pictures were the fundemental element that inspired my logo. I felt comfortable with the pear and it was happy to be drawn by me. The video, Graphic Design: What"s in a Logo showed how desginers would come up with plenty of unique and inpired designs and the company would dig through and picked out just one idea. In my opinion I saw that as a simple organic design. It was not my favorite one, but seeing the logo on the company door connected that picture to an idea. I see this as a good description of my relationship with pear. Therefore I started to doodle:

1.

2.

3.

4.

That is my final logo. Seeing it now I have mixed feelings. I like what it represents, but the rainbow is a little cliché. This pear is a representation of my personality, ethnicity, and profession. My personality is colorful, strange, and simplistic. The pear is an everyday object; something that everyone can relate to, which I feel can express me. I am always in an optimistic mood; I am always bright and colorful. The feather represents (another cliché) my American Indian ethnicity. My Grandmother is a full blooded Tuscarora tribe member and I have grown up with a lot of feathers in my life because of her. The dark part of the pear to supposed look like it was made of dark chocolate. I have found a new passion when I obtained my most recent job at a Niagara Falls Culinary Institute. I work as a pastry cook under one of the sweetest, inspirational, genius chef. She had become a mentor as well as a wonderful friend. I was not knowledgeable in the pastry arts when I started, however through a lot of hard work and the training with my dearest chef lady I became responsible for all of the chocolate production. It was a great achievement in my life and I am happy I have developed a love for it. This paitning represents all of me and I am very proud I produced this.

... Art Gallery Exploration #1...

For this project I needed to go to an art gallery and answer three questions about some pieces of art work I observed. I want to the Albright Art Gallery in Buffalo, NY, one I am very familiar with. I have been there many times, some of the times on school field trips and others for personal entertainment. I am in love with this art gallery. First you are greeted by fashionable receptionist that welcomes you with open arms, and then you are freed to explore the gallery starting in any which way you want. I observed all of the paintings and sculptures on the first floor than made my way to the second floor for more wonders.

 The first question I was asked to answer was: Which artworks make an impact or impression on me? Why? For this question I walked around the first floor, observing every painting and sculpture, then making a second round and finally choosing two artworks that I thought best answered this question. The first artwork was a painting by Clyfford Still called, Gift of the Artist, oil on canvas, produced in 1946, and is shown here:

I chose this as the first painting that really made an impression on me because as I stared into the deep, rich yellow and an overwhelming sense of calmness came over me. I had just taken a math exam right before I came to the gallery, so I was a little stressed out. The different shades of yellow and the small pop of blue at the bottom makes me feel a warm and comforted. I felt happy and relieved when I saw this picture the first time and was pleasantly happy laying my eyes on it the second time around.

The second painting that made an impression on me was a painting by Gustave Courbet called, La Source de la Loue, oil on canvas, produced in 1864, and is shown here:

I was compelled to investigate this painting because after feeling so uplifted from the last painting I needed something to bring me back to finding out the mystery of art. The last painting was a simple color that was bright and cheery; however this painting shows the mouth of a cave that is dark and mysterious. As I ponder the meaning behind this picture, I begin to think about the meaning behind my thought about this and the last picture. How can I go from feeling calm, and splendid, to wondering what horrors lay at the end of that watery cave? This is what impressed me the most about this painting. Not only did it open my mind to what is in the cave, I was asking myself, what is at the end of my cave? Of my mind? I love pictures that make you think. 

The next question I was asked to answer was: Which artworks do I feel a connection with? Why? Being a longtime patron of this art gallery I already knew which artworks I had deep connections with. The most influential and important art piece that I adore was not there. It was heartbreaking. I searched and searched, but I could not find it. Maybe someday I will have time to talk about it, but for now I will stay on topic. The first painting I felt a strong connection with was painted by Giacomo Bella called, Dinamismodium un Cane al Guinzaglio (Dynamisiom of a Dog on a Leash), oil on canvas, produced in 1912, and is shown here:

As I gazed into this picture I remembered a simpler time, the 8th grade, when I was in studio art with one of my very best friend named David. I cherish this man. He has been one of my best friends from grade 4 until now, and I love him very much. I made such a connection with this painting because I have seen it many times within my life. The first time I have ever seen this was when David recreated it in studio art class. David was the smartest man alive at this point and told me everything he possibly could about this piece of art. This painting captures something very hard when it comes to painting, and that is motion. David was excited to recreate this painting and I was able to share in this excitement. I believe this is why I love this painting so much.

