Reflection

1. What were you expectations for this course and where they met?
2. Now that you've been through this course, What is art? How would you define it now compared to your intial posting?
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?
 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?

1) Yes my expectations were met and then some!
2) Art is anything and everything and everywhere. Garbage can be turned in to an installation, a tree can be art and be an example of many art elements. A painting can have so many themes and meanings.
3) In my original posting Andy Warhol was my favorite artists. My favorite visual artist now is da Vinci. I think so because there is so much going on in his paintings and some relate to history as well.
4) There is a lot of work for an online course and that I was surprised about. It was nice I didn't have to go to campus for class and finals. I made a habit of checking Angel and in my initial post I was concerned I would forget to do an assignment but every day I was checking what had to be done. I would still encourage people to take an online course but I was taking 20 credits this semester and I think I would only take one again with less credits so I am not overwhelmed!

Self Portrait

ALBERTINA, VIENNA

Self-Portraits:
Self-Portrait
c. 1593-1594

Hendrick Goltzius 

Self-Portrait in Yellow Vest, 1914

Egon Schiele

Self-Portrait
Undated

Carlo Maratta  

My picture:

My Self-Portrait:  
1. Why did you select the inspiration pieces?
2. Why did you select the media to create your self-portrait?
3. What challenges did you face in creating your self-portrait and how did you overcome them?
4. How does this piece represent you?
5. What elements and principles of art did you apply in this work?
6. Did you enjoy working on this project?
7. What do you think of your final artwork?
1) I selected the inspirational pieces because they were all different versions of self portraits.  The first one looks like he is posing and someone else is drawing him and the second one was more abstract and was the artist in motion.
2) I used pencil because I am not an artist and I knew I would be doing lots of erasing. I didn't want to add color because I didn't want to mess up with paint!
3) The biggest challenge was the eyes! I could not get my left eye (viewed on the right) to look symmetrical or realistic! I just ended up not drawing an eye. Also making the shape of my face and not having it a big blob was difficult but I just kept re-doing my hair and that helped. 
4) This piece represents me because it is realistic and simple. That relates to me and my artistic skills. I was going to make an abstract self-portrait since I at times want to stand out and be unique rather than being plain and like everyone else but my artistic skills was a barrier for making a fun looking portrait!
5) I applied line. Most of my lines are vertical so it gives flow. I also used shape. I tried to break my hair into different shapes. I also used symmetry since my face is asymmetric (I have 1 eye not 2).
6) I did enjoy working on this project! I plan on keeping my self-portrait in my room and maybe one day I will master my eye and complete my face!
7) I am very happy with my final artwork! It is not colorful like I would have wished but I think it resembles my photo quite well! I am surprised at how much it looks like I have talent!

Art Criticism

1. Which projects did you review?
2. Why did you select the Exhibit you critiqued?
3. What challenges did you face in writing the critique article and how did you overcome them?
4. How do you feel about critiquing your peers work?
5. Would you like to read the critique your peers wrote about your Art Curation Project?
6. On a scale of 1-10 how would you rate your finished article and why?
7. Did you enjoy working on this project?

1) I Reviewed: Motion in Art, Classically Black and White, and Unconditional
2) I selected the exhibit that I critiqued because I felt the most emotionally attached to it. Also, I made a suggestion for this exhibit when we had to check out people's ideas in a prior forum. I wanted to see if she took any advice I gave- and she did!
3)  I wasn't sure how to really start off the article. I never critiqued something before (other than papers but that was mostly just checking for errors) so this was new. I overcame this by just simply stating what the exhibit was about and what some pieces of art one would see if they went to the exhibit. After I got on a roll of writing, I didn't have much of a problem. I made it seem more like a "critique" at the end and wrote as if this would be an article in a newspaper..which I guess was the point of this project!
4) I have always had a hard time critiquing one's work. I don't want to seem too harsh or too easy going. I have trouble when it comes to thinking of ways of improvement because I think everyone's ideas are just fine and are unique to what the person wants.
5) I would like to read what others wrote about mine, if anyone even critiqued mine!! I really want to see if people liked my theme and what I was trying to show!!
6) I would rate my article with 8/10. I am not sure if I was exactly on track with it sounding like a critique article but I think I did pretty well on it and covered all that should have been written about. I included what the exhibit was, linked it with Mother's Day (current event/holiday), if I thought it would be successful, and a suggestion.
7) I did enjoy working on the overall project. It was very difficult to think of an exhibit and what pieces to display in it with a linked theme. I also enjoyed playing the critique. This project got us to play different roles. We were both the creator and judge so we got to see both ends of the stick!

Last Video Reviews!