The second piece of artwork that I was able to make a connection with was produced by Roy Lichtenstein called, Explosion from Portfolio 9, linthograph, produced in 1967, and is shown here:

 As mentioned earlier in this blog Roy Lichtenstein and his art pieces have influenced me much of my life. One summer I printed as many Lichtenstein paintings as my printer could, cut them out, and made a mural of pop art on one of my bedroom walls. I love the way he takes everyday objects and put them into a comic environment, using colored dots to fill in the color, and using word bubbles to narrate the image. For this question I could have picked any of the paintings that were being shown in the POP Art display on the second floor, but this print caught my eye because of something I learned in this class. While studying this print I was 47/100 penciled in at the bottom left corner. Before this class I would have disregarded this, however now I am able to say with confidence that that was the 47th print out of an edition of 100. I like how this print was able to connect with my extreme life a funky images and the knowledge I am obtaining through my education.

The last question I was asked to answer was: Which artworks would I like to know more about? This was an easy question to answer because I stumbled upon two pieces of artwork that I found completely confusing. The first piece of artwork was painted by Tauba Auerbach, this piece was untitled, acrylic on canvas, and produced in 2012, and is shown here:



Now let me rephrase the medium in which this PAINTING is made out of: Acrylic on canvas. How the heck did this man create a painting that looks like a very beautiful crumpled piece of green paper? The texture Auerbach was able to create with acrylic paint is remarkable. I found myself one foot away trying to examine how through color and shades this effect of wrinkles could be produced by paint. I would love to see more paintings by Auerbach, and learned how he is able to produce such textured paintings.

The second piece of artwork that I would love to know more about would be the sculpture by Marcel Duchamp called, Why not Sneeze Rose Selavy?, made out of marble cubes, thermometer, metal cage, perches, and cuttlebones, produced in 1964, and shown here:

The reason why I chose this sculpture that I wanted to know more about is because I have no clue what this sculpture is or its meaning. I literally have no perceived message from looking at this. I like this sculpture a lot, but I am not able to produce an opinion on what meaning this could have or why it was made. I believe if I were to research the history of  Duchamp and get some background information I would be able to form a better opinion on this piece than I am able to do now. Yet again, I love pieces of art that make you think…

... Exploration of Color and Values...

For this project I was asked to make a simple color wheel and a value scale. When I first read this I thought it was going to be easy because I have always loved to draw and paint even more so, therefore I saw myself as a professional. The value scale was not hard to create. I made a 10' x 1' rectangle and created ten 1 inch squares within the rectangle. I started at the left and finished at the very right, which corresponded with the values black to white. It was a little difficult to gauge how dark squares 2-9 should be, but I believe I accomplished the task with some accuracy. Here is my value scale:

I used a graphite pencil to make this value scale.

The color wheel was a whole different story. As shown in the movie, I was under the impression red, blue and yellow were the primary colors. However, after watching the video I was able to see much clearly how magenta, cyan, and yellow ere the actual primary colors. When red, blue, and yellow were mixed in order to create the secondary colors, the colors turned out darker and clouded compared to the mix of magenta, cyan, and yellow. I thought this was eye opening because I have always thought that red, blue, and yellow were the primary colors, and in reality they are not. This discovery was most shocking.

I was able to obtain Daler and Rowney Process Cyan 120, Liquitex Deep Magenta, series 3, and the Fine Touch yellow. I should have probably red the outline of this project and watched the youtube video Color Theory 2 before I went and bought the supplies for this project because I bought the wrong magenta. My color wheel turned out ok, but I know that the magenta I bought was the wrong color therefore throwing off my colors a little. The red and blue are too dark; however the green is right on. Here is my color wheel:

I was unable to rotate this picture it was supposed to be seen in a landscape view. The color block below the cyan is supposed to be blue, however the picture the camera capture makes it look like black, and in person the block looks like a deep purple. The block of color in the very left column should have been red, however it looks like a dingey orange. Watching the video and creating a very bad representation of a color wheel allowed me to understand the colors a little bit more. I have always loved to paint, but I would often end up extremely frustrated because the colors were not correct. I even remember a time when I attempted to paint my living room a mustard yellow but ended up buying a bright orange. I do not know what I was thinking at the store, it was an awful decision. However, through this journey of color I am able to understand what makes up color, the pigments that are used in paint to create each color, and how I am able to perceive color. Hopefully this new insight will help me make better color decisions in the future.

Like I said before I was always prefered painting over drawing. I like the way paint blends with other paint so easily and the endless shades of colors you can obtain with little paint color selections. When I was at the store buying the project supplies I also bought three canvases, a bag of brushes, and an acrylic paint set. This project has been inspiring.

... The Elements and Principles of Art and Design, by Grace...