1. For each video list/discuss the key concepts you learned.
2. Do the videos relate to the creation of your Art Criticism 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 art criticism?

The Critics: Stories from the Inside Pages- Critics get the general public to think. Criticism can also be fun for readers and viewers.They help the viewer think and see something in a different way. Sometimes critics' remarks give artists the big breaks they hope for. A "New York Times" book critic takes pride in promoting new, good books, but asserts that there are many bad books being written. A review is an informed opinion, and criticism is more analytical. Often associated with negativity, criticism is actually the practice of analyzing, classifying, interpreting, or even evaluating literary or other artistic works.

Greenberg on Art Criticism: An Interview by T. J. Clark-  According to Clement Greenberg, "writing about visual art is much tougher than writing about literature or music". Greenberg comments on intuition, reasoning, and relevance in art criticism. Greenberg comments on T.J. Clark's position that art criticism must involve some sort of argument about the basis of the critic's judgment, which must involve history.

An Introduction to the Italian Renaissance (Giorgio Vasari)- The Renaissance is marked by a renewed enthusiasm in the arts and many Italian artists contribute to its development. Giotto is one of the first artists to revive the realistic style of the Romans by using perspective found in architecture and landscape. Nudes reflect the beauty of the human form (Donatello's "David"). In "The Madonna and Child," Francesca experiments with contrasting light and dark to create depth. This is called chiaroscuro. "The Birth of Venus" celebrates the beauty of the human form and uses techniques learned from preceding artists. Da Vinci applies science and math to art. In "The Last Supper" the figures appear naturally in their surroundings. Applying "sfumato" to the "Mona Lisa," da Vinci blurs the edges of the forms. In the sculpture "David," Michelangelo drives for perfection, creating a powerful symbol of the Republic. The painted ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in Florence represents man's relationship to God.

The Colonial Encounter: Views of Non-Western Art and Culture- Dahome art is visually beautiful, but it is often ignored as art and treated as craft. While most countries were symbolized by famous monuments of each country, the Dahomian exhibit consisted of a group of thatched structures, suggesting that there was no civilized infrastructure. Images of African people showed violent behavior toward each other, fostering the notion that they are savages who might also turn against Europeans. That is how colonialism is justified. A symbolic image from Dahome displayed at the 1900 World Fair is in the form of a stylized shark. The shark symbolizes Dahome's determination to protect its shores.

 

2) As far as the criticism goes, yes the videos related to the art curation project. I had to think of what went together and there are so many different styles and themes in art and pictures. As far as criticizing, I didn't have to criticize yet but I had to think to myself why each picture belonged in my exhibit and thought to myself what would others see in the picture I would display.

3) The videos do add depth to my knowledge of art criticism. They also helped me distinguish between reviewing and criticizing. To be critical you have to add history and knowledge to what you're saying, it isn't just one's opinion.

Art Curation

This exhibit I have made is called: In the "Click" of Time. The artwork will only be made up of black and white photographs. The purpose of this exhibit is to show how people age through time. The pictures will be of all different ages and can be of any activity or scenery.
This was actually very difficult. I have gotten little to no sizes of the photographs to add to my project. Years and dates were also hard to come by when I put this together.
Finding photos to add to my exhibit was even difficult. A lot that popped up was of websites to book a photographer for an event. Most of my photographs are of not-well known photographers or not even famous ones for that matter. That wasn't what I was trying to go for in my exhibit anyways. I mainly wanted to just focus on finding different life stages to show.

Vide Review Curation

1. For each video list/discuss the key concepts you learned.
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 Lowdown on Lowbrow: West Coast Pop Art- Lowbrow dictionary definition: a person regarded as uncultivated and lacking in taste. Pop culture, car culture, and folk art have both had major influences in the genre. While conceptual ism brought thought to art it excluded audience members who were not trained in art history. High culture requires a certain level of intelligence. Music artists were able to get their work to the masses in the form of album covers and fliers.
Displaying Modern Art: The Tate Approach- Art is displayed on white walls with flexible lighting. The Tate Modern displays its modern art if four sections. In each section an overarching principle provides a theme for the selection and exhibition of the selections of modern art.
Bones of Contention: Native American Archaeology-  Native Americans' bones were collected as a scientific curiosity during the U.S. genocide against Indians. In the 19th Century Samuel Morton M.D. studies brain size and conclude that the size of one's cranium is related to intelligence. Bones with similar defects suggests shared genes and origins.

An Acquiring Mind: Philippe de Montebello and The Metropolitan- 

They place the art in a context of time and place. Art is never finished. You sense creation and not repetition.