Exploring the world through the elements and principles of the art and design by photography opened my eyes to everyday works of art. I was able to take all of my pictures this beautiful Sunday morning, through afternoon with my mother in Lewiston. We participated in the Lewiston Tour of Kitchens, which featured homes that were open for viewing paired with local restaurants that supplied samples of delicious cuisines. Before leaving the house I made a list of the elements and principles of art and I was able to steal my sister’s camera for the day. We were able to capture pictures on the way there and at every stop on the kitchen trail. Surviving many dropped samples and creatively set tablescapes, we were able to capture simple every day pictures that explored one of the elements or principles of art and design. I have to thank my mother for many of the pictures. She is a creative, wonderful woman who inspires more than just beautiful pictures!

I captured all of the pictures on a Canon Power Shot camera. This camera was very easy to use and it took great pictures. I was able to get very clear close ups and distant action pictures with ease and accuracy. My mother and I searched for anything that represented an element or a principle of art and took pictures of it in different angles and distances. Then I was able to upload and sort the pictures that I thought best represented an element or principle. I found it was easy to express these traits of design through simple, everyday life. My favorite picture is Space. This picture shows two barn swallows sitting on the power lines with the Niagara River flowing through the background. The open space makes the viewer immediately focus on the two birds, and the distance between the two birds allows the viewer to examine each on closely.

Here here my album.

http://s1302.photobucket.com/user/plattgm01/slideshow/Elements%20and%20Principles

I was unfortunalty not able to embed my slide show within this blog. I tried all the directions given and even looked for outside help and I was not able to find a solution.

... Chapter Two...

Color is an odd element of art that is used to make the art visually appealing as well as influence emotion. What makes color so unique is the fact that nothing really has color, it is just reflected light rays. This can be clearly demonstrated with crystals my mother used to hang in the window or the use of prisms. Prisms have the ability to take white light, or light with no defining color to our eyes, and refract the light into the colors we see. This was discovered by Sir Isaac Newton with his experiments using sunlight and prisms. We are able to see objects such as a yellow car because light that is hitting the car is being absorbed by it, all but the yellow lights. Therefore this gives us the impression that that car is yellow. It is bizarre and intriguing to me that color is just light being reflected or refracted a certain way. It just goes to prove how the human body perceives the world and how art has such an effect on our brains as our brains have an effect on art.

Color is more to art then making the art piece visually appealing, it has the ability to enhance or inspire emotion. To some people blue is used to stand for sadness, however for others blue can stand for stability and order, therefore color is subjective to one’s personal feelings and cultural feelings.  For example red, white and blue is symbolic to American because that signifies freedom and patriotism. To other people around the world these colors can mean something very different to them. Color has the capability to enhance a strong emotional connecting with a certain place. For instance the video Color (digital.films.com) , explained a pictured painted by Vincent Van Gogh.  In this picture the clash of the colors red and green are supposed to represent terrible, maddening feelings the inside of a small café gave him. To Van Gogh this color scheme was perfectly normal because he was representing his own feelings through his color choices.

The video Color, discussed the history of paint and color dating back to the renaissance age. This video discussed how paint made in this era was a combination of raw materials from the Earth and different techniques when manipulating these items into pain. Beetles were crushed up to make a bright red pigment, while lapis, which is a semi-precious stone, makes an intense blue color. When the paint was finished before the time a metal tubes painters would use pig bladders in order to hold and maintain their paints. This is all fascinating because painters in that era would have to derive their materials from the Earth which would give emotional connections to the process of making art in addition to seeing the finished product.

The video Feelings: Emotions and Art (digital.films.com) focused on the Renaissance era as well as focused on two painters Francisco Goya (1746-1888) and Jacques Louis David (1748-1825). These two artist were the exact opposite when it came to their paintings, however they did share a common thought about the times they were living in. Goya tended to show the darker side of people. With his use of dark tones, shadows, and weird facial expressions Goya was able to represent the monstrous side of people, the unwanted side. His “black paintings” were especially dark with one or two color differences which indicated dark and sinister meanings. Goya represented how reason and knowledge will lead to truly knowing oneself but unreason will always be there through his dark and depressing color choices as well as subject matter. David on the other hand believed humans were not constricted by a gods will but believed in the higher values with man himself. His paintings were to invoke emotions that were motivating and were meant to mirror a man’s noble soul. His realistic way of painting showed he believed religion was irrational and no god’s will were more important than human feelings. Both artists were able to invoke emotions with the use of color by connecting a religious story to a color rich painting or relating the emotion of madness with the use of dark depressing tones.

Ah! Chapter One.