This videos do relate to the creation of the exhibition project. I didn't realize so much thought and work was put in to an exhibition. This makes me understand I have to sit down and really think about the exhibition and in vision what I really want to put together so it all goes with each other. I don't want too similar of pieces though. 

The videos did add depth. Without them I really wouldn't know much about art curation. I now learned some easy tips to put together and exhibition.

Video Reviews

1. Explain why you selected each of the FOUR videos you choose from the selection listed above.
2. For each video list/discuss the key concepts you learned.
2. How do the videos relate to the readings in the text?
3. What is your opinion of the films? How do they add depth to understanding of the readings and art concepts?

1) Andy Warhol: Images of an Image- Andy Warhol was one of the artists I really knew before this class and really liked his work.

Abstract Expressionism and Pop: Art of the ’50s and ’60s- Pop art is fun and colorful and I wanted to see more examples of it.

Isamu Noguchi: The Sculpture of Spaces- The name actually sounded really different so it caught my attention!

Hockney on Photography- I like seeing people's "artsy photographs" and the subjects they used so I wanted to see more examples.

2)  Warhol- Andy Warhol worked as a commercial artist until 1960 when he began experimenting with advertising images. Warhol's interest in the lives of these famous women inspired several repeated images. Warhol saw the repeated silk screen images as a way to make money. Warhol begins to photograph his friends; soon he is filming them also, shooting about 100 films. He begins adding paint to his silk screened images.He also starts making self-portraits.

Abstract and Pop- Abstract Expressionism was born from a joining of attitudes in American art and European avant-garde art, but was later rejected for its nonfigurative and seemingly egocentric character in favor of the ultra-objective phenomenon known as Pop Art. 

Sculpture of Spaces- Isamu Noguchi creates sculpture gardens to "humanize space and sculpture." He experiments with different media such as water to create a new manifestation of an approach to sculpture.

Photography- Painters used the "camera obscura" to create an image to paint from. Hockney uses photographic images to create something pertaining more to the condition of painting. He first uses the Polaroid to create a grid-like collage; later his collages were more free-form and not limited to a grid.

3)  Learning about Warhol and his silk screening not only covered what was read about in this chapter but carried on information we have already learned about different screening processes. Same with photography, as we already learned about some digital and media technology and how they relate to art.

4) I think it is cool to learn about photography as an art because some people take pictures just to take pictures, and others have a sole purpose or image they want to get out of taking a picture. There are also so many ways to fool around with a picture to make a final piece which is also covered in the last few chapters. Warhol and other artists were known for playing around with colors.

Gallery Visit

Albright- Knox
The Exhibition:

Artworks 2012: Inside the Knox (Education Exhibition)

The theme is all art projects from grade K-12 in the West Seneca district and their artworks in all different mediums.

The museum is bright, the lighting is very good and not colored. The walls are white so the paintings and artworks really stand out. There are podium like stands that are used in the museum as well as benches. (I'm kind of confused about what architecture is used in the space, sorry). Everything flows in the museum, you slide across looking and wondering about paintings instead of wandering all around and up and down stairs (which there are stairs but as you're upstairs there's still an even flow). 

The artworks are organized  by being alongside with each other. The artworks were similar because they all explore different mediums being used but they were definitely all different and unique in their own way. There are little white signs that say the artist and grade level and medium used. 

 Mercedes Smith (Grade 12, East Senior High School). Oil pastel. This artwork is very colorful to show depth and features that are not realistic. The figure seems to be a girl, possibly with reddish hair in real life. The girl seems frustrated, or bored even by the way she is holding her head in her arms. The strokes are easy to see in the artwork but it gives it more character that if it were just smooth lines.

 Zack Bremmer (Grade 12, East Senior High School). Digital photograph. The bright red spout not only draws attention and emphasis but also is bright in color. The spout is running water, more intensely than just a drip. This also shows movement. This looks like it is a drain from a side of the house or possibly in a garden. There is an unfocused plant in the background in the pot.

  Molly Grant (Grade 12, Alternative Learning Center). Mixed media. There is color used in this as well. The pennies make up a tree as magazine pages make the leaves, sky, and ground. There is emphasis on the tree as well as proportion. The tree takes up almost the whole picture. The way there are little leaves on the tree gives the sense that it is fall time. The blues and purples give a sense that it is almost night time, not bright during the day time. 

Answer this question: What did you think of visiting the Gallery and purposefully looking at the exhibition from a different perspective - the physical space, the architecture, theme, etc.?

I never thought of looking at my surroundings at an art museum. I mostly just focus on what I'm actually looking at (the paintings on the wall). I guess it would make sense to see everything around me to see how everything correlates together and if something is hindering an artwork such as light.