The video Aesthetics: Philosophy and the Arts (digital.films.com) described the relationship between arts and philosophy. In the film, many different theories on aesthetic and its effect on humans in relation to the arts were presented. First it described how aesthetics came to be, the how aesthetics had an effect on how one interprets or creates art. I believe that Kant’s theory on aesthetics in most important. Immanuel Kant was a German philosopher that lived in 1700’s. His theory suggested that aesthetics was subjective and was not law bound. He believed that beauty was judged based on feelings and was not limited to any parameters. I believe this is important because aesthetics are completely subjective; it is based on how something visual or audible affects the person experiencing it. This is what makes great pieces of art work that are considered aesthetically pleasing. Artists are able to create beautiful pieces because something affected them and gave them inspiration to create.

The video CARTA: Neurobiology Neurology and Art and Aesthetics (www.youtube.com), is about the science and biology of humans and the human brain in relation to art and aesthetics. Jean-Pierre Changeux is a French neuroscientists that believes art and aesthetics are the connection of the visual appearance of a piece of art which is consciously seen and is unconsciously processed within the prefrontal cortex of the brain. He discussed how works of art are human artifacts that are symbolic in form and are used in the form of non-verbal communication. Throughout time artifacts begin to change from early vague forms of tools to symmetrical, clear cut tools. This development demonstrates throughout time human brains began to develop favoring visually pleasing items, in which the notion of aesthetics came about.

Vilayanur Ramachandran is also a neuroscientists who explained the science of art within this film. He discussed how the humanities and science would never meet, however through research one can see that they do meet within the human brain. Ramachandran also discussed how art is mainly based off of cultural ideas which he does not believe is true. He believes that there are eight rules of art that enable art to transcend between cultures. Some of these rules are contrast, symmetry, grouping, and art as a metaphor. This argument was made clear by the examples of Indian art compared to English art. He discussed how English art historians would look at a sculpture of an Indian god and did not like what they saw, however when it came to Picasso and his abstract period they believed it was amazing. According to Ramachandran the brain is active in thirty different areas when observing a visual item which leaves room for judgment. This judgment is subjective in nature which explains aesthetics. This perception people make about art is based off their own judgment of how they perceive the artwork.

I found this biological way of thinking about art very effective in describing what aesthetics are and how they affect the way people perceive are. I thought the piece about symmetry versus aesthetics Changeux discussed to be most interesting. This is based off of an experiment in Germany where subjects were asked to compare a symmetrical image to an asymmetrical image which is supposed to be deemed more beautiful. This shows the difference between symmetry judgment and aesthetic judgment.  I found Ramachandran eight rules of art to be most interesting. After taking a pervious art course I found that most art is based off of cultural ideas. However, these eight rules do explain art as a vessel for emotion, symbolic meaning, and visual attractiveness that which is not tied to just one culture. These rules take art as a whole and make is accessible to all cultures.

The article “What the brain draws from: Art and neuroscience”, by Elizabeth Landau (www.cnn.com), and the videos CARTA: Neurobiology Neurology and Art and Aesthetics, and Aesthetics: Philosophy and the Arts provided the brains behind great pieces of artwork. People create art to express emotions, bring people together, or commemorate an icon because of the extremely active brain. Elizabeth Landau states, “The human brain is wired in such a way that we can make sense of lines, colors and patterns on a flat canvas”. Our brains are made to understand and create art in every sense of the word. One of the greatest benefits of this ability is we are able to create emotional ties to these pieces of art. Art is subjective giving the viewer the capability to form their own unique perspective according to what they find aesthetically pleasing. Being able to do this, individuals are able to use their abilities to create pieces of work that symbolize human experiences, sacred realms, and the natural world.

I thought being able to see what artist create and how their brains effect that creation was very helpful in understanding art. I understand that I like crazy pop art because I find that visually attractive. This consciousness gives the ability for an individual to have an emotional experience with a piece of artwork, and enjoy in the mere beauty of everything that went into it. Art is looked at as a past time to most people, however through this first chapter one becomes educated on how it had a crucial part in our development as human beings not only in our physical world but in our physical beings.

The beginnings…

The process of creating a g-mail and blog account was surprisingly easy. Each account was step by step processes and was simple. I thought there could have been more choses when it came to blog templates, however the simple on will do perfectly fine!

I am excited to take this course because I am very fond of art. My sister is an art education major at Buffalo State College and I am a big fan of her work. I however am not an artist, so my knowledge of art is limited. I do have some favorites like Roy Lichtenstein and my sister. I expect to learn how to understand art and form an educated opinion on a piece of artwork. I would like to learn about the different mediums artist used and the inspiration behind the pieces.

I enjoy taking online courses. I feel very comfortable that I am able to get the work completed on time. I work over fifty hours a week so there is little time in my day. I like online courses because I am able to do the work at any time of day and I feel I can manage my time better when I have that freedom. I am not the best at computers which makes online classes frustrating at times, but I am learning!